“It’s not that.It’s ...he doesn’t like being a wolf.”She blinked, surprised she shared that information.“He thinks I married him for his money and title.”
“Sounds like he’s confused.”
There was something about Asher that made him extremely easy to open up to.
“Perhaps,” she murmured.She waved the folder.“I have the divorce papers, and he signed them.So why couldn’t I walk through Corbin’s door?”
“Sounds like you’re confused.”
“Maybe.”Turmoil still churned in her heart.“Maybe I still have hope that he’ll suddenly like being a shifter and won’t mind passing it along to pups.And wow!I can’t believe I just told you my desperate fear.Are you a priest sent so I can confess my deepest, darkest secret?”
“A priest?Absolutely not.I enjoy sex too much.”He laughed.“I’m a bartender, so easy vibes are built into my DNA.”
Thinking about him and sex caused her cheeks to heat.Asher was a good-looking man.He was no Tavish MacAlary, but she was probably a little biased.
“Let me ask you something,” he said.“What do you want?”
She frowned.“What do you mean?”
“Do you want a divorce?”
“Aye,” she answered, and then paused.“Nae.”
“Why?”
“Because ...because I love him.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“He never wanted me before.Not until he discovered I was his moon-fated mate, and that’s just hormones.Right?”
“Well, yes.Technically, you’re right, sexual attractionishormones, and it can be confused with love.However, it’s driven more from physical responses of appearance and chemistry.How good he or she looks, like brawny shoulders or gorgeous legs.”He patted her hand still curled around his bicep.“Love is about a deeper connection.Shared values, emotional intimacy rather than simple desire.The need for a long-term commitment.”
“He never wanted a long-term commitment before, not until he scented me.”She shook her head as a wave of sadness rolled through her.“One sniff and he declared we’re staying together and not divorcing, despite the fact he was carrying around signed divorce papers.That right there fits the description of lust, not love.”
“Love co-exists with lust.They aren’t exclusive to one another.”
“So, back to square one.”
They turned the block and headed toward the coffee shop.
“May I ask, do you want a long-term commitment?If Tavish proved what he feels is real, and not just a biological response, would you go back to Scotland with him?”
Mairi thought for a moment.Deep in her heart, she knew what she wanted.“Aye.All I’ve ever wanted was to be his, but I couldn’t stomach the thought he was forced to be with me.Especially when I overheard him accuse me of being a gold-digger.”
“You knew you two were mates, right?”
“Aye.”
“So, areyouremotions nothing but a physical response?”
“No.”Then she caught on to what he was implying.“Oh, I see.You’re about to point out how could I know if what I feel is love or just wolf hormones, aren’t you?”
“You’re catching on fast,” he said with a chuckle.“Maybe Tavish is, too.”
She hadn’t thought about it from that perspective.Did she run too quickly after overhearing his conversation?Did she take the coward’s way out, instead of confronting him and insisting he give them a chance?Had she sabotaged her own happiness by burying her head in the sand?
“I understand your point,” she murmured.“He mentioned he’d just connected with his wolf.Do you think that had anything to do with it?”
