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He told me he was twenty-nine, and before he’d joined Goliaths three years ago, he’d worked as a personal trainer. He relaxed further while talking about his job. He clearly loved it and was fond of his co-workers, even though he admitted his social anxiety had made it hard for him to become really good friends with any of them.

Lucifer, everything this gorgeous werewolf said made me want to hug him.

And fuck him silly.

But we’d agreed to the whole stupid ‘no sex’ thing for a while. Well, actually… I was pretty sure I hadn’t agreed…

At around midnight, I’d shown him some of the more interesting pieces of erotica in the front office. For a while, my uncle had gone to a lot of supernatural yard and estate sales, picking up quirky pieces that were now kept here at the motel. Like a vintage miniature coffin-shaped box that I passed to Brian and told him to open. When he did, a little figurine of a naked, sleeping vampire with a big boner and his arms crossed over his chest rose from within, making him chuckle. I also pointed out the coffee table with a glass top being held up by hordes of naked ghouls, the tasteful pornographic photographs of a Victorian succubus orgy, the bust of a gorgon with penises instead of snakes for hair, and the fae-themed wind-up musical carousel with little fae sitting on unicorns. I showed Brian what happened when it was wound up—the fae lifted their skirts to reveal either a cock and balls or a vulva. He’d burst out laughing, which had made me grin like a fool at him. I’d loved the sound.

When I found an old chess board—with, yes, naked and aroused demons for pieces—while looking around for more things to show him, we decided to make up our own game instead of attempting to concentrate on a chess match at one in the morning. He made me laugh a lot while we were trying to remember the rules we’d invented, and he’d begun grinning and laughing more himself.

After that, we’d ended up watching a movie on my phone. I’d propped it up on the desk and rolled my chair over to sit right beside him, wishing there was a couch in here so I could actually feel his warm body against my side.

I liked him so, so much. More than I probably should’ve at this stage.

But I did.

And as dawn got closer and closer, I desperately wanted to ask him when I’d be able to see him again. But I’d been told by many men, many times, that I was too eager and it was off-putting. Nat always told me they were complete assholes for saying it, and to just ignore it, but the insecurity had wormed its way in anyway.

I didn’t want to scare him off by being too keen. Because I was keen. I really, really liked him.

“Do you mind working nights?” he asked me, blowing on his coffee to cool it down.

I made a face. “I’d rather not, just because it’s usually so boring, but it doesn’t bother me. And it helps my aunt and uncle. I don’t want them having to work the night shift.”

He nodded, then hesitated for a few seconds before saying, “You talk about your aunt and uncle a lot. More than your parents.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, well, only because I work with them, I guess. My dad’s not around, and my mom re-married a few years ago and moved to the East Coast. I talk to her on the phone and see her at holidays.”

“I’m sorry about your dad,” he said quietly.

I shrugged. “It’s okay. They divorced when I was eleven, he moved away, I stayed with him less and less over the years… It happens.”

“Still. I’m sorry.”

I smiled at him. It wasn’t really a sore spot for me—not one I actively thought about, anyway—but I’d already got the sense that Brian had some issues with his own family. He’d mentioned his parents being so worn out and distracted and overwhelmed by the time he came along that he’d been raised more by his older siblings than by them.

“So.” I sipped my coffee and let out a little sigh of relief. “Will you go home and sleep after this?”

“For a few hours, I guess. Then I’ll probably go into work.”

I raised a stern brow. “Promise me you’re not actually fighting tonight? On no sleep?”

He grinned at me. “Promise. I am fighting tomorrow night, though.”

“Well, I’ll be very mad if I hear through the grapevine that B. Were got knocked out and started snoring in the ring.”

He huffed a laugh. “I’m pretty sure I don’t snore. And I promise I’ll get some sleep tonight. But… maybe, um…”

I went perfectly still, holding my breath as my belly tightened in anticipation. He shifted in his seat, rearranging his hold on his coffee mug.

“Um, maybe we could… maybe we could do something on Monday?” he eventually asked, cheeks turning bright pink.

Ugh, he was so fucking precious.

“Yes, please.” I nodded, mouth spreading into a wide, uncontrollable smile. “I’d love that. And I’m not working Monday night, so… we could do something in the evening, maybe. Or…”

“Okay. Nice. Yeah.” He was still blushing, but he was smiling now too, and Lucifer, I just wanted to climb into his lap and smother his beautiful face with kisses.