Cassidy stiffened when her phone went off again. She considered ignoring it for this small piece of heaven on earth she’d discovered, but she’d ignored her brothers for the past two hours. Normally, she would have continued to do so, but after what Dante revealed tonight, she couldn’t put them through that.
And, with her vibrating phone adding some reality to the situation, she realized this was moving a little too fast. No matter how badly she wanted him, she couldn’t plunge recklessly into this. If he was her mate, what passed between them was irrevocable and would send them hurtling toward madness if they didn’t complete the bond.
Cassidy reluctantly broke the kiss and struggled to catch her breath as she gazed into his eyes. Flecks of red had started creeping through the brown as his control unraveled. That red caused something primal within her to burst free.
She almost crushed her phone, but as the impulse hit her, reality returned. They were concerned about her, and as much as she loved to torture them in their prank wars, this was not the same kind as turning rats loose on Kyle or dumping worms all over Willow while she slept. That was fun; this was cruel.
“I have to answer that,” she said.
Dante lowered his forehead to hers and kissed the tip of her nose. “I know.”
When he shifted off her, she instantly missed the heaviness of his body. Burying her disappointment, she dug into her pocket and pulled her phone free. She saw Kyle’s name before she answered. “Hello.”
“Are you okay?” Kyle asked in a rush.
The worry in his voice doused any of her irritation over his overprotective nature. “I’m fine.”
“Where are you?”
“We’ll talk when I get home.”
“It’s after midnight.”
Okay, now the irritation was back. “You go out all the time, and I don’t call demanding to know where you are.”
“Yeah, but youdon’tgo out all the time.”
He had her there. “I’ll be home soon.”
“Do you need me or Julian to come and get you? It’s not safe for you to walk alone this late at night.”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
“Cassidy—”
“Kyle, I’ll be fine. I’ll be home soon, and we’ll talk then.”
His silence spoke more about how annoyed he was with her than his words.
“I love you, and I’ll see you soon,” she said.
He hesitated before replying, “Be safe.”
“Always.”
She hung up and looked to Dante as he lay beside her with his head propped on his hand. When his gaze ran over her, she became uncomfortably aware she was almost half naked in front of him. She’d never been this exposed to a man before. A minute ago, it hadn’t bothered her, but she felt incredibly shy now.
“I really should go home,” she said; it took everything she had not to cover her breasts.
Dante buried his disappointment; he didn’t want her to go, but he understood. He’d been in her brother’s shoes before, and no one should have to go through it.
“I’ll walk you there,” he said.
“You don’t have to do that. My apartment’s not far from here.”
“I’d feel a lot better if you let me walk you home.”
Cassidy started to protest but stopped herself. Why was she arguing when it meant spending more time with him? “I’d like that.”
