Embry's POV -

She smiled up at me, cupping my jaw in her hand and brushing a thumb over my lower lip. My chest heaved in anticipation for the kiss that had yet to happen. Paul cleared his throat and smirked at me. "So...I take it you'll be needing a sick day then?"

I returned my attention to my beautiful imprint and nodded. She laughed when I fake coughed into her neck and murmured, "Yeah, I'm really sick. Better go without me."

Paul chuckled to himself and wheeled back out the door. I leaned over Nicolle, pressing her back against the couch as I hovered over her. 

"Now where were we?"

I smiled down at her as I moved closer, our mouths mere inches apart. "Embry, wait," Nicolle sighed, pushing on my chest ever so lightly. 

I pulled away from her, rocking back on my heels. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" I reached over and pulled her across my lap, noticing there was blood seeping through her bandage.

"I'm okay, Embry," she smiled, smoothing her hands over my face. "But I was hoping I could take a shower? Maybe get cleaned up?"

"Sorry, honey. Doctor said no showers for 48 hours. But I'm sure I could help you with a sponge bath…" I replied, raising my eyebrows playfully.

"Yeah, right," she scoffed as she shoved me lightly and climbed out of my lap. "How about a sink and some soap then?"

I sat on the couch, watching her walk away from me. I could see the bottom edge of her panties peeking out from under the scrub top she wore.  Nicolle spun around to catch me staring, rolled her eyes at me, and then proceeded to disappear down the hall. "Wait!" I called. 

I caught up with her outside the bathroom, hooking my hand around her waist as I opened the door. "What about that kiss?" I reminded her, pressing my nose into her hair.

Nicolle stepped in front of the mirror and rolled her eyes at me. "How about you set me up with a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and a washcloth…" she ticked each thing off with a flick of her fingers and I couldn't help but smile over her shoulder. "And then we can talk about it."

I simply laughed and began digging around under the sink for the things she asked for. 

"What's this?" I heard her say from above me.

I stood up to find Nicolle holding a prescription pill bottle and a pained look on her face.  I pulled the bottle from her grasp and read the label to myself. Casey Waters.

I glanced up at Nicolle and sighed. "She lived here?" Nicolle groaned. "Does she still?"

I twisted the bottle around to show her the date. "This was from a year ago." I paused and tossed the bottle into the trash. "And no, she didn't live with me. She stayed here sometimes...that's all."

Nicolle sighed deeply and stared at the floor. "What am I doing here? You're clearly not over her," she whispered, her voice cracking from holding back tears.

I scoffed. "I'm not over her? Just because I didn't throw out a pill bottle. Come on, honey. You're doubting me over that?"

"And this," she paused to reach into the cabinet and pull out a hairbrush, hair ties, and a can of hairspray. "You don't wanna move on," she sighed with her arms full of Casey's belongings.

I pulled the hairspray from her grasp and held it up. "This is mine. You think I wake up with my hair looking this good?"

She smiled and laughed a small, sad laugh. "Embry, get serious."

I took everything from her arms and tossed it all into the trash. "This doesn't mean anything," I grumbled loudly.

Nicolle's eyes opened wide and her mouth fell open. "Just forget it. I don't even know what I'm doing here."

My heart sank as she escaped out the bathroom door and down the hallway. When I reached her in the living room, she was pulling up her jeans. I pushed her back onto the couch and sat on the coffee table in front of her. She stared at me, her mouth in a hard line. I could see how hard she was trying not to cry.

I held onto her hands and looked deeply into her eyes. "Ask me anything you want about Casey. I'll tell you everything. Just please don't leave."

Nicolle swallowed thickly and nodded. She blinked up at me and then said, "How long were you with her?"

I hesitated, not really wanting to give this answer. "Four years."

Nicolle nodded and glanced away. "So...high school sweethearts? Wow. That's a long time."

I shrugged. "Yeah. I shouldn't have been with her that long. I knew it would make things too difficult when…"

"When?"

"When I finally found my imprint."

"Oh."

