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The elevator doors opened but his eyes never left her, even when he gestured for her to go first. The entire walk from the elevator to the hotel restaurant he watched her. His wolf watched her, the blazing ownership in his vibrant green eyes making food the last thing on her mind.
Chapter Fifteen
Staring didn’t help. Not that he could stop. No matter how hard he tried, his gaze returned to her—homing in on her. For reassurance. And, dammit, after this morning—he needed reassurance.
Waking up—finding her gone… He was still recovering.
Panic didn’t quite explain it. Neither did fear. It was bigger than that. Stronger. More desperate. And it wasn’t going away. Even though she was right there, across the table from him, devouring pancakes like her life depended on it. Not in the least worried about whether or not he’d disappear on her.
What the fuck was he supposed to think? She’d made it clear she wanted to leave. Was he supposed to think their bond changed that? Did it? He didn’t know how any of this worked.
“You’re embarrassing yourself, man,” Mal whispered, nudging him in the side.
“Fuck you.” He growled.
“Wow.” Mal sat back in his chair and shook his head. “Here I thought you’d be in a better mood now.”
He glared at Mal.
“We thought we’d tour the Alamo?” Olivia jumped in, hooking her arm through Mal and giving him a firm tug.
“We did? Great.” There was no denying Mal’s sarcasm.
“We’ll pass,” Hollis said, his gaze drifting back to Ellen.
She kept chewing, sparing him a quick glance before taking another bite of pancakes drenched in blueberry syrup. A drop clung to the corner of her mouth. Blue and sticky. On her skin. Beneath the table h
e was hard as a rock. This was going to be a problem. Especially since all he could think about was licking it away—slowly and thoroughly.
“What about a riverboat ride?” Olivia asked.
“You lost him,” Mal answered.
“I appreciate the offer.” He did his best to smile at Olivia, he really did. But the syrup, on Ellen’s mouth, and the way her tongue traced her lower lip…
“You’re full of shit.” Mal laughed.
“Mal.” Olivia sighed. “Be nice. It’s a lot to get used to.”
Meaning it would get easier? Thank God.
“You’re used to this?” Mal chuckled, capturing Olivia’s hand in his.
So, no easier. Fucking terrific.
“You shared memories?” Ellen asked, pausing between bites.
It was still troubling her. Understandable, considering she wasn’t one to share anything with anyone. To have her past poured out for him, into him, had to be one big, jagged, nasty pill to swallow.
Mal studied her, then Hollis. “Yea. All that shit. The shared wound, the mental bonding—all that.”
Ellen stabbed at her pancakes but didn’t eat anything else. “It was expected then?” she asked, the accusation in her tone unmistakable.
Silence stretched out.
He stared at her, sifting through a variety of responses and knowing there wasn’t a single one that would diffuse her reaction. She was pissed. At him. Had he known what would happen? Yes, he knew. He’d asked Jessa and Olivia, Mal and Finn hundreds of questions—for scientific research. But in practice? Had he been thinking about anything other than getting that fucking asshole’s hands off of her? No. Not until he’d touched her.
After that, there’d been no thought or choice about any of it.
