She followed the kissy sounds Sebastian was making inside the woods. She had to stop this, he would be so humiliated to know it was all a lie. She grabbed her phone out of her back pocket and gave an excited gasp at the blank screen. “One of my neighbors found him, she’s holding him for me.” Sebastian walked out smiling. “Thank you so much for helping me look, sorry to bother you when he wasn’t even here.”
“No worries, I’m glad he’s safe.” He came out of the tree line brushing his knees off, he really had gone above and beyond to help her.
“Thank you again for looking for my pussy...” His head snapped up, surprised by her words, “cat.” She knew her intentional pause would get a reaction, her animal wanted to play dirty, she would have to focus hard if she didn’t want to scare him off. “I’m so glad he’s safe, I can’t help it, I love to hear a kitty purr.” So much for restraint.
Sebastian’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times, she could see the shock in his eyes but she could also smell the desire that coursed through him.
“Well, I guess I’ll get out of your way now. Thanks again for helping.” She knew she had him intrigued, she gave her sauciest smile before turning and walking away. As hoped he called her back.
“Aeslyn, wait,” She spun back innocently, trying not to be obvious she was excited. “I know you are new to the area and I’m sure you have a lot of friends but if you’d like to meet some other locals I am hanging out with a group of friends tonight?” He dug his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, he was adorable when he was nervous. She couldn’t hide the indecision on her face though, it was bad enough she broke her own rules by talking to him right now, hanging out with him would be even worse. “There will be guys and girls there and it’s a public place, I promise I’m not a creep.”
She smiled at the dimples that popped up with his smile. She didn’t know why she needed to think about it, he was her mate and she needed to help him realize it before need and desire overtook her higher senses.
“That sounds like fun, what time should I pick you up?” She could see the surprise in his eyes turn to intrigue. Clearly, he wasn’t used to women taking the lead.
“Okay, I’ll go out with you but I warn you now I don’t put out on the first date.” His deep, sexy laugh sent shivers all the way down to her toes. “My mother will be here at seven to babysit.”
“Seven it is, see you tonight.” She gave a small wave before turning and trying to walk away as nonchalantly as possible. The excitement tingling in her belly was mildly tamped down thinking what Ash would say about her getting too close to her mark. She shrugged off her worries, she had a hot date tonight, the first one in a while and besides what better way to keep an eye on him than being underneath him.
Chapter Four
Sebastian had been home almost a year and he still struggled to get used to civilian life. After three tours of duty overseas it was an adjustment to know he was never going back. Two terrible events in his life occurred at the same time leading him to be permanently stationed back in the states. He always thought he would be doing tours till he was too old to keep going. He loved being in the field and the rush from saving lives. Being a medic in the military can be mentally exhausting for a lot of people, he had lucked out that he was able to focus more on the soldiers he did save rather than the ones he couldn’t.
He sat on the back porch for a while thinking about the woman he had just met. Her name was as unique as she was, something about her made him instantly feel good. As he saw her walking away his heart lurched in his chest, his brain was screaming at him to stop her. His mind raced for what to say next. He didn’t have plans with friends but he needed an excuse to see her again so the lie came out easily.
The boys were still fast asleep, he went through his phone texting people. He didn’t ask so much as tell them they were meeting him and acting like it was already planned so his date didn’t know he lied. He knew they all pitied him for the situation his wife left him in so they would do whatever he asked if it came to him dating again.
Aeslyn would be the first woman he has dated since he was sixteen and started seeing his wife. Only having experience with one other woman was intimidating, he knew what she liked, how she liked to be touched and kissed, the way she looked when she first woke up in the morning. The idea of starting all over again was both exciting and nausea-inducing. He would always love his wife but thanks to the way things ended he knew he was ready to move on and start a new chapter in his life.
Who would have guessed the next chapter would walk right up to him and take his breath away? He didn’t believe in love at first sight, love is too deep of an emotion to toss around so easily but there was definitely magic at first sight and if you are lucky it will turn to love.
Soft noises coming from the baby monitor interrupted his musings. His tiny monsters were up, it was time to return to his daddy duties and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Chapter Five
Aeslyn had sat outside Sebastian’s house for the rest of the day, he didn’t leave again and she hadn’t seen anything suspicious. Maybe his grandmother was mistaken and the person in the woods at the park was a coincidence.
At six-fifteen, she went back to her hotel to get ready. When she was working she was in jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers. She loved to be girly which was tough with a male roommate so when she wasn’t on the clock she gussied up the best she could. Having two very different dressing habits made it easy for her to have date clothes and not having to run to the nearest mall, she was always ready for any situation.
She pulled out her red dress that contrasted perfectly with her raven black hair. She loved the way the top crisscrossed her chest enhancing her already ample breasts then flowed out to float around her thighs.
Normally on a first date she doesn’t shave, she figured that was the best insurance to make sure she didn’t go too far too fast but her desire for Sebastian was almost to the point of being painful and she would gladly fuck him even if it was in the bathroom of the bar they were going to. She said she was girly, she never said she was a lady.
