Desiree Holt - Caught in the Middle

Gabe narrowed his blue gaze at his friend, who didn’t seem the least bit troubled by his icy stare. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You forget how well I know you.”

Gabe shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not really sure if he wanted to hear where this was headed.

“But one doesn’t have to know you well to know that you’re interested in Collette. Actually, I’d say you’re attracted to your partner, very attracted.”

Gabe shifted again, suddenly feeling uneasy. Roarke was his best friend, and he could share almost anything with him, but he wasn’t ready to share his feelings for Collette. Mainly, because he hadn’t figured them all out himself. But also because, while it may be obvious that he was attracted to Collette, it was just as obvious that Collette was attracted to Roarke. That thought made the knot in his gut clench tight, but he did his best to ignore it. If Collette wanted Roarke, then he would just have to accept it and move on. It was just that he couldn’t completely understand what a woman such as Collette saw in Roarke. It wasn’t just because he was jealous, although he would be lying if he didn’t admit that he wasn’t immune to the pangs of the ugly green monster. But it was more than that. Considering how well he knew them both, he would have never thought Collette and Roarke well-suited. But maybe Collette wasn’t interested in anything of substance and depth. Actually, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

Roarke was a handsome man, who loved to play the field, but maybe that’s exactly what she wanted. He’d just been so sure, deep down, Collette wanted something more meaningful, but apparently he’d misjudged her.

Even if he hadn’t read her wrong, it was still awfully hard not to miss the easy camaraderie that flowed between the two of them, and how comfortable they were around each other. Just moments ago, he’d been a witness to the intimate exchange that passed between them when Roarke winked at her, and she smiled back. They thought no one noticed, but it was impossible not to.

As wizened and mature he thought himself to be, he was finding it pretty damned difficult to accept that he was attracted to a woman, who obviously wanted his best friend. Yet, no matter how hard a pill it was to swallow, he was determined not to let it interfere with his relationship with either of them-especially Roarke.

Nothing had ever come between him and Roarke, certainly not a woman, and he didn’t want Collette to be the first. If he could just manage to keep his feelings to himself, then they wouldn’t become an issue.

Collette and Roarke could do what they so obviously wanted to do, without worrying about hurting his feelings. He would go on doing what he’d always done-return home to an empty bed that was always cold and run his city with a steady hand, no matter how lonely a life it was, and in spite of how futile his efforts seemed.

Roarke cleared his throat loudly, in a blatant gesture to force Gabe to address his loaded comment. But he wasn’t sure if he could. How did he deny Roarke’s words without outright lying?

“Collette is clearly an attractive woman, but she’s my partner, which means our relationship must always remain strictly professional.”

“Bullshit.”

He was so stunned by that simple statement that it took him a second to collect his thoughts. “Why is that bullshit? It’s the truth.”

He didn’t flinch under the weight of Roarke’s stare. He couldn’t. As the master of the city, he’d been conditioned to hold his ground, but it was damn near impossible when confronting a man who was as close to him as Roarke was, and who knew him as well as any of his brothers did.

“You only put your shields up with me when you’re lying or when you don’t want me to discover the truth. And they’re always up every time I bring up Collette.” He stood as he spoke. “You’re attracted to her, I know it. If it makes you feel better, she’s attracted to you, too.”

“Have you been tapping into her thoughts? You know that’s rude.”

Roarke grinned as he lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug. “Maybe once or twice, but relax. I didn’t get much more than she thinks you’re sexy.”

He snorted. “Yeah, and I’m sure your name followed soon after.”

“Actually, no, it didn’t.”

“How is your ego dealing with that?” he joked, in an effort to break some of the tension that had suddenly descended upon the room. For months, he’d tried to avoid this conversation with Roarke, and he was determined not to have it now either.

“Make light of this all you want, but the only man who seems to enter Collette’s thoughts is you.”

Gabe opened his mouth to object, but never got the chance.

“Collette’s a beautiful woman, and like you said, it’s quite natural to find her attractive, but Collette and I aren’t attracted to one another.”

“Why are you telling me this?” His eyes narrowed to slits. He searched Roarke’s normally open face that was now as blank as an empty canvas, which made him uneasy with suspicion. He’d been so careful about hiding his feelings for Collette. Was it possible that Roarke had discovered the truth?

“No reason,” he said with a casual shrug. “I guess I just wanted to let you know that if we end up helping Collette through her mating season, when it’s over, Collette and I will return to normal, and we will continue to be good friends, but still, just friends.”

“And you think things will somehow be different between the two of us instead?” He didn’t wait for him to answer, because truthfully he wasn’t prepared to hear what Roarke had to say. “We’ve shared women before, and neither one of us has had any problem. I don’t expect this to be any different.”

“Yes, well, I just wanted you to know where I stood on this. Just so there isn’t any confusion ,” he said. Before Gabe could probe him for the deeper meaning of his words, Roarke slipped out of his office, leaving him to wonder exactly what his friend had really been trying to say.

“Damn it, Victoria. What the hell do you mean the spell isn’t fool proof?” she hissed into her cell as she huddled outside, pressed against the side wall of the building that housed her unit. The walls served as a telepathic barrier, protecting all confidential and sensitive information inside her unit. As long as she was outside, no one could listen in on her thoughts or her conversation, which was why she’d ventured outdoors to call her older sister, because one could never be too careful with the place crawling with telepathic supra .

“Well, the infertility spell is foolproof. I can’t believe you’ve never had to use it before. I don’t know how human men could even compare-”

“Tory!” She snapped impatiently. Like many supras , her sister held a slight disdain for humans, the weaker species. So Tory had been shocked to learn that she’d never spent her mating season with another supra , which meant she’d never had to use it. For some reason human males were unable to impregnate lycan women, although the reverse wasn’t the case. Still, it was impossible for a lycan female to get pregnant outside of her mating season, and with her affinity for human men, she’d never had to think of such things. That’s why she preferred human lovers in the first place. No birth control hassles-like now .

“Oh yes, like I was saying. The infertility spell only works on vampires and as long as the vamp isn’t your heart mate, otherwise it’s useless. But as far as your bonding urges- well there’s really nothing you can do about that.”

“What bonding urges? I thought if I mated with two vamps, or any other supra , that I wouldn’t have these stupid urges since they’re not lycan.”