Maybe it will be the death of me. Hard to say. All I know is right now, watching Sheridan come is the only drug I crave. I twist my lips over hers, claiming her mouth with a bruising intensity, all the while working my fingers, the heel of my hand. When I find her nipple and pinch-hard-she throws her head back and screams.
I continue stroking my fingers in and out of her, pressing on her clit until her muscles stop squeezing, She falls forward against me, panting.
“Trey.”
I thread my fingers up the back of her hair and breathe in Sheridan. My fingers are still curled inside her like they belong there permanently. I slowly ease out and bring them to my mouth, sucking her essence off my fingers one by one, all the while holding her gaze.
“You don’t have a condom?” Her voice is scratchy from screaming and there’s a dazed quality to her gaze that makes my wolf preen.
I did that to her.
But apparently it wasn’t enough. “No, baby. Want me to go beg one off Jared?”
She flushes and shakes her head. “Fates, no.” She shoots a thoughtful gaze at me-seeing far too much. “Why don’t you have one, Trey?”
I go still. I want to tell her, but my wounds are still too raw. My intentions for her, too deep.
“Aren’t you the big player?”
I stumble back like she punched me. Regret instantly seeps over her expression.
I just shake my head.
She steps forward. “No?”
“Let’s not do this, Sheridan.”
Pain flits over her face. “Right. Let’s not.” She pulls her blouse back down over her breasts, straightens her skirt.
“Well… thanks. It was nice to see you fight. And, um, this”-she flushes and makes a flitting gesture to the room- “was, ah…”
I press my lips back over hers. “Don’t.”
She looks up at me, eyes wide, expectant. Like I’m supposed to lead wherever the hell we’re going.
And I have no fucking clue.
I kiss her again. It’s not the same claiming kiss of before. More of a firm seal. Like putting a finish on something. We did this.
Now it’s over.
We probably shouldn’t do it again.
“Thanks for coming to see me.” I love you. “I’ll walk you out to your car.” I’m letting you go.
TWELVE YEARS AGO
Trey
SHERIDAN’S HOUSE isn’t a mansion, but to a kid who grew up in a double wide on the wrong side of the tracks, it might as well be. My scuffed boots tread the gleaming tile lightly even though there’s no one around but us. Her dad’s at work and her mom took her sister to Tucson for some all-day gymnastics tournament. I sort of hate being here, because I know her dad would kick my ass if he found me , but I think that’s part of the thrill for Sheridan. She likes the naughtiness of fucking under her parents’ roof, and I’m not gonna deny her a single fantasy.
I walk around her bedroom, examining the childhood treasures and young adult books. I see a paper tucked under her desk calendar, like it’s something secret, and I slide it out.
“Oh!” Sheridan catches sight of it at the same time I realize what it is.
An acceptance letter for college. From Stanford.
“Holy shit, Sheridan-why didn’t you tell me about this?”
We never talk about next year-about what’s going to happen when she goes to college and I stay here, peddling pot and working on motorcycles with Garrett and Jared. I’ve tried to bring it up a couple times, but she always clams up and changes the subject.
“Why haven’t you accepted this yet?” I see the blank form underneath the letter, the one she’s supposed to send back to confirm her place.
She snatches the paper away from me. “I’m not going.” Her brows are down. “I have a scholarship to ASU.”
“Yeah, but this is an Ivy league school, baby. You should be jumping on this.”
She narrows her eyes. “Why would I want to leave Arizona?”
My breath whooshes out of me, because-yeah-I don’t want her to leave the state, either. But I also don’t want her giving up her life for me. Or maybe it’s not for me. I guess I need to find out.
“Why wouldn’t you?” I challenge.
She’s breathing fast, her breastbone rising and falling, tempting my eyes toward her cleavage, but I don’t give in. “You.”
Fuck. She said it. I can’t stop the explosion of warmth in my chest, nor can I help the goofy grin that spreads across my face.
“Give me that.” I snatch the letter out of her hand and slap it down on the desk. Then I tug her arm to position her in front of it. She’s not expecting what happens next. Maybe I’m crazy to do it, but I push her torso down and smack her ass.
There’s a shocked gasp-maybe from both of us-and I don’t move. I guess I’m waiting to see if she turns around and punches me in the face. When she stays still, I smack her again, and again.
“That’s for not telling me you got into fucking Stanford,” I lecture her as I spank her, picking up the intensity as I gain confidence.
“And that’s for trying to deflect an incredible opportunity.” I kick her feet apart and slap between her legs. My cock is rock hard now and I’m fucking loving dishing out the discipline like this. “I will always be here, Sheridan. I’ll be here Christmas and spring break. And every holiday weekend. Or, hell-I’ll go there. I’ve always wanted to see California. The point is, I’m gonna wait for you. You already know there’s no one else for me. My wolf would never accept another mate. He picked you. You’re it.” The whole time I bare my soul to her, I’m spanking away.
I’m not worried about hurting her, because shifters heal instantly, so my only worry is pissing her off, and she doesn’t seem pissed.
I stop spanking and squeeze her ass.
“More,” she moans.
Fuck me.
As you wish, sweetheart.