He might not be invited to one of Brian’s parties, but he knew without a doubt he’d be let in. If Brian wanted to fuss about Will showing up uninvited, well.

He’d just have to see to it that Brian met with an unfortunate Bear mauling.

The two women slipped into the party, smiling and laughing. Will was right behind them, nodding hello to the person holding the door open. Will didn’t know him, and apparently the guy didn’t know Will because he just smiled and waved him in. “Happy holidays.”

“Thanks.” Will scanned the room for his mate. She wasn’t in the living room, but he could smell her somewhere nearby. He caught sight of Steve and Laura, leaning against a wall and ignoring the dancers around them.

Steve pointed toward the kitchen, so Will pushed past the throng dancing in the middle of the floor. He narrowly missed having beer spilled all over him, but he managed to make his way to the tiny kitchen without too much trouble. It helped to be tall and broad shouldered.

There she was, her back to the cabinets, her coat over her arm. Brian was leaning way to close to her for Will’s comfort. “C’mon, baby. Have some. It will make you feel good.”

Barb pushed the joint away from her face. “No thanks. I feel fine.”

She tried to wiggle away but Brian, the dickhead, clamped an arm around her waist and held her tight. “I can give you something that will make you feel even better.” He ground his hips against Will’s mate, and Will saw red. He was moving before he realized it, pulling Brian’s arm away from Barb with a growl.

“Whoa. Will. Put him down, big guy.”

Will blinked, only then realizing he was looking Brian in the eye. Brian was a good six inches shorter than Will.

A soft hand caressed his arm. “He isn’t worth it.”

Will smiled down at Barb and dropped Brian. He cleared his throat nervously. This was his best chance at finally speaking to her without breaking into a cold sweat. “Hi.”

She shook her head at him. “Hello to you, too.”

He held out his arm, ignoring the man behind him. Brian had just become a non-issue, the fists pounding on Will’s back barely registering. Barb was smiling, directing all that sunshine at him, and that was all that mattered. “Want to dance?”

“I’d love to.”

He led her out into the living room and the music, ignoring the…whatever that annoying pounding had been. He was so excited he thought he might be sick.

He was finally going to hold his mate in his arms.

Oh damn. Will didn’t even notice when Brian started hitting him. Was the man made of stone?

Will pulled her into his arms just as Forget About Me started on the radio. His gaze stayed on her face, as if no one else in the whole world existed for him but her. He didn’t even flinch when Brian threw a beer can at his head.

A full one.

Will danced like a dream, neither forcing her to move nor holding back. He just curled that big body of his around her and, God help her, she’d been right. She’d never felt safer. She stayed right where she was as Duran Duran came on, enjoying his embrace in a way she never had with anyone else.

Will Bunsun felt…right. Like he was meant to be hers.

That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to tease the hell out of him, though. “So. About that whole jumping at me from bushes thing.”

He blushed. “Ah. Yeah. Sorry about that. It’s just… I didn’t know how to talk to you.”

She raised her brows. “We’re talking now.”

For the first time since they started dancing his gaze darted away. “Because I had to save you from Brian. You’re so beautiful, and I’m so…” He made a goofy face.

“Spaztastic?”

His expression was full of amusement, but she understood he wasn’t laughing at her. He was laughing at himself. “I would have said dorkish, but that works too.”

She stumbled as one of the other dancers bumped into them, but Will’s arms kept her upright. “Tell me about yourself. I know you’re getting a degree in business management, and you’re fond of bushes, but that’s about it.”

He laughed, the sound deep, rich. “Yeah. I’m also studying landscape architecture.”

The man was going for two degrees? Holy shit. “Really.”

That grin of his turned wicked. “I promise, I’m not an idiot. I swear. Look, I can even match my socks all by myself.”

She couldn’t help it. She looked down.

He laughed again. She’d need to make sure he did that more often. It light up his face, taking him from handsome to breath taking.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s not like I went out of my way to prove I was brainy.” He shook his head ruefully. “Besides, you’ve outsmarted me every single day.”

“Because you hide behind the same damn bush every day, dumbass.”

He snorted and tugged her closer. “I know you’ll be walking that way every day.” His hand drifted down to her ass.

For once in her life Barb was not interested in removing a roving man’s hand at the wrist.

He felt so good against her, so warm. Even his scent called to her, woodsy and male. He held her tenderly, like she was already precious to him.

When his lips brushed against her ear she shivered. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, things I’d love to share with you if you’ll let me.”

Her hands to drift down to that fine ass of his. After all, men weren’t the only ones who could cop a feel. “Mm-hm.” She squeezed, remarkably pleased both at the firmness of the really remarkable rear she was groping and the shocked gasp her new man gave. This one was definitely a keeper after all. “I am all ears.”

If he couldn’t win her over tonight he’d be back behind that bush tomorrow, stalking her for the rest of her life. They’d have to lock him in a zoo to keep him away from her.

She squeezed his butt, her brown eyes sparkling with laughter. “Will?”

A zoo in Siberia. “C’mon. We’re out of here.” He reached behind him and pulled her hands off his ass with a great deal of reluctance. He’d really liked the feel of her groping him.

“I have to take care of Stacy.”

Will grinned. “I don’t think you need to worry about that.” He nodded towards her roommate. Stacey was busy fending off a very determined Wolf named Ross. Will had met the