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“And she was raised by parents who were not. That’s probably why. A scoop of ice cream, or even two, isn’t going to hurt him. He’s just glad to hang out with his grandparents. And they need him, too. According to Sophie, their other two cubs live far away with their families. I think they were afraid that I would be a block to their relationship, as your mate.” She stood up and shook her hair back off her shoulders. “I guess they didn’t know the in-name-only part.”
“No.” I followed her toward the kitchen. “I didn’t tell them about our arrangement. But since it’s just us tonight, I thought we could discuss that. Since you brought it up.”
She stopped suddenly, and I almost ran into her. “Discuss what? Have I done anything to violate our arrangement? That kiss…it was as much your fault as mine.”
“It was not anyone’s fault. Listen, did you cook yet?”
“No, I have a couple of steaks thawed and I was going to do baked potatoes…why? Aren’t you hungry?”
“Will they keep until tomorrow? We could order out and talk.”
“They will keep but I don’t know if I will. You’re making me nervous.”
“I don’t mean to. Should we order Middle Eastern? By the time it comes, Sloan will be home, and we can all talk together.”
“All right.” She hesitated in the doorway. “Just get a selection? I’m going to take a bath.” She disappeared down the hallway, leaving me standing there.
Dinner and Sloan arrived at the same time, and we had it out on the table when Livvy emerged from the bathroom wearing the tank and shorts she’d been sleeping in the night we ran into her in the hallway. The scent of flowers hung around her from her bath, her hair still piled on her head.
“Hi, Sloan.” She kissed him on the lips, lightly, and then kissed me as well before sitting at the table. “This all looks great.”
We didn’t start our conversation over dinner, keeping the topics to our workdays and Koby’s antics during hers, but after we put away the leftovers and threw away the trash, we all walked into the living room together and sat in a row on the couch. Me on the left. Sloan on the right. And our mate in the middle.
Her legs were so long, enhanced by the shorts, and her bare arms looked soft. I wanted to touch them. But we had things to discuss before anyone did more than the kiss in the kitchen. But that and her outfit said a lot about the way it might go. I hoped so anyway.
“When I came here, I was fresh out of a relationship,” she began. “And not looking for another one.”
“What happened there?” Sloan asked. “If you don’t mind talking about it.”
“He dumped me, said I was not his mate, and had some comments about my weight. He mated someone else.”
I wasn’t sure which of us growled. Probably both.
“And then he called, after I came here. Made me a lovely offer to be his piece on the side.”
I was halfway to the door when I realized I didn’t know where to find the guy and that even if I did know, I’d have to get on a plane first anyway. I returned to sit down. “And what did you say?”
“Did you think I’d accept?” She was wide-eyed.
“No, not at all.” I offered her the best smile I had at the moment. “I just wanted to know what you called him and how fast you deleted his phone number.”
“I don’t remember exactly how fast or even what I said, but yeah, he’s gone.”
“If you want, we can go beat him up for you,” Sloan offered. “Or dismember him.”
I gaped at my even-minded friend, not entirely sure he wasn’t serious, but it made Livvy laugh, so that was fine.
We talked about Angela, too, and shared a lot we hadn’t yet, sitting side by side on the sofa, but by the time we finished, we were both holding her hands. Finally, late into the night, Livvy sighed and let go of us. “It’s late. We should be going to bed.” She stood up and stretched.
I ached the moment I lost contact with her hands, but before I could dwell too much on that, she started for the stairs. We looked at each other then back at her. Just like that, our evening of closeness was over. We knew her a lot better, and I hoped she felt the same about us. Our previous love stories had been quite different with one similarity: they hadn’t been with our fated mates.
Livvy was our true mate.
But did she want to act on it? Free will always entered in.
With a sense of disappointment, I watched her climb the steps. Her hips swayed and the shorts barely covered her sweet bottom, showing the crease where it met her thighs. I wanted her so much, but I knew if I forced things, I’d be no better than Jason.
It had to be her decision.
