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I mumbled, “I’ll decide how long I stay without your help.” Noticing the smeared blood on his skin and the broken glass in the bathroom, I carefully added, “I’ll probably be here for at least a couple of weeks. And I’ll need to get a job to pay you back for shattering your shower wall.”
Appalled that I had caused such a mess with my unchecked shifter strength, I couldn’t help but want to rectify the destruction I’d inadvertently caused. Ridge didn’t seem to be harmed or the worse for wear, but it had to have hurt him when it happened. Plus, losing control like that…what if he’d been a human? He’d be in the hospital. Or dead.
Ridge burst out laughing. “I’ve been wanting to renovate the bathroom, anyway. Now would be a good time to start. So, you don’t owe me anything. I should thank you, really. It will push me to put my ass in gear.”
He seemed so at ease, like everything we’d just been through was all cleared up and wrapped up in a tiny little box with a bow on top. In contrast, the multiple emotions warring through me warped my brain and exhausted my body.
“I made you breakfast.” He pointed at the tray on the far side of the bed. “You should eat. Would you consider going on that run with me? It’d be relaxing.”
His handsome smile, those perfect Prince Charming teeth, flashed at me as if I hadn’t just thrown him through a glass wall and he hadn’t tried to dominate me. The fact that I found him hard to resist grated on my nerves. I wanted to be around him more, and the beast inside me was scraping to burst out and entice the hunky alpha to chase us around the woods. To wrestle and play.
Mentally smacking myself across the face, I pushed the beast down, refusing to get caught up in such a pretty snare. Who knew what he’d do once he thought he had me? I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of trapping me.
“Remember, Pluto, while I’m in town, you keep your distance.” I pointed at him. “And preferably, the next time I see you, you’ll have your fucking clothes on.”
His laughter made me seethe. Why the hell was I so amusing to him?
“Can it, Scooby. I’m not here to be your amusement.”
“Right. Sorry.”
He wasn’t sorry, but at least he had the decency to toss on last night’s clothes. It took everything in me not to take in one last fill of his glorious nakedness because I wouldn’t see it again. My arousal was still sky-high, no matter how much I commanded myself to not lust over the alpha mayor. The guy was officially off-limits.
He stepped back, no longer attempting to block my escape. I eyed him carefully as I grabbed my bag and scanned the room to make sure I had all my belongings. He raised his arm, indicating that he would follow behind me.
I didn’t dawdle as I made it to the door and scanned the hallway to figure out where I was going. I took in my surroundings, awed. Eyeing the stairs, I headed straight for them.
I hadn’t seen any of this last night. I’d been too busy appraising the ass of the century to take in that this place was a freaking mansion. An old mansion, like from the 1800s. The detail of the wood markings and staircases was remarkable. The spaciousness and style were gorgeous. The artwork that lined the halls was not of the “my child did this in class today” variety. They were pieces of fine art that had to be worth a mint. This was serious money.
It took me several wrong turns to navigate where I was going. Ridge wasn’t of any help; he just followed me around with amusement on his face. I wanted to smack it right off.
“What are the meanings of your tattoos?” he asked. “They’re beautiful. The artist really captured the designs.”
I held back my shock and refrained from telling him I did them myself. That was none of his business, and neither was their meaning. I did them for me and not for anybody else.
“Thank you,” I muttered as I took another turn that led down another hallway. “What the hell? How do you get out of this place?”
Ridge took his hand out of his pocket and pointed to another corner. I headed in that direction, and another staircase appeared. I took the stairs down, only to find another flight of stairs. Man, no wonder it had taken us so long to get from the car to the bed. This place was a fucking castle.
Glee filled me when I finally hit the bottom step and noticed the grand entrance hall, and by grand, I mean it was bigger than the house I’d grown up in. How could people live in something this big?
I looked over my shoulder at Ridge. Did he seriously live here by himself? Didn’t it get lonely?
Shaking off the concerned feelings, I rushed to the front door and had it open before Ridge could stop me. Before I stepped through the doorway, I said, “If you bill me for the shower, do it via messenger or something like that. Remember, for me to stay, you leave me alone, no matter how mayoral you want to be. No contact.”
I pointed my finger at him and rushed off before he could say anything. I needed to have the last word.
I hurried down the long driveway of the ridiculously landscaped property. It looked like a European monarch managed the home, with the rose garden, grass hills, and topiary trees. It was a dream of a home.
When I made it to the end of the gravel road and turned to take in the vastness of the house, Ridge still stood in the doorway, watching me. His presence there made the place appear lonely. It was too much for one person.
I followed the road back to Blackwood Creek. It was a hell of a long walk. When I got to the town’s limits and homes started appearing, I was grateful not to have to walk much farther. Ridge’s place was farther out than I had thought. It hadn’t felt so far by car, but it was definitely a hike.
The houses gave way to businesses, and it was strange how people stared at me. Even the people driving by slowed down and watched me rudely.
I understood the curiosity, though. It was a small town, and I was a stranger. Plus, a lot of them probably scented me as a shifter.
I clenched my jaw. Leave it to me to come to a place filled with the monsters.
