I might not know him well—or much at all really—but there’s no denying I’m attracted to him, and the fact that we’re fated mates makes the draw toward him even stronger. Fate can’t force us into anything, but there’s a clear biological pull, an urge to get closer.If it were up to my wolf, Blake and I probably would have already completed the bond.
As if reading my mind, he looks up. He meets my gaze and holds it, heat flaring in his eyes, tongue darting out to lick his lips. The naked hunger in his stare stokes an inferno in my body, my wolf whining and urging mecloser closer closer.
I shift in my seat, my cock suddenly uncomfortably hard in the confines of these stupid pants and let out a soft whimper—one that sounds more lupine than human.
Why, exactly, are we waiting again?
We could do this right now. Right here. My mate’s already naked. All I’d need to do is—
The driver’s door opens, and since my back is half leaning on the damn thing, I nearly tumble out on to the asphalt, only managing to avoid that fate because Raquel helps steady me with one hand.
“Distracted?” she asks, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Heat filling my cheeks, I shoot her a dirty look over my shoulder but don’t bother with a denial. Because I was very much distracted. Worse, I didn’t even realize it. My wolf was so focused on Blake that the rest of the world became only background noise. That kind of mindless distraction could be really bad under certain circumstances.
Like, say,being on the run.
My wolf, closer to my more primal instincts, doesn’t much care, but I can’t let biology make me reckless. I thought I understood the pull of the fated mate bond, but I didn’t expect it to be so strong, so overwhelming. It’s obvious, the bond will keep urging us toward completion—no pun intended—but until I’m ready for that I need to get my head in the game or whatever stupid sports metaphor is appropriate.
I give myself a shake, willing my erection to go away. Now is definitely not the time.
Raquel coughs out a poorly hidden laugh. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I say, my gaze sliding to the bag swinging from her hand. “Oh good! Clothes.”
“Well, that is what I went in there for,” she says slowly. She reaches past me to toss the bag toward the backseat. “Here you go, big guy.”
Blake catches the bag easily. He immediately goes through it, pulling out a pair of simple gray sweatpants. He holds them up, the corners of his mouth twitching as he raises his brows.
“Really?” I say. “Gray sweatpants?”
“I mean, there are boxers in there too,” she says to Blake, a mischievous curl to her lips. “Don’t feel the need to go commando on Neil’s account—or mine.”
I rest my forehead in my palm and shake my head. If she wasn’t my best friend, I might be a little jealous how interested she is in checking out my mate. “You’re ridiculous.”
“But awesome,” she retorts.
“If you say so.”
“I do say so.”
Blake is silent as he watches our exchange, but there’s an amused twist to his lips as he awkwardly pulls the clothes on in the tiny backseat, his elbow banging against the back window more than once. Once he’s clothed, he unfolds himself from the backseat and walks a couple laps around the truck to stretch his legs.
“Thanks again,” he says, stopping by Raquel.
“No problem,” she says with a grin. “Now, I think it’s about time to hit the road.”
Raquel climbs into the backseat over Blake’s protests, informing him in a no-nonsense tone that he’s twice her size and needs the space. My mate doesn’t seem to entirely agree, but he takes the front passenger seat while I, once again, get in the driver’s seat.
We hit up a gas station to fuel up and grab some snacks, then get on the road. The somewhat late start means we won’t get that far today, but any distance we manage to put between us and Vegas is good. The farther away we get, the more likely we’ll be out of Doyle’s reach.
Five hundred miles or so later, our second night on the road finds us at a roadside motel nearly identical to the last, as far as amenities and atmosphere goes. But the room has two beds and hot water, so I’m not complaining too much, especially since I get to curl up with my mate on one of those beds. Although we won’t be completing the bond tonight, the closeness helps placate some of its stronger urges. Plus there’s just something about being wrapped in his arms, his big body curled around my back that fills me with a kind of contentment I’ve never known.
The three of us fall asleep quickly, and the next morning, we’re back on the road before the sun even comes up. Another long day of driving brings us to our next stop in Oklahoma. Money is still tight, so we’re stuck at another run-down motel for the night. A late-night argument between one of our shady motel neighbors means we’re roused well before the sun, and given that the shouting doesn’t appear to be ending any time soon, we pack up and head out.
Our fourth night on the road, Raquel decides we should spring for something a little nicer: two stars instead of one, and two adjoining rooms instead of sharing a single. My agreement is reluctant, but also relieved.
If Blake and I don’t get some alone time soon, my wolf is going to riot. Despite sleeping together every night, and the closequarters of the truck, the uncompleted mate bond has started to itch under my skin. It’s not painful, just uncomfortable, but I think the underlying tension has started to grate even on Raquel.
