Marisa Chenery: A Werewolf at the Falls

“As you said, considering what happened to me, I need it. But I do think I’m done gambling for the night.” Kian stood and collected his winning chips to cash in.

Soren did the same, then said, “Shit. Your woman took off so fast we didn’t get a chance to pay for the drinks. If this were Vegas, we wouldn’t have to worry about it, since they’re all free. Too bad it’s illegal in Canada for casinos to just give away drinks.”

Kian smiled and shoved his chips at his friend. “Stop your griping. You take these and cash them in for me while I take care of our unpaid tab.”

“And I suppose you won’t be leaving the bar any time soon.”

“Probably not.”

“Fine. I’ll return with your winnings, then I’m hitting the slot machines for a while.”

Kian watched Soren head off before he walked toward the bar with his drink in hand. His gaze zeroed in on the woman who stood there with her back facing him. Her long, golden-brown hair fell in waves to the middle of her back. The black skirt she wore hugged her curvy hips just right. He followed it down her ass to her long, toned legs. She wore black high heels that accentuated them even more.

He was just about upon her when she turned with a tray full of drinks held in her hands. Spotting him, her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. Her gaze jumped everywhere, as if she didn’t know where to look. When she finally looked him in the face, Kian noticed her eyes were blue-gray in color.

“Can…can I get you something else to drink?” she asked stiltedly.

Kian held up his half-empty glass. “Not yet, but soon.” He took a step closer, but she lifted the tray of drinks higher, using it as a barrier between them. As if that would keep him away. He let it go for now. “But my friend and I forgot to pay for our drinks before you…left in a hurry.”

Her cheeks pinkened even more. “Oh. All right. I have to serve these first. Or better yet, if you don’t want to wait, you can pay the bartender.”

“I’d rather wait for you. That way I’ll know for sure you got your tip.”

“O…okay. I’ll be back then.”

He smiled and turned to follow her with his gaze. His would-be mate was more than he could have asked for. She wasn’t supermodel-pretty like female werewolves, but that didn’t make her ugly by any means. She was pretty in a cute kind of way. And she totally appealed to him.

Kian chuckled to himself when he thought of how nervous she was around him. Just something else he found attractive about her. He was going to enjoy cozying up to her and getting her used to him. Taking a seat on one of the barstools to wait, he tossed back the rest of his drink. It looked as if he were going to have to work for his mate, and there was nothing wrong with that.

At the opposite end of the casino, Jorja made sure she took the circuitous route to the last table she had to serve drinks. She stalled for time. Her heart still thudded at a rapid pace and she felt more than a little shook up. How the hell could she go back to the bar and not make a total ass of herself? Just the few words she’d had with the dark-haired man, who had practically kissed her senseless, had turned her into a stuttering fool. And it didn’t help that his deep voice seemed to sink right into her and cause her body to go into overdrive.

Pull it together, Jorja. He was just a man. Just an utterly gorgeous, hunk of a man who she wanted to screw her brains out. And judging by the hot kiss he’d laid on her, he was more than a little interested in her. Maybe she stood a chance, after all. Yeah, as long as she didn’t scare him off with her stupid nervousness and lack of ability to string words together.

Jorja served the last of the drinks she carried and took a deep breath as she headed back to the bar. She could do this. She was a mature woman who’d been around a bit. Her virginity had been lost several years ago. There was no reason why she couldn’t carry on a perfectly normal conversation with a man who happened to look like an underwear model.

Her small pep talk seemed to work until she spotted the dark-haired man’s friend sitting at one of the slot machines. He turned his head to look in her direction and gave her a knowing wink. That did her in again, making her think of the heated kiss she’d shared with his friend for all to see.

She hurriedly continued on her way. At the bar, Jorja felt another rush of heat zip through her body as she met the gaze of the man in question. There was no mistaking the look of hunger that lurked in his eyes. She swallowed, pulled herself up straighter and walked over to where he sat.

“W-Would you like to p-pay for those drinks now?” Oh god. Could the floor open up and just swallow her, please?

He gave her a sexy grin that made him even better looking. “Sure. But first, what’s your name?”

“Jorja.”

He held out a twenty-dollar bill. “Keep the rest as a tip, Jorja. By the way, I’m Kian.”

Even his name sounded sexy. She took the proffered bill. “Thanks.”

Jorja turned to the bartender and handed him the money. While she waited for him to give her the change, she felt Kian’s gaze on her the whole time. She ended up being startled when he spoke again.

“Will you have a drink with me, Jorja?”

After pocketing her tip, she turned back to Kian. “I can’t. It’s not allowed while I’m w-working.”

“Then how about after you’re off?”

“I just started my shift.”

“I guess I’ll have to wait until you’re done.”

“That won’t be for hours.”

He took her hand and tugged her to stand between his spread legs. With the height of the barstool he sat on, it made it so they were almost equal in height. “I don’t mind waiting. I’ll sit here all night, watching you work.”

Normally, after her shift ended, she was dead on her feet and only thought of going home to bed. If Kian did stick around for that long, Jorja would be more than happy to have one drink with him.

She jerked her head in a short nod. “All right.” She looked around at her tables and saw a customer signal her over. “I have to go.”

Kian released her hand and let her take a step back. “And like I said, I’ll be right here, waiting.”

Jorja said, thankfully without a stutter, “I’ll see you then.”

She walked away from the bar feeling as if lady luck had looked her way for once.

As promised, Kian stayed at the bar for the rest of Jorja’s shift. The later it got, the busier the casino became, which meant he didn’t really have much time to talk to his would-be mate. But he watched her, his gaze rarely straying. Soren would come to the bar to sit with him for a while and then go off to try his hand at one of the gaming tables. One time he tried to convince Kian to go get something to eat at the buffet. Kian refused. Instead he slowly nursed drink after drink. By the end of Jorja’s shift, Kian was pretty loaded, not that anyone would be able to tell. He hid it well.

He knocked back the last of his drink and waited for Jorja to finish up. Soren had long since returned to his hotel room. Kian was thankful they had each decided to get separate ones. Having a friend sawing it off in the other bed while he tried to get to know his soon-to-be mate better wouldn’t be very conducive.

At Jorja’s final return to the bar, carrying her purse and coat, he asked, “Will you still have a drink with me?”

She nodded shyly. “Just one.”

Jorja went to sit on the barstool next to his, but Kian stopped her. “Not here. The bar is closing. I already bought a bottle of wine.” He nodded toward the bottle sitting on the bar in front of him. “Come up to my hotel room.”