Bride wasn't one for wearing pants of any kind, in fact the last time she had worn anything tight fitting around her thighs was when she was about six. But as she examined herself in the mirror she couldn't help thinking … well, that her ass didn't look so bad in a pair of black, fitted jeans. Usually she couldn't stand the sight of herself in jeans, the were too tight and unlike her long, flowing skirts they didn't hide a multitude of sins. But since her dropping a few pounds, she'd decided to try out a new look, and obviously she wasn't anywhere near the size where she could just throw on a skirt and a bikini top and no one would bat an eyelid - unfortunately. But she was looking kind of okay. Bride surveyed herself in the mirror and blushed because she liked what she saw. Bride McTierney was not a person who easily complimented herself, and most of the time as soon as she found something she liked on her, someone - namely her sister, Deidre or her ex-boyfriend, Taylor - would say something to completely dismantle her confidence. With her jeans she wore a flat knee high riding boot that hid her fatty calves, she also wore a pretty white shirt with nice flared cuffs that poked out the cuffs of her black velvet jacket. She looked casual but smart, and boy did she like the way it made her feel. Feeling like she wanted to go the whole slog, Bride let down her hair instead of keeping it in her usual messy bun and held it back from her face with a pretty black Alice band.

Bride bit her lip as she gave herself a once over and thought of her husband's face when he came in, it hadn't taken her long to figure out that what truly prompted her to change her look and style was her wolfish mate. Unlike the typical human male that lied, cheated and deceived their way around their woman, Vane was as honest as the day was long. One look on his face usually told her whether he thought she looked good or not, and when she would ask him he usually answered with a lusty growl before steaming into her and nailing her to the bed. And when he didn't like something Bride couldn't say she was honestly offended because she knew he was only ever telling the truth.

Bride made her way to her car to head over to her store, she moved quickly and efficiently around the floor rearranging stock and swiping the dust off her shelves. She flipped her sign from closed to open and unlocked the door.

It was lunchtime on a Wednesday and the flow of customers had been steady all morning, and with Thanksgiving over and Christmas just around the corner Bride was sure to expect a lot more. No sooner had she seen out her last customer from a party of eight and sat down behind her counter did the bell above the door ring. Rather then immediately jump up as she would normally do and greet them, Bride simply raised her head and gave the newcomer a friendly smile.

"Can I help you?" she asked, the customer, an average man of around thirty two, looked at Bride for the first time. He casually flicked his glance to her then did a double take, his long, plain face took a sudden interest and Bride tried not to sigh with irritation. For some reason that Bride could never really figure, ever since her marriage to Vane she seemed to generate a lot more male attention then she ever had as a singleton. Bride simply put it down to the fact that she no longer cared whether another man looked at her and the result was she gave off a kind of aura of nonchalance to them. The devilish side of her actually relished turning them down when they deemed her passably attractive enough to ask her on a date. This guy before her was a primary example of what she experienced.

"I'm looking for a present for my sister," he said with a quick smile, "she's into all this … girly kind of … stuff." He ended lamely and laughed, Bride smiled in commiseration. Men!

"Let me help you," she said kindly, coming out from behind the counter, she walked past him towards the shelf where a selection of necklaces stood. When she turned her head to face him she noticed his eyes quickly flicked to her face and he smiled in a charming way.

"Is there anything in particular she likes?" Bride asked and the guy again smiled wide.

"I think she has a thing for dolphins and she's always wearing loads of those …"

He shook his wrist.

"Bangles?" Bride suggested and he cracked out a laughter.

"Yeah, that's it, that's what she wears," Bride gestured to another shelf which he approached, the man looked into it, questioning Bride now and again about several of the merchandise.

Vane flashed himself home and called out for Bride, then rolled his eyes at himself, she was at work, genius! The baby was spending this afternoon with Fury to give his uncle some hands on experience before Angelia dropped her first litter. Vane had visions of a free afternoon with his delicious mate, Vane's grin was purely wicked as memories of their first time together in Bride's dressing room came back to him. He huffed out a quiet laugh before flashing himself to the alley behind Bride's store, making his way towards the front of the store, giving the curtains to her big dressing room a sly smile, her scent was hanging subtlety on them. Soon they would be drenched in his and her scent. He pictured her sitting on her stool behind the counter, her hair up in a messy bun that left tantalising curls brushing at her neck, she would smile when he wrapped his arm around her from behind and he planned, in his best Lothario voice, he would suggest the dressing room, he would coax her, plead a little, then demand and by then she could not resist.

