Chapter 19
Casey
I tossed and turned in bed but couldn’t find a comfortable position. It wasn’t just the incident with Theo and Bastien on the boardwalk that kept me awake—although that was more than enough to make me lose sleep—nor the fact that my wolf was still urging me to be with Bastien. What really bothered me was a gut feeling that something wasn’t right.
I hauled myself out of bed and went to check on Theo. He was fast asleep in his room, his red and blue cartoon comforter pulled up around his ears. I could hear his slow, steady breathing. He was peaceful.
In the living room, the light of the three-quarter moon was enough to see by. My mother’s azalea bush sat happily in its pot on the balcony, soaking up the moon’s rays. Nothing was out of place, and I couldn’t hear anything—not even a car on the road.
But that wasn’t enough to send me back to bed, so I went downstairs to inspect the shop. The town didn’t get much crime, but I was still cautious. It never hurt to check that I hadn’t forgotten to lock the door.
The deadbolt was firmly in place, and the street looked empty. As I was about to go back upstairs, I felt a prickling sensation on the back of my neck. Someone was watching me. Tensing, I slowly turned around, and my stomach dropped. There was a figure at the door. Somebody tall, with broad shoulders.
This guy will be sorry he chose my store to rob tonight .
I crept toward the door, waiting for him to act, but he didn’t move. Frowning, I leaned closer, and by the light of the moon, I caught a glimpse of his face.
Bastien?
He jerked back when he spotted me but didn’t turn away. I unlocked the door and opened it. His shoulders bunched around his ears, and he slid his hands deep into his pockets.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
And why am I not creeped out right now?
“I don’t know,” he said, his voice faint. Something was wrong—I could see it in the set of his jaw. My heart clenched.
“Come in,” I said, widening the door.
Despite how things ended between us, I couldn’t just leave him. Especially after today at the boardwalk. I owed Bastien that much.
He walked in, his shoulders stiff and his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were bone-white. Anger radiated off him, but somehow, I knew it wasn’t directed at me. There was agony in his expression, and his eyes were filled with pain.
I locked the door behind him but didn’t turn on the lights. It didn’t feel right to illuminate whatever this was.
Bastien kept his eyes on the wall. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” I replied, wondering what this was all about.
“The day that I made you leave the pack—”
The memory of his accusations and my humiliation still stung, but far less than before.
“What about it?” I asked. I didn’t want to rehash the past.
“You said you didn’t know anything about my claims,” he continued, unable to look at me. “Did you collude with Kildaire to seduce me? To force me to accept the mate bond?”
I remained offended that Bastien thought I would do something like that. He hadn’t wanted to believe me then, but maybe he would now.
“I didn’t collude with Kildaire. I wasn’t trying to seduce you at all. I just—” I took a deep breath. “I wasn’t thinking about the mate bond. I only wanted you.”
Bastien’s shoulders sagged, and he buried his face in his hands.
“Fuck, I’m so stupid,” he mumbled.
I could have told him that. But my residual anger wasn’t as strong as my concern. I walked up to Bastien and hovered next to his shoulder.
“What’s this about?” I asked.
He glanced up, his eyes shuttered. “I’m sorry,” he said, swallowing hard. “I should have believed you.”
I wasn’t sure I was ready to accept the apology. “You should have.”
“I found the ex-pack member I’ve been looking for,” he explained. “He told me a bunch of stuff that made me realize how fucked up Kildaire is. Did I ever tell you about how my parents died?”
“Not really,” I said. “You mentioned that your father died protecting the pack.”
His mouth twisted into a grimace.
“That’s what I was told,” he said, his voice flat. “Turns out Kildaire sent him and his team to die on purpose because they didn’t like how he ran things and wanted change. Then, Tobias poisoned my mom—the last person who opposed him. I grew up thinking she died of a broken heart. I believed she couldn’t live without her mate, and the bond killed her. That her love for me wasn’t enough.”
Grief for what Bastien had been through hit me square in the chest. Was it any wonder he didn’t want a mate after what he went through? My parents had been fated mates, too. I’d seen how much it hurt my dad to lose Mom, but he’d spent the rest of his life making sure I felt loved. Bastien lost both of his parents, and his Alpha lied to him.
“Oh, Bastien,” I said, wrapping my arms around his large frame and holding him close. “I’m so sorry.”
He stiffened, his body going rigid against me, but didn’t pull away.
“I don’t deserve your sympathy. Not after what I did to you,” he said, his words dripping with remorse.
My heart lurched. I might have agreed with him if he’d said that a few weeks earlier. But finding out about his parents—and his help with Theo on the boardwalk—had shown me a different side of him and softened my resolve. He’d had nothing to gain from staying with us and ensuring I was okay after the scare. Despite how he’d hurt me, I knew he was a good man. It didn’t erase what happened, but it meant something.
“You don’t deserve what happened to you, either,” I pointed out.
I stroked his back, and a shudder ran through him. It was nice to touch him again. It soothed my wolf side and brought me comfort. It felt like I was supposed to be there.
Memories of our night together flashed through my mind, and this time, they were welcome. I remembered the pleasure he’d given me, how his lips and hands had touched my breasts, the sweet pleasure of him sliding into me. I wanted to experience that again.
