20. Giselle #3
We didn’t get far before a small group intercepted us. I didn’t recognize them, but Ben stopped and waved when one of them called his name.
“Alpha Benjamin!” the eldest of the group declared, his voice big and booming like that Greek grandfather in the comedy movie about getting married. “It has been so long since I have seen you! We have missed your presence here.”
“I’ve been… occupied,” Ben murmured. Yeah, that did seem to be the most diplomatic way to put it.
“What was that?”
“I’ve been occupied.”
“Alpha Benjamin, I’m over a hundred and thirty years old! You’ll have to speak up for this mangy wolf here!”
“I’ve been occupied!” While he didn’t shout it, it was definitely much louder than Ben’s usual cadence and over-enunciated. If the younger shifters around the old man thought anything of it, their faces didn’t betray it, which told me this was a pretty common thing.
“We understand, we understand! The road you’ve walked isn’t easy.” His gaze drifted over to me, and I got the impression that he was at least similar in age to Mrs. Hayashi. Was he another one of the elders that Ben had spoken about? “And who is your companion?”
“This is Giselle.”
“Pardon?”
“Giselle!”
“Ah, wonderful! Giselle, such a beautiful name.” He shook my hand, thick calluses rubbing against my palm. I was surprised that shifters could even get calluses. I would have thought their healing thing would take care of that. “Are you young Ben’s friend?”
I opened my mouth to agree, but Ben spoke first.
“Actually, we’re dating.”
I was kind of surprised and flattered that he would say that outright to someone who was clearly an important social figure in the area.
“What was that, son?”
“Giselle is my girlfriend.”
Wait, what? Did he just say girlfriend? As in official partner? As in not someone he was casually dating? Had my whole inner turmoil about not calling him my boyfriend been me overthinking things?
“Pardon? You need to speak up, remember?”
“This is my mate! ”
“Mate? Well congratulations, son, why didn’t you say so?”
“My apologies. It’s new!”
Mate.
Mate, mate, mate!
Although I wasn’t the most familiar with the shifter world, I knew it was a culturally significant term.
And it was a term he’d just used to describe me.
My heart was picking up, and I knew my pheromones had to be going crazy, because several of the younger shifters’ heads turned towards me. Oh well. They could mind their own business because I had just been called a girlfriend and mate!
I was eager to get away, partially to ask Ben if he meant what he said, and partially to kiss him so hard that I left a lipstick print in his DNA.
“New? Ah, I remember those years of my youth. My darling Cecelia and I are going on a hundred and fifteen years! Most of the time we just argue about who has permission to go first.” The older man let out a hearty laugh. “We will let you go on your way. A first jamboree is something special!”
“That it is,” I agreed. I sounded downright dopey about it, but I didn’t care. “It was lovely meeting you.”
“It was lovely meeting you, my dear.”
The group headed off, and we continued our walk to the car.
I was almost vibrating with happiness, my nerves dialed up to about eleven.
There was so much I wanted to do and say, but I knew enough about shifter hearing that if I even whispered now, everyone would be able to hear me.
And although I very much had something I wanted to say to Ben, I wanted to say it privately. Or at least as privately as possible.
Somehow, I managed to wait all the way until we reached our chair spot, cooler included.
“Are you all right?” Ben murmured, his voice low.
“I’m perfect,” I said, throwing my arms around his neck and standing on my tiptoes.
Ben responded almost immediately, wrapping his strong arms around my waist and lifting me slightly so I could brush my lips against his ears as I spoke.
“I’d really, really like to spend the night with my boyfriend.
” I let the word hang heavy between us. “If you’re ready. ”
I could feel the bob of Ben’s throat as he swallowed, then he slowly, tenderly, set me down. The movement felt like a rejection, a soft no, so I braced myself for the impending heartbreak. It was going to hurt so much, I knew that, but I was still proud of myself for even asking.
“I’ll pack the car then,” Ben said in a near-croak, and when I looked up at him in surprise, I saw a lot of things, but rejection was not one of them. “You go get yourself comfortable, and we’ll get on the road as quickly as we can.”
“Yes, sir!” I said, giving a little salute. And if I noticed the way Ben’s eyes flashed at that and his chest rumbled, I kept it to myself.
