Even when we pulled away, he didn’t let me go and his eyes stayed on mine.
"I want you," I said. "Even though I'm confused."
"You have me." His voice cracked. "Always."
"I'm not ready to see the wolf again."
"Then you won't." He kissed me again, softer this time but no less intense. "I'll wait as long as you need."
"What if I never get there?"
"Then I'll love you as a human." The word love hit me as though I’d been punched in the chest. "But I hope someday you'll want to know all of me."
This was the man who'd walked four dogs with signs on their collars as a way of telling me he’d do anything for me.
"I want to understand all of you."
He kissed my forehead, my cheeks and the corner of my mouth. "It’s more than enough."
We wrapped around each other while the world moved on around us. His hands were on my back and his breath was hot against my neck.
"Come over tomorrow after the game." I’d be more at ease at my place. "We need to talk about what you need from me and what I expect from you."
"Fair warning, my wolf is going to be insufferable being away from you."
That should have been weird but I felt safe and loved. "Tell your wolf I'm attached to both of you."
Renard made a sound that was half-laugh, half-groan. "You're going to kill me."
He kissed me one more time. "I should let you go. Before I do something silly like beg you to come home with me."
"Would that be so bad?"
"Yes, I can’t rush you." He messed up his already unruly hair. "Though every instinct I have is telling me to keep you close."
I understood because I didn't want to go back to my apartment alone. But he was right.
"Text me after the game tomorrow."
"I promise."
I drove home thinking about his kiss. Renard Conley was in love with me. And I was falling too.
Maybe love didn't need to make sense. It just needed to be real.
TWELVE
RENARD
Julian's apartment smelled like the pasta we'd just finished and the vanilla candle he'd lit after dinner. We were on his couch. His head was on my chest and I had my arm around his shoulders. The Storm had won 3-1 tonight, and my body was pleasantly tired.
I was half-dozing when I heard it. It was faint and a sound that didn't quite belong. I tried to identify it. It wasn’t the refrigerator humming or the neighbor's TV through the wall. It was closer than that and it was coming from Julian.
My wolf was curious.What is that?
The rhythm was fast and light and reminded me of a heartbeat. But it wasn’t Julian’s. His was steady and strong. This was different and it was tiny and very fast.
My wolf was still.Pup.
