by P. Jameson
Annie rolled her eyes. “Of course I knew. Just because I haven’t been laid doesn’t mean I’m stupid.”
“How long have you known?”
“Since…” Crap. They weren’t going to like this. “Since before Ella tried out for Dirt Track Dogs.”
Punk’s eyes went wide, sending her brow jewelry into her forehead. “No fucking way.”
Ella’s jaw dropped.
“How,” Punk demanded.
Annie pursed her lips. Well, everything was going to come out now. Whatever. It was time.
“Look, okay. I’ve been doing life on my own for a while, and making it just fine. Maybe even been kicking… you know, ass. But it’s not easy. I don’t like being alone all the time.” It might seem obvious, but her friends didn’t know. She’d never let on that she was anything other than happy. “I want… more. Someone special. You get what I’m saying?”
They nodded.
“So, one day at the track, I saw Blister. He was working on a car. A DTD car, and he was in his own little world, not paying attention to any of those race chick posers that strut around. He was just… there. Taking care of business. And I don’t know why exactly, but I was attracted to him.”
“You never said anything,” Ella murmured.
Annie shook her head. “Why would I? He felt so far out of reach, and he never looked my direction. So… so I decided to make him look. You mentioned Drake and wanting to be part of the club, so I encouraged you. I figured if you were in, you could like, I dunno, introduce us or something. But then everything just went haywire. I realized what Blister was, and what you were, and…” Annie ended with a shrug.
“But how?” Punk pushed. “How did you know?”
Annie felt her face flame. “I… well, I followed him one day. I just wanted to see what he liked to do so I could find a way to talk to him. But… I might’ve, um, followed him into the woods. I saw him change. I saw everything.”
Both her friends stared at her like they didn’t even know her. She fidgeted under their shocked gazes. But then Punk busted out a disbelieving laugh. In fact, she doubled over laughing harder than Annie had ever seen.
“You… you stalked him?” She could barely get the question out between knee-slapping giggles.
“I did not.” Annie’s hand flew to her hips. “I didn’t mean to see it. I told you, I was trying to figure out how to get to know him.”
Ella grinned. “Aw, I think it’s sweet. Does he know how you feel?”
“Aw, hell no, Ella,” Punk said, sobering. “She used you. To get her foot in DTD. You gonna let that go unpunished.”
Ella waved her hand. “Who cares. I ended up with Drake. And you, with Beast. We kind of owe her, right?”
“Yeah, well it doesn’t really matter,” Annie said. “My diabolical plan didn’t work.”
Punk frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Yeah, Blister’s spending all his time here. What do you mean it didn’t work?”
Annie threw her hands up. “He doesn’t… you know… I don’t know. I’ve made it clear I’m interested, but he’s just… not, I guess.”
Something like realization flashed through Ella’s gaze and she gave Punk a sad look.
“What?”
“It’s his animal,” Ella explained. “No matter what Blister might think of you, if you aren’t his animal’s intended, he won’t be interested in a relationship.”
Annie shook her head. “Intended?”
“His intended mate,” Punk said solemnly. “Shifters have one true match. They seek them out and when they find them, they mate for life.”
“For life?”
Ella nodded.
Hope mixed with fear in Annie’s chest. She tried to smile. “Well, maybe… maybe I’m his,” she said quietly. It sounded wonderful. To have Blister’s devotion for the rest of their lives.
But the expression on Ella’s face crushed that dream soundly. Her smile was full of sadness. “When a male finds their mate, they pursue them. Aggressively. If you were his, he wouldn’t leave you alone. He’d want to claim you. Be by your side all the time.”
Annie went cold, her stomach clenching with despair. That wasn’t Blister at all. In fact, he was usually trying to get away from her.
She drew in a deep shaking breath, but it burned her lungs like acid.
“Okay.” Somehow she smiled, but she wasn’t fooling anyone.
“Ah no, Annie,” Punk groaned. “Don’t cry for him. Goddamn it.”
