Page 15 of Drive me Wild (South Island Shifters)

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DECLAN

Martha casts a gaze at me before turning back to Ravin. “Ravin, I told you I’d be here to look after you and Indigo. What is this woman doing here? She looks like a midwife and not one I’ve met.”

“That’s because I am a midwife, and I’ve been requested here by Mrs Stone herself through my boss at the birthing centre I work at in Clyde,” Winter says before anyone else can speak.

Anger flashes through Martha’s gaze. “Why would you go elsewhere? I know I wasn’t here for the birth but to hire someone outside our housing estate is unheard of,” she says.

“Martha, I told you I didn’t require your midwifery services any longer when you kept pressuring me to breastfeed. You keep trying to push your way onto me, and that’s not what I want.”

“Oh, and what does Little Miss New Midwife have to say? Because you were taught the same as I was, young lady, that breast is best,” Martha spits.

“I was taught that yes, but I’m also entitled to my thoughts and feelings. As a woman who has yet to have kids myself, I can only imagine how Mrs Stone feels right now. It’s overwhelming having a new baby, especially your first one. I base my practice around the mother and what she wants so long as the baby doesn’t suffer. Not anyone else. If Mrs Stone doesn’t wish to breastfeed anymore, so be it. A fed baby is a happy baby. And a happy baby means a happy mummy, as far as I’m concerned,” Winter replies.

A vision flashes in my head of Winter nursing a baby. No, wait…mybaby in our house.

What the hell? Where did that thought come from? Let alone the visions of a future with Winter and kids of our own.My body might be telling me she’s my mate, but for my head to suddenly join in the party is not cool. I turn my gaze back to the women.

“Look, I don’t mean to step on anybody’s toes, but I was asked to come here by my boss. If you have a problem with that, take it up with her. I’ll leave a business card with Declan before I leave. In the meantime, I’d like to continue doing my job,” Winter says.

“The hell you will. I’m here now, and I’ll take over. Now pack your things and scoot away. We don’t need your kind here,” Martha says.

I growl. She’s gone one step too far, but I don’t get to say anything before Winter says, “My kind? What the hell does that mean? Does that mean you think my job isn’t as hard as yours because I work in a birthing centre? I’ve been an LMC, and while I enjoyed it, I prefer having set hours to work better.

“Mrs Stone asked for me, and so I’m going to stay. I want the name of your boss, though, so I can lay a formal complaint on behalf of my client.”

Ravin looks at me with a stare that says, ‘This isn’t going to end well. Do something.’ I, however, can’t stop watching Winter. How strong she is. She wants to know why she has my attention? This is why. She’s fierce, sassy and sexy; all rolled into one tiny package. She screams the title Luna, and I know for sure that she will make a powerful one. She’s a force to be reckoned with.

“I am the boss, and what I say goes,” Martha seethes.

This is where I step in. “No. You are not. I am, and it’s my word that will be obeyed around here,” I say. Both women turn to me. Martha takes a step back while Winter holds her stance, not backing away from me, and her beautiful eyes are set directly on mine. Oh, the fun we could have when we fight. I can only imagine how phenomenal the sex afterwards will be.

Right now, I need to keep my thoughts and feelings in check. “Martha, you may leave as I’m sure you have other clients to visit. Winter will remain as Ravin’s midwife since she has told you and your team she no longer requires your services. If you have a problem with this, please feel free to come into my office tomorrow to make a formal complaint. For now, I wish you to leave my sister’s home so Winter can get on with her work.”

Winter turns to Martha with a smug look strewn on her face, one I want to kiss right off her pretty little mouth. She won, and she knows it.

Reluctantly, Martha exits the house without even so much as a goodbye, and I am confident she will be in my office first thing tomorrow morning, demanding to know why I stood up for a human. And not just any human unbeknownst to the older midwife—one that every fibre in my body is telling me is my mate—but I’m not entirely convinced of it either. I found love once and was hurt before. It’s too painful to relive it, let alone accept this latest happenstance in my life.

I make my way into the kitchen, deciding I’m hungry and want to steal another of Ravin’s muffins before I leave. As I search the drawers, I find a container and place two inside it, hoping this will satisfy Winter’s healthy appetite for now. There’s something else of hers I’d like to satisfy too. Grinning, I return to the lounge and find Winter writing in a book with a smile on her face.

“Can I get a lift to my place with you when you’re done here?” I ask Winter.

She looks up from what she’s writing. “Sure.” She finishes what she is doing, packs her belongings and prepares to leave, promising to see Ravin later during the week. My emotions soar at the prospect of seeing Winter again and so soon.

We walk out to her car, and I point the way to my house. Sitting in this confined space, I want to kiss that sexy little mouth of hers so badly I ache. My entire body feels like it’s on fire with one slight whiff of her intoxicating perfume. Fuck!

“What were you writing in the book before we left?” I ask as a way to distract myself from my thoughts.

“Oh, I was just telling Ravin what an awesome job she’s doing as a new mum and how cute Indigo is. I don’t like to leave just a weight note, so I leave a small, more personalised one. Something positive and uplifting.”

“That’s really nice.”

She parks outside by my letterbox.

Damn, it’s over so soon.“You asked me earlier why I want your attention?” She nods slightly. “I want it because you are sexy, feisty, gorgeous, and you don’t back down from a challenge. I’ve wanted to get to know you since I first met you. The way you didn’t back down tonight or the other night has me intrigued about you.”

She turns to me. “Declan, I…” her voice trails off.

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