by JT Schultz
“I had sex with a wolf.”
She sat the bottle back down. Other than some sneezing she had not reacted. Her mind raced with thoughts, maybe being with Aiden wasn’t impossible. Cricket walked into the living room and over to where the cordless phone sat. She dialed the number to her doctor. A possible answer to the problem with Aiden ran through her mind. The possibility was low that it would work, but she had to know. Despite the odds she had hope.
It started to ring and she pushed the “end” button. Her allergy was nowhere close as severe with Aiden as it was with the dogs she had encountered while in school. If there was away to get around the allergy issue, how did she feel about the fact he changed into a wolf?
She dialed the number again. There was only one way to find out.
****
Aiden sat at the desk in his office. He was more than feeling sorry for himself; he was completely miserable. Last night had been really great up until Cricket thought he was drugging her, then of course the whole thing with her ex-boyfriend had not helped matters.
What an ass!
He had no use for aggressive men like David. However, as terrified as the dirt bag was when he left, Aiden highly doubted that he would ever bug Cricket again. At least something good had come out of last night.
The rest was nothing short of disastrous and had continued well through the morning. His father had called him to the office in a fit of temper. Sighing, Aiden pivoted in his leather chair and looked out the large window of his office, staring at nothing and everything.
His father was furious that Cricket wanted to resign. He then had the forty-five minute lecture on how he wasn’t getting any younger and how every wolf needed a mate. It was fine time that Aiden found his. Thing was, Aiden had found her and she was allergic to him. He swiveled and glanced at the open door between his office and the one she had moved into just days ago.
Aiden’s attention shifted to the black phone on his desk and he leaned back. “I should call her.” What could he say? He had barely said good-bye to her. Now he sat, missing her. A knock on his office door hauled him off his pity trip. “Come in.”
He didn’t want to talk to anyone, but he was at work and might as well be productive. The office door opened and Robert, the photographer, stepped in. “Hi boss,” he held up a manila envelope. “I have the pictures from the photo shoot. Thought you would want to go over the proofs and pick the one you want.”
“Thanks.” Aiden took the manila envelope.
“I tell you that model sure had it going on, beautiful with a body to match.”
“She’s smart, too,” Aiden volunteered his thoughts stuck on Cricket. “Thanks Robert, I’ll let you know later which to go with.”
Robert nodded and left the office. Aiden opened the envelope and started flipping through the pictures. They were hot-looking pictures. Cricket’s nearly naked body taunted him and his cock stirred thinking of the sex they had shared. The pictures and now hard-on, did nothing to ease the ache in his heart or the heaviness on his chest.
She had called in sick, but Aiden knew she was most likely just avoiding him, unless she had reacted to the sex. He tossed the pictures on his desk and pushed himself out of the chair. Aiden stood and stared at the flirty picture on top. There was only one way to find out what was really going on with Cricket. He was going to see her and if she was just avoiding him, convince her to give them a chance.
He crossed the office floor to the threshold and paused. What if she wouldn’t talk to him? She would at least listen to what he had to say, right?
****
Cricket stepped off the elevator into the hall and turned towards her apartment. She froze in her steps and blinked at the sight. There, leaning up against her apartment door, sitting on the floor was Aiden. He was staring straight ahead, lost in his thoughts. Next to him was a large bouquet of roses. Her lips curled into a smile and she started walking slowly to him.
How did he ever get up here?
Aiden’s head turned and his green eyes met hers. The smile on her face broadened. She was genuinely happy to see him. She stopped as he rose from the floor. “You look great.”
“Thanks,” she glanced back to the elevator then rested her eyes on him again. “How did you get up here?”
“The doorman let me up.”
“He’s supposed to keep strangers out.”
“Well, first off I am not a stranger. Second, we talked and I sort of offered up a free two year subscription for his son.”
The guilty look on Aiden’s face made her laugh.
“Nice.”
He sighed and smiled. “I was desperate.” He held up the flowers in his hand. “These are for you.”
Cricket took the flowers. “They‘re beautiful. Thank you.”
“Wait!” He reached into the inside pocket of his suit coat and removed a package of antihistamines with a small bow on them. “These are for you too.”
Cricket glanced at the box and looked into his green eyes again. “You were doing better with the flowers.”
Aiden nodded and looked slightly defeated when Cricket didn’t take them and instead stepped around him to unlock the door. She slipped the key in and thought about her afternoon.
“Cricket—”
“Keep them Aiden. I won’t need them,” she explained as the lock turned over. Pulling the key out, she used the same hand to turn the knob and stepped over the threshold. The roses in her other hand smelled wonderful and she pivoted on her heel. Aiden stood in the hall. “Are you coming in?”
Hesitation etched its way across his handsome face. He nodded and stepped into the apartment, shutting the door behind him. “Cricket...” He glanced at the antihistamines in his hand before looking back up at her.
She waited in silence. Her heart slammed against her ribs and she knew he was about to be sweet. “Go ahead Aiden, say what you need to.”
“I know that you are not used to my kind. I also know that you have a dog allergy which is inconvenient seeing that I am a wolf.”
“Short hair.”
His face scrunched. He looked really cute confused. “What?”
“Your,” she paused. “Your, fur isn’t all that long. It makes a difference.”
He closed his eyes and shook his head. He stared at her sofa for a moment then looked back. “Of course it does.” He blew out a heavy sigh and shoved a hand through his dark hair. Aiden’s eyes rested on her. “But then it doesn’t matter because you told my father you want to go back to customer service.”
“I did tell him that.” She lifted the flowers to smell them then smiled. “He also told me to take some time and think about it. I better put these in water.” Turning away from him, her stomach fluttered. She would give him a few more minutes to see what he had to say for himself then would tell him what she had decided.
“Cricket, please listen to me.” Aiden walked into the kitchen as she grabbed a vase and started filling it with water.
“You have my attention.” She turned off the water and took the wrap off the flowers she had sat on the counter.
“I know that there are a few hiccups as far as us having a relationship go.”
Cricket placed the roses in the vase and looked at him. “Hiccups?”
“Give me a chance, give us a chance, because as crazy as this sounds…”
Shifting her body away from the counter she stepped closer to him and waited. He didn’t finish his sentence. “Aiden, go on.”
“Do you believe in love at first sight?”
Interesting. “I did once, yes.”
Grief darkened Aiden’s eyes. “Let me guess with David the menace.”
“Actually, no, about three or four days ago in your father’s office.”
A slow smile curled across his lips and his beautiful eyes lit up. “I’m hoping it wasn’t when you saw my father.”
Laughing, Cricket shook her head. “No, I thought you were gorgeous. Maybe it wasn’t love but instead lust, either way i
t was different. As I started to get to know you, I quickly learned you are different.”
“Being a wolf does that.”
“There is more to it than that and I actually don’t mind the wolf part.”
“Then stay as my assistant and give me a chance to prove to you that we would make a great couple.”
“I took the afternoon off, to get an allergy shot and I will still be your assistant.” She paused. “I’m not sneezing, sniffling, or anything.”
“I noticed. So, that was why you don’t need the antihistamines?”
“Gorgeous and smart, I tell you Aiden, you are almost perfect.”
He laughed then frowned. “Almost?”
Cricket smiled wickedly. “You would be more perfect if you were kissing me.”
Aiden closed the distance between them and grinned, wrapping her in his arms. “So, that’s a ‘yes’ to us?”
“A definite yes.” She closed her eyes and Aiden’s lips came against hers. Her body ignited and she knew things were going to be okay. After all, love at first sight couldn’t be wrong.