As far as Mary Elizabeth was concerned, the incident with Hugh was over and done with. The man had issues, serious issues. She just didn't understand his whole ‘I don't want you but I don't want anyone else to have you either’ attitude. He kissed her senseless, apologized and then spent the next week avoiding her. Well, to be fair, she'd been the one avoiding him. Then tonight, because someone else was paying attention to her, he went into a rage and pulled some jealous, he-man stunt. He couldn't have sent a clearer message if he'd hit her over the head with a club and dragged her off by her hair.
No man owned her. This macho crap had to stop. You liked the way he handled you and you know it. You love knowing he's jealous. She told the voice in her head to shut up.
Her life was finally her own and she was going to enjoy every bit of it. For once, she didn't have to worry about anyone but herself, and it was lovely. She walked out on to the deck at the back of the house to see what was happening out here. It was chilly, but not unbearable. Alex had strategically placed fires that provided heat and light. The bar was located out on the deck where there was more space. Once outside, she could see that what she thought was a deck was actually a porch that wrapped around three sides of the house. Nice. Very nice.
Her wanderings took her close to the bar. The bartender smiled and spoke to her. “Hey, pretty lady. What would you like to drink?"
She shook her head and laughed. “I'm not a drinker."
"Come on, it's a party. Live a little. I'll make you anything you want."
She spotted several people sporting cute glasses with umbrellas in them. “What are they drinking?"
He looked in the direction she gestured. “Oh, that's a Shifter Surprise. You don't want that. It's really strong. Let me get you something else.” He proceeded to rattle off a list of drinks that she might prefer.
She interrupted him, more interested in the drink he didn't want her to have than any of the ones he was listing. “What's in it?"
"What, a strawberry daiquiri?"
"No, I know what's in a daiquiri. I'm talking about the Shifter Surprise. How do you make it?"
He reluctantly told her. “It's a mixture of fruit juices and liquors, giving it a sweet and sour taste. But if you're not a drinker, it's going to be too strong for you. Let me make you a daiquiri."
His attitude was really starting to bother her. “I don't want a daiquiri. I want a Shifter Surprise. If it's too strong then I'll just eat some food with it."
Actually, that wasn't a bad idea. She hadn't eaten and drinking on an empty stomach was always a bad idea. Food would keep the alcohol from going straight to her head. Besides, with the kind of night she was having, a drink sounded really good.
The bartender made the drink and gave it to her. “The alpha's not going to be happy about this."
"You tell him that I insisted."
"Yes, ma'am. I surely will,” the young bartender told her.
As she walked back into the house to go get some food, Mary Elizabeth tasted her drink. Normally she didn't like the taste of alcohol, which was one of the reasons why she didn't drink. “Oh, this is good.” She took another sip, a larger one this time as she went into the dining area to fix a plate.
She had to hand it to Kiesha; this was quite a spread. There were cheeses, all kinds of meats, crackers, chips and dip, the makings for nachos, and of course, desserts. She loaded her plate with a variety of foods, heavy on the meat and cheeses, and found a quiet corner to sit and eat.
While eating, she people watched. It was hard to believe that the majority of them were shape-shifters. By just looking at them, she couldn't tell human from the non-human. They all appeared the same to her, except for that nose thing she'd caught some of them doing. They just seemed so normal. She wasn't sure when she made the decision to believe Kiesha's tale, or if she'd actually made one. She just trusted that her friend was telling her the truth, strange though it may seem.
She didn't know what time it was, but she noticed the crowd was thinning. A lot of the older people had already left. She watched as families herded their children toward the door. Now that there were less people, she realized she hadn't seen Kiesha for some time.
She finished eating and had drained her drink when she noticed something strange. When she arrived, men were swarming all around her. Now, although a few cast looks her way, none of them approached. Shrugging her shoulders, she pushed the thought out of her mind as her head bobbed to the music. The mood of the party changed. Someone dimmed the lights and hung a disco ball, creating a strobe effect. The music was hipper, and the beat more driving. Her toe was tapping as she swayed from side to side. The beat got into her soul, compelling her to move. She allowed the pulsing music to drive her onto the dance floor, joining the other gyrating bodies already there.
Hugh leaned his shoulder against a wall in a corner that gave him a good view of the room. He pinned his gaze on Mary Elizabeth, watching her every move. Whenever any man approached her, he growled possessively, knowing that the sound would carry. The wolves, recognizing the sound for what it was, steered clear of her, not wanting to risk antagonizing off an already angry bear.
He groaned as she danced her way onto the dance floor. He straightened, his posture aggressive as he physically dared any man to dance with her. Hugh watched as she strutted her stuff, mesmerized by the swaying of her hips. Her body called to his like a siren, and he was helpless to resist. He pushed his way through the crowd until he was directly behind her. Not wanting her to stop, he matched his movements to hers, easing closer a little bit at a time. He wanted her to become accustomed to the feel of his body against hers.
In some small portion of her mind, Mary Elizabeth was aware that it was Hugh she was dancing with. She could tell by the way that her body responded. She didn't react this way with any other male. She eased back into him, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. She made no complaint when he claimed her hips with his hands, pulling her firmly into his aroused body. Instead, she lifted her arms up and back until she could lock her hands around his neck.
This position thrust out her chest, causing a dangerous amount of cleavage to be exposed. She didn't care. She wanted him to see, wanted him to feel what she was feeling. The rhythm was pulsing, driving, sexual in nature. She closed her eyes and gave herself up to the music, letting her inhibitions melt away. She wanted this man, needed him to assuage the ache building in her body. She spread her legs and arched her back, changing the movement of her body so that it rubbed sensuously against his.
Hugh swore under his breath as her action caused brown of her areoles to be revealed. A little bit more and he'd be able to see her nipples. He wanted to see them. He wanted to touch them and squeeze them, to put his mouth on them and see how sensitive they were. He wanted to know if he could make her come just from sucking on her breasts.
The woman was driving him crazy. The smell of her arousal was making him dizzy. She undulated against him, making his cock swell even more. Sweat broke out on his body as he fought back the urge to come. Hugh allowed his hand to move from her hips to rest low on her belly, the tips of his fingers mere inches from the hem of her skirt, which rose several inches as a result of her movements. The other hand he slid up her body until it rested just below her breast. Giving into the urge, he allowed his thumb to stroke her nipple through the soft leather. He wanted to pull the material down and stroke her bare breast. He was hanging onto his sanity by a mere thread.