Walk Away Part 2

Oh, s.h.i.+t, who were they both kidding? Of course she could. And his c.o.c.k was already so hard against the fabric of his pants, he was going to have to keep unb.u.t.toning his fly, or explanations werenat the only thing that would be coming in a minute. Even her glare got him going, d.a.m.n it.

aWe wonat make this too bad for you, Leila.a Her eyes narrowed. aYou better make this real good for me, bucko.a Oh, h.e.l.l. He could feel the heat of his seed, the pressure inside his b.a.l.l.s, wanting to spill. This wasnat the time to suddenly wonder what happened if he didnat make things good. What did he do if she wanted to run afterward?

Run her down. Keep her. The wolf in him rose at just the thought of the hunt.

He fought the change this time, fought the sensation of time-changing motion as he turned. Leila seemed to like his wolf form, which was a big plus, but he didnat think she wanted three wolves in front of her, all waiting to -- aOh, my G.o.d, Dek.a Or maybe she did. He could tell she was as fascinated as she was afraid. The scent of her aroused musk was beginning to fill his nostrils. s.h.i.+t. Maybe the problem was that he didnat want to see her in the circle with all his packmates. She was his.

Before he could think anymore, he pulled his hard c.o.c.k out of his pants. That head didnat want to think. It wanted Leila. She licked her lips, her eyes widening. She didnat say anything else, and the blood pounded in Dekas ears. If Leila wasnat talking, that meant ... that meant ...

He didnat care what it meant. He gripped the material of her s.h.i.+rt, ripping it open so it gaped wantonly, baring shoulders and showing off her pretty lace bra. Leilaas erect nipples sc.r.a.ped against the braas sheer fabric, straining against that slight constraint. He lunged, and somehow he was on the floor, on top of her. She whimpered when he nipped her shoulder. Her back arched up, fitting her more closely to him. When he reached down, she had already loosened her pants. The panties had been discarded back when theyad f.u.c.ked at her apartment, so the only thing left was -- he took a handful of that sweet m.u.f.f and savored the wet invitation at the V between her thighs. Yeah, she wanted him. Almost as bad as he did her.

aWho do you belong to, Leila?a She opened her eyes, looking dazed and delighted and mad all at once. There. That was his Leila. He tickled the folds of her l.a.b.i.a, and she whimpered again. Then he waited.

aWho, Leila? Say it out loud.a aN-no.a She whispered, arching up again.

Stupid human inhibitions. If she wouldnat say it, head have to make her. Because right now, like it or not, they went by were rules. Head never wanted to be human before, but just now -- h.e.l.l. That was just being stupid. Instead he growled, aWho? Come on, woman. Talk.a She looked at him again, a small bit of awareness stirring in all that confusion and pleasure. He slid one finger just a millimeter inside her and let her clench before he ripped it away. That was all she was getting until -- aYou, Dek.a Just vaguely he heard the guttural growls of the pack behind him. He was too far gone to wonder what anyone else was doing after her hoa.r.s.e cry of submission. He thrust his finger up hard and high inside her sheath, just once. She jerked, bucking against his hand, and moaned.

That was it for him. Still fingering her, he squeezed his c.o.c.k with the other hand. Once, twice. Then he spurted hard, freeing the come inside him and letting it spill in a hot, fierce gush between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

She writhed, and he flicked her swollen little c.l.i.t before he worked a second finger up into her. Leila moaned again. Dear heaven, he was getting hard all over again, looking at her. It didnat matter if the others were watching.

The others. Dek reminded himself of just why they were doing this.

aGo on.a Dek turned to the rest and forced the words out.

They stood there, looking -- well, d.a.m.n it, like a pack of wolves, waiting to jump on a bone. Part of him wanted to slap them down for staring at his mate like that. Part of him wanted to taunt them with what he had.

