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Wes’s eyes narrowed. Then he shifted his gaze, sighing loudly. “What you saw in town yesterday. Me and…and the girl. Nothing happened between us.”

“Mmhmm,” I mumbled. “Not what it looked like.” The urge to snicker was fierce, but I beat it back. Watching him squirm in his chair was just too rich.

He shot me a quick glare, and all I did in response was take another bite of my pastry, giving him a cool look in return.

“Look, Calista is my ex, but we broke up before I left for the rebel camp. There’s nothing between us now.” His tone was shifting, the plea gone and replaced by a firmness that reminded me of the Wes I had grown to know.

I licked my lips as I wiped the corners of my mouth with my napkin. “Look, I don’t know what I saw, and I really don’t care. If you and Blondie have something going on—”

“There’s nothing going on,” he shot back, cutting through my words sharply.

I hesitated. He was getting worked up about this.

Maybe I shouldn’t have poked the bear. After all, I needed him…

at least for another three weeks. I sighed, weighing my response.

I didn’t need to piss him off, and I certainly didn’t want to lead him on.

But I had to stay focused…for Jacob. I cleared my throat and then took a deep breath. “Okay, nothing happened.”

Wes held my gaze, his eyes searching for something, and then he nodded softly, leaning back into his chair. “Okay,” he repeated.

Silence encompassed us again, the tension and awkwardness returning. I eyed my coffee, and then decided I wanted to move past the weirdness and get back to some semblance of normal. “So, thanks for bringing me breakfast.”

“You’re welcome.”

Silence fell again. I looked back at him, but he seemed to be lost in thought. And the truth was, I needed to get going. Right as I was about to stand, he spoke.

“Why didn’t you come down to eat?”

I raised an eyebrow and snorted. “Isn’t it obvious? Being pushed into an arranged marriage is already making stuff awkward. Watching you and Blondie was just icing on the cake.”

Wes snickered. “Blondie?”

“Yeah…Cristy or Kelsy or whatever her name is. I met her at the barracks days ago, and she is not what I would call a peach , you know? That mountain lion you wrestled had a better disposition.”

Wes was silent for a second, then two, and then he chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“ Blondie …that’s just, I don’t know…ridiculous.”

“Yeah, well, Bitchy’s more fitting, but Blondie’s what came to mind.”

Then, Wes laughed…a deep, belly laugh, like the one he gave back in the rebel camp all those months ago after I beat him and his friends at Stallion.

And it was contagious, because before I knew it, I started laughing too.

The laughter filled me, easing the stress and giving me back a semblance of joy I hadn’t felt in a long time. And it felt really damn good.

“Yeah,” he said between chuckles, “I can agree with that.”

I wiped the corners of my eyes, removing the tears that had accumulated from my laughter. “Which part? That she’s bitchy or that you have a horrible taste in women?”

Wes smirked, his eyes suddenly glowing with the intensity of molten gold. “Well, I wouldn’t say I have a horrible taste in women. Calista may not be ‘a peach,’ as you say, but there are others who I think are pretty incredible.”

I snorted. “Oh yeah? Well, when one walks by, be sure to point her out. I’d love to meet one of these incredible girls of yours.”

Something played in his eyes as they flickered, and a smile—so handsome and goddamn sexy—took over his face. “I’ll be sure to point her out when the time comes.”

I cocked a brow incredulously. “Yeah, okay,” I said with a snicker as I got up from my seat and stepped over to the nightstand to put on my tab. “Well, thanks again for breakfast. I’ll have to return the favor sometime, surprise you in bed with coffee and those muffin things.”

“Or other things…”

I snapped my head back around. “Excuse me?” Did he just make a…a flirty sex joke at me?

Wes ran his teeth over his bottom lip, looking at the floor quickly before standing up. “Never mind. Where are you going, anyway? You look like you’ve got a hot date or something.”

I stuttered, my brain scrambling, trying to form words. His commentary was leaving me rattled, confused, and feeling a whole lot of something low in my body, sending my heart racing.

Wes stepped closer, shrinking the space between us quicker than I could take a breath. “You were saying?” It was a simple question, but with only a few meager inches left, and the deep, alluring way he asked it…I suddenly felt feverish.

“I-I need to…” I floundered. I couldn’t focus.

I looked up into his eyes, and the intensity of his gaze, the heat radiating off his body, sent me swimming.

His lips parted, and I swallowed… hard .

Because now, all I could stare at were his lips.

I watched as they came closer to mine, the short gap closing, my breath catching in my throat as my heart hammered itself inside my chest. “I have to…”

Wes leaned in, his one arm reaching past me, and then stopped.

Lifting his hand, he held my mini-tab. “You need to…?” It was playful, encouraging.

He took my left wrist gently and started putting on the watch.

Every movement was soft, feeling so much more intimate and provocative than putting on a damn watch should be.

His gaze never left mine, holding me prisoner as it so often did.

Oh my god, Mara, snap out of it!

I shook my head, taking a step backwards, bumping into the nightstand. The lamp tipped, and I twirled to grab it before it fell to the floor.

Jesus, what the hell is happening?

I felt…

I felt really…

Hot. Hot in so many different ways. I was burning.

I really needed fresh air, and I was suddenly afraid.

Adrenaline was pumping through me, and I was too afraid to turn around.

Too afraid of what would happen if I did.

Because all I wanted was for Wes to come closer, to feel the heat of him wrapped around me, and I didn’t know what was going on or how the hell I got here, but I couldn’t do this right now!

Focus, Mara! Remember Jacob. Don’t forget about Jacob.

With a deep breath, words tumbled out of me in one big exhalation. “I gotta go. I’m going to be late.” Without thinking, I moved, slipping out from between the hard place that was my nightstand and the rock that was Wes.

“ Late? ”

I didn’t dare look back at him. I went straight for the door. “I’ve got an appointment with Giza.”

“With Giza? Mara, what’s going on?”

I reached for the handle. “Thanks again for the muffin. Bye!” I shot over my shoulder and ran out the door.