I lean forward, lowering my voice. “Why? Are there other things you’d like to watch me put in my mouth?”
His mouth drops open, and he sits back, adjusting himself under the table with a groan. “Ah, yeah, when you’re going to put it like that, yeah. Ver, can we talk about something else? At least until you’ve finished eating. I’m not going to be able to get up from the table at this rate.”
I laugh into my coffee. “I think I like that. You know how long I dreamed about having that effect on you?”
Bas drops his head into his hand. “I can’t believe I turned you down and wasted four years.”
“You did the right thing. When I thought about it rationally, I knew why.”
“It wasn’t because I thought you weren’t a shifter.”
“It wasn’t?”
He shakes his head. “No. I was worried about Riley’s reaction and your parents’. Tilly and Jamie are basically like surrogate parents to me. I don’t know what I would have done without them in my life.”
“As if my parents mind!”
He laughs. “I sure hope they don’t. Because I’m not giving you up now.”
“Even if Riley never talks to you again?” I bite my lip to keep the smile fixed in place. Riley does not get to spoil the morning twice.
Bas reaches easily across the table to tip my chin up with a knuckle, directing my eyes to him. “Hey, he’ll come around. You know how he works—all fiery temper, but he’s got a good heart. Somewhere. Deep, deep down.”
I laugh.
“He just doesn’t get the whole mate thing,” Bas continues.
“Yeah. Why is that? It’s like someone hurt him, but as far as I know he never took anyone or anything seriously enough to get hurt.”
Bas shakes his head. “He’s never told me the full story, but there was someone once. A long time ago now. Point is, he’s wary. But he’ll come around to this. To us.”
“I hope so.” All of a sudden my stomach is bursting at the seams, and I can’t face another mouthful. I push my half-empty plate back and sigh. “Think I’m done with breakfast.”
Bas smiles. “What would you like to do next? Should we call your dad?”
I chew the edge of a nail and think. “Can we not? Would that be super bad? I’d kind of like to just enjoy the next few hours before we have to face all that.”
“Then let’s do that. I say we find the nearest store, get some new clothes, and then come back and enjoy the sauna and hot tub while we have the chance.”
I grin. “And I say I like your thinking.”
Despite telling Bas I want to avoid facing the drama with my family for a while, I message Dad to let him know where we are and get an odd response back.
Dad: what did you say to your brother?
I put my phone aside, not sure how to answer Dad or what Riley would have told him and Mom. At that moment, Bas steps out of the bathroom wearing only a towel, and it’s not hard to switch my brain off.
He looks up from pulling on his jeans to find me watching him, and I guess my mouth is hanging open because he gives me a grin that tells me he knows exactly what path my thoughts are on. “I thought you wanted to go get some new clothes.”
“Mmm?” Right now I’m feeling pretty torn about the whole leaving the hotel room scenario. “I did…”
Bas chuckles. “Then stop looking at me like that, Ver, or we’re not going anywhere public for a long, long time.”
I slide to the edge of the bed, reaching up to slip the loop of his belt into the buckle, even though I’d like to be undressing him instead. “You’re right. We should go.”
He sucks in a breath as my knuckles graze his belly, tipping his head back to look up at the ceiling. “Fucking hell.”
I laugh. “What? I’m helping.”