What happened next wouldnat be so bad. Not with his fingers working Leila, making her wetter and hotter with every second that pa.s.sed. He was in charge; he was the one making her want, even if -- Lowell broke first, giving a long howl, his fist clenched on his c.o.c.k. Dek watched Lowellas s.e.m.e.n mingle with his, splas.h.i.+ng on Leilaas skin in a long stream. Leila panted now, staring up at Lowell in disbelief, but letting it happen. Dek stroked her thighs to quiet her. Possessiveness, anger, satisfaction, pure heat spread over Dek as he watched Lowell mark his mate.

aGrey. d.a.m.n it, go ahead!a Dek wasnat sure how much longer he could allow the ritual to continue.

aOmiG.o.d, omiG.o.d, omi--a Leilaas voice, strained but undeniably aroused, broke on the words as Grey bent over the two of them.

af.u.c.k it.a Grey glared at Dek, crouched between Leilaas knees, and Greyas teeth bared. aOnly for you, you alpha b.a.s.t.a.r.d.a He groaned, as if he were in pain, and Greyas s.e.m.e.n added to the rest.

The men all stared down at the residue, and Dek added a third finger, stretching and shoving into Leilaas channel, not letting her think about what was happening. Instinct. They both needed to go on instinct here. He probed and explored the pa.s.sage that belonged to him. She shuddered. She wasnat quite ready yet? Dek snarled out a laugh and pinched her c.l.i.t. Leila howled, brokenly, and for a moment he thought her canine teeth lengthened, turned wolfish. The thought of her biting him made the breath catch in his throat.

Her hands scrabbled on the floor as if to find a place to rest while he worked his fingers fast and hard up deep within her body. Red-hot l.u.s.t and jealousy clouded Dekas vision for a moment. He could smell the other men -- all of them -- on her, mingled with her s.e.x and his, and the mixture triggered something too complicated and too fierce to be borne.

That was when Leila came. Beyond shame or fear or thought, she ground her c.u.n.t against him and let everything go. Weeping, shaking, she thrashed her head back and forth and rode his hand until she gave one last, pitiful moan and collapsed.

Done. Dek swallowed, fighting the need to cover her ... with a blanket, with his body. Instead he let her legs relax, left them spread for the others to look. Almost finished now. He gritted his teeth.

Dek pulled out his hand, wet with her juices, and stuck his fingers into the pool between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He lifted his hand to his nose and then stretched the hand out, fingers shaking, to the other men. They bent, sniffed.

Lowell did more than scent. He licked Dekas hand, growling deep in his throat. Dek snarled, s.n.a.t.c.hing his hand away. For the first time, Lowell stared back at Dek, still growling, not giving up.

aAre you ready to try something, pup?a Dek let just a tenth of the anger and confusion out with those words. Lowell shriveled back to his old self.

aN-no. No, boss.a Lowell flattened himself back down on the ground.

aGood enough.a Dek took a deep breath, trying for calm. Then he placed his hand under Leilaas nose.

aItas done. Youare one of us now.a Dek let her take a long whiff of what their mingled scent was like. Her eyes flickered open, and she stared at him. There was no threat there, though. She looked almost frightened. Dek understood. He knew what the smell of it was like to her and him both. Arousing. Disturbing. He sensed her guilty pleasure mingled with regret. He knew all those emotions because they mirrored his own.

Dek stood, fastening his pants, looking down at the rest while he did. aAnd thatas as close as youall get to any of my packmates again. Youare one of us, but above everything, youare mine. Does everyone understand that?a aYes, sir.a If there was something new, some faint menace in Lowellas tone, it was well concealed with prompt deference.

aUnderstood.a Grey bit off the words.

Dek turned to Leila, who sat up, still looking a little weak.

aLeila?a She got to her knees, swayed a little. Dek pulled her the rest of the way up, letting her rest against his body. G.o.d, she felt so good like that. They stood together, just that way, for a long moment, Dek s.h.i.+elding her from the rest.

aYes.a She whispered her acceptance, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Dek relaxed against her. It was done. The toughest thing head ever had to do was finished, and it had worked out the way it was meant to. He buried his face in the nape of her neck. It was the two of them now, just the two of them. He lost himself in the softness, the warmth of her.

Then she pulled away from him.

aJust everything I understand is better said away from the rest of this pack.a Leilaas voice was getting back under control. Her chin firmed, and Dek almost snickered as his world righted itself. aYou can come to the next room with me, Mr. Top Dog, while we discuss a few important details.a She turned on her heel and, still mussed and tumbled, stalked away from their audience like an offended queen, refusing to give any of them another look.

aDear heaven, sheas made to be an alpha b--a Lowell hastily stopped his babble when Dek turned to glare at him.

aShow is over, boys.a Dek straightened his shoulders, getting ready for battle. ab.u.t.ton up and back to work.a

Chapter Four.

