by Liz Paffel
Suddenly, Dax withdrew and slid down her body, kissing a line from between her breasts and over her belly. He parted her pussy lips and gave a long, hard lick over her clit. Allie arched off the seat.
“You’re so wet, you’re soaking the seat, beautiful.”
She could only moan in response and move her hips in a desperate attempt to urge him back inside of her. Instead, Dax laved her clit with his tongue, swirling around it and caressing back and forth. A tight spiral of sensation snapped, and an orgasm came over her fast, hard.
Blinding.
Allie grabbed his hair and screamed as pleasure dictated her body and clouded her mind.
Suddenly, he was inside her again, lifting her knees to grip his sides as his powerful hips slammed against her. She came again, with a gush this time that soaked the seat beneath her ass. Her mind was crazed, like she was losing touch with reality. All she needed was this powerful mating, this intense connection. Without it she would die. She’d be incomplete and unfulfilled.
Dax grabbed her hair and mercilessly pulled her head to the side. His teeth grazed her neck, sending little shockwaves over her body. Then a pinch, harder as he bit the tender flesh. His cock swelled, filling her to the hilt... rubbing that spot inside that made her come undone.
With a hard thrust, Dax bit intentionally hard on her flesh as he pulled out and came against her thigh. Crying out, Allie sat halfway and wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging on for dear life as her orgasm drew out.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God,” she whispered, unable to let go. Never wanting to.
Dax smoothed her hair and whispered things she couldn’t comprehend. Her body went slack as a deep satiation soaked every inch of her body and soul. She’d never felt so relaxed... so free.
“Allie.” Dax kissed her cheek and laid her back, doing his best to curl with her on the seat. His skin was hot and slick with sweat. “Did you feel that? Do you feel it now?”
She could only nod, knowing what he was trying to say.
“You’re my mate. You are. Don’t deny me. I need you.”
Their eyes locked and she lost herself more deeply in the sincerity of his blue depths.
“It’s too fast...”
His cell phone rang, breaking the silence. He groaned and grappled to right his disheveled jeans.
“Yeah? Yeah, I’ll be right there.”
He ended the call and took her face between his hands to deliver a kiss so sweet, so decadent, it brought tears to her eyes. It was all he needed to say. How could she deny the connection between them anymore? Yes, it happened fast and with an intensity that completely pushed her off center. Maybe it was the indescribable sex they’d just had, but she didn’t want to fight this anymore. Dax wanted her for who she was, flaws and complications and all. Fate had helped by throwing in a hefty dose of attraction between them. The more time she spent with him, the stronger the connection grew.
“God, Allie, yes. You have no idea how much I need you.”
His phone rang again. Instead of answering, Dax kissed her forehead and smoothed a thumb over her cheek.
“I need to help my family for a few. I’ll be back tonight.”
“Okay.”
Dax helped her straighten her clothes before she slid out of the truck. She walked back into the bakery, heart soaring. She couldn’t recall the last time her heart had been this full and happy. Whistling quietly, she was just about to go behind the counter when someone called her name.
She spun to see Dax’s brother Jett coming up behind her.
“I forgot to grab some of those sticky buns my dad loves. Got any?”
His no-nonsense tone was a stark contrast to his brother’s teasing undertone.
“Yeah, we have a few. You’re welcome to take them. I’ll box them up for you.”
“Appreciated.”
She went behind the counter to the bakery case and pulled out a tray of buns. Sneaking him a few glances as she prepared his order, Allie realized how much he looked like his brother. Jett’s raven hair and deeply tanned skin set off the unique near-purple of his eyes. His brow was set in a serious line, one he didn’t relax very often and the faint lines around his eyes whispered of hours spent in tension. He was physically striking and also... sad? Like he was carrying anguish deep inside that couldn’t be contained.
Curious what his story was, Allie handed him the box. “All set. My treat.”
He hesitated before taking the box. He gave a nod, and looked like he might turn to go, but caught her eyes and held them without mercy.
“Don’t lead my brother on. There’s no time for false hope.”
Allie paused mid-air in reaching for a paper towel. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Jett looked behind him as if to ensure they were still alone in the store. He gripped the bakery box hard enough to imprint the cardboard.
“He needs to accept a mate by the end of the full moon in three days. If it’s not going to be you, you need to tell him right now.”
Dax hadn’t said anything about a timeline, nor had he directly asked her to be his mate. He’d said she was... implying fate or some divine intervention.
“He hasn’t specifically asked me to be his mate.” It wasn’t a lie, just a diversion around what Dax had implied.
Jett frowned. “Knowing my brother, he hasn’t filled you in on all the details. He’s just come on to you hard and fast, trying to hurry you into feeling something for him. But there are dire consequences to your decision. If you don’t feel anything for him, let him go so he can take another mate.”
Allie dropped the towel. Her mind was trying to catch up while pulling bits and pieces of her and Dax’s time together. He hadn’t expressed feelings for her per say yet made them clear in the way he touched her body and the words he said. Everything he’d done, in some way, was to show her he was interested. Invested, even. Why would he consider another mate?
“Are you telling me that if I don’t agree to be Dax’s mate, he’s going to dump me to find a woman who will?”
