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FIFTEEN
His arms engulfed me,and it was just… sweet.
Not sexy, or hot in any way. He held me, his arms wrapped around me like I was fragile and he was worried I might break.
“I’m sorry, Ebony,” he said again, his voice softer this time.
“That Reed treated me like shit?” I whispered back, tears stinging my eyes.
I didn’t want to cry, and I hated that I nearly was.
“That I got angry at you. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that, and I wish I could take it back.”
“If we’re really going to be stuck together permanently, you’re going to get angry at me again,” I said quietly. “It’s okay to get angry, Ford. We’re not always going to agree. I’m not mad that you were pissed; I’m mad that you didn’t believe me when I told you it was over between me and Reed. Or I was mad, I guess. Now that we’ve talked, I know that you were just hurt, and you know that I’ll never consider going back to Reed as long as you’re around.”
“As long as I’m around? What the hell does that mean?”
I shrugged, dragging his arms up and down with the movement. “I know you said werewolves never change their minds about each other, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s still just a theory.”
Ford let out a slow breath. “Alright. We’re going to have dinner with the pack tonight, and I’m taking you to my parents’ place for dessert.”
“What?” My voice came out sounding shrill.
“You’re still so damn new to the way our wolves work; you just need more exposure. Our culture isn’t like what you’re used to. Everything revolves around the pack; the family. You’ll see.”
“Elliot made me a list about that stuff, but I don’t see why that would change anything,” I countered.
“That’s because you’ve never seen it in action, and my wolf bit you too damn quickly. You didn’t see him following you diligently without sleep for weeks on end, like he would’ve if you’d been less willing to change. I had insanely-powerful nesting urges for months because the magic connecting us kept telling me I needed to prepare for you, Ebony. This shit is real, and it’s not going anywhere. And I’m sorry if you’re not thrilled about it, but I’m making the executive decision here. We’re telling everyone that my wolf’s done hunting.”
I’d been waiting for him to decide that. As much as I liked that he was trying to ease me into everything and was willing to make his life about me, I wanted to know what he thought and what he wanted. I wanted to see who he really was, outside of the kindness and the letting-me-take-the-lead shit.
“Alright,” I agreed.
“Alright?” He sounded surprised.
“Sure. I’ve been waiting for you to stop following me around and start acting like a man,” I teased.
He gave me a playful growl, poking me in the side. “Cheeky.”
“That’s not news to you, is it?” I shot back.
He chuckled, his hand sliding over my ass in a way that made me want to arch against him. “No, it isn’t.”
I sat up, still wanting to take things slow like we’d been doing. I was having fun getting to know Ford. “What’s the next step, in your eyes?” I asked him. “What do you want to happen?”
He studied me for a moment, like he was trying to decide whether or not I really wanted an honest answer. Finally, he said, “I want you to move here, with me. Where I can cook for you, and do your damned laundry, and where we don’t have to sneak around to shower days after we already stink. I want you to consider this your home, and to consider me yours the same way I consider you mine. I want your family to be my family, and mine to be yours, and I want us to spend our lives together.” His expression was completely, entirely serious.
“Alright, let’s start with the moving in thing, and deal with the rest as it comes.”
He chuckled. “You’ll move in with me?”
“Half.” I held up two fingers, a fraction apart. “How about we switch off, every other day? Then you can still do my laundry—though that seems like a weird thing for you to want to do for me—and have me in your space, and I can still have my own space too. And when I feel comfortable enough with what we are to call this my home, I’ll move the rest of the way in.”
“Done.” He didn’t hesitate.
Maybe that was more than he’d been hoping for.
“Alright, then it’s settled.” I leaned back, resting against part of the steering wheel with some of my weight. I was trying hard to make sure not to honk the horn; that would be awkward.
