Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart (Fated To The Wolf #7)

11. Sadie

11

Sadie

S adie shut the door and leaned against it, trying hard not to open it back up and ask Dakota to spend the night with her. She wanted to be held in his arms and to feel their bodies pressed together. The familiar aching need between her legs wanted him as much as her heart did. The only thing that stopped her was that he might have had enough of her company for the weekend. Dakota was a loner and not used to constantly being with someone else. He might need to decompress.

Sadie unpacked her bag for the weekend, trying to decide whether the black dress needed to be sent to the dry cleaner or if it was okay for one more occasion. It still looked and smelled fresh, so she hung it in the closet.

The hot shower was so inviting. As she stood beneath the cascading hot water, she thought about Dakota’s hands roaming over her body, exploring her. Sadie could feel his mouth on hers and on her body.

Her fingers found the hard pebble and hot wet entrance of her womanhood. She was still a little sore from the night before, but she closed her eyes and imagined that Dakota was standing in the shower with her. She lightly rubbed her clit and pushed a couple of fingers inside of her, moving them in and out of her aching tunnel. Sadie could feel his lips on hers as he made love to her mouth with his.

It didn’t take long for the bolts of electricity to course through her body and she orgasmed into her own hand, wishing with all her heart that Dakota was with her. She quickly washed herself and got out of the shower.

The cool air made goosebumps appear all over her body as she quickly dried off. She grabbed some panties and a large T-shirt. Sadie lay in her comfortable bed, reveling in the soft, cool sheets. She picked up a paranormal mystery book she had started reading a couple days ago and tried to focus on the words.

A minute later, as her eyes scanned the pages, she realized she had been holding the book upside down. She shook her head. Who am I kidding? There is no way that I can focus on reading a book right now.

She snuggled deeper into the bed, closing her eyes, replaying the previous night’s events in her mind. Smiling, Sadie held her body pillow tightly as she remembered the tenderness and passion in Dakota’s eyes and the way he had held her, as though she really did mean something important to him.

Making love to him had been amazing. She had heard stories from other women about their experiences. Some of them had told her that they had a great partner who made them feel incredible while others had said that the entire experience had been awkward or uncomfortable. A couple of her acquaintances even reported that the sex had been disappointing.

Maybe they just had the wrong partner. Making love to Dakota had been everything I ever dreamed my first time could be. It was more than just physical. It was raw emotion.

Sadie sighed. “Am I in love with him? Could Talia be right about the fated mates thing?”

Then, she laughed at herself. “I haven’t known him long enough to fall in love with him, and it would be stupid to do that. Nothing good could come from me letting myself fall down that rabbit hole.”

She slowly drifted off to sleep, thinking about Dakota, pretending his arms were wrapped tightly around her.

The morning was incredibly busy the next morning. Students were in and out of the library, looking for books or needing help with research. She didn’t have a chance to think about Dakota. Finally, though, it was time for lunch. Talia came into the library and they ate together in the large conference room.

“Spill. I want to hear everything about your weekend with Dakota.”

Sadie smiled. “It was amazing. We got to Albuquerque early enough to do a little bit of sightseeing. We went to Old Town and rode the tram. The gallery opening was exciting. There were a ton of people there. I don’t know whether they were there because they knew who Dakota was or if they regularly attended such events, but Dakota captured their attention immediately. Most of his work was sold that night.”

“Good for him. Then what?” Talia looked knowingly at Sadie. “You guys went back to the hotel. What happened.”

A heated blush exploded in her face. “Would you believe we went to our own rooms and spent the night watching reruns of Law and Order ?”

“Nope.”

“Fine then. I pulled him into my room, undressed him, and we made love. It was so incredibly perfect. I never knew that I could feel such incredible ecstasy. It was like the world disappeared and we were the only two beings in the world. At one point, I was pretty sure that my body would explode from the fire burning inside of me.”

“That sounds like my first time with Sebastian. There are no words to describe how I felt.”

Sadie ran her fingers through her hair. “It was so much more than sex, though. We hung out and had silly conversations. It was fun and I can’t describe how I felt. His scent haunts me. Saying that we were connected sounds lame, but I don’t know how else to say it.”

Talia nodded knowingly. “I know exactly how you feel. It was how I felt with Sebastian and still do. Even when we’re apart, he’s with me. It sounds like you’ve fallen in l…”

Sadie put up her hand and shook her head. “Don’t say it.”

“Just because I don’t say the word, doesn’t make it true. But I am worried about you. Have you two talked about your future?”

“Only to the point where he’s made it clear that he’s not in Angel’s Creek permanently and I’m not leaving. I figure that I would just enjoy the time I have with him while he’s here and have good memories when he leaves. It’s not like there are any men around here that I could ever be interested in.”

