Page 2 of Tempting Fate

Patch glances away and I scoff. “No,” he grinds out. “But it’s not a good idea. You know that.”

“No, I don’t. You’re hot. You’re interested. We’re not Vince and Dax. It doesn’t have to be more than that.”

He flinches when I mention Vince and Dax, and I can’t quite work out why. I know he and Vince got off to a frosty start—Vince lost his shit at Dax once he realised they were mates, and Patch is protective of his best friend—but now they’re friendly, at least, and I know Patch is happy for Dax, anyway.

“You found your mate?” I ask softly. Maybe he did. Maybe he’s keeping his cards close to his chest. The thought hurts in some abstract way, even if I have no ownership over him at all.

“No,” Patch says, but the set of his mouth tells me there’s something of a lie about that, too. “I don’t want anything complicated.”

“I’m not offering complicated.” I lean in until our faces are close, until my lips are hovering over his. Patch tips his head back a little, posture going lax and easy, and heat flares in my stomach. Does he know he’s doing that? Giving in to me like that? The rush of power goes to my head. Tim never wanted to play like this. It’s been a long time.

“It would—” Patch’s voice comes out breathless, and he clears his throat before he tries again. His pupils are wide, making his dark eyes even darker. “It would be complicated. If anyone found out, it would be.”

“I won’t tell if you don’t.”

“Jamie…”

I let out a frustrated sigh and drop back onto my heels. Seduction is fun, but now I feel like I’m pushing, and I don’t want that. Patch blinks rapidly, and for a second, his face falls, the expression so… lost.

I swallow hard. Is his heart beating the same way mine is? I can’t tell. Maybe he can hear mine.

“I’m sorry,” I mutter. “I should never have—Sorry.”

Patch frowns. He doesn’t push off from the wall, doesn’t come any closer. “It’s not you,” he says.

I snort. “I’d hope it was. Don’t see anyone else out here—” I pause, a bitter taste flooding my mouth. “It’s not because of what happened, is it?”

Patch wasn’t there the afternoon Tim got into the house. Only Vince was with me. Vince pulled him off me while he was strangling me. Vince told me to get to safety. Vince beat the absolute shit out of him.

I don’t know what happened to Tim after Kieran took him from the house. I’ve never asked, and when I feel the urge to, it passes quickly. Kieran told me, after, that I’ll always be safe from him. That’s all I need to know.

“I—” Guilt flashes over Patch’s face, and I spin away from him with a growl. Well, this was a brilliant fucking plan, wasn’t it?

“So, what? You think a hook-up will be too complicated for me now?”

“Have you been with anyone else since him?”

“What?”

“Have you?”

Patch’s jaw is set, eyes flashing with stubbornness, and I like him much less than I did two minutes ago.

“That’s none of your business.”

“This is why it’s a bad idea. You need care. Time. And I… I’m not looking for a relationship. Not right now.”

His words cut deep. Not that I’m looking for a relationship either, but being written off before we get to anything—being viewed as nothing more than someone to fuck, because clearly he could be into that under different circumstances—is not exactly flattering.

“I don’t need you to look out for me. That’s not what I’m asking for.”

“No?”

My face heats. It isn’t. I get enough of that from Vince. From Nick. From my fucking boss and my co-workers and Kieran and his pack and the wolves—

I’m fine. Wholly, truly. It’s been months, and sure, there’ll be things to unpack down the road, but here and now I’m working through it, getting over it, and most of all, I don’t need anyone else telling me what I need, what I want, when I know those things myself.

“Fuck you, Patch,” I mutter and turn on my heel, stalking off down the alley.

He might frame himself as a would-be protector, but he doesn’t chase me when I leave.