"She knew. She knew that this wouldn't be forever. That there was already someone chosen for me and when I found her, I couldn't stay with Casey anymore."

Nicolle sighed and pulled her hands from mine. "How long ago did you break up?

I shrugged. "It's...been months. I did it a few days after I met you."

She finally looked at me again, her eyes curious. "Why did you wait so long to talk to me?"

I shrugged and shoved my hand through my hair. "I was just so nervous. I wanted to go slow. I wanted you to know me first. I never meant for you to find out the way you did."

"And you're sure you're over her? I mean...there aren't any lingering feelings left?"

"Well...I want her to be happy. And I think she is. And I'm happy...with you. We both needed this break up so we could move on with our lives."

"You're sure?"

I smiled and nodded. "I'm very sure. And I know she's over me too."

"Really?" she scoffed. "How do you know?"

I chuckled a bit. "Well...she has a new boyfriend.  And she's really happy."

"You're okay with that?" she gasped.

"Of course." I stood and pulled Nicolle up by her elbows. I lowered my hands to her waistband, raising her jeans up from her knees, fastening the button and zipping the zipper. I kept my eyes focused on her face. "I can take you home now if you still want to go."

Nicolle looked down at the floor and shook her head. "I'm sorry."

I lifted her chin and smiled brightly. "You don't have to be sorry for anything. I'm not the best at expressing how I feel. And none of this is happening the way I had planned, but -" 

Nicolle cut off my ramblings by throwing her arms around my neck and pressing her cheek against mine.  I responded by lifting her off the floor and hugging her fiercely. My heart was bursting. All I wanted was for her to accept me...accept us.

And maybe we were almost there.

…

A while later, I was lying on my bed. I had set Nicolle up in the bathroom with everything she needed to get cleaned up. I opened my eyes when I heard her feet patter on the floor. 

"Embry?" 

I gazed up at her as she stood shyly near the door. "Can you help me?" she asked shyly.

I jumped up and approached her. "What can I help you with?"

"Um...can you help me with my bandage?" 

I saw she had the oversized bandage and tube of antibiotic cream in her hand. Her hair was wet and she had changed into one of my v-neck t-shirts and a pair of my boxer briefs. Her legs were bare and shiny and I could feel my heart fluttering at the sight of her. I led her over my bed, sitting her down on the edge. I sat on my desk chair across from her and carefully applied the ointment and bandage.

"Does it hurt?"

"No," she smiled. "Does it look red?"

I shook my head. "No, not at all."

"Good. I hope it's not gonna get infected."

I stared at her for a moment longer than what was probably appropriate. "Let's go."

"Go?" Nicolle echoed as I pulled her up from my bed and we moved toward the door. "Where are we going?"

I led her through the house, never letting go of her hand. "We're going to get something to eat."

"Hey," she protested, pulling her hand from mine. 

I turned to find her scowling at me, arms crossed. "Did you forget something?"

I reached for my now charged phone from the coffee table and my keys, hanging near the door. I showed her what I had and shook my head. "Nope. I got everything. So let's go."

"No."

I stopped in my tracks and sighed deeply, wondering what I did to piss her off. "No?"

"You didn't ask me," she pouted.

"Ask you? Ask you what?"

"If I wanted to go with you," she laughed, her mouth quirking into a smile.

I threw my head back, laughing with her. I moved to stand right in front of her, lowering my head to maintain eye contact. "Nicolle, honey. Would you like to go get something to eat with me? I'd really love to have your company today."

She cast her gaze aside and whispered, "Well...I don't know."

I slid my hands around her waist and pressed my forehead to hers. When her eyes fluttered up to meet mine, I gave her my most endearing smile. "Please?"

She leaned back and looked me over. "You think you're cute, don't you?"

"Come on," I laughed, hooking my arm loosely around her waist and pulling to the door.

"I didn't say yes," she reminded me. 

When I reached for the doorknob, she shoved me against the back of the door and held me there. "What the fuck?"

