Beginnings, p.9
Beginnings, page 9
“Because you’re mine,” I whisper against her cheek. “You know this is going to happen with us. Quit fucking fighting it, Olivia.” I rest my forehead against hers again, and she’s completely still as I trace her jaw with my finger. “I’m never going to apologize for defending and protecting you, and what happened back there doesn’t change a thing about the connection you and I have. You know that.” If anything, the biggest obstacle we had is now out of the way.
“No one has ever stood up for me like that before.”
“I’ll always stand up for you.” Her scent consumes me in our close proximity, sending my need to make her mine racing through my body.
“I think I might like that about you,” she whispers. Her body relaxes the closer we get.
“You do, huh?” I grin and press my body against hers. She nods, her gaze never leaving mine. “Tell me what you like about it.” I raise her chin so she can’t look away from me.
“I like that you would do anything to keep me safe, that you demand respect for me. I like that you want me all to yourself.”
I can’t control my hunger for her any longer. My lips are on hers as I lift her up and press her against the wall. My erection pulses in my jeans when she wraps her legs around my waist. I press her to me, leaving no space between us as I trail soft and sensual kisses from her lips down her neck, inhaling her scent as I kiss and nibble the valley of her neck. A soft moan leaves her throat, intensifying my desire as I take her lips again. When we pull apart, we search each other’s eyes while we catch our breath.
“Come and stay with me.”
“It’s too soon, Ethan. I can’t move into your house.”
“Yes, you can. You can have your own room if that’s an issue. Don’t tell me no. I need you, Olivia.” I crash my mouth to hers again and I can’t contain my growl as she wraps her hands tighter around the back of my neck. When I release her for air, my eyes pierce hers. “Come home with me.”
Nine
Olivia
“Okay.”
“Yeah?” he asks with a grin. “Are you serious? You will?”
I smile and nod. “Yes.” I’m done fighting this. I can’t do it anymore. I need this man in my life. I want to be with him.
“You won’t regret this. We’re going to be fucking incredible together.” He claims me with his lips again. “I promise we’ll take things slow until you know everything there is to know about being with me.”
“I should probably pack some things if I’m going to stay with you for a while.”
Ethan nods, sliding me back down so my feet are on the ground. “Just so you know, I fully intend on this being more than just a while,” he says, kissing me gently before backing away.
I touch his chest with my hand, feeling the warmth spread through my body. “Let’s just start small. Okay?”
He nods. “Let’s get you packed.”
After packing enough clothing to most definitely stay longer than just a while, Ethan loads my luggage into his BMW.
“Should we call Nick and Chloe and see if they’d like to join us for dinner at my house? We could order a couple of pizzas from this great little pizzeria in Pinewood called Polly’s,” Ethan suggests as we get on the road back toward Pinewood.
“Yeah, that sounds great.”
“Okay, I’ll make the calls,” Ethan says with a smile.
Polly’s is in the town square, similar to any small town. The area is charming and quaint, with little shops and restaurants filling the square. Through the window, I can see the inside of Polly’s has red retro booths with red and white checkered tablecloths.
“I’ll be right back,” he says with a smile.
While Ethan is inside getting the pizza, I imagine what it might be like if things go well with him, and this is my home. I can see Chloe and me shopping in the boutiques and grabbing coffee or wine at one of the cafés. Ethan and I could go to dinner at a romantic restaurant or catch a movie at the outdoor movie theatre in the park. I picture us snuggling together under a blanket, with me secure in his arms.
I can’t help but notice the playground equipment not far from the movie screen. What if Ethan and I were to have children? We could play with our children in the park and then go for pizza at Polly’s. Ethan would be a fiercely loving and protective dad. How would that even work, though? Can a werewolf and a human even have children together? I’ve always wanted to be a mother. That’s not something I’m willing to sacrifice. Is adoption a possibility? I’ve always thought love makes a family, not DNA. I could definitely see myself loving a child that isn’t my own. I shake my head and take a deep breath, knowing I’m getting ahead of myself.
“Olivia?” Ethan touches me on the leg when he gets back in the car. “Are you okay?”
I smile and nod. “I was just noticing how nice it is here. It’s a lovely little town.”
“I’m glad you like it so far.” He smiles. “Sounds like we’re off to a good start.”
We arrive at Ethan’s house within a few minutes, and two men in suits are waiting for us. They open the car doors for us, and Ethan makes the introductions.
“Hello,” I say politely to both of them. They both nod and greet me respectfully.
“Gentlemen, please take Olivia’s belongings to her room.”
“Of course, Alpha.” Both men nod and follow their orders. While they carry my luggage to my room, Chloe and Nick arrive.
Chloe immediately comes to me and hugs me. “Are you okay?”
I smile and nod, looking into her concerned blue eyes. “I am. You were right. I don’t want to fight this anymore.”
“I think you’ll be happy you decided to give him a chance. Stop thinking about things so much, and just go with it.”
