by Sofia Grey
Megan had no idea how long she’d been dozing, half asleep and half awake, but when the doorbell rang and nobody answered, she figured it might just be a dream. She rubbed gritty eyes, made her way down the hall and threw open the front door. Sasha. He wore the same clothes as in her dream, a well-washed grey T-shirt that clung in all the right places and faded jeans. His smile was cautious, but his eyes twinkled. “Cariad.”
Damn, her brain was working slowly today. “What are you doing here?” Her hair was a mess and she shoved a hand through it before remembering she didn’t care about him anymore. “I told you I didn’t want to see you again. You shouldn’t be here.”
As she stared, while trying not to stare, she realized he had one hand behind his back, a hand that now appeared clutching a bunch of wild yellow roses tied with a blue ribbon. Just like in my dream.
“I brought you some flowers.” This was too weird. Like when she dreamed about their picnic. She shivered and he noticed, and stepped forward. “You okay, Cariad?” She couldn’t mistake the concern in his voice. She took a deep breath and tried again.
“Go away, Sasha.” She should have closed the door in his face and walked away, but she didn’t. Like a fool, she stood there. Remember the bet. “How much did Dion pay you to kiss me, Sasha? Did he pay you more for fucking me? Bit perverted, isn’t it?”
“Megan.” He raised his voice and waited for her to subside. “It’s not like that, I swear. Give me a chance to explain.” He held the flowers out to her. I dreamed of these. I dreamed about him. “Please. I can’t just walk away from you.”
His voice set butterflies loose inside her stomach, but she had to resist. “Because my dad’s loaded and you’re just a hard up chippie? That would make me more attractive, I guess.”
“No!” He moved so quickly she couldn’t stop him—I could if I really wanted to—and pulled her into his arms, the flowers somewhere behind her back. “Why do you think that? I wanted you the minute I saw you, nothing to do with your family.” A soothing hand stroked up and down her spine and despite her common sense, she relaxed into his touch. “And for the record, I’m not a penniless chippie. I’ve a Masters in Civil Engineering. I’m just taking a year out.” He gave her hair a gentle, playful tug. “I’m actually a penniless engineer, but I do have a job waiting for me back home.” He caressed her some more and then nuzzled her ear. “Can I come in? So we can talk about this?”
Common sense battled with yearning and she weakened. She knew the exact moment when she gave in. Her heart fluttered. “Just for a few minutes. I’ve a shocking hangover. I stayed up way too late last night and I’m really not in the mood for difficult conversations.” Aww, crud, there she went, running her mouth off, again!
His breath was warm against her ear. “I’ll make this simple then, Cariad. We had a misunderstanding and it’s making me sick that you think so little of me.” He kissed her neck and a fresh shiver trickled down her spine. “I want you, and I know that you want me. The other stuff we can talk about later.”
*
Sasha wondered if Megan would take him to her bedroom. He hoped for somewhere quiet, away from her brothers, and followed her down the long hallway. The house was impressive and he had to wonder what kind of luxury lifestyle she was used to. Although he had a job lined up he’d be starting as a graduate, and they wouldn’t have a lot of money. As they approached the kitchen he’d spent so long in the day before, he had a brainwave. “Have you eaten yet?” He snagged her hand and pulled her to a stop. “I can cook for you.”
Megan hesitated and then fiddled with her hair. “I didn’t feel like eating.”
“Give me ten minutes and I’ll whip up my patented hangover remedy for you.” He knew his way round the contents of the fridge and larder. He was confident he could feed her. “If it doesn’t work you can claim a forfeit.”
Amusement sparked in her eyes. “And what would that be? A kiss? You’re totally transparent, Sasha.”
He held the roses to his chest and adopted a wounded look. “That’s harsh. I was thinking you could ask me anything, and I’d answer. Anything at all.”
“The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?”
“Sure you’re not a lawyer?” He could tell her bad mood was lifting and knew he had to capitalize on it. “It’s a deal.”
Fifteen minutes later, Megan sat at the heavy scrubbed pine table in the kitchen, sipping a banana smoothie, while Sasha fried bacon and assembled a club sandwich with sliced tomato and avocado on toasted wholegrain bread. Thankfully they hadn’t been disturbed and he had her entire attention.
