Chapter 19
The man who’d bought Robin’s drink wasted no time coming to her table. “Wanna dance?”
Robin looked the tall man up and down. His dark hair and eyes were attractive, and his muscular build was nice too. He would do to make Shaw jealous. “Sure.” She got up, and the guy put his hand on the small of her back, escorting her to the dance floor where a few other couples danced.
The slow song had him pulling Robin into his arms. “I’m Todd.”
“Robin,” she said, as she leaned in close and put her head on his shoulder.
She felt him stroke her hair. “I like your golden curls, Robin.”
“Thanks,” came her quick reply.
They swayed to the music as Todd went on, “I’ve never seen you here before. Are you new to Loveland?”
“I’ve been here a few months.” She ran her hand across his broad shoulders and found herself wishing it were Shaw she was dancing with and him who was holding her in his warm embrace. This guy didn’t smell as good as Shaw did. His arms didn’t feel right as he held her, the way Shaw’s did.
Shaw had been watching Robin out of the corner of his eye. He’d nearly jumped out of his chair when the man went up to Robin, asking her to dance. He stayed put and waited to see if she’d make the right decision and tell the jerk no.
When she got up instead, Shaw had to take a deep breath to steady himself. Her idea had to be to make him jealous. She’d seen her staring a hole in him since he came in.
“Damn, Shaw,” Brogan said, taking his attention from Robin for a second. “You’re certainly taking your time with this girl.”
Grey added, “You better shit or get off the pot or it looks like another guy is going to snatch your girl up.”
The wolf inside Shaw growled and snapped his teeth as he grew impatient. I want her!
Shaw took a long drink, draining his beer bottle. “I’ll catch you guys later. I gotta go get my girl.”
“Get her!” Falcon shouted, and the men all tapped their beer bottles together as they watched their leader walk out on the dance floor.
Shaw towered over the man who held his woman. He tapped the man on the shoulder. The guy stopped and looked back at Shaw with wide eyes. “Yeah?”
“Get lost. She’s mine,” Shaw said with a menacing tone to his deep voice.
Robin frowned as Todd made a yelping sound and let her go, hurrying away like a pup with his tail between his legs. Shaw took over, pulling her into his arms. Her body betrayed her as it nestled into him. “That was rude.”
“Funny,” he said. “I think you were the one being rude. Staring isn’t exactly polite you know.”
“So you did see me,” she said and smiled.
“I could smell you as soon as I got out of my car in the parking lot. It was a very pleasant surprise,” Shaw said. “I haven’t been stalking you, so don’t even try to accuse me of doing that, Robin.”
“You would’ve had a hard time doing that,” she said as he spun her in a circle when the music got faster.
“Why is that?” he asked her then dipped her and grazed her neck with his lips as he lifted her back up. The smallest taste of her had him wanting to rip her clothes off and take her right then and there.
She gasped at his touch then tried to regain her composure. She didn’t want him to know how much he affected her. “I’ve stayed home. Tonight’s the first time I’ve been out of my apartment since you took me home that day.”
“Is that right?” he asked then pulled her even closer, nuzzling her hair, the scent intoxicating him. “And what would be the reason for staying home so much?”
“I didn’t feel well,” she answered. She didn’t want him to know she’d been depressed over not seeing him. His ego was enormous already, no reason to inflate it even more. “And how about you? Have you been moving on just fine without me? It sure seems like you have.”
“I haven’t slept since I dropped you off, if that’s any indication of how I’m doing without you, baby.” He kissed the side of her neck and loved how her legs went weak, making her cling to him as she made a tiny moan. “Want to know what I think?”
“What?” she asked breathlessly.
He kissed her neck once more and she gave him another sexy moan. “I think you didn’t feel well because you missed me. That’s what I think. And I know I haven’t slept because I’ve missed you. Not a moment’s gone by without me thinking about you. Not one damn moment, baby. How much longer are you going to torment us like this?”
“Us, being you and your wolf?” she asked with a smirk.
“Us, being me and you, Robin. You’re hurting yourself too. So how much longer can you do that?” Shaw pulled his head back to look into her green eyes. Eyes he’d only been able to daydream about for a solid week.
Robin gulped as she looked into his piercing eyes. They could see right through her, and she knew that. “Forever.”
“That’s a very, very long time, baby. Do you really think you can deny yourself for that long?” He couldn’t wait any longer, he had to kiss her sweet, plump pink lips.
He stopped all movement as their mouths converged and she didn’t stop him from slipping his tongue through her lips. Lips which quickly complied with his, taking the kiss deep and yielding to him the way he’d prayed she would.
As soon as he ended the kiss, he looked at Robin, finding her eyes closed and panting lightly. The kiss had done it; he felt sure of that. But when her eyes opened, she said quite the opposite, “I’m never going to let you bite me. I’m never going to let you turn me into a monster.”
He began to sway with her again. Though she’d said the words, her voice lacked conviction. And her body responded to his way too well for her words to be the truth. “Monster, huh? Why do you have to say such a negative thing about what I am?”
She laughed. “Shaw, that is what you are.”
“Have you seen me do anything that would make me a monster?” he asked then spun her around.
“No, but I haven’t witnessed you as the wolf in its entirety.” She scowled at him. “Admit it, you’re a monster when it takes you over.”
Shaw grew more determined to make her see how wrong she was. “You train dogs that most are afraid of. Many people call the breeds you work with monsters. You see past all that harsh façade and get to know the real animal underneath, all those sharp teeth and claws. You can do that for animals that mean nothing to you, but you can’t do it for me, a creature you love.”
“I’ve never said I love you, Shaw,” Robin quickly pointed out.
His dark brows rose. “If you don’t love me then why did you fall to the floor and weep when I left you at your apartment?”
Robin looked at him with a shocked expression. “How do you know what I did after you closed that door?”
He pointed to his ear. “I have above average hearing, as one might guess, being what I am. You fell immediately, and you cried, and you even said that you missed me already.”
Robin felt a bit incensed. “Well, be that as it may, I didn’t say that I loved you.”
“But that’s only because you’re as tenacious as they come, baby.” He leaned in close, whispering his next words, “When I made you mine, taking your innocence, your body told me you loved what I did to you. Will you deny that as well?”
Robin’s entire body flushed with heat. “How can I deny that?”
“I don’t know,” Shaw said. “You seem good at denying things that are true is why I had to ask. You love me, and you’re trying to hide it from yourself. You should really just say it and get it over with. You should just agree to become my mate, and we could get to the good part already.”
“You’re insane,” she quipped.
“Over you, I am. I will agree with you on that.” He kissed her lips once then pulled back when she parted her lips. “Oh, but she wants my kisses and nothing more?” He spun her around and around, making her a bit dizzy then said, “She’ll take my body to make hers feel more than she knew possible, but my love? Oh, no, she won’t take that.”
Robin was nearly out of breath when he finally stopped, and she panted as she looked at him with confusion. “I’d gladly accept your love and return it as well. But what you want is far more than that, and you know it.”
Shaw pulled her body until it was flush with his. His cock pulsed against her. “Come with me.”
Robin tried to get her brain to stop what her body demanded, but even it seemed to be going against her as she said, “Okay.”