They hadn’t had a chance to chat or greet each other beyond a whispered hello last night when he’d arrived and carried a dead-to-the-world Mina up to the guest room.
“Ditto, big bro.” He set her down, and she immediately crossed her arms and gave him then Mina, a thorough once-over. “So, lovebirds, hungry?”
“Ugh, Lexi!” Mina grabbed his sister by the hand, tugging her out the door. “Come on, give me a tour of your new fab house, since apparently I slept through my arrival. And over breakfast you can tell your brother where he’s sleeping because he’s sooooo not sharing my room.”
His sister laughed and allowed Mina to lead her from the room. As they dashed down the stairs, his sister said, loud enough for him to hear, “So, he’s in the doghouse already? No shocker there. Hey, let’s start the tour with my studio.”
Evan didn’t move until he heard the door shut on what must be Lexi’s art room. Good. He could use some time away from Mina to get his head on straight. Coast seeming clear, he strode into the hall, down the stairs, and into the main living area. The open floor plan allowed him a good view of Jake at his grand piano in the living room, scribbling something on sheets of paper he had strewn on top of it. “Morning, Jake.”
The man looked up from his work and gave him a broad smile. “You look well-used, mate.” Jake gestured at his head.
Evan reached up to his own and felt the mess Mina had made of his short hair. The mere thought of her nails scraping his scalp while he’d kissed the sass out of her sent a stab of lust to his groin. “Something like that. Coffee?”
“I live with your sister. Of course, there’s coffee.” Jake accompanied Evan into the kitchen.
Evan arched a brow at the lavish display of breakfast items including quiche, fruit salad, and croissants. “Lexi cooked?”
His sister possessed talent to spare, but not in the cooking department. And from what he remembered of Jake, the man was a beans-and-toast kind of guy.
Jake handed him a cup of coffee. “No. My aunt made the quiche and croissants.”
“Right.” He should have guessed.
Mrs. Carson, known by all for the best baked goods around, also the caterer for the wedding. Ross couldn’t stop talking about the woman’s fabulous food. Evan looked forward to experiencing it for himself.
He helped himself to quiche and a croissant then sat on a barstool at the center kitchen island. His eyes rolled up in his head after the first bite of the flaky, buttery pastry. “This is great.”
“The best, right?” Jake leaned against the opposite counter and bit into a pastry. The two men ate in companionable silence. Feminine laughter filtered down the hall.
Evan liked the sound. “Lexi is happy here.”
“We both are.”
“Glad you two worked it out.” Years ago, he’d witnessed his then teenaged sister reject their mutual friend Jake’s claim. Little wonder his headstrong sister had to jump through quite a few hoops to win back the man’s trust.
“Best decision I’ve ever made.” Jake gave him a considering look. “Lexi’s friend seems nice.”
Evan choked on his coffee.
“Easy, man.” His friend pounded on his back.
He cleared his throat. “There is nothing easy about that pint-sized terror.”
“Easy is overrated. Complicated is the hot ticket.”
“Says the man who loves my sister.”
“Exactly.” Jake rubbed a hand over his tattooed arm. “Complicated keeps life interesting.”
“I don’t have time for distractions of any kind, especially not a woman.”
Jake shrugged. “All work and no play….”
Evan clenched his teeth. He had no time for a relationship. Period. End of the damn discussion. His inner wolf growled. Suck it up. We are not taking a mate. And the wedding fling she suggested? Not happening. Too risky on many levels. He shouldn’t have kissed her on the road, shouldn’t have kissed her upstairs. It had to end with their recent—their last—kiss. To be certain it did, he’d sleep elsewhere. Lexi and Jake’s huge sectional couch didn’t look totally uncomfortable.
“Hey, boys!” Lexi sauntered into the kitchen arm in arm with Mina. “Leave any coffee for my bestie? She’s a beast before her first three cups.”
Mina rolled her eyes. “I’d argue the point, but she’s right.” She disengaged herself from his sister and accepted the coffee cup Jake held out to her. “Thanks.”
