Neal (Golden Streak Series) by Kathi S. Barton

don’t want a boss.” He sat back at
the venom in her voice. “I could do all sorts of things before you came along,
and I’m pretty sure I can still do them now that you’ve marked me. And you have,
haven’t you? And I have you.”
    He nodded, not sure what to say to her. He
was about to argue with her when he felt Bronwyn touch his mind. She asked him
if he was all right.
    “No I’m not fucking all right. She’s
like this pendulum swinging back and forth. Her moods are so quick I can hardly
keep up with them.” He felt her laughter. “This is not fucking funny. I’m not the heavy here.”
    “Sure you are. You’re strong and confident
and she’s not. For all her power and magic, she’s still been hurt by others in
ways you’ll never understand. What do you expect her to do when you start to
act like a Golden? You should ask her what she wants from you.” He snorted at
her. “Then don’t. I like her despite the fact that she’s mated to you. And
if she has to kill you, I’ll take her side.”
    “All I did was tell her that we’d have
to go back to my house because I don’t have any pants to wear to work in the
morning.” He flushed when he realized what he’d said to his sister-in-law. “She and I
are mates.”
    “I gathered that. But did you ask her or
did you command her? You might want to ask next time, she’s pretty independent
and will kick your ass. And about this working for her, again, did you ask or
tell her? I’m telling you right now, Neal, she’s not going to be a push-over
just because you had great sex with her in the front seat of a car in a busy
parking lot. I don’t suppose it occurred to you that she could be embarrassed
about what the two of you just did. Was she a virgin?”
    He felt his face heat and wondered why
he even thought he could talk to this woman or, for that matter, why did she
fucking know when he was having problems? Did she have her radar set on him all
the time?
    “No, but because of what I am to you and
the fact that I’m a little more…in tune to you than Ryland, I can feel when
you’re upset. And it’s not just you I have radar on, but all of you. And now
Rayne as well, thanks to the fact that she marked you as well.” She laughed. “So,
buck up and tell her you’re sorry and take her home with you. But you’d better
behave. What she doesn’t do to you, I most certainly will.”
    He looked over at Rayne when the door
opened. He watched her walked around the car and to where he was sitting. She
jerked open the door.
    “I can’t drive this thing, and I want to
go home. My home, right fucking now. I’m tired and I’m hungry and I’m sore.” She
shifted on her feet, and he realized that this is what Bronwyn was talking
about. He’d hurt her but not really physically, though he was sure he’d done
that as well. He heard her say thank you and told her he loved her just before
he closed their connection.
    “I’m sorry.” Rayne raised a brow at him
and he got out of the SUV and stood before her, wanting to touch her but afraid
to. “I’m an asshole and a jerk. I shouldn’t have taken you so hard, and I
certainly should have waited until we were in a more private place as well as more
comfortable setting before doing this to you.”
    “I wanted it too.” She looked away, and
he saw the set of her mouth and knew she was still pissed. At him or her or the
two of them, he wasn’t sure, but she was mad. “I could have said no plenty of
times, you even asked me before we….” She didn’t finish, so he did.
    “Before I fucked you like an animal.” He
lifted his hand when she started to speak. “I did too. You enjoyed it, yes, but
I could have been a little more…gentle with you.”
    She looked back at him as they both
stood there. “I want to go home. Not to your home but to mine. I think…I know
that I wanted you, too, but this is moving really fast and I need to slow
down.”
    He nodded. “I understand, but would it
be all right if