8
Savannah
Iwake up to bright daylight. The space beside me is empty, but when I lay my hand on the sheet, it still carries a hint of Beau’s warmth. His smell. Every time I woke up during the night, he was there. His muscular bulk curved around me. Protecting me.
Last night floods back, and my body wakes up, desire licking at my skin, wrapping itself around my limbs.
It wasn’t supposed to happen. He kept pushing me away.
But then it did.
I pleasured him, took his big, beautiful cock in my mouth. And I made him come. This big, powerful alpha climaxed in my mouth, legs trembling, groaning out my name like it was a precious jewel.
I felt strong, wild, sexy. I felt like his.
I’m still terrified of mating. Those awful sounds I heard on the territory still echo in my head. But my desire for Beau is stronger. I need him inside me like I need to breathe.
Still, he won’t take me.
Keeps saying his wolf is a difficult one.
Whatever that means.
I reach for my phone, check the time.
Then I leap out of bed like I’ve been electrocuted. Somehow the alarm didn’t go off, and I was supposed to be at work a half hour ago. Crap, crap, crap.
I cast around for my clothes. Find a few scraps in the corners of the room. They got shredded when I had my first shift last night. Double crap. I yank the sheet off the bed, wrap it around me and burst outside.
And I stop dead. Because there’s Beau, sitting at the table, in nothing but a pair of shorts. His dark hair hangs wet around his face and his beautiful golden torso glistens with water droplets.
My golden river god.
My breath shudders in my throat as I take him in.
He’s busy, working at a laptop and he doesn’t look up right away.
My heart hammers because I have no idea what he’s thinking now. If he’s regretting last night. If he’s about to say something that’ll bring my whole world crashing down.
“I’m late for work,” I announce.
Now he raises his head and breaks into a grin. “So happens I changed your shift for you.”
I stumble down the steps. “You did?”
“Yup. I figured we’d go shopping this morning. You’re on at five p.m. instead.”
“S-shopping?” I stutter.
He eyes the sheet that’s wrapping my body. “By my reckoning you’re down to one set of clothes, and to be honest with you, they’re not exactly in the best shape.”
Okay.He’s got a point. If I go to a discount store, I should be able to buy a whole new outfit with yesterday’s earnings, I calculate. Maybe a couple of sets of underwear, too.
“Don’t you worry about money, darlin’,” he says. “I’ve got plenty.”
I plant my hands on my hips. “I can’t take your money, Beau. You’ve done more than enough for me already.”
His grin gets wider. “To tell you the truth, I’ve got more money than I know what to do with. My needs are small.” He throws a glance at Bertha. “I donate a bunch of it to various charities that take care of disadvantaged kids. The rest of it is just sitting in my bank account doing nothing. Can’t think of anything I’d rather do with it, than get your sweet body dressed up in the way you deserve. Now go get yourself ready, and I’ll fix you something to eat. Then we’re going shopping.”