Stanton tossed the empty into the recycle bin and opened the nearest cooler to get another beer.
Grabbing a bottle, he stood up and popped the twist cap off. He turned around and jumped when
Aurora punched him in the chest, her eyes filled with rage. “What the hell!” She barked at him. “Why
would you tell them that?”
“It’s the truth,” he hissed back at her.
“Judging from the way all the guys around here are falling over you, I bet you will be really busy.”
She shook her head in disgust as she took a step back. “Stupid me, for a moment, I actually believed
you were a nice guy. But you are just like every other man I have ever met. Kudos, though, you fooled
me good,” she turned to leave but then stopped and faced him once more. “By the way, you owe me
$100, and I don’t take credit,” then she walked away, and Stanton hung his head. He felt like such an
ass.
Stanton put down his beer and chased after Aurora. She was leaving the picnic all together. He jogged
to catch up and grabbed her bicep in his beefy hand. He pulled her to an abrupt stop. She spun around
and slapped him hard across the face shocking him enough that Stanton released her. “Aurora… I’m…
It’s just… I…”
“Heads up!” Yelled Gordon. Stanton looked up just in time to catch the football being hurled at him.
“Come on, Stanton. I can’t play without my linebacker.”
“I’ll be right there,” he promised.
“Hey, Doll Face, you want to play?” Darrell yelled to her.
Aurora glared up at Stanton, and then she got a sadistic grin. “Yeah, I’ll play.”
“Don’t do it, Hummingbird. The game tends to get rough,” Stanton told her. “This ain’t flag football. It’s
full contact.”
“I can handle myself just fine,” she said, pushing past her.
“Aurora, please talk to me.”
“Let’s play,” she said as she took her position on the field as the teams took their starting positions.
Stanton squared off against her on the scrimmage line. “This isn’t a fair fight. Look at me and look at
you. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Play,” she hissed.
The game started, and everyone broke into their plays. Stanton ran and watched as Gordon threw him
the ball. He jumped up and caught the ball. Landing on his feet, he turned to see Aurora covering him.
He snickered; he was just going to roll right over her. He charged, and so did she.
Mere feet from him, her eyes lit up like flames, and she dropped her shoulder, giving herself a lower
center of gravity, then she rammed him head-on, slamming her shoulder into his belly, then her arms
wrapped around his leg, and she stood up. A growl escaped her as Aurora flipped Stanton over her
shoulder, and he fell, landing flat on his back the wind knocked out of him. The football fell from his
hands as he lay there, every inch of him aching as he tried to catch his breath.
Suddenly Aurora was standing over him. She placed one foot on his chest, keeping him right on the
ground beneath her. A sly smiled curved those lush lips, her bright eyes sparkling with pride. “Don’t
worry, Big Daddy. I didn’t feel a thing,” Stanton tried to sit up, but she applied pressure and firmly
pushed him back down. “Down,” she said with a grin. She leaned way over, bringing her face down
closer to his. “You have been a very bad boy, and you need to be punished,” Stanton’s hands closed
around her bare ankle just above her runners. He had intended to move her foot off him, but he
stopped when he felt the softness of her skin beneath his rough touch. Slowly he slid his hand over her
calve and couldn’t believe just how excited he was at the moment. Aurora then stood tall and stepped
off him, walking away to rejoin her team.
Kenneth came over and offered Stanton a hand. He helped Stanton to his feet, and both men watched
as Aurora walked away. “God damn man,” Lewis grinned as he watched Aurora, “I’m in love.”
“Me too,” Stanton muttered without thinking.
Kenneth slapped Stanton on the back, “I understand you got dibs, but if you don’t lock it down with that
one, I sure as hell am going to try.”
Stanton’s hand went to his belly, where her shoulder had hit him. For such a little thing, she could pack
a good hit. He placed his hands on his knees and bent, overtaking a few more minutes to catch his
breath. He stood up and took a few steps, then paused for a few more minutes before trying again.
That girl could play rough, and he loved it.
He rejoined everyone on the field, and the game continued. Despite the rivalry between the teams,
Aurora spent the better part of the game teaching Stanton a very painful lesson that she was not some
shrinking flour, and she didn’t need anyone. She knew the world was rough and cruel, and she knew
how to fight back.
After the game, Stanton sat at the picnic table, letting the bruises she had left him with heal. By the
time he was ready to go home, he’d be fin without even mild discolouration. It was moments like this;
he was thankful to be a Lycan. They sat around drinking and stuffing themselves with junk food. As the
sun began to set, Aurora walked over to Stanton, and he quickly came to his feet. “I need you to take
me back to your place,” she said. “I have to pick up my bag,” she had left it behind when they left. The
fact that she wanted to collect it told him she didn’t intend to stay with him.
He nodded, and they said goodbye. Stanton and Aurora got into the SUV, and they started driving.
“You’re not going to stay, are you?” He said as they drove along in silence.
