Page 52 of Brazen

To Ted and his family, I’d just been the girl on the pit crew he’d had some fun with.

“At the time, I thought I loved him. It was fun. The sex was good, then he threw me away like I was nothing. He said his alpha told him to break it off. That he had to find a she-wolf to mate.” Tears flooded my eyes. Not for my bruised ego, but for the trauma of being dumped the same day I found out I was pregnant, knowing I couldn’t share the news. Ever. For the way my entire life changed in that moment and for how difficult life had been ever since. Ted was oblivious to the carnage he’d left in his wake.

I wasn’t sorry for being with Ted. JT was worth every moment of heartache and hardship. But I guessed I hadn’t had a chance to grieve the way things went down because tears were suddenly leaking out of my eyes.

Dammit. I hated crying. I’d been alone with this for six years.

“Come here.” Sam opened his arms.

I found myself moving into them without even thinking. His hold was the last place I should be, but I needed to feel supported, even if just for a night.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He rubbed my back. “You’re not kicking me out tonight. I’m not gonna be punished for what some other wolf did to you.” He gripped the back of my neck and kissed the top of my head.

That stopped my tears because he was right–that was what I was doing. I lifted my face to look at him.

His eyes glittered unnaturally. “Our deal’s off.”

21

CLIO

* * *

My breath stalled. “What?”

“I want to be more than your fuck toy. I want you to give us a real shot.”

Oh.

Oh.

I was trying to kick him out while he was telling me he wanted more, not less. Tears swam in my eyes again. Why in the hell was I still crying? Jeez, I needed to get a grip.

“Um, I–”

“I can tell by your reaction that we need to talk.” He massaged the back of my neck. “We haven’t spent much time together not fucking.”

I pulled back enough that our eyes met. My thoughts were a muddled mess. “Yeah. Okay.”

He grinned, and it was genuine and natural and all for me.

My heart was still pounding over discovering he was a shifter and all the unresolved emotions that had followed.

I couldn’t date another wolf. I wouldn’t.

But kicking Sam out right now felt like an impossibility. Even if I still wanted to, he’d told me he wouldn’t go.

I’m not gonna be punished for what some other wolf did to you.

He’d let me set the rules up until now, but I had to say, I found his assertion of authority hot. Our age difference completely disappeared every time he turned dominant with me.

I tucked my head against his chest and breathed in his scent. It calmed me. I felt safe with Sam.

Yeah, maybe it was time to renegotiate our arrangement. He’d proven tonight he was worth more than just the amazing orgasms.

He might actually be… partner material.

Wait. No.