“You’re quick for a human.”
I choked on air as I gasped and spun in surprise at the deep voice behind me. I didn’t know the man that stood before me, but I’d seen him before. He looked to be in his early twenties and had reddish-brown hair that curled around his ears. Chocolate colored eyes watched me with curiosity. His head tilted and the porch light caused a glare to flow across those eyes and for a they looked gold. I suddenly remembered where I’d seen him before. He was at the pack meet. Simone’s brother, Lucas, I believe his name was. What was he doing here? Should I yell for Jack and Trina? I pulled back inwardly and let my wolf get a sense of him. She didn’t react angrily or frightened like I’d expected her to, but she warned me to be cautious.
I couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t sound rude because all I could wonder was why he was here and what he wanted. I remained silent and what I hoped passed for stoic, especially compared to the lack of expression he’d had during the pack meet.
“Awfully quiet when the pack’s not around you,” he said, and my wolf reared her great head inside of me.
“Are you threatening me?” I asked coldly.
“Ah, she speaks. Not a threat, merely an observation,” he said in an almost mocking tone. Suddenly, I didn’t care if I sounded rude or not.
“What do you want?” I asked sharply.
All traces of cocky humor faded, and his face was a blank slate once more.
“I’m here to speak with the Alpha,” he said and was suddenly intensely focused on the space over my shoulder. I turned to find Jack himself standing just behind the screen door at my back. Quickly moving aside, he opened the door and came out looking less than happy.
“What do you need, Lucas?” he asked with that air of command.
Lucas looked at me, then back at Jack.
“It’s not a matter than should be discussed in present company.” I tried not to be offended but really, he could have just said it was private. Also, the fact that I was singled out piqued my interest and now I was extremely interested in knowing what they were going to talk about as they headed inside. I decided to stay outdoors and went to sit on the tailgate of the truck where I’d sat earlier to wait for Kodi and Stephen.
Twenty minutes went by before Lucas exited the house. He shot me a look and walked away but not without a warning.
“You should watch your back. My sister isn’t the only one you should be watching out for.”
My response was immediate and out of my mouth before I could even think.
“Is that a threat?” I asked. He paused and turned back to me.
“Did it feel like one?” he asked, and before I could interpret what he had meant by that, Kodi shot from the woods and looked to be alone. He didn’t look happy.
“Do you need something, Lucas?” he asked tightly.
Lucas gave Kodi an exaggerated smile and shook his head.
“Not anymore. I got what I came for,” he tilted his head to look at me and I was quick to know what he was trying to imply. Before I could hop off the truck and give him a piece of my mind, Kodi’s growl kept me still. I’d never seen Kodi look menacing before and although I never wanted him in a bad mood, I had to admit that he looked rather impressive. His muscled chest heaved, and he looked every bit a danger to Lucas at that moment. They were about the same height and although Lucas was bigger and had to outweigh him, he was not as well muscled or defined as Kodi.
“It’s time for you to leave,” Kodi said tightly.
Lucas held his hands up on mock surrender but did as he was told. After making sure he was gone and hopefully out of earshot I turned to Kodi who appeared to have been doing the same. He walked to me and rested his hands on my thighs like he had earlier.
“Are you alright?” he asked, and I could tell he was still tight with anger. The stupid insinuation Lucas had made was not worth making Kodi’s beautiful face hard and unkind. Instead of answering him I softly brushed his hair behind his ear and stroked his face before pulling him down for a reassuring kiss. My lips touched his and that familiar spark his kiss caused shot down to my toes and I didn’t know if he’d felt it as well or if it was just a coincidence but he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me as he deepened the kiss. I felt his tongue hit my teeth and I happily opened my mouth to accept the most thrilling kiss I’d bet I’d ever have because nothing could be sweeter to me than the taste and feel of Kodi. He smelled like the open woods and as he became eager, everything about him was wild. I met him with ferocity of my own and he was now pressed flush against me between my knees. His hands on me felt hot and even though the night was cold, I felt feverish, or like I was on fire. Just when I got to the point where I thought I would burn, Kodi stepped away from me. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, and it fell into his eyes once more.
“I’m sorry. I guess it’s a little difficult to control my animal instincts when it comes to you,” he apologized. I wondered if he considered that a bad thing and I surely hoped not because his kiss was a drug and I was addicted. Slowly, I scooted off of the tailgate but used it to steady myself.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m not.”
At my words, Kodi’s wonderful smile returned to his face and he held his hand out which I took with a smile of my own. We walked into the house and upstairs to his room. We sat on the bed and silence reigned for a moment before he spoke.
“I wanted to apologize for walking in on you when you were getting dressed. I should have knocked,” he said without looking at me. I had wondered when that would come up, but I wasn’t expecting it to do so at the moment. Not really knowing what to say, I tried to be funny.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” I joked. He didn’t laugh.
“That’s not funny,” he said, and I was shocked at his angry tone. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”
“Yeah, right,” I said, and I couldn’t help the bitterness in my voice. I’m not sure exactly what happened in the next few seconds because Kodi had moved faster than I could follow. Suddenly I was laying on my back with Kodi hovering over me. His eyes pierced mine and I watched as some of his anger faded away.
