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Finally, she lets me seat her. I ask her to tell me about her family, when it all happened. When she mentions the name she’s given Cass, I rethink letting him live, and when I hear the story behind the name, I maim him about a hundred different ways in my head for getting so close to her.
I’m shocked when I find out how soon she lost her parents after I found her, but when she tells me she waited for me to come for her, my heart breaks. I’m reminded how selfish I’ve been when she tells me she still doesn’t know my name.
Everything I say either comes out wrong or sounds horrible. With every word I utter, the hurt in her eyes compounds. When a few tears escape her eyes, I can no longer just sit here. I have to make it better. I pick her up and take her to my swing where I can hold her and explain how we got in this fucked up situation.
Hours later I think she finally understands, but when I ask her to stay, she asks where my girlfriend is. I realize she still doesn’t get it. We both need a break from shredding our souls. So we head inside to hopefully get comfortable and eat.
CHAPTER11
The kitchen is huge, like run a small restaurant huge. The cabinets are rustic looking ivory with touches of black showing through here and there. The stove is twice the size of a normal range. It has two ovens next to each other, six burners on top, and a raised flat griddle. Yowzers, now that’s a stove. I’m sitting at a large island in the middle of the kitchen. Masen brought a high-backed stool over from the breakfast bar ten feet away. “Like you close” is all he says when I ask why I don’t just sit over there. So here I am, while he rummages through the fridge looking for food.
“I have some leftovers in here. I’m not really the greatest cook. Usually, Molly makes dinner a few nights a week,” he says sheepishly.
Molly, who the hell is Molly? How many women does he have? Are they on rotation? “Ahh no, I don’t want your Molly’s food!” I scoff.
He turns to face me. “She’s not my Molly, she’s William’s Molly. She is however a trusted friend. She cleans and cooks for me a few days a week. Her Mate was injured by a rogue seven years ago. He’s scarred, so he doesn’t leave pack land much. I pay her enough working a few hours a week to send her children to college.” He shrugs his shoulders like it’s no big deal.
“Sorry. That wasn’t very nice of me. Why don’t I have a look? I enjoy cooking.” Letting my brain have a break from all this is just a bonus.
Masen’s fridge is full, I just need to decide what to make. He’s standing two feet to my left and has been since I stood up. I tested it by walking to the pantry. He stays the same distance anytime I move. I’m thinking about breaking out into a dance to see if he’d follow that. A small laugh leaks out when I get a visual.
“What are you laughing at, Little One?”
Now, I really laugh because there’s no way I’m telling him. “Just thinking, Masen. Don’t worry, I’m not going to poison you,” I tease. “Any requests?”
He quickly answers, “I want you to make what you made Cass so I can tell him to shut up about how good it was and about how you cooked for him. Oh, and I need dessert. Cass got cake.”
Is he serious? By the self-satisfied smile he’s wearing, I think he is. “Who knew the Alpha was such a baby?” I coo to him.
His smile falls. Oh I was just joking. He looks so cute and full of himself. “Hey Big Guy, I’m just teasing. Guess what?” I raise my brows, waiting for him to respond.
“What?” He sulks. My goodness.
“I may have made you cookies this morning. If Sniffer didn’t steal yours out of my Jeep, they should still be in the back seat.”
He smiles back full force. “You made cookies this morning? Wait. Did you say if Cass didn’t steal mine? He got some to?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, he did. Yours are bigger. I was trying to butter you up so I’d get into your pack,” I laugh.
“If he took them, I’m going over there to beat his ass right now. Then, I’ll take all the damn cookies.”
Shaking my head. “Masen, if he took your cookies, there won’t be any left. He’s kind of a piggy.”
“I really like it when you say my name, baby.” His voice is deeper than just a few moments ago.
He moves closer, abandoning his two-foot rule. I think I need the two feet because the way he just said that has me wanting to say his name again and again. I take a step back regaining the space but smile up at him. “How tall are you anyway?” I can tell by his face he knows how he affects me.
He leaves the space between us but bends so his face is near mine. “Six foot five.” His breath fans my cheek. Still close, his nose brushes mine. “I’m going to get my cookies,” is what he says, but it feels like he’s saying something altogether different. I just nod and swallow, not sure what I’m agreeing to.
He’s out the door in a flash, and I lean against the counter to keep myself standing. I’m way out of my element. I’m playing t-ball, and he’s in the major leagues.
I heat the oven and griddle. Then, I start to gather some ingredients to make a steak sandwich again. I cut up some potatoes and toss them with olive oil and seasoning to throw in the oven. Instead of sourdough, I find a large oval loaf of cheese bread that smells yummy. I melt some butter to brush the bread with after I slice it so I can grill it. I season the steak and wait until the potatoes are closer to being done before grilling it. Thirty minutes later, dinner’s ready, and I officially love this kitchen.
I heard Masen return while I was cooking. He seemed content to just watch me and shovel cookies and oatmeal bars in his face. I did tell him if he ate the whole container, he’d be too full for dinner which got me a loud snort.
Eating with Masen is very intimate. He seats me at the table then sits so close to me that if I don’t squeeze my thick thighs together my knee rests against his leg. That’s just too much hard work, so I eventually just relax. He’s more refined than Sniffer, but he still moans in appreciation. He also takes every opportunity to touch me, He squeezes my hand and tells me how delicious it is. Brushes my hair back, when it falls forward from looking down at my plate, but the most intense situation came when he wiped a little sauce from my bottom lip with his thumb right as I was trying to lick it off. When my tongue touches the pad of his thumb, he sucks in air through his clenched teeth and his other hand goes white from fisting it. He hasn’t moved but seems to be struggling for control. I slowly move my head back, and he lets out a long exhale. I’m not really sure how to deal with this. I find him immensely attractive, and I feel the same pull to him because he’s my Mate.
Trying to ease the tension I ask, “What did you mean earlier when you said I still don’t understand?”
