by C. D. Gorri
“Bro?”
“What? Don’t I have to wait?”
“Nah, he’s not pressing charges. Marcus invited him to the Den to meet with us.”
“What? Why?”
“Cause he’s a fucking Bear, asshole.”
“He’s the one! The one I scented earlier tonight behind the bakery! This fucker has been stalking us, Daniel!”
“What? Alright look, you can explain later. Come on. Krissy, you ready?” Daniel called over to where she stood.
She nodded at Daniel and drew herself up to her full height. Holy shit. She was tall and curvy in all the right places. How had he never noticed?
Her long legs outfitted in those sexy designer jeans with that utterly feminine top hugging her ample breasts made Taylor’s mouth water and brain turn to mush. He tensed as she moved past him. Vanilla and jasmine tickled his nose. Fuck. Now what?
“Thanks, Daniel. I appreciate it. I’m ready. Leya left with Marcus, and she forgot to give me her keys. So, I don’t have a ride,” she said by way of explanation.
He watched her fervently, waiting for her to meet his gaze. He was shocked when she wouldn’t. That wasn’t like her. Dimples was one of the most honest and candid people he knew. She was exceedingly bright and honest to a fault.
“You don’t have to explain to us, sweetheart. Of course, we’ll drive you home,” Daniel answered her with a small smile on his lips.
He glared at his brother over her head as they headed back towards the car. Taylor raised his hands in question. Asshat.
He walked stiffly behind the pair of them. For the first time in his entire life, he felt uncertain. It was an uncomfortable, nagging, itching kind of a feeling. Needless to say, he didn’t like it.
His Bear roared in his mind’s eye so loudly he couldn’t even think. He’d ignored Margot the entire night. Left his date hanging without even a backwards glance, and he had a fist fight! Both actions were highly uncharacteristic of Taylor.
Imagine, him engaging in violence over a woman! Not caring if anyone heard him growl or watched the inhuman speed and strength that imbued every single one of his punches.
He recognized the man as a Shifter and thanked the gods for that. But the thing was, he wasn’t sure he would’ve cared otherwise. And that was bad. Very bad.
He would’ve killed a normal with hits like that. Hell, Taylor had been completely out of control in that moment. His Bear was running the show as much as he could without fully Shifting.
What happened to set him off? Then he pictured it. That guy sticking his tongue into Dimples’ willing mouth. Once again, he saw red.
He halted in his tracks. One word. One word alone echoed in his brain louder than any other. MINE!
Shit. He thought back to that night at the office party. How she’d been so sweet and pliable in his arms. How she’d opened up to him, like a bud flowering for the first time. She’d trembled and sighed into his mouth, sweet and soft as honey.
The taste of her still lingered in his mind every time he closed his eyes. Her jasmine vanilla scent tickled his senses.
There was something about her, something about a woman who was comfortable in jeans and flannels but smelled like flowers that drove him a little wild.
Why hadn’t he acknowledged it before? The answer was simple. He was scared. Now, he felt nothing but regret for how he’d treated her that night.
Looking back, turning her away when she called him mate had been the hardest fucking thing he’d ever done. Lost in their shared kiss, unable to name the feelings she’d invoked, he’d done what he always did when shit got hard. He fought his feelings and ran.
He grimaced. She’d had it right the first time. Mate. Sweet mate. He only hoped he hadn’t completely ruined his chances.
Taylor just had to talk to her. He needed to tell her how he felt. He slid into the back seat next to her, ignoring her gasp of surprise and Daniel’s raised eyebrows.
The ride back was going to be about half an hour or so. Plenty of time to talk this through.
Daniel cleared his throat and flipped on an AM news station. He hummed as he drove, and Taylor was grateful for his attempt at giving them privacy.
“Dimples look-”
“No.”
“But I need to explain,” he wanted so bad to make her look at him.
She sat stiffly in her seat. Her head turned towards the window watching the asphalt as they drove. He could feel her anger rolling off her in waves. Shit.
