“It was innocent, Nico. You’re acting like a damn child right now.” She felt her own animal rising with her anger.
“You think I’m afraid of some eighteen year old shifter?” Dakota chuckled humorlessly. “I grew up with The Brothers, asshole. You may be able to shift, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t get I some serious damage to you before that happened.” Dakota took a step forward now. They were both acting childish. “You want to try and make this something it isn’t, fucking fine by me. You’ve been acting psycho any time any guy even talks to Alexis. You need to get your fucking head on straight, man, and realize that there are only two types of people in this world. Men and women.”
Shit, this was getting so bad that Alexis’s hands were starting to sweat. “Nico, just stop.” God, she was pissed now, angry that her boyfriend couldn’t even look at her, wouldn’t listen to her, and needed to put his dick back in his pants. It was like he was trying to prove something. “I love you, and if you’re going to let your jealousy take control and push you to get into a fight with a guy we grew up with, then I won’t stand here and watch.” She glared at Dakota. “And you’re adding fuel to the fire.” She turned away, angry with Nico for wanting to do this, and also with Dakota for not being smart enough to back the hell off. And then there was everyone else at the party that had formed a circle, probably waiting to watch the fight. They were drunk and immature, and she just wanted to be alone. If they wanted to beat each other’s asses, then she wasn’t about to be a cheerleader for them.
Chapter Three
Alexis shook her head at Tarren when she tried to stop her, and made her way out of the garage and around to the back of it. There she leaned against the wall and stared up at the sky. She wasn’t there for very long before she heard the garage door open and slam shut, and then heard a Harley start. She moved so she could look around the corner and saw Dakota getting onto his bike and putting his helmet on. Even from the distance she could see him clenching the handlebars tightly, saw his chest rise and fall with his heavy breathing, and knew he had taken the high road. He might want to fight, but he had walked away. And the fact Nico hadn’t gone after him told her that her boyfriend had also walked away. But she didn’t go back in. She wanted to breathe in the fresh air, get her bearings, and wait for all the testosterone to chill in the garage.
It was probably twenty minutes later when she heard someone leave the garage. She knew it was Nico even before he rounded the corner and stopped beside her. She had been able to smell his cologne and his bear, and she could tell his animal was now calmer. He was silent for a few minutes, and although he had used his head and hadn’t ruined the party by fighting, she was still annoyed with him. She wanted to blame it on the fact all shifter males were more territorial and possessive than humans, but she had gotten into this conversation with him before when he had let his jealousy override his common sense, and it hadn’t done much good.
“You’re pissed.” He didn’t phrase it like a question.
She turned and looked at him. “I’m annoyed, Nico. Why do you have to let your emotions get the better of you?” She tuned and leaned her side against the wall so she could look at him. “Why can’t you control yourself when you know picking a fight over something ridiculous won’t solve anything?” She didn’t wait for him to respond. “I love you. Isn’t that enough?” She reached out and cupped either side of his face. There was a light sprinkling of dark stubble along his cheeks. It was hard to stay angry with him. “Dakota is my friend, he’s your friend, and you acting like a jealous boyfriend doesn’t solve anything.”
“I can’t help it, baby.” He cupped her hand that was on his face. “I fucking love you, and the very idea of being with another guy, or even one talking to you, pisses me off and has my bear coming forward.”
It was useless to argue with him, because she had done it so many times already. The kind of guy he was wouldn’t be solved with her bitching. He was a bear shifter, and the son of Jagger, The Grizzly MC President. They were a breed all their own. But just because she couldn’t change who he was, and loved him, that didn’t mean he didn’t annoy her with the way he acted so jealous at times. She leaned in and kissed him. It hadn’t meant to be anything sexual, just one that was light and told him that she didn’t want to fight. But as soon as he had his lips on her, Alexis's entire body heated, her nipples hardened, and she became wet between her legs. And then he had her body pulled in closely to his, had his tongue speared between her lips, and took control of the kiss. Her reaction to him was instant, and she couldn’t help it, nor did she want to fight it.