Page 29 of Twisted Mates

He squeezes me a little tighter. “All of that is valid. Would you like me to come with you to see your parents?”

I wiggle my way out of his hold and sit up. I appreciate him offering but nothing would look worse than showing up with my mate’s brother. “No. I think it’s best if I handle this alone. Thank you though.”

“Of course,” he murmurs, and I feel his hand glide up and down my spine.Oh, this is so bad.

“But will you be here when I get back?” I ask, closing my eyes in embarrassment because I probably sound desperate as hell. But I can’t help it. The thought of coming back here to a house without him makes me feel sick.

Which is—well, it’s something I don’t have time to unpack right now.

“Yes,” he says, placing his hand on my shoulder and nudging me to lie down beside him again. I do and he brushes my wild mane of tangles and waves out of my face. “I’m not leaving until you tell me you’re okay.”

My heart squeezes. “Really? You’d do that? Even with how much you hate Clayton?”

“It’s partlybecauseI hate him that I refuse to go.”

“And the other part?”

He pinches my chin and tilts my head so I’m looking at him. “I think you know the other reason, but I don’t know if either of us is ready to say it out loud, little wolf.”

The turmoil that is consuming me is doing the same to him. He feels whatever this attraction is between us. It’s impossible to deny despite what could happen if we act on it.

But fuck, I really want to tread into the forbidden with him.

“You can take my truck if you want to. I have my bike here if I need to go anywhere,” he says.

I laugh and tuck my lips between my teeth. “Umm, you have good insurance, right?”

His eyes widen. “I do, but maybe I’m rescinding my offer. You planning on stealing it or something?”

“Not theft insurance. Curbs tend to jump out at me quite a bit. It’s a problem. You should see the undercarriage on my dad’s Corvette,” I joke.

“You didn’t,” he gasps.

“Kidding. He’d never let me drive his Corvette.”

“Maybe you should call an Uber,” he deadpans.

“Uh-uh, you already offered,” I say, jumping up.

“What are you doing?” he asks, watching me turn in circles.

“Looking for your keys, of course,” I answer as I snatch his jeans from where he slung them over the back of the desk chair last night.

“Oh no, no, no, curb stomper,” he says, hopping out of bed and reaching me in one stride.

I jerk out of his reach and continue checking the pockets. “Surely they’re in here,” I’m grumbling when he grabs me from behind, wrapping his arms around my waist and taking me back onto the bed. I yelp and giggle as we hit the mattress.

“That truck was one of the first big purchases I made when I left my mom’s house.”

I force my eyes to go wide. “I understand your concern. A truck that old has to be an antique.”

He whips me around until I’m under him and pins my hands above my head. Pressing his face against me, the soft hairs of his beard tickle my neck as he whispers, “I think you might not be ready to play with big boy toys, little girl.”

Well, that took a turn. A sexy as hell turn.

He’s wrong, though. I am ready.

I don’t try to free my wrists from his grasp but instead lift my pelvis until I feel his erection digging into me. I smirk up at him. “Oh, I think I’m plenty ready for big boy toys,” I say, locking my gaze on his. “But like you said earlier...youmay not be ready forme.”

---