“Dimples,” he tried again.
He lifted his bruised hand and made to touch her, stopping when she stiffened. They both sat still, not daring to move. He took that as a sign to continue.
“Why, Dimples?”
“Why what?”
“Why’d you go and do all this?”
He reached out with his battered, shaky hand and cursed himself for the fool he’d been. His fingers slid over her silky waves of her hair, ending at the platinum tips that glowed like silver in the moonlight.
“Women get their hair done Taylor, it’s not a big deal.”
“And this?” he tugged on the droopy cap sleeve of her peasant blouse, causing it to fall and reveal more of her silky skin.
He gulped and felt his beast rise. Damn, Dimples, you are so fucking beautiful. How did I never noticed?
But that’s not true, he suddenly realized. He had noticed. He just never acted. He couldn’t. Not when he was such a play-bear, running from bed to bed without so much as a returned call afterwards.
Gods, he hated that fucking nickname. His women knew the deal, but for the first time in his life, he felt ashamed of his behavior.
Dimples was worth so much more. He wished he could erase his past, but there was no turning back the clock. He made his bed, now he had to hope to the gods she still found him worthy.
He tested the softness of her blouse between bruised fingers and inhaled her sweet fragrance. How he wanted to bury his nose it in, lose himself in her scent. Desire was like a punch in the gut. It was nearly his undoing.
Sensitive to the sound of his exhale, Krissy looked up and met his eyes. They were so bright and clear. Hazel, but more amber than brown, mixed with a mossy green that was as warm and inviting as the woman herself.
Such a wealth of emotion in the deep pools of her eyes. He could happily drown in them.
“Taylor? What? They’re just clothes. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m still just me.”
“How could I ever be disappointed? You are beautiful, Dimples. I’ve just never seen you dressed like this-”
“So, that’s your excuse.”
“What?” He felt the temperature in the car drop a few degrees. She shoved his hand away and glared at him.
“So I dress up a little and that gives you the right to you lose your fucking mind?”
Both men sat up straighter. Taylor’s mouth hung open, and Daniel’s eyebrows were so high they almost disappeared in the waves of blonde hair that fell across his forehead.
Dimples rarely lost her cool. She never yelled, and she hardly ever cursed. She definitely didn’t go around saying fuck. Wrongo. Apparently, she did, and she was just getting started.
“I’ve worked at Bear Claw Bakery for years, Taylor! FUCKING YEARS! You never ever look at me! You barely even register that I’m there! Now, for the first time EVER, I go out, get dressed up, meet a hot guy at a bar ON MY OWN TIME and suddenly you act like some sort of crazy protective older brother?! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”
Brother? What? Ew! No! His Bear bellowed at her gross misinterpretation. The beast demanded he correct his mate right now! Taylor’s head pounded as he tried to keep up with both his animal’s indignation and Krissy’s outrage.
“No! That’s not it at all!”
“Well, I don’t know what it is, Taylor, but you completely fucking humiliated me in there! I mean, where do you get off hitting a guy just for talking to me!”
“Oh talking, is that what you were doing? He had his fu
cking tongue down your throat, Dimples!”
“Ooh! Don’t you call me that! You don’t get to use nicknames with me like we’re friends or something!”
Okay. That stung. Of course they were friends. He’d known her for years. Hell, she was family. And now, well, she was more. What? Oh, she was still yelling at him. Fuck.
“It is none of your business who sticks their tongue anywhere on my body!”
“What are you talking about? Who’s been using their tongue on you?!” That riled his Bear even more.
Taylor couldn’t keep the growl out of his voice and that earned him another scathing look. Fucking shit. But he couldn’t help it! The thought of Dimples with a man, any man, made him go fucking mental. He saw red. He wanted to beat up the entire damn world. He was so screwed.
“Oh, please! I am not about to explain my sexual exploits to you! And I sure as hell don’t want to hear yours!”
“What?!”
