by L. P. Maxa
Molly nodded, sipping from her wine glass. “I’ll do my best.” She sent Corey a warm smile. “How are you feeling? You want me to walk you home so you can get some sleep?”
“I want you to grab your wine and that tub of ice cream I saw in Keller’s freezer, and watch a movie with me.”
“That sounds perfect. I can’t remember the last time we just hung out.”
“I know. I was thinking that earlier tonight at dinner. With the investigation and everything, we haven’t had any fun for weeks. No wonder everyone is so keyed up and on edge.”
They climbed in Keller’s bed and Molly put on a movie. Corey fell asleep not even ten minutes into it. Molly removed the tub of ice cream from her hands and pulled the covers up over her little belly.
Molly was glad that Corey had been here, had been able to give her some insight into this bonded relationship crap. Her relationship with Keller was so different from every other relationship she had ever been in. Granted, he was somewhat supernatural, so that was probably to be expected. Still, she’d never let anyone talk to her the way Keller did. Molly had been a really independent person her whole life. And now, suddenly her every move was scrutinized by the man she loved. It was disconcerting and annoying.
The movie they were watching was some romantic comedy. It didn’t hold her attention and she could feel herself drifting off to sleep even as her mind raced.
She opened her eyes when she heard the back door open. She looked over at her phone to check the time—wow, she had been asleep for over an hour. Molly climbed out of bed slowly so she didn’t wake Corey and went in search of the guys. When she walked into the kitchen, though, it was empty. She could hear voices coming from the back patio. What she saw when she stepped outside warmed her heart. All four guys were gathered around Dom watching what appeared to be a sonogram recording on his phone.
Big bad wolves her ass. “Hey, Dom, Corey is passed out in Keller’s bed. She fell asleep eating a tub of ice cream.”
Dom wrinkled his nose. “Gross. Now she’s going to smell like Keller. She’s going to be pissed when I wake her up to get that scent off.” Dom rose to his feet and headed inside.
Baze punched Linc on the shoulder. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride home. Riley, you want us to drop you at the dorm?”
Riley stood and stretched. “Nah, I’m staying at Dom and Corey’s. She gets onto us for being protective, but she’s just as bad. Won’t let me stay at the dorms until she’s sure Franklin isn’t going to come after us.” Riley bumped fists with Keller. “Thanks for the run. See you tomorrow.” He walked over to Molly and gave her a quick hug, earning a snarl from her mate. “Miss Molly, thank you for dinner. And for staying with Corey so I could run with the guys.” With a final wave he headed out, meeting up with Dom and a sleepy Corey on the sidewalk.
When everyone was gone, Molly went and sat next to Keller. “How was your run? Is that what you call it?”
“Yes, and it was good. I needed it.” Keller stared at her for a few seconds and then hung his head. “Molly, darlin’, I may not have gone about expressing my feelings the right way and I’m sorry for that. But I am uncomfortable with the thought of you meeting with Brooks a second time. I don’t want him to think that you are into him or that these little coffee dates are an invitation to something more. We don’t know what he’s capable of. We don’t know what he wants or why he’s mad.”
“I will meet with him tomorrow, and then that’s it. I won’t do it again. Fair?” Molly smiled to herself—Corey had been right. The run had taken the fight out of him; he had been able to exercise his anger. Good to know she could always send him outside to play when he was pissing her off.
Keller pulled her over into his lap. “Fair. Ish.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Molly
The next morning after class Molly and Agent Brooks headed next door once again for breakfast. They ordered and found a table near a window, as they had yesterday morning. Molly had no idea where to start or how to get him talking. But she knew this was her last chance. She’d promised Keller it was the last time she’d meet with Brooks, and she wouldn’t go back on her word.
So, she was going to have to dig deep and not be afraid of his reaction. “So how was growing up in west Texas? Did you play any sports in school?”
Brooks took a tentative sip of his hot coffee. “I played football. Football rules Texas Friday nights.”
