by Vella Day
Sam returned to his office to do a little bit of research on Vinea. An hour later, Jackson came to his office. “You won’t believe what I found out about Vinea’s car.”
“What?”
“A car just like hers was stolen this morning from the Save A Lot grocery store. Only that one was white.”
“What are you saying? That she had it painted gray?”
Jackson shrugged. “Without checking the VIN number, we can’t be sure, but the woman whose car was taken described the decals on the bumper. They match Vinea’s.”
“Shit.” That left out following her if they couldn’t trace the car to her sister. He and Devon had been right to think something was off about her. “Are you going to break the news to Devon or should I?”
Jackson held up his hands. “I’m not saying a word.”
“Coward.”
Jackson smiled. “You got that right. I think he really likes her.”
Sam had that impression too. This was one conversation he didn’t want to have.
Chapter Fifteen
‡
Lexi was super excited to go out with Sam. Not only would it give them some alone time, leaving her office cave would be a luxury. Yes, she would be careful. Ronan had called back and said that from what he could tell, Justin was still in Silver Lake. Even that news wouldn’t put a damper on her night out with Sam. She just wished Justin would make his move.
She pictured the two of them cooking, flirting, laughing, and then having wild passionate sex. While they had made love in the room below, it wasn’t the same as being with him in his house, which had been wonderful. One had become claustrophobic, the other romantic.
Sam came out with his coat in hand and smiled. “Ready for your outing?”
“More than ready.” In fact, she had already retrieved her coat along with a small overnight bag that Sam had provided her. “What are we going to cook?” she asked as he escorted her outside.
The sky was nearly dark, but the half moon lit up the area. Almost all of the snow had melted, but with at least two more months of winter, more would be falling soon.
“What do you want to eat?” Sam asked as he held open the truck door. Of course, he wasn’t looking at her, but rather he was scanning the area.
She touched his arm. “I don’t sense any shifters, if that’s who you’re looking for.”
He glanced down at her once she was seated. “I can’t help it. It’s who I am.”
She could see that. Having someone always have her back was a comforting thought. “As for dinner, I’m up for anything.”
The drive to the supermarket was a short one. With his arm around her waist, he led her inside. Given that Justin was out there somewhere, she’d been surprised Sam was willing to let her wander the aisles. He’d said since he was a military man he could handle a few punks in a public place. Since it was around dinnertime, she hadn’t expected so many people. “I’ll keep an eye out for Vinea,” she said.
Sam looked down at her, pain in his eyes. “She has no need to harm you.”
Lexi shrugged. “If she knows Justin, he might ask her to keep an eye on me.”
Sam’s hold tightened around her waist. “She better not, or she’ll be sorry.”
Lexi wanted to change the subject. This was supposed to be a romantic night. “So what are you in the mood for? And don’t say you don’t care.”
“What can you cook?” he asked.
Lexi chuckled. She wasn’t a great cook, but she wasn’t bad either. “How about lasagna?”
“Works for me. Does that include garlic bread?” Sam didn’t have an ounce of fat on him so maybe bread would be a treat.
“It’s a given.”
They headed to the pasta aisle for the noodles and sauce and then picked up the cheeses in the dairy section. The bread was next.
“I’ll grab a bottle of red wine,” he said.
As long as they were going all out, she wanted dessert. “Chocolate, berries, or apple pie?”
He chuckled. “They all sound good, but I do have a weakness for apple pie.”
“Me too as long as there’s some ice cream on top.”
“Is there any other way to eat it?”
Sam was so easy to get along with. Once they collected the food, they checked out. While he had been subtle about it, as he passed each aisle, he glanced down each one, probably to make sure neither Vinea nor Justin were there.
Armed with two bags of groceries, they left. She couldn’t wait to cook, eat, and then relax. Somewhere in there, she would temporarily satisfy her need for him, as her wolf was becoming more and more demanding.
Blue sparks shot off her hands at the thought of being with Sam forever, and a sly smile crossed his lips.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked with way too much cheer.
“My freedom. What else would I be thinking about?”
“With those sparks? I think you might have something else on your mind other than eating and freedom.”
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
She swore his smile stayed put on his face for another mile, until he pulled into his garage. He grabbed both bags after handing her the keys to open up. The domestic move wasn’t lost on her.
When they stepped inside she paid attention to whether there were any shifter signatures. Thankfully, she found nothing. “It’s good.”
“I want to do a quick sweep of the place anyway. I can’t be too cautious where you are concerned.”
Aw. He was the best. Once he placed the bags on the counter, she handed him back his keys. Sam checked each room, including those upstairs.
“All good?” she asked when he returned to the kitchen.
“Yes, but having confirmation that Kapok is in town has me on edge.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Can we forget him for a little while and just enjoy ourselves?”
Sam glanced down at her and smiled. “I’d like that.”
As if they cooked together every night, they shrugged out of their coats then emptied the bags of groceries. “I’ll put the ice cream in the freezer,” he said.