Vane smelt him before he saw him, and saw him before he heard him and his every scent disliked what he got from him.

"You work here alone?" Vane folded his arms across his chest and locked his jaw to stop himself from growling, he was giving Bride five seconds to shoot the guy down before he went and retrieved his woman and put a hole through this asswipes chest.

"No, not always," Bride said politely, taking his purchases to the counter, Vane drew back so she wouldn't see him.

"Yeah, my ex used to work in a place like this."

"Hmm," Vane's lips twitched, she made that sound when she wasn't listening to him too. Then he got pissed all over again that the guy was near her. He knew if he stormed out there and tried to take the guy's leg off she'd freak out at him and he would seriously be in the dog-house then. Considering that her father was a vet, he didn't want to risk it.

"You doing anything special tonight?"

"Except bathing my little boy and reading him a bedtime story?" Bride said with a laugh, not bothering to look up at him as she wrapped.

"You got a little boy?"

Bride flicked her amber eyes to his, knowing kids were usually a turn off for men "yeah."

"Me too."

The guy leant his elbows on the counter so his face was close to Bride's, Bride heard her spine literally crack and she sprung up and back, Vane felt his incisors lengthen. The guy continued to smile, as though she should be flattered by his cheesy bordering on sleazy smile.

"So you like sex?"

Vane felt his fangs punch out of his skull and a growl erupted from his chest, his feet moved swiftly forward.

"Yes, I do," Bride said briskly, as if she were advising him on choice of merchandise, Vane felt like he was going to choke, what the hell had she just said? "My husband's very good at it."

Bride gave the guy a cold look, "he's also insanely jealous and tends to work out a lot."

The guy opened his shocked mouth as if to say something but Vane felt the need to mark his territory, he appeared behind Bride faster then the asshole could blink. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her flush with his chest with a sharp sound that could have been a bark.

The guy's eyes widen as they travelled the length of Vane's body, then to the arm around Bride's waist, then to Vane's face. He went white, he licked his lips as if his mouth was dry.

"Get the fuck out!" Vane growled, the only thing restraining him was Bride's tight grip locked on his wrist. The guy stumbled backwards then broke into a flat out run, Vane let go of Bride, ready to chase the guy feeling like he'd given him a fair three second head start.

"Stay!" Bride said firmly and Vane growled at her, Bride laughed and stroked a placating hand down his cheek.

"Don't order me like a dog!"

"But you are one," Bride countered reasonably making Vane blink, she leant up to kiss him and Vane responded with a ferocious growl. Hoisting her on to the counter and stepping between her thighs, he sucked on her tongue and ran his fingers and flat palms up her legs.

"You're wearing jeans," he said breathlessly, his hands creeping up to her breasts then her hair, Bride nibbled his lip.

"Yes," she whispered back, Vane abruptly pulled back and yanked her off counter and pulled her in front of him. Bride gave him a quizzical look that aroused Vane to his highest level as she was still flushed with excitement, her lips still wet with his kiss and her amber eyes like head lights in the dark. Vane moved around her and studied with hooded eyes the way the black jean cupped her beautiful ass, he ran his hands over it, a possession in his touch that thrilled Bride.

"Mine!" he rumbled into her hair.

"I know. Always yours," Bride murmured, leaning back on his chest, while his hands still roamed and claimed.

"If he ever comes in here again … I'll kill him!"

"Vane …"

"No, Bride," Vane let go of her and backed up a few steps, "you should have told him you had a mate."

"I did tell him I had a husband, in case you didn't hear. I can't help if the guy liked me, I can't be rude to him and chase off customers because he thought that I would, in his wildest dreams, ever consider going on a date with him. I hope you notice that I never complain when women oogle you, which I might add, they do - a lot!"

Vane didn't look appeased, in fact his face grew darker, "You know I can't, and won't ever cheat on you."

"But you think I would?" Bride gasped, hurt on a level she wouldn't have believed, Vane looked instantly contrite.

"No. No, of course not. I don't know why I said that."

Bride nodded and turned back to her counter, beginning to unwrap the package the man left, before she could walk around and put it on it shelf Vane stopped her by laying his big, warm, callused hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Bride," He murmured sincerely, Bride smiled, "me too."

"I love you in jeans," he said, kissing her ear, "What colour are your -"

"Black," Bride said quickly, anticipating the question, loving the way his eyes flared. Vane licked his lips thinking of Bride on their bed wearing her jeans and a black bra.