"No. That’s not the case." Arabella spoke, shaking her head, even though she knew that she was facing his sexy back. "You were forcing me to paint, and my mind literally stopped working at that moment. I don’t know whether I can paint or not, but I’m sure that forcing me to do something won’t help." She responded, and Wylder realized his mistake. He was about to apologize to her when she beat him.
"What’s the name of your beast?" She asked, biting her lips.
All of a sudden, Night started taking interest in the conversation. It looked like he was sitting on the edge, ready to take control from Wylder if required.
"Night."
"Hmm. Suits him. He is dark as night." She muttered. She wanted to keep talking with him but didn’t want to show this to him. "And he is also beautiful like the night." That was it.
This whole sentence was enough to turn an angry beast into a love-sick puppy.
"What about me?" Before Wylder could stop himself. This question escaped his throat.
"What about you?"
"Do you find me handsome or breathtaking?" He asked, turning around and looking directly into her eyes.
"I don’t know. I’m interested in dark-skinned men." Arabella spoke with a coy smile. "If you had been black, then I would have said yes." She added playfully.
Wylder chuckled at her words and smiled widely. "You remind me of someone who used to be very close to me."
"I hope that someone would be your sister, your cousin, your mother, your grandmother, or any relatives from the men's side," Arabella said that she didn’t want to hear that she was behaving like his ex-girlfriend or crush.
"What if my answer is something that you haven’t mentioned in the list?" Wylder asked and watched how the smile disappeared from her lips.
"Then you are ugly." Arabella snapped, making him laugh. "What are you laughing at? I didn’t crack a joke. You are ugly, and your laughter is like punishment to my ear." She added. She knew it was all lies. But she didn't want to boost his ego.
Wylder ignored her insulting words and walked towards her. He controlled the smile that started to form on his lips when her eyes widened and her heartbeat increased. He placed both of his hands against the counter on either side of my waist and looked down at her.
Arabella didn’t take her eyes off him even for a second and observed his face closely. She didn't want to think about it, but she imagined him kissing her like there was no tomorrow. She wasn’t sure that she was allowed to do so. She reminded herself that this man already had a wife. That he wasn’t her. Thinking about him in this way was wrong. She watched him lean towards her, and instead of pushing him away, she took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of aftershave.
Again, a familiar scent.
She closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her and enjoying his lips against her.
She waited.
She waited for more than a minute, but nothing happened.
So, she ended up opening her eyes, only to see him extremely close to her, watching her or reading her carefully. She mentally scolded herself for even thinking that someone like him would kiss an ugly duckling like her.
"Go ahead, make fun of me for even thinking that you will kiss me that too when I called you ugly a moment ago." She said it in a low tone, waiting for the humiliating words from his mouth, but they didn’t come. She swore that she wouldn’t cry at his words but instead break his nose.
"Ara.." He spoke her name quietly. "Tiara is my mate." He added, and his words worked like a bucket of cold water on Arabella. As much as she was disappointed that that model was his mate, she also liked the fact that he didn’t kiss her and respected the mate bond, even though it was hurting her inside.
"I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. This won’t happen again." She muttered, hoping he would step away from her.
"Ara…" He called her name again. "A part of me wants to kiss you."
‘Yes! Please’ She screamed, but said something just opposite to it: "But you shouldn’t." Wylder nodded his head, knowing that part of her but not Night wanted to taste her.
Hearing Arabella’s response, Wylder didn’t care who she really was, but the part where she knew where to stop made him respect the woman in front of him.
The sound of the microwave’s beep reminded them that the food was warm now. He leaned towards her, and she stopped breathing until he grabbed the plate that she had kept on the counter and stepped away from her.
He heard her release her breath.
He served food for both of them and signaled for her to join him at the table.
"Since your mate is here, then where will I be sleeping?" Arabella asked and started eating her dinner.
"In my bedroom, of course."
"And watch you fuck her?" Arabella snapped before she could control herself. "I apologize for my tone. But I don’t want to become the third wheel between you two." She added in a sweet tone. Wylder could sense her anger behind her calm tone.
"That won’t happen. In my bedroom, only we two will be staying." Wylder explained, "Tiara is not officially my Luna yet. And don’t forget that you’re going to be the mother of my pup. And the mother of my pup deserves the best room in the whole pack."
"But…"
"Sssh.. I’m not working this much in order to find your past for nothing, Ara."
Arabella silently munched her food. Though she felt butterflies in her stomach, she knew that Wylder wouldn’t cross his line, even if they stayed in his bedroom alone.
"And don’t open your mouth about how you’re going to get pregnant with my pup." He added, to which Arabella nodded her head again. Arabella was wondering whether Wylder loved or hated his mate a lot.
.
#TBC