Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 129756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 649(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 649(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Mila blinked at him, surprised. “My dad.”
“What’s your mom?”
“A wolverine.”
His brows flew up again. “Your mother is a wolverine? Oh, Mila, you just get more and more interesting. Can you introduce me to her? I’ve never met a wolverine.”
Mila could only stare at him. The guy wanted to meet a wolverine? Most breeds of shifter pointedly avoided them. “I’m beginning to think you’re not quite sane.”
“Admittedly, you’re not the only person who feels that way. Does that mean you won’t go home with me?”
“Is there much point? I doubt it would be easy for two people to fit in a cardboard box.”
He laughed. “Mila, you’re a tough audience.” Damn, he really liked this cat. Liked her sharp wit, dry humor, and aura of electricity. Liked her quiet confidence—it was in her easy smile, her unapologetically direct stare, and the self-assured way she carried herself.
Her feline air of indifference was like a challenge, and he just wanted to find some way to crack that poker face. But she wasn’t giving him any openings. She practically batted away his pickup lines. Dismissed his flirtatiousness. Snorted at his attempts to charm her.
He knew she was attracted to him—he could see it, sense it—but she didn’t appear interested in acting on it. She wasn’t playing coy or hard to get. Wasn’t testing him or attempting to take control of the situation by leading their dance; he knew those games and could spot them easily.
He had the clear sense that she was simply very selective in her choice of sexual partners and, for whatever reason, he didn’t meet her standards. Yeah, that poked at his ego. It also made him determined to meet this challenge she presented.
Fighting the urge to tug on one of those unruly curls and then watch it spring back into place, Dominic said, “Come on, you’re not going to make me go home all alone, are you? That’s mean. Or maybe you’re just nervous. What is it, are you a virgin?”
She frowned. “No.”
“Prove it.”
Oh, this guy is pure trouble, Mila thought. Especially since he was stirring the interest of her moody cat—not just sexually, but because the cat sensed there were many facets to this male, and she couldn’t quite understand why he was hiding them. Yeah, Mila herself got the feeling that he wasn’t quite the shameless, shallow flirt he came across as to others.
When he stepped farther into Mila’s personal space, his eyes fixing on her mouth yet again, she knew it was time to go. Bottle of water in hand, Mila slid off the stool and said to Madisyn, “Good luck protecting this one from himself.”
Dominic pushed away from the bar. “You really won’t take me with you? Come on, if you don’t enjoy yourself, well, you’ve only wasted five hours of your life. Eight if you wanna include foreplay.”
Mila snorted. “Sorry, GQ, you’re not my type.”
“GQ?” he echoed. “Why am I not your type?” Dominic was pretty sure no one had ever said that to him before.
“Because I like men. You’re just a little boy.” Mila patted him on the head. “A little boy who comes across as a deceptively harmless flirt so that people label you a player, which makes them think they have you all figured out. But I’ll bet very few people really know you, and I’m sure that suits you just fine.”
A wide smile curved his mouth. “Damn, Mila, where have you been all my life?”
“Exactly where I’ll be during the rest of your days on this earth, sweetie—in your most imaginative dreams.” With that, she turned and walked away.
Trey sidled up to him, oozing amusement. “Crashed and burned.”
“Oh, I like her.” Dante chuckled. “I really, really like her.”
“I think I love her,” said Dominic.
Madisyn snickered. “Give it up, Dom. She’s not a female you’ll be able to charm into bed.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“Because she’ll want a person with a little more substance. You have substance. You just prefer to keep it hidden.” Madisyn gestured at the rest of the club. “Turn your attention elsewhere. God knows, there are plenty of welcoming smiles being directed your way. That group of girls is still waiting at your table.”
But Dominic didn’t want any of those females. He wanted the little cat who’d done what no other female had ever done—called him on his shit.
CHAPTER TWO
As Emmet Pierson sat hemming and hawing at the menu the next afternoon, Dominic exchanged an impatient look with Trey. The human had chosen the restaurant as a meeting place, and it was fairly busy. Servers walked back and forth carrying steaming trays of food to the many booths and tables. It served everything from simple burgers to ethnic-inspired dishes. Music played softly in the background, combining with the sounds of voices murmuring, food sizzling, and silverware clinking. The cool air wafting from the vents eased the warmth coming from the low-hanging lights.