Chapter 25: Lucas

 

I resisted the urge to kiss her, recognizing that she was determined to keep her focus on anything but me. I would respect that this time, but only because it was sexy that she was struggling to do so. So, I settled for taking her hand as I led her to the kitchen.

“Do you always eat so much?” she asked.

“You’re just not used to getting enough to eat,” I said. “How long have you been underweight?”

I saw her tug at her shirt self-consciously from the corner of my eye. “Who says I’m underweight?”

I stopped and turned back to look at her. “I cleaned your wounds, Sutton,” I told her. “I changed your bandages. I carried you to safety. I know what someone looks like when they aren’t getting enough to eat.”

She looked away, chewing her lip again. “He said I was too picky,” she said quietly. “I’m not. Not usually. But the meds he’d give me after… to help hide the injuries upset my stomach.”

So, he kept her from an adequate amount of food indefinitely. Goddess, I hated that bastard.

“Fuck him,” I said. “I prefer my women well-fed. Besides, once you get your wolf, you’ll need to eat more than normal for a year or two.”

She tried to hide it, but I saw her roll her eyes. A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth and I again found myself resisting the urge to kiss her senseless. Among other things. Instead, I started to prepare lunch. Sutton soon stepped in to help. We worked well along side each other. It was as natural as our bond.

“So, what kind of hobbies do you have?” I asked. “That seems like the best place to start to keep you busy.”

“Oh, well, it’s been a while, but the standards, I guess — reading, music, movies,” she said. “I used to love to hike. I’d actually manage to sneak out a few times when Mason was out of town just to hike. But the one I miss the most would probably be gardening.”

“Gardening?” I grinned.

“Yeah, it was one of the few things Mason actually let me do,” she said. “At least the first few years.”

“Like vegetable or flower gardening?”

“Both, but mostly flower gardening,” she said. “Landscaping, too, really. I like being outside. I like making things look beautiful. I used to dream about opening a nursery one day when I was a teenager. I even considered going to school for business and horticulture.”

“Okay,” I said with a smile, taking her hand. “Come with me.”

I led her through the kitchen and out to the sunroom. Exiting the back door, we stopped in the middle of the yard. There wasn’t much to it. I large, ancient white oak tree took up much of the view of the back property line. There was a sparse forest behind it. Other than a few spindly shrubs and a privacy fence, there wasn’t much to look at.

“Here’s your project,” I said. “I bought this place about six years ago. When constant packhouse life became too much for me to handle. It’s a temporary escape for me. So, the yard hasn’t really been something I’ve put any thought into. So, I’ll leave that up to you. Do whatever you want with it.”

Sutton grinned, biting her lip as she shook her head.

“And before you say anything, it’s on my dime,” I said. “There’s a nursery and hardware store less than ten minutes from here. Anything you can’t get there, you can order or I’ll make sure you get it.”

“What about hard labor?” she asked playfully. “If I’m supposed to be in hiding, who’s going to handle the heavy lifting?”

I smiled, tugging her against me, my hands moving along her waist.

“I think I’m capable enough to handle that,” I said. “I’ve been known to pull my own weight a time or two.”

She avoided my gaze, but a smile spread across her face. The first real smile I’d seen since she came into my life. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. Rhonen was practically bouncing with joy and pride with how gorgeous our mate was. There was no resisting her.

My lips found Sutton’s without thought. My fingers laced in her hair at the nape of her neck. Excitement surged through me when her arms snaked around my shoulders, pulling me closer. The taste of her was even more intoxicating now that she was offering it to me. There was an eagerness to her actions that almost had me giddy. Everything intensified as she began to accept me. She may not have even realized it.

But I’d made her happy. I had created that smile. That gorgeous, incredible smile. That meant something to her.  It meant everything to me.

My hands began to roam over her body, pushing me into dangerous territory when my phone rang in my pocket. I grunted in frustration but knew the interruption was probably a good thing. Taking Sutton in the middle of the yard in broad daylight wouldn’t do much good toward protecting her. Seeing her face as she pulled away confirmed that concern. She was flushed and breathing heavily. She wasn’t upset, but there was confusion in her expression. She would need space to work through what she was feeling.

“I should get that,” I said as I removed my phone from my pocket.

She nodded and stepped back, a hand going to her lips, now plumped from our interaction. My grin fell when I looked at my phone screen.

“Is everything okay?” Sutton asked.

“I’ll come find you when I’m done,” I told her, keeping my tone and expression neutral as I started to head into the house.

I waited until I was halfway to my office before answering. Jaden came through the garage door just as I did, giving me a worried and warning look. He knew the call was coming.

“Alpha Anders, what can I do for you?”