A brief flash of him carrying his boys popped into her mind. She had to remind herself this was not just some guy, he was a dad and she had no experience dating men with so much responsibility. Her normal confidence slightly wavered worrying she would come across as immature, this was the first time she was actually unsure of how to act.
Once her hair and makeup were done she stood for a while in the mirror, she knew she was stalling. The alarm on her phone went off, she needed to leave to get there on time. She cursed at herself and her vulnerability, through a washcloth at her reflection and left. She was a good person, she looked amazing and he was her mate, she had nothing to worry about.
The drive over was quick, she pulled up to his house at seven on the dot. She hated people who were unreliable or always late, people deserved the courtesy of their friends being dependable.
Movement in the front window caught her attention. An older woman much shorter than Sebastian was squishing one of the boys into a bear hug. For a moment she contemplated what to do next. She didn’t ask him if he was going to come out or if she should go up and get him. She didn’t know if he would want his mom or his kids knowing he was going on a date. At three minutes after seven, her manners got the best of her and she walked to the front door.
She could hear giggling inside as she rang the doorbell. Sebastian answered the door with a huge smile. For a few seconds, they both stood there admiring the other. His button-down shirt was untucked from his jeans, the sleeves rolled up showing his forearms, she’s not sure when she started finding that body part sexy but it was.
“Come on in.” He stood back and gave her room to walk in. She did a quick look around before turning her attention to the woman on the couch with the two boys bouncing on her knees.
“Mom, this is Aeslyn, she moved here recently, we’re going to meet up with the gang, I shouldn’t be home
too late.”
The woman set the boys down and stood to shake hands with Aeslyn. Her tiny warm hand shook hers firmly. She stared into her eyes for a moment, weighing her worth. After a minute she turned to kiss Sebastian on the cheek, Aeslyn’s shifter hearing barely picked up on the woman’s whispered words. “You better not come home too early, I know where the spare bedroom is if I get tired.”
Aeslyn hid her smile, relief flooded her knowing the other woman approved of her and obviously wanted her son to have a good time.
“Benjamin, Christopher, be good for grandma.” Each boy ran up, Sebastian tossed him in the air, gave him a kiss then set him down and repeated the actions with the other one. Her heart melted and if they didn’t hurry and get out of there her panties might melt off next.
“Okay you two, get out of here, go find trouble.” His mother was standing with the door open, eagerly kicking them out. How long had it been since he had been on a date?
The heat from his large hand settling onto her lower back sent a shiver down her back, her animal wanted to curl into it and let him pet her. She had a bad feeling it was going to be a long, sexually frustrating night.
Chapter Six
It’s fascinating to think you’ve seen someone at their best, it wasn't possible for them to be more beautiful but the punch to Sebastian’s gut when he opened the door and saw Aeslyn told him he still had so much to learn about her. His mother basically telling him not to come home was humorous, his own mother was pimping him out.
Walking down the driveway he hesitated on who should drive. “Those are some killer heels; do you want me to drive?” Mortification engulfed him as she lifted one eyebrow and gave him her best are you kidding look. “I didn’t mean anything by it, I’ve never worn heels so I don’t know how hard it is.” He let out a deep breath of frustration, his hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Ten feet from my door and I’m already screwing this up. I’ll be honest with you, I don’t have much experience with dating and I was just trying to make sure you were comfortable and had a good time.”
He could see her ire subside, “It’s considerate of you to ask, you aren’t screwing anything up and if you want later I can race you in these heels and show you what I can do in them.” She stopped and glanced at him over her car, “I’m nervous too, how about we both agree to relax and just have fun?”
“Sounds good to me.” He smiled before climbing in the passenger side. “I can put the address in your GPS if you want?”
Aeslyn tapped the map icon on her dashboard screen and waved to him to continue.
The fifteen-minute drive was quiet at first, he was afraid to say something else idiotic, he should have read a book earlier like Dating for Dummies or How not to be a jackass. He didn’t know if those books existed but they should.
“So, Sebastian, what do you do for a living?” Aeslyn looked over at him curious.
“I’m a Captain in the Air Force, I’m lucky and was able to train and travel as a combat medic. How about you?” A lot of women don’t want anything to do with military men, they aren’t cut out for that life, he knew he was taking a risk telling her so early in the date.
“I’m nowhere as accomplished as you are. I own my own business; my partner is my best friend from childhood. We are consultants which is a fancy way of saying people hire us to help them solve problems.” The best way to avoid lying was to keep turning the conversation back to him. “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone that was in the military, what made you join?”
“It’s been just me and my mom for as long as I can remember. I was always interested in medicine but we didn’t have any money. The military paid for all of my training, I thought I would do the minimum time required then leave the service but I found out I loved it. I have met some awesome soldiers from different branches and I know I had an impact on them, it made it so easy to keep re-upping.” His mind traveled back to that last month of his last tour and the incident that altered him forever. He didn’t realize he was staring off into space till he heard her clear her throat. “Sorry I didn’t hear your question.”
“I was saying how hard it must have been to leave your family. I’ve lived within a couple of miles of all of my extended family my entire life.”
He felt the anger rushing up inside him, he didn’t want to talk about his family so soon. How do you get to know someone on a first date if you aren’t willing to talk about everything that makes you-you? “I didn’t meet the boys until nine months ago, they were born while I was still overseas. I regret every day not being there when they were born but there wasn’t anything I could do.” He let out a deep breath, he just wanted the car ride to end so they could stop talking about such heavy topics. Not that he blamed her, she was asking perfectly normal questions, he just had complicated answers. “I’ll save you from asking the difficult question, yes their mother is still alive, she doesn’t have custody though and doesn’t see them.” He tried to keep any emotion from his statement but people are curious by nature and he gets that question all the time from strangers so he knew she was probably dying to ask.
He looked down when she reached over, grabbed his hand and squeezed. “You are a good dad, it makes them twice as lucky to have you fill both roles for them.” She pulled her hand back and put the car in park. “Now, before we go in is there anything I need to know about any of your friends? I want to make a good impression so don’t let me walk into any embarrassing situations like bringing up a bad topic like I just did with you.” Her smile melted the turmoil that was rolling around inside him. Nine months and he was still bitter.
“They are all pretty normal, most of them are military like I am. Jackson is a bit of a handful so maybe sit away from him.” He gave her a teasing wink then got out to run around and open her door for her. Even if she was driving he was still going to try to be a gentleman. Plus, he needed to make up for that dramatic ride they just had. It was time to turn on the charm and try to be a normal guy for a few hours, not that he knew what normal was.
Chapter Seven
Aeslyn didn’t mean to bring up any unpleasant feelings for him, she thought she was asking simple questions. She already knew he was Air Force but was surprised to find out he was a medic. He was a real-life hero, could this guy get any more perfect? She was dying to know more about the missing mom and why she left, partly because this was her mate and she wanted to know everything about him and partly because being a private detective she was naturally curious.
He held his hand out and helped her out of the car. The music inside the bar was loud and the place was packed. She followed him inside always scanning for threats, did he do that too, are military people trained that way?
“Seb!” Multiple voices yelled and were waving them over to a corner booth.
“Seb?” She smirked at his nickname.
“Yeah, lazy bastards can’t even bother to say my whole name. It doesn’t bother me though, you can say whichever.” He waved and pulled her along to the table.
Nine pairs of eyes landed on her, she could feel them looking her over. “There will not be a test on this later and you are not expected to remember any of their names,” he pointed at each person as he gave their name. “That’s Sandra, Antonio, Elliana, Fernando, Connor, Ryan, Gloria, Tim and Jackson. Guys, this is Aeslyn, she moved here recently so don’t be weird and scare her into moving away again.” She paused on Connor’s face for a brief second, intrigued that he was different and Sebastian apparently didn’t have a clue.
Napkins were balled up and tossed at Sebastian along with a few curse words. Jackson smiled at her and waved to the empty seat next to him. She was warned to stay away from him but she was used to Alpha’s in the pack and she didn’t get intimidated easily.
She slid into the seat next to him, “I heard you were the troublemaker in the group, are you going to behave if I sit here?”
“Dammit Seb, what are you telling her. Geez, I play a couple of pranks and you vilify me.” He turned
back to Aeslyn and put his hand over his heart. “He is a lying bastard, I am a gentleman and swear on his life that I will behave.” Aeslyn couldn’t help but laugh at his earnest declaration followed by a giant toothy grin.
“Between you and me, I didn’t think there was any truth to the things he said about you. I mean how could they be real, you don’t look like someone who would do those things and to animals no less.” She grabbed a menu and innocently read it.
“Oh my god, Seb, what did you say?” The shock and worry on Jackson’s face were worth the ribbing.
Sebastian leaned over and whispered into her ear, “and I was worried you wouldn’t be able to handle him.” He chuckled then shrugged at Jackson and studied his menu. “So, what are we getting?”
All at once people started calling out what food they wanted, apparently, everyone was going to share everything. Aeslyn skimmed the drink menu, as a shifter she couldn’t get drunk but that didn’t mean she couldn’t get something that tasted good. She snickered to herself at the idea of drinking these soldiers under the table. She was pretty thin, humans never understood how she could out drink them. It helped her earn money on the side, she could hustle with the best of them.
After ordering, Aeslyn sat back to study the group and the people in the bar. If someone was going to attack this would be the perfect place, it was way too busy for her liking. She was going to have to balance having fun with being aware of their surroundings, are all dates this complicated?
Chapter Eight
Sebastian could feel her next to him, he didn’t have to look over to know how close she was. His fingers itched to touch her, whether it be holding her hand or rubbing her back, he felt compelled to feel her and he didn’t understand why. Granted, it had been three years since he’s had sex. Maybe he should have released his pressure valve beforehand, it would have made sitting more comfortable.
Paranormal Dating Agency_My Oath To You Page 2