“Typical jock? Dated a bunch of cheerleaders? Broke a bunch of hearts?” Molly rested her chin on her hand, seemingly interested.
He chuckled. “Dated a few cheerleaders, broke a couple hearts. Unintentionally of course.”
She nodded. “Of course.” Molly closed her eyes, acting like she was reminiscing in her mind. “Man, high school. I can still remember my first heartbreak. Josh Ryan. What about you? Who broke your heart in high school?”
Brooks gave her half a smile. “I can honestly say no one ever broke my heart in school.”
“Which probably means you broke more than a couple of hearts yourself. You’ve never had a heartbreak? How is that possible? Everyone gets their heart stomped on at one point.”
His cocky grin turned into a frown. “Oh I’ve had my heart ripped out. But I was much older. We were engaged, she slept with someone else. It was brutal.”
Molly reached out and touched his arm. He sounded so pained that it was an honest gesture. “I’m so sorry. That’s terrible. How did you find out?”
“She confessed. She was working in another city at the time, and when she came home for the weekend she told me. I told her I loved her and that we could work it out. I took some of the blame on myself. I worked crazy hours and rarely had time for her. But she said no, she didn’t want to work it out, she wanted to keep seeing they guy she was sleeping with.”
“Oh wow. Talk about heartbreak. Are they still together?”
“No. He dumped her, which serves her right. But I still can’t seem to stop being mad about it. I mean, she was in the wrong for sure. But he was too, you know? It was obvious she was engaged. She wore her ring, and she talked to coworkers about our wedding. Or at least she told me she did.”
“Guys can be homewreckers too, I guess.” She took a bite of her banana nut muffin. Small victory for getting some personal info out of him, but it wasn’t anything too helpful. She asked about his job, his family, and his friends at work. He was an open book today. But nothing that pointed to why he had it out for Keller. When they were leaving the coffee shop, Brooks did ask her to dinner and then got agitated when she turned him down.
Maybe it all really was a pissing contest. Maybe Brooks did just want to get her in bed. Ugh, it would suck real, real bad if Keller had been right all along. She’d never hear the end of it.
When Molly walked back into her studio, she wasn’t at all surprised to see her mate. He was lying in the middle of the light wood floor on his back staring at the ceiling with this hands resting on his stomach. “Hey, love.”
He lifted his head and watched as she walked toward him, a smile on his handsome face. “How was date number two?”
“Don’t be an ass.” She lay down next to him, making sure her body was pressed up against his. She knew he needed physical reassurance right now, and to be honest, she did too. “He actually talked my ear off. Told me about playing football and—”
“Football? No wonder he’s a douche bag.”
Molly snorted. “He told me about his family, which sounded wonderfully normal and loving. He mentioned getting his heart ripped out by his fiancée a couple years ago, but unless you slept with and then dated his fiancée, that can’t be his reason for hating you.” Molly sat up and looked down at him. “Wait. You didn’t sleep with his fiancée, did you?”
Keller reached up and ran his finger down her cheek, amusement in his eyes. “I don’t do girls wearing rings. Ever.”
“Maybe she wasn’t wearing her ring?”
“Even if a girl isn’t wearing a ring,
you can still tell the taken ones from the available ones. And what are the chances that his fiancée was here in freaking Haxton, Colorado, anyway? No one comes here. Also, I don’t date. Well, I didn’t used to date. So that can’t be it. Did he say anything else interesting?”
She really didn’t want to answer him. She lay back down and focused on the ceiling. “He asked me to dinner tonight. Got kind of pissy when I turned him down.” Molly turned to her left and studied Keller’s face. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were closed. “Maybe you were right this whole time. Maybe he does just want me and you’re in the way. I still think it’s ridiculous. I’m not worth all the drama.”
