by Ruby Shae
“You’re a nice guy, and I liked you—”
“I like you to, so what's the problem?”
“I…”
Though she could think of several reasons in her head, she didn't want to tell him any of them. What could she say? That she’d just come out of a long-term relationship, and was swearing off men? That men sucked? That she didn't want or need a man in her life? They were all true—mostly—but she didn't want to tell him any of it.
He pulled his cell out of his pocket.
“What’s your number?” he asked.
When she hesitated, he raised that sexy eyebrow again.
“It’s so you can call me when you’re done denying there’s something between us.”
Well, damn!
When she rattled off the numbers, his eyes darkened, but he didn't say a word. A second later, her phone chimed, alerting her that she’d received his text. She ignored the signal, shoved the last bite of ice cream into her mouth, and looked around the near empty room.
“It looks like they’re getting ready to close,” she said. “I’d better go.”
“I'll walk you to your car,” he said, standing and gathering their trash.
“Thank you, but that's not necessary,” she shook her head.
“I know it isn't, but I’m still going to do it.”
She waited until they were outside, and then turned to face him.
“Zach, I…”
“Yes?” he asked, knowingly.
He was ridiculous, and goofy, and…sweet. He was also hardheaded, and she knew she had no chance of winning.
“Never mind,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m parked in the free lot.”
“Right this way, your majesty.”
***
Rory started walking toward the free parking lot at the end of Main Street, and Zach easily stepped in line with her. The silence between them only lasted a beat before he started talking.
“What’s your favorite color?” he asked.
“Pink. What’s yours?”
“Black. What’s your favorite food?”
“Pepperoni pizza with extra cheese.”
“Me, too. What type of crust?”
“Regular.”
“Me, too.”
How convenient!
She briefly wondered if he was telling the truth, but the worry disappeared when she stole a glance in his direction. The silly excitement on his face was too hard to fake.
“It looks like we have something in common,” she offered.
“More than one thing,” he corrected. “We both like ice cream, too.”
Who was this guy? He was entirely too happy about their similar food choices.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-six. What’s with all the questions?” she asked.
“I like you, and I want to get to know you better,” he shrugged. “I’m twenty-eight, by the way.”
She nodded, but didn’t say anything. What could she say? He was trying to get to know her, and besides being sexy-as-hell, he was incredibly charming.
Damn!
If she were being completely honest with herself, then she had to admit she liked him, too. The realization made her pause, but it didn’t change anything. She wasn’t looking for a relationship, and she didn’t need a man in her life.
They walked into the lot, and she led the way to her car.
“This is me,” she said, when they reached the small, blue sedan.
“Just so you know,” Zach said, “I’m not going anywhere, and the offer is always open. And not just for dinner. We can do coffee, a movie, or whatever…I just want to spend time with you.”
Surprisingly, she wanted that, too.
Suddenly, her funky mood on Sunday made perfect sense. It wasn’t just that she couldn’t stop thinking about him, although that was part of it, it was that she actually wanted to be with him.
“I…” The reality scared her half to death, but she couldn’t make herself say the words to push him away completely, nor could she tell him the truth. Instead, she said the one thing she could that made any bit of sense. “That’s a lot of pressure.”
“No pressure,” he said, holding up his hands. “You call the shots, but I would like to kiss you goodbye.” She looked up, and found his lips inches away from her own. “Can I kiss you goodbye, Rory?”
Damn! When had he moved so close?
And why did he smell so good?
She nodded, but turned her head at the last minute.
His lips were soft, but firm, and when they landed on her cheek, fire licked along her skin as if he were branding her.
She wanted more, and luckily, so did he.
He lowered his lips again, and this time they landed on the corner of her mouth. Like the last time, fire branded her, and she turned to face him head-on. He flashed her a sexy smile, and lowered his head again.
This time his lips touched hers, and she was lost.
A spark of electricity sent a jolt to her core, and started a ripple effect to every nerve in her body. He licked the seam of her lips with his expert tongue, and her body hummed with energy. She opened her mouth easily, desperate for more, and he didn’t disappoint. Shockwave after shockwave rolled over her skin as Zach explored every crevice of her mouth.
Holy hell!
She’d never been kissed like this.
It was all-consuming and possessive, but it was also tender, liberating, and over way too soon. When he pulled away, her soft gasp filled the quiet air around them, and she felt her cheeks warm in the cool air.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, “and you taste amazing. Way better than ice cream or pizza.”
His goofy statement made her giggle, and he smiled.
“Don’t be a stranger, Princess,” he said, opening her car door. “There’s something amazing between us, and I know you feel it, too.”
She did feel it, but she wasn’t ready to admit it.
“Thank you for walking me,” she offered.
“Anytime. Drive safe.”
