Wednesday he was helping a friend move from the apartment complex Ben also lived at to Togan. Thursdays he met with a group of shifters for basketball in the evenings, after which they all headed down to Dean’s bar, Thirio’s Keep, for some food and beer. This Thursday he was on the roster to work with Jack and the juveniles, teaching them the dos and don’ts of hunting in wolf form.
Friday he was back at the ski lodge, after which he’d told his mom he’d come by to replace all the interior door knobs and faucets with levered handles. She said her arthritis was making it difficult to turn the round knobs, but Ben figured it was more of a way to get him to come see her.
Saturday was work, followed by Tess’s wedding. A jam-packed week and somewhere in all that bullshit he had to find time to protect, seduce, and claim his mate. He also had to explain who he and a good portion of those she’d so far encountered in Woodcliff were, without making her run screaming for the hills or insisting he see a psychiatrist. But just how does one go about telling his mate that he’s not one hundred percent human?
So, Will, just wanted to let you know that I turn into a wolf once a month. Well, sometimes more often, if the situation calls for it, but hey, so do a lot of others in town.
Somehow he didn’t think that would go over well.
A headache began to brew above his left eye and he cursed again.
Oblivious to the real reason behind Ben’s verbal venting, Rome nodded. “It’ll be tough but I have faith in you. In all of you.”
Ben didn’t know if he wanted to bash Rome’s head in at the pep talk, or drown himself. Luckily he did neither, as the sound of squeaking hinges preceded Willow’s return. She looked at him and offered a shy smile.
And just like that, everything inside him eased. Here was his mate, that special female that male shifters long for their whole lives, and she was within his reach. He couldn’t be more delighted with her. She was an intoxicating, tangled mix of sweet, shy, funny, outgoing, serious, smart, beautiful, and brave. He’d be amazed at all her adorable facets the rest of his life.
“Oh. My shorts.”
He followed her gaze to his chest, noticing that he’d lifted a hand—the one holding her shorts—to his heart to rub at the sudden ache.
He jerked his hand down but her eyes remained fixated on his chest. The look in them had his libido roaring back to life after the last few minutes of ice-cold reality. She appeared almost mesmerized. Ben heard the beating of her heart picking up speed, and it made him want to preen like a damn peacock. Then the tip of her pink tongue swept out to lick her lips, and he nearly groaned out loud.
The mating heat was in full, blazing force, the enticing scent of her arousal growing stronger with each passing day. Even now, despite her recent orgasm, he could tell she was getting stirred up again. Rekindled desire tickled his senses, lifting his face with invisible hands to savor the lavender and orange of Willow’s unique essence, sprinkled with the captivating musk of pure aroused woman.
It made him damn near salivate to taste the slick honey between her thighs once again. And while he had a hard-on to surpass any hard-on in the history of hard-ons, now was not the time.
But soon.
Relieved he still held onto the towel, he fisted the end of the terry material and let it drape over the front of his groin.
Inwardly he calculated, juggled, and made plans. Outwardly he crossed to Willow in lazy steps—otherwise he might do permanent damage to one of his favorite appendages—and handed her the shorts. “How about Wednesday I come pick you up around seven, and this time we’ll try the gym and Jacuzzi to work your muscles.”
“Oh...”
He saw the indecision in her eyes and thus held out the carrot. “I’ll make sure we have the place to ourselves.”
Clearly baffled, Willow angled her head, causing several strawberry-colored strands of silken hair to fall over her eyes. “How is it that you can get these places emptied out? I know it’s for protection reasons and to ease my own discomfort, but aren’t you displacing a lot of people?”
Ben brushed her wayward bangs from her eyes. “Caring people don’t mind being displaced if it’s for a good reason.”
“Still—”
Ben silenced her protest with his lips, kissing her with a hunger and possessiveness his wolf was clawing at him to sate. Now. His hand curved around her nape, holding her captive as he stroked his tongue deep into the moist cavern of her stunned mouth. Just as she started to melt, he drew back, satisfied by the glaze of passion in her eyes. “Seven. Wednesday. Bring workout clothes and a swimsuit.”
“All right.”