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“Why?”
“Have you slept with anyone?” There’s no way I’m telling him any more.
He runs his fingers up and down my spine. “Do you really want me to answer that?”
I actually don’t, now that I think about it. “I have an IUD, if you’re worried, since we didn’t use a condom. Am I going to need to get a STI panel done?”
“No. You’re the only person I haven’t used a condom with.” He says it so casually, and yet the undertone of the confession is heavy.
Trust.
At least for now. Who knows how he’ll feel when he finds out about the weeks following my departure. The longer they stay around, the harder it will be to withhold.
* * *
I wake to soft snores and a warm body pressed against my back. West pulls me closer when I try to get out of bed with a displeased grumble, and as much as I want to hate it, I don’t. It feels really good waking up beside him.
Maybe it’s just because I’ve been so isolated for so long. Or maybe it’s just the nostalgia of being around him, Cody, and Blake. It doesn’t really matter considering I have to get up and get ready for my shift today.
“I have work this morning,” I tell him as I move his arm from around my waist.
He mumbles something unintelligible, rolling onto his stomach, and I take the opportunity to appreciate the ways he’s changed. His broad shoulders covered in lean muscle taper down to a narrow waist, and he’s let his hair grow just long enough on top that the natural wave is always apparent.
Quit drooling.
I shake myself out of the moment and walk down to the main level of the cabin. Ghost and Storm open their eyes but don’t judge. Blue, on the other hand, is looking at me with their beady, black eyesfullof judgment.
My hair is a mess when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The mascara I put on before going out last night has flaked off, ringing my eyes, and at some point West marked my skin. A big purple bruise, unmistakable in nature, sits right at the base of my neck.
Then there’s the delicious ache between my thighs. I let myself replay the night as I move through my shower routine. What I don’t think too hard about is the moment I almost let my feelings get the better of me. I can keep my walls up.
I have to.
I don’t have time to dry my hair so I do a quick couple of Dutch braids. Blue moves to their perch by the door, letting me know they need to go out. That bird has never gone to the bathroom inside and I rarely have to feed them. Blue is a bit of a food snatcher though, right from my fingers sometimes. They hop onto my shoulder as I unlock the back door and let them out along with the dogs.
Heavy footsteps on the stairs alert me to West’s presence before he joins me in the kitchen. He’s dressed again, unfortunately. But his eyes are still heavy and he’s got adorable bed head going on.
“What time are you off today?” he asks, moving toward the coffee machine and popping a pod in.
“Noon. I know Lars took Cody around yesterday, but there’s a few places he didn’t get to. He asked if I could finish giving him the tour.”
“We’ll all go.” He leans against the counter and smirks when his eyes fall on my neck. “That’s a cute little bruise.”
“Yeah, and everyone in town is going to think it was from Mitch since they all saw me out with him.” I bat my eyes as I grab my coat and call for the dogs.
His chest rumbles menacingly. “He’s never going to get within ten feet of you again.”
Storm comes running to me but Ghost goes to West and sits beside him. I look between them, flabbergasted. She doesn’t come to me even when I call her from him.
“You little traitor,” I tell her. “What’d you do to my dog?”
“Built trust. You should try it sometime.”
There’s just enough edge to his voice that the shot lands dead center in my chest. I sink into the pain, knowing he’s unaware of how on the mark that statement is. I’ll never be able to build trust with them because the weight of the truth is mine to bear.
His eyes crease as they focus on me, seeing too much as usual. He steps toward me, but I turn and pull out a spiked anti-wolf collar, tossing it on the counter beside him.
“Put this on her if she’s out running around the property. I don’t worry about them when they’re together, but this will help keep her protected if Storm isn’t with her.”
