by Milly Taiden
“Perfect. If you will wait here I will get the car and we can be off.” Carly nodded and moved to stand beside the front door, out of the way of the customers coming and going.
She quickly found herself too restless to stay still and walked out the front doors to take in the fresh air and the beautiful night sky. The stars were out in all their breathtaking glory and she couldn’t resist spending a few moments looking up at them.
When she was little, she had always thought her mother lived among the stars. She used to make a wish every night that her mother could see her and know how happy and healthy she was. Most of all she wished her mother would know how much she loved and missed her.
She’d spend hours talking to the stars, telling them of her adventures, and complaining of her father as children often did. Whenever she saw a shooting star, it was proof that her mother was listening, she thought. Some days she wished she could go back to the innocence of childhood.
“Don’t scream and you won’t get hurt,” a cold voice whispered in Carly’s ear. She tensed and glanced around in the hopes that Ralph or someone would help her.
“Walk towards the alley with me, nice and slow.” The hand gripping her arm tightened slightly and nudged her in the direction he wanted her to go.
“Are you out of your fucking-”
“Shut up or I’ll make this more painful than it has to be,” the guy said with what sounded like humor. He was enjoying trying to scare the shit out of her.
“Ma’am. You didn’t sign the check. We need you to come back in and rectify this immediately.” At the first words out of the man’s mouth the guy holding her arm let go and took off at a run. Carly sprinted back into the building and into the arms of the man who had helped her.
“Thank you so much!” Her heart hammered in her throat and for a second she thought she’d throw up.
“Are you okay? Do you want me to call the police? I saw him grab you. You looked scared. It was the only thing I could think to do. I am so glad it worked.”
“No, police. He will be long gone and I didn’t see him enough to make an ID. I’m fine, but thank you, just a bit shaken. That was quick thinking. I can’t thank you enough!”
The restaurant employee shook his head with a grimace. “He didn’t turn around, so I wasn’t able to get a look at him either. I am afraid I won’t be of much help either.”
“That’s okay, will you just wait with me until my date brings the car up. I know he is gone, but I am not ready to go out there alone right now.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t dream of letting you go outside alone anyway. Is that your ride?” At Carly’s nod the gentleman escorted her to the car and opened the door before Ralph could come around to her side.
“What’s going on? Everything okay?” Ralph’s rapid fire words, let her know he sensed something was amiss.
“I’ll fill you in on the way to my place.” She turned and thanked her rescuer and again thanked him for his timely interference. “I will be calling and letting your manager know what a great service you performed tonight.”
Carly told Ralph the whole short story on the trip back to her place. He was very upset that she hadn’t called the police, but she finally convinced him it wouldn’t have done any good. The man was long gone, and no one had seen him. She just wanted to get home and relax behind her locked door.
Ralph grudgingly agreed and when they pulled up to her house, he walked her to the door and offered to come in and look around. She thanked him, but assured him it was a random attack and she wasn’t worried about going inside alone.
She believed it herself until she shut the door and was all alone.
FIFTEEN
Bastien paced the small confines of the kitchen while he tried to explain his plans for his date with Carly to Luna. He wanted to make sure everything was as perfect as he could make it. Carly deserved that, well if he was honest, she deserved more than he could ever give her.
“Bastien, honey, you need to relax. You are making me nervous with your incessant pacing and mutterings. Come, sit and drink this tea I made for you. It will help you calm down.” Bastien scowled at Luna’s musical laughter as he complied with her demands.
“I just want it to be perfect, you know.”
Luna smiled. “Of course I do. If you would tell me what it is you have planned, maybe I can give you some peace of mind. If left to your own devices, you will drive yourself mad second guessing yourself and scrap the whole plan. I know you, Bastien.”
He smiled bashfully and nodded his head in agreement. She was right, she did know him too well it would seem. He had been thinking of scrapping the whole stupid idea. What did he know of wooing a woman? No, not a woman. His woman, his mate, his everything.
He spent the next half hour explaining his plans, and getting advice on anything that he wasn’t sure about. He wanted this to be perfect, and to show her he really did care.
Luna came around the kitchen island she had been leaning on and wrapped her arms around Bastien. “I have never been as proud of you as I am at this very moment. I can honestly say your mother and father would be so proud of the man you have become.”
Luna leaned back and wiped the tears that poured from her eyes. “I have no doubt in my mind she is going to love everything you have planned for her tonight. You are going to make a fantastic mate for Carly.”
He blushed at her words. She was as much a mother to him as his own had been. When his parents passed away, she had been there and not a second had passed in all these years that he wasn’t grateful for her.
“I guess I should get things set up and ready to go. I don’t want anything to get messed up because I rushed or waited too long.”
“Have you called her today? It might be a good idea just to check in and make sure everything is still good on her end. She might be getting nervous or doubting things, but all it would take is a call from you to get her excited.” Luna winked at him as she nudged him out the door of her house.
“Wait, stop pushing me, woman. Answer me one thing. Why would she have doubts? I don’t understand.”
