Page 54 of His White Moonlight (Dominant CEO Shifter Romance #1)

Scowling, I focused on the path.

“You have nothing to be jealous about. He only calls when he wants help keeping an eye on you, like this run. He’s worried.

He mentioned that you told his friend something would happen before it did and that I should pay attention to what you say.

How many times are you right about that kind of stuff? ”

“I’d say about ninety percent of the time.”

“Okay. I don’t normally go to pack runs, but I think I’ll make this one an exception. Just to see what happens.”

“Is that your way of saying you won’t step in if there’s trouble?”

“Depends. Do you still want to go to school without Bennett?”

“Yes.”

“Then I won’t intervene until it looks like you’ll be seriously hurt.”

“Thanks. I’ll owe you a shopping trip.”

She grinned. “So will Bennett.”

We finished our run, grabbed some hot dogs from the street food cart, then walked back to the office.

Miranda went to the ladies' room to change into the clothes she’d stashed there since she hadn’t broken a sweat.

I hadn’t been as lucky. I walked past the other women in my shorts and sports bra, hearing their muttered grumbles.

“Flaunting your scent won’t help you get rid of him,” Olivia said as I passed her desk.

Ignoring her, I kept walking.

“See you at the run, charity bitch.”

Some of the other women laughed.

How did they know I’d be there?

Rounding the corner to enter the office suite, I saw Bennett on the phone through the blinds. He waved for me to enter, so I quietly let myself in.

“She just walked in. Yes. I’ll tell her.”

He hung up the phone and inhaled deeply.

“You’re annoyed. Wasn’t it a good run?”

“It was. How does Olivia know I’m going to the pack run?”

“I told Mom. Olivia overheard.”

“Who was on the phone just now?”

“Karter. He wants to know how long the silent treatment is going to last.”

I shrugged and started for the bathroom. “If they really wanted to talk to me, they’d come home.”

Bennett’s arms wrapped around me from behind, hugging me to his chest as he kissed the top of my head, then breathed in my scent.

“Sending them away hurt you. I’m sorry I did that.”

“They could have said no and stayed.”

He turned me to face him. “No, they couldn’t have. I was—I still am jealous of the way you can laugh and be happy with them, but not me. They’re my brothers. I love them. But I would have put them through a wall if you’d hugged them like I want you to hug me.”

“That sounds like a you problem, not a me problem.”

He huffed out an impatient breath. “I don’t want you to hate them for something I made them do.”

“I don’t hate them. However, that doesn’t mean I'm ready to forgive them for abandoning me when I needed my brothers. But I get it. I don’t really have any brothers. They were just loaned out to me.”

Bennett’s grip on my arms twitched.

“You are exceptionally good at provoking me.”

“And you’re getting better at not reacting to it.”

“Is there a reason you need to provoke me?”

“Yeah, to remind you why I don’t like you.”

“I’ve smelled your desire and know that’s a lie.”

“Desire is attraction; it’s not affection.”

His jaw clenched, and I patted his chest before extracting myself from his hold.

“I'd better shower and get to work.”

Closing myself in his bathroom, I studied myself in the mirror. My light brown hair was damp around my temples. My face was flushed from the run, making my grey eyes more vibrant. It didn’t mask the hint of sadness in them or the determination.

Playing dirty wasn’t nice, but it was necessary. An angry Bennett today would provoke Olivia to try harder to come after me tomorrow at the pack run. Did I want to be hurt? Hell no. Pain sucked. But a little pain now was more likely to ensure minimal pain in the future. And that was all I wanted.

A pain-free future that I shaped with my own choices.

Something slammed outside the door, and I started the shower, hurrying through the process so Bennett wouldn’t storm in. However, he wasn’t in his office when I emerged again clean and fully dressed. Miranda was, though.

She was sitting in his office chair.

“Pretty sure he’s not going to like that,” I said.

She shrugged. “Pretty sure he can’t get any madder. What did you do to him?”

“Same old, same old. Said stuff he didn’t like hearing.”

She lifted my phone from the surface of his desk.

“It’s been making a lot of noise.”

I checked and found ten missed calls from Grandma and Mom.

“This family is suffocating me,” I said without any feeling.

“Maybe it only feels like that because you’re used to thinking no one cares.”

I looked up from my ringing phone and stared at Miranda for a few seconds before answering Grandma’s call.

“Jorge’s whore house,” I said. “If you’ve got the bank, we've got the spank. Who are you calling for?”

Miranda lost it so bad that I could barely hear Grandma’s snort.

“You don’t seem to be in a bad mood,” she said as I moved away from Miranda.

“I’m not. Bennett is, though. Is he why you called?”

“He’s in with your Mom. He said you’re acting like you don’t have a family again.”

“He’s not wrong.”

“Why?”

I sighed and sat on the couch. “Because loving someone can’t be forced. Because I’m so tired of being emotionally manipulated. Because…I’m angry. All the time. I guess I’m just being a menace.”

She chuckled.

“Okay. Then carry on. I love you, my little Wren.”

“Love you too, Grandma.”

“Grandma?” Miranda asked as I hung up. “You answered like that for your Grandma?”

“Bennett’s Grandma, technically, but yes.”

“What was her reaction?”

“She was amused.”

“I know you don’t feel this way, but you are so lucky. I’d kill for in-laws that loved me like that.”

