The Pack Rule Number 1 No Mates

Chapter Fourteen

DRAVEN

It felt awful? What?

I stiffen. "It's over now and I need coffee."

872%

His nose traces over my neck and my body trembles with delight. "Baby

Baby?

"Domonic, what are you doing?" I try unsuccessfully to turn my body around.

He tightens his hold on me, pulling me out of the pantry and releasing me to press me down at the table. "Sit. I'll make the coffee."

"But-"

"No arguing. He proceeds to move about the kitchen. Grinding beans and filling the basket in the percolator. He works silently, not once looking up from his task.

"I don't want to talk about it," I say, expecting him to argue.

He just nods his head and begins taking out ingredients for an omelet. "What are your plans for today? Besides your dinner date with

Paul."

I sigh in relief. "I don't really have any."

"That's good," he says. "Because you're spending your afternoon with me."

I hide a smile. "I am, am I? And what are we doing today?"

He finally looks at me, a strange vulnerability in the depths of his eyes. We're going out on my boat."

"You have a boat?"

"A mini yacht to be exact. So go and get in the shower, because after we have breakfast, we're heading out."

He hands me a mug of coffee and I narrow my eyes at him. "This better not be some scheme to get me to talk about my dream or something. Because if it is? I'll be throwing you overboard."

He chuckles, but his eyes are still heavy with emotion. It seems to me that something is bothering him, and I have the feeling this boat trip is more about getting me out on the water where I can't run away, than it was about showing me his yacht. "No scheme," he says smoothly then nods toward the stairs.

And fool that I am, I believed him.

DOMONIC

""Don't forget about the meeting tonight, Paul,"

"I won't forget, but there wasn't a break-in last month remember?"

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Chapter Fourteen

"That doesn't mean there won be."

"I know that. I was just trying to point out that they've been terribly quiet. Too quiet."

"I know. We'll discuss it all tonight at the bar."

"The usual time, right?"

"Right."

"Good, because I have a hot date tonight, and I don't want to miss it."

I clutch the phone in my hand so tightly that I hear it crack. Shit. "Well so long as you're at the bar by eight o'clock it shouldn't be a problem."

"I'll be there. Where are you? It sounds like you're out on the yacht."

"That's exactly where I am, but don't worry. I'll be on time too."

I hang up the phone and cut the engine. Then as quickly as I can, I retrieve the lunch tray from the mess hall and join Draven on deck. As I approach, I feel it again, that burning in my chest that comes with every time I look at her. She is seated at the outdoor dining table, staring out at the Puget Sound with a carefree smile on her face. Each time I tell myself not to be affected by her, I fail.

This morning I heard her crying before I knocked on her door. I paced on the porch until she stopped, fighting the urge to unlock the damn thing myself and head up to her room to comfort her. I didn't know what about her dream had her crying and it was killing me inside not to ask. But I promised not to, so I wouldn't. That at least, I could give her. I don't know what kind of man haunts the dreams of his stepdaughter, but I can imagine. It was obvious that she wasn't ready to discuss him yet with anyone.

As far as dating Paul though? That was a different story. That just wasn't going to happen. Not on my watch. I didn't think I was strong enough to standby while someone else touched her or flirted with her. Kissed her. If I have to watch something like that, I might explode. It is already one o'clock and we had been on the water since eleven a.m. By the time we've had lunch, and I've drunken enough boos, I will claim I need to sober up before heading back. Then it will be after six and too late for her date.

When we first headed out here, she told me Paul planned to have dinner with her in my condo. The fucking nerve of them both.

Of course, neither of them knew I was wholly against it, but that was beside the point.

"I hope you like lobster," I say arranging the food and plates around the table.

"Love it," she replies, her eyes bulging at the sight of the food. "You cooked this?"

I nod, taking a seat far enough away from her that I won't feel a detrimental amount of her heat. "I did."

She takes her first bite, and just the shape of her lips as she chews has me dropping my fork and knife on the table.

Jesus Christ.

How can anyone be so....

I reach for my whiskey decanter and poured myself a tall glass, downing the entire thing like a goddamned wino.

"Whoa! Slow down," she says. "That can't be good for you."

I chuckle and ignore the urge to cough up a lung. She is right, but I can drink more than most people. The reason being my metabolism is

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14:01 Wed, Nov

Chapter Fourteen

just a little more advanced than most. In that same respect, I get drunk a lot quicker than regular people do, it just doesn't last as long. But for the next twenty minutes, I am going to remain seated way over here. Far, far away from the dazzling beauty across the table. Taking another full glass to the head, I choke out, 'I love your lips."

Oh fuck.

What the hell?

She stops eating. "What?"/

"Nothing, never mind."

She glares at me. 'Are you already drunk?"

I shake my head, smiling like a lying fool.

"You are. Of course, you are." She snickers, taking my half-filled tumbler and downing it. "Now maybe I'll get a few answers out of you."

I laugh, my head swimming as my eyes lock on her beautifully rounded chest. She is wearing another turtle-neck sweater, but this one is a vibrant green and matches her eyes completely. It is tight too. So tight.

Fuck,

This may not have been the best idea.

Note to self - never plan to sabotage something when desperate.

"Why did you want me to cancel my date with Paul?"

I clench my jaw, looking away from her and refusing to answer. At this point, I don't trust anything that might come out of my mouth.

"Domonic?" She prompts. When I still don't answer, she gets up out of her chair to take a seat closer to me, pressing her knees against my thigh.

My body unconsciously slides a bit farther in, pressing back.

My eyes shoot to her face. "What?"

"I asked you, why you wanted me to cancel my date with Paul."

I shake my head, "I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Because he's a player."

I nod. "Right."

Liar.

"Prove it." I scoff.

Taking the last of her lobster into her mouth, she chews slowly and closes her eyes. Moaning with the flavor of it.

Bitch. She did that on purpose.

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Chapter Fourteen

"You can have mine too," I say, drowning the warning bells in my head with the liquor in my blood stream. Torture. That's what this is. That's what I'm doing to myself.

Her eyes light up. "Really?"

I nod and proceed to watch her eat. Every bite she takes after that includes a new moan that drives my dick wild. When she finishs, she reaches across the table toward the whiskey and I snatch her hand in mine to stop her. She gasps in surprise, and bites her bottom lip. No you don't let me bite that. I meant to release her hand, I really did, but instead I ended up yanking her from her chair and onto my lap.

"You don't like me," she whimpers, her free hand clutching my chest and her gorgeous green eyes lowering to mine.

"I love your lips," I say again, and then I kiss them.

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The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates