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“Talk about what?”

“Us.”

“There is no us.”

“Oh, I beg to differ, little wolf." Taking her hand, he led her over to his Jeep. “Get in.”

“No.” She growled. “I mean, wait. I thought I’d have a little more time to prepare for this.” She scratched her forehead. “Right now?”

“Damn it, Hayden. If you don’t get in the fucking Jeep, I’ll put you in the vehicle, and you won’t like it.” He loomed over her like a predator cornering its prey. “Your stubborn pride is getting in your way. It’s always gotten in your way.”

Everything he said hit below the belt. He stated the truth with such vehemence it stung. “Whatever,” she snapped, getting up into the waiting vehicle. “Always such a know-it-all asshole.”

“And here I thought we’d made progress.” He closed the door then hurried around the front of the truck and got in.

“A kiss does not make a relationship.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” She gazed out the passenger window as he started the SUV and pulled out of his spot. What she wouldn’t give for a greasy burger right at that moment. Her stomach gave an appreciative growl, and he cocked a brow at her.

“Good thing one of us is willing to take care of you.” He chuckled.

“Don’t start.”

Once he pulled into the parking lot of University Pub and found a spot, he turned off the truck, and she jumped out. She needed a moment to gather her wits before he joined her once more. Nico caught up Hayden and grabbed her hand. The small smirk tugging at his lips rankled her nerves. He was so cocky. So sure of himself. Together, they found a booth away from prying eyes and ears.

“So, talk. What did you want to say to me?”

He folded his hands on the table “Are you going to listen, or insult me the whole time?”

Ouch.“I’ll listen,” she muttered while picking at the corner of her menu.

“Good.” He gave her a curt nod. “I’ve wanted to mate you since the moment I laid eyes on you. If you hadn’t been so young, I would have taken you to the Strawberry Festival and marked you as mine. But, it didn’t happen that way. Unfortunately for us, some dipshit took you. Sometimes I wish I would have left the asshole alive. Then we could have questioned him. It's my biggest regret.”

"You mean your biggest regret wasn't giving in to a hormonal seventeen-year-old, right?" she said, not sure why she provoked him, especially after their conversation in the locker room.

He snorted. "I'm not going to lie and say I wish we'd done things differently, Hayden. I do. But, as I told you, having you in my arms—best fucking moment of my life. I'd never until that moment, experienced anything as powerful as feeling you climax in my arms."

Heat burned her cheeks. “Nico...”

“It’s true, little wolf.”

“Then, why?” She understood some of his logic, like being scared or nervous. Why not come to her? Why not be scared with her? Maybe that’s why she couldn’t let it go. “Why throw it all away?”

“You haven’t been so lily-white in all this either, have you?” His gaze bored into hers. Knowledge and a bit of jealousy shimmered in the flecks of amber surrounding his irises.

“What are you talking about?” She licked her lips growing more nervous by the second.

He snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. The muscles of his biceps and forearms flexed, and she swallowed hard. “Don’t you remember threatening me with Adam?"

Gut punched, she stared at him. Adam, the first boy who took a liking to her in high school after Nico graduated. When she and Nico couldn’t spend time together, Adam and she did. He kissed her. Listened to her. She could talk to him about the things she didn’t want to talk about with her mate. Plus, he taught her things about guys. Stuff at the time she couldn’t go to Nico about, like blow jobs and hand jobs. “What about him?”

“Oh, little wolf,” he growled. “Don’t play stupid with me. I know the truth.”

“What truth?” She tried to glean how much he knew.

“How many times did you jerk him off? How many times did that sweet little pussy of yours cream itself when you watched him come? Was everything you did from the moment you saw me, was intended to hurt me. Did you yearn for payback? Are you done yet?”