Chapter 35: 13

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.”

“I’ll wait,” she said, laying back down.

Darrell walked into the kitchen and opened the washroom door. Stepping in, he looked at his shower and then back out oat Katelyn lying on his couch. With the door open, there was a direct line of sight 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 back to the door, but through the mirror, he could see Katelyn had sat up and taken notice. She was doing her best not to look as if she were watching him. He stepped into the shower and closed the glass door. Let her watch.

***

Katelyn had been doing her best not to allow herself to be caught up in the madness that was Darrell Savage. Then he went to have a shower and left the door open. The man had no modesty… and an amazing body. She watched as he stepped into the shower and shut the shower door. The clear see-

through glass door. She watched as he stood under the showerhead. His left hand planted on the tile wall, his eyes closed while the hot water poured and rolled over his hard body.

Watching, Katelyn bit her bottom lip, trying to ignore the tingling growing between her legs. Would 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 already knew that Darrell did not have qualms about casual sex.

Katelyn knew she should not do this, but she found herself rising to her feet. She walked toward the washroom removing the dress she had worn to 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 across his flat abs.

Opening the shower door, Katelyn stepped into the shower with Darrell. She pulled the doors closed and stepped up to Darrel. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her hard against him, his mouth claiming hers in a heated, demanding kiss. 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. She locked her legs around his hips, and he drove himself deep inside her. Katelyn’s head fell back against the wall. She moaned with immense satisfaction.

He felt so good as he took here right there with slow deep thrusts. His mouth trailed down over her neck 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 most important thing in his life.

When he brought her to climax, and she tightened around him, Katelyn saw 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 the normal amber, and he smiled at her. He did not have to tell her he had enjoyed it. She did not have to wonder if she got him there. His eyes had said it all.

Now they stood face to face, and Darrell stared into her eyes and smiled. “This doesn’t change anything,” Katelyn told him.

“I know.”

***

After their shower and a quick breakfast, Darrell drove Katelyn home. It was a quiet drive. When he pulled into the driveway, the front door opened, and her parents came out. It looked as though they were going somewhere, and Darrell had blocked them in. Katelyn got out of the truck, and much to her dismay so did Darrell. He came walking around the front of the truck and smiled when he was greeted by her parents. He shook her father’s hand. “Afternoon, Sir,” Darrell said with a smile.

“It is Darrell, is it not?” Her mother asked.

“Yes, Ma’am, it is,” he tipped his hat in respect.

“So nice to see you again. I was so worried when Carl said Katelyn took off with some drunk jealous man. I feared she had left with Nigel.”

“No, Ma’am, I do apologize. I had needed a ride, and your daughter was so kind as to see I got home.”

“And she spent the night?” Her father said, knowingly.

“I slept on the couch,” Katelyn said, deciding not to add to things by mentioning their shower.

“Well, it is none of our business what you do with your boyfriend,” her father said, “You are a grown woman. You don’t need to explain your actions.”

“Oh no,” They both said quickly and awkwardly. “He’s not my boyfriend,” Katelyn corrected.

“Well, then what is he?” Her mother asked.

Darrell stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, and he looked at her. “Good question. What am I?”

“You are… he is…. we are… we are just friends.”

“Friends?” Darrell repeated.

“Yes… friends.”

“Alright,” he smiled at her parents. “We are apparently friends,” both her parents went quiet, and there was an awkward tension between them. “So, where is everyone off too?”

“Oh, we were heading out to the wedding brunch. The bride and groom are opening gifts this morning.

Katelyn, why don’t you go change into something a little more casual, and you can ride with us to the brunch,” her father suggested.

“Darrell, why don’t you join us? I don’t think Karen will mind one extra mouth at brunch. It is just going to be a buffet anyway,” her mother invited Darrell.

“Oh no, I’m sure Darrell is busy today,” Katelyn replied.

“Actually, I have nothing to do today,” he said with a cocky grin. “I would love to join you.”

“Great, then you can drive Katelyn to the brunch. We will meet you there. If you could just move your truck so we can get out.”

“Certainly.”

Annoyed, Katelyn went inside. She still had to change. She 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.

“Covering up now seems kind of pointless now, doesn’t it. I have already seen you naked many-many-

many times,” he said, sauntering across the floor to her. The sultry tone in his voice and the smoulder in his eyes made her knees feel weak, and her breath catch in 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 her. “You better get dressed. We are going to be very-very-very late,” there was so much promise in those words Katelyn slowly released the breath she had been holding.

