Chapter 4
four
EMMY
I was putting the finishing touches on my re-do congratulation cake when there was a knock at my door.
I glanced down at my phone.
No messages from my friends meant it wasn’t one of them at the door.
I was so sweaty and horny that all I had on was an apron and a thong, so I obviously wasn’t going to answer it if it was anyone else.
A cramp in my lower belly had me swearing and bending in half, squeezing my eyes shut and cursing through the pain.
Nope.
Definitely wasn’t answering the door.
When the pain subsided shortly, I turned back to my cake.
Whoever was on the other side of it knocked again.
Louder.
“Begone, Salesman,” I muttered. “I don’t want your pest control or solar panels.”
I lowered my icing bag to the cake.
The doorbell rang.
I huffed, biting back a yell of, “I’m not home!”
It rang again.
“Just breathe, Em. You’re fine,” I mumbled to myself, forcing a slow breath in and out. “It’s just hormones. Or werewolf magic. You’re—”
The doorbell rang yet again.
“Dammit!” I yelled.
Then froze.
Hopefully whoever was on the other side of the door hadn’t heard that. I didn’t know how good my insulation was.
My phone started buzzing on the countertop. I looked down at the screen.
Unknown Number.
“Nope, not answering that either.”
I went back to the cake.
The call went to voicemail.
My phone buzzed again. It was a text this time.
Unknown
It’s me
Open the door
“Who the hell is me?” I grumbled, wiping my food-coloring-stained fingers on my apron before picking up my phone.
Me
Who are you and why are you ringing my doorbell incessantly?
I was not in a good enough mood to be dealing with this.
Unknown
Finn
I stared at the screen.
Oh.
Oh. Fuck.
Should I answer the door?
I should, right?
I didn’t know.
I glanced at the time.
11:15.
Zoe had a few more minutes of her lunch break.
I called her super quick, glancing at the door over my shoulder to make sure it was still closed.
It was. Obviously.
“Hello?”
“Hey. Quick question.”
My phone was already buzzing again with more texts.
“Alright, I’ve got five minutes.”
“What would you do if your wolfy-mate showed up at your door and told you to open it? After basically shooting you down and telling you to leave the night before?”
There was a moment’s pause. “Emmy. Just open the door and hear him out.”
“You think I should?”
“I think you were up all night because the werewolf mating magic wants you to fuck him so badly. And that you want to fuck him.”
“I really do.” I sagged against the countertop. “Maybe I can get him out of my system?”
“When has that ever worked, in the history of ever?”
“Not once.”
“You guys are going to be connected permanently one way or another. Just think of it like friends with benefits. Maybe the benefits can continue after the climax thing is over,” Zoe suggested.
“True.”
The doorbell rang again.
“I’ve gotta go. Love you, thanks!” I hung up and scrolled through Finn’s messages.
Finn
I had enough time to think.
Can we talk?
Please answer the door
My stomach squeezed.
I crossed the house and pulled the door open. Finn’s hand was on the doorbell, about to press it again.
All he had on was a pair of sweats that did absolutely nothing to hide his gigantic erection.
My body flushed hotter.
I fanned my face.
His chest rumbled. “There’s frosting on your chin.”
“It’s on my fingers too.”
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah. Sorry. I thought you were a salesman.”
“Do you get a lot of salesmen?”
“More than you’d think.” I opened the door a little wider, and Finn stepped through. I closed it and followed him into the living room.
“Can I…” He gestured toward the couch.
“You don’t need to ask if you can sit down. It’s just a couch.”
“It’s purple. I wasn’t sure if it was just decorative or something.”
“Decorative couches are silly. Furniture is made for using. I just don’t believe in neutral colors.”
“You don’t believe in neutral colors?”
“No. Look around.” I gestured to the house.
His eyes slid over my carefully-designed home. I’d painstakingly gone over and transformed every inch of it with the help of an interior designer and a handful of handymen. “It’s… bright.”
“The word you’re looking for is happy.”
“Right.” He absolutely didn’t agree.
I didn’t particularly care. It was my home, and he was ultimately just a stranger who could shift into a wolf that had bitten me. One that my wolf had bitten too, I guess.
It was strange to think there was a literal animal snoozing inside me. I was pretty sure my sweat and horniness was keeping her at bay.
I sat down on the darker purple armchair positioned across from the couch. “What do you want to talk about?”
