12. Sydney
H e’s so fucking infuriating. Hot one second, ice cold the next. My brain can’t handle the constant whiplash.
I thought today, in his office, we’d turned a new page. Bantering back and forth like civilized adults, or, dare I say, friends.
Then he kissed me, shattering any chance of us being just friends. Prodding fingers press to my still swollen lips. Reese is everything I didn’t know I wanted. Commanding, confident, larger than life. And the memory of his lips on my skin has the fire in my veins stoking to life again.
Reese made me come harder than I ever have before. And, like I told him, he’s the first man to touch me like that. To talk to me like that. The dirty words flowing from his mouth sparked something deep inside me.
Now that I’ve had a taste, I want more.
He has my body wound so tight, I’m afraid it might snap.
And I really need to know what he’s packing in those damn jeans. Heat rises on my cheeks. The bulge straining against my hand was big. But I have small hands, so…
He’s gotta be huge, though. It fits his big dick, Daddy energy.
I’m not going back to tip-toeing around each other, not when we can be so combustible when we’re together.
What happened in his office only confirms my suspicions that we are mates.
Does he know?
He has to. Wren made it sound like Kiernan knew from one simple whiff of her.
If Reese knows, why is he fighting it?
“Asshole,” I mutter aloud, stomping into my room. I need to get out of this house. The whole damn place smells like Reese—fresh pine and mint. My pussy and my brain can’t think straight.
Ripping off my soaked panties, I slip on my black bathing suit bottoms. Scouring my suitcase, that I still haven’t finished unpacking, I find the matching top. I strip my sundress over my head before dressing in my bathing suit, worn denim shorts, and a loose fitting white tank top.
Wren told me there’s a lake nearby where they like to go swimming. A dip in the cool water and some sun-bathing sounds like the perfect distraction from Mr. Grumpy Bear.
Grabbing my backpack, I shove my sketchpad, pencils, and watercolors inside, along with a towel from the bathroom.
I slip on my white Converse and head out of my bedroom. My mood lifts slightly, knowing I can hopefully avoid Reese for the rest of the day. We both need time to sort through what happened earlier in his office.
Peeking my head out the bedroom door, my ears perk up, listening for any sign of Reese.
Silence.
I vaguely recall him mentioning something about working with Kier today… before he fucking blew my mind and left me high and dry.
Stopping by the kitchen, I stuff a couple bottles of water and some snacks in my bag as well. Gotta be prepared—you never know when you might end up lost in the woods.
S etting my bag on the shoreline, I quickly strip out of my shoes and clothes, eager to get in the water. With a running leap off the end of the dock, I cannonball into the water.
Ice hits my veins, freezing up my limbs. Kicking my feet as hard as I can, my head breaks through the water’s surface as I splutter and cough. “Fuck, that’s cold!”
A chuckle draws my eyes to the shoreline. A teenage boy with shaggy blonde hair stands next to a grizzly bear. Holy shit!
“Um, hi?” I call, doggy paddling to the dock. “Who are you?”
The boy offers a small smile, tangled dark blonde strands falling in his eyes. “I’m Benny. This is Will.” He tips his head toward the grizzly. “Who are you?”
Treading water as I cling to the dock, I contemplate if these guys are harmless or if I need to haul ass back to Reese’s house.
Ignoring Benny’s question, I press for more information. “Do you guys live around here?”
With my towel in hand, Benny walks out on the dock, stopping in front of me. He extends the towel to me with a small smile, calming my racing heart. “Yeah, we live in Cypress Valley. Do you? Are you a friend of Reese’s? I’ve never seen you before.”
The pieces click into place like a jigsaw puzzle. These are the two runaway kids Reese told me about. “Why would you assume I know Reese?”
Hopping onto the dock, I take the towel from Benny, wrapping it hastily around my body. Feeling slightly less exposed under the terry-cloth covering, I focus my attention on the odd pair before me.
