Page 21 of Blood and Trouble

“Lycan!” I squealed. “Put me down.”

“Hush,” he said and walked me down the hallway to my room, placing me in the center of my bed. “Stay. I’ll be right back.”

With nothing else to do and nowhere to go, I obeyed, listening as he rummaged around in the bathroom and headed farther down to the kitchen. When he returned, he had a bottle of acetaminophen in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

“Oh, I’m fine. I don’t need⁠—”

He held them out to me. “I’m not asking. You’re going to be sore tomorrow, and we’ve got a big day.”

I took the two pills, mostly to end his fussing, and downed them with the glass of water. After I swallowed, I set the glass on the nightstand and gave him my most petulant stare. “Happy?”

“Open your mouth,” he said. “Let me see.”

“Oh my God, really?”

His silence was his answer, and God knew he wouldn’t repeat himself.

“Ahh!” I stuck my tongue out and waved it side to side so he could be assured I hadn’t hidden the pain relievers in my cheeks.

“Good girl,” he murmured with half a smile.

I tensed my hands in my lap, clenching my thighs together and trying to hide it by crossing my ankles. The praise rattled into my lower belly with a heavy slam, and I glanced to the floor quickly to avoid giving myself away. I’d have to investigate the strange effect that had on me later.

Lycan heaved a deep sigh and pulled the duvet down, nodding to indicate I should get under it. I did, and after he tugged it over my body, he settled into the empty spot next to me, leaning back against the headboard with his hands crossed in his lap.

“You did ruin a perfectly adequate hook-up tonight,” he said.

“Adequate?” I whistled in sarcastic shock. “You sound really broken up about it. Where should I start my apology monologue?”

“I suppose you’ll have to make it up to me.” That haughty, wicked glint returned to his eyes, silver sparkling with whatever devious thoughts echoed behind them.

“Oh?” I kept my voice level, hoping not to reveal how nervous that made me. “And how, pray tell, should I go about doing that?”

“Hmm.” He beamed, and that too hit me much lower than I anticipated. “I’ll think of something. For now”—he leaned over and turned off the light next to the bed, bathing the room in moonlight—“go to sleep.”

“Are you planning to stay here the whole night?” He’d never tucked me into bed before, much less crawled into it next to me.

“Do you want me to?”

“You don’t have to,” I said. “I’m fine. And I do feel horrible for interrupting.”

“That’s not what I asked,” he said. “Answer the question, Trouble.”

I should have told him no. I should have scolded him for breaking down this barrier and folding his giant body into my private space despite no invitation. But my world seemed less lonely with him here. It had the entire time we’d been on this trip together. He’d taken care of me this evening, and maybe…maybe I wanted to be taken care of for a little longer.

“Yes,” I finally said. “Stay. Just until I fall asleep.”

Lycan nodded and slid down next to me, resting his head on the pillow next to mine. “Okay.”

“Okay.” I closed my eyes and fought another shiver. The sounds of Lycan’s steady breath calmed the residual jitters of my stupid decision and the ache in my foot. I focused on him…his heady masculine scent, the brush of his exhale as it hit my cheeks, the sensation of his body heat so close to mine. My mind cleared. My thoughts stopped. And just as unconsciousness claimed me, I could have sworn fingers traced over my forehead to brush hair out of my face.

“Are you serious?” I crossed my arms and stared at the dress Lycan held up in front of him. “That’s barely lingerie, much less going-out attire.”

“You agreed,” he said, holding up the offending garment in front of his torso, almost like he was trying it on his oversized frame. “You wear what I tell you. You go where I tell you. You do what I tell you.”

Since I’d cost Lycan a night with the man in his suite, I’d yet to make it up to him. When I offered to be his wingman to find him someone else, he’d laughed and shook his head.

“No, Trouble,” he’d said. “You’re going to be my entertainment.”