“The climax.” He paused. “And the mate bond.”
“Alright.”
“You said you’re comfortable with spending the climax together, and living separately afterward.”
I nodded. “Being friends with benefits. Mostly friends.”
“Are you sure you’ll be able to handle it without falling in love with me?”
I flashed him a smile. “I’ve done friends with benefits before, without any feelings involved. Are you sure you’ll be able to handle it without falling in love with me?”
His eyes flashed. “Yes.”
“Perfect. Then we’re in agreement.”
“Yeah.” He shifted a little on the couch.
“How horny are you, on a scale of one to ten?” I asked.
Finn grimaced. “Ten.”
“Damn. I thought you’d be at least an eleven.”
He snorted. “Where are you?”
“Fifteen, probably.”
His eyebrows shot upward.
“You should’ve warned me that I wouldn’t be able to get off without you. That was an awkward conversation to have with Abby.”
He closed his eyes for a moment. “That visual doesn’t help.”
“Maybe you’ll finally hit eleven.”
A twitch of his lips was the only response I got.
“Where do you want to spend the climax?” I asked.
“My place.” His answer was immediate.
That was probably for the best. My neighbors were pretty snoopy.
“Okay, just give me a minute to finish Jade’s redo cake.”
I slipped into the kitchen.
The strangled noise that left Finn’s throat had me glancing at him over my shoulder. “What?”
“You’re practically naked, Em.”
It was the first time he’d used my nickname, and I liked it. A lot.
“I’m insanely sweaty, and sitting in my house. Clothes are not necessary.”
“How many pink thongs do you have?” His voice was still strangled.
“I don’t know. Four? Five? I try to match them with my pants, so I have every color. I hate panty lines.”
“Fuck me,” he muttered, dragging a hand over his chin.
“That’s the plan.”
He groaned when I grabbed my icing bag and leaned close to the cake.
I bit back a grin.
Finn looked like he was in pain when I finally put the lid on my cake dome twenty minutes later.
“You might want to bring a change of clothes,” he said. “And a toothbrush. It’ll be a couple days.”
“I’ll bring a bag so it’s easy to take everything back.”
He nodded.
I pulled on an oversized pink shirt that mostly worked as a dress, then threw a few things in a random purse and slung it over my shoulder. After a stop in the kitchen to grab my fancy new cake, I headed into the garage.
Finn followed me to my car. “I can drive you.”
“It’ll be easier to make a clean break and keep things friendly if I have my own vehicle.” I leaned over the driver’s seat to carefully set my cake on the passenger’s.
Finn rumbled behind me. His hands lifted, like he was going to touch me, then lowered.
“Just grab my ass. It’ll make everything less awkward,” I advised.
He let out a harsh breath. “You sure?”
“Yeah. You’ve got free reign for a few days. Touch me however you want.”
His hands met my backside, hesitant at first. They smoothed over the skin before he finally squeezed.
I pulled my shirt up a little higher to give him better access. When his hands gripped my bare ass, we groaned together.
“I’d better let go, or we’re never going to leave,” Finn gritted out.
“That’s probably for the best,” I said breathlessly.
He squeezed my backside again instead of releasing it.
I rocked against his erection, just a little, and he swore. “I’ll fucking lose it if you keep going like that.”
“Maybe we just need to take the edge off a little.”
“Emmy…” he warned.
“We can start with hand stuff, if you’re worried about taking it too fast. I—fuck,” I breathed, when he leaned closer and one of his hands slid roughly into the front of my thong. His touch was nothing but smooth as he dragged a slow circle around my clit.
“You’re so fucking wet.” His voice was low and gravelly. I could feel my slickness on the insides of my thighs. It was filthy—and hot.
“Ohhh damn.” I rocked my ass against his cock while he worked me slowly.
It wasn’t long before I was coming hard. He bit down on my shoulder lightly to muffle his groans, not piercing my skin as he came too.
“Fuck. Sorry.” His chest rose and fell hard against my back, and he started to pull his hand away.
I held it in place and met his eyes over my shoulder “Why are you apologizing?”
“I shouldn’t have…” He trailed off when he saw the crease between my eyebrows. “You don’t think I did anything wrong.”
“No. Why do you?”
He let out a harsh breath, but didn’t reply.
His ex.
She was the answer.
“I’ll tell you if I don’t like something, so how about you just assume that I’m loving all of it unless I say otherwise?” I suggested.