Leila took the washcloth Dek held out to her. She knew where he expected her to wash, but she took it and buried her face in it first, savoring the coolness and buying herself a little time. She didnat want to look at him and explain ... well, how did you explain what happened?

What did you say once youad come so hard and so noisy that your insides nearly shot out of your mouth while you screamed? And you came that way in front of three werewolves ... because of all three werewolves. She was still shaking inside, still trying to curb the animal that had run a little too free in the last hour or so.

aSo much for the good-girl image. I gave it a really good try.a Leila slipped the washcloth between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s at last, letting a trickle of water run down her stomach as she wondered how long it would take to wash the memory from her mind. aI donat have anything to wear. You ruined my s.h.i.+rt, and the rest are all home ... are all at my apartment.a Dekas mouth was hot on her neck, his tongue nuzzling her fine hairs.

aWho cares about your image?a He bit her neck for good measure. aYou look d.a.m.n s.e.xy like that.a aDonat tell me youare a vampire, too.a Leila swatted halfheartedly at him. aAnd I care about my image.a aYouave traded it in for a new one. A much better one. Youare the alpha b.i.t.c.h now, baby. Whatever you want, the pack will do their d.a.m.nedest to take care of it. You want s.h.i.+rts? Iall send Lowell to fetch your clothes and things from the apartment.a aHuh. Alpha b.i.t.c.h.a Leila blinked at her image in the mirror. aWell, who wouldave thought?a aIam ready to explain now. If you want to listen.a He looked more interested in the water still trickling down her skin. In fact, he still looked aroused and dangerous and angry. He looked ready for anything except calm conversation.

Was she ready? Could Dek really make sense of everything that had happened to her -- to them all? Leila put the cloth down, very carefully, on the sink and braced her arms on the countertop. aAll right. Try.a They stared at each other. She knew how he hated that. But d.a.m.n, he did look tasty. How could you blame a woman for looking at that rumpled hair and those pretty eyes? The body was d.a.m.n good, too. All those muscles and power ... She licked her lips, and his eyes sparked.

aI -- s.h.i.+t, it will have to wait.a He pinned her to the wall smoothly and removed her pants. He nudged her legs apart while his fingers fumbled at his waistband. aI thought I could last after jerking off, but I canat. You reek of s.e.x and I want you.a aWhat a smooth talker -- Oh, d.a.m.n it, Dek!a He slid into her with one sure thrust, she was up against the wall, and everything inside her melted.

Neither of them should have needed s.e.x quite this badly, but they did. Watching Dek throw his head back, face contorted in desire, always flicked her switch. Leila gripped his shoulders with her hands, his waist with her legs, and hung on.

He was sweaty and she was damp from her quick was.h.i.+ng, and their bodies, slick and hot, slapped against each other with hard, smacking noises. She thumped against the wall and briefly realized the rest of the adults in the house could hear them, before she lost track of sense and sound and everything but Dek.

Dear, sweet G.o.d. Dek.

Years of learning to do without him, and in one night head come roaring back, changed her careful life and -- Leila let her fingernails dig into his skin, not sure if the gesture was a punishment or a reward for the way he made her feel as his hard body slapped against her once again.

aThatas right, baby. Let me feel your claws.a He panted the words in her ear. aJust like that. When you do that, you get tighter around my c.o.c.k ... G.o.d, yes, milk it.a She shuddered, desire coiling up inside her until she could hardly breathe. When Dek talked dirty to her, she always came.

aYeah. Moan for me. You know you want to make noise when I have my c.o.c.k inside you. Squeeze me. Tighter. Youare always so wet for me, so good.a He filled her, then reached to tweak her c.l.i.t. That was the match that set her primed body on fire. Heat licked over her body as she jerked against him. My G.o.d, it was too much ...

aDek!a She heard herself scream as if she were far away from her own body, for a moment lost in some other world of pleasure and need.

He groaned, and she came as sensation rushed back into her body, sweeping over her with blinding force.

She opened her eyes, grateful the wall was supporting her now aching back. Her legs slowly gave way, letting her slither more or less gently onto the floor.

aWhew.a She stared at her lover, who looked only slightly less sh.e.l.l-shocked.

