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finally asked, her brow wrinkling. “Because I let you...” She grimaced slightly to fill in the words she’d avoided saying aloud.
He barked a laugh. “No. You know I’ve felt like this for a long time.”
“We haven’t known each other a long time,” she objected, her bath-warmed fingers grazing shyly over his chest hair. He forced himself not to pin her hand to make her stop.
“It feels like we have. Sometimes I feel like I was put in this house to wait for you.”
She smiled up at him even though a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. She stroked a hand more boldly down his side, and it actually felt good.
“When did you realize you loved me?” she asked.
“I knew I was in trouble the day we went skinny dipping.”
“Mister Leduc, lust and love aren’t the same thing.”
He chuckled. “No. They aren’t. I felt lust for you that day – of course I did. Fuck – the way you looked in your bra and panties, jutting your chin at me like you weren’t scared even though you were shaking –”
“I was cold!”
“You felt the connection between us just like I did. I tried to act like I didn’t care, but I don’t think I fooled you at all.”
“No. You were a bossy jerk with everyone, but there was something special about me that made you especially boorish.”
He snorted. “You like me boorish.”
“Maybe,” she said, biting her lip.
She lifted her finger to his mouth, and he flinched, but allowed her to brush the pad of it over his bottom lip.
See? He could do this. She was even starting to make him like it. Maybe someday he’d be able to fake normal so well some of it would stick.
He caught her fingertip between his lips and sucked, enjoying her whimpered response and the haze of desire that crept into her gaze.
“Severin?” she said, planting a kiss on his chest, over his heart. “I love you too.”
When he’d washed her and dried her, he settled her into bed, already asleep. He kissed her forehead, liking the strange feeling in his chest. It filled him with an eagerness for the future he’d never felt before. He wanted to keep her, but more importantly he wanted her to want to stay.
He padded down the hall to his room, throwing on some clothes that weren’t covered in come and lube, so he could take the pups out for a pee. He returned to Minnow’s bedroom afterward and settled into his customary chair, grinning as the dogs flopped all over each other on the carpet in front of the fire, falling asleep before they’d even gotten comfortable. Ridiculous beasts. Minnow treated them like babies, and they’d decided to extend their overwhelming affection to him despite his initial distaste. Minnow said it was because they somehow knew he’d saved them from starving or freezing to death.
“Mister Leduc?” Minnow asked groggily, pushing herself up on one arm and looking around the room.
“Yes, Miss Korsgaard?” he asked in amusement.
“Do you think I’m a whore?”
“Of course not.” He rose from his chair and went to her. Acting on impulse, he crawled into bed behind her and pulled her into the curve of his body. She was warm against his chest, and he loved the way she felt there. “You let me do what I wanted tonight, just like I always do. It’s not your place to tell me no, woman.”
She laughed mirthlessly. “So I’m not a whore, I’m just a doormat.”
“You’re not a doormat. Far from it.”
“I know. I just...” She shrugged. “I let you do things to me and sometimes, later, I feel dirty.”
“Shh.” He squeezed her closer. “You’re the most important person in my life. I’ll respect you enough for both of us until you catch up, okay?”
There was a long pause, and he wondered if she’d fallen asleep.
“Okay.”
