Chapter 10

Bailey

I had siblings, but nothing like the Davenports. We'd never been close and at this point in my life, I didn't expect we ever would be. Dean's family was very different from my own. You can feel the love between them and despite everything, they were willing to stand up and support us without really knowing anything about me.

The ladies had all but dragged him away from me when they descended. I'd been asked what had felt like a million questions, but none of them had been inappropriate. They just genuinely seemed like they wanted to know me.

For a girl used to staying out of the spotlight, it was all a bit overwhelming.

Still, they went out of their way to make me feel included.

"So you work for Westin Force?" Gracie asked.

"Kind of, but not really. I'm just doing a semester internship with them."

"Then what?" she pressed.

"Um, college. Or that's the plan, at least. I got accepted into Archibald Reynolds but delayed admission until January when this internship was offered to me."

They shared a worried look.

"The ARC is a long way from Ravenden," Gia said.

"I know."

"Where will that put you and Dean?"

"I don't know. This is all very new. We haven't even really talked about anything yet."

"But you are going to give him a chance, right?" Gia demanded.

"Is that really what you guys want for him? I've been thoroughly briefed on raven culture before my arrival. You guys aren't really known for accepting outsiders."

"True, but we all found our true mates and we know how important that bond is. We would never want anything less for Dean," Gia said.

"Basically, you aren't going to get rid of us that easily," Gracie teased.

"If they can accept Elias mating a Grimes, then who am I to judge a wolf?" Kim said.

"Honestly, I didn't even know such a thing was possible," Gracie admitted.

"We've seen a few instances of interspecies true mates, but they do seem to be very rare. I know several compatible mated couples of different species, but true mates? I personally know one, well, sort of two if you consider a wolf/human pairing interspecies."

"A wolf found his true mate to be a human?" Gia asked.

"Yup. I don't know them personally, but my best friend, Oscar, does. And back home, Westin Pack welcomes shifters of all kinds. No one would blink an eye in our direction there."

"Are you friends with other shifter types?" Kim asked.

"Of course. Oscar's a tiger. And my other best friend is an opossum."

"Wow. That's just crazy," she said. "I know, like some of the Westin Force guys aren't ravens and I've spoken to them when in town. I was even working the day Kelsey Westin and a few others rolled into town for the first time. Blew my mind to meet another shifter like that, but I can't imagine living the way you're describing."

Gracie elbowed her and shot her a look.

"What?"

"We want her to feel comfortable enough to stay."

"Stay?" I asked. "I hadn't even considered that."

"Dean's important here and a vital part of Ravenden security. Of course, we want you to feel comfortable enough to stay."

They were worried I was going to take him away from here.

Was I?

My head was spinning with unanswered questions now. Things I hadn't even thought to think about yet.

"You don't have to make any decisions today," Gia said. "We just want you to know that if you do stay, we've got your back."

"Um, thanks."

At that point, Dean finally came over to rescue me.

I yawned. "It's getting late. I should get back to the motel."

"I was just thinking the same thing. It's been a long crazy day. Your motel is close by. I'll walk you."

I hesitated.

"It's late. No one will see us."

I rose and mumbled a goodbye to everyone.

Feeling so overwhelmed by everything, all I wanted to do was curl up and cry myself to sleep.

"I think we may have overdone it," I heard Gracie say as we were leaving.

"I just want her to feel more welcome than I did coming into this family," Kim said.

"And I feel so guilty about that. I may have gone a little overboard trying to be supportive."

The three of them laughed.

"They are cute together," she added.

When the door shut behind us, it was the first time we'd really been alone since Gracie drove up to the cliffs hours ago. I was exhausted and my head was swimming from all they had said.

I thought that with how open everyone was about our mating that when it was just the two of us again that it would feel awkward, but it didn't at all.

We walked down side streets and moved through the shadows of the night. He was right, no one was around.

"Ravens aren't really known for being night fliers. Most people are settled in for the night by eight or nine. It's nearly midnight. This town is long asleep by now."

When the motel came into sight, we stood in across the street between two buildings. Neither of us seemed to be in a rush to leave the other.

"Well, this is me."

"Can I come in? We should probably talk about this."

"Um, probably not a good idea. Someone could see you."

"No one will think anything of it."

Pain sliced through my chest at his insinuation. Was that because he frequented the place with all his women?

"Hey, what just happened?"

"Nothing," I lied.

He gave me a skeptical look but didn't call me out on it.

"First floor or second?"

"Second?"

"Room number?"

"206."

"Okay. Go inside and then open the bathroom window. No one will see a thing. There won't even be anything on camera."

He started taking off his clothes.

"What are you doing?"

"I can just leave them here if you want, but I thought I might need them once inside."

His smile was full of insinuations that made me nervous as hell.

What was I doing?

I'd never really been alone with a man before unless you counted Oscar, which I did not. And I certainly had never been alone with Oscar naked.

I tried not to look at his naked form as he handed me his clothes. Snatching them up, I ran across the street and up the stairs until I reach my room. That was when I realized I didn't have a key. So, I had to walk back downstairs and retrieve an extra one from the lobby. Only the guy manning the desk was asleep, and I was positive I was going to wake the entire complex as I banged on the window to wake him up.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I had the key, walked back upstairs, and let myself into my room.

Surely Dean had given up and flown home after all of that, but I couldn't help myself, I had to check.

When I opened the window, he wasn't there.

I sighed and started to close it when a big black bird flew inside.

His sudden appearance made me jump, but I refrained from screaming.

"I thought you'd have left by now."

"Nah. I saw you run back down to get the key. Kenny can be a bitch to wake up when he's working the night shift. Always falls asleep and most of the time he can get away with it."