“Have some food with your caffeine.” Lexi plopped a quiche wedge and a croissant on a plate and slid it across the island countertop.
“Looks great, thanks.” Mina hesitated before sitting on the barstool next to Evan.
From her stiff posture and stony expression, his sister had called it earlier—he sat in the doghouse. Good. Exile would make it easier to keep his hands to himself. Her fresh, feminine scent wafted to him, along with the aromas of coffee and cheese and butter from her breakfast plate. God, she smelled good enough to eat. He could imagine the creamy skin of her thighs, silky under his touch, as he parted her legs and settled near her sex to feast….
His dick hardened. Fuuuuuck. He shot to his feet, startling the others who’d fallen into a wedding conversation while he’d fantasized about eating out Mina and taking her over and over. He spun on his heel and beat a retreat to the stairs.
“Problem, big bro?” Lexi called after him.
“Work to do.” Yeah, take care of his inconvenient hard-on behind the locked door of the bathroom then spend the day avoiding a certain redhead.
“You can use the desk in my studio.”
“Thanks, sis.” He paused at the top of the stairs. “I’ll sleep on your couch tonight.” For his sanity and to make the message as clear as crystal.
Nothing could or would ever happen between him and Mina.
Chapter Four
Mina hung the last of the three wedding dresses on the rack in Lexi’s studio and surveyed her handiwork. “Et voilà, the wedding awesomeness is complete.” Definitely some of her best work. She couldn’t wait to see Darci, Lexi, and Darci’s aunt strutting in her fashions at the wedding.
Lexi slung an arm around her shoulders. “You rock. These dresses are freakin’ amazing.”
“Yeah. It’s my superpower.”
“So true, my sister.”
“You made my job easy, though.” The wedding dress, as well as those for the other two women, required only minor alterations since Lexi, being the meticulous artist, had provided great specs to work from.
Her pal curtsied. “I live to please.”
Mina snorted. “As if.”
“So….” Lexi perched on her desk. “Ready to party like it isn’t 1999 tonight?” She raised her hands in the air and bopped to an imaginary beat. “There’s karaoke in our future for sure. Darci’s all over it. Could she be any more perfect for a sis-in-law? I think not.”
Yes, such a sweet woman. Mina had liked Darci instantly. But, as fabulous as partying with the girls at the joint bachelor-bachelorette party sounded, she didn’t want to spend the evening seeing and avoiding Evan and pretending his rejection hadn’t hurt. She’d known the man for so little time yet their connection seemed undeniable. To her, at least.
“I don’t know, Lexi. Do you think I could bow out? I’d love to work on the ideas for my spring collection floating around my head. Need to nail them down….” And stay far away from the moody, frustrating, sexy man dominating her thoughts.
Lexi hopped off her desk and locked her death-laser stare onto Mina. “Oh, no you don’t.”
“What?”
“I know what you’re doing. You think I didn’t notice the look on your face when my idiot brother stomped off after breakfast? Or how you both ignored each other at lunch with the family today?”
Busted. She’d managed to avoid the inevitable girl chat with her BFF earlier, since both Jake’s and Lexi’s parents and Darci’s aunt had all arrived shortly after Evan had
disappeared to work. The fitting had kept the women busy while the men had joined Jake downstairs in what Lexi called “Jake’s World,” a spacious music studio and multimedia room.
When they’d reconvened for lunch, wedding talk and general family reminiscing had kept Lexi’s—and Mr. Moody Evan’s—focus off Mina, much to her relief.
No avoiding Lexi now. Her amber eyes gleamed with understanding and stubborn purpose. “Don’t think the silent treatment will work on me.”
Lexi snagged her hand and dragged her to sit on the royal-blue love seat nestled in a corner. “Spill it, sister. Every last info drop, right the heck now.”
Mina slumped against the cushions and stared at the ceiling. “I can’t. It’s not some random guy we’re talking about. It’s your brother.”
Lexi waved away her weak excuse. “Ppfffttt. Brother, guy, dude, whatever. I just need to know how much hurt I get to hammer into him for dissing my BFF.”