“Thanks for the warning. I’ll watch my back.”

She laughed and followed me out of the office.

Bennett came back after an hour. He scowled at me as he stalked past and kept his door open. Miranda and I didn’t talk, but I could sense she was bursting with silent commentary.

Five minutes before it was time to shut down, Bennett knocked on my desk to gain my attention. When I pulled my gaze away from my spreadsheet to look up at him, I regretted it. He didn’t look well. His pupils were blown wide, his jaw was twitching, and his hair was sticking out in a few places.

“Mom and Dad want to have dinner with us tonight. What would you like to eat?”

“A bacon cheeseburger?” I said it like a question since I didn’t want to set him off.

His expression slipped behind his mask again.

“You smell nervous,” Miranda said. “It’s making him smell nervous.”

His gaze flicked to her. She shrugged and closed her laptop.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said to me. “Maybe less attitude at dinner.”

Then she left me alone with Bennett, who still looked like a bomb that was one sneeze away from exploding.

“What time are we meeting them?” I asked.

“Do you still consider Miranda your friend?”

“Yeah. Why? Shouldn’t I?”

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “No. She’s fine. Can we talk in my office?”

“Sure.”

He followed me inside and closed the door.

“Are you still mad about what I said?” I asked.

“I’m not mad. I wasn’t mad when you said it. I’m…lost.” He closed the distance between us but didn’t reach for me. The mask slipped, and I saw his need and desperation. “Do I matter to you at all? Even a little?”

His words speared me.

“No,” he said, hugging me desperately to his chest. “Don’t feel guilty. I don’t want your guilt, Wrenly.”

I pushed at his chest. “I can’t breathe.”

He released me as quickly as he’d grabbed me and ran his hand through his hair again.

Understanding that I’d pushed him too far, I caught his free hand by his fingertips. He froze then slowly lowered his other hand to his side.

“I’m sorry.”

His expression turned pained. “No, Wrenly. You have nothing?—”

I covered his mouth.

“I'm sorry for being mean on purpose. Can I hug you to make it up to you? No timer.”

He nodded, and I dropped my hand to his waist, leaning into him.

“You do matter, Bennett. You always have.”

A tremor shook its way through him, and I felt his lips brush the top of my head. I held him until his shaking stopped, then pulled back to study his calmer expression.

“Do you think you can make it through dinner now?” I asked.

“Do you still want to go?”

“Do you?”

His gaze swept over my face and landed on my mouth.

“Don’t kiss me if you’re going to cut it off shy of five minutes again,” I said.

He caught my face between his hands. My heart started to beat faster in anticipation as he closed the distance between us. His lips gently met mine in a fleeting, sweet kiss. Then he touched his forehead to mine.

“I’m starting to understand how you feel. I hate my life, Wrenly.”

“No you don’t. You just hate the mistakes you’ve made that are keeping you from what you want.”

He groaned and kissed my nose, my cheek, my eyelid. Tipping my head back, I let him pepper my face with little kisses, even while knowing I shouldn’t encourage it. But I didn’t want to stop him either. It felt nice, each one softening my resistance just a bit more.

His thumbs stroked over my cheeks as his mouth hovered over mine for two heartbeats. His lips met mine again, but the gentleness was gone. Hunger had consumed it and attempted to do the same to me as he nipped my bottom lip and stroked his tongue against mine.

My head swam with need for him.

When one hand left my face and settled on my side, just below my breast, I tore my mouth from his.

I only managed a brief gasp for air before his mouth was on me again.

He swallowed the sound I made as his hand covered my breast. He kneaded it, sparking something dangerous inside of me.

Something that had me gripping his shoulders for balance.

He ended the kiss, breathing heavily against my temple as he wrapped me in his arms. His shaking was so pronounced that it felt like a never-ending shiver.

“I need…don’t move…give me a minute.”

His desk phone started to ring. I looked at it, and he growled, which earned him a poke to his side.

“I think it’s Mom. You should answer it.”

Untangling myself from his hold wasn’t easy. It took so long that the phone stopped ringing.

“Bennett, cut it out. Let go.”

“I can’t.”

“I’m going to stomp on your foot again.”

“Okay.”

I pulled his hair instead. He grunted and finally let go.

“You’re annoying me.”

“Same,” he said with a scowl.

Rather than turning my back on him, I pointed to the door.

“Out. I’ll follow.”

“No.”

“Afraid I’ll watch your butt and like it?”

He blinked at me. His stunned expression was so comical that I couldn't help but grin.

“You won’t know unless you try it,” I said.

He turned and walked out the door. Feeling a little victorious and relieved that I didn’t have to watch my back, I followed him, stopping briefly at my desk to shut down and grab my things.

Mom and Dad were headed our way as we turned the corner.

“Oh good,” Mom said. “I was worried we missed you. I thought maybe we could drive together.”

“No,” Bennett said at the same time as I said, “Sure.”

Mom’s smile faded as her gaze bounced between us, and Dad put his arm around her.

“Maybe we should drive separately,” he said.

“Why? Because Bennett’s in a mood?” I asked. “If he’d rather drive by himself, let him. I’d actually like to spend some time with both of you…If I’m allowed to.”

The sound of Bennett’s defeated exhale was like the end of the round bell in boxing. I smiled at Mom and moved to hook my arm through hers.

“Where were you thinking of eating?” I asked, leading her away.