Annie shook her head. “I’m not, I’m not. I swear.”
It was a downright lie. She could feel the tears filling her eyelids no matter how much she silently cursed them to hell.
“Annie,” Ella cooed, holding her arms out.
Annie let Ella wrap her in a hug even though all she wanted was to cry it out in solitude. She was humiliated that she’d confessed everything only to come out looking like a fool. They must think she was crazy.
A door slammed and then she heard Punk’s angry voice. “Oh, you!”
Thwack, thwack.
“The hell?” Blister’s muttered curse brought Annie’s gaze up.
Punk smacked his arm over and over because he had it up to guard his face.
“Punk!” Ella yelled, and Punk finally stopped and took up pacing the small kitchen.
Blister looked around in confusion, and before Annie could hide her face, his gaze found her.
Fury and concern mixed into an odd expression as he stalked forward. “Angel?” he murmured.
“Angel?” Punk spat, but he ignored her.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” he demanded, somehow managing to untangle her from Ella’s grasp.
His thumbs tenderly brushed away her tears, but his gentleness just made more come.
“We should go,” Ella said, frowning.
“Go? Are you fucking serious?” Punk snapped.
“Yes. We should go. Right now.” Ella dragged Punk toward the door.
Annie squeezed her eyes shut. If they left, he would keep asking questions. She’d have to tell him the whole embarrassing thing.
She heard her friends speaking in hushed tones and then the door close. She was alone with him.
“Please.” There was no mistaking the barely contained edge in his voice. “Tell me what is wrong, Annie. So I can fix it. Seeing you like this… hurts.”
She pulled away, wiping her eyes and drawing deep breaths. Time to come clean. Dang, this was going to suck.
“I know what you are,” she began. “About your wolf. I’ve known for a while. But even before I knew, I wanted you. I didn’t know about mates though. Ella told me how you’ll only desire your intended. And I’m just… Blister, I’m really sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Confusion saturated his tone.
“That I didn’t realize you were waiting for your mate. That I wasn’t her. I’m embarrassed. That’s what these tears are.”
That and the fact that she’d totally fallen for a man that eventually would belong to someone else. It was official. She was the worst at love.
“I’m… I’m not waiting on my mate.” Blister pushed off the counter, walking away from her with both hands tangled in his hair.
Annie brushed her tears away, trying to focus on his words and their meaning, but she was baffled.
He spun, his gaze hard on her. “I’m going to fuck this up, do you understand that?”
She shook her head because no, she didn’t understand anything.
Blister took two strides toward her and stopped short, his fists clenched. He practically vibrated with tension. Like he was fighting himself and losing. “I have tried. So fucking hard. To keep you safe. To make sure I didn’t bring anything bad to your life. But how… how am I supposed to do that when you cry for me?” His voice broke at the end, hooking her heart like an ignorant fish merely wanting a worm. “No one’s ever done that,” he breathed. “No one’s ever cried for me. Why do you make this so hard? Why can’t you just ignore m
e like everyone else, act like I don’t exist?”
Annie straightened her shoulders, pushing her chin out. “Because you do exist. But if that’s what you want—”
“It’s not what I want,” he snapped. And his control broke as well. He closed the distance between them, bracing his arms on either side of her, trapping her against the counter. “I want to be perfect for you. My mate. I want to be everything you need. I want to make you happy. I want to claim you, make you mine. But I can’t do any of those things, Annie.”
Her heart thundered at his declaration, at his nearness. At the way his breath skated across her cheek and sent chill bumps up her neck.
“You could,” she said, with certainty. “You could do all those things and more if you wanted to bad enough.”
His gaze fell to her lips, and he murmured, “Is that what you think?”
Annie shook her head. “It’s what I know.”
“I want to kiss you. Could I do that?”
She nearly whimpered. “How bad?”
“Very bad.”
