Loner (Norseton Wolves #2) by Holley Trent Read Free Book Online Page B

stop, which he suspected would be sooner, rather than later. He’d seen a similar thing with his parents. His mother had grown disenchanted with his father, but he wouldn’t let her leave, so she’d holed herself up into the bedroom and only came out when he left. Darius couldn’t help but think that would be his fate as well.
    Enjoy it while you can.
    Sighing, he draped his forearms over her shoulders and let her fondle him as she saw fit.
    “You got him to put on a suit, but you couldn’t get him to brush his hair properly?” Mrs. Carbone called out.
    “I did,” Darius said, probably too low for anyone but Stephanie to hear.
    “He probably thinks he did.” Stephanie settled back into place beside him, slinging her arm around his waist and cocking her head coquettishly for the camera.
    Oh. Pose, stupid.
    “Try looking like you care, Loner!” Colt called out.
    “I don’t know why you don’t kick his ass,” Stephanie said through her photo-ready grin. “And if you don’t want to smile, don’t smile.”
    “I look dumb.”
    She looked up at him. “What, smiling?”
    He nodded.
    “What makes you think that?”
    “I own a mirror.”
    “Obviously, you don’t know how to interpret the images it shows you, then.” She sighed. “No time to talk you into it now. How about a smirk?”
    He pushed his lips into something he hoped looked like what she wanted.
    Stephanie got in front of him, pressed that lush, soft body of hers against his, and used her thumbs to move his lips where she wanted them. “Don’t worry if it feels dumb. You look amazing. Hold that pose.” She settled next to him again and angled her body toward his.
    I look amazing? No one had ever told him that before. A few women had made pretty close statements about his dick, but not about him in general.
    Mrs. Carbone finally took the damned picture. “At least we have one couple that looks decent enough to put their picture in a frame. Back in my day, folks dressed up for their mates.”
    “I want a do-over,” one of the ladies said. “Can I take him home, redress him, and bring him back?”
    Mrs. Carbone groaned. “You could try, but good luck. Remember, they have to be back at work tomorrow morning, so use your hours wisely.”
    Stephanie plopped her fists onto her hips and cast her gaze toward Norseton’s Main Street, then at Darius. She pushed up an eyebrow. “Can I trust you to hang those clothes?”
    “You mean I have to keep them?”
    “Of course you do.” She smoothed his lapels and skimmed her hands around his jacket’s waist, letting them linger at the base of his back. Pressed against him that way, her cleavage strained temptingly at the top of her dress, and he wanted to bend to lick it. He needed to act less like an animal, not more, however, so he resisted. “You look so good. You should wear suits more often. You’re built for them.”
    Colt walked past them, making a whip-cracking sound, and his mate followed behind, vibrating with a frustrated growl.
    Stephanie watched them leave, and turned back to Darius. “Is there some beef between you two?”
    He felt stupid standing there with his arms at his side when she was holding him, so he put one hand on her shoulder, then the other. That didn’t feel too awkward. Fucking her was easy. He knew where to put his hands and body when he was having sex, but he hadn’t had practice with casual touch. Apparently, Stephanie expected some. He didn’t want to disappoint her, especially after seeing how he’d already managed to offend her once without trying. Or was it twice?
    “No,” he said after a moment. “Colt antagonizes everyone, except Alpha.”
    “No one’s tried to hand him his ass yet?”
    “Not worth it.”
    Her narrowed eyes and the aggressive jut of her chin said that she didn’t agree. It was kind of cute, her indignation. No one had ever been offended on his behalf before—not even his own mother.
    “I’ve known these guys for a long time. I know