“She didn’t have a choice.” Avelyn traced small circles on his strong chest. “I told her I’d make your coffee this time, and I made sure it didn’t sound like a question.”
Max took a longer gulp and sighed in pleasure. It was the first time in many years when someone other than Christine or Harold made him coffee. He looked down at his bride, and smiled. She wasn’t only beautiful and intelligent, but also kind and attentive. Avelyn really deserved the best. He set his mug down and took her in his arms. She hugged him back, and he buried his nose in her red curls, greedily inhaling her feminine scent.
“Thank you,” he whispered into her ear.
“No problem. It’s only coffee.”
“No. Thank you for everything. For the coffee, for being here with me. Thank you for giving us a chance.”
Avelyn responded by tightening the hug. Her arms were around his neck and she started threading her fingers through his longish black hair. She loved the way his short beard tickled her neck.
Max’s hands roamed down her sides, and he smiled when she moaned. She was so sensitive and responsive. The slightest touch aroused her, and the sweet scent of her wetness assaulted his werewolf senses. He squeezed her bottom, and she rubbed herself against his already hard cock. His palms went back up to cup her breasts only to discover his naughty bride had chosen not to wear a bra today.
Avelyn was melting under his touches, but she tried to keep her mind clear. There was a reason for which she had decided to bring his coffee.
“Max, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Sure, baby. What is it?” His lips were now leaving small pecks on her neck and inching closer to the roundness of her breasts. His fingers pinched her nipples, turning them into painfully hard nubs. She moaned and her hands went to grip his hair and urge him to go down faster.
“This might sound weird, but it’s been nagging me since last night. I had meant to ask you at breakfast, but, I don’t know… I think I was afraid it’d be inappropriate.”
“You can ask me anything, you know that.” Was she finally going to tell him why she had behaved so strangely last night? Why she had refused him and driven him away for the first time? Max could only hope. He continued his slow, torturous teasing, letting her know that whatever she was about to ask was perfectly okay and wouldn’t change anything. He wanted her to feel confident and relaxed.
“Rosanna mentioned something a couple of days ago.” Avelyn tried to think and speak coherently, which had become a rather challenging endeavor since Max’s mouth had just reached her nipples and was biting them gently through the fabric of her dress. “I don’t know how to put it, so I’m just going to spit it out: she mentioned an ex-bride.”
Max’s lips and hands froze on her breasts, and his eyes went wide with shock. “Shit, Rosanna! You and your big mouth.” He pulled away, but didn’t stand up from his position. He was kneeling in front of her, his hands still on her breasts, his dark green eyes staring up at her face, trying to read her emotions.
“An ex-bride,” he repeated her words. “She said exactly that…”
His reaction was all Avelyn needed. He was going to lie to her again, she knew it. Her heart sank, and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach.
“Not exactly those words. She said something about… Shelly?” Avelyn couldn’t care less if she was getting Rosanna into trouble. But, if Max went to question the blond she-wolf and found out she hadn’t told her about another bride specifically, this could have turned bad. She had to tread carefully.
“Oh, Shelly!” Max felt like he could breathe properly again. “Shelly was never my bride. Why would Rosanna let you think that?”
“Maybe I got it wrong, I don’t know. I feel stupid now. But she said this thing about you going to London to see her, and I just can’t get it out of my head.”
“Are you saying you’re jealous?” Max gave her a wicked smile and studied her face curiously.
“No! Maybe. A bit.” She smiled back. Her mind was trying to come up with a strategy to make him talk. “It got me thinking… Was there… anyone before me? I mean, it won’t change anything. I’m just curious, I guess. It’s that kind of silly curiosity that I should never indulge in, but…” Okay, she should stop talking now. She could see Max growing more and more amused, and she had the feeling that her rambling had the exact opposite effect of what she had been hoping for. “God, I suck,” she thought. “Should have rehearsed this part.”
Max caressed her calves underneath her long skirt, never taking his eyes off hers. “Avelyn, there was no one before you. No other bride.”
“Liar,” she thought.
“I’m an idiot for lying to her like this,” he thought. “This could be the perfect moment to tell her.” The words had taken form in his mind. “Avelyn, there’s something you need to know.” But when he opened his mouth, a whole different set of words came out. She was concerned, he could tell. If she had lost sleep over this Shelly matter Rosanna had been so generous to tell her about, then what would happen if she learned about Sabine? She was obviously jealous, and that meant she loved him. He couldn’t ruin what they had by telling her the truth. He wasn’t ready to risk losing her after she had just started to trust him.
“Shelly was just a fling. She’s a Dark Wolf, so there was no way she could have ever become my bride. I’m sorry Rosanna couldn’t keep her mouth shut. It was a long time ago, believe me, and I’ve never felt anything for her. But, an ex-bride? No, Avelyn. You’ve always been the only one.”
“Liar! Liar! Liar!” she thought.
“Maybe, just maybe,” he thought while trying to determine the effect his words had on her, “I’m not even entirely lying to her. Yes, Sabine and I have gone through the ritual, but she’s never been a proper bride to me.”
“All right.” Avelyn had finally found her voice. “I’m sorry I asked. I feel so stupid. You should never explain yourself to me. I don’t know why I took Rosanna so seriously.”
“Don’t apologize, baby. I’ll answer all your questions. Ask anything you want to know about me and my past, and I will be happy to answer.”
“No, it’s fine. It was never my intention to pry… I…” She didn’t know how to finish that sentence. “I think I got enough lies for today,” she thought.