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“Not until you explain why you were in the same place as those shitty bikers.”
“Slater, shut up.”
His expression went grim as he leaned forward and whispered heatedly, “Make me.”
Make him shut up? Well, there was only one way to do that.
I had to kiss him.
Before I could stop myself, our lips had crashed together, and I really couldn’t tell which one of us had started the whole mess. I could hardly say where my body began and his ended because that was how fast he yanked me into his lap. A haze fell over my mind as memories burst forth, mixing so seamlessly with my reality that I got lost in each sensation.
Heat curled in my core as I cupped his face and rolled my hips. I’d missed this. I’d missedhim. I’d missed how good it felt to be wrapped up in his arms and safe, protected, guarded. That was what we did for me. And he was doing it again now. He was bringing me to shore, keeping me afloat with his kindness, sheltering me with unconditional care.
But was it even real?
I broke the kiss, leaning back to stare at him in shock, noticing the content countenance that spoke of his satisfaction with the whole situation. Wait, was this his goal the whole time? Protect me and get laid in the process?
Anger flooded my body as I slid from his lap. I marched to the kitchen door, paused with my hand on the knob, and spat over my shoulder, “It won’t work this time, Slater.”
And then I slammed the door, shaking the floorboards with my agitation—and with the resolution that I’d never fall for another man like I had fallen for Slater.
Chapter 7 - Slater
Some things never changed. Much like how the sun set in the evening, Virginia got moody with me, going from one extreme to the other in a matter of seconds. She’d always had a fiery spirit and a passion unmatched by any other woman I’d met. Her passionate nature made it all the more appealing to be around her.
Fire—that was my thing with her. Pure, electric fire. She had a way of zapping me that made me want to grab her chin and take control. Yet the way she’d fled from me last night made me think twice about chasing her.
When we were in the same pack, our interactions were natural. She had served drinks at the in-pack café, and I’d worked at the mechanic shop just around the corner. When I rolled through for my usual afternoon cup, she would drag me to the back room and hike her skirt up, begging me to take her where someone could have easily walked in.
But no one ever did. We were recklessly careful—or carefully reckless, whatever. She brought out the adventurous side of me that didn’t worry about tomorrow, didn’t worry about bills or parents.
What strange things ended up coming to mind as I sat on Virginia’s back porch in the yellow porch light with moths fluttering around my head as I checked my messages. She probably didn’t want me here, but I didn’t care about that. I just cared about her safety—and the safety of her kids too.
My phone buzzed. Two more messages rolled in from my mother. Gertie popped up too. Jesus, it was like I’d become popular all of a sudden for handling an intra-pack issue.
Mom was asking where I’d been hanging around lately. Gertie was trying to get a gauge on whether or not I was going to miss work in the morning. Both messages were understandable, but I didn’t want to deal with them right this second. I just wanted to sit in the silent peace that was my ex-girlfriend’s yard while her kid’s video game sounds came through the window.
Family life was different than the bachelor living I’d become accustomed to. While my parents visited often—sometimestoooften—I didn’t have much to speak of. Most of the friends I’d made here were Gertie and the other carpenters. Every so often I worked on a vehicle with Elias or Blake.
Turning gears helped me keep turning gears in the brain. That was the simple life. It was what I loved, up until I saw Virginia with her kids. Something about the three of them together warmed my heart, and something about it made me feel left out too. That was a weird feeling I desperately wanted to shake.
So I kept coming out here, kept posting up on her porch to make sure that weirdo didn’t come crawling out from the forest or something. While Blake had assured me the guy was behind bars, I knew better than to trust the word of anybody, even my alphas. Which made me feel bad.
But also gave me an excuse to keep an eye on Virginia.
At least Troy is cool with it. I thought back to my convo with the Bravecrest alpha and how he had given me a glance of understanding. That man knew something that I didn’t know. But I didn’t know what it was.Whatever, this helps me sleep at night.
Technically, it kept me up till dawn. Then I’d run home, catch a quick nap, and go to work.
I snorted.As if I’ve been doing this for ages.
But with Ginny darling, shit, it always felt like ages had passed. Mere moments became decades in the blink of an eye. Was it just because we knew each other so well?
The kitchen door creaked open, and I shot out of the hammock fast enough for it to swing back and knock into the railing. The resultingthwackmade Virginia jump, and she nearly dropped the tray of teacups and crackers to the ground. I launched forward to help her steady the tray, dropping my phone in the process—it hit the wood with a heart-wrenching crunch that made me reconsider my actions.
Virginia stood there with her knuckles turning white around the handles of the tray. “Shit—I mean,shoot. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“No, it’s fine. I’m the one being a creep.”
