hot air and open the driver’s door for Brianna. When she stands, I pull her close. Her scent consumes me, and before I can stop myself, I lean down to smell her hair.
Her hands automatically grip my biceps, and her small intake of breath follows.
The beast growls lowly, liking how our mate responds to us.
“We’ll fill the tank with gas first,” I say quietly to her. “Then we’ll go inside together. Keep your head down, and use your hair to hide your face from security cameras. We can use the restrooms and grab some food before I withdraw the cash. Once I do, the clock is ticking. We’ll need to move fast.”
Her grip tightens. “Are you sure we need to do this? Won’t we get caught if you use your debit card?”
I trail my hand across her hip. “Yes, the risk goes up, but we can’t continue as we are. We need money, and this is the only way.”
She’s studying me, her expression impossible to read before she says softly, “You mean, this is the only way to get money without stealing it from someone.”
I nod.
A slow smile spreads across her face, then she rises on her tiptoes and kisses me. She does it so fast that it catches me unaware.
“Thank you,” she says and disentangles herself from my arms. “Why don’t I wash the windows while you’re pumping the gas?”
A warm feeling slides through me that I’ve made her happy. Her tall strong form dips around the back of the car. She’s wearing shorts that barely cover her ass, and a tank top that highlights her lean arms and pert breasts. Thanks to what I grabbed from her room last night, her wardrobe choices aren’t exorbitant, but I’m not complaining.
The warm feeling stays with me when I grasp the pump. Another car rolls up behind us, its engine loud and grinding as the scent of gas fills the air. I eye the vehicle suspiciously, but the driver gets out without giving me a second glance. He goes to the pump, his credit card already out, but when he spots Brianna, he does a double take.
She’s cleaning the windows, her back to him. His gaze rakes her up and down as his credit card hangs in the air near the pump, entirely forgotten.
Brianna’s none the wiser that this jackass is mentally fucking her in his mind. I slam the pump into the car and take a step toward her, positioning myself between him and her.
When the dude spots me, he takes a step back. I can only imagine what my expression looks like, but from how quickly he’s backtracking I’m pretty sure I look like a scary motherfucker.
It’s only when the dude completely shifts his attention back to his car that the scowl leaves my face. Still, jealously courses through me.
Jeez, Coll…
I was never a jealous man before Brianna. Women were simply something to fuck and forget. And even though I’ve had a few girlfriends in the past, I’d never truly felt anything for them, which obviously didn’t go over well with them.
But with Brianna…
I rake a hand through my hair. Something tells me that this is a feeling that’s going to bite me in the ass over and over again. My mate is hot, and men notice her, and even though I don’t like it, I’m going to have to live with it.
“Collin?” Her question snaps me out of my mulling. She’s washed the windows and is leaning against the car, her eyebrows raised as she stares at me. “Ready to go inside?”
I mentally shake myself and finish with the gas. “Yeah. Let’s go.” I slide an arm possessively around her waist. The dickwad behind us is looking anywhere but at my mate, but I still give him a lengthy stare just to ensure it stays that way.
Cocking her head, Brianna nudges me toward the gas station’s door. I remind myself that I need to be focused right now and pay attention to the task at hand, but I also know that until I claim my mate, I’m going to have a hard time controlling these jealous impulses. I laugh internally.
Who am I kidding? Even if I claim her, I’ll have a hard time controlling it.
Once we reach the door, Brianna whispers, “Can I freshen up first? I’ll be quick.” She twists her hands, “And since the SF is going to find out our location, can I call my friends? I promised Macy I would be at work tomorrow,