Darian dragged Lindsey into the store, and just as she remembered, the people in their fancy clothes looked up from behind the counter with disdainful expressions.
Darian clearly knew what she was doing. She walked around things, looking and touching fabric, shaking her head and mumbled how an item was cheaply made with a high price on it. She told Lindsey that Dominic’s brother, Damond, had been showing her the difference between what was cheaply made and what wasn’t, by touching the item.
“So what do you like?” Darian asked.
“Can I have your mother’s sofa and you just buy her another?” Lindsey answered.
Darian chuckled. “No, but I do know that style. Looks like they have some over there.”
Darian quickly went over to the section of the store that had the extra wide couches with matching love seats and even a wide recliner that could easily fit two. Darian quickly sat down on the couch and Lindsey stayed standing.
“You do know that you have to sit on them to see if they’re right for you,” Darian said.
“I don’t want to touch them,” Lindsey whispered.
Darian rolled her eyes and in that moment a woman in a tight spandex skirt, and black and a white top approached them. “May I help you?”
The manner in which she asked the question told Lindsey that she really didn’t want to help them; she’d only said something because it was her job.
Lindsey turned and walked away as Darian started talking to the woman. Lindsey looked around, waiting for it all to end so she could go back home. Home. That house her father put her in no longer was her home she kept telling herself.
While walking around a couch caught her eye and she moved toward it. It was a two toned sectional with a lounger at the end of it with a matching foot stool. The bottom base was black, fabric dark tan. Before she knew it she was sitting down on it, grinning, and loving the depth of the cushions.
“That is a nice piece,” one of the salesmen said with a kind smile. “You have a good eye.”
Lindsey came out of her daze and sat straight up. “I—I was just looking.”
“Isn’t that what you do before you buy?” He cocked his head to one side, the smile still in place. “It’s one of our best pieces in the store. It’s very durable and will last a long time.”
“But can it be bolted down onto the flooring of a houseboat?” Lindsey mumbled, running her hand over the tan fabric.
“Don’t see why not. In fact, we try to bring in things that can be placed on the boats around here. We have matching black end tables and a black rug to go under it, if you have the hardwood floors that is.”
“Oh, Lindsey, I love this!” Darian joined her, taking a seat beside her. “Wow. Its deep seating and you have this lounger at the end. This is great!”
“I was just telling her we have the whole set and it can all be bolted down in a boat,” the man said.
“She’ll take it,” Darian said.
“Darian!” Lindsey gasped. “The price?”
“To hell with the price. You love it, I can see it in your eyes.” Darian smiled at Lindsey, then gave her attention to the man. “The whole set, including the rug.”
“Okay then,” he replied, obviously delighted they’d take the entire set, earning him a big commission, Lindsey imagined..
“Can you deliver it all tonight?” Darian followed him to the counter and the man nodded to everything she said.
It only took Darian twenty minutes to have it all paid for and set up for a delivery in two hours. As usual, money talks and bullshit walks.
Once more Lindsey found herself in a daze by the time they got back to the houseboat. Darian was all smiles when she greeted the guys who just finished the kitchen and bathrooms. Fox waited for her on deck and took the two bags from her instantly.
“You okay?” he asked, concern written all over his face.
“Your sister is nuts,” Lindsey stated, following him inside.
“How long have you known her and you only now figured it out?” he chuckled.
She couldn’t help but smile at the statement. Alex helped Fox bring the rest of the bags in then left. Darian helped her to unload the food, then they started talking about what to fix for a first meal in the new kitchen. Fox answered that with the statement of steak. Lucky for him they bought some.
Fox was outside with the grill, just about to put the meat on while Lindsey fixed a salad, put some rolls in the oven and Darian had just mixed up a large bowl of a potato salad when the delivery men came. Along with the large wrap around couch came a matching recliner. It took little effort from the men to bring it all on board and they even bolted it down where Fox told them. Lindsey suspected Darian paid extra for that.
One of the things that Lindsey ended up keeping from her old home was the kitchen table, and lucky for her it fit in the very large kitchen. An antique that belonged to her mother, passed down from daughter to daughter. Lindsey now was the fourth woman to own it.
For tonight, Fox told them only Darian and Dominic would be joining them for dinner. His parents needed some time alone with Lyssa to discuss her mate and the way she is handling things. Lindsey was fine with it and deep down wasn’t ready to be alone with Fox just yet. The idea of sex with him tonight had her jumpy to a point where she literally did jump every time Darian bumped into her.
“Are you okay?” Darian asked for what seemed like the millionth time.
Lindsey nodded and kept working on the meal, only to have Fox show up behind her, take hold of her arm, and lead her away down the hall to the master bedroom. He closed the door and she instantly felt caged.
“Calm down,” he said.
“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she managed to get out.
“Lindsey I know you well enough to know that something’s on your mind big time, and I’m going to take a guess and say sex.” Heat hit her face and she suddenly couldn’t look him in the eye. “Yep, I’m right. Listen, nothing is going to happen tonight.” That had her looking back at him. “We might know each other, but when it comes to this part of our relationship we’re starting all over. It will happen when it happens, okay?”
