Sadly, it had to wait.
Standing chest-to-chest once again, Dylan couldn’t help but make the moment last as long as possible.
“Don’t be shy, Dylan. Let’s put on a show,” Flora said, pulling his hands around her body. Right on her ass. Pulling herself closer to him. The blush on his face was as immediate as the nerves filling his chest.
“Flora —”
“I’m okay, are you?” she rushed out, searching his face looking for what he guessed was a sign she stepped too far. Smirking, he pulled her tight against him.
“You started it.” He pressed a brief kiss to the top of her head. She smelled like warm coffee. Feeling encompassed by her smell and being was a state he wanted to live in forever. A beat later, he saw the teenage girls leave the store and glanced at Flora to see if she’d noticed. She didn’t thankfully, meaning he’d get to hold her just that much longer.
Slipping from his hold at last, Flora stepped back, looking back at him once more.
“Ready?”
“Ready for what?” Dylan asked, confused.
“The next store, silly.” He’d walk into every store, especially if they could reenact that moment in every one.
* * *
He didn’t wantto sleep. He didn’t even want to blink, let alone move. The day was over, and Flora had fallen asleep hours ago. Sleeping Beauty Flora put the princess to shame. All Dylan could do was stare. He knew; he knew like the back of his hand at that point. If killing the kingdom and the villain was all he had to do to keep Flora, he’d get it all done before kissing her awake. Flora’s restful state was enchanting, and he wanted this peace to follow her forever. The wall of pillows remained for a few hours during the night, no thanks to her. She played a game of hot and cold, cuddling with her blankets one minute and getting too hot the next. Throwing her blanket down while also grabbing a pillow from their wall and throwing it on the floor.
A groan slipped from Flora’s lips. “What are you doing up?”
“Nothing, go back to sleep.” Listening without another word, her eyes closed as she flipped over and fell back asleep. Turning his back to her, he tried to sleep. Warm coffee perfume wafted to him from her side of the bed. Relaxing with each intake of the comforting scent, he drifted into dreamland, where the woman behind the scent followed him.
It wasn’t long before a leg swung over him. The contact was abrupt, but the skin was smooth. His body jumped, and through his fuzzy mind, his sole focus was reaching for his dagger on the floor beside the bed. While drowsy, his defense was still on high and quick as ever. He straddled the threat’s body, switching their positions. Aiming the dagger toward the side of the neck, he prepared for a swift slice. Flora jerked awake to the sudden movements, finding the shiny object resting against her throat.
“I’m not into knife kinks, Dylan,” she joked. Her sleepy eyes met his. Opposite to his tense posture, her body was completely relaxed, her legs trapped between his. Still processing the realization of his dagger held to Flora’s throat, he quickly sat up, still straddling her. He quickly put the knife back into its cover.
“I’m sorry,” Dylan rushed out, trying to slow down his breathing. Proceeding to lie flat on his back next to her, he reached for the rumpled blanket by his feet. “I’m so sorry, Flora. I wasn’t expecting the physical contact and I panicked —”
“No, I’m sorry. I mean I wassleeping, but —" She shrugged as she moved to her ‘side’ of the bed, lying on her side with her head propped on her arm.
After a few moments of shuffling from both of them, Dylan decided it was okay to risk the peace. He removed the completely useless wall of pillows and scooted closer to Flora. Her body heat mixed with his own. He wrapped an arm tight around her stomach. Tucking his head into her neck, he finally felt comfortable. Dylan placed his hand under her head.
“It’s fine, I wasn’t prepared,” he murmured, closing his eyes once more, hoping she’d keep her body close to his. She did, snuggling even closer than before. Dylan could feel hereverywhere. Pleased with the result of the missing pillow wall, he fell back asleep, much easier than before.
Waking up again was a similar story, with Flora’s body still wrapped around him. He couldn’t move and he didn’t want to. Her light brown arms wrapped around his waist as her naked leg was thrown over his own. He was convinced he was the luckiest man in the world. He hadn’t ever had the chance to be cuddled in someone else’s arms. Honestly, after this, it would be hard to go back to his old life without it. The comfort wasn’t something he’d wanted to ever let go of.
Her arms slipped away too soon, followed by her legs, taking her warmth with them. Instead of turning over and wrapping his body around hers, he got out of bed. Disappointed, he headed for the shower, hoping to get that warmth back from the steam of the water. Running a comb through his hair, he dragged his still tired body to the bag he’d been living out of for the last month and pulled out his sketchbook. With his mini pencil set beside him, he began to draw one line after another. Shadows and curves developed into a drawing of his wolf playing, tussling with a midnight-colored panther.Flora’spanther. He wanted this drawing of their animals playing together to become real. Shifting with others was extremely personal, something only family, Pack, and mates did. Of course, he’d want to do something as intimate as that with her.
He knew he loved her. She was someone who he wanted to spend the rest of his wolf Shifter life with. The only person he could stomach cuddling with. Or being intimate with in a public setting. Yeah, she was his mate. His soulmate.
Flora turned over in bed, her breathing becoming shorter. He let the pencil fall from his hands, focusing on the soft clank of the pencil meeting the desk. He tried to focus on anything but the movements of the woman behind him. Anything but her tiny pajamas, the mauve-colored silk of her bonnet, the freshly awakened face he found incredibly sexy. His focus was on the realistic drawing he’d just finished. And immediately aware of what he’d drawn, he wanted to hide it. Knowing Flora, it wouldn’t stay hidden long. Maybe if he pretended not to care, she wouldn’t come prowling over.
He should be proud, it was a great drawing, technically speaking. But the personal aspect of it, the hopes and dreams practically written all over it in big fat letters was too much to share. Even if she was the biggest hope and dream he had, he couldn’t be sure she felt the same. He could break out in a sweat; the nerves of her finding this drawing and the heat of his hoodie combining to create a red-faced Dylan. He wasn’t a nervous person, couldn’t be with the job he had. But this panther had changed him in more ways than he could count.
He could feel her movement coming closer and closer with each breath he took. Here it was. The slight embarrassment trickled down his spine. Placing her soft hands on each of his shoulders, Flora looked over the drawing.
“Do you ever draw your Pack?”
A simple question, with a simple answer. An answer he didn’t want to come face to face with. One glaring detail that set Flora so far away from his Pack. Something he’d never thought would come to light. Something that would never happen.
The answer was no.
He never drew his Pack members. Never felt the urge to. Never thought about why he’d had no problem drawing her but couldn’t draw his Pack, his family, his brothers.
