Southern Shifters: Stick Shifter (Kindle Worlds Novella) (10 page)

B
ringing
both of the bikes back into the forecourt of the garage, Will was off and had Delaney wrapped up in his arms before she could even get her helmet off.

He was trying to kiss along the small patch of skin at her neck under the edge of her helmet. “Will, give me a second, and you can have a proper kiss,” she said, her voice light and giggling.

“Can’t wait; been too long,” he growled.

“It was like forty-five minutes ago!”

“Too long,” he repeated.

Delaney got her helmet off and was immediately drawn into a kiss that had her limp and moaning while pressed against him.

Before they could break apart, a voice from behind them in the garage sounded out. “D.J., that you? Girl, what are you doing fornicating in front of my business?”

Delaney turned to see her father coming out of the open bay at the same time she felt the warning rumble roll through Will.

“Dad, you remember William Klein?” Of course, her father remembered him; she just hadn’t been in a situation to get caught by her father while making out before.

“Mr. Klein. I would have thought you’d be back on your way home by now,” Ray said as he approached. The meaning in that statement was clear. Stay away from my daughter, and go home.

“Mr. Owens, I’m sorry we haven’t had a chance to talk the last few days. To be honest, I met your daughter, and she has been the only one on my mind since then. We just spent the day together, and I plan on spending the rest of the week here. I’d like for you and Delaney to come back to Vegas with me for a long visit. I can set you up at my hotel, and you can relax by the pool. You’ll be treated like the highest roller we have through our doors.”

“Well, that sounds awful fancy. Why would you do something like that?”

Again, Ray Owens was not a dumb man, and it was clear that his daughter was involved with Will. But Ray wasn’t going to make it easy on anyone.

“I’d like to get to know your daughter better, and I’d like to introduce her to my parents. I have a large family back home, and your daughter is very special; she means a lot to me. I want her to see where I live and hopefully convince her to move to Nevada with me.”

Ray watched him for a minute his eyes narrowing. “Large family, huh? So how can you know you want my daughter to spend more time with you after just a few days?”

Giving Delaney a look, he stepped away from her towards her father. “I can’t really explain exactly how I know. But believe me when I say I have nothing but the most honest intentions with your daughter. She’s everything to me, and I would do nothing to hurt her. I respect her more than you can know.”

Will kept his gaze on Ray and told his cougar to stay back and let him handle it. Will thought he had a hold on his animal, but he could feel the edges of his eyes flare. He blinked trying to cover it.

Ray was rubbing his chin looking between his daughter and Will. “You ain’t one of those bears, are ya?”

Delaney couldn’t help the yip that squeaked out of her at the question.

Will stood for a moment absorbing the question. “I’m sorry, did you say a bear?”

“You heard me. Don’t think I don’t know all about your kind. I used to know a man that used to live out in the woods. Old crazy Clay, I called him. Was out hunting one day and saw him buck naked in the woods. Next thing I know, instead of Clay there was a bear. My pa told me all about shapeshifters and the like. Clay’s eyes had that same yellow glow that yours does.”

Will should have known that Ray had heard stories while growing up. Folk tales were early entertainment. “No sir, I’m not a bear. I’m a cougar.” He let that statement hang in the air and waited for a response.

“So you aren’t ever going to leave my girl? Never gonna cheat on her and always treat her right?”

“Yes sir, I can promise that,” Will vowed.

“I bet you can. Crazy Clay always said his kind waited their whole life for the one that was meant for them. Not finding that person could drive a person mad. I can’t say that I like the idea of my daughter leaving me to live thousands of miles away.” In that moment, Ray looked sad at the idea.

“Does it help if I tell you that we plan on being here often, and you are welcome to stay in Vegas anytime? I also have a corporate jet that I can send to pick you up, anytime you want to see Delaney.”

“Well hell, boy. That might just do after all,” Ray chuckled.

Delaney came around the back of Will and grabbed her father into a hug. “Daddy, are you really okay with this?”

“Sweet girl, I only want you to be happy. I know I couldn’t give you much growing up. I kept you out here all to myself because I didn’t know what else to do. I was happy with your momma; she was the light of my life. If this man is going to make you happy, then I could never keep you from him or a chance at what your mom and I had.”

“He does make me happy. It’s funny, but I’m pretty sure that every day with him will be a little happier than the last.” She glanced over her shoulder at Will. Delaney’s afternoon in the arms of a man that clearly thought she was better than sliced bread was a revelation to her. He spent the afternoon not only telling her he loved her but showing her.

“Well then, I guess I’m in the market for a new mechanic. You know I’m shit at working on cars,” Ray said with a snort. “When you all leaving?”

“We are here for a few more days. Then I thought I’d show Monkey here where I live. You’re welcome to come along; I know my family would like to meet you too.”

“Monkey?” Ray asked, looking at Delaney.

“Grease monkey. He thinks he’s funny,” she explained.

“Hell girl, rich, good looking, and funny. You hit the jackpot on this one,” Ray said, giving her another squeeze.

“I really think I did, Dad.” Delaney felt a tear in her eye as she said what her heart was feeling. Everything was happening so fast, but it felt so amazingly right.

