?More than lemon, it's like citron. It becomes bitter after a while,? Rider said, tasting the wine. He waited for Samantha's response with a little anxiety. What if he had just said something stupid?

?Correct!? was the excited response.

?Were you testing me?? he murmured, offended. At the same time, though, he was happy to have passed her examination.

?Not really. I just assumed you didn't know how citron tastes.?

?You're too snobbish sometimes. I am not as rogue as you like to think.?historical

?Oh, really??

?Really,? he confirmed. He leaned towards her, a dangerous light in his eyes. ?Let me show you my trick to drink the best wine, Mine...?

?What?? Samantha murmured. Half of her was curious about what he meant, but she knew it was most likely all a trap.

His lips leaned on hers, and he tasted that expensive, high-quality wine with a new interest. Her scent and taste were better than anything else; he couldn't help but want more.

He left the glass on the low table in front of them before making a mess, and he caught Samantha's as well before pushing her down on the sofa and continuing their kiss, deepening the contact until hearing her moan.

?No, wait,? she said. ?I really am on my period, Rider.?

?Is that a problem?? he muttered, caressing her face and removing a couple locks of her hair.

?You're unbelievable,? she sighed. ?Aren't male wolves scared by the bloody days? I thought you would run away in fear, yet you are as brave as to do this...?

?Don't play with my pride, Miss Trouble. I am not easy to scare.?

?Sure,? she chuckled, rolling her eyes at his offended tone.

?I came this far to meet you. Don't I deserve a kiss??

?Just a kiss,? she decided. ?Nothing more than that.?

?Sure.?

?Sure??

?Yes. That's fine with me.?

?I thought you wouldn't accept.?

?What can I do? Tell me,? he puffed, getting up and glaring at her. ?What in the world can I do once you tell me I can't do anything more than kiss you? Am I expected to complain or not? Be clear because I can't understand you.?

?I thought you came here to have sex and leave soon after. I wasn't expecting this.?

?Why? Have I ever done anything to make you believe I'm such a person??

?It's because...?

?The one asking only for sex, the one pointing it out every single time is you, Mine. You are the one who doesn't want to be serious with me, not the other way around.?

?But you said...?

?I don't remember what I said while prey of lust, but I'm quite convinced I didn't ask you not to meet outside.?

?You agreed that we wouldn't have any relationship!?

?Again, what was I expected to do? I wasn't in control of myself, and all I wanted was you. At any condition you might set.?

?But then... Are you regretting it??

?Regretting? Not really. I'm just realising my own aspirations as time passes. Meeting you sometimes and having no right to tell you not to meet other men or to ask you about your life isn't acceptable anymore.?

?What else do you want, Rider? Isn't it fun like this??

?Fun? Maybe. But it's difficult to return to my normal life after meeting you. Knowing you may change your mind any moment and decide to never meet again doesn't help, especially when you start avoiding me.?

?I wasn't...?

?You didn't want to meet me for the second time in a row. One more weekend, and it would have been a month. How can you even stay far from me for this long? It's the second time I've come looking for you, but maybe I should stop...?

He sighed, checking her expression with the corner of his eye.

His woman was going to accept his conditions, sooner or later. Maybe not all at once, but she was going to realise they couldn't live separately any longer. They were destined to be together, and their instincts would have won over their stubbornness and issues.

?You are acting like a pup,? she commented. ?And you came here just to make me feel guilty!?

?I didn't.?

?Oh, right. You came here for sex and decided to throw a tantrum once you realised you weren't getting it.?

?I was going to throw a tantrum either way. Just, I might have waited for the morning before complaining.?

?That's not helping you.?

?Do I need help??

?Oh, no,? she admitted. ?You don't need any more help. You know I can't fight it, so you came here to convince me to abandon my life and come with you. But I can't. There's too much I owe to my pack, Rider. I want to be with them until the end. Or, at least, until I am not needed anymore.?

?When will that be??

?I don't know.?

?You are telling me to wait for something that won't happen, aren't you? It hurts, Mine. It damn hurts.?

?I'm sorry.?

?If you were sorry, you wouldn't play with me like this.?

She let out a gasp, and her eyes filled with tears as she felt the pain as if it was hers.

?I don't know what to do,? she confessed. ?It's so hard, but I can't let go of my family just because of lust. I have responsibilities, you know? I can't abandon them to build my own life somewhere far from trouble.?

?I can't abandon my family either. And I have responsibilities in my pack just like you do. But I'm trying to make this work in some way. All you do is push me away every time I mention this problem. It's unfair.?

?I'm sorry, Rider. I really am sorry.?

?Don't say words like sorry; it doesn't help me feel better.?

?What should I do, then??

?Just kiss me,? he decided with a sigh. In the end, a kiss was better than nothing. It was weird, but he preferred to delay his plan if the risk was losing her forever.

He could convince her another day.. For the moment, he should enjoy her soft caresses and that expensive wine.