I shrugged. “Why not? Least I can do to help support our tourism industry, right?”
~*~
“You’re sure you don’t want to dance?” I made myself smile at Marcel, fighting the urge to glare at the dance floor where Terry and Taylor were grinding away, completely oblivious to the world around them.
“No.” Marcel’s tone was haughty. “That isn’t dancing, that is public indecency.”
I glanced over at the dance floor and gave a mental shrug. He wasn’t wrong.
“Okay, tell me more about yourself,” I suggested with an inward groan. Between dinner and the pub after, it was very clear that Marcel’s favorite topic was, well, all things Marcel. And don’t get me wrong, I’m all about getting to know my date but after the first few hours, it was obvious that he had no interest in me. Well, beyond what he was hoping for afterward, anyway. Once I’d as gently as possible taken that off the table, he’d shown his true colors and they weren’t attractive. I also had a strong hunch that he wasn’t taking my refusal seriously, which was confirmed after we left the bar and Marcel insisted on walking me to my door, smirking and telling Taylor not to wait.
“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I started to demure only to have Marcel steamroll right over me.
“Oh, don’t you worry your pretty head trying to make decisions,” he scolded with a patronizing laugh. “That’s for real men.”
My jaw dropped. Not just because he was the very definition of an alphahole, but what the fuck did he just imply?
Before I could respond, the streetlight’s dim glow glinted off Taylor’s widening eyes as he looked over my shoulder. Dane’s scent hit me a split second later.
“Hey, guys,” he greeted us. “Fancy meeting you here.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes only to be immediately reprimanded by Marcel.
“Mitchel, don’t do that! It’s so rude.” He puffed up his chest and turned to Dane. “You know how it is with unattached Omegas,” he clucked. “No one to teach and guide them, but I’ll set him straight.”
Dane drew back as though he’d been struck, the only sign of his anger a faint glow behind his amber eyes. He stared at me and then looked between us in obvious disbelief. “You’re datinghim?”
“What? No! Taylor asked me to tag along on a double date as a favor,” I huffed, swinging around to stare at Marcel. “Are you fucking crazy?”
Marcel ignored my outburst, his attention still on Dane. “Playing hard to get,” he smirked with a lewd wink.
“Oh, fuck,” Taylor muttered. “Marcel, you need to get your ass back in this car, man.”
“You should listen to him,” I added earnestly, inching away from him as Dane’s eyes glowed brighter. “This is not a good decision you’re making.”
“You want this guy to leave?” Dane asked, his eyes never leaving Marcel’s haughty smirking face.
“I was coming upstairs alone,” I confirmed, reaching for Dane’s hand. “Why don’t you walk with me?”
Dane grunted affirmatively but evaded my hand, slipping past me to reach in through the driver’s side window of Taylor’s sedan and popping the trunk. Swinging back around, he swept Marcel off his feet with one arm and tossed the other Alpha into the trunk, slamming the lid.
“Okay, Taylor,” Dane said with an evil grin, patting the closed trunk lid. “You’re all set. Drive safe.”
Then, catching my hand in his, Dane led me toward the entrance to our building, leaving Taylor and Terry staring after us in disbelief.
ChapterEight
Dane
“..that does not mean you can bully every asshole Alpha I date!”
I’d been tuning Shelly’s tirade out for the half hour or so since he’d all but dragged me into the condo, choosing instead to focus on how adorable he was when he was mad while I tried to look contrite, but the end of that sentence had me frowning.
“Wait a second,” I interrupted, leaning forward with a scowl. “You said you weren’t dating him.”
Shelly returned my scowl with a fearsome glare. “I’m not! I already told you I was going to turn him down, but that doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t ask you to lock the prick in the trunk!”
Okay, then. Shelly had a point.Hadhe asked me to stuff the jerk in the trunk? No, he had not. Was I sorry that I had done it anyway? Also no. I settled back on the couch as Shelly wound himself back up.
