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Chapter Nine

Surprised by her mother’s invitation to fix dinner for them tonight, Sabrina relaxed on a kitchen bar stool twirling a pencil around her fingers. She wasn’t home an hour before her mother showed up with all of the ingredients to fix her famous broccoli, chicken and cheese casserole.

Sabrina had thought about turning her down, but changed her mind. She really hadn’t spoken to her mother much since Avery’s funeral. It was still too hard on her to reminisce about their childhood with her only living family member.

“Mama, you didn’t have to come over here and cook dinner for us tonight,” Sabrina complained, watching as her mother checked the boiling pots on the stove top. “I know how to fix a meal for myself.”

Turning away from the pot on the front burner, her mother stared at her from across the room. “Baby girl, I know you can cook because I taught you how before you moved away for college.”

She knew that her mama missed her coming over for visits but she couldn’t go back and see pictures of her and Avery displayed lovingly by her mother throughout the house.

She wasn’t trying to break her bond with her mother, but it was just still hard to walk through the front door and into her past like that.

“I know I haven’t been around, but work has been keeping me very busy and then I usually come home and crash on the couch. I don’t go out as much as I used to do,” Sabrina admitted.

Spinning back around to the stove her mother turned off the burner; she grabbed a pot holder off the cabinet beside her and carried the boiling pot over to the sink. Sabrina watched as her mother drained the pasta for her casserole.

She remembered how every Monday night the wonderful smell of cheese melting in the oven would fill the house. She would race downstairs to the dinner table so she could get the first pick at which corner piece she wanted.

Her mother dumped the pasta into a bowl before adding in the broccoli and chicken along with the two cheeses and the other ingredients that gave it so much creamy richness.

“Are you sure that you haven’t been going out lately?” her mother inquired as she poured everything into a baking dish then carried it over to the oven. Opening it up, she placed it on the bottom rack, closed the door then set the timer above the stove before joining her at the island.

“What are you taking about?” Sabrina wondered what her mother was up to. The way the conversation was going it felt like she was on a hunting mission for some juicy gossip.

“I heard you were out on a date with Brian. I didn’t know things had gotten that far between the two of you,” her mother said. “I’m glad you’re going out more but I was hoping you might become interested in Zander more. He is such a nice man.”

The pencil slid from Sabrina’s fingers hitting the island top. What was going on? She was at a loss for words.  What was she supposed to say to her mother’s statement?

“Mama, Zander and I are only friends. You know how I have always thought of Zander as an adoptive brother. There will never be anything romantic between us. He was Avery’s best friend.”

Sabrina looked her mother directly in the eye hoping that she would believe her. As dearly as she loved her mother, she couldn’t have her on the case of her lack of love life and pushing her towards Zander.

Nothing was going to happen, so why give him any kind of hope?

Laughing, her mother reached across the table and patted her on top of her hand. “Sabrina, you are too old to be living in a fantasy world, sweetheart. I’ve been in the same room when you and Zander are there together. He might not have paid attention to me looking at him, but I’ve seen how he watches your every move. The look that comes into his eyes has nothing to do with brotherly love or affection.”

Snatching her hand away, Sabrina placed it in her lap. Her mother was right about the way Zander’s eyes watched her with this hunger in them, but she wasn’t about to admit it to herself,  let alone to her overly observant mother.

“I haven’t seen that look,” Sabrina lied, breaking eye contact. “Zander knows what we are to each other and he accepts it. Maybe you should do the same thing. I’m not interested in dating anyone at the moment. I think I'm doing quite fine being single.”

“He may say those words, but something else is going on in his head. Men are very good at saying one thing to your face while thinking about something else entirely in their heads. I loved how Zander offered his total support during Avery’s death.

“I lost count at how many times he came over and spent some time with me. He’s just the kind of loving man you need in your life, sweetheart,” Tina Watley said.

Sabrina was stunned by the news. Zander had gone to see her mother after Avery’s funeral? Why hadn’t either one of them told her about this? It wasn’t anything that he needed to hide from her.

“He never mentioned his visits to you,” Sabrina confessed.

