Page 21 of Colton’s Mate

She picked up a couple of orders and delivered them to her tables, then went back to Kitty. “Listen, I wanted to ask you a favor.”

“Is it shopping related?” Kitty asked. “You know I excel at retail therapy.”

“No, it’s construction related. I need a replacement contractor for rebuilding the bar—long story. I want to make a better choice this time, and I know you used to work for your crew’s construction company. Any chance you could look at the new bids with me?”

“If you want,” Kitty said. “Don’t know how much help I’ll be, though. I know some of the basics, but Colt’s the one you really want to talk to about it.”

Kitty glanced over to where Colt had joined Remy in the female throng around the jukebox. “I know he looks like nothing but a bimbo man ho’, but believe it or not he’s a freakin’ structural engineer and a licensed contractor.”

“I know,” Callie said. “He told me.”

Kitty’s eyebrows went up in surprise. As if Colt usually didn’t tell people that—but why would he want people to think he was less accomplished than he was?

She didn’t get it.

“The thing is,” Callie went on, “The bar is the first thing I’ve ever had that’s all mine. I want to do it my way. And Colt seems kind of… take-over-y to me.”

And too damn hot for her own good.

Kitty elbowed Brandon and whispered loudly, “She said ‘ovary’.”

Brandon shook his head, rolling his eyes.

Callie swatted Kitty. “I did not. Will you help me?”

“Sure,” Kitty said. “But you’d still be better off flaunting your sexy legs at Colt and getting him to help. You can always dump him in the dirt afterwards. It would be good for him.”

Maybe. The trouble was, it was possible she wouldn’t want to dump him in the dirt. Because super-hotness and outstanding kisses. And she knew where that led. Great sex, yeah, but then bam—your TV was full of sportsball broadcasts and your couch was full of lazy man and you were in the fucking kitchen cooking him dinner and saying ‘Yes, dear.’

And she did not need a man hovering over her and her new bar like a sexy muscly SWAT helicopter.

She glanced over at the twins again. Colt was already dancing with someone; he was looking down at her like she was the only woman in the room.

And the woman looked just as breathless as Callie felt when Colt did it to her. She suddenly wondered what it would feel like if there was real love behind that look.

Overwhelming. Addictive. Amazing.

Kitty followed her gaze, a small frown between her eyebrows. “You can tell them apart, can’t you,” she said. “You know which twin is which.”

Callie looked back at her, startled. “Don’t you?”

“Of course. I’ve known them since I was born. But nobody else outside our crew can tell. Sometimes even our parents can’t.”

That was hard for Callie to believe. It was so obvious. She shrugged. “It’s not that hard.”

Kitty cocked her head. “If you say so.”

Suddenly Callie became aware of raised voices, over by the pool tables.

Even through the noise, her lynx ears could pick out Jason’s voice. And the others were Talons.

She glanced quickly around. Three or four other Talons were spread around the room—each one near one of the Wild Bloods.

What the hell—

She didn’t even have time to finish the thought before all hell broke loose.

Chapter 9