Searching for Beautiful(30)

She jerked around and stared into a pair of icy blue eyes.

Uh-oh. Now she had another feeling.

She was in trouble.





eight

IF THERE WAS one thing he lived as his motto, it was “Be cool.”

Not much rattled him anymore. After a brutal past and hard journey to get where he was, Wolfe decided he was pretty much done with all those highs and lows of emotion. That’s why he did better with women for the short term. He didn’t have a jealous bone in his body. And he might get a bit irritated at work, but nothing really moved him to show actual anger.

Until now.

He was about to pound on Pretty Boy’s face and he had no idea why.

She’d been on his fucking shoulders. With her crotch jammed in his neck. The tight threesome seemed quite enchanted with her win—not to mention he was a bit amazed at the four horse himself—but it was the expression on her face that made him want to go apeshit.

Happy. For the first time in a long time, she looked happy.

And it wasn’t because of him.

Now, where had that weird stuff come from? Wolfe narrowed his gaze as the college dudes looked at each other nervously and took a step back. Before David, Wolfe had been known to double-date with Gen and speak briefly about their other relationships. They’d agreed on the rules beforehand. No crazy sex stories. Sure, he liked to tease her, but they were usually made up to get a rise out of her. They stuck with minor details, some emotion, and a lot of humor. After David, she began to clam up fast, and he’d lost her within the year. It hurt, and he was pissed, but he kept telling himself if she was happy, it was his duty to swallow the disappointment. He just usually . . . missed her. But not in an unkempt, raw type of way.

Right now? Yeah, not so much.

He had no time to ponder or question the strange mess bubbling up inside. Gen rolled her eyes. “Wolfe, you’re scaring them.” She jerked her head toward him and spoke to her crew. “Wolfe’s not my boyfriend, just a friend. You’re not gonna get body slammed. This is Ed, Tom, and Steve.”

The dudes relaxed and tried to do that friendly bonding ritual, but he remained cold. Gen was vulnerable, and he wasn’t about to have her played by some guys on a weekend to get laid. One of the guys raised a hand but didn’t come forward. “Hey. Nice to meet you.”

Gen’s navy blue eyes actually sparkled. Damn, she was pretty. He’d forgotten the old Gen and her bubbly personality. She loved practical jokes, bawdy humor¸ and having fun. A pang pierced him deep. He’d really lost her these past two years. Only now he was beginning to realize she had just been a ghost of her former self.

“Got nervous when I couldn’t find you. Thanks for keeping an eye on her.” He nodded at the guys and motioned her forward. “Let’s cash that ticket of yours.”

She bounced toward him, grabbed his hand, and spoke to her admirers. “Ed also won, so we should go together. Hey, why don’t you join us? Wolfe got a picnic table, and you can help me with the next race.”

Irritation flowed freely, but their enthusiastic reply cut him off.

“Thanks, that sounds great!” Ed announced.

Steve and Tom heartily agreed. “Maybe some of your beginner’s luck will rub off on us.”

Wolfe remained silent as they headed to the ticket counter and collected their winnings. Seemed like Ed and Gen had bonded, since they both did a little dance with their money in hand. How sweet.

Suddenly she pressed two bills into his palm. “Here you go. Two hundred dollars, ten percent for the loan. I don’t think I’ll need any more money from you today, so thanks.”

Uh-oh.

In seconds, the mood chilled. Three guys gazed at him as if he was the scum of the earth.

“You made her pay interest?” Ed asked. “I thought you guys were friends.”

He refused to shift his feet. “Just a joke.”

Gen laughed. “Yeah, right! You never joke about money—you probably would’ve sicced a loan shark on me.”

Shit. Tom fisted his hands, and Steve practically spit in disgust. “That’s lame, man,” Tom said. “Ed was short this week so I lent him money. No interest though. But I guess friendship means different things to different people.”

Gen shrugged it off, completely clueless to the pissing contest currently going on in her honor. “Nah, it’s okay. Millionaires are kinda tight with their money anyway.”

Steve choked. “You’re a millionaire?”

Double shit. This was going nowhere. Wolfe glared, giving Steve the intimidating look he saved for his business meetings. “Forget it, I’m not explaining. Gen and I go way back.”

“I bet.” Ed glared, not the least bit intimidated, and hooked his arm through Gen’s. “Come on, I’ll buy you a hot dog.”