"Not today."

"Not today," he agreed.

We were standing in the crammed little bathroom and it dawned on me that he was entirely naked. Without thinking, my eyes drifted lower. I'd already seen him naked, but this time I really took a good look at him. I watched as his male member sort of jumped. I didn't know it could do that and after the day I just had I found it funny. I tried not to laugh, though. I didn't want him to feel self-conscious about it.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing."

"Bailey?"

"Fine, it's just that your thinga-ma-ding kinda looks like it's dancing."

He looked down. "My thinga-ma-ding?"

"You know. . ." I pointed.

"Did you really just call my cock a thinga-ma-ding?"

I cringed. "I hate that word. It sounds so vulgar."

"Sorry. I guess my thinga-ma-ding just has a mind of its own and right now he looks veryhappy to see you."

My jaw went slack, and I knew my eyes went wide. "I'm not ready for that," I blurted out.

I desperately needed to put some space between us, so I abruptly left the bathroom. When he followed me, the larger room felt even smaller as the bed seemed to glaringly fill the space. How could I have been so stupid to allow him up to my room?

I wasn't ready for any of this, and I blurted that out too because apparently whatever I thought was now spewing from my lips without any filter.

"I know you've got a lot of experience in this department, but I don't and I'm not ready for any of this."

"Bailey, relax. Nothing is going to happen."

He stepped up and wrapped me in his arms. His actions were in stark contrast to his words, but he just held me, letting his touch soothe my anxiety.

"I know you've caught wind of my reputation around here, and I'm sorry for that. But I can't change my past. I like to have a good time. It feels good. But I'm also terrified of taking things too quickly with you. And I hate the idea of frightening you." He reached up and caressed my cheek. "I still don't understand how any of this is possible, but it could be the start of forever for us and I'm terrified of screwing that up."

His vulnerability touched me.

"I've never been with a guy before, Dean. You have all this experience and I know absolutely nothing. I haven't even really kissed a guy before. I mean, Oscar, once, but we don't count that."

I was nervous and rambling like my mouth was vomiting up words. I couldn't believe I'd just confessed all that to him.

"We'll take things slow, and when the time comes, I'll teach you everything you need to know. Okay?"

I hesitated, then slowly nodded.

He was saying and doing all the right things, and I was just beginning to relax when he reached out and brushed my hair away from my face.

"First there's one thing I have to do," he whispered.

Like a fool, I was still waiting for him to tell me as he leaned in close. Instead of whispering some secret confession, he kissed me.

It felt like static electricity sparked between us, but instead of pushing me away, it pulled me in for more.

His lips were gentle at first, soft and teasing.

I wanted more.

It felt like he knew exactly what I needed too, because he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me harder.

When he licked the seam of my lips, they parted on a soft gasp.

His tongue swept inside to dance with mine. It made my head swim as I swooned in the moment.

So this is what it felt like to truly be kissed.

I had no concept of time as we stood there kissing until he finally pulled back and grinned at me.

"Sorry. I know I said we'd take things slow, but every woman deserves a proper kiss."

I nodded, then wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him back for more.

We kissed and explored each other's lips without taking things any further. Though I knew that if he had pushed for more, I would have submitted without question and probably regret it later. I wasn't so certain on the regret part, though.

I'd be lying to myself if I said I wasn't curious.

I wanted him like I'd never wanted anything in my entire life.

But as his thinga-ma-ding bounced happily between us, reality came crashing in around me.

I slowed our pace and gave him one final peck before stepping away.

The back of my knees hit the edge of the bed and I sat down hard, staring up at him in wonder. I reached up and touched my swollen lips, feeling dazed from those kisses.

As his thinga-ma-ding danced before my eyes, I was drawn to it, mesmerized. I licked my lips as I watched, fascinated by the way it moved.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath.

I looked up into his eyes and saw they were filled with desire.

I'd done that to him.

Knowing how much that kiss had affected him too made me feel powerful in a way I'd never known before.

"I should get dressed before I do something we can't undo."

I nodded, but a part of me wished I was brave enough to just throw caution to the wind and strip out of my own clothes to see what came next.

True to his word, nothing else happened. Dean got dressed and then took a seat as far away from the bed as possible.

He ran a hand through his now mussed hair. I was pretty sure I'd done that while we were kissing. He normally looked perfectly groomed and in control, but now he looked as though he were caught in an internal battle trying to do the right thing. I liked seeing him this way, just on the edge of being out of control.

"If we keep this up, we're only going to encourage the bond to strengthen."

"Pretty sure we're already doing that," I admitted.

"Are you okay with that?"

"Are you?" I asked, turning the question back on him.

"I am," he admitted.

"I'm scared," I confessed.

"Me too, but I think I'm more scared that you'll just vanish before my eyes than facing the obstacles ahead of us."

"This is crazy."

"Probably the dumbest, craziest thing I've ever done."

"Something tells me you've done a lot of dumb and crazy things in your life."

"You could say that."

"We're really doing this?"

"I don't know when it happened or why, but I'm struggling just to fly home tonight. I have no clue how I'll survive tomorrow, not seeing you every second of the day."

My shoulders sagged. "This is going to be harder than I thought."

"I know you don't want anyone else to find out about us. I'll try my best to respect that, but I have a feeling I'm going to need to see you."

"I have to report back to work first thing in the morning."

"I know. I have things I have to do, too."

"I don't want to think about that right now," I admitted.

"Maybe we should try getting to know each other better. Tell me about this friend of yours."

"Oscar? He's the best. . ."

For the next few hours, we stayed up talking about anything and everything, until I could no longer keep my eyes open and I drifted off to sleep.