The boy shrugs. “You kinda reek of him… I mean, your stuff does.” He points at my bag on the shore.
Color creeps into my cheeks at the insinuation in his words. Great, now this kid thinks I’m banging the grumpy alpha.
Rolling my eyes, I push the embarrassment aside and extend my hand. “I’m Sydney, Wren’s little sister. I’m staying with Reese for a few weeks. It’s nice to meet you.”
Tilting his head, Benny stares at my outstretched hand, brows furrowed in confusion.
Clearing my throat, I pull my hand back. “What are you boys doing here?”
His blue eyes light up, shining with excitement. “We’re going fishing.” Joy sings through his voice. My eyes dart to the shore where Will huffs a moan, stomping his feet on the ground happily. I can’t help but giggle at the big bear dancing with excitement.
“Where are your fishing poles?” I question, noticing they don’t have rods or tackle boxes .
Benny breaks into a fit of laughter, turning to walk back to shore. I follow close behind, curiosity piqued.
“We don’t need fishing poles. We have these,” he proclaims, chest puffed out in pride as he holds his large hands up. Following suit, Will stands to his hind legs, front paws raised in front of him.
My head tips back, scanning his big fuzzy body. Whoa, he’s gotta be over six feet tall.
“O-oh,” I stutter, eyes bugging out. “How old are you two?” Will’s bear is large, easily weighing over two hundred pounds. And Benny must be close to six feet, but lanky, not stacked with muscle like Kiernan or Reese. These two are definitely still boys.
Pointing at himself, Benny answers, “I’m fourteen. Will is sixteen.” A grunt of confirmation comes from the grizzly.
“Can I see what your human form looks like?” I direct the question at Will, staring into his expressive brown eyes. With a snort, he shakes his head wildly. “Oh, sorry. Was that rude? I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Like always, my mouth gets the better of me, speaking before I have a chance to consider that maybe it’s inappropriate to ask a shifter to, well, shift right in front of you.
“It’s not that… it’s hard for Will to control his bear in human form, so he spends most of his time as a grizzly. Unless it’s only the two of us. Right?” He swings his gaze to his brother, who nods vigorously.
“So… fishing?” Benny asks, enthusiasm dripping from his voice.
An amused grin tickles my cheeks. “Yeah, sounds fun. ”
The boys spend the afternoon splashing and swimming in the lake. I’m not sure they actually catch any fish.
After our brief conversation, Benny shifted to his bear form, too, immediately bounding into the water with his brother.
From my seat on the end of the dock, I swing my legs, toes skimming across the surface of the cool water. One dip was enough for me, so I’ve spent the past few hours sketching the boys.
They’re so carefree here, you’d never know they were abused or homeless in the past, like Reese mentioned briefly. And they wouldn’t have this place without him. How do I get him to see all the good he’s created in Cypress Valley?
Benny’s smaller bear floats on his back, paws in the air, fur drenched with water. Even in bear form, his eyes are a brilliant cornflower-blue. Rifling through my colored pencils, I search for the perfect shade. A flash of brown draws my eyes to Will, who sneaks up on his brother, diving on top of him. Both bears go under in a swirl of fur and waves. I giggle, reminded so much of me and Wren. At least Benny and Will have always had each other.
The sun soon begins to sink lower in the sky and my skin stings with the beginnings of fresh sunburn.
“Time for me to go!” I call to the boys, my new friends. I’m met with two giant paws waving goodbye as I stand, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.
Taking one last glance back at them, I smile, memorizing this happy moment and pulling strength from it for the confrontation I know awaits me at home.
Home.
Is that what this place is to me?
Maybe I want it to be. I can see myself here, weaving my life with Reese’s. But what if he doesn’t want that? The push and pull between us has left me doubting how much I’ve been able to chip away at his hard exterior.
Heaving a sigh, I head away from the lake. I can’t avoid Reese anymore. It’s time for him to decide if he wants to keep me or let me go.