She sat behind the wheel, let him close the door, and then tried to ignore him as she got situated and started the vehicle. When she was ready to leave, he waved goodbye, and though she returned the gesture, she couldn’t help but worry she was making a mistake.
Her lips still burned from his touch, and although it felt wrong to be leaving him—and she desperately wanted to go back—she kept driving.
What the hell are you doing?
That kiss was what romance movies—very hot romance movies—were made off, and he wasn’t an asshole. In fact, he was right about there being something between them, and just because she didn’t want a boyfriend, didn’t mean she couldn’t have some fun.
Hell, she deserved it.
When she arrived at her apartment building, she maneuvered the car into her assigned space, and pulled her cell out of her purse. Zach’s text from earlier was still on the screen, and she smiled at the playful words.
Zach: Call me…you know you want to. <3
She typed out a quick message, took a deep breath, and pressed send before she could change her mind.
***
Zach sat in his SUV, and concentrated on breathing in and out evenly.
Kissing Rory had been heaven, but it had also been a colossal bad idea. His dick was rock hard, and now that he’d touched her, both the man and the bear wanted more.
The urge to follow her home was strong, almost too strong to ignore, but deep down he knew he couldn’t. Moving too fast would not only scare her, it would destroy what little trust she did have in him, and ultimately push her further away.
Saturday night had been crazy at the club, but after he’d memorized Rory’s license plate, he’d texted Graham. The man had mad skills when it came to tech stuff, but he was also better—and faster—than him and Aiden at finding information.
The fact that he’d only wanted her name and address made it even easier.
If he’d asked, Graham could have found everything—including the source of her pain—but as much as he wanted to know all about her, he didn’t want to find out that way. He knew she’d been hurt before, but he wanted to find out all the details about her life, both from the past and the present, from her.
Once he had her name and address, though, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He couldn’t just sit around and hope to see her again, but besides stalking her, what could he do?
Nothing.
Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.
There was nothing else he could do, and as much as he hated to admit it, he wasn’t a saint. He’d driven by her apartment three times on Sunday, and three times today, just hoping to get a glimpse of her.
It was pathetic, and demeaning, but hell, he didn’t care.
Worse, he’d been paid to protect people against others he’d found doing far less.
The fact that she was his mate lessened his creepiness by a ton in the eyes of other shifters, but a human would never understand his desperate, soul seeking, obsession to be with his other half.
And yet, he hadn’t been able to stop himself.
The thought of never seeing her again scared the shit out of him, and doing nothing just wasn’t an option.
Her car hadn’t moved once on Sunday, but today it had moved at least twice. From what he could tell, she’d gone to work, gone home, and then later, went out again.
What was more pathetic than driving by her house several times a day?
Casing Main Street, and hoping to create an opportunity.
Luckily, opportunity knocked pretty fast, and when he spotted her walking into the ice cream shop, he didn’t hesitate. He maneuvered his car into the free lot, and followed her.
The realization that he was stalking his mate like some wretched low-life criminal floated through his mind again, but it only had the power to slow him for a second. If she told him to stay way, then he would, but until then, he would do everything in his power to convince her to give him a chance.
When he walked into the shop, seeing her sitting alone tore him in two. His head was happy for the lack of obstacles in his path, not that her friends, or even another man would have stopped him from approaching her, but his heart ached for the pain she tried to hide.
As he walked toward her, he realized something else.
She expected him to make a scene, and the realization of what she’d most likely suffered made his bear want blood. If the chance for vengeance ever presented itself, he would avenge his mate.
She was broken, damaged, wary and untrusting, and it might take months before she accepted him, if she ever did, and yet he didn’t care. She was it for him, and somehow, he would heal her shattered heart.
As he talked, some of her tension eased, and every time she smiled, he noticed it lingered a little bit longer than the last one. Making people smile had never been hard for him, but his skills took on a whole new meaning when the recipient was his mate.
He silently vowed to spend the rest of his life making her happy.
Later, when she rattled off her number without much prodding, his possessive bear growled with satisfaction in the face of her obedience. She might not want him right now, but the fact that she didn’t put up much of a fight gave him an inkling of hope.
So did her acceptance of his escort to her car.
He would have followed even if she’d protested, and hell, he would have enjoyed the view, but despite his actions so far, he didn’t like being in that gray area between crazy stalker and possible boyfriend.
Or even possible friend.
Walking by her side was much better than trailing behind her, although when she’d stood up and revealed the clingy yoga pants and oversized t-shirt, he’d been tempted to stay behind her for entirely different reasons. His dick had swelled thinking about rubbing his hands all over the fleshy globes of her covered ass, and he’d desperately hoped the form-fitting pants were a regular part of her wardrobe.
That kiss, though, had been the best part of the night.
And the worst.
His cock throbbed wildly again, and what little control he’d regained was lost once more.
Fuck me!