“Yes.” His decisive tone stung.
Allie cocked her head and swallowed down the lump that formed in her throat. “Let me get this straight. Dax needs to take a mate ASAP or something bad is going to happen?”
Jett nodded.
“Okay, so why did he wait so long? I mean, why now?”
There’s no way a man like Dax would have any trouble finding a woman to mate with him.
“He’s... had a hard time settling down. But the timeline is pressuring him now so he’s— “
“Settling,” she said as tears stung her eyes. Is that what was going on? Dax had come on to her strong and fast. And while he hadn’t asked her to express love or any emotions, really, he did try and convince her that she was his fated mate. Did he really feel that way?
You have no idea how much I need you. The words that had filled her with so much promise and hope were nothing more than a bid to meet his end goal. Was it all a lie to meet a deadline?
“Thank you for telling me.” Allie cleared her throat, ready to be done with this conversation. “I’ll speak to Dax about it.”
Jett tucked the bakery box in the crook of his left arm and headed for the door. Allie wasn’t sure if she was more stunned by Jett’s bluntness, or Dax’s possible fraud. She’d never once felt like he was playing her to meet his own end, yet, clearly her radar and ability to judge assholes appropriately were off thanks to her relationship with Blake. Was Dax pulling the same rose-colored wool over her eyes?
A single tear fell down her cheek. First Marybeth’s threat to do harm to Sticky Sweet if she didn’t stay away from Dax, and now this.
The Loser Allie List was supposed to be a sarcastic reflection of her life, yet the more things piled up, the more she realized there was more truth and less sarcasm to the whole damn thing. Was she so pathetic that she was going to fall for a man’s games again?
The buzz of her phone pulled her from her reverie. Marybeth.
<
br /> It’s five o’clock, Allie Mae. What’s your answer?
Chapter Thirteen
“I’m putting an end to this right now.”
Ben waved a spatula at Allie, his jaw set hard. She’d never seen her dad look so stern. Since she’d filled him in on Marybeth’s ridiculous threat, he’d gone from a passive, easy-going retired school teacher to an alpha dad who was about to go ballistic for the first time in life.
“I should have put my foot down with that woman two years ago. This is partly my fault.”
Allie blew a piece of hair from her eyes and grabbed another tray of cupcakes from the oven. She and Becks had been working on MB’s cupcakes. There were so many that every available countertop space was covered with them. Next, they’d fill and frost them all by hand, box them up and pop them into the cooler.
Tomorrow, Allie would spend most of the day preparing Dax’s order and then she’d be done with this madness.
“MB’s raging psychosis is not your fault in any way, dad.”
Becks interjected with mock surprise. “She’s also not a loyal customer. She looked pretty cozy sitting in front of the fireplace in Bella Blu’s yesterday.”
“Oh really? And just what were you doing in Bella Blu’s yesterday?”
Becks licked frosting off her finger. “Getting a cup of coffee. Their dark roast is so much better than ours.” She snagged a finished cupcake and set it by itself on the edge of the counter. “That’s mine. No touchy.”
Allie couldn’t help but laugh. “Noted.”
Becks looked up, her entire body going still. “What’s... that noise?”
Allie and her father stopped what they were doing to listen. At first, all Allie heard was the soft rush of the fans above the ovens. Then a faint scratching sound came through.
“What is that?” She looked at her dad who held up his pink oven-mitted hands and shrugged. The sound became louder.
Becks moved around her workstation and put an ear to the wall. “It’s coming from inside.”
She tapped on the wall with her fist and the sound scattered in different directions. Something squeaked. Becks drew back and whipped Allie a look.
“You have mice.”
Allie threw down the empty pan she was holding and rushed over to the wall. The sound came together again, going up... up... up. They looked to the ceiling. A gaping hole looked back at them from the still-missing tiles.
Three little heads peeked over the edge, beady eyes staring down at them.
Allie screamed. Becks almost plowed her over as she skittered away, doing the eeby-jeeby dance.
“Dad, I have mice!”
“I see that, honey. Remember that pet mouse you had in 5th grade? Walter? Or was it Roy...”
“Dad!”
First raccoons, now mice. All she could imagine were the creatures plopping down onto MB’s cupcakes and ruining the entire batch.
“We’ve got to get these cupcakes boxed up. I’ll finish them a box at a time, but they have to stay covered.” Becks was already grabbing large white bakery boxes.
This was a prolonged nightmare. All the things consistently going wrong was more than any sane person could handle. She’d never been to the anecdotal breaking point, but she figured she was close right now if the urge to simultaneously throw up and scream were any indication.
What else could go wrong? It was a knee-jerk reaction to think it, but she’d be damned if she was going to jinx herself and say it out loud.
“Oh my God, he’s suicidal!” Becks cried out as she jumped back.
The first mouse divebombed onto the workstation, landing on Beck’s single cupcake and tipping it over. It fell on the floor in a pile of crumbs where it lay in a lifeless, furry blop. Becks jumped back, bumping into Allie before she hid behind her like a human shield.
The other mice must have decided death by cupcake wasn’t as awesome as it sounded, and turned away from the opening.