“
D
elaney
, say it again,” Will ordered. He was laying over her propped up on his forearms above her. They had just spent the last two nights locked away in his suite at the hotel, and they had barely left the bed.

“I love you, William Klein,” she said up to his handsome face. Her heart was bursting with the love she felt for this man. There wasn’t a second of the last two weeks since she had known him that he didn’t go above and beyond to make her happy.

The second they landed in Las Vegas, he had the driver of the limo that picked them up take them over to a high-end motorcycle shop. He told her to pick out whatever she wanted because he was going to take her riding in the desert at night.

Delany felt like a kid in a candy store. Her new pink and black Ducati was a-freaking-mazing, and she picked out a pink and black set of leathers, two-piece this time to match. The two-piece was for ease of access for Will since he couldn’t keep his hands off of her. He also made sure to buy new helmets that had microphones in them so he could talk to her as they rode. Even that small lack of communication irritated him and his cougar. Being able to hear her voice as they rode solved that problem.

The bike was being delivered to the hotel so they could ride later. Will’s bike had already been shipped back from North Carolina after they’d spent a few more days riding and driving through the hills. It was like the longest date in history.

Will had her meet his family on the first day in town. They pulled up to a mansion that looked like it had been attached to two more mansions it was so big. Will explained his family’s pack often had members living with them as they aged so they could live in comfort. Delaney thought that was amazing, and after she met his parents, she could see where Will got his thoughtfulness.

They welcomed her with open arms and a kickass party. There must have been two hundred people milling around the house. Catered food and music drifted over the desert as Delaney met the entire Klein clan. His sisters, Emily and Margo, were not nearly as bad as he’d made them out to be. They were gorgeous and looked like models. The girls were friendly, and their antics with their mother’s constant matchmaking for them made for a very funny evening. The girls declared they weren’t interested in anyone unless their mom found them hot twins.

They really shouldn’t have made that challenge to their mother. The gleam in her eye that Delaney saw meant the girls were in for trouble.

Will explained to her that he was getting the meet and greet out of the way so he could have her to himself without interruptions. She thought that was an excellent plan considering they hadn’t gone more than eight hours without making love since the first time. Delaney would be embarrassed at her unending need of her man, but he was just as greedy with her.

“Truly? I don’t want to rush you. I won’t say I’m not happy as fuck, Monkey, but we have plenty of time.”

“William Klein, when you are balls deep in a woman, and she says she loves you, take it as truth,” Delaney said, giving her head a little shake at him.

“Did you just say balls deep?” Will emphasized the word with a thrust of his hips. He was still deeply embedded in his favorite place in the world. Now that he understood the incessant drive to be with your mate, he could understand all the mates he’d ever known with their nonstop touching, kissing, and fondling regardless of where they were or who they were with.

“Yes, I like you balls deep. You realize we are going to have to move up this bonding thing. I wouldn’t be surprised if you hadn’t already knocked me up with all the sex we’ve been having. We should probably get married too so our kids have the same name.”

Will couldn’t deny that was always on the back of his mind. His mate round with his child, kittens running around. Yeah, he wanted that. Now his mate was telling him she was ready for that too. Words he’d been waiting for, even dreaming about.

“Delaney Jane Klein. I like that. No, wait, I fucking love that, Monkey. You thinking Elvis or big wedding? Oh, and that is coming after the bonding. As you said, I’m already half way there for the bonding part,” he said this as his cock started to swell again inside her. “And have I told you how much I love your hair down? Unless we are riding, I always want to be able to run my hands through it.”

Delaney hadn’t realized how much her hair would affect her man. She’d met him the day after their first time together with her long hair brushing across her back.

Her man fell to his knees in front of her. Sure, it was a tad dramatic, but she thought it was cute. He clutched his heart and closed his eyes. Once she got him up, he dug his hands into her hair and hadn’t stopped petting it since.

Gasping Delaney offered, “Oh yeah, bonding first, then marriage. I was thinking you, me, and a minister at the Grand Canyon. I’ve never seen it.”

“Baby, you want to get married on the moon, I’ll make that happen. Lucky for me, there is a Tiffany’s downstairs, so we can find you the biggest ring they have. No wait, you need two. One for showing off and one for when you’re working,” Will said thoughtfully.

“Okay, we’ll worry about jewelry after you make me yours,” Delaney said with a little laugh.

This brought his attention back to her from his shopping plans. “Delaney, you already are mine. If you didn’t want to bond for years, I would be exactly where I am now. With you, loving you. There is nothing in this world that would keep me from making you happy. Bonding with you is just the cherry on top of my very sweet life.”

“William Klein, you are too good to be true. But I’ll be your cherry any time you want.” Delaney reached up to seal her mouth to his.

Will kissed her back hard and long before pulling back and staring into her eyes. He knew his cat was showing as her eyes widened under him.

“I want it now,” he said with a growl. His mouth came back down over hers, and his hips started to move at a pace that had her seeing stars behind her eyes.

Delaney happily gave over and knew she would be proudly displaying her brand new mate mark by tomorrow along with William’s ring on her finger.

T
hank
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