“Sorry!” I shout through the closed window at no one in particular as I drive over the curb while I’m turning into the parking lot. My heart is pounding when I finally turn the engine off and sit there in silence.
The tantalizing thought of my conditioner carries me forward and I hop out of the truck and head inside the store. I’ve lived in Belgrade Springs for my entire life and I must have been in this store thousands of times, but it looks so different. Everything looks so different.
This town that was my whole world growing up, that always seemed to be larger than life, looks so small and quaint after roaming through the bustling streets of Paris and standing in front of the Colosseum in Rome. My whole perspective has changed. I guess that’s what traveling does to you.
But still, once I’m standing in the shampoo aisle and staring at my favorite coconut scented volumizing conditioner, I realize I’m still the same old person as before.
I load up on three bottles, promising myself that I won’t skimp out when I’m using it, and I head to the cash.
A huge masculine body comes out of nowhere and bumps into me. One of the big bottles slips from my arms and slams onto the ground. Conditioner sprays up all over our legs.
“I’m sorry!” I say as I look up into the man’s eyes.
Oh my God… The spinning planet screeches to a stop. Everything stops. My breathing. My heart. Time itself.
It’s all put on hold as I stare into this mysterious man’s breathtaking brown eyes.
They grip my core. They pull me in. They ravage me and leave my pulse racing.
The top of the conditioner is off and making a glugging sound as it pours onto the floor. I catch myself and dip down to pick it up.
The man drops to a knee, never taking his eyes off me as the slippery bottle slips through my fingers and hits the ground again.
“Oops,” I gasp as I put it upright. I look back at him, this time not just his eyes but everything. He’s gorgeous. Not in the traditional Hollywood actor or model sort of way. He doesn’t have any of those girlish features. Oh no. This guy is all man. One hundred percent hard alpha masculine energy.
His eyes are rough and hard like he’s seen a lot of things in his life that would give a lesser mortal like me nightmares. He has a long thick beard and a black beanie over his head. I could stare at his face for hours, but his body is begging for attention as well.
It’s huge. All hard carved muscle straining against his clothes. I swallow hard as I look over his torso with his big shoulders and massive chest. His arms are thick and strong with a sexy sleeve of tattoos running down his right arm.
“I’m sorry,” I say when I spot conditioner all over his tattooed arm. I start wiping it off with my hand. He’s got me so flustered that I didn’t even ask before I touched him. I’m sliding my hands over his hard slippery forearm and the feel of his hot skin is making my pussy throb.
I now have white conditioner all over my hand and nowhere to put it.
He groans when he looks at my fingers rubbing together. Oh shit. It looks like I just gave a hand job. No wonder he’s groaning.
“You got some on your pants,” I say as I shake my head in disbelief. “I’ll let you take care of that.”
He’s not saying a word as I try to get myself together. He hasn’t taken his smoldering eyes off me.
“I better get one of the workers to help clean this up before someone slips and cracks their head open. Can you stay here for a second?”
“I don’t want to leave you,” he says in a deep voice that sounds like it’s full of anguish.
“Riiggght,” I say as I stare at him. “I’ll be right back.”
I hurry away, disappearing around an aisle as I head for the cash. His words keep replaying in my head. I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to leave you.
It’s strange because I don’t want to leave him either. What the hell is up with that?
I almost feel a pull urging me to go back to him, begging me to return to his side. My whole body is tingling and aching the further I get.
“Hello,” the cashier says with a smile as I approach her. “Did you find what you need?”
For the first time in my life, I feel like I have found what I need.
I turn back and see the man’s head over the aisles in the distance. He’s still watching me and his heated gaze is still sending shivers rippling through my body.
Did you find what you need?
Why does it feel like the answer is him?
“Miss?” the cashier says when all I do is stand there like a dope. “Are you okay?”
Did you find what you need?
It hits me.
The reason why I’ve felt something lacking. Why I’ve felt empty and alone. Like I’ve only had one piece of my soul.
He’s my mate. He’s what I’ve been desperately missing. My other half.
I always felt so jealous of my brother that he would one day have this epic all-consuming love affair that only mates can have. I didn’t think it would be in my cards because I’m human.
I never thought that I could be mated to a shifter. The thought never crossed my mind.
Now I can’t get rid of it.
That’s my mate?!
What does this mean?
As ridiculous as it sounds, I know it’s true. I know it through and through.
“Yeah, I spilled some conditioner in the shampoo aisle. I’ll pay for it.”
She leans over the microphone and hits a switch. “Jeremy, clean-up in aisle three.”
Her voice rings over the speakers as my heart pounds. I have to go back there. I have to meet him for real.
I suck in a deep breath, thank the lady, and head back.
His eyes are locked on me. I get tingles all over imagining that huge frame pressing down on me. It’s going to happen. It’s inevitable.
“Jeremy is coming to clean it up,” I say with a nervous shrug.
He looks as stunned as I am. He stands back up to his impressive height and runs his hand through his beard. His hand is full of conditioner and it makes his beard stick out at a funny angle. I giggle.