“But don’t you all do the sex thing when you mark?” She frowned. “You marked me but didn’t get to finish it, right?”
“Not all of us are animals, even though we have them inside us. I’m okay with waiting until we’re both ready to cross that line. For now, let’s just learn to share the same space.”
She didn’t realize she had been so tense until that moment, and he must’ve seen it. Fox pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight. Strangely enough the embrace comforted her instead of freaking her out.
“Now as to this, the holding, kissing, that kind of stuff, I make no promises.” That had her laughing short. “Come on and let’s get this meal on. I’m starving.” He pulled back, took her hand and together they walked out of the room.
She set the table with plates that Fox brought from her old home. Bread in a basket she set in the middle of the table, butter, salad and the rest of the meal. When Fox came back in with a plate loaded with eight steaks, Dominic came through behind him with a bottle of wine. Darian took it, kissed him, and opened the bottle, pouring it into glasses. They all sat down at the same time and dug into the meal.
Talking seemed easy then. Dominic told them about what was going on in the marina since they’d been storing boats for unpaid bills. How the word was getting around and other boat owners were showing up to check on their bills. He also told Fox to have his ass back at work in the morning, information passed along by this father. They had three boats needing repairs and Alex couldn’t handle all the work either. They could take the trip after those boats were finished.
That’s when Fox told her they were going to just get away for a few days, and she had to admit she liked the sound of it. When the meal was over, Darian helped clean up and then Dominic dragged her out right afterward. Fox took Lindsey’s hand and pulled her into
the bathroom. She stood in the doorway as he turned the water on in the tub.
“You soak and relax,” he told her. “I’ll finish what Darian left and we’ll call it a night. You look like your about to drop any second.”
She nodded, he left, and she undressed, and then sank her tired body into the hot water. Heaven! Lindsey stayed in until the water cooled, then she reluctantly got out, dried off and dressed in her long t-shirt. When she came out of the bathroom, Fox was also undressing and getting ready for bed. Their eyes locked, she swallowed hard, turned, and went about trying to do as much of her normal routine as she could. Drying her hair, sliding lotion on her legs, back to the bathroom to brush her teeth and then finally she was ready for bed. Taking a deep breath, she finished and went to the bed, slipping under the covers, back to Fox.
He didn’t try anything, like he promised. However, sometime in the middle of the night, she woke up and found him pretty much wrapped around her. The heat from his body woke her but she didn’t have the nerve to wake him up. So she snuggled back against him, closed her eyes, and went right back to sleep.
Chapter Ten
Two months had passed and Fox seemed to feel each day of those months right down to his bones. For the first few weeks they lived together, slept together, ate together, did pretty much everything together, but he hadn’t been able to finish his claim, and for the most part he was fine with it. She needed time to heal. However, that part of the relationship was starting to slowly drive him insane and he couldn’t tell Lindsey either. He made a promise to her that when that part of the relationship happened it would happen on its own, only Fox was starting to question that on its own part now. He started to feel like a man drowning and there wasn’t a damned thing that would save him either.
He went to work with Alex each day, kissing Lindsey goodbye, wishing he could stay home and just be with her. He could tell she was coming out of the shell Ben had put her in, and that her life with him was comfortable for her, which was good. But how to tell her he wanted more now? That is the part of it all which is driving him nuts.
“Dad did tell you that the longer you hold out the worst things will get, right?” Alex said to him the end of the second month of his living with Lindsey as a mated couple. Alex grinned at him and Fox wanted right then to pounce upon his brother. “Fox, you can’t keep doing this man. You’re going to snap soon.”
“I’m fine,” Fox told him in a low growl.
“Bullshit.”
No more was said about it. They finished fixing the boat, got it back on the water, and Fox called it a day at one in the afternoon. The urge to go home and just being in the same place as Lindsey overwhelmed him.
When he got home the place was empty. He didn’t mind, needed the quiet to get some control over himself once more. Straight for the bathroom he went, stripped, and took a cool shower. Afterwards, Fox put a pair of shorts on and headed back to the living room. Reclining on the couch, beer in hand and the television on, he tried to relax, but couldn’t. Everything in the place held her scent and it just added to a low fire he was desperately trying to hold down from building.
The beer didn’t help. He tossed the can in the trash, got a can of soda, downed it, and went back to a show he was only half paying attention to when Lindsey came home. Her arms were full of binders, and if he didn’t get up quickly and help her she would’ve dropped them all.
“What’s this?” he asked, putting them on the new coffee table in front of the couch.
“More books Dominic wants me to look over for your dad,” she answered. “You’re home early.”
“Yeah, seems I can only concentrate a little at a time.”
“Something wrong?” concern quickly spread across her face.
“You could say that,” he mumbled low so she wouldn’t hear.
Before he thought his action through, however, Fox had ahold of her wrists and jerked her quickly down onto his lap, straddling his hips, facing him. He didn’t think, only acted, and kissed her deep. A moan slipped out, his hands moving from shoulder blades down to the curve of her ass, holding her closer, pressing a pounding erection right into her. Lindsey stiffened in his arms and pulled back, breaking the kiss.
