The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Forty ROSE Tad Bartlett letgo if I tell him I want to go home? Footsteps sound behindand somehow I just know it's Bartlett. My face heats and for a moment I wonder if he's going going to hold my hand or something. The thought is more than a little exhilarating. Grow up Rose. Really? Hold hands? Rolling my my eyes at myself, I take a couple deep breaths and try to look cool. I don't even get to turn around before I'm being whisked back into his arms, Okay. So I go back later. I want to spend a little tgetting to know Bartlett.

He's cradlingagain - bridal style - but this tthere is something different in his eyes. Something is off about him. He looks disappointed as he stares down at me. Almost... angry.

I immediately retreat into my shell. All my earlier excitement fizzling out with the glacial cold of his eyes.

He studiesquietly while walking us toward the end of the docks where a mini yacht and a speedboat bob side by side. He says nothing toas he placeson my feet and makes his way toward the yacht.

My eyes widen when I realize this is the one that we'll be riding. “Are we taking this?” I ask, my voice full of wonder.

He doesn't answerfor sreason and I instantly feel a little less excited. Now this makes more sense. This is the kind of treatment that I'm used to. But even so, I can't stop the burn that fires across my chest, nor the tears that fill my eyes.

I did hope things might be different this taround.

"Hey B, are you heading out?" A voice sounds at my back. I'm still standing on the wharf, but Barlett is inside of the yacht lowering the ladder.

Bartlett's eyes rove over me. Worry taking over his features as he spies whomever it is that must be behind me. When I spin around, I understand why and my entire body goes cold.

It's one of the Sheriff's Deputies. Oh my fucken goodness.

The man's cinnamon brown eyes lock onfor a cool minute, the spiral curls of his ash brown hair wavering in the breeze coming off the ocean. A slow smile curves his lips upward as he appraisesfrom head to toe. "Well, hello there gorgeous. Who might you be?" "She's my girl," Bartlett says, leaping over the side of the yacht and bypassing the stairs altogether. The wood planks beneath my feet shudder and quake when he lands next toand I tumble into his side, my face already red hot just from what he told the deputy.

His lie should please but it doesn't. Because, as good as it is to hear something like that cout of his mouth - it will never be the truth and suddenly it is all that I want. To be his.

My head is suddenly swimming, my vision dizzy with desire as my eyes fall on him. Tilting my head upward, I meet his eyes. My lips purse in disappointment, my chest heaving erratically at the boldness of his. He's just fixed us with that statement.

Grabbingby both of my shoulders, Bartlett says, "Head on up, Princess. I'll just be a moment." I nod gratefully, spinning around without giving the cop even a second glance. Okay, so maybe I'm not ready to bite the bullet quite yet.

Once I'm up the stairs and on the yacht, I'm feeling like a girl that just rely managed to escape the fire. Walking gingerly toward the helm, I peek down at the wharf to watch the pair of them talking. They seem to know each other quite well, laughing and whispering as I 1/3 59%1 Chapter Two Hundred Forty look over the railing. At first, I could swear that they don't notice me. That they are oblivious to my standing here spying on them, but when the Deputy steps back to leave, he shoots a quick smile my way, then tossesa wink.

My eyebrows furrow in apprehension, but he doesn't wait forto respond before turning back toward the parking lot in what seems to be no particular hurry. I watch him until he is in his squad car and backing toward the road beyond the docks. I don't even notice Bartlett has boarded until he speaks to me.

"You see something you like down there? he asks, his tone clipped.

My body jerks backward in surprise, his sudden presence snappingto attention and causingto yelp with fear. Turning around to face him, I find that he is already directly behindand I shove backward futilely, not gaining even an inch of distance with the railing at my back.

"You scared me, I admit shakily.

"Yeah? I'll just bet I did," he snarls, stepping back as his handsface twists up in a sneer. He shakes his head, his eyes lowering toward the deck. "His nis Timmons. Just in case you were wondering." Cocking an eyebrow I wander toward him, watching the drag of his eyes as they stroke up my body with something like reluctant heat. "Did he ask about me?? 1 inquire softly, biting my bottom lip nervously.

Bartlett suddenly scowls, raising his gaze gaze from my breasts to my face. You damn fucking well know he did. You were standing "Oh! No... I meant, afterward. When I cup here, I saw you both talking like old friends and I was just curious-" right there." "Yes, we are old friends and yes, unfortunately, he is single," Bartlett shops, turning away to pull the lever that controls the steps th barreling away fromtoward what I can only assis the engine room.

I snort in disbelief is be angry with me? Is he... jealous? No... no way. You have got to be kidding me. "I don't care if he's single," Ihiss, following him. "That is not what I was asking! I care about whether or not he recognized me. Your said there was a warrant out for my arrest. I just wanted to know if I should worry about him coming after me." Bartlett freezes with one hand on the controls and the other on the keys. “Right,” he sighs. "I forgot about that part for a second." Forgot about that part? But that's the entire reason you snatchedfrom the hospital! Isn't it? "Okay..." I say softly. "So then, since you forgot, I'm going to assthe answer is no. He didn't recognize me." Bartlett pushes a button next to the key to start the engines and then jerks a lover toward him so roughly that I go careening backward and toward the ground with my eyes closed and a scream of surprise on my lips. Once again – before my ass can even touch the ground- he manages to snatchto safety. Locking his hand over one arm of mine, Bartlett snaps my body forward, releasingjust in tfor my body to go stumbling into his chest.

Oh...my...yummy.

My hands shoot out to steady myself and I end up grabbing his enormous biceps, dropping my hands downward my nails go into the hard marble of his deliciously flexed forearms and my breasts press roughly against his solid torso.

"S-sorry," I stutter, as I begin to pull away.

Closing his hands over my backside before I can garner so much as an inch of space between us, he stops me. I can feel his fingers tighten on my ass cheeks like a brand and I can't stop the rush of liquid that pools at my core, nor do I want to. What I want... is for him to touchagain.. the way he touchedin the back of his truck, Just the memory of it heats my body so intensely that I release a breathy moan.

The moment he hears it, his sapphire eyes sparkle, the pupils expanding impossibly as his gaze wanders over my face. "So that's why you 2/3 Chapter Two Hundred Forty watched him walk all the way to his car? That's why you waited for him to leave? Because you were afraid?" I nod and his eyes flare bright with approval, his hands on my ass now growing holder as they grope and massage beneath the clefts.

Pushing past my insecurities has never been an easy thing forto do, so this tI remind myself of how good it feels when he touches me. This time, I tell myself that he wouldn't be touchingif he didn't want to, and I force my hands to glide up the skin of his forearms, lowering my lashes just enough to shieldfrom the intimidation of his gaze.

"Why did you tell him, your old friend, that I was your girl?" I ask carefully. This is the type of question that has the potential to shatter my confidence completely and 1 probably should have started a bit lighter, but I truly want to know.