Seb gestured down the hallway. “Can anyone hear what we’re saying? I forget what’s soundproofed and what isn’t.”
“I doubt it. I suspect the pair of them are otherwise occupied by now, anyway.”
Seb laughed loudly. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Come on.” He faced forward again and walked the few steps to the door to the stairs, but stopped once they walked through. “Shit, I forgot about these.” His cheeks flushed with colour and he glanced up at the ceiling with a sigh, adding in a small voice, “I could probably make it down easily enough, but not being able to grab onto the handrail makes me kind of nervous.”
He looked anywhere but at Tim, embarrassment clear in his expression. Before the moment could get awkward—and giving Seb no chance to object—Tim scooped him up, bridal style, and started down the stairs.
Letting out a startled laugh, Seb clung tight to his crutch so it didn’t slip out of his hands. “Twice in one weekend. You’re going to give me a complex.”
Tim bit the inside of his cheek. If Seb knew how much he liked being able to take care of him, how much hiswolfliked it, he wouldn’t find it half as amusing or embarrassing. Clearing his throat, he hitched him a little higher, then started down the stairs. “It’s just quicker this way, and I don’t want to make you late for your appointment. We’re running a little behind.”
“Fair enough.”
Not daring to meet Seb’s eyes—their faces were so close together, he didn’t like his chances of not doing something stupid like kissing him—Tim quickly made his way down the steps. But there was a question on the tip of his tongue that he couldn’t suppress. As he set Seb on his feet again, he asked, “What about you?”
“Hmm?”
“How do you feel about getting involved with shifters?” He knew Seb's thoughts on being part of the pack, but what about shifters themselves? Although Jared had made it clear what Seb's views were, Tim wanted to hear it for himself. Maybe then he could stop kidding himself that he had a chance with Seb.
Seb held his gaze for several seconds before gesturing to the front doors. “Let’s talk in the car.”
Tim couldn’t decide whether that sounded ominous or not.
Chapter Five
“How do you feel about getting involved with shifters?”Well, wasn’t that the million-dollar question? And not one Seb felt prepared to answer. Before he could open the front door to Nathan’s building, Tim stopped him and slipped in front of him.
“Let me go first.” He opened it a few inches and took a deep breath.
Seb never ceased to find it odd and sometimes a little funny when shifters did that. But knowing why Tim had his nose in the air this time only made him tense. Did Tim really think some rival pack member might be waiting for them? Seb wasn’t important enough to warrant that sort of attention. Okay, so they’d messed with him a bit at the flat, but he mostly thought that was because it was Jared’s old place and right on their doorstep. But would they take the trouble to venture into another pack’s territory? From everything he’d read, Seb thought it highly unlikely. But then, what did he really know? “I told you I probably imagined being followed, and I seriously doubt anyone would follow me here, of all places.”
Tim glanced over his shoulder. “We don’t know why they were at your flat the other night, and I’m not taking any chances with your safety.”
His low, serious tone sent a shiver down Seb’s spine. Having someone look out for him like this was addictive. Especially when that someone was tall, dark-haired, and sexy as hell… and would have no trouble picking him up and fucking him against a wall. Seb didn’t want to find the whole protective thing hot, but he couldn’t help it. Tim’s strength lay hidden inside his toned but relatively slim build, not openly on display like a lot of the hugely muscled shifters Seb had seen before. If anything, that made him more curious to—No. No. No matter how hot the doctor was, a relationship with a shifter wasn’t something Seb was after anytime soon. Or ever. And he had the feeling Tim wasn’t a one-night stand kind of guy. “Anything?” he asked, stepping up close behind him and trying to peer over his shoulder.
Tim smelled like spicy citrus shower gel and something else Seb couldn’t identify, just really fucking good, and Seb immediately took a step back.
“No. We’re good to go.” Tim opened the door wider and held it for Seb to hobble through.
“Thanks.”
As soon as they were settled in the car with their seat belts fastened, Tim started the engine. “Are you going to answer my question?”
His head was turned away as he concentrated on pulling out into traffic, and Seb couldn’t get a good look at his expression.
“Yeah.” He leaned his head against the headrest and closed his eyes. The dull throb of his wrist and ankle gave him something to focus on while he searched for the right words. “I’ve been with shifters before. Not many,” he added when Tim’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.Fuck, I don’t have to reassure him.“Anyway, I never had a problem with them, even after what happened to Jared. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I hated that fucker and anyone who acted as entitled as he did, but I never hatedallshifters. Not like Jared did. He had every reason to, and I supported him, but I figured not all of you had to be that bad.”
Tim snorted. “How generous of you.”
“I thought so.”
A few beats of silence, and then Tim said softly, “I’m sure you know that I like you.”
Seb didn’t want to have all this out in the open. He liked spending time with Tim and selfishly wanted to keep doing it, but he couldn’t string him along. “Yeah, I know.”
“And forgive me for saying this, but I can’t help my senses, and I get the impression you like me too.”
“It’s not that simple.”
