Page 133 of Knot What I Expected

“I told myself you didn't need some fucked-up Wolf sniffing around you. Told myself you have Matteo to worry about. Told myself whatever Monster thinks he knows about you doesn't fucking matter.”

His jaw clenches.

“But then I spent four days fighting that goddamn fire, and the whole time I was wondering what you were doing.”

My heart pounds.

“Wondering if you were safe. Wondering if you were working yourself into the fucking ground again. Wondering if some asshole was sitting at my spot at your bar.”

“Your spot?”

“My spot.”

Despite everything, my lips twitch.

His don't. He looks almost angry.

But not with me. With himself.

“I had a fucking tree fall on me today.”

My stomach drops.

“What? Oh, my God!”

My heart wrenches.

“I'm fine.”

“You are not fine! I bet you have burns all over you!”

“I'm healing.”

“You should be resting.”

“Couldn't.”

“Why?”

His eyes lock onto mine.

“Because I needed to see you.”

Oh. Wow.

There it is again. That impossible tenderness hiding beneath all that aggression. It scares me more than the Wolf ever could.

“You disappeared,” I whisper.

His brow furrows.

“I was fighting a wildfire.”

“I know that.”

“What'd you think happened?”

“I don't know!”