Page 21 of Can't Be Love

“I’m sorry,” Thomas finally said in a soft but gruff voice. I could tell he was back in control, though. “I’ve never lost control like that before.”

Kyle clapped a hand on his back. “Welcome to the wonderful world of mating.”

I choked on my own spit and started coughing. When I finally caught my breath, I stared into Thomas’s eyes. “You told him?” I shrieked.

Cole started laughing from behind me.

“How else was I going to get permission to come after you?” Thomas admitted with a grin. Still staring at him, I noticed it was just a little crooked. How had I never seen that before?

Before the realization of what he said fully sank in, Kyle was talking again.

“What are you even doing here, Lil? The whole place smells like sex, and you’re sprawled out half naked with Cole Anderson. I know you’ve always had a thing for him, but seriously, you choose now to act on it?”

I knew Kyle was frustrated and not thinking clearly, and when Thomas started growling again he knew he needed to rein it in, too. Talking candidly to me was one thing, but he was only agitating Thomas further.

I snorted and rubbed his back. “Simmer down. Nothing happened. I was getting a tattoo, if you guys must know, hence the lack of shirt. And the sex smell, well you’ll have to discuss that with your human-loving manwhore of a Beta over there.”

I chanced a look back at Cole, but he just grinned and shrugged as he turned to start putting the stuff away.

I pouted. “No tattoo?”

“Not today, gorgeous. I think this place has seen enough action for one day. Kyle, how about a beer?”

“You’re ditching me?” I asked, suddenly panicking at the thought of being alone with Thomas.

“Take your own advice on this one,” Cole recommended as Thomas moved out of the way and let him pass.

“Good luck,” Kyle called out as they left.

“Thanks,” I hollered back.

“Oh, he wasn’t talking to you,” Cole said, laughing.

“Traitors!” I yelled behind them, nervous when the door chimed shut behind them, leaving me all alone with Thomas.

The last time I’d been alone with him I was severely hung over, maybe still a little drunk, which meant this was the first time I was thinking clearly and truly alone with Thomas since we were kids. And I was standing way too close. The heat from his body radiated off him, and I was fully aware of every part still pressed against me. It made my body warm. I took a step back, putting space between us.

“You ran away,” he challenged. I had expected we’d need to have the talk, but I didn’t think it would be quite so soon.

“I did,” I said. Why deny it?

“Why?”

“Seriously? You’re going to ask me that? You have a mate already, Thomas, or have you forgotten?” I said sarcastically, even knowing that was the least of my concerns regarding this man before me.

“That’s not fair, Lily. What? You want me to apologize. Okay, I’m sorry,” he said.

“Wait, what? What are you sorry for?”

“I’m sorry that I went through the compatibility testing with Syd. I’m sorry I didn’t have enough faith to wait for you. I’m sorry I tormented you as a kid, and for whatever else I’ve done to give me the title of biggest douchebag on the planet.”

I grimaced. “You know about that?”

“Yeah, well, your family seems to take great humor in letting me know it. Look, I get you aren’t happy with this situation, but the truth is, you don’t even know me. We haven’t seen each other since we were kids, and you can hardly fault me for tagging along with you and Maddie. You were the hottest girl at camp and I was the lucky kid with the connections to be close to you. Of course I took advantage of that.”

“What are you talking about? You really think you earned biggest douchebag title just because you and all your friends had a crush on me and your sister at camp for a few summers?”

“I don’t know, Lily. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure that out, because you don’t know me, and I don’t know you. And I don’t know how to do this mating stuff. If I did, I probably would have already been mated to Syd, but I’m not, and since the moment I saw you standing there staring at me, I knew I never could. She’s one of my best friends. She’s happy for me. She’s happy for us.”

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