I couldn’t help myself. I lost it. Completely and utterly lost it. I drew in a vocal breath that sounded like a donkey braying and laughed even harder. When Tak flipped over on his hands and knees, giving me a generous view of his backside as he crawled into the bathroom, I fell to my knees and cradled my aching stomach.
“Finally… she laughs,” he grumbled from the other room.
I caught my breath when the laughter began to wane. The visual was too much, and I quickly shut the door behind me before Tak gave the world another peep show. The water ran in the bathroom for a short time, and I wiped my tearstained cheeks as I stared at the wet spot on the carpet.
After a minute or two, Tak sauntered into the room, wearing a pair of jeans. His hands deftly sectioned his wet hair before weaving it into a long braid. “First you laugh when we make love, now it’s the sight of my nude body.”
I stood up, a laugh still trapped in my throat. “You caught me off guard. I thought I’d find you watching TV or taking a nap. I wasn’t expecting full frontal.”
While tying off the end of his braid, he jerked his chin at my feet. “What’s in the bag?”
“Oh,” I said, having forgotten. “Someone gave me their garden vegetables. I didn’t want to leave them in the hot car.”
Tak smirked and peered inside the bag. “I didn’t know you’d planned on staying that long in my room.”
My heart did a quickstep, and I set the bag on the table. “What were you saying a moment ago about being out of my hair?”
He flicked a glance at the door. “Oh, that. I thought you were the manager. He’s in a hurry to clean the room for the next guest.”
I touched the ends of my hair. “Are you leaving?”
He averted his gaze. “This room is too small for me, that’s all. I’m not going back on my word. I’ll stay until Lakota returns.”
I sensed a lie in his explanation but didn’t confront him. Aside from the unmade bed, everything looked tidy. No empty water bottles, no food wrappers or other trash. His travel bag on the dresser was zipped up and ready to go.
“Where are you staying?” I asked, wondering if maybe his wolf had caused trouble.
He grabbed his shoes and sat on the bed, facing away from me. “Someplace bigger. So who gave you all the vegetables? Was it a man?”
“Why would you ask that?”
Tak glanced over his shoulder at me but said nothing. He didn’t need to. Shifters hunted for their mates, and though fresh meat was the preferred offering, some wolves took the gesture of providing food very seriously.
“It was a friend,” I answered.
“You’re good at dodging my questions.”
I crossed the room and looked down at him. “I’m not the only one good at being evasive.”
He finished lacing up his shoe and hung his head. “I don’t mean to insult you with lies. I can’t pay for this room anymore, so I’m going to sleep in my truck. It’s only for two more days.”
“No, you’re not.”
He looked up at me. “Yes, I am. What other options do I have? None of my people live here.”
“You don’t have a Breed account?”
“I live on tribal land. What use do I have for credit?”
“Did you ask your father for money? He can wire it to you.”
Tak dipped his chin. Yes, I knew that look of being too proud to ask for help. My father had offered many times to pay for our store, and I’d turned him down each time. Children must leave their parents and learn what it means to struggle. Breaking away from the pack is tough, but it’s the only way to earn respect. Especially for a young man of fifty.
I chewed on my lip for a moment. “Why don’t we work this out later? I have the day off. Would you like to see my city?”
He shook his head. “I’m not into tourist attractions.”
“There’s more to Austin than that. We’ll stay in the Breed district if that makes you comfortable, but I know a few places I think you’ll enjoy. If your wolf needs to run, there’s a private place I go sometimes.”