“This smoothie is divine. What did you put in it?”
He flashed her a smile over his shoulder. “Banana, yoghurt, honey and milk. And a spoonful of peanut butter. The bananas and yoghurt will settle your stomach while the peanut butter adds protein.” He fished the last piece of crispy bacon from the pan, switched off the hob and assembled the sandwiches, one each. “Bacon sarnie a la Sasha. The perfect hangover cure.”
Her smile warmed his heart. “I have to ask. You’ve had a lot of hangovers, if you’ve had time to perfect a remedy?”
“I spent six years at uni. Bachelor’s degree took four years, then another two for my Masters. I had my own stool at the student bar.”
“That’s a lot of bacon sandwiches.” She took a cautious bite, then a bigger one and made a thumbs up sign. “This is really good. Thank you.”
He attacked his own food, but derived more pleasure from watching his Mate eating. She had crumbs dusted over her chin and he longed to kiss them away. Slow down, Sasha. She needs time to trust you again.
When she’d polished off the last bite and finished the smoothie, Megan sat back in her chair and gave him a smile. He was pleased to see some color back in her cheeks. “My hangover feels like it’s almost gone. I guess I can’t claim that forfeit.”
At the word ‘claim’ his gaze went automatically to the mark on her neck. She hadn’t tried to cover it today. Was that a good sign? Claiming a human Mate was more complicated than another wolf and he wished he’d paid more attention to Jake’s courtship of Lillian. At the time he’d been too busy teasing his cousin. “Hmm, why don’t we even it up? You can ask me anything, Cariad, but I can ask you questions in return. Would that be fair?” He held his breath while she thought about it, and then gave a quick nod. “Do you want to go first?”
*
Megan’s mind was a complete blank. She cast around for a sensible question and came up empty. Sasha sat across from her, relaxed and smiling, stubbled chin resting on his hand. Too appealing by half. “Do you have a girlfriend waiting for you at home?”
“No.” He wrinkled his nose and looked as if he was trying not to laugh. “Of course not.” There was a tiny pause before he spoke again. “My turn now.”
Her pulse speeded up. What if he asked her something she didn’t want to answer?
“Do you hostess for your dad a lot?” She hadn’t expected something so mundane and had to struggle to focus on the answer.
“Um, depends what you mean by a lot, I suppose. Probably two or three times a month. Clare is on the board of a children’s charity and she’s always doing fundraising for that, so when she’s away, I take her place.” She stared at him, taking in his strong masculine beauty and wolfish smile. He was just too perfect, a fallen angel taking human form. She might catch his attention for now, but it would be fleeting at best. There would likely be a line of girls waiting for him back at home, despite what he said.
“Hey.” He leaned forward and touched her hand. “Come back, baby. Your turn for a question.”
Okay, cards on table time. Let’s see how honest he could be. “Why did you laugh at me? When I accused you of taking the bet, you laughed in my face, Sasha. That hurt.” She had to stop. Her jaw tightened and she kept her face rigid, not giving anything away. This was important.
A troubled look crept into his blue eyes, the color deepening. “I’m sorry. It was just
so ludicrous you thought I was only with you because of the bet. I’d forgotten all about the freakin’ bet.” He closed his hand around her fingers. “I thought you were asking about something else.”
Chapter 20
It was the perfect time for Sasha to tell her. The opportunity to explain how she was his Mate, a shifter Mate, and how she’d taken him to his knees at that first kiss. Only…she still looked stressed. Her hand was fisted beneath his fingers and her shoulders were hunched as though she was trying to brace herself against a blow. He’d wait a little longer.
“So.” He drew out the syllable while he thought rapidly. “Had any strange dreams lately?” He squeezed her fingers and winked at her. “Dream about me at all?”
Her indrawn breath and pink flushed cheeks confirmed he’d hit the target. “That’s two questions.”
He shrugged. “I don’t mind which you answer.”
Megan looked away, her eyes unfocused. “Yes, I dreamed about you. That you gave me flowers.” She nodded toward the jug of roses on the table. “Just like those, even with a blue ribbon.”
