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No. Josie wouldn’t, as she didn’t wish to be treated differently than males and considered anything too feminine a weakness. She had always been strong-willed and independent, adamant that she did not need to rely on anyone else.
“I’ll talk to her,” he said.
Moreover, he had a mate who was soft, caring, and could say what needed to be said. Harper had a surprising amount of insight. They faced this together as they would every other aspect of their lives from that point forward.
Harper wanted to stand with him as his mate, and that was fine. He thought of the other benefits of being mated, and how when he got home, he would get them both naked and forget everything that had just happened.
Chapter 8
Harper
After Nick had exhausted them both, she lay panting in his arms, completely satisfied. It had been a long day for him, and he was exhausted, so he fell asleep quickly. Feeling content, she snuggled up to him, prepared to drift off into a peaceful sleep.
As she lay in his arms, the thought of everything Greg said had been racing through her head for hours.
It didn’t hurt her since she had almost become immune to the senseless remarks of bigots, and she didn’t seek out those types of individuals. It wasn’t worth the effort when it could only bring misery and despair.
He awoke the next morning and asked, “What’s wrong?” He may not have Numbers’ DNA, but his instincts matched theirs.
“There is nothing wrong,” she reassured him.
“If you are awake half the night, something must be wrong,” he said.
She moved into his arms, the bed dipped, and she frowned up at him. “How do you know that?”
He chuckled, his fingers smoothing her cheeks and his thumb brushing the dark circles around her eyes. He nodded. “For starters, the bags under your eyes.” He then pointed to her mouth, “That tight, tired line around your mouth.” He pointed to her shoulders and upper body, “You’ve got a slouch coming on,” he teased. “You never slouch unless you’re tired.” He threw his hands up in a ‘see’ gesture.
Her eyes widened. “You can’t even see a slouch in bed,” she grumbled, her lips pursing. She paused, nibbling her lip. “You pay that much attention to me?”
“Always have,” he replied. A look under his eyes told her that it should be obvious.
A blush spread across her face as she confessed, “I should have paid more attention.”
“What do you mean?” Nick asked, confused.
He leapt up, grabbed his trousers, and headed for the kitchen. Grabbing one of his tops, she pulled it over her head. The smell of him enveloped her, and she couldn’t help but smile. She followed him. Nick had already begun preparing drinks and food for them, as though they had lived together for decades.
“To you,” she blurted. Nick paused while chopping tomatoes and frowned. A confused look crossed his face as he glanced at her. “I should have paid more attention to you.”
Nick immediately shook his head. “What are you talking about?”
“You gave me time, and I feel like a fool for not noticing you earlier or paying attention to you. My mate was right under my nose the entire time. I’ve been so absorbed in myself that I haven’t noticed,” she exclaimed, her breath rushing in and out. She was too busy focusing on herself to have noticed what was right before her, and now she felt… “I’m blind. So stupid,” she mumbled.
Placing the knife down, Nick leaned against the counter with his elbows on the edge, his body vibrating. She inhaled and blinked in shock. He was enraged at her…for her derogatory words at herself. A flood of emotion overwhelmed her, forcing her to swallow.
His eyes narrowed as he spoke. “Were you in the right frame of mind at the time? Do you think I would have taken advantage of you that way?” He snapped. “I would have insisted that we take things slowly if you had come to me back then.” He kept his gaze firmly fixed on her. The tone of his voice rang with finality as he reassured her, “I care about your well-being, and I wouldn’t have rushed anything.”
She rubbed her arms. “Still…”
“No, still,” he interrupted, slashing his hand down. “All of you have been through traumatic experiences. It still affects you even when you think you have gotten over the trauma. I don’t want you to push yourself too hard to achieve things before you’re ready.” He spoke so passionately that she had no choice but to believe him. “I don’t want my mate to be half broken and a shell of herself because you push too hard.”
“You don’t blame me for waiting?” Or perhaps she should say blame her for being blind.
His scowl was accompanied by a determined “No!”
He passed her an orange. She curled her fingers around it, and as she sipped the drink. She watched him bustle around the kitchen, gathering different ingredients and setting them out on the counter. He seemed to have a plan in mind, like he was trying to make it perfect.
She couldn’t help but smile as he bustled around, seemingly pleased that she enjoyed his fussing. While Nick may not consider himself particularly soft and caring, he was. Every gesture he made, from touching her hand to making her a drink in the morning, proved to her that Nick was compassionate and thoughtful; he had a natural ability to take care of those around him.
