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A pleased groan escaped her lips. “Well, good morning to you, too.”
“It certainly is.” In the back of his mind, he knew he wasn’t in the clear. The Bloodmoon Crew was after him, who would be overjoyed to see him dead. For Bennett, though, that wasn’t a whole lot different from everyday life. What he was much more excited about was having his mate there in his bed, looking sleepy and happy. A bit of the morning sunlight had managed to work its way in through the curtains, highlighting her body and awakening his desire once again. He pushed himself up on his elbow so he could trail his kisses across her shoulder while his hand explored the lovely softness of her belly and breasts. His arousal told him just what they ought to do with their morning.
Stephanie bolted upright.
“Sorry,” Bennett mumbled. “I just figured?—”
“No, it’s not that.” She reached over to the nightstand and looked at her phone. “I’ve got to get to work.”
“That’s not a good idea.” Since she was already sliding out of bed, Bennett regretfully did the same. He quickly tugged on his underwear and pants. “Nelson’s crew saw you with me at your office. They’ll be looking for the next opportunity to ambush you.”
Goosebumps stood out on her arms as she pulled on her jeans. Stephanie slowed down a bit as she buttoned them. “So what am I supposed to do?”
“Stay here with me.” The words came so easily. “We’re safe here. I need to work some things out, but it’s best if we lay low for a while.”
“I can’t do that.” Irritation crossed her face as she put on her bra.
He had to admit that even when she was in a rush, it was pretty sexy to see her adjust her breasts once she’d done up the clasp and pulled up the straps. It was distracting enough that Bennett lost his train of thought for a minute, and it was an important one to stay on. “Why not? It’s your business. Can’t you just take a sick day or something?”
“I’ve got clients, people who’ve been scheduled to come in for months. I can’t just not be there. I know it sounds like I should be able to, but being self-employed doesn’t mean I can just disappear whenever I want.” She looked under the edge of the bed for her socks. “Besides, Annie will be coming in this morning. She’s got all my dogs with her, too. How could I explain that to her? Hell, how am I going to explain any of this to her?”
It was a question he’d already heard her ask herself once, but he had no better answers than she did. “We’ll think of something, but Stephanie, it’s dangerous out there. You have no idea just how good these guys are. They’ve taken countless lives over the years, and they’ve injured or stolen from plenty of others along the way. They’ve never had to deal with the consequences of their actions, and they don’t expect to. That makes them even more dangerous.”
She gestured helplessly with her hands. “So come with me, then.”
“What?” He’d opened a drawer to pull out a clean shirt, but he stared at her instead. Not that she was difficult to look at, moving around his bedroom with just a bra and jeans on. Yes, she’d definitely changed over the years, but they were definitely changes he could appreciate.
“Come with me to the office. I know it isn’t a perfect idea, and you probably have other things you need to do, but?—”
“No. I’ll go. That’ll work.” His wolf wanted nothing more than to keep her safe and protected, and he latched onto the idea quickly. She was right. It definitely wasn’t a perfect plan. He didn’t feel he could guarantee her safety at her office the same way he could there, but it seemed to be the best solution at the moment.
“Shit.” She’d picked up her t-shirt and flannel from the back of the armchair. “I’m forty-seven years old, and I’m about to make the walk of shame into my own clinic wearing the same shirt I wore yesterday.”
Bennett pulled a black undershirt from the drawer he’d just opened and handed it to her. “Try this. And this.” He snagged a flannel from the closet.
Stephanie looked at the items doubtfully. She tugged on the undershirt and tucked it into her jeans. The ribbed material stretched across her breasts in a way that made him want to change his mind about going anywhere other than back to bed. The flannel was too big, but his wolf was more intrigued by the idea of her in his clothes than by style. “That should work.”
“Well enough, I guess,” she said with a laugh. “When I left the house yesterday, I should’ve planned for coming across my high school sweetheart and falling into bed with him.”
“Is that how you think of me?”
“Of course.” She’d sat down in the armchair to pull on her hiking boots but now glanced up at him. “Weren’t we?”
“Yeah. We were. It’s just nice to hear that. I’ll go feed Rambo and make some breakfast.” Bennett smiled as he headed out into the kitchen. Plenty of times, he’d figured Stephanie probably hated him for what he’d done to her, and he’d had no way to show her just how much he regretted it. She’d let him know with just a couple of words that he’d been wrong all along, and something healed inside him as he scooped up Rambo’s breakfast.
That didn’t change the fact that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with their plan for the day. “I just want to make it very clear that you can’t let your guard down for a second,” Bennett said when they were back in her truck and taking the winding road out to the highway. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to give the Bloodmoon Crew even the slightest advantage.”
“I understand, but what’s my other option? To stop living my life? To hide in a hole forever, wondering if the danger has passed? I’ve got obligations to my clients, Bennett. There are sick pets who need me and owners who want the kind of treatment I give them. They can go get their rabies shots anywhere, but that’s not the case with everything else I offer.” She chewed her bottom lip.
“You always did do that when you were nervous.” He reached over and put his hand on her thigh, rubbing his palm down her jeans. Bennett meant it as a comforting gesture, but it was just making his own pants tighter. “We’ll make it work the best we can. It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other all over again.”
She put her hand on top of his. “I think you know me pretty well.”
“Not everything. I’ll even start off with something awkward.” He waited a moment while she turned to him and nodded. “You have a daughter. Were you married?”
“I was, for a few years.”
“Now, tell me: what kind of man would be stupid enough to leave a woman like you? Other than me, of course.” He hadn’t let himself think about it much yet. He and Stephanie had gone their separate ways years ago, and he had no right to be jealous of anyone she might end up with. In fact, he considered himself lucky that she was single right now. It was just hard to understand how.