Nicolle pressed her hands against my chest and peered up at me. "I'm trying to get your attention."

I pulled her close to me, my lips hovering over hers. "You got it, honey."

I held my breath as her fingers tiptoed up my chest and grazed my cheeks. She held my face gently in her hands, let her eyes flutter closed and pressed the softest of kisses to my lips. In a moment, it was over and I nearly winced from the loss of contact when she backed away from me.

Desperately, I reached for her, forcing her up against me once more. She gasped and smiled up at me. "I want more," I pleaded as my gaze bore into hers. Never in my life had I wanted anything as much.

I watched Nicolle's face as her eyes darted back and forth. I could see the debate inside her, whether or not to take this any further. "Then take it," she sighed happily and melted into me. 

I gripped the sides of her neck and angled my mouth over hers. The moment our mouths touched, I wanted more. I needed to taste her. Hesitantly, I touched her lips with the tip of my tongue as my hands slid down to grip her lower back. She opened her mouth to me, tangling her fingers in the hair behind my head. I let my tongue explore further, rubbing against hers in the most exquisite way. I fisted the back of her t-shirt, forcing myself not to pull it from her body. I had already had her under me once today and I just couldn't help wanting it again.

Nicolle broke off the kiss slowly. It's a good thing she did, because I definitely didn't have the willpower to do it. We pressed our foreheads together and panted.  "That was really something," she sighed contentedly.

"The best kiss ever," I murmured as my head fell back against the door. "One more?"

Nicolle laughed and yanked on my hand. "You promised me food!"

I stepped behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist as we left my house and made our way to my Jeep. "Oh, so now you wanna go somewhere with me?" I teased.

Nicolle spun around in my arms and grinned up at me. "If you keep kissing me like that, we can go wherever you want."

"Promise?" I leaned over her as I pulled the passenger door open. She let her lips graze my cheek before hopping inside and waving me in to join her.

I couldn't stop smiling as I sauntered around to the driver's side. "Anywhere I want, huh?"

She leaned over and took my hand, intertwining our fingers. My heart felt so full as we continued to talk and tease each other.

And that's how things were between us. Things were so different with us than it had been with Casey. It wasn't easier. Every day was work. I had to convince Nicolle my feelings were real. But she felt the imprint bond too. I could tell every time I touched her.

We spent a lot of time together. I annoyed her with the way I hovered. We fought when it came time for her to return to work. I couldn't stand the thought of someone hurting her again, but Paul helped me realize that Nicolle needed to face her fears and be independent from me.

I hated it.

On the nights that Nicolle had to work, I waited for her in the bookstore, making sure she never had to close up by herself again. My possessiveness drove her insane but I couldn't help it. I always just wanted more.

I constantly asked her to move in with me. I never wanted to wake up and not see her face. It didn't matter that we hadn't had sex  yet. I just loved falling asleep with her in my arms, her breath on my neck, her fingers fisting my shirt while she slept, and my nose buried in her hair.

The physical part of our relationship became an issue between us a month or so later.

"I'm a virgin, Embry!" Nicolle shouted as we kissed in the bathroom and I tried to get her to take a shower with me.

I back away slowly. "I'm sorry...I...didn't know."

Her face fell when I broke contact. I felt like an asshole for not knowing. We hadn't discussed it. She kissed like a pro and I guess I just assumed. I knew she was a bit younger than me, but we had discussed her ex-boyfriend and honestly, I didn't ask. I couldn't bear the thought of someone else touching her, so I pushed it out of my mind.

"You're disappointed?" she sighed.

"No!" I quickly corrected her, pulling her close and smoothing my hands down her back. "I'm happy about it, if you wanna know the truth."

She blinked away a few tears and peered up at me. "Why?"

"Because I can teach you everything you need to know," I mumbled against her lips before kissing her hard. 

We took things slowly. Three more months passed and my packmates kept urging me to tell her my secret.

The deal breaker.