Raising an eyebrow, she dared him to prove it. She stared at his mouth. Watched his tongue as it slid along his lips, lingering in the corner where the scars from his cheek twisted his mouth.
With his hands still on the counter, he leaned down, slowly eviscerating the space between them until their lips touched. His kiss was soft. Careful. Sweet. Lingering. And beautiful, just like he was.
There was only one problem.
It wasn’t nearly enough.
Chapter Ten
She was sweet. So damn sweet. And he could hardly believe what he was doing. Her lips were satin soft and her breath was hot, bringing chills to his skin. His wolf sighed in relief, having finally had a taste, but knowing Blister wouldn’t let him have anymore. Nothing that could mar her. Nothing that would make her regret.
He eased back, already feeling the crippling effect of their separation.
Dear god, what had he done. What did she think? Did she hate the feel of his mouth on hers? Did she like it?
Shit, shit.
Annie’s breath came so fast her chest heaved, brushing against his with every inhale.
“If you hated that, it’ll destroy me,” he admitted on a breath he couldn’t catch.
But he barely got the whisper out before she flew at him, her soft lips latching onto his in a desperate connection. Her hands sifted through his hair, pulling at the strands to bring him closer while her tongue licked furiously at his mouth to make him open.
And he did.
Mother. Fuck.
Her tongue dove in hungrily, sweeping against his and tasting like pure seduction. His wolf growled as his arms banded around her waist, fusing her curves to his body. She fit so perfectly, but he wanted to focus on her hot, hot mouth. Her luscious mouth. Her beautiful mouth that was breaking him down lick by lick.
Lifting her by the waist, he set her on the counter, stepping between her legs. Carefully, he slipped his hands up her neck until he held her sweet face in his grip. Every sensation was magic. The softness of her skin against his calloused palms. The silkiness of her cheek as his thumbs brushed back and forth. She kissed him like she’d been starved for it, but he wanted to take his time. Savor every moment. Feel every fucking thing. Commit it all to memory. What happened when this kiss ended was anybody’s guess, but he’d damn well remember every detail.
Pressing his thumb under her jaw, he tipped her head back and worked her lips. Leisurely, seductively, pulling her lower one between his and sucking it gently, drawing a whimper from her that had his cock hard in an instant. Her grip on his shoulders tightened to the extreme.
“You like that,” he murmured in awe. Goddamn, he wanted to spend every moment of the foreseeable future learning what she liked, what made her moan like that.
He traced the tip of his tongue around her lips while her panting breath bathed him. The scent of her arousal filled the room until it was all he could smell. And it was heavenly. He needed… he needed to take care of her. He had to satisfy that arousal, damn it. She needed him. His mate needed what only he could give her.
Yes. Yes.
He’d pleasure his angel. Make her moan like she did in his dreams. Make her feel so good.
Placing soft kisses at the corner of her mouth, he nibbled, making his way across her jaw to the tender skin beneath her ear where he nuzzled, breathing deep to imprint her scent.
Mine. Fucking mine. Always.
Trailing kisses to the base of her neck, he was lost in how smooth her skin was when she let out a deep moan and her palm landed on his cheek, caressing gently.
It should have been wonderful. It should have felt miraculous. But it was the wrong cheek. It was the side he hated. The side that reminded him of how much he’d failed the ones he loved. How he’d fail Annie if they kept going.
He snatched her wrist, pulling her hand away. “Don’t touch it.”
Her hooded gaze widened and turned into a frown. “Why? Does it hurt?”
Blister shook his head.
“Then why can’t I touch you?”
Stepping back, he put some space between them. “I don’t want you thinking about it. I don’t want to think about it. If you touch it, we’ll think about it.”
“It? Your scars are not a thing, Blister. They’re not like a phantom limb or something. They’re just part of you. And I want to touch you.”
Blister frowned as her hand rose slowly. Could he let her? It was risky.
“What if…” Damn it, how could he ask her without sounding pitiful? But he had to know. “What if they disgust you?”
Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him in shock. “Is that what you’re worried about?”
He couldn’t respond. He could barely breathe wondering what her answer would be.
“Trust me, Blister. Okay?”
He was stiff with trepidation but he managed to nod.
Slowly, she lifted her hand to cradle his marred cheek and she scooted to the edge of the counter to get closer. He leaned in, relishing the sweetest touch. But she topped it when she brought her cheek to his, rubbing and nuzzling the ruined skin there. Worshipping it as if it was something beautiful.
“I’ve been waiting so long for this,” she whispered in his ear just before dropping kisses along his jaw.
The way she adored his flaw… it cracked his heart wide open. His hand tightened on her hip, desperate to keep her there.
“Annie,” he groaned in warning.
If she didn’t stop, he wouldn’t be able to keep from taking her. And if she did, he’d die of desolation.
“Yes?” She continued kissing his face, her hands running through his hair as if it was their new home. “Is it okay? Does it feel good?”
“Fucking wonderful,” he murmured, getting lost in the feel of those plush lips on him.
She pulled back to give him the sexiest smile he’d ever seen. His heart pounded. His smiley little angel. She amazed him.
He dove for her lips, capturing between his, forgetting about any shame he’d had before. How could he feel ashamed when she’d so thoroughly crushed any hint of discomfort at his appearance.
As he kissed her, learning her mouth more fully, his fingers flirted with the hem of her shirt, wanting what was beneath but still not sure of what he was doing. With his thumb, he slid underneath, sweeping along the skin of her waist.
Fuck it. He wanted her body bared to him. Wanted to feel her everywhere.
“I need this shirt off of you,” he grunted, trying to figure out the fastest way.
Rip it. Yes, that was it.
It was an easy thing, as he gripped the thin cotton collar in both hands and tore it straight down the middle revealing her heavy breasts cupped in blue satin. His mouth went dry at the sight.
Annie gasped and the scent of her arousal exploded around them. Blister cupped her through the fabric, circling his thumb over the hard bud of her nipple. Every touch made his stomach clench in longing,
made his cock hard as steel. He brought his head down to kiss the supple curves, and she groaned.
“When’s the last time someone touched you like this?” he whispered against her skin.
“Never,” was her breathed answer.
Lifting his head, he stared hard at her. “Never?” It seemed impossible. His mate was so gorgeous, and he wasn’t a fool. Not once did he imagine she was untouched. Just like him.
Her expression darkened, and she ducked his gaze, shaking her head.
Her reaction had him pausing. There was something there. Some insecurity.
“Why is that?” he demanded, keeping his voice gentle.
The only response was her biting her lip.
“Mate, talk to me.”
She lifted her gaze, and he hated what he saw there. Fear. She was afraid to tell him. Shame. He knew that feeling intimately.
“I don’t know,” she said. “No one ever wanted me like that.”
Impossible.
He shook his head, running his hands over her curves again, his eyes following the path.
“They’re crazy, you know that right?”
She didn’t answer.
“You are gorgeous, angel. But I’m glad they didn’t see it, because now you’re all mine.” He palmed her breast, squeezing to drive his point home.
Annie whimpered, pushing her chest further into his hand.
“I want you,” he murmured, in case she didn’t get it. “I want to take you. Make you cry in pleasure. I want to show you what I’ve been holding back all this time. I want to give you all, and take it all. Tear down every wall between us. Built up new ones that can never be taken down. I want you, Annie. I need you. Let me have you.”
Every word made her breath hitch.
“What,” her voice was strangled with emotion that he could feel clearly through their fragile mating bond, “are you waiting for?”
What the fuck was he waiting for? She was his. He’d wait no more.
In a quick move, he slid her off the counter, setting her feet on the floor, and grinding his erection into her waist so she’d know the extent of his need. He slid his fingers beneath the waistband of her jeans and popped the button.
“Not here,” she gasped, her gaze cutting to the backdoor. “Take me upstairs.”
