Wolf With Benefits (4 page)

“Of course she does. She hasn’t changed how she did anything in the twenty five years I’ve been alive, why would she start now?” Shi thumped him between the shoulder blades. “Why am I packing?”

Spinning, he caught her fist before she could thump him again. She loved to beat on him and most days he didn’t mind. “I told you my plan last night. Let me guess, hangover ate your brain and you don’t remember?”

Her slow blink made him smile. Pressing a kiss to her fist, he set her hands against her chest before circling around her to finish emptying the bags.

“You were
serious
?”

“Not going to take the doubt in your tone as personally as some might.” Though damn, did she have to sound like he had the plague? “It’s a great plan. My mother is grieving. She misses Margo. Misses the opportunities with her. Hates having her seven-thousand miles away. So, I bring you home, move you in with me, and
voila
! She has a potential daughter-in-law…” He paused to study the pantry. Where the hell did they keep cereal? He didn’t even know the Sullivans ate cereal.

Shiloh plucked the box from his hand. “Those are for me.”

Oh. Right
. “Cool. So, Mom gets to enjoy having you around, and she’ll go crazy over the idea. We humor her for a few months while we live together and she has something else to focus on.”

“And when we’re clearly not fucking like bunnies, dog breath? What then?”

The mental image that conjured sent his blood drifting south. Coughing, he got his mind back on business. “Pickles? And why would they know we’re not having sex? Did you forget I live over the garage?”

“Second cupboard to the right of the fridge. Of course they’ll know. You wolves know everything your nose tells you. Why am I explaining this to you? You knew the day I lost my virginity.” Her voice climbed a note. “And to whom. Not like it wasn’t embarrassing enough, but you knew the guy and then you picked a fight with him.”

“Cause he was an asshole who didn’t wear a condom with a human.” With the pickles put away, he grabbed the bags of meat and put them on the island. In short order, he searched the drawers for the gloves and the Ziploc bags. “And you’re not packing.”
Fucking asshole put her in so much danger.

“I didn’t tell him he had to wear one. I’m on birth control.”

Slamming the meat down, he spun and pinned her with a look. She froze, her pupils dilated then contracted. Yeah, he probably looked as pissed as he felt, but she didn’t back away. “When having sex with humans, condoms aren’t negotiable. It’s the first rule every teen wolf learns. They know we’re going to have sex. They know we’re going to have a lot of sex. It’s
our
responsibility to protect you. He was an asshole. You are my friend. Now. Go pack.”

She folded her arms. “Not while you’re in this mood. You are not the boss of me.”

The growl rumbled from his chest all the way to his throat, but no sooner did he bare his teeth than she pinched his nostrils together and he choked. “Shi!” He caught her hand and tugged her close, trapping her between him and the counter. “I’m not in a
mood
. I want you out of this house while your parents are strangling you. I want you protected from the pack members who want to take out your perceived betrayal on you. I want you safe, and I want my mom happy. For once in my life, helping the two most important women I know are not mutually exclusive. No one is going to ask about whether we’re having sex or not.”

When she opened her mouth, he fought the urge to kiss her…
why bother?
He pressed his lips to hers in a swift kiss. The contact sent a thrill through him as she went silent. Damn, if it didn’t work. He was two-for-two. Swallowing the urge to kiss her again, he cupped her cheek instead.

“No one will ask, Shi. They’ll assume I’m using a condom. You staying with me means you’ll have enough of my scent on you that it would be
really
rude to ask.” When had her skin gotten so soft? His hand seemed so large against her fragile build. “If you can look me in the eye and tell me you’re happy here and that your parents aren’t driving you crazy, I’ll shut up and back off. But I don’t think you can. Worse, I don’t think they can protect you…but I
can
.”

His heart fisted in his chest, and his gut cramped. He needed her to say yes.

“Will you let me do this for you? Will you move in with me?”

Exhaling, she frowned, but didn’t reject him out of hand. “It will kill my parents if they think I’m moving in with a wolf.”

“They’ll survive. They might be pissed, but come on, I heard your mom. She’s pretty mad at you now.”

“It’s different, and you know that. They don’t like it when I date wolves. It’s why I didn’t tell them about Nash.”

His nostrils flared. Shiloh smelled like her…not any male. “Who’s Nash?”

“He’s a wolf.” The evasive answer didn’t make him happy. Narrowing the gap between them, he studied her.

“Uh huh. Not Willow Bend.”

“No,” she said the word too slowly, and elongated the syllable.

Which meant…
“A Three Rivers wolf?”

“He’s a nice guy. I think you’d like him.”

