Prideless

by Kasey Belle

  “No, sounds like fun.”

  “Are you a virgin?”

  She coughed choking on her own spit. “Wh-what?”

  “You know, is it your first time… on a motorcycle?”

  “Oh, um yes, it is. I’ll see you in an hour Max.”

  “Can’t wait. See you soon Shelly. Wear jeans and sturdy shoes like boots or sneakers.”

  “Kay, see you soon.”

  Fiona’s eyes ran over Shelly’s face. She knew her face was a deep red, she could feel the heat in her cheeks.

  “What was that all about? Are you okay?”

  “He asked if I had ever been on a Harley.”

  “And that caused you to choke on your own spit?” Fiona crossed her arms over her chest and settled into the couch. “Try again.”

  God save her from tiny tenacious besties. “When I told him it sounded like fun, he asked, Are you a virgin?”

  Fiona doubled over she was laughing so hard. “You should have totally said, ‘In more ways than one.’”

  She swung one of the couch pillows at Fiona’s head. “You are no help.” She jumped up from the couch. “He’s gonna be here in an hour. I’m gonna go get ready. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “Go. Have fun Shell.”

  “What about Sam and Emma Grace? You might need help. Maybe I shouldn’t go.”

  “If you do not march your booty back there and get ready I’m gonna beat you. I know I’ve been somewhat rocky, but I got this Shell. Please go.”

  “Alright.”

  ****

  Fiona watched as Shelly practically skipped down the hall to her room. She took a moment to close her eyes and center herself. God her heart hurt. She meant what she said to Shelly. She wanted her to be happy. Shelly was always there for her. Shelly made herself Fiona’s best friend, despite what Fiona had wanted. Shelly told her flat out when they were children that they were going to be best friends, in other words, go with it resistance is futile. She didn’t ask Fiona what she wanted, just told her the way it was going to be. Shelly with the innocent eyes and big heart gave Fiona something she swore she never wanted, friendship and hope, for that alone Fiona owed Shelly her eternal allegiance.

  Shelly would always have Fiona’s friendship, but now it was her turn to offer Shelly hope. That didn’t mean however that Fiona would just take Kell or Max’s word that he was a stand-up guy. No, she would make it clear that if Max hurt or took advantage of Shelly in any way, they would never find his body. Fiona hadn’t lived in bayou country all her life and not learned a thing or two about body disposal. When Max arrived, Fiona would have a little talk with the man.

  “Right on time.” Fiona mumbled when she heard the rumble of a now familiar Harley making its way down her street. She heard quick steps coming down the hall. She looked up to see a very panicked, half-dressed Shelly rushing to the window just in time to see Max pull in the driveway.

  “I’m not ready yet Fee. Crap! I tried on everything in my closet and I’ve changed like a dozen times. I have no idea what to wear.”

  Fiona got up from the couch and walked over to Shelly. Fee grabbed her arm and steered the panicked woman back towards the hallway.

  “It’s only April and the nights are still cool. Wear those awesome skinny jeans that do great things for your ass, your knee-high boots, and that bedazzled-to-death pale green long sleeve cotton top.”

  “The tee with the low cut V-neck?”

  “Yes, that one. You are going to need your leather jacket if you are going to ride on the back of his bike. I’ll grab it out of the closet and keep Max company while you finish.”

  Shelly eyed Fiona. “Be nice, Fee.”

  “I’m always nice.” Shelly hesitated. “You better go he’s coming up the walk.” Shelly stood her ground. Fiona let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll be nice. Go.”

  Shelly smiled and kissed Fiona on the cheek. “Thanks Fee. Love you.”

  “Yeah. Yeah.”

  When the doorbell rang, Shelly gasped, and ran down the hall. Fiona was still snickering when she opened the door.

  “Come on in, Max. Shelly’s almost ready.”

  “Thanks.”

  Sam rushed ran up to Max, jumping around, wagging his tail, and barking. Max bent down and rubbed behind the dog’s ears and when the puppy rolled over, he scratched his belly.