He shook his head and then took the washcloth to wipe himself. She wondered how he had the energy. She was a blissful, exhausted pool of goo.

aWell, now that you donat have the strength to jaw at me, I guess I can talk.a Leila watched Dek pull his jeans back on for what had to be the tenth time that day, too s.e.xually sated to even protest that comment.

She watched him pace back and forth as he began, admiring his tight b.u.t.t more than concentrating on the words at first. aAbove everything, whatever we do is about the pack. You wanted to kill me before, when I told you family was the most important. But thatas how it is with weres. The pack comes first. Has to. Once I took on Grey, I had a pack and I had responsibilities to him.a Dek eyed her and took a half-step away.

aIam not going to hit you. I was mad because you already had a family started when you took off for another.a Leila took a deep breath and watched Dekas gaze flicker down to her still half-naked body. To his credit, he looked right back up into her face. She saw the regret there. She was pretty sure the emotion was for his past actions, not because he had to stop ogling. aSome of that was my fault. I didnat say anything to you. Then again, I was young and I didnat know anything. Not even that I was pregnant.a aIam sorry, though. I should have been with you.a aWell, sorry isnat going to change anything. You might as well keep talking.a aNo matter what happened before, I made you family tonight. Each of us, not just me, knows youare one of the pack. Thatas how we do things. Given that you seem so human, doing this the right way is important.a aYouare telling me thatas how you welcomed Grey and Lowell to the family?a aNo. Well, not exactly. We -- They --a Was Dek actually turning red? aItas different for weres than humans. Lower-ranking wolves donat mate. They concentrate on taking care of the alphas and their kids. We all have to care for the kids. Thatas why Iam so sorry to have left Lin.a Strength from outrage poured back into her.

aSorry to have left Lin and not me. I see. All right, buddy, we can talk about that later.a She struggled to her feet and raised her hand when Dek opened his mouth. aYou just finish up explaining everything else first.a aIam in a lot of trouble, arenat I?a He ran his hand under the edge of her torn s.h.i.+rt and felt her s.h.i.+ver at his touch. aBut youare right. Some things need to be talked over, like it or not. Grey and Lowell, they canat mate. But we agreed -- pack rules -- they can have other men. Thatas the way Grey likes it anyhow. And Lowell? Well, Lowell is our omega, so I donat know what he likes, and it doesnat make much difference. He doesnat complain about the arrangement, anyhow.a aDek?a aYeah?a aGrey didnat have just Lowell before this, did he? I saw how he looked at you.a Dek swallowed. aI had Grey. Lowell, too, when I wanted. Mostly during a full moon. Things get -- ah -- crazy then. You have to have heard some of the stories. h.e.l.l, youave seen me during a full moon.a Leila s.h.i.+vered. Oh, yes, she remembered those nights.

aIam the alpha. Whatever happens in the pack is what I say happens. Iam not denying it.a Dek s.h.i.+fted his feet. aBut thatas just a were thing, Leila. Mostly it was to quiet them down. Iam not gay. Not the way youad understand it. Iam top dog, and thatas how things work sometimes. You have to show them who is alpha.a She could almost wrap her mind around that. Especially after tonight. Dek was s.e.x. Walking, breathing s.e.x. Shead always seen that. Now shead seen how the others responded to him. h.e.l.l, she responded pretty close to the same way. Shoot, head screwed her silly a few minutes ago, made her mad enough to rip him apart after that, and she was getting turned on all over again. At least she hadnat taken to bowing before him.

aIam going to have a lot of problems keeping you in line, arenat I?a Leila touched his chin, feeling the stubble. She wondered if it was normal beard or incipient werewolf. aDonat think you can go running to the other boys for help whenever I give you trouble.a Dekas smile was all wolf. aI wouldnat dream of it. But donat you think you can run to them, either. Weare bonded now, sweetie. Itas you and me, one on one.a aSo that was sort of the were version of a wedding? Huh.a Leila tapped him on the chin. aI want a legal ceremony, too, if weare in this for life. But weare not having the best men grab for my garter.a ah.e.l.l, no. Thereall be no more grabbing by anyone except me. Wolves mate for life, but if you want some d.a.m.ned human wedding to make yourself feel better, I guess we can manage that. I might have to fake the blood test, though. My blood type doesnat exactly fit the standard.a Dek bent his head and kissed her. He was gentle at first, tenderly drawing out the kiss and bringing her near to tears. Gradually the kiss turned more fierce, with his teeth grazing the tender underside of her lip, promising more.

