With Abandon: With or Without, Book 4

Tylenol and anything else you might want.” He retrieved the lettuce and tomatoes.
    “Are you mad at me?” Matt asked.
    After setting the stuff for sandwiches on the counter and closing the fridge, Aubrey turned. “No. Not
    at all. I was just thinking. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
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    With Abandon
    Matt nodded and wobbled a little. “Yeah, I guess it’s not every day you find out you have a mate,
    huh?”
    Aubrey steadied him, relieved at having something to do rather than explain himself. “Whoa. We
    need to get some food in you.” He marched Matt backwards without letting go of him, kicked a barstool out from under the bar and urged Matt into it. When Matt sat, Aubrey turned to go back to fixing them food, but Matt caught his hand. Glancing down at their entwined hands, Aubrey stared in fascination. Matt’s
    hands weren’t any bigger than his, but his fingers were longer. His hand was warm, the grip loose, hesitant.
    “What were you thinking when I was talking to Logan?” Matt’s head tilted a fraction. “You had this
    look on your face…”
    That you were beautiful. That I wanted you. That it’s going to be hard to keep from touching you.
    Aubrey thought all those things, but he didn’t dare admit them. He squeezed Matt’s hand, reluctant to
    release it. For several seconds they just stayed there staring at each other.
    Matt’s scent changed, taking on a muskier, lustful smell. He licked his lips, drawing Aubrey’s
    attention to them. They were so prettily shaped and pink.
    Aubrey leaned forward, and Matt followed suit. His moist, slightly alcoholic breath tickled Aubrey’s
    chin as Matt closed his eyes. He feathered a caress over Aubrey’s other wrist and slid his fingers down to twine with Aubrey’s. It was like a moment out of time. Aubrey’s body, which had never completely
    recovered from the image of Matt in his bed, craved stimulation. Everything but Matt ceased to exist. His warm, exotic scent laced with the spicy sent of arousal. His body heat, the thrum of his pulse, were all like a siren’s song.
    Their breaths mingled and their lips brushed together. Aubrey tilted his head to deepen the contact.
    A sharp trill intruded, breaking the spell. Aubrey jerked back like he’d been shocked by a jolt of
    electricity. Damn. What had he been thinking?
    Blinking, Matt raised his head and turned it, looking for the sound. A blush stained his cheeks while
    he fidgeted and took a sudden interest in his hands. “Sorry,” he whispered.
    Aubrey retrieved the cordless phone from the counter next to the fridge and cleared his throat. The
    caller ID read: Stuart, Tanner . Tanner came from a long line of wolves who had been a part of Aubrey’s pack for generations. Aubrey groaned and clicked talk . “Hello?”
    “Aubrey? Listen, your dad said we should direct all calls to you, and I have a bit of a situation here.”
    Tanner sounded amused rather than upset.
    “What’s up, Tanner?”
    “Well, it’s kind of a long story.”
    Of course it was. Nothing with pack was quick. “Go on.” Aubrey glanced back at Matt.
    Matt sat at the bar still looking poleaxed.

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    25
    J.L. Langley
    Tanner cleared his throat. “Me, Jason and Corde went out last night. We had a few drinks, and one
    thing led to another and we ended up back at Jase’s house.”
    Uh-oh. Tanner and his friends were good ole country boys, the kind who had gun racks in their trucks
    and Copenhagen rings on their jeans. They were simple, easygoing and practical, unless they were
    drinking.
    Aubrey brought the sandwich stuff to the island bar where Matt sat and began fixing them both a
    sandwich. Where the hell was his dad? Where was Tee’s dad for that matter? Jarred Brandt was the pack
    Beta. He should be handling this if the Alpha wasn’t available. “And?”
    “We had a bit too much to drink and Corde—”
    Someone—probably Corde—grumbled in the background, proclaiming the whole ordeal to be
    “Damned stoopid.”
    Aubrey didn’t have a clue what took place, but already he was inclined to agree since alcohol was
    involved. “What happened?”
    “Long story short?”
    Matt started helping Aubrey with the food. He put mustard on the bread and above the bread he
    pantomimed spreading the mustard.
    Pointing at the drawer with the knives, Aubrey leaned against the cabinet. “Please.” The shorter the better.
    “Corde peed on Jase’s house, and now Jase is all mad