Caveman (Wild Men 1)

Rafe shrugs. “Sunday night when he wouldn’t answer the damn door or the phone… That rarely happens. But it has happened before.”

“And that episode at the park?” I ask.

“Yeah, what the fuck was that?” Ash whispers. “But even I don’t know half his triggers.”

I make a mental note to ask Ash about this later. No matter what he says, he seems to know Zane much better than Tessa.

“We should keep an eye on him anyway.” Tyler tugs Erin onto his lap and wraps his arms around her. “Just in case.”

“What do you think we’ve been doing, motherfucker?” Rafe raises his beer bottle. “Bottoms up.”

“Shush, Dylan’s here.” Tessa gets up and waves. “Here!”

Dylan stands above the crowd. Well over six foot tall, with shoulders like a lumberjack and pale short hair. Very short. As he approaches, I notice he’s lost the purple streaks and is now sporting a crew cut. The light catches on the silver hoop in his lip.

“What’s going on?” He bumps fists with the boys and bends to kiss the cheeks of the girls. When he reaches Tessa, he smiles and nods.

God, she’s so in love with him. Her eyes sparkle as she stares back at him, and her hands shake.

“Happy birthday, Dylan!” Erin and Audrey giggle as they clink their bottles and drink.

He raises his bottle in response. “Damn. I was hoping you forgot all about it.”

“As if we’d forget.” Tessa rolls her eyes. “Are you crazy?”

He’s a handsome guy, and I can see why Tessa has fallen for him. The boys tease him about his new haircut and ask about Zane. It sounds like Dylan dropped by Damage Control on his way here to convince Zane to come.

Not that I’m interested in this conversation or anything.

“Pisser said he wasn’t coming.” Dylan winks in my direction. “But when I told him Dakota would be here, he changed his mind.”

Holy shit. Tessa wasn’t kidding. I realize I’m gaping and shut my mouth.

Ash laughs and toasts me. Everyone turns to look at me, brows raised.

My ears are burning. But then where is he? Another scan of the crowd doesn’t reveal any gorgeous, tall, broad-shouldered guys with Mohawks.

“Next round’s on me,” Dylan says, then turns to talk to a blonde with a body like an hourglass, and I see the light in Tessa’s eyes dim.

Damn. For all her words of wisdom about avoiding having my heart broken by Zane, she hangs on to someone who doesn’t seem to realize how in love she is with him. And if she won’t follow her own advice, why should I?

Caution, that little voice in my head pipes up. You’ve been with a crazy guy like Zane before. You know what it did to you. You should know better by now.

I should, true, but logic is swallowed up in heart-pounding excitement when I finally spot Zane, leaning against the bar, dressed in a black muscle shirt that shows off his tattooed arms.

My mouth goes dry, and my heart accelerates when he tilts his head to the side and grins, then leans over the bar and says something.

To a brunette dressed in a tiny top that shows off her cleavage and trim waist. She laughs at his words and reaches over to stroke his cheek.

My eyes feel hot. There’s a whistling in my ears. He leans toward her, and she laughs again and shakes her head. I can’t look away. It’s like a train wreck.

Tessa had warned me. I never thought seeing him with another woman would make me feel so crappy. I want to punch that woman in the face. I want to slap him and storm away like a drama queen.

But I don’t. I feel sick to my stomach. So I just put my beer down quietly, slip out of my chair and head out.

“Dakota, wait up! Wait!” The voice isn’t Tessa’s. Maybe Audrey’s?

It doesn’t matter. I can’t stop. My combat boots thump dully on the sidewalk. Wrapping my arms around me, feeling chilled although it’s a warm night, I try to put as much distance between myself and the bar where Zane is flirting with the girl behind the bar.