He couldn’t even think about her soft, full lips without remembering how she’d opened up to him, and how she’d tasted amazing. The flavors of the ice cream lingered on her breath, but beneath that, there was something special and unique to only her. Her flavor called to his bear, and thinking about their kiss made the animal want to track her down, and claim her as his own.
Because, among other things, one kiss would never be enough.
Shit!
He leaned his head back on the head rest, closed his eyes, and took another deep breath.
Touching her had been a mistake, but even though he’d just created his own personal version of hell, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. His mate was sweet, beautiful, kind, curvy, absolutely incredible…and totally worth it.
When his phone chimed indicating a text message, hope flared, and he opened his eyes and looked around the lot. Disappointment flooded him when he realized he was still alone, but he dutifully checked the screen anyway.
Rory: Want to come over?
Fuck yeah!
Excitement raced through him, and he nearly dropped the phone from the shock of seeing Rory’s name on the screen. His mate had reached out to him, and way sooner than he’d expected.
He started up his SUV, and moved the gear shifter into the drive position, but then he paused.
He wasn’t supposed to know where she lived.
He texted her back, and forced himself to wait.
Zach: Definitely. Address?
The seconds that ticked by felt like hours, but eventually his phone chimed again with the details he already knew.
Zach: Great! Be there in five.
Zach made the trip across town in three minutes, and used the other two to deflate his thick, swollen cock. Besides the fact that his pants were uncomfortably tight, he didn’t want to show up on Rory’s doorstep with a raging hard-on like some hormonal teenaged boy.
He was a fucking grown man for god sakes.
He thought about his parents and his clan, and when that didn’t work, he thought about Ethan and Tristian’s fight a few months ago. Ethan had been pretty bruised up in the end, but it wasn’t enough to detour his mind, so he dug deeper.
Aiden’s knife wound from Saturday had been pretty deep. The man’s shirt had been soaked with blood, and though Zach had seen knife wounds before, he didn’t like seeing his cousin injured.
Finally!
Though he was still semi-hard, he wasn’t busting out of his pants, and moving was no longer uncomfortable. That was a good thing, because he had a feeling he would always be semi-hard whenever he was around his mate.
He forced himself to think about Aiden’s knife wound again, and then he got out of his vehicle, walked to Rory’s apartment, and quickly rapped on the door.
She answered almost immediately, as if she’d been waiting for him to arrive, and her eyes sparkled with excitement when she smiled up at him.
Fuck!
His cock swelled again.
Aiden, blood, Aiden…
“Hi!”
The high-pitched sound of her voice betrayed her show of confidence, and her cheeks reddened. God, if possible, she was even more sexy.
“Hi,” he returned. “I’m glad you texted.”
“Me, too,” she laughed nervously. “Please come in.”
He accepted the invitation, and crossed the threshold.
The tiny apartment was neat and clean, and though most of the furniture had known other owners, he could see the subtle touches that made it her own. The place felt warm and comfortable, and he immediately thought about his own home. His place was comfortable, too, but it lacked the influence of his mate, and he couldn’t wait to see what she would decide to change once she moved in.
The soft click of the door filled the silence of the small room, and he turned to face her.
“This is a great place.”
“Thank you.”
Rory took a step toward him, slid her hands around his neck, and pulled him down for an unyielding, almost desperate kiss. Her lips were soft, but determined, and when she shoved her tongue inside his mouth, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and deepened their connection.
Her eager acceptance made his bear want to roar in satisfaction, and elation swamped him, until he realized she was noticeably shaking.
He broke the kiss, but she fought his withdrawal like a pro.
She moved her hands to his waist, and peppered his closed mouth with almost frantic, chaste kisses. When he didn’t kiss her back, she continued her assault down his chin and neck, ending at his collarbone. He wanted to melt when her tongue dipped into the hollow skin above the bone, but he couldn’t. The hem of his t-shirt was locked in a death grip, and he could feel her hands quivering against his exposed skin the whole time.
He loved the feel of her mouth on his body, but he didn’t want her like this.
“Rory.”
When she didn’t answer, he grabbed her wrists, and tried again.
“Rory…Princess…we need to stop.”
She immediately stopped kissing him and tried to step away, but he still held her wrists in his hands.
“What’s the problem, Zach?” she spat. “Now that I’m willing, you don’t want me?”
The words were angry, but he could see the pain and embarrassment she tried to hide.
“I want you more than my next breath,” he said, “but even though you might be willing, you’re definitely not ready.”
Tears filled her eyes, and her gaze dropped to the floor.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“Hey,” he said, gently lifting her chin with two fingers. “It’s not a problem. Ever. As I said before, I’m not going anywhere, Princess. When you’re ready, this,” he nodded, and used the same two fingers to draw a repeated oval between them, “is definitely happening. It’s just not happening today.”