“I think it was something that he wanted to be between the two of us. He asked about you and your close relationship with Avery. I believe he wanted to know more about you,” her mother told her. “I know you’re too old to be taking any kind of dating advice from your mother, but don’t get involved with Brent because you are running away from your feelings for Zander.

“From the first moment Avery introduced us, I thought Zander would be the perfect addition to our family.  Brent isn’t the man you should settle for; neither is your co-worker Sean.  They are both too eager to please my beautiful daughter. Drop both of them before anything goes too far. Stay with Zander.”

Whoa
!

Sabrina leaned back in her seat and stared at her mother. How did this conversation get so deep all of a sudden? Weren’t they supposed to be having a nice relaxing dinner not a matchmaking session in her kitchen?

“Mama, I’m not trying to settle down anytime soon. I’m very fulfilled with my job. I love getting up everyday going to work.”

Sighing, her mother got up from her seat and checked on the casserole giving Sabrina some more time to think. If her mother could see how much Zander was into her how much longer could she hold on to the pretense that she wasn’t aware of Zander’s growing attraction to her?

Denying it to Zander was already hard enough but now with her loving but persistent parent on his bandwagon, it would only make it harder on her to keep him at arm’s length. She hated not being able to spend time with Zander like she had done when Avery was alive, but now it felt different when they were together—more
intimate
...more
personal
.

It was something she wasn’t emotionally ready to deal with yet. Too much was going on in her life to be trying to build a new relationship. Sabrina couldn’t think about anything like that now especially with Zander.

“I’m glad you’re fond of Zander, but nothing will ever happen between us. I hope you start to believe me. “Moving the casserole to the center of the top rack in the oven, her mother closed the door and then reset the timer. “You know I used to say the same thing about your father when we were young.”

Her mother moved away from the oven and faced her. “We had been friends all through high school and then college. I never saw him as boyfriend material until he kissed me after one of his football games and everything changed. So never say never.”

Leaning over the counter, Sabrina watched as her mother walked back across the room towards her. She loved her a lot and the two of them usually agreed on things, but she was putting her foot down when it came to Zander. This might be the first disagreement they might not be able to come back from.

“Are you trying to tell me all Zander has to do is kiss me and I will change my mind about him?” Sabrina questioned as her mother stopped beside her chair.

“No, sweetheart,” she answered. “I’m not telling you that at all.”  Tina picked up her purse and slid it over her shoulder. Reaching out, she brushed a lock of hair off Sabrina’s shoulder then laid her hand there.

“Baby girl, my only wish is for you to be happy. I know how much you loved Avery and he felt the same way about you, but he wouldn’t want you still mourning him. Avery’s life was so full of love and adventure. Remember that. Now, when the timer goes off again add another ten minutes and you will be able to take it out.” Tina Watley gave her daughter’s shoulder a squeeze before she walked out of the kitchen.

Sabrina stared at her mother’s back in shock as she continued to the front door. “I thought you were going to stay for supper. Why are you leaving?” she asked.

“Sweetheart, tonight is my weekly book club meeting and if I don’t hurry up and leave I’m going to be late. Just think about what I told you.” Stopping at the door with her hand on the doorknob, her mother glanced back at her sitting in the kitchen.

“I just think Zander will give you the passion you are secretly searching for but aren’t ready to admit to yet.”

Turning back around, Ms. Watley opened the door and then walked out closing it softly behind her leaving a confused Sabrina sitting alone on the bar stool wondering how the night took such a crazy turn.

Chapter Ten

Lying in his big bed, Zander folded his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling thinking about where in the hell he was going wrong with Sabrina. She wasn’t making it easy for him to win her heart.

How could this be so hard for him
?  He wasn’t big on bragging but Zander knew he
never
had any problems attracting a woman.

Most women tossed themselves at him and he was the one who made the decision which ones to keep and which ones to throw away. But it wasn’t like that with Sabrina; he wouldn’t have to decide if he wanted to pursue a commitment with her. She wasn’t giving him an opening to make any kind of decision at all.

Now, with Sabrina, she acted like the mere thought of being with him scared the hell out of her. There was something deeper going on with his mate and he would get to the bottom of it.