“It’s not his fault. Well, it is. Or isn’t, not entirely. We got off to a rocky start back at the airport.” Mina didn’t mean to share the whole saga, but Lexi wouldn’t settle for anything less. Talking about it eased her unhappiness.
Lexi drummed her fingers on the seat. “So, let me see if I have the sitch clear as crystal. My bananas-for-brains brother knows you’re his potential life mate, gets all hot and heavy with you not once, but twice, and yet refuses to have even a no-strings weekend fling with you.”
“Yep.”
She grinned. “He’s scared of you. Fantastic.”
“Um, why exactly?”
“My brother has his whole life planned out, and, from where I sit, his plan of all work and all work and all work is a whole lot of not fun. He needs someone like you to shake up his workaholic world.”
“You can’t fault him for it. I work all of the time, too.” She respected Evan’s work ethic.
“Yes, but you take breaks. Back in Venice Beach, you let me drag you out of your design cave every weekend. And for lunch and beach time, too.”
“True.”
“Honey, we’re lucky if we see Evan once a year on Christmas. I can’t remember the last time he joined us for Thanksgiving, or a summer vacation. He’s never even seen my place in California.”
“How awful.”
“Yes, it is. So, do me a favor and shake up his world, will ya?”
“I can’t, Lexi. You know me—I’m no shy wallflower, and I speak my mind. I asked him point-blank. He said no.” Despite her best intentions of staying strong, her eyes watered.
Lexi hugged her. “I’m sorry he hurt your feelings. He’s an idiot. Don’t worry, I’ll make him pay for messing with my BFF.”
“No, please, Lexi. Promise me you won’t. What’s done is done. Let’s move on.” Easy words for a tough task.
“Hmph. I can’t promise I won’t extract painful payback on my doofus big bro. But I can promise to wait until after the wedding.”
Hopefully after I am long gone. “Fine.”
“And also, I can’t believe you didn’t mention the run-in with those wicked wolves. I have to report it to Drew and Ryker. Don’t know the identity of the old wolf, but Michael is bad news. He tried to attack Darci when she first arrived in town.”
Mina gaped at her pal. “You’re kidding me.”
“Nope. He used to work construction for Ross until he pulled that stunt and got himself fired and banished from the pack for what Drew called a ‘cooling off period.’” Clearly, his punishment isn’t working. Man, Ross will rip Michael a new one for messing with you and Evan.”
“No, Lexi, you can’t tell Ross. It’s his wedding.” They could hide the tension between Evan and Mina, but news of the bad wolves would truly ruin the good wedding vibes.
She shrugged. “Evan probably already told him.” She stroked her chin. “Then again, maybe not. He’s too busy avoiding you.”
Mina mock winced. “Ouch.”
“Sorry. I mean it’s a good thing Evan is preoccupied. We’ll let the alpha and his enforcer handle Michael and the old wolf.”
“Great, now about tonight. Rain check on karaoke?” She batted her eyelids and gave Lexi her best pouty kitten stare.
“Nice try, Mina. You can have a few hours to work, and then I’m coming back to get you. I know Darci would love to hang with you, so you can miss half the party, not all of it.”
Probably the best offer she’d get from her friend. “Deal.”
Mina leaned against the French doors in Lexi’s studio, shivering at the chill emanating from the glass. Outside, darkness enveloped the snow-covered deck and yard while inside the studio, the radiant floor heating kept her nice and toasty while she worked. Everyone had left for the party about two hours ago, and Mina had used the time well, making decent headway on her new designs. She also hadn’t thought about Evan. Much.
Forget him. She straightened and stretched her stiff arms overhead, circling her hips to dispel the kinks from sitting in Lexi’s office chair. She probably had at least one or two more hours before Lexi returned to collect her for the party. She’d use the time to work, not to think about a certain, stupid dominant wolf.
The front door slammed shut and footsteps thudded on the hardwood floor of the hallway, growing louder as the person neared the studio. “Too early, Lexi.” The party had barely started.