“You never know. Some stranger might come into town and sweep you off of your feet.”

“Doubtful. But I know the deal with Dakota. He’s always been honest with me. I’ll take this time I have with him and I’ll never regret it. He makes me feel alive and if all I have, for the rest of my life, are memories of him, his smile, and his touch, then that’s okay.”

Talia looked at her, her face filled with concern, but she didn’t have time to say anything because the bell rang. She packed up her lunch bag, smiled at Sadie, and left.

A few minutes later, her phone buzzed. Sadie pulled it out of her pocket and smiled. It was a text from Dakota. Thinking of you. Can’t wait to see you again.

She replied, Me, too. Hugs.

Sadie was glad to get back home after the crazy day. She absolutely loved her job and the kids, but there was nothing like the quiet of her own house. She wished she could see Dakota, but he had taken an early morning flight to Chicago to see his publisher. He wouldn’t be home until way past her bedtime.

After grabbing a bottle of sweet iced tea, she settled into her favorite chair and thumbed through the catalog of new books that were coming out. The school board had actually given her a decent budget to buy new books.

The catalog had several of Dakota’s books. She was going to buy at least one of each offered. He had spoken so passionately to the students that several of them were instantly hooked, even those who weren’t into wildlife or photography before. There was a waiting list for his books.

As she entered the ISBN numbers into the order form, her mind wandered back to their weekend together. The memory of his touch, his scent, and the way he made her feel rushed through her.

She picked up her phone to text him and tell him she was thinking about him, but her doorbell rang. “Maybe he got back early.”

A glimpse into her doorbell camera dashed her hopes. That definitely wasn’t Dakota standing on her porch.

“Billy. What a surprise.” Her voice said that this wasn’t a pleasant surprise, although Billy didn’t seem to notice.

He handed her a bouquet of flowers and smiled. “Hi, Sadie. I wanted to see you. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

She hesitated for a minute before stepping back and inviting him in. “Not really. I was just figuring out what books I’m going to order for the library.” Her tone was more cautious than welcoming.

The boy she once thought she loved had become a grown man who was a stranger. An awkward silence hung between them.

“I’m sorry about your grandfather.”

“Thanks. The funeral was on Saturday. I had hoped to see you there.”

“I’m sorry. I had another engagement I couldn’t get out of.”

He nodded. She invited him to sit down with a wave of her hand. He perched on the edge of her couch. The silence was heavy, like a cold, wet, wool blanket.

“What have you been up to?”

Billy smiled and told her about life in the city and his job as an accountant at a prestigious firm. He told her about the clubs, theater, and all the exciting events he attended in the last six years.

“Sounds like fun,” Sadie said, more out of politeness. City life didn’t seem at all appealing to her.

He leaned forward and stared into Sadie’s eyes. “I’ve been thinking about staying in Angel’s Creek.”

“Really? Why?”

“Being back here and seeing everyone. Hanging out with Mom, Dad, and the rest of my family. It’s made me realize what I’ve been missing.” He hesitated for a minute. “I’ve also been thinking about you a lot. I’ve dated a few times, but no one could compare to you or what we had. I was hoping that we could start seeing each other again and see where our relationship goes.”

Sadie sucked in a breath. She felt like she should have seen this coming. The handsome man sitting in front of her looked at her earnestly as she tried to figure out how to nicely answer him.

She nibbled on her lip and shook her head. “Billy, I’m flattered. I really am. But I’m sorry, I don’t feel the same about you. What we had was a childhood puppy love. Our lives have taken us down different paths. We both have changed.”

“I see. Maybe we could hang out. You might find that connection is real between us.”

“No, I don’t think so. You should go.”

He stood up and walked to the door. Billy turned around, opened his arms, and started toward her to give her a hug. Sadie took a step back.

“Goodbye, Billy. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

She shut the door behind her and sighed. As she walked back to her chair she thought about her feelings for Dakota and what she had once felt for Billy. There really was no comparison.

Sadie sat back in her chair and picked up an old photo album. She started flipping through the pages. Familiar faces from high school stared back at her. She came across a couple of her and Talia. There were several pictures of pep rallies, her playing basketball and volleyball, and of her accepting different awards during different school ceremonies.

“Mom loved her camera – almost as much as Dakota.”

Then, she came across pictures from her senior prom. Sadie was dressed in a dark green dress and Billy stood next to her with his arm around her. She was beaming and she remembered thinking that she was in love with him. They had been so sure that they would be together forever. Now, she didn’t feel anything for him. There weren’t even residual feelings or a longing for a time past when life was much simpler.

Sadie texted Dakota. Hey there. I miss hanging out with you. Hugs.

He replied quickly. Miss you, too. See you tomorrow. Sweet dreams.

“They’ll be of you,” she whispered.