Not a chance.
“Well, he’s not here. Which means you still don’t have to tell them.”
Or see him.
The knowledge she’d hidden Nash from her parents grated on his nerves. She only hid what she valued. The boyfriends she flaunted usually didn’t mean much.
So why do I want to be one she flaunts?

He didn’t, but it would be safer for her.

“Matt.” She sighed. He recognized the tone. “I can’t ask you to do this.” When she rested her forehead against his chest, he relaxed. It wasn’t a no.

“You’re not asking.” Wrapping his arms around her, he snuggled her close. “I’m offering. Now go pack, and I’ll get the meat ready to go. We’ll be out of here before they get home, so you can leave them a note.”

Her palpable relief wreathed her. Yeah, as much as she wanted to argue, her parents were making her miserable. He could fix it.
One problem at a time
.

“Are you sure?”

“About being your permanent booty call for a while?” The tease got the right reaction, she laughed. “Damn straight.” He gave her ass a squeeze, and she jerked against him. “Now move it, pita. I got meat to break up.”

“You gotta watch the wandering hands.” Despite the admonition, she slipped from his arms and headed for the stairs.

“No I don’t,” he called after her with a grin. “We’re going to be living together. Get used to me grabbing your ass…” He heard the thump as she tripped on the last step and snickered. “And I expect you to grab mine!”

Her
argh
carried through the house and lightened his heart further. Having Shiloh around more was going to be fun.

S
hiloh braced
her hands against the tile she’d washed and rinsed with the nearly empty spray bottle she’d found hidden behind the toilet, then let the water wash over her. The roiling in her stomach hadn’t ceased since Matt hoisted her suitcases and carried them out to the jeep. Though hardly the first time she left the room she’d grown up in, it seemed to have a certain finality lacking in her previous excursions. Before, she left to go to college. Moving in with Matt, no matter how platonic, might be the proverbial straw which broke the camel’s back.

Sullivans didn’t become wolves. They’d moved to Willow Bend five—no, six— generations before when her great-great grandmother, then a widow, fell in love with a wolf and mated him. She took the bite. None of her three sons had. They married human women, raised human children, and those children married other humans. The Sullivans dirty secret, they were part of a pack but they would never fully embrace being a pack. Her great-great grandmother passed away when Shiloh was a baby. She’d never known her…
I can’t imagine your children rejecting everything about your lifestyle was fun.

No one in the family referred to her, especially not Delia. Shiloh’s mother resented the wolf side of the family for reasons beyond comprehension. Shaking off her sorrow, she finished washing her hair and rinsing away the aggravation of the day. At least with Matt, Shiloh might be able to relax for a few minutes without worry the next words out of her mouth would draw in a cold front as her family froze her out.

After showering, she toweled off and scowled at Matt’s bathroom counter. Products skewed across the marble countertop and hair littered the inside of the sink from where he’d shaved. The trash can was full. She’s already hung up the wet towels waiting on the floor. The whole place reeked of humidity and male. Tucking her towel at her breasts, she checked beneath the sink. No cleaning products, only empty containers of shampoo, conditioner and dead plastic wrapping from toilet paper.

Geez.

Opening the bathroom door, she padded toward the kitchen.

“Feel better?” Matt asked as she passed him.

“I was…until I saw your sink. I already cleaned the shower, but we need more cleaner.” She gaped at the sink full of dishes.
Later.
Crouching, she opened the doors to the storage beneath. Testing the containers she found one mostly empty bottle of dishwasher detergent, a dead and fossilized sponge, some scrubbing powder—also mostly empty—and some insect spray.
Really?

Something in the back looked suspiciously like it used to be paper towels, but it had been soaked through then dried out. Capturing it with two fingers she tried to tug it free and of course it stuck to the spot.

“Um, Shi?”

“Do you not have anything to clean with? At all?” She claimed the scrubbing powder, then checked the dead sponge. It was like a rock. If she soaked it in some hot water, it would work.

“Yeah there’s stuff in the bathroom.” His voice had a faint uncertain quality to it. “Um, Shi?”

Standing, she tried to balance the cleanser and sponge while catching her towel when it tried to slip. “Your bathroom is nasty, Matt. I thought you were a wolf, not a pig.”

At the stove, Matt stood, a beer in one hand and a spatula in the other, staring at her. “You—um—don’t have to clean my place.”

“If you want me to sleep here, I gotta clean it.” She didn’t even want to think about his bedroom. The apartment over the garage was four rooms, including the kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom. “If anything is growing in your bedroom, I’m gonna kill you. I want to make that clear.”

Smoke rose from the pan behind him. With an oath, he set aside his beer and dropped the spatula before grabbing the pan and flipping the blackened cheese sandwich. He removed the whole pan from the fire and turned off the stove. “My brother’s coming…” was the only warning he gave her before his arms came around her and his mouth closed over hers.