Everything seems good in life until you're faced with the prospect of telling the girl you love that you turn into a giant wolf at will. I'd been avoiding the subject. It wasn't easy. I had to go on patrol some nights and I was worried Nicolle would think I was off cheating. 

My dilemma was settled the night I came back from patrol in my wolf form, slowly lopping toward my back yard under the cover of darkness. I shifted a few feet from the house, only to find my girl standing near the back door, taking the trash out.

She saw me. I stood there in front of her naked, with my shorts in hand. Fuck.

I chased her into the house when she ran from me. "Let me explain!" I hollered through my bedroom door when she locked herself inside.

"Go away! I don't even know you!" Nicolle cried.

This was worse than the day she got stabbed. I couldn't stand the thought of her rejecting me. Not after having her kisses to soothe me, feeling her fingers in my hair, her legs wrapped around me as we slept, and seeing her face after spending time apart.

I needed more of that. I needed her.

"Please talk to me!" I pleaded.

After an hour of begging, when she finally opened the bedroom door, I tried to keep my distance. I had already scared her and broken her trust by not telling her my secret.

I had to fix this.

"I didn't know you were gonna be here, honey." Maybe that wasn't the best opening line?

She shrugged and glanced away, still standing in the doorway as I remained frozen in the hallway. "I wanted to surprise you. I...I made you dinner."

"Is it ready?" I asked hopefully. She knew my appetite was unreal, constantly teasing me for never gaining any weight.

We ate in silence as I let her take time to process my secret. After dinner, we sat and talked all night. I answered her questions for hours… all of them. No, I don't get fleas. Yes, sometimes I howl at the moon. No, I don't chase cars or piss on fire hydrants.

"Do you bury bones in the backyard?" 

I sighed and threw my head back. "Now you're just fucking with me."

"Maybe," she laughed.

I reached for her but she twisted away and dashed off to the kitchen, mumbling about making me dessert. I ran my hands through my hair and sighed, hoping this meant we were okay. We had to be okay. I couldn't make it without her.

I rested my head against the back of the couch, letting my eyes fall closed. It had been a long week at work, framing up a new house for Brady and his soon-to-be wife, along with these endless patrols, my body needed rest. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt Nicolle slide her hand over my eyes and dangle something sweet over my lips. "Take a bite," she cooed from behind me.

I moaned at the taste of the ripe strawberry covered in fresh whipped cream. "So good."

I wondered if I had dozed off, because when Nicolle slowly made her way around the front of the couch to face me, I thought I was dreaming. "Is this real?" I murmured as I reached for her waist.

Nicolle stood before me wearing a sheer purple nightie. She lit a couple candles and turned the lights down. I raked my eyes over her near naked body and grinned like an idiot. She held a bowl of whipped cream in one hand, a bowl of strawberries in the other. 

"So…we're gonna...I mean you want to...with me? Tonight? This is...we're really doing this?" I stuttered as I tried to tear my eyes away from her body.

Nicolle laughed nervously as she sat in front of me on the edge of the coffee table. "This…" she paused to look down at herself, her hands still holding the sweet treats. "This is all part of your dessert." When she nibbled on the corner of her mouth, I almost tackled her. "Do you want it?"

Do I want it? Fuck yes I do. I pulled both bowls from her hands and placed them on the table behind her. "I'm hungry, honey," I whispered as I pulled her onto my lap.

She straddled my legs and bit back a smile. "What about the food?" 

I cupped her chin and guided her mouth down to mine. "I'm hungry for something else."

She kissed me back hesitantly, moaning into my mouth as my hands coasted up the front of her thighs. "Slow down, Embry," she sighed as we pulled away from the kiss.

My fingers toyed with the edge of her strappy panties, twisting the material as I tried to maintain a sense of control. "We can do anything you want," I teased. "As long as I can keep looking at you in this outfit." 

"Embry," she sighed before my mouth landed back on hers.  We kissed and touched each other until I lifted her up and carefully placed her under me...where she belonged. I nipped my way down her body, teasing the edge of her nightie in an attempt to remove the barely there material. 