aSo, are we done explaining? Can you kiss me again?a Leila could have smacked herself in the head the minute she asked that. Never show a man youare more interested in him than in having him grovel. Those were basic human rules. He was already throwing her off stride. Shead had him right where she wanted him -- promising a wedding and a lifetime together -- and then shead changed the subject. Dek sighed and reluctantly moved his hands from her shoulders.

aIad love to. But -- well, there are more things you need to know right off.a He ran his hand through his hair. aYou and Lin -- youare the women.a aI figured that part out.a aI wasnat kidding when I said it was dangerous to be were. Itas most dangerous for Lin, because sheas so young. But itas dangerous for you, too. You need to be a lot more careful than youave been up to now.a aIam not planning on going to bars to get beat up like Grey.a aYou d.a.m.n well arenat going to any bar. But thatas not what I meant. Itas not just humans we need to worry about. Itas other packs.a aOther packs? How many weres are there in West Texas?a aNot so many. Female weres are scarce. Thatas one reason packs are so anxious to raid other packs and get a few. But if they canat get the females for their own, then theyall take or kill the other packas women and children. If they canat survive, the other pack canat, either.a aYouare kidding. And if youare saying I have to spend the rest of my life not able to go where I want, youad really best be kidding.a Dekas stare turned lethal rather than s.e.xy. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a billfold. He rummaged for a moment and then handed her a yellowed, folded newspaper article.

aRead it.a aYou donat have to give me orders, Dek. I --a Leila gasped as she read. aMy G.o.d! Thatas awful!a aThat was my mother, Leila.a aShe died from a wolf attack? In her own home?a aThatas just the way humans told it because they didnat know any better. It wasnat wolves that killed her. It was weres. She was driven from her own pack, and when she was left alone, another pack attacked her. She didnat have a chance.a Leila read a little more and realization hit. aMy G.o.d, Dek! The little boy left alone in the house for days before someone arrived ... that was you?a Leila held him close, felt the tightness in his body. After all these years, it was still almost too much for Dek. He still had to brace himself. No wonder. She couldnat imagine a toddler, alone and traumatized, with the body of his mother still there.

aYeah. Thatas how I discovered I was part of the were. It was kind of a tough welcome to the neighborhood.a aDonat try to joke,a Leila whispered against his neck, trying to absorb some of his lingering pain with her embrace.

aRight. Bad joke anyhow. Well ... I remember Mother hiding me under the bed, saying not to make a sound when she heard them start to break in. I donat remember everything else. Not entirely.a Except in his nightmares. Leila remembered certain nights. Remembered Dek crying out, struggling, and then getting up to roam for hours.

aIam so sorry, darling.a aItas nothing to do with you, Leila. Iam just telling you because I know what would happen if I didnat. Youad nag and poke at me --a aI would not! And you were the one doing all the poking just a few minutes ago, mister.a His smile flickered on and off again. aAll right. No nagging. Youad persist until I told you anyhow. You never just take orders.a aWell, that part is true enough.a aBut thatas why Iam telling you to stay near the ranch and close to the pack. I canat let that happen to you or our baby.a aI understand now youave explained and didnat order.a Leila stroked his back, trying to silently show how sorry she was for that little boy and his mother. aAnd I understand the rules better now.a aWell, then --a She could hear the rasp in his voice, the one she was starting to think of as the alpha tone. She even knew what he wanted her to promise. Well, she wasnat stupid and she was going to stay safe, but she couldnat promise to never leave this isolated ranch or to have weres as her permanent bodyguards. Promises like that were just meant to be broken. It was probably time to change the subject before he got all dominant and made her want to jump him ... for s.e.x or for murder, depending on the situation.

aOne thing you need to tell the others, though.a Leila smiled up at him, sweetly. aAnyone dares call me aalpha b.i.t.c.ha to my face, and Iam gonna take his tail and rip it right off. Iam not anyoneas b.i.t.c.h.a aBut --a Dek smiled a real smile at her. aSure, honey. Whatever you want. The name doesnat matter. You have the att.i.tude.a

Chapter Five.

Leila pushed back a little from the computer and tapped her fingernails thoughtfully on the desk. Click, click, click.

