“You wouldn’t happen to know of anyone who’d hire me for a few days so I can make enough money for the next bus do you?” Barrett smiled.
“The older man you passed coming in, he owns the store. Why don’t you go ask him?” Livi suggested. Her gaze lowered when he turned and her eyebrow lifted with a smirk on her lips as she watched his ass walk out the door.
“What in the hell are you doing?” Tommy ground out.
“Admiring the view.”
“Flirting with a human stranger and offering him a job. Have you lost your mind, Livi?” he growled.
“He needs some help.” When Tommy slammed his fist on the counter, she looked at him quickly.
“You have no idea who he is.”
Livi watched his gray eyes flash silver with his anger and whispered, “You better get a hold of yourself, Tommy Moilanin. I know exactly who he is. He’s coming back. And just so you’re aware, I’m pretty capable of taking care of myself.”
“Yeah, we saw just how capable you are at flirting with strange men,” he snarled.
He’s jealous. Livi smiled as she leaned in close to Tommy over the counter, her brow lifted. “Why are your boxers in a bunch? I’ll flirt with who I want. If I remember correctly you can’t stand the sight of me, so why don’t you just take a hike?”
His chest lifted with a deep breath as he kept her gaze. “Behave yourself, Livi.”
Livi straightened up, her eyes lowering to his ass as he walked out. She felt a burning deep within her belly. Her ears perked when she heard his low tone and looked out the window to see him facing off with Barrett. Her eyes narrowed when Barrett’s gaze lowered to the ground. “Damn Alpha ass,” she growled, knowing his Alpha tendencies demanded obedience. Barrett had no idea why he’d surrendered to another man’s words. “What did he say to you?” Livi asked when Barrett stepped in the store.
“Well, your grandfather said I could work until Friday to earn some money.”
“No, I mean Tommy. What did he say to you on his way out?”
Barrett smiled. “Ahhh, just a word between two guys.”
Livi frowned. “Like what?” she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Barrett’s eyes went straight to her chest. “Well, sweetheart, you’d have to be a guy for me to tell you, and no one would ever mistake you for the opposite sex.”
Livi’s brow lifted with a smirk on her lips. “You don’t say.”
* * * *
Livi smiled softly as she walked the wooded path from Beven Manor toward the store. She’d had a good talk with Mari about what was happening and made her promise she’d stay indoors or with Rhys if she went out.
“Why do you continue to skirt the rules?”
Livi looked to the left to see Tommy, dressed in his black uniform of BDU pants, t-shirt and combat boots, walking toward her. She snarled when her pussy contracted. “Are you following me?”
“And if I was?”
“I’d tell you to beat feet.” Livi’s smile dropped as he came closer.
“I never said I couldn’t stand the sight of you. Those words came from your mouth.”
Her gaze narrowed. “I’m not the one who backed away and stayed there.”
“With good reason, and you still haven’t learned a lesson obviously.”
She tilted her head to meet his eyes as Tommy stood a good foot taller than her own five-four. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“How easily you flirt with men you don’t know. Is that what Triton has been teaching you all these years?”
“Up yours, ass-wipe.” Going to step around him, Livi gasped when he grabbed her arm hauling her to his chest.
“Are you even a virgin still or have you come into season?” he growled.
Livi jerked her arm away from him and stepped back. “What the hell does it matter to you? It’s not like you are.”
“That’s different.”
“The hell it is. I know Lyken males start the full moon mating between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, when was yours, Tommy? When did you take your first bitch?” she snapped.
“If I don’t take a pack bitch when the mating urge comes, I could die, Olivia. You know this,” he snapped back.
“So what? Why is it such a big deal if I’ve had sex or not? I’m twenty-eight years old.”
Tommy growled, his canines elongating. “Have you come into season yet?”
“Yes!”
“With who?”
Livi’s canines descended from her anger over this stupid conversation and yelled the first thing that came to mind. “The Prince of Atlantis!”
“There’s five of them!”