The avoid-Evan plan she’d formed with her pal didn’t include an early pickup. “I’m going to throttle you, bestie.”
But it wasn’t Lexi. The telltale scent of male wolf preceded two sharp knocks on the door. The handle dipped and the door swung open. “Ready to go?” Evan arched a brow.
Oh yes, definitely going to kill her friend for her trickster move.
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Damn it all, how could she stick to her avoidance plan if he kept showing up?
But boy howdy, did he look fine in his clearly custom-made button-down shirt and urban-chic black blazer topping his dark jeans and boots. He looked like a freaking sexy-as-sin rock star.
Evan’s expression darkened, amber eyes narrowed. “Come again?”
Why yes, I’d like to come with your mouth on my— Whoa, there. Mina shook her head. No. No sexy thoughts about the cranky, no-flings-allowed dominant.
“Nothing. Never mind. Sorry. I was expecting Lexi.” There, somewhat articulate. Almost polite.
He gave her a stiff nod. “I’ll wait for you in the living room.” He pivoted and disappeared down the hall.
Mina hurried upstairs to put on the party dress she’d created for the occasion. Her own personal spin on the little black dress, she’d chosen a rich, dark blue to compliment her red hair and creamy skin tone and cut the dress to hug her breasts and waist while flaring the skirt, nice and flirty, the hem far enough above the knees to make her feel sexy but not overexposed. She felt like a million bucks in it, along with her stiletto-heeled black boots, like she could conquer the world, or, in the present case, one irritating, hot dominant. A touch of smoothing cream to tame her wavy hair, a bit of shimmery powder for her face, pink gloss on her lips, and she deemed herself ready. Well, if she could survive yet another car ride with Evan.
She donned the dress’s matching faux-fur shrug and descended the stairs to find the man in question staring out of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the darkened living room. Snow flurries flitted in the moonlight outside, reminiscent of the butterflies soaring around in her stomach. He kept his back to her as she approached, providing plenty of time to admire his physique. The glowing embers from the dying fire cast the gorgeous man in warm-orange hues.
Her fingertips tingled with the urge to trace his shoulders, slide down his muscular back, and slip inside the back pockets of his jeans. The memory of him pressing her first against the SUV then against Lexi’s guest room door sent a lick of lust from her breasts to her core. What would the powerful mountain of man feel like sans clothes? She’d likely die of sensory overload if they ever managed to achi
eve flesh on flesh. But oh man, what a way to go….
She cleared her throat when she stood one small step away, and he still hadn’t acknowledged her presence. “I’m ready.”
He stiffened and shook his head, as if she’d shocked him out of some daydream. “Great.” He sounded as tense as he looked and strode from the house without so much as a glance in her direction.
The fact he failed to cast even one glance at her in her million-dollar outfit hurt her pride a smidge. Okay, more than a smidgeon. But I’m a big girl. She could handle one little party. She’d hang with Lexi and Darci, make nice with the locals, and ignore the rude brute.
She found him waiting by the side of their rental SUV. He opened the door for her and helped her into her seat. Polite but distant.
“Thank you.” She kept her tone neutral as if he were a stranger and not the man who’d rocked her world twice with searing, burn-her-panties-off kisses.
“Of course,” he replied with his own version of neutral plus a hint of frost.
Fine. She could play the, we’re-mere-acquaintances game. She turned on the radio and fiddled with it until she found an indie rock station. Evan didn’t object, so she settled in her seat and pretended she didn’t care he was treating her like the Invisible Woman. They made it all the way down the mountain Lexi lived on and into town before the stiff silence they shared broke her resolve. “Oh, come on, Evan, this is absurd.”
He waited three swishes of the wipers before responding. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Her temper tapped on her forehead. “Oh no, you are not allowed to play stupid, Mister Technology Man. You started our, our…whatever it is. And now we’re going to finish it.”
“We’re here.”
“What?” She glanced out her window. Sure enough, they idled on the street outside a bar with a cheery lighted sign identifying the place as The Den.
“Parking lot is full, though. We’ll have to find street parking and walk back.”
Jasmine Moon Page 4