I look over to where Ethan and Nick are standing. Nick is nodding and saying something, but Ethan’s eyes are focused on me. My cheeks warm as he grins before I turn my attention back to Chloe. “I think you’re right.”
The four of us make our way inside and settle in for dinner in the kitchen. Having Nick and Chloe here is fun and natural. It’s like we’re just two couples hanging out for a regular date night. I know I’m still in the dark about a lot of details involved in being with Ethan, but for tonight, I just want to push that to the back of my mind. It feels so good to enjoy the lighthearted company of friends.
“Nick, it’s 11:00 already. I think we should probably be going home.” Chloe stands, taking Nick by the hand. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to take up your whole evening.”
“It’s okay. I love hanging out with you guys. I had a lot of fun tonight,” I say.
“Well, thanks, guys,” Nick says. “Olivia, we’re happy you’re here.”
Chloe gives me a big hug on her way out the door. “You know how to reach me if you need anything. Call me anytime.”
“Thanks, Chloe.”
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, sweetie.”
Ethan
Now that it’s just the two of us, the sexual tension hangs in the air like a thick fog. I would love nothing more than to relieve it with mind-blowing sex, but that’s not an option tonight. In a traditional mate situation, sex would have happened right away. It’s torturous having to take things slow with her.
I pull her to me and rub my hands up and down her perfectly toned arms. “I didn’t want to be rude, but I’ve been looking forward to having you to myself all evening.” She relaxes into me as I take her face in my hands and kiss her, but then she pushes away from me with a reluctant sigh. There’s still a part of her that’s fighting this.
“As much as I enjoy this, Ethan, we agreed to slow things down until I have all the information.”
My instinct says to convince her otherwise, but I don’t want to scare her off now that she’s finally here. “You’re right. I know. You’re just so fucking irresistible.” I pull her into me, and kiss her again.
She smiles and looks up at me from under her long lashes. “This isn’t easy for me either.”
Fuck. I groan and rest my forehead against hers. “God, Olivia. I’m trying to be a gentleman here, but you saying things to imply you want me too, makes me want to throw you over my shoulder, haul you up to my bed, and fuck you senseless.” Her breathing quickens at my comment, and I can feel the desire radiating from her body. I don’t think she would protest even a little bit if I did exactly that right now.
She clears her throat and looks into my eyes. “On that note, I should go to bed. Could you show me which room will be mine?”
As much as I don’t want to, I release her with a heavy sigh. “Sure. Come on. I’ll take you to your room.” Taking her hand, I lead her up the stairs and down a hallway. “Here we are.” The room is beautifully decorated especially for her, but she looks disappointed—almost angry.
“Do you always keep your guest room ready for a female visitor?” I try to hide my smile at her reaction. My beautiful little mate is jealous.
“I hope you like it. My sister, Vanessa, has an interior design degree, so I had her add some feminine touches to the room this morning. I was confident I’d eventually be able to convince you to give me a chance.” There’s a large, king-size bed with a linen covered headboard. The ivory duvet cover has a shiny, velvety texture with a gold metallic woven pattern, and there are several accent pillows in light pink, gold, and ivory. There’s even a glass nightstand with gold trim next to the bed, a gold lamp, and a beautiful vase of pink roses.
“Oh,” she says as her face relaxes. “Thank you. It’s beautiful, but there was no need to go to any trouble.”
“Of course there is. I want you to be happy.” Still holding her hand, I lead her across the room. “You have your own bathroom attached to the bedroom right through this door. If you find there’s something you need, just let me know, and I can have it here for you within a matter of minutes. There’s also a walk-in closet through the door next to the window. Would you like me to have someone unpack your things for you tomorrow?”
“Oh, no, please don’t. I can handle it myself.”
“Okay. I’ll let you get some sleep then. If you need anything, my room is right across the hall.” I’m still holding her hand as I take her with me to the bedroom door.
“Thank you, Ethan.”
“Of course. Goodnight, Olivia.” I lean in, giving her two gentle kisses, and whisper, “I love you.” Her pink lips part to release a breathy sigh as I turn to walk to my room.
Olivia
With my heart beating fast, I close the door and go to the bathroom to wash my face. If someone had told me this morning that I’d be moving in with Ethan by tonight, I would have told them they were crazy. But, here I am.
I stand for a moment and take in the luxury of the bathroom with its marble flooring and countertops. After changing into my pajamas, I remove most of the pillows from the bed and climb in, sighing in comfort. As I’m ready to reach for the lamp to turn off the light, my phone chimes with a text message. I roll my eyes when I see that it’s from Colin.
Colin
Please don’t end things with me. I’m sorry for the things I said. I didn’t mean them. Please give me another chance.
Colin
Don’t let him do this to us. I know we can make this work. I love you.
Olivia
This isn’t love anymore. It’s too late. It’s time to move on.
Colin
How can you say that? Who the fuck does he think he is moving in and taking you from me?
Colin
This isn’t over.
Olivia
It is. You made your choice. You lost me all on your own.
