Mouth Watering

by L. P. Maxa

  She ignored his odd comments, too afraid to broach that subject.

  They ate in silence after that.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dominic

  After his weird rant over dinner, he’d paid the bill and driven them back to Corey’s house. She was sitting on her back porch and he was in the kitchen opening two beers and gathering his courage. He had to tell her the truth and it had to be tonight. The kids were already noticing his protective behavior, and he was on edge all the time. Their connection was only going to get stronger.

  He took a deep breath and headed out to join her. He sat down next to her on the outdoor couch, his knees touching hers. He put his bottle to his lips and downed it in three long pulls.

  Corey’s eyebrows shot up. “You okay?”

  He set his empty down on the ground by their feet. “Corey, we need to talk. Can you please drink your beer? All of it.”

  “For real?”

  He nodded, wringing his hands together. “Yes, for real. I need to tell you some stuff, and I feel like it’ll go better if you are really relaxed.”

  “Well, I’m so glad you are acting all nervous and weird then. That’ll put me at ease for sure.” She did what he asked, eyeing him skeptically the whole time. She thought he was acting weird now? She was in for the shock of her life.

  “Corey, uh, crap. Okay.” He cleared his throat. “Corey, my family and I, we’re a little different but—”

  “Polygamist?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “What? No. We have special, uh, we have things we can do that not many others can. I mean there are others, it’s not like my family is that special, it’s that there aren’t a lot of people like us out there, and—”

  “Circus folk?”

  “Corey, please stop guessing. You aren’t going to get it. Holy crap, I can’t believe I’m going to say this out loud. It’s our first real date for fuck’s sake.” This was all insane. He’d never thought this would be something he’d have to go through. Telling a virtual stranger that they were meant to be together until their dying day? Yeah, perfect get-to-know-you material. “Okay, here goes nothing. We’re wolves.” He looked her right in the eye when he said it. He needed to see her reaction. And what he saw? Humor and disbelief.

  She chuckled. “What’s that now?”

  “I come from a long line of wolves. I mean, I’m a human. But I’m a wolf too. I’m a shifter. I can turn into a wolf, whenever I want. I’m not a werewolf, though. Don’t call us that, it’s derogatory. And the only reason I’m telling you this is because, well, you are mine. We, my people, we mate for life. When we find our soul mate, our person, we stay together forever. Our instincts kind of take over. It’s in my makeup to recognize you when I meet you. You were made for me. My soul recognizes yours. Like attracts like.”

  Corey was staring at him, mouth hanging open. At least she wasn’t laughing or screaming yet. What little he knew about all this told him that it would be easier for her to accept what he was telling her than it would be for any other girl, because she really was meant to be his.

  She sat and stared at him for a long time. He was afraid to break whatever trance she’d slipped into. Afraid that she’d start yelling for help and try to make a run for it. Suddenly she blinked. “Prove it.”

  “Um, okay. Really?” Prove it? That was what she wanted? For him to shift in front of her and prove that everything he was telling her was true? “You don’t want to ask me anything? No questions? Are you sure you’re ready for this, for me to shift?” Dominic stood and started to unbutton his shirt.

  “Am I ready for this? When would you suspect I’d be ready to watch my date turn into a wolf, Dominic? I’m not sure what would be worse, to be honest with you. You actually changing, or you not changing. Which would be crazier? I have no fucking clue. Do you?”

  She was starting to lose it. He could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. He peeled his shirt off and set it on the couch beside her. If she wanted proof here and now, he’d give it to her.

  He’d give her anything, always.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Corey

  Corey started to laugh. She must be nuts because she really did hope he turned into that damn wolf. Otherwise, he was psychotic and she was going to have to call the police. And then change her name, and move across the country. Again.

  She watched as he took off the rest of his clothes, leaving his boxer briefs on. How courteous of him. One minute she was staring at Dominic’s hard muscled chest and then the next she was staring at a large gray wolf. It literally happened between one blink and the next. No screaming or body contorting in agony like all the movies she’d seen. There was a slight shimmer in the air around them, and he had been a human, then he became a wolf. That simple.

  “Holy shit.” That wasn’t possible. She blinked a few more times. Yep, still a wolf. “Please tell me that this is a joke and that the real secret is that you and your family are the world’s most badass magicians.” The wolf walked toward her and nudged her hand until she placed it on the top of his head. God help her, she started petting him. She was petting the wolf. She was petting Dominic, her date, in her backyard.

  Before she knew what was happening, the shimmery effect started again and Dominic shifted back. He immediately grabbed his pants but stood in front of her, shirtless.

  He was looking at her like he wanted an answer of some sort. She knew she needed to say something, but all that came out was, “Wow.”

  He stood calmly, apparently waiting for the rest.

  “You actually turned into a wolf. I said prove it and you did.” Corey was gesturing wildly with her hands. She started tilting her head to one side, and then the other, watching him. Maybe it really was a trick. Maybe the shimmer was some sort of sleight of hand distraction.

  “Let’s go inside and talk about this. You can ask me any questions you may have.”

  “Any questions I may have? I have about a million questions here, Dom. You turned into a fucking wolf.” She knew she was starting to raise her voice, but she couldn’t help it.

  “I will tell you any and everything you want to know.” Dominic held his hand out to her.

  She studied it for a few second, even though she’d immediately wanted to take it. She wasn’t scared of him, not at all. Something inside her knew he’d never hurt her. She let him lead her into the house, and then he placed her on the couch and put another beer in her hand. She took a couple big gulps.

  “Like, I know I should be really fucking freaking out. My brain is going hey, maybe you should run away from the werewolf but my body is going hey, maybe the werewolf powers give him some solid moves in the bedroom, that could be hot.” She tapped on the side of her skull. “What I think in my head and what I feel for you in my heart and to be totally honest, my body, are at war with each other. You turned into a fucking wolf. A giant gray wolf.”

  “First of all.” He nudged the bottle in her hands back up to her mouth, waiting for her to take another sip before he started again. “And second of all, please stop calling me a werewolf. We hate that.”

  “Are you going to bite me if I keep doing it?”

  He snorted. “No. I’m going to get real irritated and probably roll my eyes. I could never hurt you, Corey. It goes against everything inside of me. It’s like I’m hardwired to only protect you and make you feel pleasure, never pain.”

  Well, that didn’t sound like such a terrible way to spend eternity. A gorgeous man who was hardwired to make her feel pleasure all the time? She bet she wasn’t the only woman alive who could get on board with that. “So how does this work? You’ve told me the truth, you’ve shifted in front of me, and you told me I was ‘yours.’ Is that it? Are we like werewolf married now? Oh my god, are we? Did you trick me into something?” Her heart started to hammer in her chest. She didn’t want to be werewolf married. Her parents would kill her. And what would that life even look like?

  Dominic rolled his eyes. “No, we aren
’t shifter married and I would never trick you into anything, Corey. Ever.” He rested his palm on her cheek, stroking her for a moment before letting go. “I am being one hundred percent honest with you. As far as being mated? There is a big step that we haven’t, um, completed yet. And we won’t, not until you are ready. But the thing is, Corey, this isn’t something I can fight, and it isn’t something I’m willing to force you into. You have all the power here, you hold my life in your hands.”

  “What kind of step? Do we need to break a glass or dance to Shout!?” She knew being sarcastic probably wasn’t helping anything, but at that point it was all she had. It was either laugh or cry.

  “Well, uh, I guess it’s kind of like dancing.”

  “What?” She couldn’t imagine where this was going.

  “Sex. Sex is what bonds us.”

  She nodded. “Sex bonds everyone, Dom.”

  He shook his head. “It’s what mates us, it’s what makes you truly mine.”

  “You’ve got to be joking me. How many women have you slept with? A hundred? Are you mated with all of them? Would I be part of a harem? Because I don’t think that would work for me long term.” She could feel her body starting to shake. It was like her insides were so nervous that they couldn’t hold still. Was she going into shock? Was she going to pass out?

