Vivian Arend - Black Gold

“Yes, but what I’d like is…”

When she stopped, a touch of longing in her tone, it was enough to sober him up from his giggle fest. He groaned as he slapped Evan on the shoulder, his stomach protesting as he sat up. “On that note, I’ll be back. My mate needs something, and your ugly mug just don’t cut it anymore.”

Evan waved him off as they both rolled to their knees.

“Now you should know better than to stop in the middle of that kind of a sentence. Me being the hound dog I am, I could find all kinds of fascinating ways to finish that thought.”

She watched as he approached, her dark lashes fluttering over her bright eyes. Her mouth curved in a smile meant all for him. “That sounds more interesting than what I was going to ask.”

Shaun stopped at her side, nodding politely at the rest of the table. “Ladies. If you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow Gem for a few minutes.”

For a bunch of grown wolves, there was far too much winking and nodding happening as she took his hand. Shaun’s face grew hot at the blunt stares from Caroline and the other girls. What the hell had they been talking about, and holy shit, was he actually blushing?

This night got weirder by the minute.

Gem squeezed his fingers. “Where we going?”

Shaun tugged her close, his hand slipping to her lower back to keep them close. “Dance floor for now.”

They swayed easily, the music nice and slow. Gem draped her arms around his neck, the move lifting her breasts against him.

Hmmm .

They danced, bodies comfortable, in harmony. Part of what he’d longed for was right there. Complete connection, total belonging. There was no question about that truth—he and Gem were together.

“Shaun, we need to make some decisions.”

He turned her slowly, holding on to the peace for one more moment. “There was only one decision that had to be made, love, and you already made it when you marked me.”

Gem stiffened. “When…I marked you?”

Shaun nodded, attempting to guide her from the dance floor toward the open patio. “Come here, let’s not do this in the middle of the entire pack.”

She resisted. “No, this is as fine a place as any.”

Somehow she twisted from his arms and took a spot a few feet from him. He missed her warmth immediately, and the sadness in her eyes haunted him. “Gem, what’s wrong?”

“Just because I marked you, and you marked me doesn’t mean you get to make all the decisions. I thought you understood that. I thought that was clear when we worked together, on the trail, when we escaped from being kidnapped.”

Complete confusion swirled around him. “Gem? You lost me. I just meant that—I mean, all I wanted to say, is that I love you.”

“I love you too, but…” She sighed, an aching, lonely sound, enough to break his heart.

Shaun scratched his head. “There seem to be whole gaps missing from this conversation. I’m not making any decisions. I’m telling you I’m willing to move south. Check it out for a while. Shit, maybe I’ll learn how to windsurf in your ocean. And I’ll take ballroom-dance lessons, or whatever the hell else you do for fun down south.”

Gem stared at him.

The entire bar seemed to hold their breath. The music faded, the flap flap flap of the overhead fans loud in his ears.

She tilted her head to the side. “You…want to move south?”

Shaun caught her hands in his. “I want to be with you, wherever you want to be. If that’s back in Georgia, I’m not that old a dog. I can learn new tricks.”

She swallowed hard, her lower lip trembling. “You mean it?”

He nodded. “Of all the things in life I’m willing to give up, you’re not one of them. I need you, Gem.”

Gem threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. “I don’t know what to say. Really? You would give up your life here to be with me…?”

Her voice tightened, the words dying away.

He kissed her cheek gently. “Really. Why is that so hard to believe?”

“Because you love the north.”

Moving wouldn’t be easy, but it would work. He’d make it work.

“I love you more,” he vowed.

She melted, her expression of complete adoration making his heart pound.

“I need time to settle details with Tad, and the business end of things. But other than that, I’m good.”

“That’s a fine young man you’ve got there.” Mr. Jacobs’ voice interrupted them, the swirl of others discussing his confession filling the air.

Gem turned to face her father, tucking herself against Shaun’s side in her usual position. “Daddy?”

Jacobs lifted his glass at Shaun. “Nice to see that not all you young’uns are hoodlums and miscreants. Love to show you the place. You play golf?”

Oh boy. Chasing around a little white ball that had never done him any harm and beating it with a club. Exactly how he wanted to spend his days. Not . He took in a deep breath, and Gem’s scent filled his head.

That’s why he was doing this.

He smiled politely at her father. “No, sir, I don’t, but I’m game for poker.”

The colonel’s brow rose. “We’ll see about introducing you down at the club, but I doubt we’ll have time to do it all while you’re visiting. I can’t imagine it’ll take Gem that long to pack.”

Pack?

Gem tugged him. “Oh dear, look at the time. We need to go—”

“Pack?” Shaun tilted his head at his father-in-law, wolf-style. “Why does Gem need to pack?”

The old man grumbled for a moment. “To get her things together to move up here to be with you. Since she told me that’s what she’s going to do.”

Gem stopped pulling. Shaun’s grin grew wider by the second.

“Oh, that reason for packing. How could I forget? Yes, we’ll only be down south for… How long did you say, love?”

He turned and batted his lashes at Gem. She answered sheepishly. “Three weeks. Isn’t that what we had talked about?”

“Of course. Silly me.” He nodded at Mr. Jacobs. This conversation was finishing elsewhere. “Excuse us, sir, things to organize.”

“No problem, I’ll be here with the boys. We’re going to a cancan show later.”

Shaun tugged Gem by the arm and ducked into Evan’s office. Privacy, now, was required. He let his happiness show as he leered at her.

“I’m not even going to mention the fact you made plans without me.”

She lowered her chin, but maintained eye contact. “Tell me you’re disappointed I want to live in the north. Go on, tell me, so I can call you a liar.”

His heart pumped like a jackrabbit in the midst of pursuit. “I can’t support you the same way that you’d be living at home. I’m willing to make some changes in career, so I’m not off flying as often—but once you’ve got your degree, I bet you can get a position with any of the environment groups here in the north. They’d love to have someone with your enthusiasm and background.”

Gem nodded. “I’m not too worried about finding work, Shaun. My hesitation has been trying to figure out where I belong. I like being with you, and I like trying new things. I loved running in my wolf, and I don’t ever want to give that up.”

Thank God. “I’m serious though, we can go south if you want to.”

Gem smacked him on the chest. “What part of ‘I like the north’ did you not understand? There’s a lot here for me to experience. I’m sorry I pulled a fast one on you with my father, but I decided it was easier to simply let him know what I wanted.”

She snuck into his arms, and he held on tight. “Don’t think I’m going to be too upset about you going around me, not when it means I get to keep the two things I love the most.”