She asked Sam to set the oven to 350° and to find a large pot for the noodles. Lexi explained how her mom used to make lasagna.
“You’re in charge,” he said. “My culinary skills don’t extend much beyond breakfast,”
“I doubt that. You could do anything you set your mind to.”
“Stay here long enough and you’ll be testing that theory.”
She was about to say that she wanted to, but it wasn’t the right time for that conversation. Once the pasta was cooked, they worked together layering the noodles and spreading the cheeses and sauce. When the oven pre-heated, he placed the meal inside while she read the instructions for the garlic bread.
“I’ll pour the wine,” Sam said.
“Everything smells so good.” After a few minutes, she tossed it into the oven with the lasagna.
“Your wine.” Sam handed her a glass.
Lexi leaned against the kitchen counter and sipped her drink. The first taste went down so smoothly that she moaned. “Goddess, I needed this.”
He ran a hand down her arm. “You’ve been a trooper through all this mess, but it should be over soon.”
That was what he’d said a few days ago. “Crying or running away won’t solve my problems. I still think drawing him out is the best thing—assuming we have backup ready to take him down.”
“Like I said before, if we had a ton of members working for McKinnon and Associates, I might agree, but it could be days before Justin makes his move.”
“I know, but it’s frustrating.”
He slipped her drink from her fingers and then set both glasses on the counter. Pulling her against his chest, she melted against him. “I thought you said you didn’t want to discuss Justin,” he said.
“I don’t. He just keeps popping up at all the wrong times.”
Sam smiled. “Then I gue
ss I’ll have to keep you occupied.”
“Oh, yeah?” She’d like that.
He tapped her nose. “After we eat. Now what should we talk about?”
“If Justin is off limits, how about telling me about your time in the military?”
His eyes darkened, almost as if he was pulling down a shade, and his whole posture stiffened.
Note to self: Don’t ask about his time in the service.
Sam forced his body to relax and looked at her with a gentle smile. “How about you tell me more about yourself?”
“You know everything about me.”
“No I don’t. What were you like as a kid—super popular, a jock, a nerd or what?”
Lexi finished off her glass of wine and Sam poured her another. “I was a little bit of everything I guess. When I would play with my friends, I always volunteered to be a teacher. Lynn liked to play shrink, and Lisa was the jock. I had a small chalkboard, and I’d have them do math problems for me—simple ones so they felt successful.”
“That’s so cute. You were a born teacher, and I was a born protector.”
Funny how that worked. She searched for what else Sam might find interesting. “I played the piano from third grade to sixth grade until my teacher became ill. I didn’t really have a knack for it anyway.”
“Piano, huh? Mom made me play the guitar. I sucked at it too.”
She was amazed at how much they had in common. “What foreign language did you study in school?”
“German. You?”
“French.”
Sam smiled. “Here’s the big question? What kind of movies do you like?” The oven timer buzzed. “Hold that thought. Food’s ready. Then we talk.” He retrieved the food and placed it on the two potholders on the table.
“I’ll cut the bread.” Working side by side reminded her of being with her mom when they would make fudge and chocolate chip cookies together on the weekends. Occasionally, her mother would let her help with the main meal, but that was only after Lexi turned about twelve.
“You’re smiling,” he said.
She placed the too hot bread on a plate. “Just thinking about my mom and how much she loved to cook.”
“You’re lucky. My mom wasn’t very domestic. Dad actually was better at meal prep.”
“Do you miss them?” Apparently, they’d been living in Florida for close to two years.
“I think I missed them more when I lived with them. As a kid, I wanted my parents to go to my soccer and baseball games. They did until I entered high school, but then stopped when they decided to turn their attention to teaching others.”
The hurt in his voice pained her. “You and Teagan seemed to have turned out okay.”
“I guess. It taught me to appreciate family, though I’m sure Teagan thought I had a funny way of showing it as I was overseas for much of the time.”
“You’re here now.” Ronan always accused Lexi of looking at the bright side of things.
“True. Back to the question I asked,” Sam said. “What kind of movies do you like?”
She chuckled. “Honestly? I’m into the animated 3-D ones and anything from Disney or Pixar.”
“Me too!”
Most likely he was just saying that, but she appreciated it nonetheless. Knowing little things about him made him more human and less like this perfect specimen of a man.
They both dug into their meals. Lexi moaned at the divine combination of flavors. “I think this is the best lasagna I’ve ever made.”
“It’s fantastic. I should turn Italian so I have an excuse to have this every night.”
Sam was so easy to please. Their talk turned to the men Sam worked with and how they had met their mates. She’d heard some of the stories from the women, but it was interesting to hear the male take on it.
“It seems to me that many of your male friends were in denial about even having a mate,” she said.
“That’s for sure. Kalan was the worst. As Beta of the Clan, he couldn’t believe that he’d been paired with Elana—a human. Turns out it was the best thing that ever happened to him. Elana seems to really center him.”