His fingers curled against my clit a little tighter in response.
“Ohh, fuck me,” I breathed, turning back to the car and dropping my head against the seat I was still bent over.
“I should wait until we’re back at my place.”
“Should you?”
He growled. “Yeah.”
I cried out in pleasure as he filled me slowly with one of his thick fingers. The stretch was real. It had been ages since I was with someone, and the vibrator I liked was external only.
“You’re not ready to take me, anyway.”
“Sure I am,” I panted.
“You can barely handle my finger right now, Sweetheart.”
I was tight. I knew that. Previous partners had both loved and hated it. So had I. “I can stretch.”
“Slowly.”
“Not that slo—oh, fuck,” I hissed, as he found my g-spot with his knuckle. “You’re really good at that.”
He chuckled darkly. “I know.”
It sounded like there was a story behind that, but I obviously wasn’t in the right mindset to ask.
“I can take you,” I moaned, seeing stars as he stroked my g-spot just slowly enough not to make me come.
“I’ll get you there.”
I came on his hand, my cries growing louder.
The sound my body made when he slid out of me was deliciously obscene.
Two of his fingers pressed against my entrance. “You ready?”
“Mmhm.”
He slowly filled me with both of them.
I had to focus on breathing through the burn. Reaching back, I wrapped my hand around his erection through his sweats.
“What are you doing, Emmy?” His growl made me shiver.
“I want you to feel good too.”
He went still.
Completely and utterly still.
His cock throbbed hard against my palm. Repeatedly. But he pulled my hand off of his erection after a moment.
Then slipped his fingers out of me.
And took a few steps backward.
When I turned around, the back of his hand was to his mouth. His body was heaving.
His eyes were growing unfocused, his hands above his head as he paced the small, empty space in the garage slowly.
He was going to have another panic attack.
“Do you want me to hug you, or do you want space?” I asked.
“Space.” His answer was sharp.
Tight.
Angry.
Guilt swelled in my throat.
Finn hadn’t given me permission to touch him like I had given him. We’d been doing stuff, so the lines had been blurred, but I must’ve read the situation wrong.
He hadn’t wanted to be touched.
I’d trampled over boundaries I hadn’t even bothered to ask about.
Stupid tears welled in my eyes again. God, I really hated how easily I cried sometimes.
“I’m going to take this cake to Jade,” I said, averting my eyes so he wouldn’t see the tears. “Text me to let me know if you want me to meet you at your place or come back home alone. I understand either way. I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable. I’m sorry.”
He let out a curse with a rough breath.
I slipped into my car and pulled out of the driveway without meeting his eyes.
The guilt was intense.
He probably had bad memories of Jo touching him or something. My friends told me werewolf guys could only be with their mates, so he hadn’t fucked anyone but her.
I shouldn’t have assumed it was okay.
I should’ve asked.
I—
Slammed on the brakes as hard as I could when Finn stepped behind my car, cutting off my escape route.
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
He knocked on the window.
I bit the inside of my cheek and rolled it down, forcing myself to look at him.
His dark irises were hot with anger as he leaned into the window, resting those gigantic forearms on the ledge.
“Hi,” I whispered.
His narrowed eyes remained on my face.
I bit my cheek.
Should I apologize again? If he was angry, I—
“You didn’t make me uncomfortable, Emmy.”
I blinked.
I didn’t?
“Jo didn’t touch me,” he said. “I pleasured her. She made me feel like shit when I asked her to reciprocate. So I didn’t ask. You surprised me. I wasn’t ready for the feelings it brought back. That’s all.”
I swallowed roughly. “Okay. Where do we go from here?”
“Home. It’ll be easier for me not to lose my shit in my den.”
I nodded.
“I wish I could tell you that I’m stable. Or healed. Or fine. I’m not,” he added.
“Those things are kind of overrated.”
“They’re not.” He lifted his fingers to my face and slowly dragged the backs of his knuckles over my cheekbone. “You deserve better than to be stuck with me.”
“I’ve never come that fast or that hard before. So if one of us deserves better from this friends-with-benefits thing, I don’t think it’s me.”
He stepped back.
Something in his eyes was almost… conflicted.
“Close the garage for me?” I asked. “You just have to hit the enter button after you leave.”
He nodded.
I backed down the driveway and pulled away from the house. When I peeked back at him in my rearview mirror, he was still in the same place, watching me drive off.