Atticus fists his hand in Ryder’s dark top and hauls him closer until they are nose to nose. “You want a fight?”
“Atticus.” I insert myself between the two alphas, belatedly questioning my sanity. “There’s no need.”
After a long moment, he releases Ryder’s top and looks down at me. “He was crowding you. You smelled afraid.”
He could smell that in the middle of the bar? Then again, I can smell them both easily. “I’m not afraid. You were mistaken.”
“I’m never mistaken, beautiful. Not when it comes to fear.”
“You two have your fun,” Ryder mutters, frowning. “I didn’t realize you were an item.”
I open my mouth. “We’re n?—”
But he’s already turning around and stalking away through the crowd.
“Good riddance. That guy is trouble.” Atticus casts a huge shadow over me. “Fear or not, he made you tense.”
Tense. True. But it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact...
“Will you be okay?” he asks.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Here with my friends,” I rush to say.
“Then I’ll get back to my office.” He nods at me solemnly and I swallow hard because Atticus is hot. A hot older daddy alpha, a silver fox with a trim beard and green eyes, dressed in an expensive power suit. He’s dreamy; sexy as hell.
And what did he mean by never being mistaken about fear?
“Whoa, what was all that about?” Gigi mutters, her eyes round. “Did they almost come to blows over you?”
“Over me? Nah.” I snort, though I feel a bit shaken as I watch Atticus’ broad back disappear in the other direction. “That was just dick measuring.”
“Well, that would be a tie, probably,” Ruby says thoughtfully, slurping the last dregs of her cocktail. “They both have big dicks.”
“Ruby!” June laughs, delighted. “You have started looking at the right place!”
“Between guys’ legs, you mean?” Ruby gives a discreet burp. “They are so tall, their crotches were almost in my face.”
“There’s that, too,” June reluctantly concedes and snickers. “Well, well. How about the mission, Coco? Time to sample the booze and talk about what just happened, right?”
Probably. But I’m distracted.
Another alpha has entered the chat.
Tonight is the night of the alphas, I think dazedly as a certain familiar blond, muscular guy appears in front of me. His grin is like the sun, his scent like summer.
Zach is here.
6
ZACH
The guys are already plastered. They are hugging and laughing over something. It makes me laugh, too, to see them like that, their earlier fight forgotten. They like each other most of the time. I mean, they were friends and roommates before I got the third room in the apartment, and I hope they remain that way, the two asshats.
Lifting my glass, I finish my Scotch and soda and lick my lips. I nod at the bartender to get me another.
Not wasted enough yet.
Not nearly enough.
