Samantha waited for a few minutes, still in that weird situation. Never in her life had she thought she could find someone she desired so much. And it was even less expected that she would feel conflicted after being rejected.

On one hand, rejection hurt her. It always did, especially when her mate didn't want to have sex. Even though, given the situation, she could understand him. At least, she could have resisted long enough to reach a room. Why choose a storage room just because of hurry?

On the other hand, she felt warm and happy. She didn't know why, but Rider preferred to hug her than to take advantage of the situation like he would have done a month before.

That last part was frightening her the most: it was exactly what she wanted to avoid. Being as close as to feeling nostalgia would have made their lives harder.

Her train of thoughts ended when Rider finally let her go. She turned and checked his face before moving her eyes on his open arms.

?Your turn,? he said.

He was offering a hug. How odd.

?You hugged me from behind,? she pointed out. ?It's not the same.?

?Do you want me to turn now? I feel like you're planning to knock me out, Mine.?

?Don't call me that. I am not yours.?

?Oh, that... I wasn't referring to that,? he said. ?I was referring to the bombs.?

?Landmines??

?Yes, exactly. Can I continue calling you Mine, now??

?What?? she chuckled. ?You're making it up. It's not the truth!?

?But Mine also means...?

?I know what it means, Rider. I mean, I still call you Rider.?

?You can call me yours; it's fine with me,? he scoffed with a shrug.

He averted his gaze to hide his thoughts, remembering what his sister told him.

First of all, he had to be sweet instead of sexy. If he wanted Samantha to fall in love as madly as he already had, he needed to focus on her soul instead than on her body. He had to offer comfort, warmth, and everything a woman could have needed a few nights before the Black Moon.

Of course, he couldn't just avoid sex altogether. It was a matter of balance, and, unfortunately, he had never thought about balancing his life ever before.

Still, the first step was to be more cute than brute.

?What are you even doing here?? she asked, crossing her arms. ?I didn't know you liked fashion.?

?I don't, in fact. I'm on duty, babysitting a bunch of teens.?

The second step was showing her honesty. He had already done the worst, betraying her trust. He didn't need any more information and could focus on the matters regarding their relationship alone.

No more hidden interrogations. No more plans.historical

The next time he questioned her, it would have been for his curiosity and not anyone else's benefit.

To become a better man for her, he needed to tell the truth. As often as possible.

?Oh, I see,? Samantha chuckled. ?You're a bodyguard, aren't you??

?You already know it, Mine.?

Their first meeting had happened while he was working, after all.

?I heard your people call you Boss back then. I thought you were the chief of security, the head of guards... Something like that. Yet, your Alpha sends you to guard a group of teens? Why is that??

His expression changed from neutral to worried.

?I can't tell you,? he said. ?It's about the pack hierarchies.?

The third step regarded dealing with the few things he couldn't tell her. Amanda had told him he couldn't deserve Samantha as long as he continued lying. So, even when he couldn't reply, he had no right to say something untrue.

He couldn't just tell her that Lucretia was the Alpha's sister. But... He could explain it was secret information.

That way, Samantha wouldn't have anything more to be angry about - should one day his mischiefs come to light.

?Oh, I see. So, you are the head of security,? she continued.

?I am,? he confirmed. That was nothing too grave, and it regarded him only and not other people from the pack. ?I'm strong, you know??

?Are you, now?? Samantha chuckled.

?I can prove it,? he challenged her. He didn't fear her judgement too much.

First of all, because he was fairly convinced she would let him win. And, secondly, because she would have discovered his limits sooner or later. He wanted her by his side for life. He couldn't reach that goal by hiding his flaws and over-exposing his good side.

?By the way... Do you want to come to my room?? she asked, changing the topic. ?I have to follow a show now, and it's the principal event. However, it's the last one. After I'm done, I will be free.?

?Your room?? he chuckled.

?I figured it's better if we don't meet in yours, especially since you're guarding teens.?

?I'll see, Mine. It doesn't depend on me. If you think a group of teens won't make my life difficult on Saturday night... Well, if you're right, I'll come to you.?

?I will be leaving soon. I don't plan on sleeping here. Of course, unless I don't have a reason to.?

?I'll text you if I can't make it. If you don't receive anything, you will see me soon.?

?Text??

She blinked, trying to remember whether she had blocked his number or not... She most likely didn't because it wasn't her way of doing things. And Rider hadn't sent thousands of texts to make her wish to do it.

Still, her mood had been wavering during the first days after he had left her home.

She took out her phone from her purse and opened the contacts. Before she could check out the list of blocked numbers, the screen fluttered, and Rider's number appeared.

?You deleted my contact,? he said, his lips curling down.

?Oh, no,? she rebuked. She sighed internally. She hadn't blocked him, at least. ?I have never saved it.?

Somehow, her confession didn't have the hoped effect. Rider wasn't as annoyed as she was expecting.. If anything, he seemed happy to hear that - even without saving it - she could recognise his phone number.