Jennifer snuggled closer as the tears began to dry up. “I’m tired, Dec.”

He swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Decebel helped her undress and slip on one of his t-shirts that swallowed her. He loved seeing her in his clothes; it was almost as good as seeing her without any clothes—almost.

“Your mind is having impure thoughts, lover,” she teased him as she wiped away the last bit of moisture from her eyes.

Decebel wanted to keep the tears at bay, and if seducing his mate would keep her mind and emotions under control, then it was certainly no hardship for him. “Are they really impure if they’re about my mate?” he asked as he took off his shirt and then his pants. He pulled back the covers on the bed and watched as she climbed in. The shirt rose up, exposing more of her silky thighs, and his thoughts went from impure to completely inappropriate.

He slid in next to her and reached for one of the legs that had tempted him and pulled her closer. Decebel placed the leg over his hip and his hands grasped her waist. He pulled her over until she was nearly laying on top of him.

“Comfortable?” she mumbled against his chest. Her lips were soft as they moved against his skin.

Decebel grunted at her, too focused on his hands trailing over her to bother answering. She shivered as he pushed the t-shirt up further. He smiled. He loved how she responded to him.

“I’ve missed you,” she whispered.

“You don’t ever have to miss me, baby. All you have to do is tell me you need me and I’m yours.”

He felt her smile against him. “If I did that, then we’d never get anything done.”

His own smile widened. “You are quite insatiable.”

“You love it,” she growled as she climbed up his body until she hovered over him, boxing him in.

“Maybe,” he shrugged. “It’s been a while so I can’t really remember.”

She lunged down and clamped her teeth on his neck just hard enough to get his and his wolf’s attention. “Then perhaps I need to remind you,” Jennifer purred after releasing his flesh.

Decebel trailed his hands up the backs of her thighs, pulling the hem of the shirt up as he moved. As the hem reached her neck, she ducked down allowing her head and arms to slip free of the shirt.

He growled his approval as he pulled her face to his. “I think a reminder is definitely in order.” Decebel’s lips collided with hers. It was the first of many kisses that night. He wrapped her in his arms as she loved him and thoroughly reminded him of just how much he loved her insatiability.

Chapter 18

“I’m lost. I’m lost to the darkness, lost to the pain, lost to the desire to kill everything in my path because there is no light to lead me. My light is gone. My soul is incomplete. My wolf, in his grief for the loss of his mate, has given himself over to the monster inside. Everything I feared has come true.” ~Costin

Sally stretched as the morning light streamed into her bedroom. It had been another rough night as dreams of wolves plagued her. She didn’t understand her sudden obsession with the animal, at least in her subconscious. Not that they weren’t beautiful and majestic, but she’d never had a thing for them before. It just seemed so random…and yet not. Then she remembered her experience on the beach and mentally added one more thing to her growing list of WTH.

She glanced at her phone and saw that it wasn’t even seven a.m. She groaned and threw herself back onto the bed. Why was she up so early? After last night’s late night with Jericho, she assumed she would have no problem sleeping in today. Apparently, she was wrong.

The bathroom called to her in more ways than one, so Sally dragged herself from the bed and handled her business before going into the kitchen and fixing herself a bowl of cereal. Once she was finished with breakfast, she laid around the house, attempting to keep herself entertained by reading. The more she tried not to worry about the dreams, the headaches, and Jericho, the more agitated she became.

“Jericho,” she whispered. Her emotions for him were so confusing, especially after last night. Something had changed in him. He was always touchy, but last night he’d been determined to move their relationship to the next level. Sally had never had a guy try to touch her chest before or run his hands up the inside of her thighs. She’d pushed him away and he’d taken the rejection like a gentleman, telling her they could go as slow as she needed. She wanted to say that her speed was frozen molasses and see what Jericho said to that, but as usual she kept her mouth shut. The only reason she’d been brave enough to push his hands away was because she had had to swallow down bile as soon as he touched her so intimately. She had nearly barfed all over him.

Sally felt bad for him. He deserved a girl who cared for him as much as he cared for her. She liked him. He was funny, playful, and very handsome. But she didn’t think she liked him liked him despite the fact that he was quite the kisser and his touch was pleasurable, when not in places that his hands didn’t belong, Sally still couldn’t muster up any romantic feelings for him. That begged the question then, why was she dating him? Why didn’t she just tell him that she wanted to be friends and only friends?

“Cause you’re a fraidy cat,” she grumbled to herself.

By the time she needed to leave to make it to the bar in time for the start of her shift, Sally had worked herself into a pretty high state of apprehension. She would be working with Jericho tonight and anytime they worked together he touched her about every three seconds. And every time he touched her, she felt as though she was giving something to him that belonged to another.

“Stop it!” she yelled at herself as she stood at her door, about to step outside. “Quit this nonsense, Sally Morgan.” Gah, even her last name sounded weird to her. She gave up trying to reason with herself and practically sprinted out the door to work.

Sally hadn’t been behind the counter for five minutes before Jericho had his hands on her hips, pulling her back against his chest. “You look edible,” he whispered against her ear and then nipped it with his teeth.

Sally blushed and fought the urge to pull away. “Thanks.” She bit back the audible sigh when he released her to help a gentleman who’d just walked up to the bar.

She decided right then that she was going to have to call things off with him sooner rather than later. She couldn’t keep feeling like this. She felt like she was not only leading him on but also betraying someone else. Maybe if she explained that to him, then he would understand. Perhaps, he wouldn’t take the news too hard.