Ignoring me, she took another step. In a blur of speed, I moved toward her and brushed her forearm with my fingers. She batted my hand away. Undeterred, I caressed her shoulder, and she jabbed me in the gut. Her chest heaved with exertion, and I stared at her parted lips. I leaned in, ready to taste her. My focus on her mouth distracted me from her raised hand until it cracked across my face.
Everything I’d never let myself feel pushed against the wall in my mind, and I almost let go. I wanted her to feel what I felt. The need. The desire. The desperation for just one taste. But what I kept locked away wasn’t just to protect her.
Remembering what was at stake helped me regain control.
With effort, I straightened away from Isabelle. She watched me warily.
“I apologize,” I said, then left.
I walked to our room with the intent to shower and calm down. However, seeing the boy laying on their shared bed changed my mind.
“You two done already?” he asked, looking at me. “That went fast.”
I grabbed my bag, ignoring him, and went to Winifred’s room. She answered after a single knock.
“May I use your shower?” I asked.
“Of course.” She stepped aside to let me in.
Grey and Sam were still with her. When Grey saw me, he frowned.
“What happened?” he asked.
Not answering, I closed myself into the bathroom, turned on the water so it would warm, then stared at the emerging print of her hand on my cheek. I couldn’t stop remembering the way she’d looked, leaning forward, sweaty, her mouth soft and her eyes still amused from sparring. I would do anything to get her like that again. Even with my darker skin, the red was coming through. She’d hit me hard, but she hadn’t been afraid. Not really. She hadn’t once tried to drain me.
I stripped and stepped into the shower. As soon as I closed the curtain, the door opened. A few seconds later I heard a zipper.
“You know I don’t like when you do this,” I said as Grey started relieving himself.
“Yep.”
I knew why he was in here being a pain and still didn’t want to talk about what had happened because I didn’t want to be told to keep my distance from her. I couldn’t.
“I think I forgot my toothbrush in the last hotel. I’ll just borrow yours.”
“You win,” I said, wetting my hair. The idea of him sharing the toothbrush didn’t bother me in the least. Humans were worried about germs. We didn’t because they didn’t affect us. However, he would go through my bag and rumple every piece of clothing and likely unpair my socks in his attempt to locate my toothbrush. He knew damn well it was in my toiletry bag.
“We were sparring, and she didn’t like how close I got.”
“You always make everything so difficult,” Grey said as he flushed. “Did you bite her, kiss her, grab her in a non-sparring manner, speak to her about Claiming or Mating, or—”
“No.”
He made an annoyed sound.
“But I wanted to.”
“Wanted to do what?”
“All of it.”
I heard him close the toilet seat and sit.
“Son, I know this is hard on you. Maybe you should consider staying—”
“Only a command will keep me here, and we both know commanding me away from a potential Mate isn’t in the best interest for our race.”
“This is going to be a long night,” he said under his breath a moment before the door closed again.
I took my time washing and dressing; and when I opened the door, only Winifred remained.
“Thank you,” I said, moving toward the door.
“Not so fast.”
I stopped and turned toward her.
“We’re concerned, Carlos. We’re not trying to keep you two apart for any other purpose than to ensure you have a chance at winning Isabelle over. We fear that rushing her acceptance of you, after she readily accepted what we are, might push her away.”
“I understand your concerns, but I can’t walk away or give her space. We’re past that option. We were the moment I saw her in the fighting cage. I’m not pushing her, Winifred. I’m staying close and waiting for an opening.”
“Fine. Grey is in the room, now. Isabelle has already fallen asleep. Ethan is still up and watching TV. Old westerns. You’re welcome to stay here until the room is quiet.”
I didn’t need to say anything before she sighed and waved me away.
“Just go.”
Back in our room, I found Grey on the second bed. He was in the spot closest to Ethan, which was a good thing. I wanted to kill the boy again. Isabelle was curled on her side, but she wasn’t on the edge of the bed. Her head was on the boy’s chest.
“So you don’t have a TV?” Ethan asked softly.
“We do. We just don’t watch it often. The sound is annoying.”
Ethan reached for the remote and turned it down further. Grey chuckled.
“That doesn’t help. It’s the high-pitched sounds all electronics make that tends to annoy us. We’re getting used to it, though. I even have a cell phone now.”
Ignoring their conversation, I set my bag on the floor, glanced at Isabelle’s peaceful face, then lay down beside Grey.