  Shelly yelled a greeting and an apology from her bedroom. “Sorry Max. I’ll be done in ten minutes, promise!”

  “We aren’t in a hurry, Shelly. Take your time.”

  “Why don’t you come sit in the den, Max?”

  Max eyed her with suspicion and he was right to do so. “Alright.”

  Fiona sat on one end of the couch and Max was on the other with the puppy in his lap.

  “So, your meeting this afternoon go okay?”

  “It did.”

  “Good. Glad to hear it, Max. I’m not one for small talk, so I am just going to say this.”

  Max blanked his expression and looked her in the eyes. “Say what you got to say, Fiona.”

  “I may be over stepping, but I don’t care. I’ve looked out for Shelly for many years, and I don’t plan to stop now. I don’t know what you have planned for tonight, but I expect you to return her to this house in the same condition she left here. I mean every condition.”

  “You right, you are over-stepping.”

  “And yet, I still don’t care. I know you are a friend of Kell’s-”

  “And David’s.”

  Fiona nodded. She couldn’t think about David right now, she would breakdown and cry like a baby and that would totally ruin the badass vibe she was going for. “Anyway. Shelly’s my best friend, and for a long time, she was my only friend. She has my back and I have hers. I would do anything to protect her.”

  Max sighed. “Didn’t we already cover this earlier today?”

  “You mean when you were ogling her ass? We touched on it, but I wasn’t finished.”

  Max growled at her, in an obvious attempt to intimidate her.

  “Don’t growl at me.” Fiona snapped. It took everything she had not to giggle at the shocked look on his face. “You aren’t going to stop me from saying what I have to say so you might as well get over it. Shelly is sweet and shy. She is also innocent. Not at all, like the two of us. She hates confrontation and avoids hurting feelings whenever she can. I’m not saying this to make her sound weak, because she’s not. She’s a brighter side of life kind of girl. If you damage her in any way, I will fucking bury you.”

  Max’s expression softened as if he finally understood Fiona’s motivation wasn’t personal. She was just protecting Shelly, like always. Yeah she was overstepping, and she probably sounded like a total bitch. Okay, she did sound like a total bitch, but Max could hate her for all she cared. She would not see Shelly hurt.

  “I have no intention of hurting Shelly.” Max leaned over and covered her hand with his. “I promise Fiona. She’s in good hands. I would protect her with my life, even from myself.”

  Fiona studied the man next to her. She prided herself on having great instincts when it came to people. The reason she didn’t trust easily, was because most people weren’t trustworthy, but Max was. She read it in his eyes and in his body language. She hated to concede the truth as she knew it, but she was a real stickler for honesty in others and had to give it in return.

  “As much as it pains me, I believe you.”

  Max grinned. “I can see it’s killing you to admit that.”

  “You have no idea. Don’t make me regret believing in you Max.”

  “I won’t let either of you regret it.”

  Max looked down at Sam. The puppy finally settled down, curled up in his lap, eyes closed, and had a contented look on his cute furry little face. Max ran his hand over the pup’s head. “He’s cute little guy.”

  “Yeah, he is. You should see him with Emma Grace. He won’t leave her alone. He keeps sniffing and licking her. I pretty sure he thinks she’s some ugly hai
rless puppy.”

  They were both still laughing when Shelly made her entrance. When Max saw Shelly, he froze. Fiona wasn’t even sure he was breathing. Max looked at Shelly the same way David used to look at her. His eyes roaming all over her body that felt like a physical touch, memorizing every line and curve, committing her to memory, as if afraid he would forget how she looked in this moment. The awe and reverence in those eyes said what words could not. The tangible feeling that Shelly was the only person he saw, and that Shelly was the only woman in his world. In that moment, Fiona knew Shelly had found her one. It was a bittersweet moment for Fiona. She missed that, and it made her sad, but Shelly had found it and that filled her with joy.

