Michelle tried not to blush as Dmitri pulled her behind him into the club.  She couldn’t remember ever being so happy.  After Dmitri’s declaration that she was his girl, she’d been hard pressed to hide her feelings for him.  She didn’t need to ruin what was shaping up to be the best relationship of her life by rushing into declarations of love. 

            Frowning slightly, she thought of Mandy.  She had not told Dmitri about her possible move.  It was the only blight in an otherwise perfect week.  And she still hadn’t invited him to her home, though she wasn’t sure why.  It’s not like she thought of him as a stalker or anything.  He was her ‘boyfriend’ after all.  She blushed anew. 

            “What are you thinking when you look at me like that?” he whispered, pulling her into his chest as he walked blindly backwards towards the bar, holding her to his waist.  Their steps were small and his body moved wickedly against her. 

            Aside from some very scorching kisses, he had not tried to sleep with her.  Michelle spent almost every night wanting to pull her hair out in frustration.  What was wrong with him anyway?  One moment, he’s claiming she’s at the bar looking for a good lycan to ride or boldly stating he’s the man going to shag Mandy’s friend Michelle…then nothing.  He had not even tried to cop a feel.  Her nights had been spent, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling in frustration, hearing the song lyrics, I want to fuck you like an animal, in her head over and over and over again.  She was pretty sure she was close to going insane. 

            “Wouldn’t you like to know,” she murmured up to him. 

            “Yes, actually, I would,” said Dmitri.  “We’ve spent time together this week, and don’t get me wrong, it’s been a blast, but you never talk about yourself or us.” 

            I want to throw you down on this bar top and shag your brains out.  Michelle, for the life of her, couldn’t make the words come out.  “That we’re having fun, so let’s not jinx it.” 

            Dmitri’s eyes narrowed and if she wasn’t mistaken, her words had upset him.  Before she could ask about it, Jaycee came up to them.   

            “Well, lookie what we have here!  I take a week off and see what I come back too!  Love birds!” 

            “Oh, we’re not in love,” said Michelle, a little too quickly.  Dmitri stiffened.  Michelle wanted the floor to open up.  Gulping, she pulled back and said, “How was your trip to Colorado?  You get your research taken care of for Deadly Ties?” 

            “Sure did!” said Jaycee. 

            “I have to go do some paperwork,” said Dmitri, setting Michelle back.  He touched the tip of her nose with his finger, looked like he wanted to say something, but merely shut his mouth and strode away. 

            “Soooo,” said Jaycee.  “What’s going on here?” 

            “Ah, Mike,” said Michelle with a small smile. 

            “Mike?” asked Jaycee, confused.   

            “Yeah, you’d better watch out.”  Michelle chuckled.  She’d seen the look on Dmitri’s face and moved to follow him.  

            “Hey, wait!” yelled Jaycee.  “Who’s Mike?” 

            “He’s the man who’s goin’ to show you how things are done around here, baby.” 

            Jaycee gasped as two hands came around her and set on the bar, trapping her from behind.  With a growl, she stepped hard on Mike’s foot.  He howled in pain.  Jaycee hesitated, took a deep breath, and hit his nose with her hand.  “Foot, nose, groin,” she said, like she’d learned in self defense. 

            “Hold on now!” said Mike backing up in pain and protecting his family jewels.  “Let’s not overreact.” 

            “Do you always grab strange women in public?” demanded Jaycee, spinning around to glare at the man who’d grabbed her.  Her jaw dropped open when she saw the gorgeous lycan.  

            Mike smiled, rubbing his nose.  With a smirk, he answered, “Only ones with as nice a rump as yours, baby.” 

            “OH!”  Jaycee stalked off in disgust of his manners.  “I never!” 

~****~ 

            “Dmitri?” asked Michelle, stepping into the office with a light knock.  “Is everything…?” 

            Dmitri glanced up at her.  He gave a light smile, though his eyes were guarded.  “It’s fine.  Here, I have a message from your office.  It says your friend Veronica Chadwick is in town.” 

            “Oh, huh,” said Michelle, thoughtful.  She looked at the note.  “Mind if I use your phone?” 

            Go ahead,” said Dmitri.  He busied himself with work.  Michelle called Veronica’s hotel.  A man answered.   

            “Hi, Veronica please,” she said. 

            “Ah, she’s in the shower, can I take a message?” asked the voice. 

            “This is Michelle returning—” 

            “Oh, hey, Michelle, it’s Draven!” 

            “Draven?  Is Linea there with you?” Michelle asked, excited.  Dmitri looked up at her happy voice.   

            “Sure is!” he laughed.  “Never leave home without her.” 

            “Is she your woman or a credit card?” chuckled Michelle. 

            There was a long pause and Michelle knew she’d lost him.  “Nevermind.  How ‘bout Armond and Mason?”

             “Sure they are!” came the voice.   

Michelle leaned against Dmitri’s desk and started drawing absent circles on his shoulder.  He glanced up at her and smiled, covering her fingers with his briefly.  Michelle made arrangements for them to come to the club and hung up the phone.   