“Fox?” she breathed out.
But he wasn’t listening. He had to have something, even if it was no more than a small touch. Shifting on the couch he turned and had her under his body, lips pressing to hers once more. Both of her hands came up to his chest, but she didn’t push him away like he thought she might.
Fox moved a hand down her leg, back up to the knee where he pulled it up higher. Oh if they were only naked. He knew without a doubt he’d take her right then and there. As it was, they weren’t, and he had to content himself with touching only.
She surprised him when she kissed him back and that leg at the knee squeezed his hip a bit. It gave him some hope that she might be getting ready for the next step. So why not test the next step.
Hand at her waist, Fox moved it to the button of her jean shorts. A jerk, a tug, and he slid the zipper down and his hand went inside. Again she stiffened and he kept right on kissing her, deepening it, stealing away some of her inhibitions.
He didn’t go inside her panties, but Lord help him he wanted to. He wanted to feel the heat of her flesh, feel the wetness of her sex. For now, he settled on rubbing at the mound covered by thin fabric. He rubbed her, kissed down her jaw towards the mark on her shoulder, and rubbed his own body against her.
Making out is never a good idea for a shifter. One major reason is they never seemed to be able to just when the time came. Fox began to feel his control slipping and the animal need overtaking him. Pleased to feel her panties were soaked. His hand dove inside them. He touched her pussy, heard the gasp slip from her lips. Sliding one finger as deep into her as he could, he bit down on the mark at the same time. Instantly, she climaxed, and clamped down on his finger he kept deep inside her.
Fox groaned against her shoulder, shifted his body, and moved one of her hands down between their bodies over his shorts. He let her feel the hardness and tried to get her to rub it as he held onto her shoulder. She didn’t. Instead, she closed both hands over his wrists and tried to pull the hand out of her shorts. But Fox wasn’t ready to let it go yet, until someone knocked on her door.
Like cold water in the face, he let go of her shoulder, looked up and she managed to push him away. The look on her face told him enough. Lindsey still didn’t consider them a mated couple and that something like this happening was normal.
Her face paled and she rushed back to the bedroom, closing the door. Fox dropped down face first on the couch, and moaned out his frustration. Maybe, just maybe a few more minutes and he might have had her to a point where she couldn’t turn back.
The knock came again.
“What?” he yelled, sitting up and fixing himself so that the erection wouldn’t be so noticeable. The sliding doors opened and in came Darian. “You’ve got great timing.”
“Huh?”
Fox shook his head. “What do you want?”
“Dad is grilling chicken and wanted to see if you two wanted to come over. Later we’re taking Nick out for water skiing. He’s never done it.”
“Fine,” he rubbed his face and glanced down in the direction of the hall.
“Everything alright?”
“What do you think?” He stood up, not giving a damn right then if his sister saw the hard on or not. “I’ll tell Lindsey and we’ll be there soon.”
Not waiting to see if she left or not, Fox headed for the bedroom. Opening the door and walking in, Lindsey was just coming out of the bathroom.
“I’m sorry,” he rushed out before stopping himself. There was something about her that made him think he should handle things much differently. “I didn’t mean to attack you.”
“You didn’t attack me.” Her cheeks reddened. “Think it was just a matter of time before something like that happened.” He didn’t think it was possible for
her face to get redder and yet it did. “In fact, I think I kind of like it when you kiss me like that,” she stated with her eyes lowered.
Fox closed the distance, reached for her face, and lifted it to meet her eyes. “You like it, huh?” He grinned.
“Stop.” She twisted away from him and he couldn’t help but chuckle over the way she seemed so uncomfortable. They’d been living together for two months, you’d think she’d get used to their growing intimacy. “Who was at the door?”
Good change of subject. “Darian.”
“She still here?” Lindsey moved past him and out the bedroom. He followed. “What did she want?”
“Dad is grilling,” he answered. “Wants everyone over.”
“We’re going, right?” He saw the enjoyment in her eyes and for a moment wondered if she just wanted to go so they wouldn’t discuss what happened or chance it happening again.
The manner in which she looked at him, the way she asked the question, almost had Fox dropping to his knees before her and swearing to give her anything she wanted. It was in that very moment he knew, without a doubt, he was falling love with Lindsey. Why then, he couldn’t say. He only knew that he felt it. Felt the need to protect, to hold, and keep her close to his heart from here until his death.
“Yeah, we’re going,” he said. “Let me just change.”
Swallowing hard, Fox turned and went back to the bedroom. He moved slower than normal, but the knowledge of his feelings seemed to hit like a fist in the gut. Why he couldn’t see all of this before was still a mystery to him.
They left the boat, walked up to the house and around to the backyard to his family’s home. Darian instantly smiled and rushed up to them, taking Lindsey away with her. They started talking about lord only knew what. He took a cold beer from Alex and sat down in one of the lounge chairs, and watched Lindsey. It felt as if he was seeing her through new eyes.
Reluctant Heat Page 10
