The Vow (Black Arrowhead #1) - Dannika Dark Page 0,14

bar. “Someone tell them to keep it down,” he complained to the bartender. “A man can’t think with all that hootin’ and a-hollerin’.”

The noise on the opposite side of the wall amplified—boisterous laughter overlapping the chatter. The bartender left his station and disappeared around the corner. Moments later, the volume dropped just as fast as turning a dial down on a radio. He returned, filled two pitchers of beer, and disappeared again.

Rubbing my finger against the condensation on my glass, I asked the dark-haired man beside me, “Where are all the women?”

He shrugged. “Not many single girls in these parts.”

I chuckled. “So you keep them home, barefoot and pregnant?”

He cocked his head to the side. “Maybe a lady has no business being in a rowdy place like this.”

I glanced at the décor and sipped my drink. “I can’t say I blame them.”

“Sometimes a mated one comes in for a drink… without her mate. That usually stirs the pot. Are you tied to anyone?”

Since I really wasn’t in the mood for a personal interrogation about my love life, I kept stuffing cold fries into my mouth.

When he touched my hair, I drew back. “Hands off,” I said. “This isn’t a petting zoo.”

“Sorry. I mistook you for a peacock with that color.”

“Maybe you should buy a bottle for your mate.”

“Maybe.”

“A Shifter who’s truly in love wouldn’t be caught dead hitting on a stranger in a bar.”

“She doesn’t care what I do,” he said matter-of-factly. “We have an open relationship, and I’m always open to taking in another mate.”

While he rambled on, I couldn’t shake the image of Lakota out of my mind. My thoughts drifted back to many years ago when I’d lost my way in a snowstorm. I’d walked in circles on our property, unable to see in the darkness. I was cold and frightened—my pride and confidence stripped away. Then I remembered how Lakota appeared out of nowhere, like a knight on horseback. It was the first time I’d ever felt my heart quicken. The fates had always put him in the right place when I needed him, so it made me apprehensive as to why we were having yet another chance meeting.

“So what do you think?” the man asked.

I blinked at him. “What?”

A humored grin stretched across his face. His aquiline nose and large nostrils made his features appear narrower than most. He tucked his fist against his chin. “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you? What could be going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

“Maybe I was just coming up with solutions for the world’s energy crisis.”

A shadow appeared in the corner of my eye, and I peered over my shoulder. Lakota was facing the jukebox, his palms resting on the top as he leaned forward, shifting most of his weight to one leg. My gaze swung down to his ass, and normally I didn’t notice such a thing on men, but Lakota had a noteworthy frame. He wasn’t overly tall—just a few inches over me. I liked that. I’d always liked it when a man was closer to my level. It meant my face would fit perfectly in the crook of his neck.

Not that my face had spent much time in the crook of any man’s neck recently.

I couldn’t strip my eyes away from him. He was my best friend’s brother, and I had absolutely no business memorizing his ass.

Lakota slowly pushed a button, and the energy in the room fired up to the beat of “Cradle of Love” by Billy Idol.

He casually glanced over his left shoulder and locked eyes with mine. In that moment, something transpired between us. My entire body flushed with embarrassment, as if he could somehow sense I’d been admiring him. He drank me in, down to my shoes and back up to my eyes. I couldn’t see his mouth to tell if he was smiling, but his provocative gaze made my throat dry.

I jerked my head toward the mirror in front of me and took a swig of root beer. My hair was damp and tousled, my eyeliner smudged, and my tank top still wet. I casually swiped my finger beneath my eyes to fix my makeup, ignoring the fact that I could still feel him staring at me while Billy Idol screamed about teasing and pleasing.

It made me aware that I was straddling my stool more than sitting ladylike. He had to have recognized me, but I wondered what his impression was. The last time he’d