Mia’s brows furrowed, a flicker of irritation flashing in her eyes. “I said no, thank you—I…”
Before she could finish her sentence, a figure materialized at her side. Max! His arrival was swift, his presence like a palpable force that pushed the other man away. Mia’s mouth fell open.
“She’s taken,” Max said, his voice cold and hard. “Leave.”
Mia blinked, astonishment rendering her momentarilyspeechless. How could he be there? A slew of emotions coursed through her—surprise, confusion, and an inexplicable relief she didn’t want to examine. But her surprise was quickly overtaken by annoyance. Who was he to assume she couldn’t handle the situation? Despite her shock, the notion stung. She was a shifter after all—strong, and capable. She had spurned the advances of far more dangerous men than this one.
As the man sulked off, Max turned to her, only for her bodyguards to finally make themselves known.
“Hey, buddy,” Rick started, scowling at Max.
Mia waved them off. “It’s fine. I know him.”
Her gaze swung back to Max, her eyes full of questions. Despite the turmoil in her mind, she couldn’t deny one fact—she was pleased to see him. Maybe a little too pleased. As she drew near to Max, an unmistakable aura of contentment enveloped her. It was as if she had finally discovered the missing piece of her being, and the world seemed to align itself in his presence. How was it possible that she could feel that way about a complete stranger—a complete stranger that she wasn’t even sure she liked?
“Look, can we talk?” Max asked, his tone apologetic. “Please?”
It was the last thing she expected after their earlier interaction, but it chipped away at some of her defenses.
She sighed, “Am I going to need a drink for this?”
Max grinned at her reply. “No, but I think I might need one. Come on, let’s go to the bar.”
They elbowed their way there, the thrum of country music reverberating around them. The bartender took their orders,and after they had received two cold beers and Max had insisted on paying for the drinks, they moved away, settling at a spot away from the little dance floor. Mia’s bodyguards, thankfully, remained a respectful distance away, their watchful eyes never leaving her.
Max leaned in, the cool condensation from his beer bottle seeping into his hand. “I can’t believe you’re here. Do you come here often?”
Mia raised an eyebrow, a wry smile dancing on her lips.
Max spluttered a laugh. “Yeah, I know that sounded like a line. It wasn’t meant to.”
Shaking her head, Mia confessed, “I’ve never been here before actually.”
“Me either.” Max replied, taking a sip of his beer. “My colleagues dragged me here kicking and screaming.”
Mia’s lips stretched into a wide grin. “I doubt that.”
“True story,” he said.
When Max nodded towards a group of six men seated a few tables away, she followed his gaze. The men all turned away quickly, pretending not to watch them, and Mia’s laughter rang out, the sound pure and carefree. It was the first time she’d laughed in a long time, and the sound of it seemed foreign to Mia. Max shook his head and laughed too, and it reverberated through her entire being. She thought that she could easily spend a lifetime listening to it.
“Do they know who I am?” Mia asked.
Max nodded. “They’ve talked about little else since we arrived ten minutes ago.”
“Yeah? What did they say about it?”
“They all agree that I acted like an idiot tonight.”
Mia pursed her lips. “The real question is, do you think that you acted like an idiot?”
Max sobered, his gaze focused on her intently. “Actually, I do. I owe you an apology, Mia,” he began. “Earlier, it was all so sudden and frantic, the fight, getting wounded, meeting you. It was a blur, and I didn’t handle it very well. I should have asked you if you were okay—after the Mexicans stalking and cornering you, I mean.”
Mia’s eyes flickered with surprise at his concern. She nodded her thanks, and then asked, “How did you know they were Mexican? They were in shifted form.”
Max hesitated, his gaze darting away. The question hung in the air, unanswered.
Mia started to get to her feet. “I’m not doing this again, Max. If we can’t be honest with one another, what’s the point in any of this?”