“You know what, it’s been a real shitty couple of years, guys, so you know what? I’m taking tomorrow off. Thank you for the ride, Daniel,” she moved to open the door, but Taylor grabbed her hand. He refused to let go until she looked at him.
“Dimples? Kristianne? Please, I have to talk to you,” he pleaded with her.
He breathed in, scenting her anger and sorrow. Fuck. Knowing he was responsible for the hurt and sadness was killing him. Please, he thought, look at me.
She was a Shifter, like him, she would be able to tell his sincerity, but it seemed that after all these years she’d had enough. With one final tug on the door, she slipped out of his grasp.
“I don’t want to talk to you, Taylor, not now. Maybe not ever. And I changed my mind about tomorrow, I am taking the whole week off. If you don’t like it, fire me!”
“Please, don’t walk away. I need-”
“It’s always been about what you need, or what mom needs, or Luisa. What about me? When does someone see to my needs?”
Shame warred with shock at her heated response. She was right. He’d been a selfish asshole. But he wanted to, no needed to make it up to her. She just had to listen.
“I’m finished. You hear me? Done.”
“Dimples-”
“Leave me alone, Taylor,” she closed her eyes on his name, and simultaneously closed the door in his face.
He watched helplessly from the back seat of his car as she walked across the lawn. His heart squeezed tight in his chest as he watched her.
She was so beautiful and proud with her back straight and head high. So strong on her own. She’s had to be.
Shame threatened to consume him as he watched. But he couldn’t turn away. His eyes followed her, step after step, up the sagging front porch. Her childhood home had seen better days, but he noted the repairs she’d made over the years.
Shit. He was a total fucking bastard. He made no move to follow her inside, swallowing the lump in his throat as he continued to torment himself watching her. You are a complete prick, Taylor Devlin.
Dimples had worked so hard for so long. Countless weekends and nights. Hell, she used to beg for overtime even when she was just a kid. She’d studied at night, got her degree in business management, and still managed to take care of her mother and sister.
She was a nurturer. Taking care of her family was all she knew, but it didn’t stop there. How many times had she made chicken soup for sick employees or Clan-mates? How many times had she helped them with personal problems?
She was always doing stuff for other people. She’d moved on from being the Barvale Store Manager, to the General Manager for the entire region years ago, and yet she still did all the little extras. She involved Bear Claw Bakery in several community outreach programs.
She even had an arrangement with the neighboring Maccon City’s Macconwood-Nighthawk Teen Outreach Center for seasonal hires. She took at risk teens in, mainly Shifters, and gave them jobs. A real start in life where most had never had a break. Some of those kids remained with the company, turning into their best employees!
He’d never realized before how much she gave of herself. She was so generous. She deserved someone who could give her back some of that love. Someone to walk proudly next to her, not treat her like a fucking booty call!
We can do that and more, his Bear growled at him. Taylor was beside himself. On one hand, he wanted her so bad he could taste it. On the other, he knew she deserved better than him.
Sweet loving Dimples deserved the best. After years of giving everyone everything she had and never complaining about it, she deserved the fucking moon and all the stars.
We can give her the moon and we can make her see stars, his Bear insisted. She is ours. Mate. Mine.
Taylor growled in frustration. How could he have been so fucking blind? He looked at the faded siding and the chipped paint on the porch and growled again.
She deserved better. Marcus was more than generous with salary and benefits. He saw to it their employees were well taken care of, especially after their company had gone through the roof. And Dimples had always been more than an employee. She was dependable, reliable, trustworthy.
Hell, he could be himself around her. He didn’t always have to smile and be charming. He could be a real Bear, growly and grumpy, and she still stuck by him. Over the years, she’d shown more integrity and loyalty than anyone he’d ever known.
Employees looked up to her and came to her with their problems. She dealt with temperamental vendors and foreign investors alike with diplomacy and skill. Sure, she preferred to hang around the office in jeans and flannels, but she was efficient and completely irreplaceable.
