Page 2 of Breaking the Alpha (Serpent’s Tongue Ink #2)

A ngelina Watson waved her friend over as she lifted her purse from the last empty stool at the bar counter for Zoe to take a seat. “If I’d known it was going to be so busy, I would’ve suggested we head to my place instead. I almost had to wrestle a pack of college boys to keep these chairs.”

“I would have paid good money to watch.” Zoe grinned, acknowledging the bartender at the till with a nod, her black curls bouncing. “I think it’s going to be a one and done kind of night.”

She and Zoe were both relative newcomers to town. Zoe had transferred from a Kansas hotel to oversee the town’s signature bistro while Angelina had moved from Wisconsin when she saw an advertisement for storefront space at a price she couldn’t resist.

At thirty, she was two years older than Zoe and that alone gave her friend great joy.

Zoe’s sparkling personality was a burst of energy and exuberance in contrast to Angelina’s tranquility.

They complemented each other, Zoe ensuring Angelina experienced full-body laughter, while Angelina showed Zoe that there was something beautiful about slowing down to appreciate life in the moment.

The music on the rooftop patio wasn’t loud, but between the wind and the conversations around them, she knew Zoe was as unwilling as she was to be surrounded by so much noise after a long shift. “One is all I need. A celebratory martini.”

Her friend’s dark brown eyes lit up. “Ooooh! What are we celebrating?”

She smiled as she leaned over the marble counter to call out their drink order and pass the bartender a twenty. “The sale of that hideous black panther incense burner you hated.”

“That thing was horrific.” Zoe snickered. “You probably lost a million dollars in sales by having it front and center of your window display for the last three months.” Glancing around at the clientele chatting amicably around them, she lowered her voice to a yelling whisper. “Who bought it?”

Angelina thanked the bartender and led Zoe to a vacated booth.

“Two women came in looking for something unique to bring home from their trip. One picked the panther. The other bought the ironwood tea box I ordered on a whim.” Taking a sip of her drink, she smiled over the rim.

“Good thing, too. I was so close to buying it myself under the umbrella of self-care.”

Zoe rolled her eyes and hugged her martini close as though it might run off on her. “This is my self-care tonight. My feet are killing me.”

“Same. When I get home tonight, I’m meditating, having a bubble bath, and going to bed.”

“Alone?” a blond man interrupted, stopping at their table and giving her a bright smile as though his input into their conversation was automatically welcome.

She gave him a brief side-eye before ignoring both him and the friend who stood alongside him, both men giving off the kind of conceited air she could almost smell over their spicy cologne.

“Anyways, those charm bracelets came in today, so make sure you stop by the shop in the morning to pick out your favorite before I put them out.”

The men didn’t take the hint. The blond one slid into their booth beside her and the guy with the buzz cut took up position beside Zoe.

“I’m Cody and this is Jett,” the blond said, turning his pseudo-charm on Zoe. “Are you two from around here?”

Zoe gave him a tight smile and the lie spilled from her lips as if she’d done this a million times before. “Just passing through.”

Cody stretched his arm out behind Angelina. “Would you ladies mind if we joined you for a bit? We’re waiting on a table to open up.”

The guy with the buzz cut, Jett, spread his knees wide enough to cause Zoe to move over. “We’d love to buy you a round of drinks. What’s everyone having?”

She and Zoe exchanged an exasperated look but didn’t argue.

Making a scene was the last thing Angelina wanted to do.

Conflict led to raised voices, raised voices led to aggression, and aggression so easily led to violence.

Playing nice was the best course of action, especially when she didn’t know how drunk the interlopers were.

Zoe was first to speak, placing her elbows on the table and reclaiming some of the space she’d lost. “I suppose it’s okay while you wait. I’m having a margarita.”

“A glass of chardonnay,” Angelina said, zipping up her purse and easing it between her and Cody. “What brings you gentlemen to The Aristo?”

As Jett started in on how the new hotel bar was the least hick place in Epson, she tuned him out, uninterested in the men’s animated discussion of their ‘rugged’ summer road trip through Middle America. She had no desire to placate the egos already swelling and stifling the air around her.

The server came by and the men placed an order for all of them, not a single genuine manner demonstrated by either of them while they emphatically insisted the new round of drinks go on their tab.

Zoe was holding up better. Her ability to smile and engage even the most irritating people was the reason she was fast-tracking her way to being the Midwest divisional overseer for The Aristo Coffee Bistro.

“You ladies should come with us to explore whatever passes for nightlife around here,” Cody said, giving her what he likely believed was a sexy smirk.

She didn’t have to meet Zoe’s eyes to know they were on the same page. “It’s been a long day. I don’t think either of us are up to hitting the club.”

Jett wasn’t discouraged in the least. “We’ll finish these up and head to our suite then. We can order in, watch a movie or something. Let you two relax.”

“We could help you unwind. Take care of you,” Cody offered, attempting to move the purse barrier she’d placed between them. He leaned in close to her ear. “I’ll take care of you all night if you let me, babe.”

“You know, a lot of guys say that,” a low voice interjected from the table behind them. “But all night is a promise most can’t deliver on because they don’t understand how to do it properly.”

She glanced up in time to see the gorgeous man behind the voice stand and lean against her booth, beer in hand.

His dark brown hair was streaked with caramel and hung long over his undercut and in his eyes in a disheveled perfection.

His skin was tanned and flawless, his cheekbones high.

Even his five-o’clock shadow was impeccable.

