Chloe looked at Ramsey and back at Cole. “If you think you can get through to him, I’d appreciate it. Just the thought of seeing him is enough to give me an anxiety attack these days. I’ve told him that he can spend as much time with the baby as he wants, but if he continues to act like this, I’m not sure I’ll be able to be around him at all.”
Cole didn’t miss the look, or the hand holding between Chloe and Ramsey. It seemed that Michael was going to miss out on his mate if he didn’t get his act together – and soon!
“I’ll see what I can do,” he promised.
***
Michael banged his head on the steering wheel of his Corvette. How could he have been so stupid? Every time he saw Chloe with Ramsey something inside of him twisted, and he just snapped. He knew he was pushing her away, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
He’d spoken the truth though. If she hadn’t moved out, then none of this would’ve happened. The moment she’d told him she was moving into the apartment at Ramsey’s, jealousy had raised its ugly head and he hadn’t been able to put the monster back in the box once it had been released. He hadn’t meant to yell at her that night, and looking back, he knew he should’ve paid for her hospital visit. But he’d just been so angry that he hadn’t been thinking straight. And now she wanted nothing to do with him.
He couldn’t really blame her. But he wished she hadn’t turned to Ramsey. She said she was only living in the garage apartment, but how stupid did she think he was? There was no way Ramsey was keeping his hands to himself. If their roles were reversed, he knew he wouldn’t.
Maybe he needed to leave her alone for a while. Maybe if he gave her some space, then she’d be willing to give him another chance. He just had to prove to her that he could be the man she needed, and he knew he could be that man. He’d give her some time and then he’d approach her again. Whether he liked it or not, that was the best thing for him to do.
***
After the party, Ramsey drove Chloe back to the house. She stared out of the window into the starry night. The moon hung full and heavy in the night sky. Chloe felt its hypnotic pull, as if it were calling to her. She wanted to close her eyes and bask in its beauty.
“What are you looking at?” Ramsey asked quietly.
“The moon. It looks so beautiful tonight.”
He grinned, pleased with her response. It seemed fitting that a werewolf’s mate would be as drawn to the moon as a wolf was. “It is beautiful.”
“Do you ever feel like it’s calling to you?”
“All the time,” he said softly.
“I’d love to have a garden one day; a beautiful garden full of scented flowers, especially ones that bloom at night.”
“What else would you have in your garden?” he asked.
“A hammock to lie in so I could enjoy the moonlit nights and a swing to enjoy the sunny days.”
“Sounds like you have it all planned out.”
“I’d also like to have one of those wooden play sets built for the baby. Well, when the baby is big enough to play on one,” she said with a smile.
Ramsey pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine. “Can I show you something?”
“Of course.”
He got out and walked around to the passenger side. Helping Chloe out of the SUV, he held her hand and walked her around to the backyard. When they came to a white picket fence, he pushed open a gate that hung on squeaky hinges. The yard was barren, no grass grew, and no plants were anywhere to be seen. It was merely a large dirt patch with a rickety old swing.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“At the moment it’s dead. But I think it used to be a garden, much like the one you just described.”
She turned to look at him. “What are you saying Ramsey?”
“If I bought the plants, do you think you could do something with this place? Make it like you described?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never had a place to plant anything.” She turned to survey the area. If she closed her eyes, she could see her vision come to life. Could she do it? It would be amazing to create something beautiful out of nothing. She’d always wanted a garden, but never having a house of her own, she’d been denied that pleasure. Now Ramsey was giving her the opportunity to make one of her dreams come true.
“I figure you can’t do any worse than I would. I’m more of a handyman. I can replace wood, and paint and stuff, but when it comes to flowers and such I’m pretty much a failure. I just thought you might be able to add some color and make it feel homey back here.”
Chloe stepped closer and looped her arm through his. “I’d be happy to give it a try. I’m not sure what I can plant during this time of year, but maybe we can get at least something in the ground.”
He nodded. “We can go to the nursery tomorrow and you can tell them what you want the place to look like. Maybe they can deliver something tomorrow afternoon.”
Chloe smiled up at him.
Pulling her closer, he cradled her face in his hands and bent his head to hers. His lips gently brushed against hers. He inhaled her scent and felt her arms go around his waist. With her rounded stomach pressed against him, and her soft lips opening under his, Ramsey lost himself in Chloe.
His tongue slid into her mouth, tasting her, delving into her warmth. His fingers burrowed into her hair, dislodging her clip, neither of them paying attention as it clattered to the ground.
Trailing his fingers down the column of her throat, he sought the fullness of her breast. When his thumb flicked across the hardened nipple, Chloe whimpered and pressed against him, wanting more.
His hand slid down the swell of her stomach to her thighs. Grabbing her dress, he lifted the hem and slid his hand underneath. His fingers skimmed the soft skin of her thigh and came to rest on her hip. When Chloe moved against him, pressing against his cock, he grinned against her lips.
Running his fingers along the top of her panties, he felt her straining against him. Slipping his hand inside of her panties, his fingers delved into the curls at the junction of her thighs. Parting her lips, he felt her dampness and groaned into her mouth. She was so wet and ready for him. Her clit was swollen and heavy. When he grazed it with his thumb, she gasped and jerked against him, taking one of his fingers part-way inside of her.
Ramsey groaned and buried his face into her neck. “Sweetheart, you are so sweet and so wet.”
“Ramsey, I…”
“Shhh. Just come for me, sweetheart.”
Ramsey continued to rub her clit with his thumb as he stroked in and out of her with his finger, driving her to a frenzy. When Chloe cried out her release, he felt her juices on his hand and gently nipped her on the neck.
Breathing heavy, he set her away from him and straightened her dress. “I’d better walk you up to your apartment.”
“But…”
He shook his head. “I’m not going to take advantage of you, Chloe.”
“Ramsey, I…”
“Chloe, I said…”
Chloe grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him to her. Going up on tiptoe, she kissed him hard, silencing whatever he was going to say. If he was going to have second thoughts, she didn’t want to hear them. She’d just had one of the best evenings of her life, Michael not withstanding, and she wasn’t about to let him ruin it.
“You can’t give me an amazing orgasm like that and then send me home, Ramsey. Didn’t we decide earlier this was a date?”
“There’s a difference in a date and you ending up in my bed.”
“And didn’t we say that if this ended up as a date that we would be dating each other? I believe we had a discussion along those lines this morning.”
“We did, and we also said it was too soon for this step,” he reminded her.
“What’s going to happen? It’s not like you can knock me up,” she quipped.
He chuckled. “I may not be able to get you pregnant, but I can decide I want to keep you.”
Chloe caressed his cheek. “Would that be so horrible?”
“Not to me. But you heard Cole tonight. He’s going to talk to Michael. What if he changes? What if he becomes the type of man you can depend on?”
Chloe shook her head. “I can’t plan my life, or my baby’s, on a bunch of what if’s. What I know is that you make me feel like a desirable woman, you seem to care about me, to care about what happens to this baby, and I want to be with you.”
“I guess I can live with that for now.”
“What exactly does that mean?” she wondered.
“It means that if you want to stay the night with me, I won’t stop you. But it also means if you change your mind, I won’t stop you from leaving… not today, tomorrow, or a week from now.”
“In other words, I’m still my own woman.”
He nodded. “You still belong to you and no one else.”
“What if I want to at least belong to you a little bit?”
Ramsey shook his head. “If I claim you Chloe, it’s going to be for good. It’s one thing to say we’re dating, but it’s another to say you’re mine. I don’t think you’re ready for that just yet.”
She studied him a minute, unsure of what to say or think. He seemed to be so complex at times. “I guess I can accept that.”
Moving back into his arms, she pulled his head down for another kiss. For at least one night, she wanted to feel special. She wanted to be loved, cherished… and she had a feeling that being in Ramsey’s bed would show her exactly what that felt like.
***
In the bedroom, Chloe felt a sudden case of shyness. She hadn’t been naked in front of a man since her time with Michael. No one had seen her naked, pregnant body except doctors. She hoped Ramsey wouldn’t be disappointed.
She kicked off her shoes and slipped out of her cardigan. When it came time to take off her dress, she hesitated. Ramsey was watching her with a heated expression. She could see the desire in his eyes and it warmed her from the inside out.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured as he moved closer.
Pulling her into his arms, he buried his hands in her hair. “Your hair feels like the softest silk,” he said as he rubbed the strands between his fingers.
He trailed his fingers along her jaw and across her bottom lip, watching as her nipples hardened through her dress. Gently running his fingers down to her shoulders, he slipped the straps of her dress down her arms. He reached behind her and slid the zipper of her dress down slowly, giving her time to change her mind.
Ramsey watched the rise and fall of her breasts with her rapid breathing. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips as he slid the dress down her arms, exposing first her breasts and then her stomach. She looked like a goddess standing before him.
Reaching for her white hipster panties, he slid them down her legs and let them pool at her feet. When she stood naked before him, he sucked in a breath.
“The word beautiful doesn’t do you justice,” he said in a husky voice.
Chloe blushed and coyly looked at him from under her eyelashes. She stepped closer and reached for the hem of his shirt. Tugging it free of his jeans, she lifted it over his head and let it drop to the floor. With his chest bare, she couldn’t contain herself. She allowed her fingers to skim the surface of his warm, firm skin. His nipples hardened under her fingertips as she glided over them, causing Chloe to grin.
Her hands drifted down to his pants. She unfastened his jeans and pushed them down his legs, surprised to discover he didn’t wear anything underneath.
Ramsey quickly stepped out of his shoes and jeans. Standing before Chloe naked, he allowed her to explore his body at her leisure. Her butterfly soft touch was driving him crazy.
Chloe hesitantly reached out and grasped his cock in her hand, gliding her hand along its velvety smoothness. She’d felt him outside in the garden and known he would be large, but she hadn’t realized how large. Now she worried that he might not fit.
Backing toward the bed, Ramsey pulled Chloe down on top of him. “Why don’t we try things this way? That way you’re in control and can stop if you get uncomfortable?” he suggested.
