Shaw (Alpha Geek #6) - Milly Taiden Page 0,16

Nick would immediately know something was amiss.

All that Shaw could hope for was that it would all be worth it in the end.

He drove home with the serum burning a hole in his pocket.

Chapter Eight

Poppy

Poppy couldn’t quite believe how lucky she was that her mate was a sweetheart. Physically, he wasn’t exactly what she usually preferred. But really, what was it worth to have a man with insanely defined abs if he was an idiot? If he was self-centered? If he was an egotistical narcissist?

Nope.

Not worth it.

Shaw might have been a lanky bean pole, but he was funny and kind. He made her heart beat faster just because of who he was. And that was a precious thing to find in a very superficial word. Poppy really hoped things would develop with Shaw.

He was her mate, after all.

“And?” Dakota did a funny little happy dance as she repeated her question over and over again. She shimmied her shoulders. “Did you like your coffee date with Shaw?” She drew out the last syllable like it was a song. Shaaaaaaw.

Poppy rolled her eyes, not able to contain her smile as she walked toward her friend and the overly large black SUV. She covered her cheeks with both hands in hopes of hiding the fact that she was definitely blushing like crazy. “He is really sweet,” she answered.

“He’s your mate, and that’s all you have to say? That he’s sweet?” Dakota rolled her eyes. “Kids these days.”

Poppy didn’t even bother pointing out that they were the same age. Dakota had a mate and a kid on the way, so she definitely knew things about life that were still a mystery to Poppy, she couldn’t argue that.

“Well, Shaw is a hell of a lot more than just sweet, I will admit. But can I ask you something about mates? Is it normal that everything he does is just absolutely enticing? I wanted to jump his bones about two dozen times during that super short date. He stirred his straw, and I was like, oh yeah, move that straw. He ran his hand through his hair? I nearly moaned. Is there something wrong with me?”

Dakota shook her head and laughed heartily.

“Fuck, no. That’s what it’s like to meet your mate. When I met Bennett, he looked a lot like Shaw, but everything he did was irresistible. I’m talking panty-melting cannot-resist-you.”

“I’m scared I’m going to break him if we have sex,” Poppy admitted, feeling her cheeks heat with the silly comment. “There is no way I could keep a handle on my panther if I was…you know. With him.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Dakota rolled her eyes again and threw her hands up heavenward. “The vagina is not made of marble stone. You won’t crush his dick during a good pounding.”

Despite the fact that Poppy was a nurse, she felt herself blush even deeper at Dakota’s words.

“Come on, Poppy. Men are made for fucking, and that’s the truth. You wouldn’t break him. Your animal would never let that happen.”

“Wouldn’t it, though? Had Bennett already been through the change the first time you had sex?”

“Us? Yes. But Blake and Gray had sex before he was turned. She didn’t break him. Mind you, they boned in an airplane bathroom, so that might have helped the situation.”

“Cool, so all I have to do is find a space as small as an airplane bathroom, and I’m good.”

Dakota laughed. “You’re a nurse. He literally could not be in safer hands.”

Poppy had to admit that her friend had a point. She could never hurt a living thing. Not unless her or her loved ones were in danger. That need to protect was extended to Dakota and Poppy’s patients. That was pretty much it. Her uncle and cousins didn’t exactly fall under that category. Not anymore.

Not with the way they had behaved lately.

Silence fell between the two women as they drove further away from their hometown. They had booked a hotel room near Poppy’s work. It would facilitate her commute, but it also kept her out of her uncle’s territory. There was no way they could track her car since that was still parked at Nick’s office.

They were as careful as could be.

Dakota turned her head but only long enough to give her friend a proud look as she parked the car.

“I still can’t believe you were able to trick your uncle into believing that you were still in college for that business degree.”

Her friend’s pregnant tummy was barely noticeable, but she was often