Colin
He can’t have you. You’re mine. I WILL get you back.
Colin
He’ll pay for what he did to me. I could have died.
Olivia
Leave him out of this. Just let me go. It’s time to move on.
Colin
Never. I love you.
Fuck. I turn off my phone, and look up at the ceiling with a sigh. I have to think he’s just throwing around empty threats, and I’m too tired to deal with him right now. I take a deep breath and roll onto my side to get some sleep.
Ten
Olivia
“Good morning,” Ethan says when I come down the stairs. “I checked on you when I got up, but you were sleeping so soundly I didn’t want to wake you.” He looks freshly showered with his hair still damp. His dark jeans hang perfectly, and his light blue button-down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, shows off his muscular forearms.
I meet him in the middle of the living room. “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”
He raises my chin to gently kiss my lips. “You will always be worth the wait. Were you comfortable last night?”
“Yes, everything was great.” He’s staring at me with a hungry grin and I feel my cheeks warming. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m just thinking how beautiful you look with no makeup.” He brings his hand to my face, his thumb softly caressing my cheek. “I love your face clean and natural. It’s impossible for you to be anything but stunning.” He leans in, placing the sweetest of kisses on my lips. Even the smallest gestures with him make me feel like I need more of him just to take another breath. “Are you hungry? I can order some breakfast for you.”
“No, thank you. I’m not a big breakfast person.” We walk to the kitchen, and I sit at the island, crossing my legs.
“I’m a pretty terrible cook, so I order my food most of the time,” he says with a laugh, opening the refrigerator to reveal milk, eggs, water, and beer. “If there’s something you like just let me know, and I’ll have it on hand for you.”
“Hey, at least you have milk and eggs, and not just the beer.”
He nods with a slight laugh. “True. Speaking of food, how would you feel about me taking you to dinner tonight?”
“I’d love it. What do you have in mind?”
“I heard Mexican food is one of your favorites.”
“That sounds delicious. Did Chloe tell you it’s my favorite?”
“She did, and she also told me she’s been trying to get a hold of you this morning.”
“Oh, I turned my phone off last night.” I turn it back on and see a few messages from her. “She wants to know if I want to go to lunch and shopping today. Do you mind?”
Ethan
“Not at all,” I say, appearing as calm as possible. I absolutely fucking mind. She’s mine to protect, but I also know I can’t keep her locked away in my house. “I want you to make yourself comfortable here and have fun, but let’s talk before I send you out into the pack without me.”
She sits up straight and her body visibly tightens. “Okay. Is something wrong?”
I have to fight my instinct which tells me to remind her that she’s mine, and I don’t want her anywhere but right by my side. If it were anyone other than Chloe going with her, that’s probably exactly what I’d say. “No. You’ll be safe with Chloe here within my pack, but I’ll send out a pack-wide email letting everyone know you’re my guest. And, at least for now, it would make me feel better to send you out with security. They’ll be very discreet. You won’t even notice them.”
Her eyes widen and I know I’m scaring her. “Security? It seems a little excessive for lunch and shopping.”
I sigh and massage her shoulders as I try to find the words to put her at ease. “Please don’t be afraid, but you’re new here, and everyone will know you’re human. They’ll automatically start making assumptions about who you are to me. I have no reason to think anyone would treat you with anything but kindness, but it’s my responsibility to keep you safe. It would make me feel better to know you’re being looked after.”
She fidgets in her chair a little, but nods. “Okay. I realize I don’t know how things work here, so I trust your instincts.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your willingness to go along with this,” I say, raising her chin for her lips to meet mine.
As we pull away, she stands and nervously bites her lower lip. “Um, I have something I need to tell you, and it’s probably not going to make you very happy.”
My chest tightens as I stand to attention. “Okay.”
“Colin sent me several text messages last night. He said he’s sorry, he still loves me, blah, blah, blah. The part that concerns me is that he was saying you can’t have me, he’s going to take me back, and he’s going to make you pay for what you did to him. This is what I was worried about, Ethan. He’ll try to find you and press charges or something.”
I shake my head and laugh it off, but I’m fucking boiling inside. “Let him try to fucking come after me. I’m not scared of him, Olivia. I will never back down to him. He has his way of dealing with things, and I have mine. I fucking dare him to come after me.”
Her mouth drops open, and she backs away from me. “What the hell does that mean?”
Shit. I don’t want to scare her, but she needs to learn how things work here, and how serious I am about protecting what we have. I go to her, pulling her into the warmth of my body, knowing it will relax her. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. Just know there’s no way he’s getting you back. It’ll be the last fucking thing he tries to do.” Olivia is mine.
Olivia
I’m stunned in silence. Surely, he doesn’t mean it the way it sounds. Sometimes guys say things when they’re angry. Ethan wouldn’t do something like that. Would he? A chill runs down my spine as I think back on the look on Ethan’s face when he had his hands around Colin’s throat. I wonder what other barbaric things he’s capable of, all while at the same time I’m warming to his touch, my body melting into his.
