hird Person POV
"Come on, Sunshine, let's get you home. Decker helped her to her feet."
She pouted at him and looked absolutely adorable. "Fine, but don't forget the dessert."
Decker held her close to his side. She put her head on his arm. Dawson was purring. Decker could tell how much Dawson craved her wolf.
Dawson, why doesn't she want us as much as we want her? Part of her does.
"But I don't want to go home! I thought you would be a lot more fun Decker... Dawson... what should I call you?"
He smiled at her. "You can call me whatever your pretty little hearts desires, I have a feeling you know what to call me when I make..."
DON'T FINISH THAT SENTENCE, DECKER! What? She's so drunk she won't remember the conversation anyway. YOU CAN NOT SLEEP WITH HER! NOT TONIGHT! And why is that? You know why. She has yet to figure out who and what she is. Her wolf has been talking to her. She thinks that she is going insane. How do you know that? I've been talking to her. Her name is Wrigley, by the way. What! I called her at the bar. How did I know? I told you. I could sense her. I want to play with her, but--- If you can talk to her, then maybe I can try to mind link Wrenly. There is a connection between us. If you can talk to Wrigley, then maybe I can talk to Wrenly. Okay, calm down. I can feel it, Dawson. We have a connection deeper than the normal bond of a mate. I know it. It's because she is half-human. Humans feel emotions differently than we do. I need her. I can't be with her every day, inhaling her scent. It will get to the point where I am not going to be able to control myself, and I know you believe the same. You can't mark her without her permission. How can I get her permission if she doesn't know what it is? If you just come out and tell her that she's a hybrid and you are her fated mate so she needs to let you sink your fangs into her, and then all will be right with the world, and you can run off and mate, and have lots of pups. She will think that you are insane! It does sound pretty insane. But—NO BUTS DECKER! You are a killjoy, Dawson.
She snapped her fingers in front of his face for the third time. "Hey, Sport! Earth to Decker. Come in, Decker!"
"What? Huh? Who's Sport?"
"You seemed to have checked out there for a while."
"Yeah, but Sport?"
"You call me Sunshine. You need a nickname, right Boo Bear?"
"No."
"Snuggle Bunny?"
"What?" he said with a laugh. "No."
"Then what? I know you don't like Deck. You cringe every time someone calls you it."
"Say it again."
Dawson growled. Yeah, say it again. I like the way that sounds.
"Snuggle Bunny?"
"No. Deck. Say it again."
She cocked her head to the side. "Deck. Do you want me to say it again?" She ran her fingers down his chest. "Deck." This time, there was a flirtatious, almost sultry sound in her voice.
Holy shit, that went straight to my cock. I bet you like the sound of it now. Fuck yeah, I do.
She batted her long lashes. "How about I say it while your head is snuggled between my thighs?"
Did you really just say that? What has gotten into you? I don't know. A weird voice is running through my head.
Decker groaned; Dawson howled. "Sunshine, you're killing me."
"How about you bury your--" Her sentence cut off when her father's car pulled up to the curb.
NOOO! Make her finish her sentence. Not now. Just thank the goddess that the car showed up. I'm not sure how much longer I can take this, how much longer I can control myself and you at the same time.
"Well, are you coming or not?" She tried to sound sexy, but she's not sure it came out that way. The whiskey was making her slur just a little.
She reached out for his hand, yanked it, and pulled him into the back seat of the car. He fell forward onto her. Their faces were inches apart. The draw to kiss was excruciating for both of them.
"Well, hello there, Deck."
Kiss her already.
For the love of God! Kiss him. Do something exciting for once in your life! Chanel, your inner Trevor!
Much to her dismay, he straightened himself out.
See, he didn't want to kiss me anyway. How can you be so sure? You need to zip it, whoever you are. An angel, a devil, my subconscious, whoever you are, can you please just but the fuck out.Rude. He's not him. The sooner you realize that the sooner you can start actually living again. Wrigley retreated to the back of her mind.
Now sitting side by side, she took a deep breath and channeled her inner Trevor. She leaned into him. It had been a long time since she intentionally got this close to a man. She wanted to be close to him, she yearned for him, she craved him, she needed him.