Karma was a bitch and she was coming back to bite him in the ass. All he did while Jax was trying to get Sahara as his mate was give his brother a hard time and
a lot
of unwanted advice.

Secretly, he thought his brother let Sahara have too much control over their relationship but he wasn’t about to admit it back then to Jax. He didn’t want to come across like Thorsten who didn’t have a clue in the world how to win over any woman.

Smugly, he had just stood in the background knowing he would have an easier time at winning over Sabrina, but his arrogance was coming back to prove him wrong.

He’d been certain Avery’s untimely death would bring him and Sabrina closer. She would need a shoulder to cry on and he would offer his without a second thought. Things should be so different between them, but it seemed like at every turn Sabrina wasn’t doing anything he imagined she would do.

When he guessed Sabrina would turn to the left she surprised him by going to the right. Nothing was ever boring with his mate. Yes, she might be driving him out of his mind by challenging his motives, but he understood and he wasn’t going to allow Sabrina to work her life away.

Her birthright was to be by his side for the rest of their lives. It was something he would make happen no matter what hoops he might have to go through. If Sabrina wanted a rollercoaster ride then he would give her the rush of her life.

Zander Irizarry wasn’t a man who took a back seat to anyone and he wasn’t about to start now. Most people thought Jax was the one in the family with the headstrong and unbending will because of his stronger personality.  Yet, it was actually him especially when it came to certain things like Sabrina and his business.

Idea after idea raked through Zander’s mind as he thought about pulling out every trick in his book to make Sabrina see the error of her ways.
How could he take a pass on the most important woman in his life
?

Correction...Sabrina Watley was the only female in his life, heart and pretty soon it would be inside his big king sized bed which was mighty lonely at the moment.

Sabrina didn’t understand that he wanted time to get to know her. They had formed such a wonderful friendship first because of her bother but things between them had to move up and not down.

Zander was savoring the exact moment he would be able to say or do anything around Sabrina and knew she would still love him for being the man who he was and nothing else would matter.

The love he felt for Sabrina came from her being his mate and they shared a connection that would never be broken.  In addition , he was drawn to  Sabrina because of her uniqueness. She expressed something different that he hadn’t experienced before.

A woman’s individuality was extremely important to him. Sabrina enticed every part of his body and mind with her free thinking. She would never fit into a box for him or anyone else since she was creative, different and a tad bit shocking with her shared ideas. All of the qualities raced through the body of the woman he loved more than he could have thought possible.

From the first moment Zander had the pleasure of learning’s Sabrina’s beautiful name he got that feeling. She was the one woman who would appreciate his ideas and visions. Sabrina was everything he envisioned being connected to in a mate.

Sometimes he got a good kick out of seeing how Sabrina expressed herself when she didn’t know he was watching her. Everything about her was so open and free when she wasn’t guarding her movements from him.

However, the second he brought up anything besides friendship between the two of them, Sabrina locked herself up tighter than a bank vault.

Zander didn’t want to possess Sabrina and have her at his side twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. His woman loved being a court reporter and he never once thought about taking her job away from her.

All he wanted was for Sabrina’s eyes to light up when he walked into the room, the way Sahara’s did anytime his brother Jax was gone for any amount of time and came back.

Jax and his mate had a passionate love and marriage, but there was no doubt in anyone’s mind the love they shared for each other.

Removing his hand from behind his head, Zander placed it in the middle of his chest as his mind wandered back to the hot kiss he shared with Sabrina the other day at her house. The sweetness of her mouth lingered on his for the rest of the day.

The memory of Sabrina’s soft womanly curves pressed against his made his cock so hard that he had almost pulled it out then and there to relieve the ache, but he hadn’t wanted to scare Sabrina off. She wasn’t as outspoken as Sahara, but there was a hidden spunk. Zander sensed it every time he was in her presence, but Sabrina kept it hidden.

He couldn’t help but wonder how Jax stayed so on track all of those weeks he was around Sahara. For a short minute, he hadn’t believed Sahara was his
Unique
woman, but after he found out Jax still took his time winning her over.

