Filed to story: The Alpha’s Pen Pal Book
I smile, and a laugh leaves my body, my hand covering my mouth because—while not as bad as his alpha—he isn’t the most talented of singers. But he’s up here, on the stage, singing his heart out so I don’t have to be embarrassed alone.
And maybe to stick it to Sebastian a little.
I inhale right before my turn, then open my mouth and sing, my eyes on Reid instead of the crowded bar. I can’t see them, anyway. A thrill of delight runs through me at the smile Reid gives me, his free hand flashing me a speedy thumbs up.
The song continues, and we sing and dance our way through it, moving closer on the stage until we meet dead center. His arm wraps around my waist, holding me to him casually, leaving a breath of space between us. My hips sway, my head swings, and my body moves, all my nerves easing while in his arms, while I’m close to him.
The song ends, and Reid spins me under his arm and into his body, his fingers curling around my abdomen, splaying across my stomach. My hand braces myself on his chest, gripping the fabric of his T-shirt, and my foot pops up behind me in a little pose.
We stare, both of us breathing hard, our hearts beating in sync. The air is charged, electric. Our bodies press together, but it’s different from when we danced. I can’t put my finger on how, but something has changed. Shifted. In me and in him.
The crowd roars, his friends and Blake louder than the rest. The noise yanks us from our trance, and we laugh, breaking our pose to give our mics back to the DJ. I turn to head back to the booth, but Reid tugs me to the side of the stage, behind the curtains hiding the cords for all the sound and lighting equipment.
He’s still laughing, and he brings me close to him, speaking low, so I have to lean in to hear him. “Give me a minute. I’m not sure I’m ready to face everyone yet after that.”
I shake my head. “You weren’t anywhere near as bad as Wesley,” I say, moving down the steps.
My foot catches on loose electrical tape and the cord attached, and I stumble, my hands flying in front of me, ready to brace myself on the floor. But Reid catches me, one hand grabbing my wrist and the other wrapping around my waist, squeezing me to him.
“Careful,” he says, spinning me, his palm pressing into the small of my back, his eyes scanning my face.
“I’m okay,” I say. The beginning of “Can’t Fight This Feeling” plays, and I glance behind him to where Sebastian now stands, ready to sing. I look at Reid again and swallow, backing away from him. “We should head back out there.”
But his hold prevents me from leaving. He slides his hand up from my wrist to hold mine and steps closer to me, pinning me in place with his blue eyes.
“Dance with me,” he says as Sebastian sings.
My heart stutters in my chest. “Haven’t we been doing that all night?”
He shakes his head. “Not like that.” His arm wraps around my waist until my body is snug against his. My hand slides up to his shoulder, and he brings our joined hands between us so almost every part of us is touching. “I want to dance with you like this.”
I blow out a breath and lower my eyes, scanning his chest, stroking the stretch of gray fabric across the broad expanse of muscle between his shoulders. “Oh,” I whisper.
He sways with me in his arms, spinning us in a slow circle, his face dipping so his forehead rests against my temple, and his nose brushes my cheek. With each breath we take, we move closer together. Not just a physical closeness but an emotional one as well. My wolf calms in my mind, relaxing in his presence, soaking him in as much as I am.
The two of us are magnets, drawn to each other. Resistance is futile because no matter how hard I fight it, I always end up in the same damn spot—at his side and in his arms. He lights up every part of me. My life is dark without him, and when we’re apart, I count the seconds until we are together again.
I pushed him away the other day because I was afraid of becoming another female on his ever-growing list, but that was a mistake. I’m not the girl who runs away from my insecurities. I face them head-on. I’ve tried to get us back to the same level of intensity, flirting, and connection as before, but it’s taking longer than I expected.
But I will forge ahead. I will not despair. I have a plan—a plan to draw him out of his shell, to get him to admit to what we both know is true—and I think it’s working.
I rest my head on his chest, relaxing into him, and he moves his lips to my forehead, brushing them across the skin there. A kiss that’s not quite a kiss.
Just like in my dream.
My throat tightens, and my eyes water, but I don’t run away. I’m not doing that again. I close my eyes and snuggle into him, inhaling his scent, both hands curling into his shirt. He releases my hand and slides his down my back, tracing every dip and curve of my body with his palm and his fingers.
I arch against him, my head tilting up. The possessiveness behind his touch, paired with his words from earlier—“You are mine tonight”
—has my head spinning and my insides coiling. I barely notice we’ve stopped dancing and stand in an intimate embrace. His nose finds mine, nuzzling and rubbing closer to me, our mouths hovering inches apart, his hands roaming my back and my sides and sliding up my neck.
My lips part, and that same little whimpering moan leaves me as one hand slides further down my back, brushing the top of my ass. “Reid…”
He snaps his hand up and jerks his head away from mine, leaving way too much space between our faces. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“You didn’t seem to have a problem touching my ass the other day,” I tease.
He ducks his head, and in the dim light, I see his cheeks tinting pink. He sighs. “I know, but I shouldn’t have crossed that line with you. It was wrong. You… you’re different.”
“Different?” He nods. “How so?”
“Because you—because you’re—” He grits his teeth and shakes his head, then meets my eyes again. “Because I care about you.”
“You care about me?”
His thumb strokes my neck, and I resist closing my eyes at the comforting touch. “Yes. You’re not like… like other females. You’re important to me.”
I tilt my head to the side, frowning and blinking. “Imogen wasn’t important to you?”
The color drains from his face, and he swallows. “I was really hoping you’d forgotten about that.”
I chuckle and smile, winking at him. “I’m teasing you. A little. I don’t care about your past.”
Not quite true. I realized who Imogen was when he introduced all his friends to Blake and me. I remembered her name from our first date. Her presence may have prompted my forwardness at the table, but it’s clear she has no lingering hunger for him.
He blows out a breath, releasing me from his grasp and stabbing his fingers into his hair. I hug my body against the emptiness he leaves behind, keeping as much of his warmth on me as I can.
“Goddess, Taryn, you damn near gave me a heart attack.” He gives a dry laugh and shakes his head, pacing in front of me. “I’m not very good with words. Or talking to people about… feelings. But what I’m trying to say—and not doing a very good job of saying—is I respect you. I value you.”
“As a friend.”
He freezes, his jaw tightens, and his eyes darken, but he doesn’t deny it. My heart clenches. His mouth opens and then closes again as he searches for something to say, but I step up to him and cover his lips with my finger before he can speak. “It’s all right,” I say. “I understand. I don’t know why I’m surprised. You’re not the first male who is unwilling to give me what I want.”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?