Bastien leaned back so we could see each other’s faces. His sadness had been replaced by hunger, and desire ignited in my core.
He bent down to kiss me, and I met him halfway. He cupped the back of my head, deepening the kiss, and I let him. Suppressed need rose within me like a flash flood as Bastien backed me against the counter, his hands roaming over my body, never resting anywhere for long.
I caressed his back and chest. He’d been muscular before, but now, he was bulkier than ever. His body was solid stone, yet he touched me with such gentleness. I needed more.
I knew I shouldn’t open that door again, especially when I wasn’t ready to forgive him. My heart remained caged, but I wanted to feel his desire once more. I deserved that. After all the pain, I wanted to feel good. I hadn’t been with anyone else, and this could be my only chance to experience that level of pleasure.
I tugged at his shirt, and he obliged me, letting me pull it off and throw it aside. His hair-covered pecs jumped as I touched them, flexing involuntarily. I pressed my lips to his skin, and when I licked his nipples, he grunted.
“Good?” I asked, looking up at him through hooded eyes.
“I plead the fifth,” he said.
I trailed my hand down his stomach and brushed against the growing bulge in his pants. He let out a shuddering breath, his length twitching against my palm.
“Stop,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I want to pleasure you. It’s what you deserve.”
“I can’t argue with that,” I said, my core heating.
I didn’t care that I was in ratty, mismatched pajamas. He slid the pants over my hips and dropped to his knees to help me step out of them.
I shivered as he ran his hands up my legs, mapping out my curves and pressing his fingers into me. His thumbs swept over the sensitive skin of my inner thighs, and he breathed in deeply, smelling my arousal. I felt it drip down my legs.
He raised the hem of my T-shirt, and I watched as he lapped up my slick, following it to the source. I widened my legs, and he spread me open before covering my clit with his mouth, working his tongue against me. I bit my lip, muffling my moan.
Bastien growled and grabbed my hips with his big hands. He buried his face in my core, using his lips and tongue to bring me intense pleasure. I gripped the counter with my free hand, rocking against his face while he stared at me with hungry eyes.
I was insatiable. He never let up, alternating between sucking my clit and licking my entrance. He moaned as he tasted me, but his tongue wasn’t enough. I needed more.
“Fuck me,” I gasped. Five years was a long time to go without. I didn’t know what the next day would bring, and I doubted we’d ever do this again, but I wanted to make the most of the moment.
I missed his mouth when he pulled back, but I knew it would be worth the loss. Bastien’s pupils were blown as if he were drunk on my taste. I placed my finger under his chin and guided him to his feet. He was almost twice my size, but I was in control.
I kissed him, and my chest expanded, a powerful feeling coursing through my veins. When we parted, we were both panting.
“I said, fuck me.”
“I want tonight to be about you,” he said, his hands slipping toward my pussy, his fingers seeking to take over for his mouth.
I didn’t think I could be more aroused, but his insistence had me aching to be filled.
“Are you going to give me everything I want?” I asked, wondering where my sexually bold side had come from.
His fingers stilled on my clit, and a shiver ran through his body.
“Yes,” he said.
I cupped him through his jeans. He must have been desperate for release, but he was putting me first.
“Then I want you to fuck me like you mean it,” I told him. His cock twitched against my hand.
He nodded and quickly unzipped his jeans. He sighed with relief when he reached into his boxers and freed his cock. I’d almost forgotten how big he was. I clenched with need.
He undressed as fast as possible, and I pulled my oversized T-shirt off. I didn’t care that we were in front of the large glass windows. Nobody would be out this late, and there was something sexy about not giving a shit.
I turned around and put my hands on the counter, arching my back and showing Bastien how I wanted it. He grabbed my ass, massaging me for a moment before spreading me and lining his cock up with my entrance. He slowly slid into my pussy, letting me get used to his size. But I didn’t need gentle—not tonight.
I slammed my hips back, moaning as he filled me up completely. Bastien groaned, his grip tightening. Sound didn’t travel between the shop and my apartment, so I knew we didn’t have to worry about waking Theo. He slept like a log anyway.
Bastien set a hard, fast pace, slapping against my ass with each thrust. I braced myself on the counter, taking everything he gave me and loving every second. My wolf wanted to howl with pleasure.
I finally have my mate again.
I pushed the thought away and focused on the physical. Bastien hit my most sensitive spot, sending my pleasure skyrocketing. I snaked a hand between my legs to rub my clit as my orgasm approached. Bastien growled and pulled my hand away, replacing it with his own. He circled my clit with his fingers, matching the pace of his thrusts.
I let go, surrendering to the exquisite pleasure he drew from my body. He leaned forward, plastering his chest to my back. His breath came in hot pants against my neck, and his lips brushed my skin.
My orgasm reached its peak, sending me over the edge of bliss. Suddenly, I was free-falling, Bastien’s touch my only tether to reality. I whined, arching my back as wave after wave of ecstasy rolled through me.
He grunted as his fingers continued to work me through my orgasm. I felt him shudder as he came, his pleasure feeding into mine.
Finally, he stilled. My pussy occasionally clenched, and his cock twitched in response.
I reached back, threading my fingers through Bastien’s hair and keeping him close as we returned to earth.
I didn’t know what this meant, nor was I ready to jump back into things, but I wanted to stay in the moment for a little longer.