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A sensible woman would, yet every dickish thing he does or says seems to make me want him more. Maybe I’m having some sort of breakdown. I definitely need a few days off.
“But you’re not thinking about it,” I repeat her words back with sarcasm, getting up a little more gingerly, my back sore and my muscles stiff after yet another night of tossing and turning, half expecting him to appear at my cabin to give me a piece of his mind. “What is his usual type anyway? Who would you set him up with?”
Who catches the attention of a man like Chase? I could kick myself for asking, but I’m curious. Leah’s bending to lace up her trainers, but her eyes flash to me briefly; she returns to the task in hand.
“Well, first, she’d need to be deaf…”
Nudging her with my hip, I laugh as she topples over and lands on her ass on the stack of yoga mats behind her. “Okay, okay. I don’t really know. He never brought anyone home. He did have one girlfriend in high school. We adored her, everyone did. She was so sweet. Then he just dumped her out of the blue and said things between them were just meh and he didn’t have time for that.”
That’s cold.
Slowly shaking her head as if she hadn’t thought about this for a while, she smiles. “His friends thought he wasn’t into women after that. They couldn’t get their heads around why he dumped the perfect girl. Amy was heartbroken. I think she’s married to a senator now.”
For fuck’s sake. And Chase dumped her. That scrap of information has done nothing to improve my mood. It’s my own fault for being nosy. He’s definitely only pretending to be interested in me if that’s the type of woman he goes for. Nobody would mistake me for a polished Stepford wife.
“What about the royalty thing? Is there some kind of wolf princess out there that he’ll be married off to?”
Scoffing, Leah makes a face of disgust. “Well, that poor princess would be in for a nasty shock when she realises her betrothed is the most undiplomatic man in the world. But there is no royal family anymore, so no princesses. No fancy castles for any of us. Believe me, I did ask.”
Leah stands and faces me straight on, her head tilted to one side. “Why all the questions, Natalie? I thought he was driving you around the bend. Why is my brother's love life suddenly interesting to you?” My cheeks heat as she grins knowingly at me. “It’s okay, you can admit it. The lure of having three awesome sisters-in-law when you’ve come from a litter of boys must be strong.”
Rolling my eyes, I turn the conversation away from me and my curiosity about Chase’s dating history. “Don’t say litter, definitely never in front of Marcus. We’re bears.”
With a careless shrug, as though it doesn’t really matter, she links her arm through mine. When she asked what he’d done to inspire the level of stress pouring off of me, all I told her was that he followed me out to my dad’s bar and was trying to get inside when I found him.
I didn’t tell her about the rest, because I’m filled with nervous energy just contemplating what’s coming next. Even as we cross the grass lawn back to the main house, I scan the hills overlooking the property.
He’s close. I can feel it.
My bear is obsessed with him. He’s sexy and bossy, and powerful enough to impress her. She doesn’t seem to be concerned with the tiny detail that he’s only using me to get information.
“You know, we all give out about him, but he’s only doing this because he’s so fiercely protective. If we really were in trouble, he’d never give up until we were safe.” Leah studies me carefully in that far-too-observant way she has. “He’s a good guy. Whatever he did to make you upset, I’m sorry, but just know his intentions are always honourable even if the execution is sometimes off.”
Nodding, I say nothing, unwillingly to get into a conversation with Leah about having the hots for her brother and loving-yet-hating how he’s taken to stalking me.
“Hmmm.” Leah eyes me sceptically, continuing our march toward the bed and breakfast where my car is parked. The sky is bright and clear, the lake still and silent, looking like a mirror without even the tiniest breeze to disturb the surface. It’s the calm before the storm. I just know it.
Rex appears as soon as he hears footsteps on the gravel. Leaning down to kiss her on the forehead. “Whatever you’re up to, promise me it’s not going to get you in trouble.”
Her jaw drops open and she stares up at him in faux indignation. “It won’t! Tell him, Natalie.” Rex turns to me, a stern expression on his handsome features. When it comes to his mate, he’s indulgent, but he won’t tolerate lying from anyone else.
“It won’t. I wish I could promise the same for myself, but she’s in the clear,” I admit with a weary shake of my head as I scan the trees. Leah beams and raises an eyebrow smugly at Rex while a shiver passes down my spine.
Just a couple more nights. Then they can tell Chase who he is and what’s going on, and then he’ll leave me alone for good.
CHAPTER 21
CHASE
Leaning back against the counter in my tiny kitchenette, I fold my arms over my chest and stare at my two sisters.
Nothing suspicious about this at all.
Ignoring their summons to some kind of family dinner tonight, I pin Leah with a hard stare. “Are you going to break in here every morning?”
Van still doesn’t have the CCTV footage from Zoe’s clinic and I’m avoiding talking to him about anything else. He can sense I’m not myself, and his concern is rubbing me up the wrong way, because I know exactly what he’s worried about. It’s the same reason I didn’t drive straight to Natalie’s place last night and confront her about locking me up.
I’m not sure if I’d have fought her or fucked her, but I definitely wouldn’t have been in control.
