Page 48 of His True Mate

I enjoyed the light bantering with her. It made me feel more normal than the obsessive need to protect her and shield her from all prying male eyes. Hell, I’d probably even struggle with a female looking her way right about now.

Checking the time when we pulled up, I realized I had just enough time to catch up on my show before the new episode aired. Then I thought better of it. Maybe I didn’t need to share everything with my mate on day one.

Instead, I picked up the pizza and headed back to the house.

Normally I’d strip out of the confines of my clothes and sit around the house naked. I didn’t want to freak her out though, so instead I left my boxer briefs on.

“So we’re getting comfortable, I guess,” she muttered and much to my shock, she followed my lead stripping out of her clothes and only leaving a lacey black thong and matching bra on.

I gulped hard as she sat across my kitchen table and dug into a slice of pizza.

My mouth was dry, and I couldn’t stop staring.

“What? Wait, was I supposed to stay covered up while you parade around naked?” she challenged.

“I’m not naked.” I would have been, but I was actually trying to be considerate to her.

This was backfiring quickly.

“And I was just following your example,” she said with a smirk.

“Winnie, you really should put some clothes back on,” I told her in a deep voice that clearly affected her, but not in the way I thought it would.

“Are we expecting company?”

“No.”

“Then what’s the problem? You want me to sit around all evening staring at you while you don’t have to look at me? That doesn’t work for me. Fair’s fair, Clay.”

“I have on my underwear. There’s nothing sexy about this, but you, you’re wearing lingerie. That’s an unfair advantage to put on me.”

She scowled. “Do you really think that six-pack doesn’t affect me any? At least now I know where the name comes from. Are all of you cut like this?”

My jaw dropped open and then I shut it.

I knew women found me attractive. I’d never really given it much of a thought, though, and I didn’t go out of my way to draw attention to it the way Emmett did.

Learning that my mate liked what she saw pleased me more than it should.

“Look. How about you just go about your evening as if I’m not even here?”

I grinned and considered that for a second.

“Be careful what you ask for, sweetheart,” I said and then without thinking things through, as was becoming a problem with her around, I stood up, removed my boxers leaving them on the kitchen floor, grabbed the box of pizza and took it to the living room. I set it down on the coffee table, helped myself to a slice, and reclined in my favorite chair.

Her jaw dropped in shock, but I tried to ignore it and the fact that I very much wanted her to use that perfect mouth of hers for other things.

I was fully erect just thinking about it. Still, I didn’t move to cover myself.

“Well, two can play this game,” she said as if I’d somehow issued her another challenge.

She stood up right in front of me and slowly unclasped her bra letting it drop to the floor before that sultry little minx removed her panties.

I was pretty certain she was trying to kill me.

A man could only take so much before he cracked, and as I sat there staring at her magnificent tits, I was pretty close to cracking and taking exactly what I wanted.

“I don’t think staring at me is on your normal list of evening activities.”