The world skittered to a stop. The first couple of kisses shocked her. This one
—
it
blew her away. His lips were soft, yet firm, and they stroked over hers like he belonged kissing her. The cleanser fell from her hand, and she fisted his shirt with every intention of shoving him away. When his tongue teased along her lips, she parted them and he swept inside. Electricity sizzled along her nerves, and she forgot how to breathe. Her knees weakened, and she leaned into him as their tongues tangled.

The door behind her opened. “Hey, Matt, I wanted to borrow…oh, hello.”

Matt broke their kiss and glared over her shoulder. “Knock next time.” The growl reverberating through his chest shook her. The sound of her heart was way too loud, and it slammed against her ribcage like a frantic animal ready to beat its way free.

“Sorry,” Robbie’s voice carried too much laughter to be a real apology. “Didn’t know you two swung that way…and, wow, nice ass, Shiloh.”

The snarl Matt loosed was so violent, she forgot about her towel or anything else as he launched away from her. Twisting, she caught sight of Robbie’s smirk right before Matt’s fist hit him. The two tumbled out the door and down the steps. The fall wouldn’t kill either of them.

“Boys!” Linda’s voice carried. “What have I told you about fighting?”

Two masculine voices twined when they replied. “We’re not fighting.” Then flesh slammed into flesh. The cold air from the wide-open door struck her overheated skin and she shuddered. Cobbling together her towel and dignity, she scooped up the cleanser and the dead sponge then ran for the bathroom. Once inside, she slammed the door and leaned against it.

Holy crap.

Matt kissed liked he meant it.

Her lips still tingled. Meeting her own gaze in the mirror, she wasn’t remotely surprised to find her face flushed and her lips swollen a little. When the hell had Matt learned to kiss?
And why am I mooning about it?
After dropping the towel, she left the cleaning supplies in the sink then hurried into her clothes. Bra, panties, t-shirt, jeans then she dragged her sweatshirt out of the bottom of the duffel bag
. Layers
. She needed them and lots of them.

Grabbing the cleanser, she spread it over the interior of the sink, added some water, and scrubbed. Leaving it to sit, she cleaned off the countertops. Discarded all the trash, before organizing what was left. Once it was neat, she returned to rinsing out the sink before adding the nasty sponge to the rest of the trash along with the empty cleanser container.

Her hands stopped shaking by the time she’d finished. After tucking her folded dirty clothes into the top of the duffel, she gathered the dirty towels. Matt had a washer and dryer in the back of the kitchen. To get to them, she had to leave the anonymity of the bathroom.

Rubbing a sweaty palm against her jeans, she scowled. Why was she nervous? It was Matt. Her best friend. He snored. Growled in his sleep. Ate right out of a can when he was starving. Sucked at math, but was amazeballs at history and dates. Licking her lips, she combed her fingers through her damp hair.

Towels. Washer.

No problem.

Letting herself out of the bathroom, she glanced at the door. It was closed. After the cleanser in the bathroom, the coffee was an even more welcome smell. “All clear, pita. Robbie’s gone.”

Matt sounded one thousand percent like himself, not remotely affected by their kiss. She wasn’t sure if she should be insulted or relieved. “Stop calling me pita, dog breath.” It came out a little more quivery than she liked, but she diverted into the kitchen with the wet towels in hand.

He laughed. “Grilled cheese is—what are you doing?”

“Washing your stinky towels.” Better to get them into the washing machine. She crossed the kitchen to the small units in the back corner. Flipping open the lid, she gaped. It was stuffed with wet—musty as hell—clothing. Sighing, she set the towels onto the top of the dryer and checked the dryer interior. Yep. Clothing there, too. “Do you ever clean?”

“I do.” He leaned past her, dumped some detergent into the washing machine before closing the lid and turning it on. “Sometimes I even remember to put it in the dryer. You’re not a maid, Shi. You’re my guest. Now come eat and have some coffee.”

With a gentle tug, he pulled her toward the stove where he placed a plate in her hand. Two grilled cheese sandwiches waited for her and they smelled fantastic. Biting into one, she watched while he made her coffee. The faint beginnings of a bruise decorated his right eye and his lower lip had a split. His poor, magical lips…
magical?
Shaking her head, she bit off another mouthful of sandwich.
Eat. Don’t drool.
She needed the advice printed on a t-shirt so she didn’t forget.

“So, we’re good. Robbie totally thinks we’re lovers.” He sounded so pleased with himself. “And I told Mom you’re here. She invited us to dinner tonight, but I said tomorrow would be better. We have a reunion to celebrate.”

