Page 44 of Secret Shifters Next Door

As fast as I could, I pulled my shirt off, and used it to clean up my mess. I kicked Harley’s clothes under the couch out of sight and scooped her up, rushing up the stairs and into her room with her clinging to my body. The bedroom door swung shut behind us just as the front door opened. I chuckled, thinking how awkwardthatwould have been. Harley was already asleep in my arms as I gently set her down in her bed. She groaned quietly in her sleep as I tucked the covers around her. For a few seconds, I watched her sleep. Deep inside me, the bond with her deepened. All my life growing up, I’d watched mating bonds develop and grow. Seen the way men acted when it came to their mates—those protective instincts, the urge to always be near their mate, that unbridledneed. My heart fought to break free from my chest, and I knew, by some strange miracle, that she truly was my mate.

EIGHTEEN

HARLEY

“Mom…” Mariah started, “…can Jordyn and I go out to a movie and dinner tonight with some friends?”

They’d been home from school for only twenty minutes when she asked. Their first week had gone remarkably well. I’d truly been scared that they would hate the new school, but as always, my daughters surprised me. They’d really taken to the kids they’d met and were home a lot less than they had been over the summer. It filled me with joy that they weren’t miserable here. Plus, Tate had guys out watching them whenever they left the house. They were as safe as we could make it.

“Sure, that’s fine. What are you guys seeing?” I asked.

Mariah laughed. “No idea. The movie theater only has two screens, so there are only two options. They don’t even have a website. It’s like this town is stuck in the nineties or something.”

I didn’t like the way she made the nineties sound like it was as far away as the nineteen-forties. “I grew up in the nineties, Mariah.”

She looked at me like I’d said something obvious. “Right. That’s what I’m saying. Ancient.”

“Okay.” I laughed. “That’s it. No movie, no dinner, just hard labor for the next two years until you’re eighteen.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going to tell Jordyn we get to go,” Mariah said, jogging up the stairs.

I shook my head and walked over to the window. The familiar black sedan sat halfway down the street in the driveway of a vacant home. Who did Tate have watching out for us today?

Thinking of Tate sent a delicious shiver through my body. The things he’d done on Monday night with his fingers and mouth had been beyond anything I could imagine. He’d played my body like an instrument—a well-tuned and well-practiced instrument, no less. Every time I thought about it, I wondered when it would happen again. I was like a horny teenager, but I really didn’t care. It had been days, and I still found myself thinking back on that night several times a day.

Almost as though he heard my thoughts, his truck turned off the main road into our neighborhood. I’d known he was coming. He had an update on my car. It was supposed to have been done a few days ago, but some of the busted glass had gotten down into the driver’s side window and ruined the electric motor. They’d had a hard time getting the part in.

He got out of the truck and walked up the steps. Even though he’d pretty much been over here almost all the time since Sunday night, he still rang the bell or knocked each time he stopped by. True to habit, he rang the bell as soon as he got to the top of the stairs. Once I let him inside, he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Hey, how’s it going?” he asked.

“Oh fine, my teenagers are being smart asses. Just another day. Did you hear about my car?”

He smiled. “Good news. They finally got that part in. It’ll be ready in a couple of hours. We can pick it up today. I have to go out of town for a few days for work, so I’m going to have some of the guys pick it up and drop it off.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll call Emily, she can take me out there.” Emily and I had met up a few times over the last week, and I knew she wouldn’t mind.

Tate frowned and pulled his phone out. “Okay, but I’m going to text you Steff and Blayne’s numbers. You can call them if you have any trouble. All right?”

“That’s fine, there shouldn’t be any issues.”

After texting me the numbers, he gave me a stern look. “I have to go pretty soon. I won’t be gone long, but while I’m away, make sure you set all the alarms anytime you guys are home. Remind the girls, too.”

It was cute how worried he was about us.

“Will do. Don’t fret about us.”

Then, as though he’d done it a million times, he stepped close to me. He slid one arm around my back, the other went to the back of my neck, and kissed me. Our tongues mingled and twisted around each other. I sank into him, my legs turning to jelly beneath me. I trembled as the memory of Monday night came back again. The way his mouth felt, his hands on my body.

Tate pulled away, gently nibbling on my lip. “I’ll see you later.”

Without another word, he turned and left, leaving me wet and covered in gooseflesh. All I could do was watch him walk out and close the door. I went to the window and watched him walk away, admiring the way his ass moved in his jeans. The sight gave me a pleasurable ache between my legs.

I texted Emily to see if she could give me a ride. I needed to get my mind off Tate. Emily replied that she was happy to and would pick me up in an hour. The girls got picked up for their movie and dinner about ten minutes before Emily pulled up to get me. It was good to see her, otherwise I would have sat there in the house fantasizing about Tate. A little girl time would help get my mind out of the proverbial gutter.

“Hey, girl,” Emily said as I climbed in.

“Hey. Thanks for the ride. I’ve been miserable without a car. I really appreciate it.”

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