“Okay,” I said. I thought I knew what she was getting at, but I needed her to spell it out for me. “That sounds nice.”
“Yes, so if Tiffany isn’t here, would you like to maybe come to stay the night? Here?” She paused while I contained my excitement and tried not to jump for joy in the middle of Main Street. “With me?”
“Sure,” I said, barely containing the joy in my voice. “I’d love to.” The thought of touching her again, her bare skin... Making her moan and orgasm. “I’ll be there after my shift.” The crack in my voice was purely coincidental. Not desire or anything at all. Nope.
“Perfect,” she whispered. “I’ll talk to you later.”
I said goodbye with a lump in my throat. Suddenly, the day was brighter. Cheerier.
Seconds after hanging up, my phone beeped the sound for a new email. I rarely got emails, since I opted out of everything imaginable. I glanced at the notification and the beautiful day got darker when I saw who it was.
The law school in California. I opened it and read a canned form type letter about scheduling a tour of the campus and links for articles that were supposed to help a person choose a school. One of them was what to pack for dorm life.
The email reminded me that there was a huge rock in my gut that I had to figure out. School here in Colorado, one county over? Or California, where I’d finally get a taste of real freedom?
But I’d be leaving Bethany behind to do so.
It was my turn for patrol, and I carefully avoided Bethany’s street. The words in the email form letter churned in my mind over and over.
I had the later shift, so I didn’t want to call Bethany when I got off. I sent a text instead. Hope you had a good day. Looking forward to tomorrow.
She didn’t respond, so I tossed and turned, going back and forth about the school, until finally, I fell into a restless sleep full of dreams I couldn’t remember once I woke.
I had the early shift the next day, so I rushed around as soon as the alarm went off and hurried to the station without calling Bethany. A few minutes into my shift—desk duty this time—my phone beeped with a message from Bethany. Sorry, I was exhausted last night. I’m looking forward to it, too! See you tonight. XOXO
Her message brightened my mood considerably, and as the day went on, I grew more excited. She surely meant that we’d take things further than we had the other night. She’d specifically asked me to spend the night. That didn’t mean watch a movie and cuddle.
I cut out a little bit early and headed to the only barbershop in town to get a professional haircut and shave. Nothing made me feel more like a man than having a straight-razor shave. As soon as the barber was done, I went home and showered, fixed my newly cut hair, and gave myself a pep talk in the mirror.
“Just because she invited you over for the night doesn’t mean you get to expect anything,” I told my reflection. “Take it slow. Take your cues from her. It’ll all work out. She’s your mate.”
Artemis growled his agreement. Mate.
Even though I’d had sex before, too many times to count, this time was the most special. The most significant. By the time I rang her doorbell and stood on her stoop with a single lily that I’d hastily plucked from my mom’s garden before coming to Bethany’s, my nerves were shot. What if I’d read it all wrong? What if she wasn’t ready for this?
Everything fizzled to a stop the moment she opened the door. She wore nothing but thigh-high sheer black pantyhose, a black lace garter, and a red lace and silk teddy. “Hurry,” she hissed. “I don’t want my neighbors to see.”
I rushed inside and she slammed the door. My gaze stayed glued to her body. “Holy shit, Bethany. You’re gorgeous.”
Artemis purred and growled in succession. Mine. Mate.
Bethany put her hands on my shoulders and stood on her tiptoes. “I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered in my ear.
My instincts took over as I claimed her mouth. The lily lay on the floor, forgotten, as I scooped her up into my arms and walked across the living room toward her bedroom door.
It was time to claim my mate, even if I couldn’t fully. Even if she didn’t it know yet, Bethany was mine.
13
Bethany
Excitement fizzed in my veins as Maddox strode through my apartment with me in his arms. I nestled against his chest, loving the safety and security I found there. His heart pounded under my ear, and a low rumble echoed briefly through him.
“You hungry?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
I giggled. “Well, your stomach is going crazy in here. All this grumbling and rumbling.”
“My appetite today is only for one thing.” Without pausing in his stride, he shifted my weight and pressed a kiss to my hair.
I shivered and melted closer to the heat of his body. “I like the sound of that.”
He pushed through my bedroom door and stood for a moment as he looked around the room. Thankfully, I’d tidied the house, throwing errant pairs of panties in the hamper and straightening the covers on my bed. I was a neat and clean person by nature, so there hadn’t been a lot to do, but at least there would be no surprises.
“Nice.” He nodded his head as I smoothed my palm over where his T-shirt covered his left pec.
“The bed is very comfortable.” My purr was only faux-seductive, and he knew it because he met my gaze with amused eyes.
“You