Almost choking on the sandwich, she set the plate down so she could cover her mouth and cough.

“See, I told you it would work.” He patted her back, then pressed a mug of coffee in her hands. “It’s snowing, but I think there’s a football game on. Wanna watch?” He grabbed their plates and retreated into the living room ahead of her. “I’m beat anyway.”

She followed at a slower rate, trying to free the cheese from the roof of her mouth. He set the plates on a stack of magazines in the middle of the coffee table, then began to unearth his sofa from jackets, bags, and something she suspected she’d rather not identify.

The quake in her belly gave way to disapproval. “How do you live like this?”

“Really comfortably…aha.” He pulled a remote from beneath the cushions. “We’ll need this.” After flopping into place, he patted the seat next to him. “Come on, pita, you need to eat and you’re all moody after your day anyway.”

Resisting the urge to sniff the furniture, she eyed the rest of the disheveled room. Two, maybe three hours of steady cleaning and it would shine.

“Sit, pita.” Matt leaned his head against the sofa and stared at her. “Come on, I don’t bite and you’re exhausted.”

“Smell that can you?” It came out meaner than she meant. At his raised brows, she waved a hand. “Sorry, don’t mean to be a bitch.”

“Impossible. You’re only human.” The wink relaxed all the unease in her gut.

Setting her coffee cup down, she reclaimed her sandwich and settled onto the cushion next to him. “I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”

“And here I thought you were blown away by my powerful seduction in the kitchen.”

Shiloh groaned. “I don’t want to talk about the kiss.”

“Okay,” he said, agreeably.
Too agreeably.
He slung an arm around her then turned on the television. Peeking from one eye, she found a college game on the television. Her college.
Weird
. She’d gone to a couple of the games while at school, but football was boring. The quarterback tore across the field, thirty yards before getting sacked at the five-yard line. “Damn,” Matt winced. “That’s gonna leave a mark.”

Yeah, boring without Matt. “He should have had better guards.”

“Eh,” he shrugged. “They have time. They can still get a point or two.”

By the next quarter, she’d finished her sandwiches and drank all the coffee. The mess didn’t make her twitch, not much. The longer they sat and just watched the game, the more she relaxed. “Thanks for not asking.”

“For not asking what?”

“Why I came home.” Everyone asked…or at least they had. Most assumed. Some made up reasons and others didn’t give a damn, they were so pissed.

“I don’t have to ask.” He drained his coffee cup and glanced at her. “Want some more?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. Despite the food and caffeine, she was exhausted. Her parents weren’t home yet, because her cell phone hadn’t blown up. Or maybe they were, and they were happy to be rid of her. She tried not to let the last tweak her too much. “Why don’t you have to ask?”

He gathered their dishes and rose, circling the sofa and heading for the kitchen. Twisting, she followed him with a glance. “I don’t have to ask, Shi, cause Willow Bend is your home. Maybe everyone else forgot, but Mason didn’t or he wouldn’t have let you come back.” After placing the dishes in the sink, he opened the fridge and grabbed some water bottles. The interior looked a little gray and she winced. Was that red sauce on the bottom? “You belong in Willow Bend. Just like I do. Just like your family does. People are pissy. Give them a few months, they’ll start talking about something else or someone else and they’ll forget.”

“That I betrayed the pack? Broke the laws? Helped form an illegal sixth pack? Who’s dreaming now?” She didn’t regret her choices, not really. Her only regret…the image in the snow as Patrick landed, the sickening crunch of his neck snapping. They were stuck on repeat in her brain when she thought about that snowy night.

“Pretty much.” Despite his flip tone, he studied her as he returned to the sofa. He opened her water bottle before passing it to her. “I’m more interested in why you left Three Rivers.”

“Can’t it be for the same reason why I came home?”

“Sure,” he said, then took a long drink of the water. Only after he recapped the bottle and set it aside, then dragged a blanket over the top of them did he say, “But I don’t think you came home because you missed your parents. I’d like to think you came home for me, but you would have had to text me at least once or twice to make me think you missed me in the first place.”

Wincing, she stared at her bottle. “Okay, I’m a jerk. I get it. I’m sorry.”

“Not a jerk, but apology accepted.” His attention seemed to return to the game. “When you’re ready to tell me. You will.”

So much confidence.
Shiloh closed her eyes. If only everything in her life was as easy as her friendship with Matt. Even after the toe-curling kiss, he didn’t push her or dictate or make demands. He was just…Matt. A yawn cracked her jaw and when he nudged her head to his shoulder, she went. The steady beat of his heart accompanied the game, combining to make a soothing atmosphere.