Fated Mate

“Billy, what did you do?” Joe walked in to the AA room, his phone close to his ear and his face scrunched up. Billy was on the couch with Ash, drinking beer, eating chips and watching football, the usual.

“What?” his eyes still on the screen.

Ash turned and looked at Joe. Joe held the phone out in their direction. Billy turned down the volume on the TV, and then turned his ear to the phone’s direction. Ash started laughing. Joe covered the mouthpiece. Maria was on the line, she was giving Joe an ear full for what Billy had done to Ann. Billy looked distressed now, he didn’t say a word.

“You’ll pay for this,” Joe said with venom as he walked out the room, replacing the phone on his ear.

Ash turned to Billy after Joe left. “Billy how could you! You rented a stranger’s apartment for one night,” the humor was gone from his voice.

“I wasn’t going to bring her here! You and Lee had their apartment, and Joe and Maria were going there too, what else was I to do?” His voice was raised defensively.

Ash knew he had a point. It wouldn’t be smart to have them in the same house as Sabrina and Dave.

“We need to find an apartment, preferably one close to theirs.”

Billy was smiling. “I’ll get on it. In the meantime, I’ll call Ann and explain.” He picked up his phone, and then stopped himself before he dialed. “Maybe I should wait for her to cool down.” His face was somber with a hint of fear.

Ash laughed at his expression, he took the remote and turned the volume up. “Clever wolf.”

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Lee opened the door for him. “Hi, Ash.”

He had his earthshaking smile on that made her stomach flatter. She smiled at him, glad that he had come back, she wasn’t so sure he would at first but he was here.

“Hi, Lee, how are you feeling today?” He walked in closing the door behind him. He took his black leather jacket off and put it on the couch.

“Good, much better than yesterday.” Well, she was better now. She didn’t see it necessary to tell him everything when it came to her being sick. She thought it unattractive.

“The nausea, fainting spells, are they gone?” Ash kept probing, moving closer to her.

“I still get a bit lightheaded, but no fainting, no nausea.” Right now with him so close she was getting lightheaded. She took a small step back to give herself some breathing room.

“Tell the truth, Lee,” Maria shouted from the kitchen.

Ash looked at Lee his expression blank. She rolled her eyes. Maria was annoying.

“I got sick once today. I ate too much,” she explained, trying to make light of it. Her sisters had put enough attention on her getting sick. The only thing she wanted him to concentrate on was her and the low doses of kisses he promised.

“Is that the truth?” he asked with a slight smile on his face.

“I thought I was a bad liar?”

He nodded, his lips curved in a smile. “That’s good. Did you like my gifts?”

“Yes all ten of them. Maria and Ann loved two out of the ten the most.” She felt awkward and so not attractive in her pajama pants and vest, but it was easier to dress like this with her arm.

“You’re the best Ash!” Maria and Ann called out from the kitchen table in a chorus.

His grin widened, Lee sucked in a breath he was stunning. He called back to them, “You’re welcome.”

“Ash, could we agree on something?” Lee spoke softly. She wanted to put her request in the best way possible without offending him.

“Anything you want.” His smiling eyes were on her.

“Those are very dangerous words to say to a girl.” Lee felt her throat go dry. She was really going to have to learn not to look like a complete idiot when he was around.

“I’ll take my chances.” He smiled.

She looked away. She was capable of taking the loving gaze, but when the earthshaking smile was also present, sanity became a foreign term to her. She found it difficult to remember what she wanted to say.

“Could we please keep the gifts simple? I appreciate the diamond and the beds, but big and flashy just isn’t my thing.”

He placed his fingers under her chin and shifted her head so that she looked directly at him. “I’ll try, if you answer me this?” He smiled amused by her baffled stare.

“What?” The word barely made it out of her mouth.

“Why do you keep looking away and get fidgety when I’m close to you?” He traced her chin with his thumb.

He felt a stir inside him when she shuddered at his touch. He really already knew the answer to his question. Most women he had met over the years had the same reaction, but she’s the only one he wanted to hear say it.

“Do you really have to ask?” Ann shouted from the kitchen.

“My mind blanks out, and I get very confused when you look at me like that.” Lee’s eyes were fixed on his.

“That isn’t healthy.” He spoke softly, leaning closer to her face, locking her even deeper in his gaze.

Lee felt lightheaded, drugged, and high on some dangerous narcotic. He was doing something to her, something she’d never felt before. He was right, it wasn’t healthy, and he was bad for her health, physically and mentally. Emotionally, she would drink him for the rest of her life.

“I’m going to faint if you don’t stop that.”

He leaned away, dropping his hand from her chin. His eyes were still on her full of desire. He was thinking twice about restraining himself. He then shifted his gaze to her arm, which was unsupported over her chest.

“Where’s your sling?”

“She said you had it,” Maria called out again.

Lee closed her eyes. She wasn’t going to win this. She should have thrown it out when she had the chance. She pointed in the direction of her room, and then looked up at him. He looked amused.

“If you’re going to stop taking your meds, you need to keep the sling on.” He moved closer to her and kissed her forehead, then went to her room. The kiss was so casual like something they always did. Her heart was racing; she walked to the kitchen and took a seat.

“Why Merilee Jackson, you look flashed!” Ann was very amused by Lee’s breathlessness.

Ash came into the kitchen with her sling in hand. “I’m sorry, did I interrupt your study session?” He pointed at the open books on the table before he gently took her elbow and raised her to her feet.