Her shitty words and her air of confidence pissed me off. How dare she? I stepped closer to her. Her eyes widened a little. I think she thought I’d go running off crying. “Listen, I don’t know you and I don’t care to. However, I know that in this club, being an old lady does mean your man doesn’t fuck around on you. Bear told me that. He chose me and I can tell you, he’s not leaving my bed unsatisfied. You may have been with him before me and that I can’t do anything about. But I can tell you that going forward, he’s all mine. I’ll believe he’s a cheater when I see it with my own eyes,” I told her with a sneer. I added one more thing, just to be a bitch. “It’s obvious we’re two different calibers of women. He’s got quality now. Sorry.”
I heard a choked masculine laugh behind me. She turned red and then shrieked, “You fucking bitch, I’ll show you quality.” She flew at me with her hands raised like they were claws. She had on these long, fake talons. I tried to get out of her way and defend myself against her attack. I wasn’t fast enough. Her nails caught my arm as I moved away. They tore through the sheer mesh sleeve and gouged into my arm. I hissed in pain. I heard a roar and then she was yanked away from me.
I looked around and there stood Player. He had a seriously pissed look on his face. He had her by the arm and there was no way she was getting loose. She was crying and pleading with him. “Player, she started it. I was just defending myself. Please, let go.”
“That’s bullshit, Tabitha! I heard what both of you said. You were trying to instigate a fight with Ilara. Goddamnit, what’s your problem? She’s an old lady. No guy with one is going to risk losing his woman for easy pussy. You’re lucky Bear didn’t hear you.”
“What didn’t I hear?” I heard growled. I closed my eyes for a moment then opened them to glance to my left. There was a very upset looking Bear. The other guys and the old ladies were crowding down the hall. I groaned.
“She was provoking Ilara, Bear. Telling her how she’d been with you and you’d be back. That you’d never be faithful to Ilara. Your old lady told her off, and it pissed Tabitha off. She attacked her and scratched up her arm before I grabbed her. She needs to get the hell out of here, and not bother to come back,” Player snapped at her. He started leading her through the crowd.
They parted to let him through. I saw the other bunnies or whoever they were staring with their mouths hanging open and shock on their faces. Player didn’t stop to say a word. He marched her out the door. She was protesting the whole time. I was snapped out of watching the drama when Bear came over and lifted my arm. That’s when the stinging registered. I hissed.
“Goddamnit. You need this cleaned and bandaged. Come on, baby, let me do it.” He took me down the hall and into his room. He went into the bathroom and came out with a first aid kit. He sat down and opened it. As he gently cleaned it with some prep pads that stung, he said softly, “I’m so damn sorry you had to hear that and go through that. I never thought Tabitha or any of them would be bold enough to act like that. God, she hurt you, Ilara. I should have been paying better attention. I won’t let that happen again, I promise.”
I touched his cheek with my free hand. “Donovan, it isn’t your fault. She was jealous. I can understand her being pissed that she wouldn’t get to be with you anymore. You can’t be with me every minute. I’ll be fine. Those scratches will heal.” He put ointment on them and then a bandage. He looked at my arm when he was done.
“She ruined your new shirt. I’ll get you a new one. Do you wanna call it a night or go back out and dance more? I understand if you’d rather go home.” He still looked upset. I moved closer and pressed against his chest. He eased back on the bed as I pressed harder. I straddled him when he was flat. His eyes flared with heat.
“Why don’t we stay in here for a little bit and you show me what I’ve got that she doesn’t? I want you to take me and make me feel what it’s like to be the property of Bear. I want you to make love to me and fuck me, Donovan. Show me the bear you can be in the bedroom.” Our sex had been out-of-this-world great so far, but I knew he was holding back from fully showing me what he was like in the bedroom.
He let out a growl and rolled me over onto my back, so he could be over top of me. He was breathing hard. “You want me to show you everything I can be? I’ve been trying to not scare you, Ilara. I can be more aggressive in the bedroom, I admit. However, not if that’s not what you want. What we’ve done so far has been more than enough.”
“But it’s not you, Donovan. If you like other things or to be more aggressive, then you need to show me. I don’t want you to be unfulfilled.”
“I’m not unfulfilled. I told you, we’re doing more than fine in that department. I’m not going to do something just because some slut said something to you. Yes, I’ve fucked Tabitha. It was sex. I’m a man and I like and need sex. She was there and we fucked. I’m not going to treat my old lady like a common fuck,” he snapped.
“But, Donovan, if you—”
He didn’t let me finish. He gave me a hard kiss and then stood up. “Let’s go back to the party.”
I went with him but I’d lost the excitement for it. I knew the others noticed I was quieter. Madisen and the other old ladies tried to get me to talk, but I told them I was fine. It was an hour later when Bear announced we were going home. He went to get Hope. The walk to the house was quiet.
After she was in her bed, still asleep even though we’d taken her all that way, we got ready for bed. When I got in our bed, Bear gave me a quick kiss and then he rolled over. It was the first night he hadn’t made love to me since we’d finally committed to be together.
It took me a long time to fall asleep. Had I done something to ruin us? My stomach cramped. I hoped I hadn’t destroyed something by asking him to be himself with me. What if by him holding back, he eventually went to find it elsewhere?