Keller moved his head and met her gaze, his eyes shining. “You are worth it, Molly. He can see that. Everyone can see that. You are beautiful and kind and smart and compassionate. You draw people in. You’re perfect.”
Molly scoffed. “I’m perfect for you, but that’s because I was made for you.”
Keller shook his head no. “Everyone who meets you can see how extraordinary you are. I don’t blame him for wanting you. But I can blame him for continually asking you out knowing you have a boyfriend. He’s no better than the man who slept with his whore of a fiancée.”
Well, he had a point there. It couldn’t be that simple, that male. There had to be more to it; Molly felt it in her bones. But she’d promised Keller she’d let it drop, and she would.
They’d have to find another way.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Keller
Their bodies were fully turned toward each other now. He rested his hand on her hip and leaned in to kiss her beautiful lips, changing the subject to something much more pleasant. “So, you all packed and ready to move this weekend?”
“Yes, sir. Well, mostly packed. But Corey is coming over tonight to help me finish up since you guys have an away game.”
“Good.” Keller knew if Coop wasn’t going to be with Molly that Dom would have dragged her to the game. He didn’t want Molly alone. And to be honest, Keller hadn’t really been too stoked about leaving her alone tonight either. Keller put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her to him once again. This kiss went deeper, causing her breath to hitch in her chest. They were melded together; he could feel her body’s reaction to him and it made him ache to get inside her. He groaned and pulled back. “I’ve gotta go. The bus leaves in a couple of hours.”
Molly looked down between them and smirked, raising one eyebrow. “How are you planning on walking out of here with that?”
Keller followed her gaze to his rigid cock. “Maybe I have a few minutes to spare.” He rolled her body on top of his and thrust up when she straddled him, rubbing against her core. When he heard the bell above the door ring, signaling someone had walked in, he wanted to cry. He had to get on a bus and coach a game and then ride home. Man, it’d be hours before he would get any release.
Molly stood up and went around the corner to see who came in. He closed his eyes in concentration to hear her, to make sure it wasn’t that asshole Brooks.
“Hi, Mrs. Archer. What can I do for you?”
When he knew the person at the door wasn’t a threat, he stopped listening. But he didn’t make a move to get up. He kept his eyes closed and tried to think of anything and everything to make his wood go away. Nothing was working.
He opened them when he heard footsteps. “Is it time for the senior class?”
“No. She just came to pay. Get up.”
Keller sat. “I’m leaving. You don’t have to be so mean about it, though.”
Molly giggled at the wounded expression on his face. “Don’t be a baby. I locked the door. Come with me.”
Keller clambered to his feet, nearly tripping in the process. “Please tell me we’re going where I think we are going.”
Molly looked back over her shoulder, smiling coyly. “Do you think we are going to my aunt’s office so I can blow you in private?”
“Think? No. Pray? God, yes.”
Molly just laughed as she walked into the office and got down on her knees.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Molly
Molly was exhausted. She and Corey had packed up the rest of her apartment while the guys were at their away game. And by she and Corey, she mainly meant she. Corey was getting rounder by the day and Molly so did not want to be responsible for Corey having problems because she asked her to do too much heavy lifting. Besides, having the company while she packed was enough. Molly had driven Corey home and tucked her into bed. Jace had come over to stay with her until Riley and Dom got home from the game. Molly didn’t understand how Corey could get used to being babysat all the time. It would drive Molly absolutely crazy. She had headed over to Keller’s house—well, her house now. She’d showered and just climbed into his big comfy bed when she heard the front door open.
“Molly?”
“I’m in here.”
Keller walked into their bedroom, beaming. “Do you have any idea how amazing it is to come home from a long day and see you in our bed?”
“Our bed? I like the way that sounds.”
“Me too. I’m going to jump in the shower real quick and then I’m coming to join you. That game was brutal.”
“Did you lose?”
“What? No. We never lose. But it was close for a while though. The guys were all unfocused and amped up. I hate playing during a full moon.” Keller flipped on the bathroom light and started the shower.