Hell, Dimples was a huge part of Bear Claw Bakery. She was the heart, he realized.
She was his heart. Oh fuck, he really fucked this up. How many times had he taken for granted simple things like asking her to fill in for him? To take on even more responsibilities?
There he was, living his life, not a care in the world. Alone. No one to care for and protect. But you can care for our mate, the Bear insisted.
She never took a break. Never even asked for time off, unless her mom was sick. He’d been too selfish and stupid to notice. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.
“Dude, she needs some space,” he hardly realized Daniel had started the car again before he drove off towards the Den. Away from her.
Taylor nursed his aching jaw and turned in his seat. His eyes riveted to the window where he knew Krissy’s bedroom lay. He’d been in it once. To bring her some college text books she’d left at the office a few years ago.
Krissy hadn’t been home yet, having stopped at the pharmacy for her mom first. Mrs. Sposa had let him in.
He remembered the beige wallpaper with the tiny pink rosebuds all over it. The white, four poster bed and the delicate, rose colored cover. He recalled thinking that for a jeans and flannels kind of girl, she sure liked pretty things.
Her shelves were lined with poetry books and regency romance novels. She had a collection of small wooden boxes on her dresser, some of them sat open with little doodads inside. A couple of pictures were stuck in her mirror.
Silly shots of her with her mom and sister, and one of her at the bakery with Taylor and Daniel. Marcus had taken the picture. He remembered the day well. She’d been accepted into the night program at the local college and she’d been so surprised she cried. Taylor had done his best to make her laugh. He asked her to smell one of their signature cupcakes then smushed her face in the frosting, resulting in a food war.
Covered in cake crumbs and buttercream, he and Daniel had draped their arms over her shoulders. Marcus had shot the picture. Boy, they’d laughed about that for days. She still didn’t trust him around the cupcakes.
It had been a good day. Memories like that one swarmed his brain. He couldn’t imagine life without Dimples. How could he not have noticed that she was his mate?
Then he realized he’d always known. Deep down, his Bear had always recognized her, but his human had pushed her away. Cause I’
m just the fun guy. No real depth. Nothing to offer.
“That’s bullshit, Taylor,” Daniel said his eyes burning into Taylor’s.
Fuck. He’d said that shit out loud. His brother had heard his weepy bullshit excuses. His cheeks burned and he knew they’d be dark pink. Shit. He wiped a hand over his face.
“She deserves better than me, man. I’ve been a total fucking asshole. We both know it. I’ve fucked around with so many women, and she’s seen it all. How will she ever believe I’m serious?”
“You gotta make her, man. Look, Taylor, you’re my brother and I love you. We both know I don’t know shit when it comes to women, but I know one thing. Krissy has loved you for years. That’s not something that just goes away. Give her a few days. Alright? You’ll think of something.”
“Yeah. Alright. Thanks, bro.”
Hollow-chested and miserable as all hell, Taylor trudged into the Den feeling like he just went ten rounds with the Devil himself.
The real devil, not that jacked-up douche he went to high school with. New Jersey had its very own Devil living in the pine barrens not forty minutes away from Barvale, but Taylor shrugged off the wayward thought as he closed the front door.
The second he stepped over the polished entryway; he went on alert. He sucked in a breath and growled. That scent. The Bear. The fucking guy who stuck his tongue down Krissy’s throat! He’s here. In. My. Home. WTF?!
His angry steps resounded through the hallway as he walked towards the kitchen. Yup, there he was. Sitting at the table like he owned the fucking place.
Taylor stopped short and bared his teeth. His Bear rising in his mind’s eye, fists clenched against the claws that were begging to come out.
Marcus’ eyes snapped to his and Taylor wavered under his Alpha’s stare. He knew his brother was pissed. No need to make him angrier by Shifting then and there.
Leya didn’t like anyone to Change in the Den. But how was he supposed to react when the man he wanted to skin was sitting in his fucking house?
The stranger, he recalled his name was Nate something or other, sat there with a guarded expression on his face.