“It is going to take a lot of self-control, but I think I can manage as long as no one touches you. And, Sally mine, when I say no one that includes the males in our pack.”
Sally nodded as she looked at his lips, which were in a tight line. She reached up and ran her finger gently across them, trying to relax them. Costin closed his eyes and she watched as her touch brought him down from the anger he was feeling.
“It’s going to suck to not be with you at night,” Costin told her, his lips once again getting taut in frustration.
“Where are you planning on being?” Sally asked, knowing full well that he was thinking that she was not sharing a room with him.
Costin’s eyes narrowed. Though not glowing as bright as they had been, they still had not returned to their normal hazel.
“Are you telling me we are sharing a room?” he asked hopefully.
Sally grinned and nodded. “I figured that we will need each other’s presence after being in the bar with me trying to avoid males and you trying not to kill them.”
Costin wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He pressed his face into her hair and neck and took a deep breath. Sally was frozen. They had not shown this much affection in public and she wasn’t exactly sure how to respond.
“Thank you,” he whispered against her skin. “You honor me as your mate by thinking about what I would need from you, and by being honest with me about what you will need.”
Sally pulled back and, making an impulsive decision, stood up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his full lips.
Costin was still for all of one beat of his heart and then he was pulling her tighter against him. Lifting one hand to the nape of her neck, he guided her head to the side so he could deepen the kiss. It wasn’t until Jen’s voice pierced the haze of her mind that Sally pulled back.
“Well, if I had known that all it would take to get these two prudes together was to walk them into a hotel lobby I would have done it weeks ago,” she said. The others chuckled while Sally turned a bright shade of red.
Costin had a smug smile plastered on his face, obviously pleased that his kiss had made Sally forget her surroundings.
Sally noticed his smugness and elbowed him in the stomach. Costin leaned down and nipped her ear just enough to retaliate and then kissed her in the same spot.
“Would you please try to behave?” Sally asked, using their bond.
“Behaving would mean that I can’t touch you, kiss you, bite you, or lick you. That is unacceptable”
Sally choked as she swallowed, his words registering in her mind.
“Did you just say lick?” Costin could hear how breathless she was.
“Indeed I did.”
“Oh, boy,” she muttered under her breath, a laughing Costin following as they headed for their room.
It was decided that Cynthia, Peri, and Elle – when she arrived – would share a room. Decebel would be with Jen ,and Sorin and Drake would share a room. Decebel had made sure to have the girls’ room and Costin and Sally’s room in between his own and the other males. He also had requested that the rooms be on the ground level next to an exit.
As they reached the rooms Decebel stopped and turned and addressed the group. “After everyone gets settled and rested we will head on over to the bar to meet the owner. Take an hour to relax and then we'll be on our way.”
~
Jacque stretched her legs as she stood next to the van. Four hours cramped in the vehicle had made her stiff. Her thoughts kept wandering back to Sally and Jen. She had tried texting them but hadn’t received a response from either one. Fane, of course, kept telling her not to worry, but that was easier said than done.
“How are you doing?” Alina asked as she came up beside Jacque.
Jacque let out a slow breath before she answered her mother-in-law.
“It’s just weird not being with them. We’ve always gotten in all our trouble together.”
Alina chuckled. “You are implying that at least one of you will be getting into trouble.”
Jacque grinned. “I will ask you the same thing I asked your son – you do realize we are including Jen in this scenario right?”
“Okay, I can concede to that. That one could find trouble in the simplest of situations.”