Page 37 of Virgin for Next Door Wolf Daddy
Sebastian handed her another beer and asked, “What are your pet peeves? I want to make sure that I aggravate every one of them.”
She giggled and said, “People who chew with their mouths open. Mmm, people who tailgate. I hate it when people interrupt me, especially in the middle of a sentence. I also really hate it when people don’t replace empty toilet paper rolls and remember beards, yes, mullets, no. How about you?”
“I will always remember to put toilet paper on backward.” He grinned. “I definitely hate it when people who drive slow stay in the passing lane and drivers who don’t use turn signals.”
“I can see why the second one. That can be very dangerous to someone riding a motorcycle.”
“Yep. Not a big fan of people who slurp their food and don’t cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze.”
She nodded. “I’m with you there.”
They sat in a comfortable silence for a minute. “Did you always want to be a teacher?”
“Yes. Specifically, a science teacher. I used to line my stuffed animals up on the bed and teach them about the solar system or the life cycle of a frog.”
He grinned. “Did they ever sass you?”
“Sometimes, but I told them why they had to behave and it was all good. What about you? How did you get into your field?”
“I did a stint in a special unit of the Army Rangers comprised only of shifters. We did a lot of rescue missions and dangerous ops. I only stayed in for six years. I figured that I could do the same thing, at home, on my own terms, and make a hell of a lot more money. I would also get to choose what jobs I took. I refuse to work for the bad guys. Some of the guys came home with wounds, both internal and external, and needed a place in the world.”
“Sounds noble.”
“Not really. I have a lot of freedom and work with people I trust with my life – I would trust my life with Cat’s and Drake’s lives. The boss can be a jerk sometimes, but at least I understand him. None of the people I work with are afraid to stand up and tell him when an idea isn’t going to work, they don’t agree with me, or whatever. There’s a lot of satisfaction in that.”
“Unlike my job. I have to be very careful with every step I take and every word that comes out of my mouth. My job changes at the whim of the government, school board, the principal, or anyone else who happens to come along.”
“Yet you still do it.”
“I believe in the kids. A lot of them need someone to believe in them.”
He smiled. They talked for a while longer and then she said, “I guess I’d better go. I can’t sleep through class or they’ll staple me to the wall.”
Sebastian walked her back to her house. He gently cupped her face and kissed her.
“Go inside. I’ll wait until I hear the locks engage.”
Smiling, he walked back to the house. He felt good about their conversation. His mother would either have a heart attack from shock or start planning the mating ceremony if she knew that he was in a relationship, even though she knew something was between them because of the way they acted at the picnic.
It’s a good reason to not announce it to the world.
As he got ready for bed, he thought about Rory’s comment about fated mates. It didn’t seem to be as much of a foreign concept as it had in the past, although he was nowhere near ready to take the plunge, so to speak.
There’s no hurry and part of the fun of a relationship is getting to know each other.
Sebastian had some time the next morning before he had to be in the office, so he decided to shift and run. He was about ready to head back when he ran into a bear shifter that didn’t belong in the territory. His hackles raised and he was on guard until he realized it was Sallie.
He shifted and demanded, “Are you following me?”
Sallie shifted. “No. I just happened to be in the neighborhood, and it’s a coincidence that we ended up in the same place. Now that we’re here, though, we could have a roll in the hay.”
“You just happened to be out and about at six in the morning? Really? As for the offer, I’m not interested. Not now, not ever. Besides, I’m involved with someone else.”
She laughed. “That milk-faced twit could never keep a man like you satisfied. I, on the other hand, would make sure that all of your needs were taken care of.”
“Give it up,” he said and shifted back.
She laughed as though it was some kind of game to her.