The drive back went pretty quickly, even with me being awake the whole time, and I expected that was due to Ben flooring it a bit. I didn’t mind. I was more than eager to get back to his place.
My blood was rushing through my veins at what felt like Mach speed, making my fingers, face, and toes overheat slightly, but it was an entirely welcome sort of heat.
Technically, spending the night didn’t guarantee anything would happen between us, but something in Ben’s eyes told me we were on the same page.
If I was thinking clearly, maybe I would have realized it would be prudent to talk about the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing and exactly where we were, but after so many weeks of aching for him, I was too thrilled with the idea that we were finally in the same spot, wanting the same things.
Unless, again, I was overthinking things. Or misinterpreting them. But I didn’t think I was. And if I was wrong, I’d be patient and wait as long as Ben needed, but I was really, really sure I was right.
And that feeling was only confirmed as he parked in his garage. He was out of the car and at my door in the blink of an eye. Still a gentleman even when he was in a rush.
I loved that about him.
There was that word again. I needed to be careful. Even though we were possibly taking the next step, that didn’t mean it was time to start dropping L-bombs.
Ben opened my door, offering his hand like he always did, and I took it. He yanked me against his chest, and the next thing I knew, he crashed his lips against mine.
Finally! I crowed to myself as I melted into him, going nearly boneless at his touch.
God, we’d only made out a handful of times, but each instance was just as thrilling as the first. I loved how strong he was, loved that I could lean my full weight into him.
I loved how warm he was, like a heating pad but a million-and-one times better.
The way he gripped me! Held me! It was always like he was worried I’d vanish in a moment, so he held tight enough to make sure I couldn’t be swept away.
When he pulled away slightly, I was panting, my eyes half-lidded. Despite the advertised non-transfer powers of my lipstick, there was still a faint hint of coral on Ben that made my stomach flip.
“Here,” I murmured, lifting my sleeve to his mouth. “Let me wipe that off.”
It took a couple of passes of the fabric, and he was right as rain, but the entire time he was staring at me so intensely, it was like a physical force. Goosebumps rose along my arms at the sheer sensation of it.
“Good girl,” he rumbled, and fuck if that didn’t do something for me.
I must have whimpered, and just like that, his mouth was on me again, but instead of lifting me up, we were walking backward until my back collided with the wall.
It wasn’t painful. In fact, I barely felt it, because Ben had a hand on my back to cushion me. I didn’t understand how he could kiss me so wildly and still be so thoughtful, but God, it made me feel so incredibly precious.
Treasured, even.
Our mouths moved against each other, his tongue begging entrance, our chests rising and falling against each other in an increasing rhythm. Although I hadn’t been able to drink in years, I felt a little drunk, my every sense consumed by Ben.
It was everything I wanted and more, and I could feel my panties growing wetter by the second. I knew without a doubt that Ben could smell it. His grip on me tightened, and an actual growl sounded from him as he caught my bottom lip between his teeth.
As much as it pained me, as much as it went against my every desire, I had to break the kiss.
“Are you okay?” Ben asked, and I loved how wrecked he sounded. The thought that I could affect someone like him so thoroughly was a huge stroke to my ego. But I had to put my ego aside. Right now, I wasn’t the concern.
“I’m perfect ,” I murmured. Jeez, I sounded wrecked too, which made sense because I felt wrecked. “But I want to check in. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
Ben licked his lips, then nodded. My eyes followed every movement of his tongue, thinking of other things it could do. “Yes. I’m more than okay.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” It was so hard to keep my thoughts straight, but I had to. For Ben. Despite how turned on I was, his safety came above all else. No matter what. “But you know that at any moment, if you change your mind, you can. No questions asked.”
“I know,” he said, resting his forehead against mine. “And I’m still terrified, but I want this. Seeing you at the jamboree, it was like you were always meant to be in this world.”
I swore my heart was going to give out at any moment, but what a way to go!
“I want to be a part of your world,” I whispered, as if any more volume would break the moment between us.
“I want to go to more jamborees. I want to make breakfast for us in the morning after a long night. I want to watch Benny grow and hear Veronica learn even more words. I want all of that.”
That was a big thing to say when we were on the precipice of being intimate, but my words were getting away from me. I’d spent so many weeks holding myself back and measuring my words, that it was such a relief to admit what I’d been longing for.