“You will never know what it’s truly like to live in this world with people who look at us curvy women and ridicule and make us doubt ourselves. Call her, don’t let her forget how much you want to see her. I promise it will make her day.”
He found himself nodding in agreement as Luna shut the door in his face. He was stunned. What had just happened? He knocked on Luna’s front door and waited. He knocked again and she still didn’t answer. He was contemplating using his key, but was interrupted by the ringing of his cell. Bastien pulled the phone out and looked at the caller ID in consternation. “Why won’t you answer the damn door?” he growled into the phone at Luna.
“Don’t growl at me, young man. You march your furry hide to the car and go. Don’t stand outside my door and ask questions when you have work to do. Oh, and you better call Carly as soon as we hang up. I am not kidding here, Bastien.”
He pulled the phone from his ear and stared at it in shock. Luna had hung up on him. What was going on today, was everyone going insane? He debated on calling Carly now or waiting until later in the day. He didn’t want to disturb her at work, but at the same time, Luna’s word kept replaying in his mind.
After the nights they had spent together would Carly really doubt he wanted to be with her? She was an amazing woman, beautiful, sweet, and so loving. On top of that, she was hotter than anything he had ever seen. She could make him pant and worship at her feet with a single request from her supple lips. He couldn’t go another second letting her think or even start to think anything so ridiculous.
He paced back and forth in front of his car and waited, counting the rings and getting more and more anxious the higher the total came. Carly’s voicemail finally engaged and he was left stuttering, he hadn’t planned on this and now he wasn’t sure what to say to her.
“Yeah, um, hi, Carly. It’s Bastien. I… hope you are having a good day at work a
nd I was just calling to confirm we are still on tonight. I will pick you up like we previously agreed after work. Okay, call me if there are any problems, otherwise I will see you in a couple hours.”
He hung up the phone and cringed at how stupid he must have sounded. He hated those things, but they were a necessary evil. Hopefully, she would forgive his ramblings. He didn’t have time to worry about it if he wanted everything to be perfect for tonight and pick her up on time.
He climbed into his car and contemplated his first steps. Tonight would be a night Carly wouldn’t forget. He was making sure of it. As he drove back to his house, he ran through the checklist to make sure he had everything he needed. The trick was going to be in the timing. He had a plan for that too. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he reached Garrett.
“I need your help. You have any plans tonight?” Bastien said into the phone as Garrett picked up.
“Well, hello to you, too. I’m fine, thank you for asking.” Garrett’s sarcastic words brought a chuckle to his lips.
“Sorry. Hey, how’s it going? Having any stalker issues lately?”
“Shut the hell up, I wish I had never told you about that chick at the wedding. You are worse than a dog with a bone.”
“Okay, okay I’ll let it go for now, but only cause I need your help tonight. So are you free or not?”
“Yeah, I’m free. What can I do for you?”
“I have a date tonight and I need to make it special.”
“Say no more, bro. I got you. Tell me when and where and I will come sweep her off her feet for you.”
“Don’t even think of it, jackass. She is mine.” Bastien couldn’t contain the menace in his growled words. He knew Garrett joked with him like this all the time, but it was different now. This was his mate he was talking about.
“Whoa, dude. I didn’t mean anything. It’s all good. I swear. What do you need?”
“Just chill with this one for me. She is special. She is my mate. I have to convince her though. That’s why this has to go right.”
“Say no more, just tell me what I need to do and I will be all over it.”
Bastien sighed in relief. Things were going to work out just fine now. “Right now, the best thing you can do is keep me from driving myself insane.”
SIXTEEN
The hours dragged by for Carly, the lack of sleep from the night before combined with the tedious demands of the job had her cranky and out of sorts. Every time she had closed her eyes the night before she would dream the guy had managed to kidnap her.
The nightmares left her drained and frazzled. By the time lunch rolled around, she’d had enough. She explained the situation to Toni and went home. If she didn’t get some sleep soon, she would be worthless on her date with Bastien, and truth be told she was too excited to let anything screw it up.
The ringing of her cell woke Carly a few hours later. “Hello?”
“Carly? Are you okay?”
Carly came wide awake as she registered the caller’s voice. “Bastien, yes, sorry. I’m okay.”
“Are we still on for our date?”
Date? What time was it? She couldn’t have slept that long could she? Carly rolled over and looked at the clock on the nightstand next to her bed and groaned at the sight. “Shit. I am so sorry. I came home to take a nap, I didn’t sleep last night. If you can give me twenty minutes I can be ready and back at work.”
“No, it’s okay. I will come there and pick you up. I was calling to let you know I was running a few minutes late anyway. Traffic’s been a pain in the ass. I can be at your place in about forty minutes.”
Relief flooded Carly. That would be plenty of time to get showered, shaved, and into some date clothes. “That’s perfect. Anything you can tell me so I know how to dress for tonight?”
Bastien chuckled wickedly in her ear. “I’d prefer you didn’t dress at all, but if you have to cover that gorgeous body of yours, then wear comfortable casual clothes. Things that if they happen to get dirty you won’t care too much. If it helps I am wearing blue jeans and a polo.”
“I think I can rustle something up in that case. I have to go now so I can get ready. I will see you in a few.”
