Chapter 3 #4
Pulling free of the kiss, he arched his back, changing his angle slightly. Her whole body went rigid, and she called out his name. He buried his face in her neck and came as hard as he could ever remember coming.
He rolled to the side enough not to crush her and collapsed onto the bed. She snuggled in next to him, and he managed the energy to sift her hair through his fingers, enjoying the way the soft strands fell back into place while their breathing evened out.
“That was worth the wait, I suppose,” she said, the tease in her voice making him smile.
“Yeah, I’d say so. Even better knowing we have about a billion more chances to perfect it.”
She snorted. “If that’s not perfect, I’m not sure I’ll be able to survive perfect.”
“You are perfect.”
“Heh, wait until you see me spend an hour setting up the perfect shot for some food or freaking out because I can’t find the exact shade of purple that I need for something.”
“Stop being cute, you’re just turning me on again.”
“And that’s a problem, because…?” She moved over him, resting her arms on his chest and her chin on her arms.
“Oh, right, totally not a problem.”
She smiled. “This is kind of amazing.”
He smoothed a piece of hair and hooked it behind her ear. “Totally amazing. I mean, you know what it’s going to be like, in theory. You see it in others. But holy shit.”
“Exactly.” She sighed, seeming content. “Thanks, by the way. For setting up this cabin. It’s really sweet.”
“My pleasure. It was fun exploring online to see what’s around here that we can check out, assuming the pack stays.”
“You want to move here?” she asked. “Because I’m willing to move to Idaho if you want to stay there.”
“You would do that? After working so hard to get things set up here?” Deeply touched, he watched her intently, saw nothing but acceptance.
“Absolutely. If it’s important to you, it’s important to me. I needed a change, and moving to Alicante was what worked for me at the time. And it brought us together. I would love to stay and be a part of this pack, but it’s not something that I would put above your happiness.”
He lifted his head to kiss her, deep and hard. When he finally pulled free, her eyes shone brightly.
“I want to stay here,” he said. “I like Myra and Adam. I like the idea of being on the ground floor of a new pack. How often does that chance come up?”
“Hardly ever.”
“Hardly ever. So we’re agreed?”
“Absolutely. Shall we go watch the sunset from the porch?”
“Perfect.”
She grabbed her bag and went to the bathroom, and he pulled on his jeans and picked up the soft blanket that had fallen off the end of the bed.
He went into the main room of the cabin and found a bottle of wine, an opener and two glasses on the kitchen counter, as he’d requested.
Making short work of the cork, he had two glasses poured by the time Cindy wandered out.
She’d switched from her jeans to tight leggings and a longer sweater. The neck was wide enough that he could see the red mark on her shoulder. Deep satisfaction washed through him. She was beautiful—and she was his. He couldn’t wait to get to know her better.
She accepted the glass he offered and led the way to the porch.
A small glider with a cushion was perfectly positioned to watch the sunset.
He handed his glass to her and spread the blanket behind their shoulders, curling it and his arm around her so they were close.
She returned his drink to him and he propped his feet up on the railing, feeling a contentment that he’d never even realized he was missing.
“This is lovely,” she said.
Somehow he knew she meant more than the cabin, the glider, the view. “Yeah. It’s probably a good thing we didn’t realize how amazing it would be, or the wait would have felt torturous.”
“Seriously. Some mates are so lucky to find each other early on. But then again, I kind of like this version of me that you’re meeting. I mean, I liked me at twenty, too, but…”
“I know what you mean. On the one hand it would have been nice reaching this stage of the journey together, but on the other hand, there’s satisfaction in having become this person, someone I’m proud of enough to be your mate.”
She curled into him, her legs underneath her, her head on his shoulder. “You totally get me.”
He smiled and kissed her head. They watched a couple of birds chase each other in silence for a while before he prodded her into conversation.
“You met my parents. I’m an only child. What about your family?”
“My parents, my brother Bill, his wife Juanita, and their two kids, Danny and Sara, live in Texas. Bill and I get along great, and I love Juanita and the kids. I visit at least once a year. My relationship with my parents is kind of weird. We sort of tolerate each other. I can’t really explain why.
I actually found out that my mom was assuming I would move back there eventually, but I honestly have never considered it. ”
“Any particular reason? Other than the thing with your parents?” Which he figured he’d save questions about for another day.
“Not really. I started looking for a new job because my boss was someone I couldn’t really respect, and she was our fourth. Once I started looking outside the pack, outside the state, and realized I could go anywhere I wanted, I never looked back.”
“What was it about her that you didn’t like?”
“She wasn’t a good manager, made decisions that I thought were kind of sketchy, and while that didn’t have anything to do with the pack, it’s a difficult thing when you don’t respect your hierarchy.”
“I imagine so.”
“I worked for her for several months, then started looking for another job, and the rest is history. I loved St. Louis as soon as I visited, but I wasn’t sure how permanent it would be. You can like a pack when you first meet, but you can’t really know until you’re there a while, you know?”
“Definitely. The first impression is important, but not always the whole story. And things change. All packs have an ebb and flow, a reshuffling as the hierarchy changes, families grow, mates happen. It’s healthy not to feel you have to live and die with one pack.”
“I think a lot of people do feel that way. It might be part of what was wrong in Arizona. Myra hasn’t told me anything more than she’s made public, I just think that for the legitimate pack to have let the rogue pack exist, the members must have never felt they could go to National and get help, or even just move to somewhere more healthy.
There had to be a feeling that they couldn’t leave.
” She shook her head. “I’m making assumptions. ”
“Maybe. It’s plausible. But if any of the original Arizona members end up in our pack, it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on the pulse of the pack, make sure it feels inclusive without being oppressive.”
“Yeah, you totally get me.” She lifted her head up to him and he kissed her lips. She tasted of red wine and promises of the future.
Geez, find a mate and he suddenly turned into a romantic fool. Funny how that didn’t bother him at all.