Come on, Megan. Just one mention of a wolf and he could steer the subject in the direction he wanted, but she stayed stubbornly silent. Her lips pursed. “My turn again. How many other girls have you kissed for a bet?”
Ouch. “A few,” he hedged, and wondered if he could get away with such a vague answer. The little shake of her head was clear. “Okay. Nine or ten. We’ve been working together a few months. It used to be a little game we played to make the day go quicker.”
“And how many did you date?” He decided not to point out that technically it wasn’t her turn. They needed to communicate—he had a fuck-load of things to tell her—and this was a step in the right direction.
“I took two other girls on a date, but we just had drinks. No more than that.” He decided to inject some humor. “You make it sound scuzzy.”
“It is scuzzy.” Her voice was severe, but her body language was softening and after speaking, she yawned. “Sorry. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Me neither, Cariad. I missed you.” Get your shit together, Sasha. He took a quick breath and then lifted her hand to his lips. Her eyes widened, but she stayed quiet. “You’re not the first girl I’ve dated, but you’re different, Megan, you’re special. I dream about you too.” He had her attention. Gods, this was nerve wracking. How much should he tell her? “We’re sharing the same dreams, baby. Only…for me, they’re not dreams.”
*
Megan thought she’d misheard. It was too silly. “Sharing the same dreams?” She knew her giggle sounded nervous. That would be too much. If it was even possible. “Go on then, what did you dream?” He makes up stories easily, you know this.
“I brought you the roses.” A lucky guess.
“Doesn’t take Einstein. I already told you that.”
His fingers moved, tangled with hers to link them together. She stared, transfixed. “I brought them to your tree house. You dreamed about a wolf.” The breath caught in her chest, but then sanity prevailed.
“I already told you I dream about wolves.” She was pleased how steady her voice sounded.
“I said ‘a wolf.’ Just the one.” She looked up and caught his gaze, his blue eyes almost glowing again. There was a hesitancy in his words and as she stared, he swallowed hard. “I came to the tree house and we talked. Later on, we ran together in the woods.”
Her mouth was dry and despite her common sense telling her it was hokum, her heart beat faster. He tells a good tale, that’s all. She licked equally dry lips. “Another lucky guess.”
“You told me about that shithead boyfriend of yours. Ryan.” Oh. She couldn’t breathe. Her heart battered against her rib cage and she finally drew in a tight lungful of air. There had to be an explanation.
“Nessa told you, or Lou.” She knew they wouldn’t have. Her brothers wouldn’t have, and to the best of her knowledge, Phillip was blissfully unaware of Ryan. How did Sasha know?
The fingers of his free hand stroked gently across her wrist. “You told me, Cariad. And we talked about shifters.” Okay, that was too much. Megan tried to pull her hand free, but Sasha held firm. “How else could I know that?”
She hadn’t talked to anybody about her dreams. How could he possibly know? Little chills ran down her spine. Perhaps this was just another dream? A vodka-fuelled-hangover kind of dream. Her racing heart threatened to go into a full gallop. “You’re scaring me.” Oh fuck, that was the last thing she should have blurted. Rule number one when facing a bully was to never let on that you were scared. Quick breath. Sasha wasn’t a bully, though…and judging by the little muscle flicking in his cheek, he was nervous too. Or lying. She hauled in another shaky breath. “How are you doing this, Sasha?”
“We share a connection.” He leaned closer and cupped her cheek, the gesture making her stomach flutter. “I knew the minute I kissed you.” His thumb stroked over her cheekbone, soothing and gentle. “We’re destined to be together.”
A dozen thoughts flashed through her head and as usual, her mouth spat out the most stupid. “You’re going to tell me you turn into a werewolf.” One day she’d fix her brain-mouth filter.
“Shifter.” There was a hint of a smile. “We already had this conversation.”
She swallowed. There seemed to be a lump in her throat. “You’re a shifter. In real life? Not just in my dreams?” Please say no. Please say no…
“Yes.” His hand stilled and his eyes darkened. “I am.”
She knew then. Sasha may be beautiful, intense, make her pulse beat faster and her heart sing, but he was also completely insane. It was strange how her senses finally kicked into gear. He’s a fantasist, not necessarily a psychotic murderer, but you can never tell. Keep him talking. Find a way to make him leave.
