But I swore I’d only do so once so that she allowed Fern to accept the gifts.
Meeting the woman’s gaze, I used my preternatural stare. “It’s fine, honestly. I’m a good friend of Cherry’s. Let Fern take the gifts, and I’ll leave and call Cherry to arrange a better time to visit.”
Lara released Fern’s shoulder, and as she met Fern’s upturned hopeful eyes, the nanny sighed. “Okay, go on, Fern, open one.”
I gave the young woman my warmest smile, and she blushed.
I crouched down and handed Fern one of the packages. Soon she had ripped it open. She turned to Lara, “Look! It’s an Elsa and Anna set!” She beamed at me and threw her little arms around my shoulders since I was still crouched down at her level.
My chest felt tight as I heard Lara opening the door and calling Fern in. I was about to be shut out, away from my daughter. Nuu-Chah’s insight stirred again
I forced my gaping mouth closed, then pulled the door almost shut behind me, anxious not to wake Fern. If she woke, this situation was going to get even more complicated. I tugged Dylan away from the door. In the middle of the hallway, I crossed my arms and fixed him with a hard look. “I can’t accept these gifts, Dylan. And I don’t want you giving any more gifts to Fern either. I told you, I’m with someone else.”“You’re still not a morning person, are you?” He said with a crooked smile. “But then, you’ve probably not had your first coffee yet. Here’s a hazelnut latte.” He eyeballed the takeaway cup on the tray. I realized he’d stopped by the café opposite and remembered what I’d ordered yesterday.I planted my hands on my hips. “I’m serious, Dylan.” I resisted the divine smell of coffee and syrup, as well as the hot buttery croissants and jams that taunted my shifter senses.He shrugged as if unfazed by my expression and remonstrance. “So am I. After all, I’ve lost count of the number
As Fern and I stepped onto the sidewalk, I felt as if I had conjured Carl from my thoughts, spying him at the table in the window of the very restaurant we were going to. But… a dark-haired woman leaned over the small, circular table between them planting a kiss on his lips.I grabbed Fern’s hand, marching her off in the other direction. Getting out my phone, I called Carl. I didn’t expect him to pick up, but he did.“Hey Hun, is everything all right?”I almost choked but mastered myself. “Sure, I just wanted to hear your voice. How are you doing?”“Good, thanks. Just working. No rest for the wicked, right?”Sickness roiled through me. Wicked indeed. Fury and hurt twisted through me, but once again, I managed to contain it and said, “I’ll leave you to it, and see you soon, night.”“Night, Hun,” he said, hanging up.I dialed Lara next and managed to placate Fern with the change of plan, and I pretended to her that I’d just remembered a client’s dress that was being picked up from the st
Accepting the elegant, tall-stemmed glass, I took a sip and sighed with pleasure at the taste of the crisp liquid. “You’re right,” I said, looking at Dylan, who watched me, “it has been a long week.”Dylan eased off his shoes, too, his long legs crossed at the ankle as he settled back on the sofa.After another sip of wine, the soothing atmosphere and Dylan’s company made me open up. “When I came back to Berlin after your Alpha Ceremony…” I trailed off, needing another mouthful of wine before I could meet Dylan’s eyes, but he watched me, patiently waiting for whatever I had to share. “I decided I should take things to the next level with the guy I’d been seeing.”I took another gulp of wine, needing it to loosen up about talking to Dylan, of all people, about this subject.“I told him I was ready to, well, you know…” As my eyes met Dylan’s, my heart tig
Then Dylan rolled his hips, filling me with more of his delicious girth. I gasped, opening and arching against him to receive all of him until he was completely sheathed inside me. He plunged into me, and a tremor of pleasure shook through me. I bucked and cried out, already seeing stars. Dylan growled in appreciation, the sound sending me spiraling into another orgasm.“Dylan,” I cried out as the wave of pleasure took me. I felt as if all I was this fluttering and contracting around him. I clung to my mate, my nails clawing into his back and my legs hooking around his ass. My ragged breaths merged with his as he rode me hard until his shoulders stiffened. The strong lines on Dylan’s face were so taut as he roared his release, and I gloried in the primal sight. As he collapsed against me, spent, I melted against him, feeling as if I never wanted to let him go.The next day when my eyelids fluttered open to a dim room, it took me a moment to remember w
My lips twitched as my gaze raked across Cherry with humor. Was that what we’d just done, made up? Twice.As Cherry flushed, I remembered we had an audience and said, “We are a hundred percent made up. In fact, we’re best friends forever, Fern.”Fern squealed happily, which in turn, brought Lara to the door. Cherry reintroduced me to Fern’s nanny. Then, Cherry invited me in, and Fern entertained me in the living room by showing me each of the toys I’d bought for her and telling me about them. Meanwhile, Cherry chatted to Lara and thanked her for spending the night, reassuring her that her “work” emergency had been resolved. So that’s what she’d told Lara and Fern. I was pleased that no one else knew how distressed Cherry had been. I knew how much she prided herself on being able to handle everything herself. And I knew how capable she was of doing so. After all, she’d done everything by herself for seven
“You lucky bastard,” my Beta said, and I knew from his tone he was grinning happily for me. “And Fern? Did Cherry tell you whether–” “She’s mine,” I said. “I knew it,” Bert said. “Now, you really are the luckiest bastard under the moon.” “I know,” I said, a smile spreading over my face. I was blessed by Nuu- Chah. And I wasn’t about to take these gifts given to me for granted. Never again. “Listen,” I said, “I’m going to stay in Berlin for a while.” “Stay as long as you need, Dylan,” my Beta said. “You’ve got this, my Alpha. I’ll hold things down at the fort.” “Thank you, my Beta,” I said, honoring him with his title too. “We’ll talk soon.” I hung up, letting my decision solidify. I felt the certainty of Nuu-Chah’s will in me strongly. I was Alpha of Starsmoon and submitted to nothing and no one, except my love. Pleasure rippled through me as I remembered how exquisite it had been to give my mate exactly what she wanted. Cherry’s comma
CherryI’d taken Dylan to a local bistro for lunch after I’d heard that he particularly liked the schnitzel he’d tried in Berlin. I contentedly watched him devour his lunch, and then we returned to the store and studio for the afternoon. Despite all of my assistant designer Maisy’s teasing, I wasn’t able to restrain myself from “checking in” on Dylan again downstairs in the store.My sales assistants had already told me at lunchtime what a stellar job he’d done all morning. Apparently, the sales were noticeably up with Dylan working the floor too. As I lingered at the bottom of the stairs, watching his tall, muscular form strut across the room, I could well believe it. I was sure that all the female customers would only too gladly receive any attention my handsome mate gave them.I studied the strong profile of his face, the edge of his jaw, cheekbones, and the slope of his nose. Already, I felt greedy for his atte
He laughed. “Of course. The suit I ordered,” he said, an enigmatic smile on his face as he looked at me. He studied the designs. “It’s wonderful. You do have exquisite taste.” Amusement crept into his voice as he added, “I mean, that claret dress is a real stunner.” His comment had me picturing the customer in it again and the way she’d laid her hand on Dylan’s chest.Mine, something deep within me, growled, and my hand instinctively shot to his chest, stroking Dylan as his eyes danced with amusement and… desire. I knew what he was trying to do. He was teasing me to try to draw out that primal side of me that wanted to mark what belonged to me: him.Aware that my employee was still in the room and would be for another couple of hours, as well as those in the store downstairs, I suggested sweetly, “I could murder a coffee right now. Any chance you’d grab me one while I finish off some stuff here, D