She inhaled his scent. I don't know how he had this scent. It's not like they sold fresh bread and wine cologne at the corner Walgreens.
She picked up his arm and slung it over her shoulder. He didn't pull it away.
All right, that's step one. He's not moving it. He must be drunker than I thought.
She put her head in the crook of his shoulder. She started to play with his fingers. "So why don't you like me, Deck?"
"Who said I don't like you?"
"I don't know. I just assumed with our past and the night at the bar... Trevor told me what you told him and Teddy. You made it seem like you were mean to me in the parking lot, but you weren't. You were so nice to me. And then you told them I was... what was it you said?"
You are a fucking dickhead. I am well aware of that.
"Sunshine. I'm so sorry, it's just that I'm not normally like this."
"Like what? A decent person? A nice guy?"
His eyes opened wide, he looked up and to the left, and nodded his head once, looking like he was thinking. "Well, yes. I don't say I'm sorry. I never beg for forgiveness. I never admit I was wrong, and I have very little desire to set straight things right."
"Ohh."
"You know, I could ask you the same thing, but I am sure I know the answer." And if you were sober, I'm sure the last place you would be is snuggled up against me. Not until you realize you are my mate.
"Maybe not. Maybe it's not what you think." I looked up at him. "Do you really want to know? My mother always says never ask a question you might not like the answer to."
He kissed me on the forehead. It felt like I had been hit with a bolt of lightning. I felt like I couldn't get close enough to him. Fuck he is as drunk as I thought! I shivered.
"Are you cold?"
No, I'm fucking horny, and we want this man now. Didn't I tell you to go away?
He shook her gently. "Hey, are you going to tell me?"
"I don't hate you. The problem is, I really am attracted to you. I'm drawn to you. The second you touched me, I needed you, and that really freaked me out. I don't let people, well, men, into my life. Not anymore."
He interlaced his fingers with mine. "Did someone hurt you?"
What, someone hurt our mate? We need to kill them. Down boy.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
I looked down at my shoes. "I didn't, but I do, but I'm not."
"Why not?"
"Can we talk about something else?" She slid his arm off.
Please tell me. I want to help you.
"You can't help me. Plus, it's in the past."
Holy shit! did you just mind Link with her? I think I did. I just thought I would give it a try. I felt her feelings when I kissed her. Try it again. Try it again. I want you. I need you, too.
What the actual fuck! Did I hear him correctly? Maybe he wasn't talking to me. Who the hell else would he be talking to? Who the hell am I talking to?
"Sorry. I won't pry. So, what have you been up to besides being amazing at your job and being the cutest fucking Tinkerbell on the planet?"
Her face turned even more red. It was already rosy from the liquor. "You knew that was a Tinkerbell costume?"
"Well, the bun and the tendrils and how hella cute you looked and your makeup--"
"Wait, did you say I was cute?"
"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't."
She sat straight up. "No, you said I was cute. There are no takebacks." Please don't take it back.
He cupped her face. "I think what I really meant to say was that you looked beautiful."
Her breath hitched in my throat. She felt her stomach doing more tumbles than Simone Biles. "You-- you think I'm beautiful?" Her body felt like it was on fire. She removed his hands. She couldn't take the feeling of his touch. It was making her pussy walls clench and twitch. "Is it getting hot in here?" She peeled off her jacket, her cleavage was on full display.
His cock had begun to throb. Between the suggestive remarks she had made and her snuggling up to him. Ohh, Moon Goddess, it's getting beyond hot in here."You know, I'm a little warm."
He took off his suit coat and undid three of the buttons on his shirt. That necklace rested on his beautiful olive-colored skin. I want to run my tongue along his collarbone, then up the column of his neck, maybe nibbling on his ear.
Did you hear that? Hear that? Can you smell that? Can you smell how aroused she is? She mind-linked me and didn't even know it. Goddess, it is so fucking hot in here and yes Dawson I can. It's one of the sweetest smells I have ever smelled in my life. I feel like I am going to literally burst into flames. It's the fact she's your mate, and you have never been this close to her this long.
"Decker, Where do you keep going? Am I that boring?"
"No, no, no, not at all. I'm sorry, what did you ask me?"
She looked hurt. "Never mind, it's not that important."