Did he have the ability to take all of that time to romance and allow Sabrina to get used to the idea of her being with him forever when all he could think about was how it would be the first time he got to taste her?

His body grew hot at the mental image of Sabrina’s sweet blood flowing into his mouth as he sucked at her. Zander’s fangs descended so fast that he never got the chance to stop them. He couldn’t torture himself like this.

Night after night he spent thinking about Sabrina and how many different ways he wanted to find a way to make her accept him, but it wasn’t doing him any good. He needed to put a plan into action. Or he might reach his upcoming four hundredth birthday with Sabrina still thinking of him as her adoptive brother instead of a future lover.

Instead of keeping the idea of making love to Sabrina in his head, Zander thought of something else until his body eventually cooled off and he was able to think more rationally.

He was trying so hard to be good, but he was losing more and more of the battle each and every day.  What man human or vampire wouldn’t want to stake his claim on someone as luscious as Sabrina?

Nothing about her was clingy or needy, which turned him on. She wasn’t thinking or expecting him to complete her in anyway. Sabrina already knew who she was in every way that mattered expect one. She wasn’t aware of her birthright.

Making her identify with the seriousness of her birthmark was up to him. To give her all of that missing information would be difficult because she probably wouldn’t believe him which was understandable.

Sabrina might put on a hell of a fight, but he wasn’t going to back down. She would be in this bed next to him wrapped up safely in his arms. He was her mate and it was his duty to help her through the process of turning from a human into a vampire.

Glancing down at the sheet covering his lower body, Zander watched as his cock twitched and then grew harder at the thought of Sabrina living forever at his side. Easing his hand down his chest, over his stomach and then beneath the sheet, he wrapped his hand around his erection.

As his eyes slid closed, Zander slid his hand up and down the length imagining it was his mate’s soft touch instead of his own. Taking the pad of his thumb, he brushed it over the top of the mushroom head removing the touch of moisture that had gathered there while thoughts of Sabrina raked his mind.

Every inch of her body was made for him and only him. There was nothing about Sabrina he would want to change. The taste of her lips came alive under his. She wasn’t holding back at all when he made out with her at her house until something happened causing her to push him away once again.

What was going on with Sabrina that he wasn’t sensing?

Opening his eyes, Zander moved his hand off his throbbing erection and placed his hand back down on the mattress next to him. This wasn’t working. He shouldn’t be pleasing himself...not when he had a woman. Sabrina was his forever, his everything.

Why was he allowing her to take the lead when it came to their relationship or lack of one?

Zander flung the covers off his body and sat up on the side of the bed. Enough time had passed for Sabrina to get over whatever was keeping her from trusting him. She had to come to terms with the fact that there was something
hot
brewing between them.

As much as Sabrina’s mind wanted to deny the truth about him, her body couldn’t fight off its natural reaction and it should be that way. Chemistry wasn’t something a person could fake or manufacture.

True desire was hot, passionate and all consuming.

Zander felt how his heart danced with excitement at the idea when he would finally be given the complete go ahead to tell Sabrina the truth about who they were to each other.

Her sensual appeal was devastating, making it hard for him to deal with. Any time she came around his feelings for her intensified to the point he got so worked up. He was afraid that he might lose control the next time Sabrina was within touching distance of him.

Thought after thought barreled though Zander’s head of various ways to make Sabrina see that he wanted more than a purely sensual experience from her lovely body. Since he was the older one he should have better control over his urges.

But somehow Sabrina always found a way to make him sway to the wrong side of the road without even trying. Again just the mere brush of Sabrina’s name to his mind made his cock swell and grow another inch. Zander wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to hold back.

Since Sabrina was destined to be his, it made every pore in his body scream to pull her to him and make his claim, but he could hold off a little longer if he put his attention towards something else. She was worth the struggle he was going through during this ‘courtship.’

His beautiful woman was worth every pain and ache. He wouldn’t trade them for anything, but he had to take care of one problem tonight or he wouldn’t be able to get to sleep tonight.

Tossing the sheet off his heated body, he pushed his body up off the mattress. A cold shower would be the only thing he could do tonight to get rid of his massive erection under some sort of control.