“I think I would be alright with that.”

He grinned, and his lips found hers. One arm around her waist Darrell eased her back on the bed, bracing himself above her as he ate at her mouth. They were going to be late.

***

They were two hours late. As soon as Darrell put his truck in park, Katelyn jumped out and ran for the door to 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… it is very… white.”

“Who is this man?” Karen asked.

“This is Katelyn’s new boyfriend, Darrell,” her mother introduced him. Katelyn glared at her mother.

“Oh, sorry. I meant; this is Katelyn’s NOT boyfriend, Darrell.”

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

Dear Lord, give her the strength to get through this brunch.

“What happened to Nigel?” Karen asked.

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

“No, I want to know what happened to Nigel?” Karen insisted. “He was such 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, Ode De La Cheat?”

“What?” Karen snapped at him, coming to her feet.

Darrell looked at the new husband. “What is your name?”

“Scott.”

“Well, Scott, you got the switch and bait. Your lovely wife had a hell of a bachelorette party.”

“Darrell!” Katelyn snapped at him. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Telling Scott here the truth. The bride’s been knocking boots with… wait for it… Nigel!” He said the name like a tenner at the opera. “Your cheating fiancé has been bumping uglies with Scott’s cheating fiancée.”

“You are a liar!” Karen growled at him.

“Darrell,” Katelyn was going to chastise him, but then she started to wonder how he knew this. “What proof do you have?” She demanded.

He leaned in and whispered in her ear. I can smell him on her. The scent is fairly strong. I would say they were together no later than two days ago. I would recognize Nigel’s slimeball smell anywhere, and she wreaks of him,” given that she knew Darrell had the nose of a bloodhound, she believed him. “I recognize her smell too,” Katelyn turned to look him in the eye. “It was the same smell I smelled on Nigel the day we met. I would say they have been fucking for some time. Sorry Babe, but the nose never lies.”

Katelyn looked at Karen. “You bitch. All the times I came and cried to you about Nigel’s infidelity, and this whole time it was you who he was cheating with. How could you lie to me and bare my trust?”

“He’s lying,” Karen said with anger. She then looked at her new husband. “Scott, I swear he is lying.”

“Why would he lie about you?” Katelyn snapped. “He doesn’t even know you. He has no reason to lie about you.”

Scott stood up. “What evidence do you have?”

“I have seen them together around town. Let’s just say they were very friendly.”

“He’s lying!” Of course, he was. Katelyn knew he was lying about seeing them because he could not tell them how he really knew.

“Darrell doesn’t lie,” Katelyn defended him. “Unlike you, Karen, you are a lying bitch,” Katelyn snapped, slapping Karen across the face.

Scott looked at Darrell. “Are you sure you are not mistaken?”

“Not a chance,” Darrell said. “Sorry.”

Scott looked at Karen. “You slut,” he growled and stormed out.

“Scott!” Karen cried and chased after him.

All the guests were staring at Darrell now. He was an uninvited guest who had been there all of five minutes and had ruined both the party and a new marriage. Darrell stuffed his hands in his jacket and offered everyone an awkward grin. He then looked over at the food tables. “Ooo, cream puffs,” he said, ignoring the angry faces. He walked himself over to the table and took five mini cream puffs.

He popped one in his mouth, and then Katelyn grabbed him by the arm and urged him toward the door.

“Come on, Darrell, we are leaving.”

“We just got here.”

“I think you have done enough damage.”

Darrell looked back over his shoulder at the guests. “Fun party. Great spread,” he said as Katelyn ushered him out of the building and into the parking lot where Scott and Karen were fighting. They got into Darrell’s truck as he ate another cream puff. “Well, that was fun,” he said, pulling out of the parking lot.

“You destroyed their marriage. You know that, right?”

“Better he knows now while he can still annul it than ten years from now when they have three kids,”

she supposed he was right.

“I just can’t believe Nigel was cheating with Karen of all people. She was my closes family and friend.

How could they both betray me like that?”

“I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, I’m glad, I know. I only wish I had known sooner,” she was doing her best not to cry. “Can you please take me home,” she asked softly.

“Why don’t you come home with me? You shouldn’t be alone.”

Devastated by her cousin’s betrayal, Katelyn slid over in her seat and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Alright,” she did not have the will to fight him on it. She needed comfort, and she wanted to be around him. Taking his right hand off the steering wheel, Darrell put his arm around her shoulders and tucked her in close, giving her the comfort he knew she was seeking.