            “Wow, I can’t believe Veronica’s in town for the weekend,” said Michelle, glancing to see what Dmitri was working on.  It looked like an inventory list.  She saw the words ‘French vanilla creamer’ and smiled shyly.  She knew she had to be the only one who came to a bar to drink coffee. 

            “I take it she’s a writer,” said Dmitri quietly, still checking his numbers. 

            “How’d you know?” 

            “Because practically everyone you know is a writer or in the business.” 

            “You’re not,” said Michelle, touching his shoulder, wondering again what had gotten into him. 

            “No, I’m not,” said Dmitri.  Then, grinning, he asked, “I can read, does that get me on your friend list?” 

            Michelle knew what was coming.  He was going to tease her about wanting to read her books.  She gulped and bit her lip. 

            “So, I’m not on the friend list?” he said, a little too hard.  He gripped his pen and turned back to the inventory sheet. 

            Michelle hesitated, and wrapped her hands around to his chest from behind.  Leaning over, she set her chin on his shoulder.  “Oh, course you’re on the friend list, maybe even towards the top.  It’s just every time writing comes up you ask to read one of my books.” 

            “And you still don’t trust me to?” asked Dmitri. 

            “Well, they’re personal.  Besides, they are girly books and wouldn’t interest you,” said Michelle. 

            “Really, how do you know?  I actually like a good ghost story,” said Dmitri. 

            Michelle froze, a small sound escaping her lips.  He’d read The Mists of Midnight?  She wanted to die.  He didn’t say anything more, though she waited for a critique.  Did he think she was stupid, making people fall in love like a hopeless romantic?  Oh, God!  Was she that transparent?  Did he finally realize she wasn’t the carefree woman he’d been dating this last week?  That she was overly serious and hopelessly in…. 

            “Towards the top, eh?  And who do I have to have whacked to be number one?” 

            “Mandy,” said Michelle without thinking. 

            “Have you heard from her?  Armando said she hasn’t called, and he’s been trying to track down her hotel,” said Dmitri. 

            Michelle didn’t tell him she knew exactly where Mandy was staying and she had indeed talked to her almost every night.  She would not betray Mandy’s trust.  “I…no.” 

            Dmitri straightened, moving his head around to breath in her scent.  He frowned and pushed her off his shoulders.  Michelle stumbled back confused.  She blinked as he turned to look at her.   

            “Dmitri?” 

            “You’re lying to me again,” he said simply.  Dmitri frowned.  She’d been lying to him or hiding things all week.  “Why?” 

            “I…I can’t betray Mandy’s trust.  I promised I wouldn’t let Armando find out where she was,” said Michelle with a helpless shrug. 

            “So you think you had to lie to me instead of telling me not to tell Armando?” asked Dmitri.  “Is that how little you trust me?  What am I to you anyway?” 

            “I….”  Michelle stopped.  She took a deep breath.  This was getting to be very sensitive territory and she had to tread lightly.  Do not say I love you.  Do not say I love you.  “Armando is your friend.” 

            “And you’re my—” Dmitri suddenly stopped. 

            “Can we not do this?” asked Michelle, worried that he was going to break up with her.  She couldn’t bear it.  She’d spent the entire week working so hard to keep her attitude and feelings light so as not to burden him with them.  She didn’t want to ruin what they had by talking serious.  She knew Dmitri’s reputation as a bad boy.  Bad boys didn’t like to be tethered down with romantic sentiments and serious types like her.  They liked to be carefree, wild, and most importantly, free. 

            Dmitri’s face became blank.  In two strides he was across the room to her.  His arm pulled around her waist, hugging her close.  His finger drew over her cheek in a gentle caress.  “We are doing this, Michelle.  I won’t let you use Mandy and Armando’s situation to push me away.” 

            “Hey, Michelle!  There’s some guy here to see you!” said Jaycee, knocking on the door and cracking it open.  “Oh, are you two busy?  Want me to tell him to go away?” 

            “No, we are done here,” said Dmitri.  Michelle blinked, a worried expression coming to her wide blue eyes.  Dmitri brushed a kiss on her nose.  “You go say hi to your friends.  I’ll finish up here and then we’ll go get some dinner.” 

            What just happened?  Michelle had been so sure he was about to break up with her, but here he was making dinner plans.  She smiled weakly and nodded.  Leaving the office, she grinned to see a 6’4’’ handsome man with a goatee.  “Draven!” 

            “Ah, there you are!” said Draven.  “Veronica went to the bathroom to see if you were in there.  Linea couldn’t come, but she sends her regards.  Hey, what’s wrong with you?  I’ve never felt you this insecure and frightened before?  What happened to—?” 

            “Ah, please, you just got here, don’t go all empathic on me, okay?” laughed Michelle, trying to cover up her feelings. 

            “Michelle!”           

“Oh, good, Roni!” said Michelle to Veronica.  She turned to smile at the brown haired woman coming from the direction of the bathrooms and gave her a hug.  “You have to protect me from Draven.  He’s doing it again.” 

Veronica hit him lightly on the arm.  “I told you people don’t like it when you read them right away.  Can’t you keep your mouth shut?”  Then turning back to Michelle, she said, “Who you really have to watch out for is Mason.  I swear his ego grows daily.” 