You should have stayed with Winifred, Grey sent me.
I didn’t answer.
Staring at the ceiling, I waited for the human to grow tired. Eventually, he turned off the television and fell asleep. Grey, however, continued to watch the ceiling with me.
Go to sleep, I sent him. I’m not foolish enough to harm the boy with both of you here to protect him.
He closed his eyes and a few minutes later, he slept. I stayed where I was, lying on my back, and listened to her breathing. Every now and again, she would make a noise in her sleep. Usually sounds of annoyance. I wanted to smooth my hand over her back and chase away whatever dreams or emotions were causing them. But I couldn’t. The boy was in my spot.
I managed to contain my growing agitation for four hours before I broke.
Grey woke when I stood, but he didn’t ask what I was doing. I couldn’t lay there anymore. The smell of her was driving me crazy. However, not as crazy as the idea of the boy smelling like her all-day tomorrow.
I started pacing in front of the bathroom door. If she would just wake enough to move away from him. As if she’d heard me, her breathing changed and she lifted her head.
I paused as she glanced at the clock then looked around the room. In the almost non-existent light, I knew she could see very little. But I could see her and the way her hand still rested on the boy’s chest. Then, she moved away from him and stood.
A spike of worry came from Grey as Isabelle held out her hands and slowly started walking around the bed. She sensed it, too, because she stopped moving.
“Who’s awake?” she asked softly.
I stepped toward her, my foot dragging on the carpet. Hearing it, she turned slightly. There was no fear or hesitation as her eyes strained to see something. But there was a bruise. In the daylight, it was easier to ignore because of her freckles and vibrant hair. In the shadows of the room, I could see nothing else.
Unable to help myself, I gently cupped her injured cheek. She didn’t move away. Encouraged, I brought my other hand up to the soft skin that begged to be explored. Her pulse leapt, and the inviting way she tipped her head back had me changing my hold to bury my fingers in her hair.
The need to taste her consumed me. I brushed my thumb over her bottom lip.
Her breathing hitched, and her lips parted. The scent of her interest beckoned. I stepped closer, continuing to memorize the feel of her.
“Z?”
The boy’s tired voice cut through my passion. Anger hit the wall in my mind, and my fingers twitched.
“Going to the bathroom,” Isabelle said quietly.
The boy rolled over, immediately going back to sleep, and the scent of Isabelle’s guilt swept away some of her fragile interest. She turned her head slightly, freeing herself from my hold, and started toward the bathroom. Moving swiftly around her, I entered first and waited until she closed the door to turn on the light.
Standing behind her, our gazes met in the mirror, and she squeaked in surprise. I turned her before she could say anything and backed her against the wall. No escape. Her eyes grew wide as I leaned in, and her heart beat a hard, rapid tempo in her chest. I hated that Ethan had interrupted us, but not as much as I hated the way she smelled like him or the thought of her returning to that bed. Struggling to maintain control of those emotions, I rested my cheek against hers, breathed deeply, and spoke in her ear.
“You’re sleeping in the other bed.”
I was ready for her spike of anger, so her attempt to knee me didn’t take me by surprise. While blocking her move, I brushed my lips against the shell of her ear in apology for upsetting her. And, for the taste I’d craved all day. Then, I turned off the light and left the room, closing the door behind me before she could react. Almost immediately, the light turned back on but the door remained firmly shut.
Grey didn’t keep silent as I moved to Isabelle’s spot.
Do you really think she’s going to accept sleeping with me?
She has to. It’s the only thing I can accept.
Just after I lay down next to the boy, the bathroom door swung open. Isabelle stood in the light and surveyed the room. I didn’t miss her look of surprise when she saw me next to Ethan and the spot next to Grey open. Had she thought she would be sleeping with me in that bed?
She held my gaze for a moment then studied Grey.
If she ends up hitting me because of this, I’m passing that pain on to you, he sent me.
We both waited for Isabelle’s reaction, which was a slight shake of her head before she turned off the light and shuffled to her new spot.
“Relax, Grey,” she said softly as she slid under the covers. “Your virtue is safe with me. No spooning unless requested.”
Hear that? I’m getting spooned tonight. Could have been you spooning me. Your loss.
Ignoring Grey, I listened to Isabelle exhale and relax then tried to ignore the human thorn next to me.