Page 59 of Drive me Wild (South Island Shifters)

Twenty-One

WINTER

“What time are the girls coming tonight?” Declan asks as he comes over to me in my lounge. He places two glasses of wine down on the coffee table before darting back into my kitchen to grab something else. He returns, putting a platter of assorted items shaped into hearts between us. “Do I get to meet your sister finally? You know, since you have met my family?”

I smile. This man has wormed his way beneath my skin with his Alpha male attitude, but underneath it all, he’s a real softy. “Not yet.”

He sighs. “Beautiful, seriously?”

“Declan, please don’t push this. They are arriving at about six. We’re going to have dinner first. What’s all this?” I ask as I move my laptop off my knee in favour of eating a little off the plate.

“Something of a snack for you while you browse the LEGO site for like the millionth time.”

“I can’t decide what my next build is going to be.”

“Want some help choosing?”

He pops a grape off the platter into his mouth while I eagerly grab the laptop and show him the wish list I’ve created, eating our way through the platter as I show him. He seems genuinely interested and hasn’t run away from me, screaming that I’m crazy. At least not yet.

Once done, I look at him, and he looks deep into my eyes. “Penny for your thoughts?” I ask.

He looks at me. “I was just thinking you are going to need an entire house to hold all these LEGO builds. I’m surprised Autumn still has a room and that there’s even a spare bedroom.”

“Are you trying to call me the crazy LEGO lady?” I laugh, grabbing some salami off the platter. He shakes his head as a giant smile crosses his face. I get off the couch and climb into his lap as he slides his hands up my body. “I am definitely crazy, but it’s all about you.”

His eyes widen as he looks at me. “Are you saying that I’ve slowly wormed my way into your heart, and these walls of yours are breaking down?”

“Maybe…” I give him my best coy look.

I move the platter from between us onto the coffee table and take a sip of my wine while he glides his hands down my back. Yes, my man got the hint. He glides his hands up my thighs and onto my hips.

“Oh, I see, you’re crazy horny for me,” he says, his face completely readable, and I know immediately I’ve disappointed him. I lean down to kiss his mouth, but to my surprise, he turns his head away.

“Declan, look at me.” He does somewhat reluctantly. “I am starting to fall for you. I’m just not ready to make that leap. I have to tell you that this has nothing to do with you. You are sweet, caring and sexy as hell; it’s all me.” He rolls his eyes. “I know that’s the age-old speech, but it’s true. I have started seeing a counsellor to try and sort through my feelings and work through my past. Everyone around me has been right. I’ve been punishing myself for everything. I should be living in the moment, and I have a lot of work to do on myself until I can. Can you accept that?” My counsellor has suggested it’s time to open up to Declan about everything that happened between Sam and me.

He smiles. “Sure, sweetheart. You tell me when you are ready, but try not to take too long because I don’t know how much longer I can wait. I told you I don’t do patience. But let me tell you this. Winter, I’m falling for you hard and fast. It’s a mixture of emotions, but mostly, it’s exciting for me. I love the way you are, how beautiful and sexy you are. You can wear me out on a good night. I thought my sex drive was high, but it is nothing compared to yours. All I have to say is if an ex-boyfriend shattered you, then I’m glad he broke your heart because, now that I have you, I’m keeping you forever. I get to put your heart back together and make you fall in love with me.”

Those words make my heart swell, and he’s not wrong. He’s crumbled my walls already, and my heart is slowly being put back together. In truth, he can’t heal me entirely as most of it needs to be me. I need to heal myself before I can let him love me completely.

I bite my lip as I dip my finger into the chocolate sauce on the plate, then suck it off. He groans as he watches me, “You wanna fall somewhere right now?”

“What are you thinking?”

“Afternoon quickie before the girls arrive?”

“There is nothing quick about us having sex, but let’s go.” He grins as I get off him. The moment he is on his feet, he hauls me over his shoulder with a slap to my ass. I’m holding back from him, and I know in the long run, it’ll only hurt both of us more.

* * *

DECLAN

“Ha! Caught you playing with…LEGO? Huh? What the hell?” Zane looks confused as he enters my work office.

I arch an eyebrow and grin. “Oh, you thought you’d catch me jerking off? Now that I’m getting regular sex, I don’t need to do that anymore, unlike some of us.”

“My sex life is pretty active, thank you very much. So what’s with the LEGO?” I look down at the car I’ve just finished building on my desk.

“I was trying to see what Winter likes about it so much. She’s always building them when we are at her place. I’ve bought her a couple she doesn’t know about so she can have some at my place.” I pause for a moment to put a piece onto my project. “She’s asked to do something with me this weekend, an interest of mine, so to speak. The thing is, I don’t know what I’m interested in. All I do is work or shift into my wolf form, and lately, sleep with her. Not that I mind the sex, but what are my hobbies?”

---