a man, tall and broad shouldered with a narrow waist and hips. His face was chiseled to perfection, and his eyes—those silver eyes unlike any I had ever seen—were spellbinding, like a love potion no one could resist, especially me. He wore faded jeans, a white shirt rolled up to his elbows that exposed his powerful forearms, and a black vest that hugged his torso tightly. Two buttons were undone at the top of his shirt, revealing an expanse of smooth, tanned skin I ached to touch. His scent of pine and rain mixed with the smell of clean soap made me think of our bodies pressed together under the spray of a hot shower. I had enjoyed him that way a few times, and my legs trembled at the memory.
He stopped a couple of paces from me, his eyes sweeping the length of my body, and pausing for a long moment on my breasts. Then they slowly climbed up the column of my throat to finally meet my gaze.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
“You don’t look too bad yourself.”
He came closer and stood next to me as he ordered a drink.
“Scotch. Neat.” When the drink came, he tasted it, then leaned closer to whisper in my ear. “Have you seen him?”
I shook my head and inhaled the scent of alcohol on his breath. It was stupid to spend money on drinks when we couldn’t get drunk, but it still tasted good. It would taste even better on his lips.
“How about Ulfen?” I asked.
Jake inclined his head toward a raised area I hadn’t noticed before. It was a sort of loft encased in glass that afforded a full view of the club. Ulfen sat there, surveying his domain. His attention drifted over us as if we weren’t there, though something told me he was quite aware of every single individual in sight, especially Jake and me.
I clinked my glass against Jake’s. “To your upcoming nuptials.”
“Please, don’t.” His eyes darkened and his expression grew glum, making me realize he was truly unhappy about his situation.
“Maybe I can help you figure out how to—“
“Jake! Toni!” An enthusiastic voice said behind us.
We turned to find Stephen smiling at us, his arms extended as if to encompass both of us in one big hug.
“What are you two doing here?” he asked.
“I heard you’ve been spending a lot of time here lately,” Jake said, “and I convinced Toni to come visit since we hadn’t seen you in some time. She works too much and is in desperate need of some fun.”
“I’m so glad you came.” He shook Jake’s hand, then gave me a quick hug, smiling all the while, looking genuinely happy to see us, his blue eyes giving nothing away.
As he pulled away from me, he held me at arm’s length, his nostrils widening as he took in my new scent.
“What do I...?”
I smiled sheepishly. “It’s a damn long story, but it turns out I’m a werewolf.”
His jaw fell open, then mechanically closed again. “You’re what?”
“Quite the shocker, huh?” Jake said.
“How is that even possible?”
“I can tell you everything over a couple of drinks and a slow dance.” I winked and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, using the full power of my female charms.
“That sounds lovely and... interesting. Of course!” He added with a charming smile that might have disengaged my panties in a previous life.
“I’ve already heard the whole story,” Jake said in a bored tone. “I’ll leave you two to it while I find that hot redhead I saw when I came in.”
Stephen crossed his arms, giving Jake a sidelong glance. “Aren’t you supposed to be engaged?”
Jake thumbed his nose. “Exactly. Better have some fun while I can.”
He ambled away, sipping his scotch as he searched the crowd.
“There’s a quiet booth in the back where we can sit,” Stephen said.
“Perfect.”
He smiled with brilliant perfect teeth, then crooked a finger beckoning the bartender. “Tell the chef to send some of his best appetizers.”
“On it.” The bartender did a military salute and disappeared through a set of doors in the back.
“The perks of being the owner’s son, huh?” I teased.
“Can’t complain.”
We made our way to the booth and sat comfortably, watching the crowd for a bit. He focused on a dark-skinned dancer contorting herself around a pole and putting her beautiful, athletic body on display. She was a work of art.
“She’s something else,” I said.
“Isn’t she? I hired her just the other day.”
I swirled the liquid inside my tumbler and watched it