“I’ve been looking for you for a long time,” he says in a low dominant voice that makes any urge to giggle disappear.
“I’ve been looking for you too,” I say in a timid, not-so-dominant voice. “Are you who I think you are?”
“Your mate.”
I gulp. “Then I think we’re on the same page.”
We stare at each other until the air is crackling with sexual energy. My fingertips are tingling with the need to touch him. He looks like he’s going to sweep me up in his big arms and kiss me.
Just as we’re about to come together, Jeremy comes over with a mop and interrupts everything.
“Whoa! What happened here?” the pimply teenager asks with a braying laugh. “Looks like someone jizzed all over the floor!”
He sees our serious faces and starts to panic. “That was just a joke. Please don’t tell on me! I already got a warning this week.”
My mate walks up to me, ignoring him, and takes my hand. “Let’s go.”
I nod my head as I follow him out and nearly forget to pay. I hurry over to the cash, practically throw my money at her, and then hurry out to the parking lot with my new man.
It can’t be, I tell myself whenever he’s out of my view, but then as soon as I see him again, I know that it is. There’s no doubt. He’s my mate.
“What’s your name?” I ask him when we’re outside, standing beside my brother’s truck. The conditioner bottles are in the back and I suddenly don’t know what to do with my hands.
“Roman Dixon,” he says as he stares at me in awe.
God, that look… He’s looking at me like no one else has before. Like no one else ever will.
“I’m Bailey,” I squeak out. “Bailey Donovan.”
“Do you live here?” he asks as he looks at my mouth.
I lick my lips. “Born and raised.”
Smelled me?
It’s a weird thing to say, but then I think back to my brother’s insane ability to smell and hear anything, and it makes sense. Of course, he could recognize his mate’s scent. My scent.
“I’ve been traveling,” I tell him. “Around Europe for almost a year.”
“By yourself?” He doesn’t like that answer. I can tell he’s going to be a protective one.
“Nothing happened,” I quickly tell him. “It was very safe.”
He grumbles as his forehead scrunches up in a frown.
We watch and study each other, but no words come out.
It’s weird to be so close to someone but not know them at all. It sets up an encounter that should be awkward but feels strangely comforting.
I shift my weight from foot to foot. “We could go get coffee? If you want.”
He smiles and I swear it’s like my heart turns into a pretzel. “Coffee would be great.”
We head over to the coffee shop across the street and he slides his hand into mine. My cheeks are on fire as he grips my hand like he’s never going to let it go.
No big deal. Just me and my mate walking hand-in-hand.
My life will never be the same again.
Chapter Three
Roman
Bailey’s sweet lips hit her coffee mug as she takes a sip and my dick throbs harder than ever. I have to peel my eyes away from her sexy mouth just so I can breathe.
She’s incredible. I’m already in love.
My bear is too. I can feel him grumbling softly as I watch her across the booth. There’s only a couple of people in the nice cozy coffee shop—a few students arguing about something over a textbook, a young man completely absorbed in his laptop, a woman with her elderly father, and the workers who are messing around behind the counter.
We have the corner to ourselves. It’s just the two of us.
Me and my mate.
I can’t help but smile at the word. I finally found her. She’s finally here.
I was in the store when a searing pain shot down my throat like I just had a gulp of a molotov cocktail. It burned, but it was a sweet pain. My bear knew what was up immediately. It took me a little while longer to catch on.
But when I realized it was my mate’s scent that I was smelling, it stunned me. Then, I flew into panic mode, frantically searching each aisle until I ran into her.
“Tell me about your trip,” I say as I cup my steaming mug of coffee and watch her.
Her sweet voice starts filling my ears and I’m finding it hard to pay attention as she starts telling me all about the countries she visited. It’s so overwhelming to be here with her.
She’s so beautiful and captivating. I can’t get enough.
My eyes roam over her wavy brown hair that’s pulled to one side. She looks so innocent as she sits there telling me about London and how she got caught in the rain.
I’d like to see her wet. Her hair plastered to her face, those brown eyes shining brighter than ever as water droplets run down her angelic face. I hold back a groan as I picture her white shirt all wet and plastered to her big round tits.
I shift in my seat as my cock aches. I’m so hard.
It’s like decades of sexual need all coming out at once. I need to have her. To claim her. To make her mine. My dick is begging for it. My bear is too.
He’s pacing around inside as she talks about missing her flight in Madrid. I don’t like hearing these stories about her being so far away. So vulnerable.
Someone could have taken her. I don’t even want anyone to look at her, touch her, or even smell her. I can already tell that I’m going to be a possessive mate.
I can feel the need to protect her squeezing my core. Maybe once I claim her, some of this fierce edginess will cool down. Probably not. I think I’m stuck with this feeling forever, but I don’t mind as long as it comes with her.
“Listen to me rambling,” she says as she flicks her hair back.
I swallow hard as I watch her hair bounce. I’m going to love sinking my fingers into that…
“Tell me about yourself,” she says.
Oh shit. I don’t want to tell her the truth. She’ll flee out of here.
