Chapter 12

Sam

There’s no room for argument. Going to stand again, Sean lets me up this time and falls into step beside me as I walk down the hall, needing to escape his scrutiny. The mouth-watering smells tell me exactly where the dining room is. Right before I reach the safety of being back with everyone else, Sean snags my elbow and turns me into him, pressing me back against the wall with his gigantic frame. My eyes drop to his bulging biceps, and I swallow, conscious of the damp spreading in my panties.

“Fuck me, you’re killing me here,” Sean moans, thumping the wall beside my head with his forearm and clenched fist. There’s no anger. He looks pained and turned on. I know the feeling. “Tell me what you were thinking about.”

I shake my head but swallow hard, squeezing my thighs together to get some pressure where I need it.

“Sam,” he warns, easing closer and cupping the back of my neck with a hand again, his gaze fixed on the side of my throat.

“That night. You fucking me, hard. Making me come. Your cum painted all over my body,” I blurt out, being completely honest, and I swear Sean’s eyes darken. He looks like he’s going to explode as his jaw clenches and he drops his head, his chin resting against his chest.

“You want me to do it again?” he asks, not meeting my eye, his big shoulders tense and hunched as he leans into me. I moan as I feel his hardness against my belly, my body singing at the idea that he’s as attracted to me as I am to him.

“Yes, god yes,” I whisper, and he growls, the rumble passing through his chest into mine. He nods and I cheer inside my head. My entire body is desperate for him.

“I am going to make you feel so good, sweetheart. So good.” Licking my lips, I watch him stand back and adjust himself, cursing at his obviously uncomfortable bulge straining at the front of his trousers. “But only when you promise me you’ll never run from me again.”

What the fuck? He steps back and I frown, my brain screaming at the loss of his warmth and touch.

“Sean,” I whisper, reaching for him, but he moves further away, and I ache for him. Damn him.

“I mean it, Sam. I want you, but I can’t go through that again. If we do this, you’re not leaving me, ever. I’ll drag you back every time if I have to. I’ll tie you to the fucking bed. But you need to tell me what you want. And be certain.”

The idea of being tied to the bed sounds pretty amazing and distracts me for a second. Before I get to answer, he leaves me leaning there against the wall and disappears inside. Taking a minute to gather myself, I follow, wondering how I’m going to get through this meal. And how I’m going to convince him I know how stupid I was. How special this is. And that I’m all in.

Sean

I want to believe her. More than anything. I feel like if I just reach out and grab it, everything I’ve ever wanted could be mine. But I thought that last time too. This time, it needs to be Sam who reaches out and grabs me.

Sitting down at the long dining table in the Jones pack, I catch Marie’s eye and the former Luna smiles kindly at me. Something about her expression piques my interest. I suppose it’s possible she knows about Sam running out on me before. She definitely picked up on the tension between us earlier. Maybe she thinks it was awkward instead of heated.

Sam follows behind and slips into the seat beside me, touching my shoulder lightly as she lowers herself into her seat. Hayley catches the contact from the corner of her eye and turns to observe us with a big grin. Sam studiously ignores Hayley’s glances and turns to me, eyes big and bright, and stretches up to place a soft kiss on my cheek right there in front of everyone. It’s a bold declaration and I love it.

Her hand lingers on my forearm as she faces the table again and launches into a conversation with Kim, Cooper’s assistant. She’s asking about the guest house where she was staying the night of the fire, whether it’s being rebuilt, how the owner is doing. I would have thought it was that last thing she’d want to discuss, but she seems relaxed and at ease. Without even thinking, I tangle my fingers in hers on the table while I speak with Cooper. A little squeeze back from Sam tells me she appreciates the suggestion.

And so we sit and chat, eat and drink, the evening passing quickly in the company of good friends. All the while, there are brief touches and intimate glances. While Sam stayed with me immediately after the fire, she wasn’t keen to go out anywhere further than the bar, so this is all new and wonderful. It feels like we’re a proper couple, not just hanging out playing house.

Sam laughs and smiles, and it’s so good to see. It’s only when we get to the end of the evening and are saying our goodbyes to the Jones at the front door that I realize she was absolutely fine tonight. Despite being in the presence of multiple shifters and people she didn’t know, Sam coped amazingly well and I’m so proud of my girl. We still holding hands when we get to my truck. There was no conversation about where she would stay tonight. It seems as if we’re both on the same page about going back to mine.

Opening her car door, she skirts in past me and I lean over her to put her seat belt on. She giggles, pushing my hands away, but it’s no use. When it clicks, she smiles at me, and it melts my heart. Our faces are just inches apart and her breathing deepens, excitement flashing in her eyes. I cup her cheek and press my lips to hers tenderly. She hums in pleasure and leans into me, enjoying the brief kiss.

“Let’s get home, sweetheart.” I straighten and slam the door, hurrying to the driver's side.

“I like the sound of that,” she murmurs as I slide in behind the wheel. Her hand rests on my knee, giving it a quick squeeze, and I stifle a groan as her fingers drift higher. She strokes my thigh absentmindedly, getting dangerously closer to my aching cock with each pass.

“Sam, if you don’t want to end up bent over the hood, you need to move your hand.”

She pokes out her tongue at me cheekily before trailing her fingers across my crotch and along my fly shamelessly, licking her bottom lip. It’s a struggle to keep the car on the road.

“Fuck Sam.” Her laugh is carefree as she takes her hand back, and I dare to hope that I’ll get to hear that sound for the rest of my life. Once I get her to the house, however much I want to take her and drag her to bed, I have to tell her about what I am. If she’s going to leave me, it’s better that it happens sooner rather than later. My head spins with thoughts of how Cooper and Rex both kept their human mates after they found out what they were.

I reach out and grab her hand, lifting it to my lips to kiss her knuckles. There’s hope. I have to believe it.