Beautiful Creatures Series

Darrell groaned as he placed both hands to his head. Dear merciful Lord in Heaven, his head felt like an entire construction crew was beating on his brain. He rolled over and caught a whiff of perfume. He ran his hand over the pillow next to him. It smelled like Katelyn. Lifting his head off his pillow, Darrell realized the smell was not just coming from his pillow. There was another source in the house. He climbed out of bed and made his way downstairs.

He was surprised to find Katelyn on the couch asleep. He tried to recall how she had gotten here. He vagally recalled the coffee shop. That was right. He ran into her on a date. He felt his ire rise once more. He was not sure how long they had been home, but he would guess the night given the morning sun coming through the window.

Darrell sat down on the coffee table and nudged Katelyn to wake her. She lifted her head and yawned. “What time is it?”

“I don’t know. The morning is my best guess.”

“I should get home. Can you give me a ride back into Aspen?”

“Let me guess you want me to drop you at your boyfriend’s house.”

“Please don’t start throwing a tantrum again. Carl is not my boyfriend.”

“Does he know that?”

“Carl is my cousin. We were attending his sister’s wedding. We just stopped to get coffee between the ceremony and the reception when we ran into you.”

Darrell felt foolish. “Oh.”

“I would have told you so, but then you knocked Aurora to the floor and triggered her labour.”

“Right,” he barely remembered that. “So, you don’t have a boyfriend?”

Katelyn sat up. “I haven’t been much in the dating mood. I have been dealing with the repercussions of my breakup with Nigel and your tantrum. Forgive me if I don’t feel like creating a third headache.

She sat there looking at him as he stared at her. “I’m sorry I was such a shit yesterday. It has just been really hard to get over you.”

Katelyn sighed. “You haven’t been any easier to get over.”

“I don’t want to get over you. I miss you, Katelyn.”

“I miss you too.”

“Then why did you leave. If you love me, why not stay?”

“It is because I love you that I left. I don’t want to be the reason you lose the pack.”

“I don’t want the pack to be the reason I lose you.”

“I’m sorry, Darrell, I just can’t do this. Please drive me back to Aspen, or I’ll just walk.”

“Katelyn, please. Reconsider, I have never met a woman I wanted to spend a second date with, let alone the rest of my life. That has to tell you what you mean to me. I imprinted with a human, for fuck sakes. Do you have any idea what kind of shit I took for doing that?”

“I don’t want you to give up the chance of having a family.”

“I would rather have you.”

“I don’t want to give up the chance to have a family.”

Oh, he understood. He was not enough. Katelyn wanted children, and he could not give them to her. Darrell felt his heartbreak. “I’ll take you home,” he said, trying to mask his sorrow. “There is no need to walk. Just let me clean myself up first. A quick shower and a clean set of clothes.”

wait,” she said, laying back

from the couch to his shower. A grin curved his lips. He turned on the shower to warm the water, and then he undressed, leaving the door open. As he removed the last of his clothes, he kept his

***

the door open. The man had no modesty… and an amazing body. She watched as he stepped

it be wicked of her to hop in the shower with a man she refused to marry? She did not want him to get the wrong idea. Then again, she

the wedding of letting it fall to the floor. Her clothes were lying in a trail to the washroom. By the time she reached the shower, she was naked, and Darrell was watching her through the glass door, his erection reaching up

She twined her arms around his shoulders. His hands slid down her back and gripped her bottom, lifting her off her feet and pressing her back against the cool tile wall.

kissing and nipping at the sensitive flesh. Her hands roamed the span of his muscled back. He felt magnificent beneath her fingers, so strong, so powerful. The idea of spending her life in this man’s arms was so alluring. It was so tempting, but she knew if Darrell lost the pack, he would regret it and come to resent her. She could not spend her life knowing she had cost him

the moment he reached his own climax when his eyes grew bright. It was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. As the moment passed and Darrell put her on her feet once more, the light in his eyes faded back to

into her eyes and smiled. “This doesn’t change anything,” Katelyn told

“I know.”

***

looked as though they were going somewhere, and Darrell had blocked them in. Katelyn

Darrell, is it not?” Her mother

is,” he tipped his

again. I was so worried when Carl said Katelyn took off with some drunk jealous man. I feared

needed a ride, and your daughter was so kind

spent the night?” Her

on the couch,” Katelyn said, deciding not to add to things

you do with your boyfriend,” her

They both said quickly and awkwardly. “He’s not my boyfriend,” Katelyn

is he?”

hands in his jacket pockets, and he looked at her. “Good question. What

we are… we

“Friends?” Darrell repeated.

“Yes… friends.”

her parents. “We are apparently friends,” both her parents went quiet, and there was an awkward

morning. Katelyn, why don’t you go change into something a little more casual, and you can ride with us to the

I don’t think Karen will mind one extra mouth at brunch. It is just going to be

sure Darrell is busy today,” Katelyn replied.

nothing to do today,” he said with a cocky grin. “I would

Katelyn to the brunch. We will meet you there. If

“Certainly.”

went up to her room and kicked off her heels, and removed her dress. She opened her closet door and took down a light peach sundress, and turned to see Darrell standing in her doorway. She jumped and used the dress in her hands to cover herself from his heated gaze.

her chest. Darrell leaned into Katelyn, his lips hovering over her neck without contact as he breathed her in deeply. “I love the way you smell,” he whispered in her ear, then he pulled away and smiled at

would

and his lips found hers. One arm around her waist Darrell eased her back on the bed, bracing himself above

***

the community hall where her cousin was hosting the brunch. Darrell was only a step behind her. As they came through the doors, their entrance did not go unnoticed. Their entrance had drawn the attention of the whole hall. Darrell stood beside Katelyn, who smiled with awkward embarrassment. Darrell offered the room that smile he was so good at. Then he respectfully tipped his hat. “Hello,” he then looked at the bride, who was not wearing her wedding dress today but had still dressed in white. He walked over his hat in one hand, and he offered his hand first to Karan and then to her new husband. “Nice to meet you. Congratulations. Love the décor…

is this man?”

her mother introduced him. Katelyn glared at her mother. “Oh, sorry. I meant; this is Katelyn’s

returning his hat to his head. “That’s me, the NOT boyfriend,” Katelyn covered her face. Dear Lord, give her the

to Nigel?”

know what this is not about me. Today is about you,” Katelyn told her

a nice guy. I thought you would bring him. I liked him,” Darrell took a step closer, and Katelyn noticed him casually sniff the air. Then he chuckled. “I love your perfume,” he joked. “Let me guess,

at him, coming to

at the new