*
Sasha watched Megan carefully, and tried to gauge her state of mind. She was calm, interested and curious. His first thoughts had been spot on. She dreamed of wolves and felt connected to them; the concept of shifters would be exciting. She hadn’t run screaming from the room, so that was a bonus. He began to relax.
“So, ah, you turn into a wolf, yeah?”
“Yep. You saw me, in your dreams.”
“I did, yes.” She smiled, but it looked a tiny bit artificial. “Can you do it now? I’d like to see it again.”
She would? His chest warmed. All the same, anyone could walk in and surprise them. “Not here, just in case anyone sees me.”
“Ah, right.” She nodded. “And the whole dream-thing. You didn’t explain that.”
He took a quick breath while he thought how to answer. He didn’t want to swamp her with information. “When we find our Mate, we have the ability to enter their dreams. So that’s what I did.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Mate? Like we’re best buddies or something?”
“No,” he drew out the syllable. “More like my soul mate.”
“Ah, right. There’s a lot to take in.”
“It would probably be a good idea for you to talk to Lillian, when the phone lines are back up. She’s Jake’s Mate and since she’s human, she’ll understand.”
“Human? You mean you’re not?”
Again, she sounded more curious than anything. He couldn’t wait to get her home and show his world to her. “I’m shifter, but Lillian is human.” He grinned, remembering something. “You’ve heard of Ella Hart, the singer?” She nodded. “Well she’s Mated to my cousin Jake.”
“And you think I should talk to her?”
“Well, yes. Jake said she was surprised when she learned about us, so I think she’d love to talk to you.”
Megan smiled, but again it looked forced. “Let me just recap. You think I should call the pop star Ella Hart and ask her what it’s like being mated to your cousin? Is that the one who makes furniture?”
“Yes, but her real name’s Lillian.”
“Right.” His wolf scratched at him. Something felt wrong with this
conversation. Was she taking him seriously?
“You do believe me, baby?”
She glanced away before smiling straight at him. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I? But, I have some questions. Why haven’t I heard about shifters before? Or are there just the two of you?”
Despite his wolf’s unease, Sasha grinned. “God no, we’re all over the world. We’re sworn to secrecy though.” He moderated his tone. “You have to promise me you’ll tell nobody.”
“Not a problem.” She sounded confident, but he knew she was faking. He squeezed her fingers, trying to reassure her through touch.
“Why don’t you come back to my place, Cariad? Spend the night. Like we planned.”
“I can’t tonight. Sorry.” She sounded relieved rather than sorry and Sasha’s wolf scratched at him some more. This wasn’t going quite as he hoped. “Talking of which, I have things to do this afternoon.”
It sounded like a brush off. He gave her his best panty-dropping smile. “Maybe we can do things together this afternoon?”
“Maybe not.” Her smile was thin and chilly this time and Sasha’s wolf howled its alarm. “I appreciate the cooking, really, but I have to go out soon so it’s probably best if you leave.” He didn’t move. She was trying to get rid of him. Why? He recapped the conversation in his head. Next thing, Megan tugged her hand free and stood up, sliding both hands into the pockets of her jeans. “And besides, Alex and Hugh are due back any minute and I’m sure you don’t want another encounter with them.”
No, he’d fucked up again. Well done, Sasha. He stayed in the chair and tried to hide the anxiety that had taken root in his chest. “They’re your brothers. I want to make friends with them.”
She turned to the counter and fiddled with the soap dispenser next to the sink. Glancing over her shoulder she flashed him a wary look. “Why?”
Aww, fuck. He’d told her pretty much everything else. Why hold back now? He pushed himself out of the chair and prowled to where she stood, noting with dismay that she stiffened when he approached. Panic filled him. He was on the verge of another clusterfuck of truly epic proportions and somehow, he had to retrieve control. Kiss her, growled his wolf. Mine. Throwing caution to the winds, he snaked an arm around her waist and tunneled his free hand into her hair. Moments away from pressing his lips to hers, he remembered to speak. “You’re my Mate, Cariad. I plan to spend the rest of my life with you.”