I didn’t even want to be her mate and already I felt like I was being unfaithful just by being near a flirtatious woman. Normally I might’ve encouraged one of them to come home with me for a one-night stand, but the idea was repugnant.
Because you have a mate.
Artemis was right. She was my mate, even if it wasn’t going to work between us. Did that mean I couldn’t ever date another woman? Like... ever?
“Is this normal?” Rico asked. Jury had finally convinced himself to stop punishing himself for a night and come hang out with us.
“Yes,” I said sullenly. Jury said the same word at the same time, causing all three of us to chuckle as another woman walked up and offered to buy Rico a drink.
He smiled politely and shook his head. “I’m good, but thank you.”
She nodded, looking a little disappointed, but walked away.
I felt the pull before she even entered. My gut clenched and I couldn’t stop my head from swiveling to watch the door. Bethany walked in with her blonde hair in a messy bun. She didn’t have on any makeup, and she wore yoga pants and a big T-shirt.
What in the world was she doing here?
And why did she look so incredibly sexy like that? Normally I gravitated toward women fully made up and in nice clothes. It proved they took care of themselves.
She looked around, and in seconds, her face hardened, and she made a beeline for the opposite side of the room.
A big guy stood from a table when he saw her. He looked about my age, and as soon as he was on his feet, it was painfully obvious that he was fall-down drunk. I focused on her lips and channeled a little extra energy into my ears to make out what she was saying. Her words reached me like through a tunnel. “You know how stupid it is for you to get this drunk.” She put her hand on his arm, but he was a big guy. He jerked away and said something unintelligible.
“Come on, Nash. Let’s go.” Bethany sounded exasperated. Nash turned his back to me, so I couldn’t really make out his response, but his body language said he had no intention of leaving with her.
“Be right back,” I muttered. It took me seconds to cross the bar floor. “Bethany, are you okay?”
She looked at me in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
I gestured to our table. “Out with Jury and Rico.”
She looked over and nodded at them. The big guy turned back to the table and grabbed a beer. A girl I didn’t know glared at him. “That’s mine.”
He shrugged and drank it anyway.
“You’re always coming to my rescue,” Bethany said as she grabbed the guy’s arm again. “Come on, Nash!”
He shook her off again.
“Hey,” I said in my best cop voice. I let Artemis add a bit of alpha weight to it as well. The guy, Nash, turned toward me in surprise. “Time to go.”
For a second, I thought he was going to argue with me. But he sighed. “Fine.”
Bethany followed close behind, then darted around him and opened the door. The big oaf had looked like he was going to plow right through it.
I stayed behind him in case he decided to turn around, but once he’d made up his mind to leave, he didn’t give her any trouble. She opened her passenger car door and I watched in amusement as the tall man folded himself down to sit in Bethany’s small car. He looked like a busted can of biscuits in it.
“Thank you,” she said when she shut the door on him.
“I can follow you,” I offered, but she waved me off.
“No, it’s okay. He’s my cousin. He drunk texted me, and I called and realized how wasted he was. He’s always gotten into trouble, but I thought maybe I could prevent it this time.” She looked into her car and laughed. “He’s already passed out.”
“It seems like you’ve done this before.”
She sighed. “Yeah. A time or two. Or more.”
“Reminds me of my cousin, Rico. He’s living with my grandparents. They’re trying to help him get his head on straight.”
“I do thank you for helping,” she said softly.
Ducking my head, I shrugged. “It’s my job.”
Bethany studied my face for a moment. “It was more than that, and I appreciate it.”
She smiled softly and walked around her car. I waved as she got in, but after she turned the engine on, she rolled the window down. “Maddox,” she called.
I hurried around the car. “Yeah?”
“Would you like to try again?”
“What do you mean?” My stomach danced with anticipation because I had an idea of what she meant.
“Let’s go to dinner.” The brake lights shone behind the car as she put it in reverse, but she didn’t move yet.
I stared at her in shock until she raised her eyebrows. “We don’t have to?”
“No,” I cried out. “I mean, yes. Sure, yeah. I’m off this weekend. Dinner. Tomorrow?”
She smiled again and backed out of the parking spot.
I stood in the parking lot in stunned silence as she drove away with her cousin in the passenger seat.
I had a date.
9
Bethany
“Don’t let him pay,” Mom said as I kneeled near Tiffany. “He’ll think you owe him something.”
I sighed and ignored her. She’d been throwing dating advice at me since I arrived with Tiff. She’d kept her last night so I could do facials and manicures with Abby and Harley, so I hadn’t planned on leaving Tiff a second night in a row, but the urge to ask Maddox to have dinner had overwhelmed me, and I’d given in to it. Like an idiot.
More than likely, he’d say or do something to ruin everything. Again.
“Mom, stop,” I said, and hugged my daughter.
My mother’s excitement was palpable in the air. She was so eager to marry me off. “If