Carly hung up and rushed around the room getting her things together. Forty minutes was going to be cutting it close, but she could make it happen. She was a woman on a mission.
Exactly forty-two minutes later, her doorbell rang. Carly had to take a deep breath and count to twenty otherwise she would rush to the door and seem too eager. She missed her big bear, and she couldn’t wait to see him.
Carly opened the door, damn Bastien looked good enough to eat, even in just jeans and a polo.
“You don’t stop staring at me like that, we won’t get out of your front door. Not sure your neighbors need to see me make you scream in pleasure like that.”
Carly blushed and stepped back, allowing him to enter. “Hi,” she said in a breathless tone. She had forgotten how he could affect her so quickly with that male phone-sex operator tone he used sometimes.
Bastien crowded Carly until she had to let go of the door and back up a step. He pushed the door closed and took a step closer, never taking his eyes away from hers. “You look beautiful. If we didn’t have someplace to be, I would make sure you screamed until the neighbors called the cops complaining about the noise ordinance.”
Carly couldn’t catch her breath, his words left her aching and in need for him. She bit her lip and stared up at him from the beneath her lowered lashes.
He leaned and pressed his nose to her neck. “I can smell your need for me and it’s almost making me lose control. Go get your purse and whatever else you need. I will be outside, if I stay in here with you, we won’t leave until tomorrow… If you are lucky.”
She couldn’t hold the whimper in as Bastien turned and left her leaning on the wall for support. She wasn’t sure her legs could hold her any longer. Carly slowly came back to her senses and rushed to grab her coat and oversized purse and headed to meet her date and the only man to ever make her crave his touch.
“Is that your purse or a suitcase?” Bastien tried to hide a smile as he opened the door to his truck and helped Carly climb in.
“It’s a purse, Baloo. A woman always carries everything she could need in her purse.”
“What type of stuff could you possibly need that you have a bag that big? And did you just call me Baloo?”
Carly busted out laughing at Bastien’s irate tone when he questioned the name she used.
“Yes, I did. You don’t like Baloo?”
“Hell no, I don’t. Last time I checked, I wasn’t a singing, dancing bear.”
“Okay, no Baloo. So, where are you taking me?” Carly couldn’t contain the laugh as he rolled his eyes at the name again.
“It’s a surprise. Just sit tight and enjoy the trip, babe.” He winked and pulled out his phone. She could only hear his side of the conversation and it left her with more questions than answers.
“Hey.” He paused as he listened to whomever answered the phone. “Yeah, yeah. I hear you. We are on our way.” Bastien grunted and then hung up.
“You do have a way with words don’t you?”
He chuckled and glanced at her before returning his attention to the road. “How’s your week been since I saw you last?”
“I can tell you the highlight was those cupcakes, and the message. You seriously made every woman in the office jealous of me. You were given automatic keeper status, they didn’t even care what you did. You deserved forgiveness they said.” She giggled at the way his chest puffed up. “And I was warned that if I didn’t want you they could easily make my death look like an accident and keep you for themselves.”
“It’s good to know a little ingenuity and thoughtful planning can go a long way.”
“You sent cake, and not just any cake. The most delicious cakes to a bunch of woman nearing the end of a busy week. You are their hero, Corduroy.”
&
nbsp; “I haven’t lost a button, but I am willing to let you look if you want. The only button I have on currently is on my jeans though. Want to take a closer look for me?” He waggled his eyebrows at Carly’s blushing cheeks.
“I thought I might have had you on that one. I loved the story of Corduroy Bear when I was growing up.”
“I did, too. My mom used to read it to me before bed when I was a small cub.”
“I always dreamed of having my mom do those kinds of things for me.”
“Why didn’t she, was she too busy or something?”
She sighed and shrugged. “I was raised by my father, and his girlfriends, I guess you’d say. I never really cared for them. They didn’t seem to care for me, either. To be honest, they had an issue with my size. I let them put their insecurities on me, until I started believing them. I know if my mom had been around she would have loved me no matter what.”
SEVENTEEN
Carly smiled at him as he growled in frustration at her words. She reached over and ran her hand down his arm. If his knuckles grew any whiter with how hard he was clutching the steering wheel, he was going to break it.
“They were fucking idiots. You are so damn perfect just the way you are. I have enough trouble controlling myself around you. Every time a guy even glances in your direction, I want to tear them limb from limb. Carly, you make my every fantasy come to life.”
“Are we almost to our destination?”
He glanced at Carly quickly before looking back to the road. “Yes, why? Is something wrong?”
She bit her lip and blushed at the concern she heard in his voice. “No. Nothing’s wrong. I just have this overwhelming urge to kiss you and I don’t know how long I can restrain myself.”
“Oh no, that isn’t going to be happening. Tonight I am going to show you what a gentleman I can be. There will be none of that hanky panky, even if you beg me.”
“Say what?”
He nodded solemnly then grinned wickedly. “I plan to ensure you see what a well behaved man I can be. That it’s not all hot, dirty, sweaty sex with me cuming all inside your pussy.” He winked. “Or ass.”