“Have I ever given you any reason to believe that there was something about you that I didn’t like? Other than your doubts about yourself?” he asked.
“No,” I replied. “I wasn’t saying that you had, but yes, I’ve heard it before.”
“Those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter,” he quoted from Bernard Baruch.
“You matter,” I said without thinking.
“And I don’t mind.” His kiss came swiftly, and I laughed into it before responding but pulled away a moment later. I had to know. I was stubborn like that.
“Why did you turn Kendra down?” I asked.
His brow furrowed. “Who’s Kendra?”
I laughed. Was he serious?
“You got suspended last year for breaking her ex-boyfriend’s jaw,” I watched him to see if my words rang any bells.
He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Was she blonde?” he asked, and I nodded.
“So that’s why that football player picked a fight with me,” he bowed his head in realization.
“You really didn’t know?” I was surprised. You’d think a guy that broke someone’s jaw because he picked a fight with him would have at least been interested in knowing why.
Kodi shook his head, “He wasn’t exactly trying to explain himself. He shoved me into the wall when I was walking to class and it just escalated from there.”
I repeated my earlier question. “Why did you turn her down?”
He gave a nervous laugh, “I don’t think you’re going to believe me, but I’ll give it a shot. As I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m not the most sociable person at school. Well, from my anti-social perspective, there was a random girl that came up and wrapped her arms around me, then had expected me to follow her around like a dog in heat.” He paused to give me an awkward look before continuing, “I’d a
ssumed she’d either confused me with someone else or had had some sort of mental breakdown so all I could do was mutter “It’s okay” and walk away from her.”
A moment after his words had registered, I burst into laughter. I believed him but it was still completely ridiculous. Even if he’d kept pretty much to himself all of these years, I still don’t understand how he couldn’t recognize a when a member of the opposite sex was hitting on him. Then again, I’d chalk it up to Kendra’s directness that had confused him. She’d probably keel over if she could see us now. Me on Kodi’s bed, him hovering over me. The intimacy between us was something I was a stranger to, but I was more than willing to become familiar with it. Reaching out, I cradled his face in my hand and he leaned into my touch.
“You have no idea how beautiful you are to me, do you?” I asked quietly.
Kodi smiled. “Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you.”
I turned my head away, but he caught my face and returned it to his.
“Why do you do that?” he asked with a slight frown.
“I haven’t had many compliments. I guess I don’t really know how to react to them,” I said. It was mostly the truth, but Kodi saw right through me.
“I’m not an idiot. I know you have issues with your body, but I wish you would believe me when I say that you shouldn’t,” he said softly.
That’s when I realized it. I’d never really cared what other people thought about my body. I was always pretty comfortable in my own skin. My recent problems with my body seemed to surface when I thought about Kodi and how he could have anyone he wanted so I hadn’t stood a chance.
“I don’t hate my body. I just want to be what you want,” I blurted.
It was his turn to drop his head. I didn’t know if it was exasperation or perhaps, he was realizing what I’d known all along, that he could have better. He looked up and his green eyes pierced through me.
“Telling you that I want you doesn’t seem to be enough. I think I need to show you,” he said and was suddenly kneeling in front of me on his knees.
Slowly he reached up to the zipper on the sweatshirt that I had borrowed from him and was currently wearing and looked at me.
“May I?” he asked with a genuine smile.
It didn’t take much time for me to come up with an answer. I both wanted to know where this was going and knew that he’d never push me past my comfort level. I said nothing but nodded in approval. The only sound in the room was the unzipping of the sweatshirt and I leaned up so he could take it off of me before I settled back down. He tossed the garment on the floor and fingered the hem of my t-shirt. He looked at me in askance and I nodded again. I’d been thinking of telling him that my bra was definitely staying on, but it never even came to that. Instead of pulling my shirt off like I’d thought he would, he simply pushed it up to about where the bottom of my bra was and just stared at my stomach. Itching to pull my shirt back down at his perusal, I held steady.
Kodi bent down and nuzzled my stomach before laying a kiss just above the button on my jeans. Slowly, he laid several more soft kisses ascending up until he met my shirt.
“You’re so soft, Meghan,” he whispered and nuzzled my stomach again.
“Thanks, I think,” I said after my brain returned to working condition. I felt the zing of every kiss down to my toes and I felt like I would go crazy whether he stopped or continued. He looked up at me.
“It was a compliment. I like you soft. I want you soft. I wouldn’t change anything about you,” he said, and I melted as his words. He laid a last kiss in the center of my belly and I remembered that in his wolf form, Kodi had liked to lay his head there was well.
I really hoped that he was not the only one allowed to touch because if so, I was going to go mad. I grabbed his shoulders and rolled us so that he was lying on his back near the foot of the bed and I was straddling his lap. I watched him for any signs that he wanted me off of him but found only a surprised grin. I laughed and was surprised to hear such joy from myself.
