He braced his arms on the wall, bracketing my head. “Because I can smell your desire. If I were to reach down between your legs, I’d feel you dripping for me. Am I right?”
Knowing my face was bright red, and that he could easily see it, I wedged my arms between us, shoving him off me. The movement caught him by surprise, if the look in his eyes was any indication. “Excuse me, but if I were to reach down between your legs, I’m pretty sure I’d feel something hard, and it wouldn’t be a banana in your pocket. Oh, wait, I don’t need to reach down. The little guy is pointing due north. So what?”Fake it till you make itwas mine and Syn’s motto. “It’s called chemistry. Our wolves are calling to each other. It’s no big deal. Once I help you through the shift, it’ll dissipate.”
I hoped his sense of smell hadn’t become so acute that he could tell a lie from the truth like a born shifter.
Rowan turned away from me. “Damn it, I’m being an ass. Forgive me, Lyric. You should go take a shower, and then you can help me through the shift or whatever.”
I’d hurt him with my dismissal, but his actions scared me. What did I know about him other than he was my mate? My wolf sat up and yipped at the acknowledgment. Unable to look him in the eye, I walked toward the door. “For what it’s worth, it’s a big deal. I’ve never done this before, Rowan. You called to me when I first saw you in that dark hallway. I’m sorry I got you mixed upin my mess.” I fled from the room before he could say anything, hiding the tears streaming down my face.
I followed his scent to the last room he’d been in, closing and locking the door to first his bedroom and then the bathroom. The tiled room was like the rest of the house, masculine and top of the line, and showed me just how far out of my league he was. I fell against the door and slid down until my ass hit the floor. I folded my arms around my knees and let myself cry for a few minutes, then got up and shook out my limbs.
“Time to put your big girl panties on and get ‘er done.”
I stripped off my clothes and entered the shower, staring at the high-tech gadgets around the enclosure. “Oh, for crying out loud. Who needs five showerheads?” After figuring out how to turn the water on, I took the quickest shower in history. One day, I’d have loved to spend time letting all the different waterspouts pummel my body. Luckily, Rowan had a towel on the heated shower bar. I didn’t want to put my dirty clothes back on and figured I’d have to get naked shortly. It was my job to show Rowan how to shift. Yet, coming back out with nothing on felt too brazen.
After scanning his bedroom, I pulled one of his T-shirts out of the dresser and a pair of sweats three sizes too big. He was waiting for me in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water, looking too good for my peace of mind.
I had to grip the glass to keep from dropping it when Lyric returned wearing my clothes. I felt my teeth grow, and the uncomfortable urge to toss her onto the counter and mark her was nearly overwhelming. The new sensations were taking meout of my comfort zone, and I was never out of control. My world was built on structure and organization. I had a feeling letting Lyric into my life would upset it more than an F5 tornado would.
“Are you thirsty?” My words came out sounding more gravelly than I’d hoped.
Lyric held her dainty hand out and swiped my glass. I watched as she turned the cup and sipped from the spot I’d drunk from, her pink tongue licking where I’d had my lips. A growl more wolf than man rumbled out of me. “Girl, you don’t want to tempt me too much right now. I don’t have a tether on this beast that seems to be growing inside me.”
She nodded. “I can feel him reaching out to mine. I’ve never felt the need to play the way I do right now. Like I want to rub up on you and see how far I can push before you take control.” Her head tilted back as she drank the rest of the water.
I tracked her movements, utterly transfixed at the sight of her swallowing, something I’d never found sexy unless the woman in question had my dick in her mouth. “My skin hurts like a motherfucker, Lyric. Honestly, I can’t stand the feeling of anything on me, except I think I could handle having you pressed against me.” I smiled when her eyes widened, and her scent permeated the air.
“Let’s go outside and attempt to get you through your first shift. But, Rowan, I need you to try and remember I’m not the enemy and I’m not up for fucking.”
Hearing her say words that belied her body language, I took the glass from her hands. “First of all, darlin’, I know you’re not the enemy. I’d never want to screw them six ways to Sunday. Second, I’ll only fuck you when you are one hundred percent ready and willing. Your body is telling me one thing, your mind another. You are as safe as a nun in a convent.” I pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, hearing her breath catch in her throat and her heartbeat increase.
She grabbed my hand. “Come on, big guy.”
We stepped outside in companionable silence, my palms sweating while the rest of my body was ready to implode. “Is it like in the movies, where you’ll hear all my bones popping and see shit looking all fucked up like?”
“Oh, it’s so much worse than that. The first time, you’ll feel every little snap, crackle, and pop. For those of us who are born shifters, it’s not so bad because we shift as kids, and our bones are softer. I’ve only seen a couple of humans change, and let me tell you, I think they wished for death.”
“You’re not making this any easier.”
She shrugged and didn’t say anything else. The moon wasn’t full, so I figured that was another falsehood the movies portrayed. “How about clothes?”
“We most def want to be naked when we shift. Of course, there are times that you aren’t able to control your emotions, or so I’m told, and then you end up ruining your favorite outfit.”
Chapter Five
Ilooked her up and down. “You mean as you did earlier?”
“That was me protecting you, asswipe. Now, shut it with all the questions, and focus. Your wolf is probably itching to get out.” She motioned with her hands.
I felt the other being below the surface, but I didn’t feel threatened by it. “Yeah, it’s like he’s crouched and waiting for something.”
On my back porch, I had a large open area with a fire pit surrounded by low chairs. Off to the side, I had a built-in barbecue grill and pizza oven. I eyed the best spot for my first shift and decided the open yard was the smartest choice. Never one to be self-conscious about my body, I stripped out of my shirt and jeans, leaving my boxer briefs on until Lyric joined me.
A deep exhale, and she was next to me, shrugging out of my sweats and tossing my shirt onto the grass, standing in nothing but her perfect, unblemished skin. I couldn’t help but stare as she held her head high and her gaze pinned me in place.
“Eyes up here,” Lyric said.
I rubbed my hand across my mouth. “You went commando.”