But I can’t lie to my girl.
“I was in the military with my cousins,” I tell her, which is true. “A special unit that moved around a lot.” Also true. “But that part of my life is over now.” Mmm, that’s debatable.
Her eyes widen a little, but she plays off whatever uneasiness she’s feeling.
“What do you do now?”
“My three cousins are like brothers to me,” I tell her. “We’re renting a ranch outside of town and trying to make a go of it. Once we make some money, we’ll buy it off the owner if he wants to sell.”
“Who’s the owner?”
“Logan Crawford. He grew up here but he’s living in Blackcloud Point. Do you know him?”
She shakes her head. “Maybe my brother does.”
“You have a brother? In town?”
“Yeah, I’m staying with him now. He’s my older brother. I don’t know what I would do without him.”
“He sounds like a great guy. I hope I get to meet him.”
She smiles as she takes a sip. “You will.” She looks so flirty and so damn irresistible as she looks at me over the steaming cup.
“He’s a bit overprotective,” she says. “I got picked on a lot as a kid because I had a stutter, but he always protected me. There was no one he wouldn’t fight for me.”
I squeeze my hand into a fist under the table as I imagine a young adorable version of Bailey getting picked on because of a speech impediment. I wish I could go back in time to help her brother out and make those fuckers pay.
“So, tell me about you brothers,” she says as she takes another sip.
I lean forward and tell her all about Easton, Cameron, and Jacob. How we’ve been together my whole life. How we fought together and almost died together on more than one occasion. It’s so easy to talk to her. The words flow out like I’ve been holding them in for years and the dam just burst.
I tell her about my parents and the animals on the ranch. The only things I leave out are the violent parts of my past. She’ll find out about that eventually, but it doesn’t have to be on the first date.
We talk for about two hours and then she has to go to the bathroom.
“Bailey,” I say as she gets up. “Our coffees are finished. This place is going to close up before we know it. Tell me you’ll come home with me. Tell me I won’t be sleeping alone tonight. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but I can’t be apart from you for that long. It’s going to kill me to wait for you to come back from the bathroom. How am I going to last all night?”
She must see the pain and anguish in my eyes because she leans down and softly kisses me on the lips. I moan as I taste her sweet essence.
Her lips are so soft. I want to ravage her and claim her mouth, but this soft gentle kiss is a nice first one. For now.
Her cheeks are blushing an adorable pink and she’s got a shy smile on her face as she pulls away. “Let’s take it one step at a time,” she whispers as she stares into my eyes. “Just know that it’s going to be just as hard for me to be away from you.”
“I doubt that,” I whisper under my breath as I watch her walk to the bathroom. Fucking hell… those hips in those jeans… they’re killing me.
I’ll be dreaming of that ass all night if she leaves me.
I hope she’s not that cruel.
The sun is starting to set by the time the coffee shop closes and they kick us out. Bailey looks radiant in the soft pink light of the setting sun. I stare at her and wonder if I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful in all of my life.
The answer is no.
I take her hand and slide her tiny fingers between mine. Holding her hand feels so natural. It feels so right.
�
�Are you hungry?” she asks as she looks up at me with an adorable smile. “Should we get some dinner?”
“I’ll do anything if it means that we get to stay together.”
She laughs. “Dinner it is then. There’s a great Italian place up ahead. You interested?”
“You lead the way.”
We talk and laugh as we walk down the street. I’m so absorbed with her that I don’t notice we’re approaching the fire station until it’s too late.
I tense up as I smell the scent of grizzly bears.
“Let’s go back,” I say in a voice that’s part growl. My bear is on full alert, ready to break out to protect our girl.
Bailey lets go of my hand and bounds forward. “Hold up. I want you to meet someone. Enzo!”
She yells out into the open garage and I watch in horror as my worst enemy walks out with a smile. She runs over and leaps into his arms as I watch with a pounding in my ears. Rage is taking over. He’s touching my mate. He’s a dead man.
I grit my teeth and start charging over when she turns around.
“Roman, this is my brother Enzo!”
I stop in my tracks as my stomach drops. My brain fizzles out. Her… brother?
Enzo growls when he spots me standing there. He takes Bailey and shoves her behind his back like he’s protecting my own mate from me.
My bear snarls inside, begging to be released.
“Bailey!” Enzo snaps. “Get in the fire station. Now!”
“Don’t talk to her like that!” I snap back. Adrenaline is surging through me. Every muscle in my body is flexed and ready for violence.
“What is going on?” Bailey asks, looking confused as she yanks her arm out of his grasp and walks between us. “Do you guys know each other?”
Her head keeps whipping from me to Enzo and back again.
“Get in the fire station, Bailey,” Enzo snarls again.
I can’t stand this fucking guy. If his sister wasn’t here, I’d bite his head off.
“What is happening here?” she asks in a panic. Enzo’s face is nothing but cold hard hate. She’s getting nothing from him so she turns to me. “Roman?”
Alpha Consumed (The Dixon Brothers Book 2) Page 2