“Is it dead?” Ben pulled off his oven mitts and nudged the rodent with his foot.
“Step on it!” Becks wailed.
“No, don’t step on it!” Allie nudged Becks in the ribs with her elbow.
Ben gave it a gentle push and the mouse hopped up with crazy fast mouse superpowers, skittered over Ben’s shoe and made a mad dash for Allie. She tried to move out of the way, but Becks had her in a death-grip and turned her to prevent the mouse from chewing her ever loving leg off.
“Becks!” Allie struggled to get free, but it was too late. The mouse ran over Allie’s foot and dug its tiny claws into the leg of her jeans. It hauled itself halfway up her leg before she could react. Becks screamed and ran away. Ben tried to slap the mouse with a wooden spoon... missed and cracked hard against Allie’s thigh.
She cried out and grabbed the spoon on reaction and whipped it across the room. Everything seemed to spin around her. Pressure in her head made her want to explode. Tipping point, tipping point, mother-loving tipping point!
“Enough!” Allie cried out. She grabbed the mouse as it raced wildly for the waist of her pants. Its soft, furry body struggled in her palm as she marched to the back door.
“Rabies! Rabies, Allie!” Becks hollered from somewhere inside.
Rabies was the least of her problems right now. She loosened her grip and gave the mouse a gentle toss...
Right into Dax.
The rodent bounced off his thigh, squeaked, and ran into the night.
“Um, thanks?” Dax gave a one-sided grin, but all Allie was seeing was red. The pressure in her head got worse and she was so tense, she was trembling. Beneath her anger, another frustration started to awaken. The one between her legs.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” His playful demeanor turned serious.
Dax moved to take her hand, but Allie pulled away. She couldn’t let him touch her or she’d tackle him to the ground and ride him right here. For the second time, the raw, deep need unfurled in her body with a demand that was impossible to ignore. There was so much inside her head right now, she didn’t know where or how to start. But she knew what hurt and bothered her the most. She hadn’t had time, really, to think anything through. Not Marybeth’s stupid threat; not Jett’s admissions. And certainly not her feelings for Dax aside from how much she hurt right now.
“When were you going to tell me that you’re under a deadline to get hitched?”
He blinked. “Who told you that?”
She started to seethe. Of all the things he could have responded with, he was worried about who ratted him out?
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know. I suppose I didn’t want to scare you off.”
“So, you came onto me hard and heavy, making a big thing out of simple, sexual attraction, to try and get me to, what? Agree to be your mate so you can meet a deadline?”
His face fell just enough that he looked hurt by her words. A little voice in her head said she needed to cool her shit down, but she couldn’t.
“You are my mate, Allie. You can’t deny what you feel for me.”
“Really? I’m pretty sure that’s called lust, Dax. I wanted you to fuck me. You fucked me. It was amazing. That doesn’t mean we’re fated to be together.”
“Why are you pushing me away?”
“Because this thing between us started on false pretenses.”
And you’re going to hurt me, just like Blake did. I’ve worked too hard on loving myself and being comfortable with who I am to let that happen again. Her mind kept going, though she couldn’t bring herself to say the words.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry about that, Allie. I am. It was never my intention to deceive you. What I feel when I’m with you isn’t what you think. It’s not simple sex; it’s true connection. And you... you feel it too. I know you do.”
She crossed her arms. His confession melted her anger a little. “Really? How can you tell?”
“Because you’re in heat for me. Your body recognizes me as your mate, Allie. It threw you into hea
t, just for me. The sex in my truck? What the hell do you think that was?”
Her nostrils flared. He was crazy. In heat? What was she, a fucking dog? Yet, as strong as the lust had come on... as intense as her need for him to fuck her had been...
“You feel it again right now. Your scent is full of your arousal.”
She breathed hard and deep, very aware of how tight her chest was with each breath; how her nipples perked and begged to be touched.
“Why do you think I wouldn’t come inside you? We hadn’t discussed any of this and I... I didn’t want to get you pregnant yet.”
Yet? No! She wasn’t going to go there.
“You have to take a mate tomorrow night?”
“Yes.”
She steeled herself. “If it’s not me, it will be someone else? Just like that, you’ll pick another woman?”
He worked his jaw back and forth and shoved his hands in his pockets. She felt the separation between them like a physical slap.
“Yes. I have no choice.”
She looked up to the sky and took a step back. It wasn’t rational; she knew that. But damn it! Blake had wooed the shit out of her, rushed her, pushed her into a serious relationship only to turn into a horrible man when she’d acquiesced.
Dax put his palms up. “I know this is a lot to take in. I wish I had more time to chase you, date you, and let things unfold a little more naturally.”
“I’m having a hard time feeling special when you said you’ll basically take the first woman who comes along tomorrow night.”
Dax burst forward and took her arms in his hands. “Damn it, Allie! Yes, I will take another woman. If that’s what I have to do, I will.”
Her body seemed to deflate as she searched his face. “Wow, I love you, too.”
A burst of loud silence stood between them. Where was this bitterness coming from? Disgusted with herself, Allie pulled back as tears rolled down her cheeks. He tried to follow her, but she put out a hand.
