“And I’ve already told you, I lodged the forms myself. But those forms won’t dissolve our bond. The pack thing can go, but this thing with you and me, no.”
“And if I do want this thing between you and me done?”
I look at her, again. I nearly stare her down, and hot damn, she holds my challenge. I break first, looking away quickly to the side and by the time I look back, she’s smiling. I take a chance and scoop her up into my arms because, yeah fuck that, I have to. I have to hold her, like I need her scent to fill my lungs.
“We ain’t done. We’ll never be done,” I say as she wraps her arms around my shoulders, drawing us even closer.
“You seem determined to make a point this morning, Puck,” she whispers.
“I kind of want to scent you up, Raney. All these voices screaming at my head to do it. And if Hayes and Talon weren’t here, I fucking would.”
I feel the recoil of surprise jolt through her. But like I said, I’m going with it today. I’m not sure where all this fucking full on immediate claiming need is coming from, but I like it. A lot. “I don’t want anyone to interrupt us when I scent you up. That’s why I’m not doing it now. No other reason,” I whisper. And then she reacts with a shiver that essentially makes me hard as fucking steel.
“What about Koz?”
“He’ll have to learn to share, I reckon.”
“He doesn’t like to share.”
I hum because I get completely distracted by the smallest tip of her lips as she teases. She blushes pink, and after she licks her lips, leaving them slightly parted. It looks like she’s trying to control her breath, not sure if it’s for her sake or mine but her scent keeps smashing against me. Reinforcing how right I got the timing.
“We’ll see,” I shrug back, not worried at all. Nor am I concerned when she reaches up to plant a soft kiss on the edge of my mouth before she wiggles out of my hold. I let her down after I drag her over my length, of course. And yeah, I see the way her eyes fill with heat, and it’s impossible to miss the syrupy sweetness of her desire. Caveman subtlety for the win.
“What about Hayes and Talon?”
“They’re only my business if they upset you. I’m not going to vet who brings you happiness, but I will be next to you.”
“And your brother? No one has mentioned Reid yet. Why is that?”
“Because he’s dead to me. My whole family are, Raney. I haven’t seen or spoken to them. I won’t. I chose you then and I choose you now.”
She spins around and walks off with a deliberate sway of her hips. Before she gets to where Rhodes is standing guard, she twists around, talking over her shoulder. “Go to the training camp, Puck. We’re taking us slow, despite everything your body and mine are telling us. I don’t want to mess our chance up because we want to jump into bed together.”
“After the meeting, maybe, not before. You’re not going alone to the meeting,” I yell back at her.
“I won’t be alone. I’ve got Rhodes, he’ll save me,” she answers, a cheeky grin on her face.
“Raney! Let’s make one thing really fucking clear… you can tease me all you like, but I swear to fucking god, you use another person to do that and I’ll lock you in my house and show you what tease means.”
I seriously have no clue where what I said came from. In hindsight, it was like the words bubbled up and gushed out my caveman mouth. But at the same time, I mean every goddamn word I growl.
I freeze. Half fucking terrified I fucked up completely, but her eyes hood low, while her sweetening scent tells me I got my timing, and tone, spot on.
“Okay,” she purrs back before she walks to open the door.
ChapterEighteen
RANEY
Pretty much all of me wants to kick Rhodes out of King’s house so I can take up Puck on his offer of reacquainting. It would be easy to do, except I would never, for the simple reason of being with Koz. The trust and love we share is something I will never take advantage of, or risk.
Koz is the only person in the world to know how I got back to being me. I cried a fucking river and lived every raw emotion under the sun because of these boys. He held me every time I fell apart. Not all of it was sweet and loving either. He’s screamed in my face when I thought I wasn’t enough, he threw me out of his house when I used my fists against him instead of my words, and he constantly drives me to expect more. In a sense, it hasn’t just been my journey. Without question he’s a big reason why I have the self-belief I do.
Stopping next to Rhodes, I make sure he looks at me before I give him firm instructions. “No shooting anyone.”
He nods again. Seriously, Rhodes has got his security vibe down fucking pat. I go to shove his shoulder, thinking he might crack a smile, and he sides steps to avoid him touching me, acting like I have the freaking plague in the process. Of course, I stumble, jarring my goddamn knee again, and then he shows a whole lot of emotion on his face. He fucking freaks.
I roll my eyes at the way the big moody alpha panics. “My fault, but for the record, I do joke around and even touch Lew. Koz hasn’t killed him yet.”