“Why should I stay. I’m going back to Aspen.”
“How are you going to get there?”
“Hitchhike.”
“That’s dangerous.”
She laughed. “I would have thought that I’ve proven by now that I’m the dangerous one. I don’t need
anybody,” she said as they pulled into the driveway. As soon as the SUV stopped, Aurora hopped out
and went into the house.
Stanton followed her in and shut the door. “Aurora, I’m sorry, please don’t leave.”
She turned abruptly to face him. “You humiliated me.”
“I know. Believe me. I’m so very story. I wish I could take it back.”
“I trusted you,” she said, marching over to him. “I even slept with for free… I can’t believe I slept with
you. I feel like an idiot,” she muttered as she began to pace.
He wanted to make amends. Stanton dropped to his knees on the floor in front of the door. “Please
don’t leave. I want you to stay. I will do anything to show you. I’m sorry.”
She turned to see him on his knees. “Why?”
“Because I like you, and besides, you are in a very rare and expulsive group.”
“Oh?”
“Women who will actually touch me,” she was trying very hard not to laugh, but he could see that smile
despite her efforts to hide it.
Suddenly she stood her back straighter, and her eyes took on that commanding glint it had on the
football field. “You want to make amend?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. First, you are going to draw me a bath, something hot and cozy,” she said as she walked back
and forth. “Well, I’m relaxing. You will make dinner. A nice dinner. After we eat, you will give me a full
body massage,” he liked where this was going. She stopped in front of him and leaned over her lips,
brushing his ear. Her breath on his neck sent shudders through him. “Then, I’m going to punish you.”
Never before had a threat excited him so much. He turned his face to hers and smiled. “I’ll draw that
bath,” he whispered breathlessly.
Aurora’s soft fingers traced his jaw, and the pad of her thumb grazed over his bottom lip as she looked
into his smouldering eyes. “Good boy.”
***
Aurora sunk low into the hot water enjoying the warmth wrapping around her. She wet a handcloth and
draped it over her eyes, blocking out the light. This was heaven. She couldn’t believe this worked. She
had been angry when she was on the field. She wanted to prove she was tough but was surprised
when she saw how her asserting her dominance got Stanton hot. She was starting to suspect he might
be one of those men who liked being dominated.
The only way she had managed to survive the last four years was by being able to deduce what got
men revved up, and it was different from man to man. One thing worked well on one man but not on
the next. So, she had gotten very good at reading men. When she picked up on the subtle hints, she
knew how to capitalize on whatever persona she had to use to get the job done. However, she would
admit this was the first time she convinced a man to pamper her with the promise of future pleasure.
She might actually grow to like it here.
Aurora had no idea how long she had been soaking when she heard the door open. She removed the
cloth from her eyes to see Stanton peeking his head in. “Dinner is ready,” he informed her. She
supposed she had been soaking long enough. Aurora stood up and stepped out of the tub. She
reached for the towel on the counter and wrapped it around herself. Stanton stepped out of the way to
let her exit the washroom, then he walked over to the tub and pulled the plug to let it drain.
Aurora didn’t bother to dress fully. She just pulled on a clean skirt and a tank top with nothing beneath.
The lower half of her sloppy pigtails were wet from where they had been in the water. Dressed, she
walked over to the table and smiled. Stanton stood near the wall and touched the dimming switch on
the wall lowering the lights. On the table, there were two plates of lamb chops with roasted glazed
beats and asparagus with cheese sauce. There were wine glasses with a bottle of red wine. In the
center of the table were lit candles. She was speechless.
“I hope you like it,” he said, walking over to the table and pulling out her chair. She must have dozed off
in the tub because she couldn’t believe he had pulled this off so quickly. Aurora took her seat, and
Stanton slid her in closer to the table, then she watched as he poured them both a glass of wine.
“I’m impressed you pulled this off.”
His mouth did that twitchy thing as he tried not to smile. “Well, luckily, I have a packed freezer and
microwave for a quick defrost,” he said, taking.
“And the candles?”
“In my emergency pack that I keep under the sink in case of natural disasters or blackouts,” he said,
making her giggle. He was resourceful. She would give him that.
“And the wine?”
“Got it for Christmas this year. I’m more of a beer guy, so it’s been in my pantry collecting dust. I hope
it’s still good.”
“Doesn’t wine get better with age?”
“I certainly hope so,” he said, sniffing his own glass before tasting it.
Aurora sipped her wine. She’d never had it before, but she was a fan. Aurora picked up her fork and
knife. She cut the section and placed a piece in her mouth. It was very good. She was impressed that
he was a great cook. He was watching her intently. “Do you like it?” He asked, hopefully.
“Yes.”
Suddenly he smiled; it was a genuine unrestricted smile. The first true smile Aurora had seen from this
man. Her approval really seemed to please him. No one had ever cared about how she felt or what she
thought. It felt nicer than she would have thought. His smile brought a smile to her face.