“How is he handling having a child and being a detective?” If she and Sam ended up together, she was curious how his job would impact their lives. Right now, he was never home since he was protecting her.
“It’s hard, but they’re figuring it out.”
“When I went to the welcome party, only two of the women weren’t mated.”
He raised his brows. “Missy and who else?”
“Blair, Jackson’s sister.”
“Ah, yes, I forgot about her. She only moved to town recently. She and Ainsley, Jackson’s mate, were roommates for years.”
One more piece of the puzzle fell into place. “I was impressed with all the women. They seemed focused and highly competent.”
“They are.” He grabbed a piece of garlic bread and stuffed it in his mouth. Once he swallowed, he leaned back. “I haven’t eaten like this in forever.”
“It is good, isn’t it?”
“Totally. You finished?” he asked, nodding to her plate.
“Yes.”
Sam swallowed. “Me too.”
Lexi pushed back her chair and together they placed the leftover food in the refrigerator and the dishes in the sink. She was about to rinse them and put them in the dishwasher when Sam touched her arm.
“Leave them. I can’t wait any longer.” A blue spark flitted off his arm.
“Wait any longer for what? To watch a movie?” She was pretty sure that wasn’t what he meant, but she needed to hear him say that he was yearning for her as much as she was for him.
Sam’s eyes shone bright. “For this.”
He leaned over and kissed her, acting as if he needed the contact before being able to take another breath. The pressure against her chest caused her inner wolf to howl. With her back against the counter, she wrapped her arms around him and drew him even closer. Their tongues tangled, and the combination of red sauce, wine, and garlic made for a heady combination that caused lust and desire to swamp her with need.
Sam leaned back. “You don’t know how hard it’s been keeping away from you at work.”
Really? She was the one who was the werewolf. She had to battle her pesky animal within her twenty-four hours a day, though it was possible her Wendayan side was adding to her need. That made sense if Sam was suffering too. The big question was did he know they were fated to be mates?
The answer to that didn’t matter at the moment. What mattered was fucking him hard and fast to satisfy—however temporary—her intense urges. Lexi slipped her hands under his shirt and lifted it over his head in one quick movement. After dropping the shirt on the floor, she licked his nipple, and it instantly peaked.
“Hey, none of that. That’s my job.”
She grinned. “Really? I dare you to lick your own nipple.”
“You’re funny, sassy girl.” Before she could reach the button on his jeans, he lifted her shirt over her head, and his eyes widened. A blue glow suddenly surrounded him. “Red? You know how to torment a guy, don’t you?”
“I didn’t know we’d be doing this when I dressed this morning.”
“I guess I’m lucky.”
“You are.”
She finally made contact with his pants and managed to unbutton and unzip them, but she couldn’t tug them off because Sam’s hands were in the way, trying to take off her pants at the same time. In the end, they laughed too hard to be effective. He finally gave up and moved to higher ground.
When he lowered the bra straps down her shoulders, his touch nearly scorched her, and her wolf growled. Licking his lips, her libido shot sky high.
Take him now, her wolf pleaded.
Giving up trying to remove his heavy jeans, she reached into his briefs and grabbed his hot cock. She pumped her fist once, loving the sound of his grunt.
With Sam’s eyes closed, both of their auras glowed blue. It was almost as if t
he goddess from above was adding lighter fluid to their fire.
“Kiss me again,” she demanded as she let go of him.
Sam did, and his urgency thrilled her. He unhooked the front clasp and rubbed his thumbs across her distended nipples. Not able to last much longer, she kicked off her shoes, and then finished undoing the waistband of her jeans before tugging it low.
Sam stepped back. “Let me help.”
When he dropped to his knees, her animal went wild. Her nails sharpened and her scalp itched—the precursor to shifting. In one slow drag, he took off both her pants and panties. She was so fucking ready for him that her arousal perfumed the air. “Please,” she begged.
“Shh. Let me enjoy this moment.”
He had no idea what it was like to have a mate so close and yet not be able to satisfy her immediate needs. Lexi inhaled and let his musky scent seep deep within her, swirling around her body until his very being was imprinted on her soul forever.
The first swipe of his tongue had her panting, and the second had her grabbing his hair and tugging hard. When her bones began to crack, she had to squeeze her eyes shut and force control back into her body.
He dipped two fingers into her while he flicked her nub back and forth with his tongue. Bending her knees slightly to change the angle only added to the glorious sensations coursing through her. It was when he pressed on that most sensitive spot that her release came hard and fast.
Her breath whooshed in and out as she tried to gain some control. “Now, Sam! Please!”
Sam stood, and without a word, ditched the rest of his clothes. “Come here.”
He grabbed her close, and then lifted her up until her butt was touching the counter. On instinct, she wrapped her arms and legs around him.
Keeping his gaze on her face, he spun her around until her back was against the pantry door. “I hope you’re ready.”