“Not a date, then?” he asked, and there was a teasing glint in his eye that made my stomach do something I wasn’t prepared for.
I huffed out a breath, trying to keep my cool. “No, it’s not a date. It’s an apology. For my... behavior.”
He grinned, his eyes still searching my face like he was trying to figure out if I was telling the truth. “Alright, I’m in,” he said, and I couldn’t help but notice the way his excitement made my pulse quicken. “I mean, I’ve never been to a fancy bourbon tasting before, so... why not?”
“Great,” I replied, maybe a little too quickly. My bear practically purred at the thought of spending more time with him. I had to remind myself this wasn’t some kind of... romantic gesture. It was just an apology. That’s all. “It starts at seven. I’ll meet you in the main lounge.”
“Seven,” he repeated with a nod. “I’ll be there.”
I nodded once, too stiffly, before turning to leave. “Good,” I said, probably sounding more gruff than I intended. “And Mylo?”
He raised an eyebrow, that curious glint in his eyes still there. “Yeah?”
I hesitated, my chest tightening again. “Just... don’t think too much about what happened the other day. It was my fault, not yours. I don’t want you to feel bad.”
For a moment, Mylo just stared at me, and I could see the surprise in his expression. Then, slowly, he smiled. “I won’t,” he said softly. “But I appreciate you saying that, Holden.”
I nodded, unable to find anything else to say. So, without another word, I turned and walked out of the kitchen, my stomach still flipping in ways I wasn’t used to. My bear growled in satisfaction, happy to have spent time near our mate, and I had to push down the instinct to call it what it was.
It wasn’t a date. It wasn’t anything more than an apology. I wasn’t going to let it be anything more than that.
But the way my heart fluttered at the thought of seeing him tonight told me my bear had other plans.
Damn it.
CHAPTER NINE
MYLO
To goor not to go?
Who are you kidding?an annoying voice mocked.
Of course, I was going. There wasn’t a damn thing that could’ve kept me away—not after Holden invited me. Not after that look he gave me.
The look you think he gave you!
There was something about that alpha, something magnetic, that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fight it. Something I couldn’t resist, no matter how many times my brain screamed at me to stay away—because everything always ended badly in my case.
If it ends badly, you have no one to blame but yourself.
I snorted. Fair point. Holden was the definition of unavailable. If there was ever an alpha with a neon“keep your distance”sign flashing above his head, it was him. Although, I could swear that, every now and then, that sign flickered off—and for a brief moment, he seemed... different. Warmer. Like there was something there. Like he wanted me to try.
Or it could be your imagination.
Maybe. But that didn’t change the fact that I was going.
Because you’re a glutton for punishment, apparently.
I blew out a breath, standing in front of the mirror, checking my reflection for what felt like the hundredth time.It’s not a date.I’d reminded myself of that repeatedly as I fixed my hair and adjusted my shirt. But still, the thought of being around him made my pulse race in a way no amount of reasoning could fix.
So yeah, I was going to a bourbon tasting. I didn’t even know bourbon tastings were a thing before I got the invite. Then again, if wine tastings were a thing, why not bourbon? Still, it was obviously going to be a fancy event. I knew the resort hosted plenty of rich guests, so I bet the bourbon would be high-end stuff—definitely not my scene. But if Holden invited me? There was no way I was sitting this out.
Even though I’d never touched bourbon outside of a recipe for marinade, sauce, or glaze.
Still, I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to maybe—just maybe—figure him out.
Yeah, that’s what you want to do. Just figure him out.
