usually all go out and watch them on Saturday nights. You have to come this weekend. It’s so fun!”
Riley’s enthusiasm was catching, and suddenly Cassie could imagine drinking with the crew, playing darts, watching Denison and Brighton play, snuggling up to Haydan in dark corners…
“What are you thinking about that has you smiling into space?” Haydan asked.
“Nothing!” Cassie cleared her throat and lowered her voice to a normal level. “Nothing.”
“Let me guess,” he murmured against her ear, hooking his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close as they walked down the sidewalk toward the antique shop. “Missionary position.”
“No I wasn’t, but now I am, and I’m getting all angry just thinking about your games.”
“You don’t smell or sound angry. And you’re smiling again.”
“Am not.” She pouted.
“Your eyes are still smiling.”
With a half-hearted shove, she pushed him away and spun, walking backward in front of him. “I’ve decided I’m not playing your games anymore. Our pairing will be sexless. When I grace your den with my presence, I’ll sleep beside you with a pillow in between us. No touching—”
“Naturally,” Haydan said through a grin.
“And I will take care of my own needs.”
“Hmm. Who’s playing games now?”
“Who’s winning the game now?”
Haydan laughed and lurched forward, lifting her by the waist until her feet came off the ground.
She gasped as he nipped her neck. “Haydan, we’re in public! People can see us.”
“So?”
“So…it’s wrong to be…”
“Affectionate toward your mate?” He settled her on her feet and pulled her against his side again without missing a step. “Why?”
“Because.” Lame answer.
Why was it wrong? She hadn’t gone to town with the Red Claws much, and when she had, they’d scattered. If she was honest, Jake hadn’t liked spending time with her any more than she’d liked quality time with him, and their relationship hadn’t been the hand-holding and snuggles type. She hadn’t wanted it to be.
“Jake and I didn’t do that.”
Haydan stopped suddenly and grabbed her shoulders, looking her square in the eye. “Cas, I’m sorry you lost your last mate. I am. I know it rips you up in ways I can’t understand because you aren’t ready to share that part of your life with me. But comparing me to Jake isn’t going to get you anywhere. I’m not him.”
“He didn’t like me,” she whispered, feeling lost.
“He was an idiot then. I like you fine. I want to hold your hand and hug you when I want, and someday, when you’re comfortable enough, I want to kiss you.” His gaze dipped to her lips. “Apparently touch is necessary to me and my animal. I don’t know what that says about me, and frankly, I’ve been beating myself up over it for a full day now, and I’m tired of caring. You don’t like touch, I can see that, and it makes me want that from you even more, like some needy little cub. It’s not out of pity or need to help you either. When you let me hold you, and when you grabbed my hand back there, it felt fucking awesome, and I want—”
Cassie stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his, then pulled back and stared at him in shock. She couldn’t believe she’d just done that. Even more baffling than her actions, that tiny peck had dumped strange flutters into her stomach when his lips had gone soft and he’d made a sexy little smack as she pulled away.
A slow smile spread across his lips and landed in his soft brown eyes. “You kissed me.”
Heat flooded her cheeks, and she looked around to make sure no one was watching.
“Well, don’t get used to it. I’m not good at this emotional crap.” A smile snuck onto her face just before she turned away.
When she glanced back to see if he was following, Haydan still stood there, legs splayed and hands out, looking just as drunk off their kiss as she felt.
And her stomach fluttered on.
Chapter
Riley’s enthusiasm was catching, and suddenly Cassie could imagine drinking with the crew, playing darts, watching Denison and Brighton play, snuggling up to Haydan in dark corners…
“What are you thinking about that has you smiling into space?” Haydan asked.
“Nothing!” Cassie cleared her throat and lowered her voice to a normal level. “Nothing.”
“Let me guess,” he murmured against her ear, hooking his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close as they walked down the sidewalk toward the antique shop. “Missionary position.”
“No I wasn’t, but now I am, and I’m getting all angry just thinking about your games.”
“You don’t smell or sound angry. And you’re smiling again.”
“Am not.” She pouted.
“Your eyes are still smiling.”
With a half-hearted shove, she pushed him away and spun, walking backward in front of him. “I’ve decided I’m not playing your games anymore. Our pairing will be sexless. When I grace your den with my presence, I’ll sleep beside you with a pillow in between us. No touching—”
“Naturally,” Haydan said through a grin.
“And I will take care of my own needs.”
“Hmm. Who’s playing games now?”
“Who’s winning the game now?”
Haydan laughed and lurched forward, lifting her by the waist until her feet came off the ground.
She gasped as he nipped her neck. “Haydan, we’re in public! People can see us.”
“So?”
“So…it’s wrong to be…”
“Affectionate toward your mate?” He settled her on her feet and pulled her against his side again without missing a step. “Why?”
“Because.” Lame answer.
Why was it wrong? She hadn’t gone to town with the Red Claws much, and when she had, they’d scattered. If she was honest, Jake hadn’t liked spending time with her any more than she’d liked quality time with him, and their relationship hadn’t been the hand-holding and snuggles type. She hadn’t wanted it to be.
“Jake and I didn’t do that.”
Haydan stopped suddenly and grabbed her shoulders, looking her square in the eye. “Cas, I’m sorry you lost your last mate. I am. I know it rips you up in ways I can’t understand because you aren’t ready to share that part of your life with me. But comparing me to Jake isn’t going to get you anywhere. I’m not him.”
“He didn’t like me,” she whispered, feeling lost.
“He was an idiot then. I like you fine. I want to hold your hand and hug you when I want, and someday, when you’re comfortable enough, I want to kiss you.” His gaze dipped to her lips. “Apparently touch is necessary to me and my animal. I don’t know what that says about me, and frankly, I’ve been beating myself up over it for a full day now, and I’m tired of caring. You don’t like touch, I can see that, and it makes me want that from you even more, like some needy little cub. It’s not out of pity or need to help you either. When you let me hold you, and when you grabbed my hand back there, it felt fucking awesome, and I want—”
Cassie stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his, then pulled back and stared at him in shock. She couldn’t believe she’d just done that. Even more baffling than her actions, that tiny peck had dumped strange flutters into her stomach when his lips had gone soft and he’d made a sexy little smack as she pulled away.
A slow smile spread across his lips and landed in his soft brown eyes. “You kissed me.”
Heat flooded her cheeks, and she looked around to make sure no one was watching.
“Well, don’t get used to it. I’m not good at this emotional crap.” A smile snuck onto her face just before she turned away.
When she glanced back to see if he was following, Haydan still stood there, legs splayed and hands out, looking just as drunk off their kiss as she felt.
And her stomach fluttered on.
Chapter
Similar Books
