Page 37 of His Rejected Fated Mate

She shrugged. “I mean…”

I sat stunned. She seriously thought I was refusing because I didn’t want her. “Elize, I’m saying no because for a shifter, having sex is a very emotional and physical thing. You’re not just taking me to bed. You’re taking my wolf. And you know fully well how I am in bed.”

She blushed.

“I’m thinking about how you will feel when it’s over. If I were just thinking about the pack and what I wanted, I would have had you at the fricken altar. I would behave like a horn dog and let my wolf decide. But I don’t.”

Her face went another shade of red. I wanted so badly to tell her how I still wanted her. That I never stopped wanting her. But I knew better. It was unfair to admit that. Because I knew she didn’t feel the same, and it wouldn’t change things.

I took a deep breath. “I don’t want to bring you any more pain.”

She snorted. “Sex wasn’t painful.”

“I’m talking emotional, Elize.”

“Oh.” She fell quiet. “Troy, I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. I don’t need you to think about my emotions or whether or not I’m good. That’s not your job. I’m saying I’m willing to have sex, and you should consider it. Think about it as a transaction. A one-night stand that gets us both what we want.”

I frowned, and she gave me those begging eyes. “Please? Nothing emotional about it. Just physical.”

My wolf was growling for me to agree. But I couldn’t, could I? I couldn’t seriously agree to this. I knew myself. One night was never going to be enough. It never was.

I still thought back to the first time we did it. If we opened that door, I would not be able to shut it.

I ground my teeth together. “Fine.”

She smiled. “Great.”

“But I’m making one requirement first. We’re going out to dinner first.”

She looked confused now. “What? Why?”

“Because if we just decide to have sex, it’s not going to be comfortable. It’s going to be awkward, and things aren’t going to work the way they should.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t understand.”

I frowned. “Elize, I don’t do one-night stands. I tried. I didn’t get a hard up, and I think we both know enough about anatomy to know you need a boner to have sex.”

It wasn’t for the lack of trying. It was a year after she left, and everyone kept telling me to just get some. I figured they were right. So, I just picked a gal up at the bar. But my dick didn’t agree with the idea.

Her mouth dropped slightly, and she looked stunned. “Wait, you’ve never had a one-night stand?”

I shook my head. “No.”

She sat there stunned. “Never?”

I nodded. “Never.”

In truth, I’d dated little. After losing Elize, I tried to find someone else, but it was never the same. I’d only slept with Elize once, but that was all it took. I wanted her like a bad drug.

No one smelled like she did. No one laughed as she did. No one felt like she did. I knew deep down that Elize was the one I wanted. I couldn’t help but think about her during sex.

“I just can’t believe you’ve never had a one-night stand. You’ve dated, haven’t you?”

“Of course I’ve dated. I’m not a monk.”

I had three relationships. All of which were short. All of whom resembled Elize in some way. But I always ended things because, deep down, I knew they deserved better.

She chuckled. “You surprised me with that.”