Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 113406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Honestly, it was like watching someone send a “See, I’m over you” message to her ex, showing him what he could no longer have. Only Bracken wasn’t her ex. He was just a guy who’d turned her down. And she apparently felt the need to make it clear that it didn’t bother her . . . which meant it very clearly did bother her. It all just seemed so petty. And strange, because Madisyn had never pegged Claudia as petty.
Watching the she-wolf stare adoringly at her companion, Madisyn blew out a breath. “She’ll make a good actress. If she lives through tonight.” Her cat really wanted to ensure that that didn’t come to pass.
“Pay her no attention. Seriously.”
“How can I ignore her?” Madisyn planted a hand on her hip. “She has to know I can clearly see her watching my mate.”
“Yeah, I think she wants to do exactly what she is doing—piss you off. In her mind, it’s your fault that Bracken won’t be with her. That’s how she’ll see it, because she’s too vain to think he’d ever not want her. Such a fragile ego she must have. We can only pity her.”
“I don’t. I just plain despise her.”
Ally laughed again. “I really do like you, Mads.” She waved a hand. “Forget about her. Bracken doesn’t see any girl but you.” She looked at the male in question, and her brow creased. “He’s tenser than usual.”
Madisyn sighed. “It’s getting to him that no one’s been able to locate the Mavericks.” Since Donovan sent the pack a list of properties owned by the Maverick’s MC chapters a few days ago, the pack had scoped out each of them. There was no sign of the clan anywhere. The longer they went undiscovered, the more tense Bracken seemed to get.
Just as he’d threatened, he followed her to the shelter every day. He also remained at her side throughout the day, pitching in to help with whatever jobs she was doing, and he’d done it all without complaint, to her surprise. He really just seemed content as long as she was right there with him. And since it reduced her workload by half, there were benefits to him being so overprotective.
As they’d worked side by side, they’d talked more. Shared more stories from their childhoods, learned more things about each other, and developed a sort of rhythm. Instead of making them crazy, spending so much time together had strengthened their relationship and, in turn, strengthened their bond. Not so much that it had advanced a “step,” but enough that it was close to doing so.
In truth, she was so far gone for him it wasn’t even funny. Not that she’d told him that. Not yet. But he probably knew anyway.
Just then, Bracken’s gaze collided with hers. His mouth curved into a wicked smile that made her stomach clench and her nipples tighten.
“Hmm, that smile promised all sorts of dirty stuff,” said Ally.
Madisyn grinned. “It did, didn’t it?” And he’d better damn well deliver. He’d been building the sexual tension since this morning. He’d sent her several explicit text messages throughout the day and then taken her to dinner at a swanky restaurant, where he’d made a point of kissing and touching her and driving her nerve endings crazy. Seriously, her body was so ready to jump him, it was like having touch-hunger all over again.
She sent him a heated look from beneath her eyelashes. His own eyes narrowed slightly, and then he was making his way to the bar.
Ally straightened. “Oh, he’s coming over. And I’m just gonna tell you, because I know it’ll make you smile . . . Claudia is hating it.”
That did make Madisyn smile.
Reaching the bar, Bracken leaned over, mouth curved. “How’s my baby?”
“Looking forward to the end of her shift,” replied Madisyn as Ally melted away, giving them privacy.
Bracken crooked his finger at Madisyn. “Come here.”
Bracing her elbows on the bar, she leaned over and accepted the soft but toe-curling kiss he sucker punched her with. “Hmm. You’re good with that mouth.”
Said mouth kicked up into a smile. “So are you.” He cupped her jaw, raking his gaze over her face. Possessive. Hungry. “That’s better.”
She blinked. “Better?”
“You had that ‘I’m gonna smack some bitch down’ look on your face before. Now it’s gone.”
“Yeah, well, I am thinking of smacking one particular bitch around the club.”
Bracken didn’t pretend to misunderstand; he’d felt Claudia’s gaze, knew what she’d been doing. “Don’t let her get to you, baby. She’s clearly just a very bored woman with far too much time on her hands if she wants to spend her Friday night doing something like this.” He brushed his thumb over her chin. “Say the word and she’s gone. I’ll have her escorted out of here, and she’ll never be welcomed back.”
Madisyn snorted. “I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of that kind of reaction.”