From my new position atop Kodi I could now fully appreciate the fact that he had already been shirtless.
“Can I touch you?” I asked and though my words were bold, my voice shook with the possibility of his rejection.
“Anytime you want to,” he said with a smug smile that I couldn’t help but return.
The muscles and contours in his upper body were like pieces to a puzzle that I couldn’t wait to put together but didn’t quite know where to start. I decided to go top to bottom. I started with his jaw. I loved his jawline. So, defined and perfectly curved to frame the face that I could look at forever. I traced my index finger softly down his throat just in time to feel him swallow against it. I continued to his chest. Closing my eyes, I laid my hand flat over his chest and after only a moment, found what I’d been looking for. His heart pumped strongly against my palm and I smiled when its pace quickened. Upon opening my eyes, I found him giving me the most smoldering look I’d ever seen. My urge to kiss him overpowered the one to continue my exploration and I leaned down to place my lips against his. I’d forgotten that my shirt had been raised and I gasped into the kiss right as he moaned, when my bare stomach met his. His skin was hot compared to mine and it burned me to my core. I slowly drew back from the kiss, giving his bottom lip a light bite as we separated. I gave a surprised giggle as he leaned me back and gave me a quick kiss on my abdomen before bringing me back up and fixing my shirt.
“Do you believe that I want you now?” he asked softly.
I smiled at him, “I believe you just fine, but feel free to keep convincing me.”
He laughed and sat up with me still straddling him. “I’m going to hold you to that,” he said. “It’s getting late, we should probably head to bed.”
I sighed. “Are you going to sleep in here again?” I asked shyly.
“I’d love to,” he replied and gave me a peck on the lips before standing and heading for the door.
“Where are you going?” I wondered aloud.
“To shift. I’ll be back in a moment,” he said. Oh. He thought I’d meant for him to sleep in here as a wolf again.
“I meant like this. If that would be okay,” I said with uncertainty. His smile was even wider than it had been before, and he pulled the covers on the bed down before sliding in.
“I’ll be right back,” I said and headed to my bag to grab my toothbrush and some clothes to sleep in. Once in the bathroom, I brushed my teeth and changed into a pair of black cotton shorts and a black wife-beater tank top, then tied my hair up into a messy bun to keep it out of my face when I slept. Satisfied and comfortable, I headed back into the bedroom to find Kodi with his eyes closed. I wasn’t sure if he was asleep or not but just in case, I crept silently into the corner where my stuff was to drop my dirty clothes there and walked over to the bed. I crawled in next to him and looked at him for a moment. He was beautiful when he was asleep. He looked relaxed and Kodi shirtless in bed was definitely a sight I could get used to. Pulling the covers up and over the both of us, I rolled to face the window. Seconds later an arm came over my side and I was hugged close to a warm body as I fell asleep with a smile on my lips.
Fifteen
Something was tickling my nose. The thought ran through my head before I could even be classified as awake. My cheek was resting on something that was hard and soft at the same time and, I discovered after a moment, moving. There was the tickle again. I blinked awake to see a nice, very male chest pressed against the side of my face. I looked up to find a sleeping Kodi and discovered that it had been his breathing coming from his nose that had tickled my face. The events of last night came flooding back to me and I slowly rolled onto my back to stretch with a contented smile.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept so well, and without dreams. I jumped when a blaring noise echoed repeatedly throughout the room and once, I located the nuisance, I jumped out of bed. Searching the top of the alarm clock, I found the snooze button
and hit it quickly before sitting back on the bed with a sigh of relief. I jumped again when an arm snaked around my stomach and pulled me backward. Kodi’s smiling face greeted me along with a kiss to my temple and I mentally catalogued the moment as the best morning of my life.
“Sorry, I tried to silence it before it woke you up, I didn’t even know it was set,” I said.
“It’s fine. It was supposed to wake us up. I set it last night while you were getting ready for bed. We go back to school today, remember?” he said groggily while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. No, I hadn’t remembered.
“I set it early just in case you wanted to take a shower. Mom washed your clothes yesterday while we were out running so you should have everything you need. If not, let me know. I’m going to hop in the shower and get ready so I’ll leave you to it,” he said and kissed the side of my head before tossing the blanket off and heading out of the room. I lay back down for a few minutes and wondered what it would be like to return to school. Of course, I’ll have several assignments to make up for missing most of the week but since I would be back at the group home, it would keep me busy until I could return to Kodi’s house. Other than almost dying on their table, I hoped I wasn’t too much of a hassle to have as a guest.
Twenty minutes later I was dressed and ready to go. Trina drove us to school in her SUV since she worked there anyway, and Jack went to drop all of my clothes and camping supplies off at the group home before heading into work at the law firm. I wore the last clean outfit I had which was a pair of jeans and a Ghostbusters t-shirt. I imagined I had to look pretty drab walking next to Kodi but then I realized that he was wearing a pair of jeans as well with a vintage Scooby Doo shirt. I couldn’t hide my smile.
High School Bites Page 14