Jealous Freakn’

defile her? She’s your best friend.”

He no sooner spoke than a bristling Javier stood before him. “Watch your tone. The pervert you are speaking of is my brother. And Francine is the one who invited him to stay on her couch.”

“I thought she said that last night just to piss me off. You mean he actually stayed?”

“Yes. Is that a problem, Mitchell?” his sister asked, calmly buttering some toast. “After all, it’s not like you own her or anything. Francine is free to see anyone she likes. And I like Alejandro. He’s cute.” A growl sounded and she added, “Although not as cute as my mates, who apparently still need reminding after last night.”

Ethan dropped his head and blushed, Javier grinned, and Mitchell groaned. “Oh gross, Naomi. I so don’t need that kind of mental image.”

“Fine, then picture Francine and Alejandro instead. Personally, I think they’d make pretty babies and since you’re not going to give them to her, she might as well go for cute.”

“But he’s a-a-”

“What? Seducer of women? Lover with excellent technique? Good-looking bastard?” Alejandro wandered in and grinned at them all, looking entirely too smug. “Yes to all of the above. Morning, everyone. Isn’t it a glorious morning? Much as I’d like to stay and discuss how beautiful any babies Francine and I make would be, I just came to grab my saddlebags. I’m going to need some changes of clothing while I’m staying with Francine.”

“How dare you take advantage of her? You need to go to a motel or something,” Mitchell blurted.

“Why, when the accommodation I have is so…what’s the word I’m looking for? Oh yes, sumptuous.” Alejandro leered, and Mitchell’s traitorous sister giggled.

“Keep your hands off her.” He almost ground his teeth to dust so tightly did he clench his jaw.

“Why should I? She’s unclaimed, beautiful and best of all, has a wonderful mind and quick wit.”

“Are you trying to tell me you’re her mate?” Mitchell almost choked on the question as his wolf snarled in his mind, not at all enthralled with the idea of another touching Francine.

“Let me see,” Alejandro said, tapping his chin. “She makes my cat meow, which I admit is quite distracting. She makes my cock harder than a bar of steel. Oh, and I could listen to her for hours, screaming that is, as I fuck her.”

As red flags went, that one was a doozy. Mitchell dove at him as Naomi shouted, “Not in my house. Ethan, do something!”

One good swing was all he managed, and it missed, before Ethan grabbed him, pinning his arms back as Alejandro regarded him smugly until Javier cuffed him in the back of the head.

“Hey,” the seducer exclaimed.

“Stop baiting him. Mitchell, ignore my brother. He’s got no interest in Francine. He’s just trying to piss you off. It’s what he excels at.”

“I resent that,” said the dead man walking indignantly.

“But it’s true.”

“Oh, I don’t mean the pissing off part. I don’t deny it. But I’ll have you know, I am very interested in Francine. Enough, that I am going to do something I’ve never done before,” Alejandro announced. “I am taking her on a date.”

Shocked silence met his words. Javier whispered, “Oh my God. He’s serious. Naomi, you have to stop him. If he gets with Francine then that means he’ll never leave, and I’ll have to put up with him-” Javier gulped. “Almost daily.”

His sister, who’d crossed over to the enemy’s side, clapped her hands. “Ooh, that would be awesome. I’ve always thought Alejandro was the most fun of your brothers. And it means, even though Mitchell wouldn’t step up to the plate, she’ll still end up my sister-in-law.”

“Thanks, Naomi,” beamed the interloper. “Your blessing means a lot to me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to grab my stuff and change so I can meet with up with Francine for lunch. It’s a surprise date.” Whistling, Alejandro wandered off, and Ethan released Mitchell.

Scowling, Mitchell said, “You’re not seriously going to condone this, are you?”

“Why Mitchell, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re jealous. Are you?” All three of them stared at him as they awaited his answer.

The word “Yes!” almost slipped past his lips. He bit his tongue. Growling, he turned on his heel and left without answering. I’m not jealous, just watching out for Francine since no one else seems willing to. He kept repeating that lie to himself as he grabbed a quick shower and change of clothes of his own before he jumped in his car and headed to Francine’s work, not even coming close to obeying speed limits. The location of her employment, which he’d previously not given a damn about, he pried out of his mother. His mama gave him a hard look when he asked, along with a terse, “Why?”

His reply to something he couldn’t even explain to himself? “Because.” And that was all he’d said. His mother snorted at his one word reply, but gave him the address to Francine’s work anyway and said she hoped he’d come to his senses.

Actually, Mitchell felt like he’d lost part of his mind, but he didn’t care. Only one thing drove him at this point, keeping Francine from making a colossal mistake. Not because he planned to date or claim her. She was still his honorary sister, but as her honorary older brother, it behooved him to keep her from suave kitties out to get in her pants and break her heart.

I’m doing her a favor. She’ll thank me for it later. It made him almost groan aloud when his mind flashed a picture of her on her knees thanking him orally. I so need to get laid. Tonight, after I deal with this mess, I’ll call Jenny, his on-and-off-again girlfriend. Problem was, he couldn’t even picture the blonde woman he’d known intimately for years. Francine’s face kept superimposing itself over it. He didn’t quite understand what drove him to imagine the forbidden, what madness currently controlled him. An urge to protect Francine he understood, but the rest, the rage when thinking of her with Alejandro, the strange lust when he recalled her grown up appearance, it didn’t make sense.

The reaction of his wolf he especially found baffling because it snarled and paced in his mind, urging him to do something, but Mitchell ignored it. I mean, biting Francine just to keep her from that seducer? That’s just crazy. I’ll deal with this like I always do, by ordering her away, and if that fails, my fists getting up close and personal with that bastard’s face. He kind of hoped he’d have to indulge in the latter.

Bringing his car to a stop in front of the office building his mother directed him to, he angled into a metered spot. He parked and grinned, possibly a little like a maniac, when he didn’t notice a bike, which meant he beat the cat here.

But he had to hurry if he planned to get her out of there for their talk before the seducer arrived. Of course, when he saw her, sitting, looking so prim and proper at her desk, wild red hair tamed into a bun, typing away, his first thought wasn’t his prepared for-your-own-good speech. No, instead, he wondered if she’d wear that intent look while he fucked her, spread out on that desk, papers flying.

He almost slapped himself. Wrong. So wrong. Remember, she’s like a sister. Not cute and delicious-looking at all.

Forcing himself to remember that, and his purpose for coming, he bore down on her, using angry thoughts to distract him from naked ones.

* * * *

It was her wolf that sensed him first, yipping in her head that she had company. Francine looked up from her desk to see a grim-faced Mitchell bearing down on her. Despite his unpleasant expression, a flutter of anticipation made her heart beat faster.

“We’re going to lunch,” he announced, not sounding at all pleased by the prospect.

“Gee, thanks for asking,” she replied dryly. “Did you turn into a caveman overnight? Or do simple manners elude you?” She couldn’t help the sarcasm even if he’d finally asked her out. For some reason, when she’d imagined their first date, he’d looked a lot happier about it.

Ruddy color rose in his cheeks. “Sorry. I’m, uh, hungry. That’s it, hungry, and I was in the area and thought I’d ask if you’d like to join me.”

Something didn’t seem right. She peered out of the window, examining the sky, and didn’t answer.

Her lack of response made him fidget. “Um, Francine, what are you doing?”