She stared down at those nails. It was the first time in her adult life she could afford to have nails. Waitressing wasnat a job that allowed for them. She didnat have to do that anymore. In the other room she heard the sound of the was.h.i.+ng machine and dryer running. Lowell was doing the wash. She didnat have to do that any longer, either.

She had leisure time. Now that was something she hadnat had since ... well, she couldnat remember when. She had time to have long bouts of s.e.x with her favorite alpha. Time to play with Lin and bake her cookies when she got home from kindergarten. Time to hang out on the computer and read up on wolves. Time.

Too much time. It was driving her crazy. She kept thinking about the d.a.m.nedest things. Like what shead just pulled up online: Alpha wolves remain leaders until successfully challenged by another member of the pack. Alpha females are particularly p.r.o.ne to being challenged.

Dek hadnat told her mating for life meant someone else might kill her for the chance to mate. Not that anyone around here was challenging her. Grey might want her to drop off the face of the earth, but ... And she wouldnat have had the least worry about him or anyone else here if she had something else to do.

She wasnat a a50s sitcom mom ... not that she could remember a a50s family quite like the one shead fallen into here. But there were definite similarities. Dek disappeared every day into his home office and didnat emerge until evening. Lowell did all the shopping and cooking and cleaning. He even dropped Lin off at school and picked her up. It was only because she glared at him that she got to bake those d.a.m.n cookies for Lin. Grey roamed around outside, fixing up the ranch house -- and while the main part of the building was more than adequate, the d.a.m.n place was huge and rundown. All the men had plenty to do.

What activities did she have to occupy herself? Baking cookies and having s.e.x. Was her life a clich or what? Who would have thought life with wolfmen meant turning into a girly female?

Almost as if he were tracking her thoughts, Lowell switched on a soap opera on the TV in the kitchen.

Leila pushed the chair back and stood up fast. She was not going to spend her afternoons listening to that. Pretty soon shead be asking to have the walls painted pink or something.

She stalked into the large kitchen, ready to snarl. But Lowell had switched to a channel that played country videos. He had his back to the picture window that faced out to the corrals. The view to the outdoors was always beautiful. Lowell wasnat looking. He was ironing, humming to himself with the music, oblivious to her presence. His dark hair was a little mussed, and he hadnat shaved that morning.

It was a hot day to iron, even with the air conditioning on. Of course, he had the advantage of being able to take his s.h.i.+rt off. Leila blinked. The view indoors was pretty d.a.m.n nice, too.

He had a delicious body. It was lean, with beautiful bronzed skin and muscles rippling just under that skin. He was built like a swimmer, not a bodybuilder. You might call him pretty, but there were a few bruises around his shoulder, a scratch on his chest -- sort of like the marks Leila left on Dek after s.e.x. Lowellas jeans slipped just a little lower when he bent over the iron, and she got just the tiniest glimpse of a really nice, tight b.u.t.t.

Leila blushed.

She wasnat supposed to be ogling him. She wasnat supposed to be thinking about -- not that she was thinking -- Lowell looked up at her, focused on her, and then smiled.

He didnat do that a lot. He always looked ready to jump when she was around. d.a.m.n. Lowell had a gorgeous smile.

aCan I get you anything, Mistress?a She hated that t.i.tle. But this afternoon it felt sort of naughty. Dangerous. Alphas were fun, but a nice submissive change of pace could be ...

Whoa, girl. She had more than enough male on her hands -- and everywhere else on her body. What was wrong with her?

aI was going to yell at you, but itas too late. You did what I wanted before I asked.a She smiled back at him as he stared blankly.

aDid I do something wrong?a Tension was seeping back into him.

aNo. Nothing.a He relaxed, just a little, but kept eyeing her as if she was going to take a bite out of him. Hmm. Now that was a thought ...

A bad thought. Bad alpha girl. The poor guy would jump if she so much as reached out to touch his shoulder.

She touched it anyhow. He was warm and smooth under her fingertips. And he didnat jump. For a moment he tensed; then he smiled at her again. Was that a brief glint of interest in those dark eyes?

aAre you sure you donat need anything?a That wasnat a come-on. They both knew Dek would rip him apart if it was a come-on. But her skin p.r.i.c.kled as if it had been the most suggestive innuendo shead ever heard at the bar. Except she usually ignored the comments there, and here -- here she was staring at him like she wanted to taste some boy candy.

aMommy, can I have some juice?a Lin called from the other room.