Pheromonal: One Night With the Alpha novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Hobbies

"You should have called me."

Penelope’s greeting when I get home is about what I’d expect.

Dumping my files and heavily loaded purse onto the table, I shake my head. "You aren’t my personal taxi, Pippa. I can afford a taxi. Your sleep and work schedule have already been disrupted enough."

"I’ve been awake for hours. I could have easily picked you up if you called. And then we could have grabbed something to eat on the way home."

"Just order something. I’m not hungry, anyway."

I flop onto her pristine white couch, my body sinking into the cushions as if they might swallow me whole. A deep sigh escapes my lips, carrying the weight of the day’s events.

Penelope sits beside me, smacking my arm lightly. "Alright, spill. What exactly happened? Your texts didn’t explain much.."

I close my eyes, the scene in the lobby replaying behind my eyelids. "Scott’s little side piece played vigilante in the lobby at work. Came after me like a rabid chihuahua."

"That bleached bimbo? I hope you knocked some sense into her empty skull."

"Pretty sure her hair’s natural."

"Trust me. It’s probably bleached. Her tits and ass are probably fake, too."

I grunt. "If they are, it would restore a little of my faith in the world." No one should have a body that fit and perfect.

I mean, I’m sure they work for it and all, and if I gave up taco nights I could probably look as snatched as they do, but—no. I’m too lazy for that level of effort in body shape.

"So, what else happened? That can’t be all."

I hesitate, still unsettled, but finally flop onto my side to look at her. She’s gorgeous, her red hair perfectly curled and aquamarine eyes all cat-eyed. Between her crop top and booty shorts, I’m pretty sure she’ll make more in tips tonight than she does as the owner of the bar.

"I ran into that Ethan guy."

Her expression clouds with confusion. "Ethan?"

"The creepy vampire SED officer," I clarify, watching recognition dawn on her face.

"Oh." Penelope grimaces. "Him."

"Yeah, him." I can’t shake the unease that settles in my stomach when I think about him. "His interest in you is disturbing. Is there anything we can do about it?"

Penelope snorts, the sound sharp and humorless. "Do? Nicole, he hasn’t done anything except talk to us. There’s literally nothing we can do, especially against an SED officer."

I hum in acknowledgment, but the frustration lingers. Thinking about creepy Ethan has my mind drifting to Logan. "I don’t understand how Logan can be on my case, even as a rejected mate. Wouldn’t that show he’s biased against me?"

Penelope raises an eyebrow, taking the change of subject in stride. "You do realize SED operates outside the law in pretty much all aspects, right? It’s not exactly surprising."

I frown, my sense of justice prickling. "It doesn’t seem right."

"Have you been living under a rock all your life?" Penelope’s voice carries a hint of exasperation.

I roll my eyes at her, feeling defensive. "I’ve been busy, okay?"

"I swear, Nicole." Penelope shakes her head, a mix of fondness and frustration in her eyes. "I’ll never understand how you can be so smart about security and so sheltered in common life sense."

I wrinkle my nose at her. "It’s not like they teach ’Supernatural Law Enforcement 101’ in school," I mutter. "Besides, I know a lot of things."

"They do, actually, if you go to a supernatural school."

"I know—I’m just saying, if we did, we would have learned a little more about the supernatural enforcement division and all its weird legal loopholes."

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