She smiled. “It’s like you read my mind. I was worrying that you might not fit.”
He chuckled. “Oh, I’ll fit sweetheart. I just don’t want to hurt you right now,” he said as he gently cupped her stomach with his large hand.
Chloe covered his hand with her smaller one. The intimate gesture almost made her cry. Leaning down, she kissed him gently, tracing his lower lip with her tongue. When he cupped her breasts, she moaned into his mouth and moved against his cock, feeling its head slip inside of her. Sitting up, she slid down the length of him, slowly taking the length of him inside of her.
“You feel so good, Ramsey,” she whispered.
“You feel good, too, honey.”
She slowly moved her hips, keeping a steady rhythm, feeling him slide in and out of her body. Feeling her orgasm building, she braced her hands on his chest and thrust harder against him, again and again. As she slid down the length of him over and over, her clit grazed against him, pushing her over the brink. Crying out as her orgasm spiraled through her, she continued thrusting against Ramsey until she felt warmth spread inside of her as he found his release.
Chloe fell limply across Ramsey’s chest, unable to move. Panting for breath, she stayed joined with him. She knew he probably wanted to go clean up, but she was just too exhausted to move.
“That was beyond amazing,” he murmured.
A smile curved her lips and she kissed his chest. “I would have to agree.”
He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. “Did you want to go rinse off in the shower before getting some sleep?”
She nodded sleepily against his chest.
He helped her into a sitting position. The movement was enough to reawaken his cock, but he did his best to ignore it.
Chloe looked at him with wide eyes. “Again?”
He chuckled. “Sorry, sweetheart. It’s been a while. I promise to behave though.”
Chloe eyed him like she wasn’t quite sure she believed him, but she stood up and followed him to the bathroom.
After they showered, they fell into bed. Chloe curled up on her side and Ramsey wrapped his body around her, pulling her into his arms. Chloe fell asleep smiling.
Chapter Fifteen
The next week passed in a blur. Ramsey and Chloe were inseparable, a fact that wasn’t lost on Michael. He noticed every touch, hug, and every kiss. He knew that if he didn’t do something soon, he'd lose her for sure. He just didn’t know what.
Cole had called and talked to him. He knew his behavior had driven Chloe away. Now he had to fix the mess he'd created. If he’d just allowed her to be herself, to be independent, then none of this would have happened. But no, instead he’d had to play the alpha male and he’d pushed her away.
He had no doubt that she was sleeping with Ramsey. The werewolf’s scent was all over her. Michael’s gut churned at the thought. He had no one to blame but himself and he knew it, but it hurt just the same.
There was only one thing he could do. Cole had won Marin by playing the part of the hero. Granted, a psychotic killer had been after her. And Gabriel had won Kiera by saving her from a vampire. So all he had to do was save Chloe; except he didn’t have anything to save her from – yet.
If he could just get Ramsey to go away for a little while, then maybe he’d have a chance. It wasn’t going to be easy, but maybe he could come up with something. There was no way Ramsey would leave Chloe unattended. He’d leave a wolf on duty. All Michael had to do was make sure he was that wolf.
***
Chloe couldn’t have been happier. She’d pretty much moved into Ramsey’s house. They spent every night making love and then lying in one another’s arms. It was what she’d always dreamed of.
She was in the kitchen cooking when the phone rang. Thinking it was Kiera, she smiled and answered, “Hello.”
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There was a pause on the line. “Is Ramsey there?” a female voice asked.
“Yes, may I tell him whose calling?” Chloe asked.
“Sabrina from Colorado,” came the clipped response.
“Just a minute.”
Chloe held the phone to her chest as she went in search of Ramsey. She found in him the spare room putting a cradle together that he’d purchased earlier that day.
“Ramsey, there’s a Sabrina from Colorado on the phone for you,” she said in the calmest voice she could muster. They’d talked about a lot of things, but Ramsey had never mentioned the women in his life prior to moving to Ashton Grove. She had to wonder if Sabrina had been one of those women, and if so, why was she calling?
He frowned, but took the phone from her.
“Sabrina? What do you want?” He paused to hear her response. “That’s not possible right now.”
Another pause.
“Yes, it has to do with the woman who answered the phone.”
Ramsey held the phone away from his ear as Sabrina screeched at him on the other end.
“There’s no reason for name calling, Sabrina. I told you when I left Colorado things were over between us. I thought you understood then that we were just dating. I’m sorry you felt it was more, but I’ve moved on in more ways than one.”
More screeching caused Ramsey to hang up the phone with a pained expression. He looked at Chloe apologetically. “I’m sorry about that.”
“Ex-girlfriend?” she asked hoping she didn’t sound as jealous as she felt.
“Yeah. Apparently things weren’t as clear between us as I'd thought they were.”
She nodded. “Well, I’ll just go finish dinner.”
Ramsey gently took her arm when she turned to go. “Chloe, wait.”
“It’s okay, Ramsey. You don’t owe me an explanation or anything. You had a life before you came here, before meeting me. And I had one before you.”
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