Page 88 of The Pact

Instead, I lean down and kiss her. I keep it gentle for as long as I can, yet this woman does something to me that turns me into an animal.

Thea’s tongue pushes into my mouth. She tastes like tequila and lime. It takes all of my self control to not throw her against the wall. I want her nails digging into me. I want to sink my teeth into her skin. This is why I have to hold back. The feral things I want to do could break her. She hasn’t shown me she can handle my very specific desires.

I swear she’s in my head. As soon as I think she can’t handle me, she pulls my bottom lip between her teeth, biting me. Groaning, I arch into her. I expect Thea to release me, but she grabs me by the belt loops and pulls me closer, biting down harder. Fuck, maybe she can handle me. Maybe I’m the one who can’t handle her.

I almost laugh at the thought.

Thankfully, we’re the only ones here. It’s a Tuesday afternoon and most people are at work. Thea’s been slammed with Cassie’s clients. This is the one day she had free when I asked her out.

Aside from us, only the two employees talking to each other behind the counter are here. I could easily drag her into the bathroom and fuck her brains out. No, Wes.

I pull back from our kiss, feeling her disappointment as I do. “Everything okay?” she asks. No, it’s not. I want you, but I have to wait for my turn.

Pushing my hair out of my face, I force a smile. “Yeah, although our time on the lane is up. We should head back home.” She nods, throws back the rest of her drink, and slings her satchel over her shoulder. Fuck, she’s upset. Damian’s rules are bullshit, and Cole needs to hurry the hell up. This is torture for all of us.

We have the windows down and Thea’s dark hair is whipping around her as she stares out at the passing trees. She has a lot on her mind. I want to ask her what she’s thinking about, but she speaks first.

“Why do you listen to music like this? There’s a lot of screaming.” At first, I think she’s being critical, like most people are, until I turn to look at her. Her soft expression tells me she’s genuinely curious.

I smirk. “It quiets the noise in my head.” Reaching over, I rest my hand on her thigh. She puts her hand on top of mine.

“This song is nice,” she comments.

I laugh a little and she scowls at me. “Sorry. This one’s about a failed relationship. Listen…” The words settle over us. After a minute, I explain, “He’s saying that they keep doing the same thing over again and he can’t take it anymore. She needs to let him go, she needs to bury him and let the relationship die.”

Thea doesn’t say anything for a while. When she does, her request shocks me a little. “Can you send me that song when we get home?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” Her hand squeezes mine and I smile. Looking over at her, I admire how this woman keeps surprising me. “I can send some others you might like, too.”

She nods. “Thank you.”

I may not be able to fix all the problems going on in her life, but there is something I can do. I can quiet the noise in her head.

30

THEA

Five days. It’s been five days since Wesley confessed he didn’t want me to leave. Five days since he first kissed me and I didn’t know what I was missing until he did.

Two days ago, he took me on a proper date. I see his walls coming down, slowly. He was patient with me despite my frustration at throwing axes. When his friend came over to say hi, I saw something else. His smile didn’t reach his eyes, like he was putting on a mask.

It’s clear that his friendly and outgoing personality is a mask to hide his struggle with depression. That’s a secret he only shares with his brothers…well and now me. The feeling of wanting to protect him is getting stronger. Beyond his powerful, towering presence, there’s a wounded man who fears being left by those he loves. I want to make sure he never worries about that with me.

These are thoughts for another day.

Today, Cole’s driving me out to a special spot. He refuses to tell me much about it and I don’t mind giving him all the control. Covering for Cassie has been exhausting, so I need a break from thinking.

This morning I took the last of her clients. I have tomorrow off and she gets back in town that night. We’ll meet up Saturday to go over any important details. I’m determined to enjoy my downtime, especially since I get to spend it with Cole.

I wasn’t wrong in my initial concerns about splitting my time with four men. Technically, only three as of now, since Damian is keeping his distance—I can’t imagine how difficult it’ll be adding him into the mix. Juggling the three of them is exhausting and I’m starting to feel the guilt of not giving them enough attention—whether it’s valid or not.

“Don’t freak out, okay?” Cole says abruptly, dragging me from my thoughts. I’m confused. I follow his line of sight. A sign alongside the road announces Welcome to South Carolina.

We’ve been driving for a while, yet I hadn’t expected to cross state lines. “Where are we going, Cole?”

He smiles elusively.

“We’re going to North Carolina. I know,” he defends before I can say anything. “I should have told you, but I really wanted to surprise you. It’s amazing where you can get to in a couple of hours from Willow Hill.” Cole looks over at me nervously. Does he expect me to react negatively? I might be shocked, although in all honesty this is the kind of effort I’ve always longed for. I love that he’s taken the initiative to plan a surprise for us.

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