  ****

  Max was dying. Shelly’s sweet scent was floating down the hallway driving him insane. He could smell the shampoo and body wash she used, but it didn’t mask her own personal scent. That clean sweet scent that called to him. He wanted to bury himself inside her and never leave. Her scent could wash away the gravest of sins.

  He looked down at the puppy in his lap and couldn’t believe the thing liked him. He was a large cat after all, but the little fur ball didn’t seem to notice or mind. Thank the fates for that small miracle because he was currently the only thing hiding Max’s constant erection caused by the close proximity of his mate.

  He heard her coming down the hall as he laughed with Fiona. He tried to play it cool by waiting at least a few seconds before he turned to look at his mate. Cool went out the window the second he laid eyes on her. She stole his breath. He thought, not for the first time, that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He couldn’t take his eyes off her although he tried because he could see he was making her uncomfortable.

  “Do I look okay?”

  Max got up and walked to her. He had to touch her, so he took her hand in his, brought it to his mouth, and placed a lingering kiss on her palm. “You look beautiful.”

  She blushed so sweetly. “Thank you, Max. These boots are okay for the Harley, right?”

  “About that.” She looked so excited to take her first ride, but he was going to have to disappoint her. He felt a tightness in his chest, knowing he was going to be responsible for dimming that adventurous spirit, but her safety came first. “I checked the weather before I headed over here and they are expecting it to rain later tonight. I don’t want to risk being caught in bad weather with you on the back. Would it be okay if we took your car? I promise to make it up to you.”

  She poked her lower lip out in a mock pout. “No bike ride?” She flashed him a big grin. “Of course it’s alright. It sucks, but I understand and riding in the rain doesn’t sound like fun to me, anyway. I will definitely hold you to a rain check though.”

  “You’re on, Doll.”

  Chapter 10

  Max walked down Toulouse holding Shelly’s hand as she pointed out all the best places to eat, drink, and listen to live music. He smiled. He loved listening to the sound of her voice and that sexy as sin New Orleans accent. She could have been talking about quantum physics instead of spicy Cajun food and Zydeco and he would still get hard. He knew he must look pretty sappy walking down the sidewalk with a big grin on his face, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make the smile to disappear. Except when some asshole eyed his woman then he wanted to shift and rip out his throat. It was tempting thought, and he had considered it for half a second, but “Hey Mate, look what I can do?” was not the recommended way to reveal your lion to your human mate. Plus, exposing his lion in public was a serious no-no and would not gain him points with Alpha St. Pierre. He settled for mean mugging every guy that dared to set his eyes on his Shelly. Yeah, his. There went that smile again.

  He was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly jerked Shelly’s arm from its socket when she stopped abruptly. He moved quickly, grabbing her arms to stop her forward momentum. He held her steady and looked down into her worried eyes. Max tensed, looked around, and scanned for danger. He silently berated himself for getting caught up in his own thoughts and not being vigilant about Shelly’s safety. He didn’t see or sense anything out of the ordinary.

  He looked back down at her confused as to what caused her reaction. “What’s wrong, Doll?”

  Her cheeks turned the sweetest shade of pink at the endearment. She nibbled her thumbnail; he realized earlier, that she did it when she was nervous or uncertain. He didn’t want her to feel that way around him. She was his mate. She could tell or ask him anything and no matter what, he would never get mad at her. The need to inform her of that not so little fact was eating away at him as he waited for her to answer him. He backed up and gently pulled her with him out the way of oncoming foot traffic.

  “Am.” Shelly cleared her throat. “Am I talking too much?”

  Wait. What? She was kidding, right? “Of course you aren’t.”

  “Are you sure, because you aren’t saying anything and I thought maybe I was talking so much you couldn’t get a word in.”

  Well didn’t he feel like shit. “I swear you aren’t. I’m sorry if I made you feel like that.” He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. He gave her as much of the truth as he could, considering the timing. “I love listening to you talk. That’s why I wasn’t saying anything.”

  Any awkwardness he felt at admitting that little truth vanished when she smiled at him. His confession had pleased her.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. It’s not like you talk to talk. You actually have interesting things to say.”

