Page 40 of Fated to the Alpha

The smile dropped, but that confidence returned, and she straightened a full inch. “I didn’t lie when I told you that this whole thing isn’t about you, but what happened on Friday messed with my head in a direct, but … indirect way too. What we did opened up an already cracked can of worms, and I needed to clean up the mess because I don’t want you to have to deal with it too. You’ve already got so much on your plate, and you don’t need me making it worse. I wanted to be fully there for you if we hung out again. So, I’ve been putting this off, and I realize that’s not entirely fair to you. I’m probably not being fair right now because I’m not ready to talk about it either, but I knew I was ready to see you again. That’s why I didn’t try to close up the shop for an impromptu lunch break and book it out the back door.”

So much of that sounded rehearsed, as if she had been thinking about exactly what to say if they ever met again. Knowing that Kimberly was thinking about Shane and cared enough to formulate a full speech like that was enough for him to forgive her completely. Kimberly tried to tuck an invisible strand of hair behind her ear, another impulsive, nervous tick that would take a while to kick.

Shane stayed quiet, letting her word vomit, and listening for any vital clue that would help him figure out what the hell she was talking about. He was still completely in the dark, but Kimberly probably preferred it that way. Otherwise, she would have just come out and said what the problem was, what he had inadvertently done to her.

He slowly nodded, showing he comprehended, though maybe not totally. “Okay … Bottom line, we’re good?”

She let out a relieved breath, bobbed a nod, then grinned. “Yes, we’re good.”

“So, no more shutting down or cutting us off mid-kiss?”

Kimberly lifted one shoulder. “No guarantees, but I’m working through the worst of it.”

“Is there anything I can do to help you without finding out what it is I’m helping with?” Shane cringed. “Does that sound crazy?”

Her smile was sympathetic. “Maybe a little.” Then, she turned thoughtful. “You know, there is something you can help with. I need a dummy.”

Shane cocked an eyebrow. “Am I a dummy?”

“Well, you’re not dumb. I mean, I just need your body.” When Shane’s mouth widened in a ridiculous, eager grin, Kimberly reddened from neckline to forehead. “No! No, no! I don’t mean that either.”

Shane leaned his folded arms on the counter, pinning her with a smoldering gaze and dropping his voice to a husky growl. “You can use my body all you want, in any context, any time.”

Kimberly shivered, but the exploding scent of her arousal blasted through his senses, telling him that it was a good thing. He might have been teasing her, but there was a bit of seriousness in that offer.

All embarrassment disappeared and Kimberly mimicked his position, their noses just inches from touching. If he let his gaze wander, he was sure he’d get a perfect look down the front of her shirt. But he didn’t have the will to break away from her stare, so hot and captivating.

“I will make you eat those words, Shane Snyder.”

Electricity skittered up his spine. “I will eat anything coming from you, Kimberly Ross … starting with you.”

Taking it slow went straight out the window the minute the scent of her getting turned on reached his senses. She said they were good, after all. Slow, bracing for rejection, he reached up and hooked his hand around the nape of her neck. It felt so empty there, but he could still thread his fingers through whatever was left of her hair, though it wasn’t much.

She didn’t reject him, and Shane pulled her in for the kiss he had been craving all week. Kimberly murmured a pleased sound that made him ache for her even more. The taste of her lips, smooth and warm, made him and his wolf dizzy and giddy.

The short, easy kiss ended. It had to be simple and tame, otherwise, Kimberly might have gotten triggered again and that would not have been safe in her workplace.

With his head light and nose-deep in everything Kimberly did for him, Shane cracked open his eyes. He knew they were gold, but not in aggression or fear. His wolf was in that kiss, enjoying it alongside him. He could see a spark or two of gold in her ivy-green irises, proof that her wolf was somewhere in there too. Good enough.

“So, what is it that you need from me?”

*

Kissing Shane in her flower shop was definitely not planned. Kimberly had made a personal commitment to take as many steps back as necessary until she felt safe to feel that intimate with Shane again. The kiss Friday night was his fault, the kiss on Saturday morning was to convince him that he was not the root cause of her panic attack. This kiss in the flower shop was to shock her wolf back to life one more time.

The minute Shane started flirting with her, the wolf in her chest perked up as if someone had shouted, “Treat!” Kimberly felt that and leaned into it as far as Shane would allow. By the time he pulled away, a cozy coil of lust had settled low in her belly, and her wolf was enjoying it just as much as she was. Of course, she’d never tell Shane that her motivation for kissing him was to keep her wolf awake. It was only part of her only motivation. Kissing Shane was like the first burst of sweetness when tasting ice cream after being on a diet for months. Totally worth every calorie and regret that she could push off until later.

And she wasn’t thinking about any of the consequences of getting closer to Shane by the time they arrived at the gym that evening.

Shane adjusted the strap of his duffel bag on his shoulder as they walked through the automatic doors. “A little late-night cardio?”

“Sort of. You got everything I texted you?” Kimberly looked at his jeans and hoped he had something more comfortable in his bag. She already wore her workout clothes but brought a bag with a spare set of shorts, a tank top, a towel, and a bottle of water.

“Yeah. I’m guessing I need to go change in the locker room?”

“Yes, please.” She pointed toward a glass door that led to another room. “Meet me in there when you’re ready.”

“Ready for what?”