How strange a day or two ago, this bright warm boyish smile that lit up Stanton’s face would have been
intimidating? She would have compared it to looking into the face of a madman. The kind of look that
could make a grown man’s blood run cold. Only when she looked at him, she could see the warmth of
his smile.
“You smiled,” she giggled.
Instantly Stanton’s forced frown took over as he realized she was right. He cleared his throat and then
reached for his fork. “Sorry, I hope I didn’t make you nervous.”
Aww, she felt terrible that he felt he couldn’t show happiness because it would make others
uncomfortable. Aurora reached across the table and took his hand. His eyes moved to their hands,
then they lifted and met hers. “I like your smile,” she smiled at him.
A big smile returned to his face. He squeezed her hand, and over the smile faded from his face once
more. “I want you to know I’m truly sorry for saying what I did,” he hung his head in shame. “I know it
doesn’t make it better, but I was just…” he sighed, “I really like you, and I was jealous.”
“Why?”
“You’re beautiful. Look at me. It’s a miracle you ever let me touch you. After meeting my friends…
Pretty Boy Darrell…” he said his friend’s name with disgust, “why would you ever want me again?” His
mouth turned into the most adorable pout, and Aurora nearly melted.
She rose from her seat and climbed into his lap, wedging herself between Stanton’s chest at her front
and the table at her back. Stanton tried to pull away when Aurora framed his face. She forcefully lifted
his head so she was looking into his eye.
“Listen, Cowboy… sorry… Darrell,” she corrected herself quickly when she saw the spark of anger
return to his eyes, “He is a very good-looking man. But it was you, not Darrell, who took me to lunch
with no expectations. Who helped me understand what I am? It was you who took a stranger into his
home. You ask what I see in you… you showed me kindness when no one in this world would.”
“Does that mean you forgive me?” He asked with a hopeful smile.
Aurora nodded. “Yes, I forgive you.”
A playful look came over his face. “Do I still get punished?”
Aurora laughed. “After my massage. You can start by rubbing my feet.”
Stanton leaned over and moved the candle off the table, and placed it on the window sill next to them.
Then he reached out and swiped everything off the table, the dishes breaking as they hit the floor. He
grabbed her by the waist and lifted Aurora up out of his lap, and set her up on the table.
Stanton remained seated, and he took her right foot in his hands. He rubbed her foot, and it felt like
heaven. He lifted her leg higher then placed her foot on his shoulder, his hands moving up her ankle
and calve massaging the muscles. She smiled as he placed soft kisses to each place on her calve that
he touched.
Aurora bit her bottom lip as she watched this powerful man getting excited by catering to her. His hands
slid up over her knee and over her inner thigh, his lips following his fingers. Stanton’s hand moved up
over her bottom, pushing her skirt up high around her waist as his mouth moved up the inside of her
inner thigh.
She could feel her pulse speed up to the closer his lips got to her sex. Stanton lifted both her legs up
over his shoulders. He grabbed her bottom and dragged her to the very edge. His mouth found her sex,
and she threw her end back and moaned as he ate at her growing wetness. His tongue lapped at her.
He forced his fingers in and out of her while he licked and sucked on the swollen bud. Her pleasure
built. She couldn’t take it anymore; she wanted him. “Oh, God, fuck me, fuck me now,” she ordered.
Stanton stood up, knocking his chair over. He pulled his jeans open and pushed them and his shorts
down. He pulled her legs around his hips and drove himself deep into it. Aurora laid back against the
table and cried out as she climaxed. His hands moved over her body. “God look at you; you make me
so fucking hard.”
Bracing her hand on the table behind her, sitting up. She wrapped one arm around his shoulders,
holding herself against him and proceeded to rock against him. Aurora felt a growl of pleasure escape
her when Stanton hit that sweet spot at that new angle.
A pleased smile claimed his face. “Oh yeah, is that spot?” He asked with pleasure.
“Right their Big Daddy… harder,” Stanton drove into her harder, and she came against. “Yes! God,
yes!” She screamed and snapped Stanton’s control, and he was lost to his own release. They
remained tangled in one another content.
Stanton looked deep into Aurora’s eyes and lovingly caressed her face. “Be my girl?” He whispered.
“Just mine.”
Aurora reached up and cupped the back of his head. She pulled him forward and kissed his lips. It was
the first kiss of this kind. She’d never kiss anyone on the lips before it had been too intimate. She was
glad she’d never kissed anyone before. It made this moment all the more meaningful.
Her lips lifted from his, and Stanton smiled once more. “Was that a yes?” He asked, hopefully. She
nodded yes, and then Stanton grabbed Aurora by the waist and lifted her off the table. He let out a
happy cheer and spun around, tossing her up into the air and catching her as she dropped back down
into his arms. She laughed out loud, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he carried her to the
bed and followed her down. His lips claimed hers, and then he brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. “I
promise, Hummingbird. You will never regret it.”
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