Cody and Jett snorted. “Whatever, buddy,” Cody scoffed. “Pretty sure we were talking to the ladies here, not you.”

“Thing is, you’re making promises you probably can’t keep and the ladies should know what they’re signing up for before they agree to be taken care of by two West Coast trust fund boys.”

His green eyes met hers and she saw the hint of a question in them, as though he was seeking permission.

She gave him a subtle nod and he smirked, crouching down in front of their table and placing his hands on it.

“Guys, I get it,” he said over the snarky comments Jett and Cody started making about their skills and lasting ability.

“We all want to think we’re rock stars in the sack.

But there’s a finesse to the promise of fucking all night. ”

She looked over to Zoe, cracking a smile at the sight of her friend’s unapologetic interest.

“It starts simple,” he continued, extending his hand across the table to Zoe. “I’m River.”

“Zoe,” her friend replied with a grin. “And this is Angelina.”

River’s gaze turned to her and she caught a glimpse of playfulness behind the cocky front he was projecting.

“Angelina,” he purred. “Just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?

” Without waiting for a response, he addressed the furious man beside her.

“Names, guys. Always start with names. It makes it a lot less awkward later in the evening.”

Cody signaled over his head for the server. “I think it’s time you leave.”

“Will do after this little lesson,” River replied, his expression comically serious.

“Now, if you want to go the ‘I can go all night’ route, you need to be prepared to worship the Holy Trinity of Orgasms. You master all three, and you can confidently declare yourself ready to go all night. Keep in mind this hypothesis is still in clinical trials, so all statements made will require verification through further testing.”

Angelina burst out laughing, slamming her hand over her mouth to quiet herself when Jett attempted to take control of the situation.

“No one cares, dipshit,” Jett hissed. “Fuck off.”

“I care,” Zoe chimed in, her voice earnest despite her man-eating smile. “Please, River. Tell us more about your research methods. And your selection process for test subjects.”

Cody shoved his way out of the booth, his attempt to knock the rock-solid River off his feet failing miserably.

Angelina felt a tear of laughter run down her face.

Unable to speak, she fanned her face with her hands while River began explaining the first of the Holy Trinity orgasms. Jett sputtered and cursed, hitting his knee on the table as he extricated himself from the situation.

With their unwanted guests busily storming off, Zoe patted the empty seat beside her. “You, sir, are more than welcome to join us if you like. That was gold.”

He rose up with a grin, revealing well over six feet of muscled hotness hidden by a long-sleeved Henley and dark jeans. “Thanks, but no thanks. Enjoy your dick-free evening.”

Passing the bar on his way out, he set his full beer bottle on the counter, added something to the tip jar beside the till, and disappeared into the elevator.

*

River was still grinning like a fool when he entered his room.

Angelina.

Angelina with the honey and cinnamon hair.

Angelina with the soothing scent of roses and oranges swirling around her.

Angelina with the laughing amber eyes.

Tossing his wallet and phone onto the desk, he flopped onto his bed and grabbed the remote, his body still thrumming from the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

From the moment she’d walked into the lounge, he was captivated by the pretty little bohemian with the incredible mane of wild cinnamon hair. His fingers had flexed as he watched her speak to her friend, her hands animated and her smile catching his breath even from a distance.

But he wasn’t back in Epson to drool over sandaled hippies with bright eyes and long legs.

He had one night in the hotel before he faced his brothers and started dealing with the shitstorm his life had become.

So he’d kept his head down, finished his meal, and handed his server his credit card with the intent to slip back to his room undetected.

And then Cody and Jett had arrived on scene.

Had he heard any interest from either Angelina or Zoe, he would have kept his mouth shut, polished off his beer, and left.

But neither woman seemed pleased.

A quick walk to the bar under the guise of wanting another beer confirmed his suspicions. Zoe looked unimpressed and Angelina was inching farther away every time the asshole beside her moved closer.

He knew guys like them. Hung out with guys like them. They were the type to mistake politeness for interest, who didn’t understand the fine line between flirty and pushy. They had a mission and assumed their good looks and open wallets were enough to unlock the reward at the end.

When he heard his opening to jump to the defense of his little bohemian, he took it.

Running his hand over his face, he glared at the TV.

She wasn’t his.

The mental slipup drained the thrill running through him. His subconscious claiming of her was the first splash of cold water he needed, and his hope for her to view him as a decent guy finished off the job with a full icy bucket.

Because she had.

He’d looked to her for permission to continue his verbal offensive against those guys and she’d given it with the gentle nod of her head. While he spouted off, the look of amusement and surprise on her face had morphed into laughter, spurring him on.

When she fanned her face with her hands, tears on her cheeks, he was done for.

He wanted nothing more than to make her laugh until she cried again.

And the thought scared the hell out of him.

With a grunt, he got off the bed and trudged to the mirror, glaring at his reflection.

He looked rough, but aside from the bags under his eyes, it wasn’t terrible.

Jodie would probably have a coronary if she saw him, his oversized shirt hiding the muscles he worked so hard to build and maintain.

She would notice he hadn’t shaved in two days, likely comment on his decision to wear an old pair of jeans instead of the designer ones she sent him to endorse.

But Jodie wasn’t here, he wasn’t aiming to impress anyone, and after a long day of flights and driving, he was hungry for something more substantial than the kind of display food the hotel lounge served.

Shoving his wallet, phone, and keycard into his pockets, he walked out of his room with the singular goal of finding some decent taquitos.