  Her eyebrows shot up.

  “Wow that sounded bad. I didn’t mean it sound like that. I messing this up.” He sucked at this. He ran his hand through his hair and Shelly giggled when he growled. “You find my discomfort funny?” He goosed her in her ribs making her squirm and laugh.

  “Sorry, but it’s a little amusing Max. You and uncertain, don’t belong in the same sentence.”

  “You think so do you?” She bit her lips together and nodded. He could still see the amusement dancing in her eyes and knew she was trying not to laugh.

  “I’m not used to having anyone to talk to on a regular basis.” Again, he wished he’d chosen better words when her dancing eyes turned sad. “That sounds pathetic. I meant like a date…um shit. I talk to people you know clients or people I work with, but…I’m a loner.”

  “Oh.” She was rubbing her palm up and down his left arm to soothe him. He didn’t think she was even aware of it, and he wasn’t about to bring it to her attention either. He loved the feeling of her hands on him in any capacity. “It’s not pathetic. I mean, basically, Fiona is my only friend. Like you said I know a lot of people from work or school, but I don’t really talk to them, not like Fee.”

  “I guess. However, if you weren’t shy you wouldn’t be loner. I can see that. You really like people.”

  “You don’t like people?”

  “It’s not that I don’t like them.” Max shrugged. How did he explain this without giving away all his secrets in full view of the public? Secrets he knew she wasn’t ready to hear. “I was raised not to trust people.”

  She gave him a little smile and nodded as if she understood, but he could see that she didn’t. “You don’t have to tell me Max, but if you ever want to, I’m a good listener. You can trust me, Max.”

  He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I know. I will tell you, but not out here.”

  She looked around as if she had forgotten where they were. “I understand. Not exactly the place for a deep private conversation. So, I figured out where we could eat.”

  “Where?”

  “You said you want authentic New Orleans right?” He nodded. She grabbed his hand and started walking and he had no choice but to follow. Not that he would complain. “If we head that way and take a right on Chatres, that will take us to St. Peter. You can see Jackson Square, which is right across the street. We can explore that first if you want, but that’s best done in the day.”

  He smiled as he
listened to her ramble on Jackson Square, why it was best to explore that during the day, about the cathedral, and the artists. By the time they made it to the corner across from Jackson Square, she still hadn’t told him where they were going to eat. She stopped and made a big sweeping gesture with her arm as if she were on a game show.

  “See we need to go there in the daytime, but isn’t it pretty?”

  “It is.”

  She tilted her head and a little crease formed between her eyebrows. “Why are you grinning at me like that?”

  “I told you, I like listening to you talk. You could make cold fusion sound sexy with that accent.”

  Her cheeks pinked. Oh, how he loved when they did that.

  “I do have one question though, Doll.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Where are we going to eat?”

  Her eyes rounded like saucers and she slapped her hand over her mouth. She began to giggle and his heart beat a little faster. “Oh my gawd.” She giggled. “I never said?”

  “Nope.”

  She turned and pointed behind her. “It’s just right there. The Gumbo Shop. Every year for the past twelve years they have won ‘best gumbo’ in the Best of New Orleans poll. I’m sure it will be thirteen this year.” She glanced up at him. He knew he was still smiling like a loon, but damn she made him feel whole and he hadn’t even claimed her yet. He couldn’t wait for that. She ducked her head. He pulled her to stop just before they reached the restaurant.

  He cupped her cheek caressing her soft skin with his thumb. “I want to thank you.”

  “For what, talkin’ too much?”

  He laughed. “No. I’ve never had such a great time.”

  “Wow. All we’ve done is walk, window shop, and you’ve listened to me talk. You’re easy to please.”

  He leaned in, touched his lips to her, and gave her a slow, lingering, reverent kiss. He held himself in check, careful not to get too close. His hard cock was currently trying to escape the confines of his boxer briefs and jeans and he didn’t want to freak her out. He pulled back when the urge to pull her close became almost too strong to resist.