to care for the woman he intended to deceive.
Even if he ignored the instant pull his wolf had felt when he first set eyes on Amber, there was no denying the easy tension of mutual attraction between them.
He’d been wrong when he assumed his attraction made his task easier. It only made things ten times worse. Somehow, he had to remember the end goal and keep reminding himself that there was more to her than met the eye as well. He wasn’t the only one putting up pretenses.
* * * *
Something had changed. Amber noted it the minute Danny and his sister Laurie reentered the pub. The rest of his family had gathered up their plates and beer and moved them to a big booth in the corner that must have been made for giants, because even with the three huge men and the four women, there was still room for Danny and Laurie.
His siblings had been quick to explain that the woman who had dragged Danny outside was nothing more than a sister. Even concocting some story about why she was mad at him. Not that she believed them. It had been too easy to spot the lie on the petite blonde’s face as she’d explained it all to Amber. Now they sat in awkward silence, waiting for the two to return. Some of his siblings were making an effort to be friendly. Others didn’t even bother. The undercurrents were heavy here.
As the pair made their way to the booth, Amber studied first Danny’s defeated expression he tried so hard to hide, and Laurie’s smug one. Dislike for his sister was instant and deep. Whatever she’d said to him had really burrowed under his skin.
Moments before, she and Danny had been having a good time. Sure, she’d been questioning him, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been appreciating the way his eyes had lit up when he talked about his business or his family. Or the way his easy smile had warmed her belly. All in all it had been the best date she’d had in…maybe ever, even if it was under false pretenses.
And whatever this witch of a sister had done had not only killed the mood, but broken his spirit.
The smile Danny gave her as he sat down lacked the warmth of the previous ones and didn’t meet his eyes. His thigh brushed against hers before putting space between them. Curiosity pulled at her. What was going on?
“Everything okay?” she asked as he sat.
“Of course.”
Lie. He was good, she’d give him that. But she was better than most at reading people, and she’d spent the past half hour analyzing his responses. Yet, she couldn’t exactly come right out and demand to know what had happened. This was his family and his business. Amber bit her lip to hold back the interrogation she was dying to launch. A normal first date would leave it alone and let him and his sister sort it out.
Amber threw a glare at Laurie when she squeezed into the booth opposite them. Didn’t mean she had to like the bitch. The other woman glared right back. Obviously the dislike was mutual.
She studied Laurie’s mean demeanor and the muscles hidden under her long sleeved t-shirt. Clearly, the woman could put up a fight, but she wasn’t trained by the agency, and she’d probably never had to use her skills in a real life situation. Amber could take her. And if she ever had the opportunity and motive, she’d prove it.
Jason, Danny’s brother-in-law…wait, that wasn’t right. Brendan, the tall gorgeous one sitting next to the curly haired brunette on the end was the brother-in-law. Jason was the eldest of Danny’s siblings. All of the men were tall, dark, and handsome; it was hard for her to tell them apart. Jason cleared his throat and drew the attention to him.
“Those burgers look good, but I’m in the mood for nachos. Anyone else?” Clearly he was trying to diffuse the tension between Laurie and her, even though he’d been glaring in her direction moments before.
Danny glanced nervously between the two, making Amber realize her mistake. Here she was trying to seduce information out of him, and she was relishing the thought of picking a fight with his sister. Not the most solid plan she’d come up with, but something about the woman rubbed her the wrong way. Thinking that the woman was trying to tear Danny away from her awakened some primal cavewoman response.
Stupid. Danny was a job, nothing more. Worst case, she’d find another person to show her around town, since she’d already ruled him out as a potential unfriendly. But the thought of losing Danny made her stomach jump unhappily. If she played it cool now, she might be able to salvage the damage the woman had done. She couldn’t let this get to her, or wedge a gap between her and Danny.
Amber smiled at Jason, who watched her closely, a scowl still on his face. The vibe he projected wasn’t as antagonistic as Laurie’s, but was cautious and still bordered on the edge of unfriendly. The sort one would give to a rattlesnake while hiking.
Were his siblings just trying to look out for Danny? Their reactions seemed a bit extreme. She’d think that kind of attention would be stifling. How had the rest of them ended up married, if their siblings were this judgmental?
If she were a weaker woman, she would have left an Amber-shaped outline in the door as she ran away.
Smiling at the eyes around her, varying from wary to downright hostile, she leaned into Danny’s side and put her lips next to his ear.
“I think I understand why you’re the only one in the welcoming committee.”
* * * *
Danny jumped when her lips caressed his ear as she spoke, the warmth of her breath heating his flesh and sending wicked thoughts careening through his mind. Under the table, he hardened. Thank God he’d already put his napkin on his lap, providing some cover. He didn’t want to imagine Laurie’s response if she saw that.
He glanced around at his siblings. With their wolf senses, they would have picked up her whispered words.
Mixed reviews, if their expressions were anything to go by. Some, like Jason’s and Laurie’s, seemed to grow darker; others, like Ethan and Brendan, appeared to lighten. A couple struggled with grins. But he focused on the scowling faces, experiencing for a moment what she must be feeling, surrounded by a group of people who, for seemingly no reason, disliked her. After all, she didn’t know that they knew why she’d moved here.
A laugh bubbled up, and he felt her smile against his ear as it spilled out. Turning his head, he caught and held her gaze.
“Not a very welcoming bunch, huh?”
She shook her head, causing tendrils of hair to fall into her face.
Gently, he brushed them back. It would be so easy to forget his task and hers. To lose himself in this woman. Too easy. As much as he hated to admit it, he might be over his head. Because he feared it was already too late.
3
“Do you ever get restless, being around your family all the time?”
The question startled Danny as they walked back to his car. Despite some reservations, they had stayed with his siblings throughout their meal and for a bit of dancing afterward. After a rocky start, he’d thought emotions had leveled off around the group. All in all, everyone appeared to have a good time. But now he wondered if he’d misread something. Or if he’d missed something important.
“Did someone say something to you?” he asked, concern building.
“No, it’s not that…”
“Then what do you mean?”
She withdrew her hand from his, a loss he regretted even as he allowed her to retreat.
“Forget I asked,” she mumbled.
He stopped, stepping in front of her so they were face to face. “I want to know what you meant.” He wasn’t angry, just confused.
“Well, all five of you live in this little town, you own the company with your two brothers, and even here, they’re all meeting to hang out. I’m just curious if you ever feel…claustrophobic.”
Danny’s