  “No, Corey, you. Because you are mine and I am yours, sex will seal the deal with us. Only us. Which is why I’ve been trying desperately to not, well, do you. But holy crap, sweetheart, you aren’t easy to deny.”

  She smirked despite herself. “You bet your werewolf ass I’m not easy to deny.”

  He smiled back, sagging slightly beside her. Like some of the tension he’d felt was leaving his body now that she’d made a joke. “This attraction between us, the pull we feel to touch and kiss. It will only get stronger and more demanding until we complete the bond. With me, my jealousy and protectiveness will continue to get worse and worse until we are truly mated.”

  Corey sat back against her couch and took another long drink of her beer. Okay, her maybe boyfriend was a wolf. Not a werewolf, but a human who could become a wolf at will. And he claimed that she was made for him, his soul mate. She looked over at him. She was supposed to spend the rest of her life with this man? What happened if it didn’t work out? What if he stopped liking her? What if he never fell in love with her? What if she never fell in love with him? Her breathing started to become shallow, like she couldn’t seem to find enough air. Holy crap. She’d never had a panic attack before in her life. Did she need to find a brown paper bag?

  Dominic knelt in front of her, taking her face in his hands and looking directly into her eyes. “Corey, look at me. Breathe with me. Match your breaths to mine. Come on, sweetheart, focus. Good girl. That’s it, deep slow breaths. Now tell me what’s upsetting you. What questions are running through your mind?”

  How had he calmed her like that? She was sure she was going to stop breathing and pass out. But the instant she had focused on Dom and blocked everything else out, she’d felt herself begin to relax. She looked down at her lap, unable to be under his scrutiny any longer. “Forever, that’s a long time, Dom. We’ve only know each other for a few days. What if you never love me? What if we get sick of each other or you cheat? Is there werewolf, sorry, wolf divorce?”

  He put his finger under her chin, lifting her face to meet his gaze. “No. There is no wolf divorce.” His smile was small. “I know it’s hard for you to understand the connection I’m talking about. But, you and I, we are the same. My soul recognizes yours, and if you quiet your mind and look inside yourself, you’ll see your soul recognizes mine too. You feel safe with me, and even when we argue you are enjoying yourself. When I touch you, your skin heats up like you are catching fire. We’ve only known each other for a few days, but already it feels like a lifetime.

  “When I leave you, you can actually feel my absence.” He took her hands in his. “I already love you, I’ve loved you from the minute I was born. I knew eventually you would come to me, I knew that no other girl would ever make me feel an ounce of what you would make me feel. I wasn’t looking for you, but we still found each other. Like I said before, I could never hurt you in any way. Physical or emotional. But I’ve grown up understanding and believing in soul mates. I’ve witnessed the connection we share firsthand. I have faith in us, and in this part of my culture. The rest is up to you. Can you believe in us?”

  Corey stared at their joined hands. This beautiful man was saying the most amazing heartfelt things to her, things any girl would be more than happy to hear. But her mind was still trying to grasp what had happened. There was a lot to take in, a lot to sort through. If non-werewolf-wolves existed, then maybe soul mates did too? If she was being completely honest with herself, she believed him. Everything he’d said that she should feel? She did. She felt it all.

  She’d instantly liked Dominic, and he was too handsome for words. He was funny and protective, and he had passion. He was good to his friends. What was there not to like? Well, he was stubborn and controlling and cocky. He was right though, she did feel his absence every time he walked out of a room. It was like all the light left with him. She should be calling the nearest mental institution and committing both of them, but instead she felt oddly calm and at peace. She opened her eyes and looked right into his. There was no pressure, no expectation. Only adoration and affection. “Okay.”

  “Okay? Okay, you want me to leave? Or okay, you need another drink? You have to give me more words here, sweetheart.”

