It would settle my wolf, for sure. I wrote that down. Amazing sex? Yeah, that had to go on the list. I didn’t know firsthand, but everything I’d heard indicated that sex with your mate was off-the-charts mind-blowingly amazing.
What else? Nothing came to mind. I tapped my pen on the legal pad, trying desperately to think of something else since I had sex written down on the paper. But damn it, I couldn’t think of anything except that.
An image flashed in my mind, unbidden. Of Easton, his blue eyes bright and full of mischief, on his knees before me, his pink tongue darting out to caress my dick.
“Fuck,” I growled, throwing the pen down and standing up abruptly. My chair went flying across the room, but I didn’t care. I paced the length of the conference room, trying to think of something else—anything else.
But my dick was hard. I ground my teeth together and raked my hand through my hair. Bullshit. This was utter bullshit. I didn’t have time for it. I didn’t want a mate. And I certainly didn’t want Easton, despite what the throbbing ache in my pants indicated.
With a frustrated grunt, I grabbed the legal pad and ripped the whole thing right in two then tossed it in the trash. So much for clearing my mind by making a list.
It didn’t matter, though. It was evident the cons far outweighed the pros. Which meant I was right in my decision. There was no future between Easton Moore and me.
Irritated that I’d wasted so much time thinking about him, falling further and further behind on my cases, I vowed to put him out of my mind once and for all. I had a hectic few weeks ahead of me, which was all the better. Work would keep me so busy I wouldn’t have a minute to even think about Easton. And that would be the end of it.
That wasn’t the end of it. Two more weeks passed, and I still hadn’t been able to get Easton out of my mind. I was going crazy. That had to be it. My wolf was making me question myself and my resolve.
And it frustrated the fuck out of me.
Work was getting busier by the day, and my head was still jumbled with thoughts of Easton. Not to mention my dreams. At least when I was awake I could try to distract myself, busy myself with my ever-growing list of things to do. But when I was asleep… I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
My dreams seemed to get more and more vivid as the days wore on. More and more graphic. In fact, last night, I could have sworn my dream was real—Easton pinned beneath me, digging his fingers into my chest as I thrust my rock-hard cock inside his tight ass. I’d woken up sweaty and aching and needy, and I had only been able to go to sleep once I’d taken matters into my own hands.
I’d come hard to the images in my dream, and I didn’t know what the fuck to do, how to make it stop. I might not have been Easton’s biggest fan, not with that brash, assuming personality of his. But I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t good looking.
Fucking hot as hell was more like it. I groaned at the thought and told myself to get back to work. It was Thursday afternoon, and I’d promised I would wrap up my caseload and actually take a weekend off since I’d worked non-stop for nearly three weeks—since the party at Tuck’s house.
But as was becoming my new normal, I couldn’t seem to focus. I wondered what Easton was thinking; if he’d been plagued by thoughts of me as I had of him. He’d obviously felt that instinctive pull between our wolves, but he’d seemed as adamant as me not to do a damn thing about it. Still… I eyed my phone and debated calling up Tuck to pick his brain. To find out if Easton had mentioned me at all to him or Jamie.
I shoved the notion away. Stupid. That was what that would be. But a few minutes later, I found myself staring at the phone again.
“Fuck it,” I muttered. I wasn’t going to get anything done now the idea had taken shape.
Tuck answered with a cheerful greeting. “What’s up, dude? Good to hear from you!”
“Hey, yeah. Sorry it’s been a while.” Tuck had called and texted a couple of times over the past few weeks with pictures of Addison and invitations to drop by whenever I wanted.
“Busy with work?” No judgment in his voice. But I still felt guilty.
“Yeah. I’m sorry,” I repeated. “I should do a better job of coming to see you guys. That last pic of Addison, man. He’s growing so fast.”
“It’s pretty hard to believe he’s almost three months old. But you know our door is always open.”
“Thanks,” I said, and meant it. No matter what, Tuck had always been there for me. He probably understood better than anyone why relationships were hard for me, and he’d been patient with me through the years, even when I was a shitty friend.
“How is Amelie doing with the new baby? Is she was adjusting to the changes, and how are you and Jamie holding up?”
“Things are great with Addison, though Jamie and I had to have a talk with Amy. She’s struggling, feeling like she isn’t getting any of our time and attention. And she has a point. There have been a lot of changes, and babies require a lot.”
I could easily guess what she felt like, and my heart went out to her. I’d never gotten the attention I craved as a child, and I could only imagine how hard it was for her to go from being an only child to having to share her parents’ love and affection. Though Tuck and Jamie were nothing like my parents, it still had to be difficult for Amy.
“I’m going to make some time to take her out,” I told Tuck. “Just the two of us. I know she could really use some one-on-one time, and I’ll make her feel special.”
“And that’s why you’re my kids’ godfather. She’ll love that. Thank you,” he said, a smile in his voice. “But… How are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m great. Busy with work, but that’s nothing new.” I pointedly ignored the underlying meaning of his question, forcing my voice to sound light and easy.
But Tuck was nothing if not perceptive, and he knew me better than anyone. “Uh-huh. Right. You expect me to believe you only called to ask about the kids?”
I sighed. Well, since he’d called me on it, I might as well find out what I’d wanted to know.
“Fine. I may be a little curious about something else.”
“Someone else,” Tuck said, and I could practically hear the smirk on his face.
“I just wanted to know if Easton had asked about me at all.” It sounded pathetic, even to me.
“No,” he replied, and my heart sank for some reason I couldn’t explain.
But why would Easton enquire about me? He’d made it clear he wasn’t interested.
“However…”
“What?” I asked, too quickly to pretend that part of me didn’t care at least a little. Maybe I just wanted to know I wasn’t the only one struggling with this.
“I don’t know. I just think it’s funny how you and Easton are both trying to be subtle about all of this. Playing it off like you don’t care. And you’re both failing miserably at it.”
My heart beat a little faster at his words, though I tried to ignore it. “I just wanted to make sure he’s okay. I shot him down pretty hard, and I was worried he might be pining over me.”
Tuck snorted like he didn’t buy it for a second. “Don’t worry about it. Easton is not the type of person to pine.”