They had never worded that to her directly, of course. But she had moved inward the older she grew, coming to her own conclusions about the world and her relationships without any feedback from the people who claimed to love her. They never asked her much about her life beyond school and the few social events she attended. They didn’t know how lonely she felt when they forced her to attend events with their new families, showing off their new children and all of the skills that they seemed so incredibly proud of.
Kate was a mindful person, but she hadn’t tied everything together just yet … like what she had been through and how she felt about Devlin. It was all a web of a mess in her mind, something she wished she could just slash through and see clearly for a single second.
She stood from the bench and peered over the railing of the yacht. She continued to think about her parents until Devlin returned, holding two margaritas in his hands and kissing the back of her head as he arrived.
“You feeling okay, gorgeous?”
His words ran through her like fire. She took the drink from his hand, and he gave her a light peck on the cheek. It was brief, but she felt like his touch was singing through her skin.
“I’m fine now,” she responded half-heartedly.
Kate didn’t want her past to distort her present. But it was difficult to let someone care for you when you genuinely believed that you didn’t deserve it. With all of her heart, Kate thought she wasn’t worthy.
EIGHT
KATE
Kate was able to let a little bit of her apprehension go about the progression of her and Devlin’s relationship as they spent more time together on the yacht. After he brought her a few more drinks, she felt herself getting more comfortable, listening to him talk about his life as a billionaire with all of his tales of scandalous adventure.
They took time dancing in the heat of the sun, mingling with people who probably bought shoes that cost more than her apartment rent. She started to lose her sense of worry as they laughed together, the hum of his melodic chuckle further enchanting her sensibilities.
Kate wondered if his allure was caused by his shifter nature or if it was a placebo effect, making her drawn to him because she knew about his shifter ways. It certainly made him seem more interesting than the men she was used to dating, but it felt way more complicated than just the presence of a novelty.
He was sexy beyond belief, a person who was incredibly intense and tactile when it came to having her skin on his. When they danced, he pulled her into him from behind, encouraging her to roll her hips seductively against his, the crawl of his fingers against her waist like an electric current.
She felt confident on the dance floor, sexy even as she flipped her hair around. No one had ever had her feel that way, and that feeling within itself was addicting.
Devlin’s lips become looser about his antics, the majority of the stories revolving around getting drunk in luxurious places, nearing coming to fists with many people the common person would love to even rub elbows with. Kate listened intently, always with a drink in her hand, feeling more and more like her experience with the handsome man was something out of a dream.
Everyone around her looked like they were walking a red carpet, with looks that stunned her, no matter what gender they were. Most of them were carved out of stone, seemingly, with egos the size of Mount Everest. Though Devlin continuously complimented her, she didn’t feel like she was up to their standards when it came to good looks.
Which made her think self-consciously about why Devlin was pursuing her, out of all the people in the room that he could have with a snap?
The fated mate thing, oh yes.
Kate didn’t drink a lot very often, but she knew when to stop and have water or eat something. Being with Devlin did tempt her to slip into his lifestyle, which seemed to consist of a reckless abandon that her subdued life had never been exposed to.
He talked about a time that he partied with a movie star, along with his girlfriend, and nearly ended up in a threesome, but instead, fell into a misunderstanding. It was clear that the booze was getting to him because his words were sliding out easily and without much, or any, consideration for her feelings.
It was then that Kate started to have a realization, which crept into her mind like a rat into a house. None of the stories he was telling actually were about anything that was tangible or about his personality in the slightest.
She started to become uncomfortable as he went on about his conquests with women, making her feel a bit inferior about her own lack of exploration when it came to her sexuality.
They had adjourned to another quiet, private area of the yacht when the sun was starting to go down, its shades bleeding out onto the deck like a Jackson Pollock painting. Kate could feel herself closing down again.
“So I told this guy he was nuts,” Devlin said, expressing himself enthusiastically. “He gets pissed off at me because I’m trying to hit on his girlfriend … but the man was giving me signs earlier that he was down with it.”
Kate was curling up in the booth, feeling herself start to crash from the drinking. Her heart began to beat rapidly when she began thinking and wondering if he was actually into her or if he was obsessed with the idea of winning.
She smiled politely at him, trying to not indicate where her mind was headed. “So what happened then?” she asked casually.
“I was misreading everything,” Devlin exclaimed and chuckled. “The guy and I almost came to blows right there in the middle of the club.”
Kate grinned but looked away, hiding her growing annoyance with the edge of her glass.
“That’s unfortunate,” she replied.
Silence grew between them, which melted away Devlin’s vigor. He cleared his throat and lifted a beer to his lips. “I guess that kind of thing has never happened to you?” he asked.