  “I don’t know why, I don’t really understand any of this. But I believe in you, Dom. I believe in us.” Corey took a deep shaky breath. “It’s a lot to take in, a lot to wrap my head around. But…” Instead of finishing her thought she kissed him. It started slow, like one of those killer romantic kisses. But then it changed over to a kiss that was more hungry and rough. She wanted to instantly climb into his lap and have him consume her. It was the same urgent feeling she’d had the first two times he’d kissed her. Like she’d never get enough of him.

  Here we go, she thought, I’m about to be claimed. She’d never been claimed before, and she was really hoping that claimed was a code word for world-altering-mind-blowing-multiple-orgasm sex for the rest of your life.

  All of a sudden Dominic pulled away. What the hell. Why did he keep doing that? She had agreed to become werewolf married to the guy; what more could he possibly need to hear?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dominic

  Dominic’s eyes searched hers. He needed more from her. He needed to know that she was making the choice for the right reasons. “Corey, I need to know you’re sure. There is no turning back for me after we do this. Making love to you will bond me to you forever. I know it’s hard for you to grasp that concept. But this means something to me. If you have even a shred of doubt, we can’t go through with this.” He was terrified. He was scared that she still didn’t get the gravity of what was about to happen between them. That she would leave him in the morning, that it was too soon to bond them together. She could walk away and never look back, but he would spend the rest of his life miserable. That was if he even lived that long without her. His father hadn’t.

  “Dom, I’m sure.” She nodded once. “You’re right, my soul does know yours. It’s like my soul went, oh hey, there you are. And yours was all like, come on over here and be mine. Even though I should be scared and running, I feel calm and happy. I always feel that way when I’m with you, even when you piss me off. When I said I was still processing? It’s more the wolf thing. As unbelievable as it should be, I can believe in a love like this, instant and forever. But it’s a little harder to believe my boyfriend turns into a pretty gray wolf.”

  Pretty gray wolf. Great. What every male shifter wanted to hear, that he was a pretty animal.

  She held up one finger, sitting up straighter. “Wait. I do have one more question before we get it on. Will I turn into a wolf?”

  Dom
inic smiled. “No, you won’t turn into a wolf. In fact, there are no female shifters. It’s a male DNA thing. And we aren’t about to get it on. We are about to mate. I am claiming you and this is special in my culture.” Ugh, he sounded like a pussy again.

  “Okay. I’m sorry, I’m ready.” She licked her lips and then fisted her hand in his shirt, bringing his mouth against hers again.

  Dominic wrapped his palm around her thigh and pulled her on top of him so she was straddling his lap, all the while never breaking their kiss. She ground into his pelvis, hard, like she desperately needed to feel him. Feel the friction of their bodies touching. His hands slid up her bare legs until his fingers grabbed the hem of her dress; he lifted it up and over her head. Their long kiss finally broken, she looked down at him.

  Dominic saw the change in her—saw the instant her eyes filled with love instead of lust. That was what he’d been waiting for, what he’d needed to see. He stood up and carried her to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed, covering her with his body. He unclasped her bra, trailing kisses down her neck as he ripped her panties. He took one breast in his hand and began to suck on the other. He dominated her, he was being demanding, and he couldn’t seem to help himself. Corey’s moans filled the room and fueled him on. He kept his mouth at her breast but moved his hands down her hips. He gripped both her thighs and spread them until they were flush with the bed.

  Her breath caught at his dominant behavior. He moved so that he was positioned in the vee of her body. He wanted to kiss every inch of her, take his time, and memorize her. But that would have to wait. The need to claim her was making him feel crazed, feel wild. He needed to be inside her, like that was the only safe place in the whole world. His fingers found her center, and he wasted no time as he put two inside her. He needed her ready for him, needed her to be able to take everything he wanted to give. After only seconds of stroking her, she started to move her hips to match his movements, seeking release. He wanted to give her what she wanted, wanted to hear her scream his name. But she couldn’t finish this way; he needed to be joined with her when she came or the claiming wouldn’t be complete. He took his jeans off, the only clothing he put on after the shift. He positioned himself at her entrance, seconds away from surging inside.