"No, what? Tell me. Pretty please? With whipped cream on top?" Great, now I'm thinking about where I want to put whipped cream on her sexy body. I have never come in my pants before. There is a first time for everything.
"I was wondering if somebody like you could ever be with somebody like me."
He hated how unsure of herself she sounded. Here's my in."I think someone like me--" His phone's notification chime went off, cutting off his sentence. He pulled it out. He had a text notification.
She peeked over. "Oh, you have a text."
"It can wait." He went to put it in his pocket, and it went off again and again.
"No, go ahead. It sounds important." She peered at the phone. Someone named Nadia. Oh, that must be Bim-bo Barbie.
He opened the texts. She made the mistake of invading his privacy and reading them over his shoulders.
Nadia: Hey you sexy thing. I was hoping we could hook back up.
Nadia: Saturday was fucking mind-blowing night.
Nadia: All I can think about is how your cock filled me up.
Saturday? He took her home that night. He was begging me to come back in with him, and he took Bimbo Barbie home. Guess I know the answer to my question. I was such a fucking idiot. I guess I am just a distraction till something better comes along. Her eyes started to burn. Don't cry. Maybe it's not what you think. Boys will be—Assholes?
He quickly texted back.
Decker: Little busy can't talk now.
Nadia: What could you possibly be doing better than me?
A naked picture of her popped up. He looked at Wrenly, and she quickly looked out the window.
His phone rang. "Look, I'm kind of busy right now."
"Did you get my picture?" Nadia's voice was annoying and nasal.
"Yes, I got it." He was trying to talk low, but it was useless; they were 18 inches apart, and her sense of hearing seemed to be heightened.
"Then how can you still be busy with something besides me?"
I'm going to vomit on my thousand-dollar heels.
Decker, she's getting really hurt and incredibly angry with you. Wrigley is snarling. Get off the phone. Fuck. I'm trying to she just won't let it go. Maybe if you didn't just have to get your dick wet, this would have never happened! Man-ho.
"I'm just busy."
"Who is it?" Natalia asked with a snark.
"Nobody. Look, I got to go."
"Who is it!"
"I said nobody, just some co-worker. We are in a business meeting," he whispered aggressively into the phone.
"Fine. Text me later. Maybe we can set up another play date. Maybe this next time, you can give me that Alpha knot you denied me of last time."
Not even in your wildest dreams. That is for our mate.
"Later if I have time."
You are not texting her later. I didn't want to play with her raggedy-ass wolf in the first place. I know. I just want to get rid of her!
Nobody? I'm nobody. She brought her hand to her chest. Is this what a broken heart feels like? I feel like I'm dying. I need to get out of this fucking car, but I didn't want to for some unknown reason. What reason? I didn't have a goddamn clue. He can fuck whoever he wants. I have known about him for what? Four days! He's nothing to me. Even thinking that made her only hurt worse.
Like a gift from above, they pulled up to her house. As soon as the car came to a stop her door was open, and she was doing her best to get out quickly without face planning onto the sidewalk. She couldn't breathe, and she was starting to feel sick.
"Nadia, take a hint! It was a mistake! No, he doesn't want to fuck you again. This conversation is over!" She heard him yell into the phone. "Sunshine, wait!" He clambered out after her. She walked as fast as her red bottoms would let her. Her aching feet, yelling with each step, slowing her down. While searching in her far too large to be a purse, purse for her keys he caught up with her.
That only made her more flustered. "Fuck why do I have so much shit in my purse?"
"Sunshine, please let me explain."
She spun around. "You have nothing to explain to me. I'm nobody. Our business meeting is over and this nobody wants to go to bed."
She was so shaken she couldn't get her key into the lock. When she dropped them for a third time, Decker picked them up and unlocked the door. She snatched her keys from him.
"Thanks. Good night. It's been real." She didn't wait for him to answer, she just walked away from him into the house. She couldn't get away fast enough.
"Sunshine! Please, for Goddess's sake! Just listen to me."
Just listen to him. Please."I said good night. That usually means you leave and have a good night. So, call Nadia back and have another fucking mind-blowing night like you did on Saturday." She was trying to hold her tears back. Why does my heart feel like it's dying?
"Look, about Nadia--"
She went into the house, and he followed her in.