Wolf with Benefits
Page 46
Not all the time. She shrugged at his one raised eyebrow. I worry. Thats what I do.
And youre damn good at it.
Yes, yes. I know. Thats all I do. Sit around and worry about my family. But if she didnt worry about her family, who would? Some cutthroat agent? Some reality show producer? Toni shuddered at the thought.
Is that why yall broke up?
Excuse me?
Why you broke up? Ricky asked again.
Broke up with who . . . ? she thought a moment. Or is it whom?
Broke up with your last boyfriend?
Why are you asking about that?
Just curious.
Well, be curious about something else.
Breakup was that bad, huh?
Toni rolled her eyes. Is giving me that pity look supposed to get me to tell you everything about my last relationship?
That wont work? Because its worked on others with equally large breasts as yours.
No, that wont work. But Toni laughed in spite of herself.
Come on, he pleaded with a smile. Tell me somethin. Toss this wolf a bone.
All right, all right. He was full-human
Mistake number one.
Are you going to let me finish or comment on each new revelation?
Okay. Finish.
He wasisfull-human and an eye surgeon. He was nice but very . . . particular.
About your sexy times?
Again . . . no. But thanks for grossing me out. She shrugged. He was just particular about how things should go. He seemed to be on a schedule.
I figured youd like a man with a schedule.
Not when that schedule specifically involves me.
Let me guess . . . he wanted marriage, right?
What makes you think that?
All full-humans want marriage. Waste of money, in my opinion.
Thats what my parents would say anytime I asked why they werent married. Funny thing was, my exs mother used to constantly ask when my parents were going to get married rather than living in sin. Her words. Yet my dad was home every night with his mate
Hence the many pups.
Exactly. While my exs dad was banging his secretaries. But my parents are the ones living in sin? Really?
Full-humans do love to judge.
Toni gave a small shrug. I dont know. Shifters can be judgmental.
Ricky waved his spoon. No, no. It is not the same. Our kind are born with preconceivednotions about each other. Cats hate dogs. Wolves hate coyotes. Nobody trusts the foxes, and everybody fears the momma grizzly. These are givens based on centuries of surviving in the wild together and putting up with each others bullshit when eating at a Van Holtz restaurant.
He did have a point.
So what happened? he asked again. Did he push for marriage?
He did. But that wasnt the main problem. Toni brought her legs up and turned her body so she could face the wolf, suddenly eager to have this conversation. She could have talked to Coop when it happened, but hed been on tour. She could have spoken to Cherise, too, but she took it so personally when anyone hurt any of her siblings that Toni didnt want to be responsible for what she might do out of anger. There was also Livy, Tonis best friend. But if upsetting Cherise was a bad idea, then upsetting Olivia Kowalski, American-born, Chinese-Polish daughter of two take-no-shit immigrants was a mistake on a global scale.
The main problem was that he couldnt understand the connection I have to my family.
Of course he couldnt, the wolf said flatly. Do you really think some full-human gal can understand leaving my bed some morning, walking out into my living room, and finding my entire Pack snoring on my floor or eatin my yogurt while they watch the Brickyard 400?
Am I supposed to know what that is?
He sighed, long and deep. Poor, pretty Yankee. Thats NASCAR, darlin. You do know what that is, right?
Yes, she replied eagerly. Troy and Freddy like to watch it for mathematical and scientific reasonsI think theyre secretly planning to build a car. Kyle likes to watch it because he says its fun to see what theand she used air quotes here average human being does in his or her time off.
It must be hard for ol Kyle to be so
Arrogant? Rude? Condescending?
I was just going to say snotty, but those words work, too.
Hes really not that awful, she admitted. Unfortunately . . . he doesnt know hes not that awful.
I have to say, though . . . I like Kyle.
You do? Because youre one of the very few.
I like his attitude.
Really?
Oh, yeah. You know why?
No idea whatsoever.
Because he is what he is. I like that in a canine.
Youre an odd man.