Molly spoke up so he could hear her above all the noise. “Wait. Does the full moon make you guys shift or something? I thought you said you were nothing like werewolves.”
He stuck his head back into the bedroom. “We aren’t. The full moon, well, it just makes the kids act crazy. It makes them want to shift and run and party. It’s hard to keep their minds on the game when all they are thinking about is coming back to town and searching for some trouble.”
Molly sat up. “Are you worried about them?”
“How much trouble can they get into in Haxton, Colorado after midnight? Not much, believe me. I’m sure they’ll go for a run and then go home and hit the hay. That’s what usually happens. They talk a big game, but rarely follow through.”
Molly snorted. A bunch of shifting teenagers loose on the town? Seemed to her like they could find plenty of trouble. And, as if the universe was listening to their conversation, Keller’s phone rang on the dresser.
Molly got up and crossed the room, answering when she saw it was Linc. “Hello?”
“Molly?”
“Yeah, Keller’s in the shower. What’s up?”
“Uh, well, we’ve got a little problem over here.”
Her forehead wrinkled at the concern in his voice. “Over where, what happened?”
“I’m down at the police station with two of the sophomores. They got into it with some townies. I was going to call Dom but I didn’t want to wake Corey. I need Keller to get down here.”
“Okay, yeah, of course. I’ll tell him as soon as he gets out of the shower. Was anyone hurt?”
“Two shifters against three non-shifter football players? Yep. Footballers are in some serious pain.”
“Okay, he’ll be there ASAP.” She was about to hang up and go get Keller out of the shower when Linc cursed, getting her attention.
“Shit, wait, Molly? You better come too.”
“Me? Why?”
“Brooks just walked in.”
Damn. Molly knew something bad was going to happen. You can’t just say something like that and not knock on wood or throw salt over your shoulder. You’re just asking the universe to prove you wrong. She opened a box on the floor labeled clothes, threw on a pair of jeans and t-shirt, and wrapped her hair in a topknot. She was ready to go by the time Keller came back into the bedroom, naked and dripping wet. “Uh, Molly? Are you leaving?”
“We both are.” She tossed him a St. Leasing baseball shirt from his drawer; he owned like twenty of them. “Linc just called. Two of your sophomores
got into a fight with some local kids. He’s down at the police station waiting.”
“Mother. Fucker. Guess I was wrong—there is plenty of trouble to go around.” Keller quickly grabbed a pair of shorts, slipped on his tennis shoes, and then pulled his t-shirt over his head and as he headed out the front door. Molly followed him out of the house and it was only when his hand was on the door of his truck that he stopped and turned to her. “What are you doing? I appreciate it, but darlin’ it’s late. You don’t need to come with me.”
Molly walked around the cab and climbed inside, shutting the door and putting on her seatbelt. When Keller climbed inside, looking at her like she was crazy, she chewed at her bottom lip. “Linc asked me to come.”
Keller started the truck. “Why?”
She really didn’t want to tell him, but he’d find out soon enough. “Brooks is there.”
“Oh. Brooks is there, so Linc wants you to come and…what? Distract him? Play nice and ask him to leave the boys alone? You going to trade sexual favors for their freedom?”
Molly hauled back and punched him in the gut. She was happy when she heard all the air leave his body. “You egotistical prick. I came to help. To help you and those stupid boys you are in charge of. Brooks fucking hates you, but he likes me. Why not use it to our advantage? I swear Keller, if you make one more remark about me and Brooks and anything sexual, the next time I hit you it’s going to be in your dick. Do I make myself clear?”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Keller
Keller was having a hard time sitting upright. Molly was stronger than she looked. He refused to answer her. Mostly because he was afraid that he would say the wrong thing and she would hit him again. They drove to the police station in loaded silence. When he pulled into the parking lot, Molly got out without waiting for him and walked in. When he made it inside, he found Molly talking to Linc.