This was as close as I had gotten to seeing her naked and she was still resisting me. "Can I taste you?" I begged as I brushed my lips across her stomach. I raised my head and gave her my best puppy dog eyes. "Please, honey?"

Nicolle bit down on her lower lip and nodded after what felt like an hour of waiting. I hooked my fingers around the sides of her panties and slid them down her legs. I tried to be patient and go slow, but my over eager ass dove right in.

"Oh!" she gasped as I pushed her thighs up and rested them over my shoulders. When I ran my tongue up the seam of her sex, she shuddered. 

"Just relax. I'm gonna make you feel so good," I promised.

I pressed my tongue deeper, finding her most sensitive spot and latching on. I smiled against her wet folds when her fingers fisted the top of my hair and her body writhed underneath me. I found her spot, relentlessly laving my tongue over it until she called out my name. Her legs stiffened, caging me between her thighs. I gladly sipped from her, drinking every bit of her climax until she begged me to stop. 

I climbed back up her body to find her smiling and gasping for breath. "I should have let you do that months ago," she mumbled into my mouth when I kissed her.

I collapsed back against the opposite end of the couch, totally spent and feeling pretty damn good about myself. I started to relax when I felt Nicolle edging toward me, settling between my thighs as she reached over to swipe a little whipped cream from the bowl.

I watched in rapt fascination as she painted my bare chest with the melting cream, licking off each design as she went. "You taste so good," she hummed as she worked her way down my body. 

Every nerve ending in my body was tingling in anticipation. Especially when she tugged on the waistband of my shorts and then peered up at me through a hooded gaze.

"I saw you, you know? When we were outside and you were naked."

Nicolle paused and I nodded. "And?" I whispered breathlessly as she wrapped her hand around me through my shorts.

She smiled shyly, looking away for a moment. "You...looked good. Really sexy."

My chest puffed with pride and I smiled back at her just as hard. "You know you don't have to do this. We can still wait," I offered through gritted teeth as she continued to stroke me.

"I wanna make you feel good too, baby. Will you help me...show me what to do?" she asked so innocently and honestly that I swore I had never heard anything sweeter. 

I nodded once, afraid to say anything that would betray the cool façade I was trying to convey. Because the truth was, I was so eager for her that I didn't want to scare her away.

We worked together to strip me of my shorts, laughing as we did. She was so nervous as she explored my body, her fingers shaking as she touched me. I scooped a little of the whipped cream into my hand, smearing some down the length of me as I gripped myself. 

Nicolle was laser focused watching my strokes until she leaned forward, kissed the tip and took over pleasuring me with her hand. The sight of her face as she watched my body react to her was priceless. Her fingers gripped me, her thumb brushing over the tip, her technique was perfect. I held her hair up, not letting it get messy as she drove me closer and closer to my own release.

I wanted it to last all night. I wanted to never forget the look on her face as she ran her fist up and down my erection, dragging the strongest orgasm out of me with hardly any warning. "Fuck," I hissed as I angled my release toward my chest. I gasped her name over and over as she pumped every last drop from me.

She watched me clean myself with my shorts. I was still sticky, but all I wanted was to wrap Nicolle up in my arms and praise her for making me feel good. I could feel her beaming as I held her.

"And you're sure I did okay?" she sighed against my neck. 

"Honey, that was mind-blowing. Just the fact that you wanted to do that with me, makes me feel so damn good."

I kissed her all over her face, holding her so tightly against me. "I love you."

My chest constricted when I realized I had said it out loud. I'd been saying it to her in my head for weeks now, but too afraid to verbalize it with words. "Nicolle?" I prodded, afraid of her response, but more afraid she wouldn't have one.

I sighed when I realized she had drifted off to sleep. I had dodged the bullet. I didn't want her to think that doing these kinds of physical things with me was why I loved her. 

I wanted to tell her, but not like this. Not in the heat of the moment or when we were caught up in the afterglow. But I made a deal with myself to tell her soon. Before we went any further.

Because I do love her. And I always will.

.......