He scraped the last bit of melted ice cream at the bottom of his bowl. Some might say.
And youre damn good at it.
Yes, yes. I know. Thats all I do. Sit around and worry about my family. But if she didnt worry about her family, who would? Some cutthroat agent? Some reality show producer? Toni shuddered at the thought.
Is that why yall broke up?
Excuse me?
Why you broke up? Ricky asked again.
Broke up with who . . . ? she thought a moment. Or is it whom?
Broke up with your last boyfriend?
Why are you asking about that?
Just curious.
Well, be curious about something else.
Breakup was that bad, huh?
Toni rolled her eyes. Is giving me that pity look supposed to get me to tell you everything about my last relationship?
That wont work? Because its worked on others with equally large breasts as yours.
No, that wont work. But Toni laughed in spite of herself.
Come on, he pleaded with a smile. Tell me somethin. Toss this wolf a bone.
All right, all right. He was full-human
Mistake number one.
Are you going to let me finish or comment on each new revelation?
Okay. Finish.
He wasisfull-human and an eye surgeon. He was nice but very . . . particular.
About your sexy times?
Again . . . no. But thanks for grossing me out. She shrugged. He was just particular about how things should go. He seemed to be on a schedule.
I figured youd like a man with a schedule.
Not when that schedule specifically involves me.
Let me guess . . . he wanted marriage, right?
What makes you think that?
All full-humans want marriage. Waste of money, in my opinion.
Thats what my parents would say anytime I asked why they werent married. Funny thing was, my exs mother used to constantly ask when my parents were going to get married rather than living in sin. Her words. Yet my dad was home every night with his mate
Hence the many pups.
Exactly. While my exs dad was banging his secretaries. But my parents are the ones living in sin? Really?
Full-humans do love to judge.
Toni gave a small shrug. I dont know. Shifters can be judgmental.
Ricky waved his spoon. No, no. It is not the same. Our kind are born with preconceivednotions about each other. Cats hate dogs. Wolves hate coyotes. Nobody trusts the foxes, and everybody fears the momma grizzly. These are givens based on centuries of surviving in the wild together and putting up with each others bullshit when eating at a Van Holtz restaurant.
He did have a point.
So what happened? he asked again. Did he push for marriage?
He did. But that wasnt the main problem. Toni brought her legs up and turned her body so she could face the wolf, suddenly eager to have this conversation. She could have talked to Coop when it happened, but hed been on tour. She could have spoken to Cherise, too, but she took it so personally when anyone hurt any of her siblings that Toni didnt want to be responsible for what she might do out of anger. There was also Livy, Tonis best friend. But if upsetting Cherise was a bad idea, then upsetting Olivia Kowalski, American-born, Chinese-Polish daughter of two take-no-shit immigrants was a mistake on a global scale.
The main problem was that he couldnt understand the connection I have to my family.
Of course he couldnt, the wolf said flatly. Do you really think some full-human gal can understand leaving my bed some morning, walking out into my living room, and finding my entire Pack snoring on my floor or eatin my yogurt while they watch the Brickyard 400?
Am I supposed to know what that is?
He sighed, long and deep. Poor, pretty Yankee. Thats NASCAR, darlin. You do know what that is, right?
Yes, she replied eagerly. Troy and Freddy like to watch it for mathematical and scientific reasonsI think theyre secretly planning to build a car. Kyle likes to watch it because he says its fun to see what theand she used air quotes here average human being does in his or her time off.
It must be hard for ol Kyle to be so
Arrogant? Rude? Condescending?
I was just going to say snotty, but those words work, too.
Hes really not that awful, she admitted. Unfortunately . . . he doesnt know hes not that awful.
I have to say, though . . . I like Kyle.
You do? Because youre one of the very few.
I like his attitude.
Really?
Oh, yeah. You know why?
No idea whatsoever.
Because he is what he is. I like that in a canine.
Youre an odd man.
He scraped the last bit of melted ice cream at the bottom of his bowl. Some might say.