“Hey, I resent that!” said Mason, an aggressively handsome man.  He grinned, a devilishly teasing smile that drove the women wild.  Armand, the quiet one of the bunch, stepped up behind him and nodded, scratching absently at the scar on his chin. 

“Quite the place here,” said Veronica.  “A supernatural club.  I never thought I’d be in one of these.  Why are you here?  I thought you didn’t care for the supernatural.” 

“Ah, things change, don’t they darling?”   

Michelle stiffened at the sound of Dmitri’s voice.  She felt his hand clamp down possessively on her shoulder.  Draven’s lip twitched up in a small smile.  Michelle knew the man was sensing her.  She only prayed he’d keep it to himself this time.  Seeing her worried look, Draven nodded at her in understanding. 

“Hi, I’m Dmitri,” said Dmitri, holding out his hand to the group.  They smiled back at him.  “Michelle’s supernatural boyfriend.” 

~****~

                Mandy sat in the passenger seat of Michelle’s car, unsure what to say.  She was angry that Michelle had insisted on stopping by the club, but since she was basically her hostage there was little she could say in the form of a protest.  

            “So,” Michelle said, glancing over at her.  

            “So, what?”   

            “Are you okay with not being pregnant?” Michelle asked.  

            Mandy nodded.  She’d gotten her period the day after she’d arrived in Chicago.  It had been bittersweet.  Prior to Armando’s confession, she’d never entertained having a little one.  Now, nearing thirty, she wondered if she ever would.  It was for the best.  “Yeah, I’m fine with it.  It’s for the best anyway.  I got offered the job.”  

            “I guess, but it won’t be the same, not having you around to talk to all the time.  I kind of like walking two doors down at work and finding you,” Michelle said, with a half smile.  

            “Change of subject.  What’s going on with you and Dmitri?  Any juicy sex details I need to know about?”  

            “Don’t I wish.  He hasn’t so much as neared my pants.  Dmitri’s been nothing but honorable,” Michelle said sardonically.  

            Mandy cringed at the mention of honorable.  She forced a smile onto her face.  “Look at the bright side, normally it’s you forcing others to take a cold shower.  Nice to take the week off from being such a prude?”  

            “Ha, ha,” Michelle said, laughing softly.  “I do really like him.  I’m not sure that I’ve ever felt this way before.”  

            “It’s called being in love,” Mandy said, happy for the first time in over a week.  Michelle laughed again, and Mandy knew that it was a sign that she was right.  Michelle had it bad for Dmitri and if he did her wrong she’d break his legs.  

            “So, you going to tell me what all went on in Chicago?” Michelle asked, arching an eyebrow as she turned the corner.  

Mandy shifted, a bit uncomfortable  with where Michelle was going with this.  “Not much to tell.  Had interview, had second interview, sat at hotel, got my period, had a few drinks….”  

            “Mmm-huh,” Michelle said.   

            “Uncle,” Mandy said, giving in.  “I had drinks with Dillon.  He’s in Chicago for a paranormal conference and since our schedules allowed, we stopped off and talked for awhile.”  Mandy hated bringing Dillon into this, but Michelle had a sixth sense about her.  She could smell when Mandy was lying, and she knew full-well that Dillon was in Chicago as well.  

            “Nothing happened then?” Michelle asked.  “I mean, he is a professor of demonology.  Seems like he’s your type.”  

            Mandy balked.  “My type is tall, dark, dead, and a liar.  As much as I wanted to let something happen with Dillon, I didn’t.”  

            Michelle pulled the car up outside the Raven and opened her car door.  “You’re coming in, right?”  

            “I think I’ll wait out here,” Mandy said, not wanting to face Armando.  

            “He’s not here.  I phoned Dmitri before your flight came in and he got rid of him for a while,” Michelle said, smiling softly.  

            Mandy exhaled and followed her friend into the club.  She’d been convinced that Michelle had been trying to get her to talk to Armando since the airport.  It was good to hear she was wrong.  She pushed the door to the club open and was immediately swept off her feet.  She screamed out and looked into Armando’s face, before glancing over his shoulder at Michelle.  

            Michelle shrugged and waved to her.  “Sorry, but you two need to talk.”  

            “Put me down!” she screamed at Armando.  

            He ignored her and strolled through the office door.  He slammed it shut with his foot before setting her down on the floor.  She tried to strike out at him, but he caught her hand in his and kissed it gently.  He dropped down on one knee and reached into his jacket pocket.  

            Mandy’s heart went into her throat as Armando pulled out a tiny black box.  She shook her head, trying to clear the barrage of thoughts running through it.  He looked up at her, his long hair hung in his face.  She reached up, brushed it out of his beautiful dark eyes, and continued to shake her head.   

            “Kitten,” Armando said, with a faint smile.  He cleared his throat, took her hand in his, and started again.  “Gioia mia, will you marry me?”  

            Mandy tried to pull her hand back.  Armando wouldn’t let go of it.  “Get up!  I’m not pregnant.”