“You’re just exhausted. You have the baby and the family, and you love them to death, but you’re exhausted. Plus, you’re worried that no one is taking the Sharon Claudis thing seriously because how the fuck does someone just disappear into thin air? Plus, dead people try to bug you and ignoring them takes a lot of work. Uh…. And oh, you’re probably working out a lot more than you ever did before because you have to beat Sharon’s ass.”
“Uh…. Are you sure you can’t see the past or present?” he chuckled.
“I can see the present. We all see the present,” I shrugged and tapped just above my eyebrows.
“Oh, right,” Preston chuckled. “You know what I mean. Like some seers having a ‘knowing’ about things.”
“Only true-mate things,” I shrugged. “Not for everyone either.”
“So…. I’m that readable?” Preston asked.
“Not to everyone,” I shook my head. “Truth be told, I ignore most people. They’re living their lives and I’m living mine. That’s the way the world should work but since walking in here I haven’t been able to think about anything else or pay attention to anyone else. I can’t ignore you. It’s the oddest sensation. It’s like the world might end if I take my eyes off you. Like none of the rest of it is real. Like none of it ever was. So, I mean, at the end of the day, I’ll adopt Andy. We can do it the paper way your people like doing, if that makes you feel better, but from the moment we responded he was mine to protect too, Preston. Yeah. I sound like a crazy man.”
“I think that’s the true-mate magic. It’s like we made a bunch of promises in the Other World and we suddenly remembered them all at once when we met,” Preston said.
“And you don’t have to send the baby off with your brother,” I said.
“Uh… I do, though. I don’t know how straight I’m even thinking right now. The true-mate response is notorious for making fools out of everyone.”
“Then bring Mori too,” I shrugged. “Life doesn’t have to be complicated.”
“Uh….” Preston said. “I’m not very quiet.”
“I can put my hand over your mouth,” I shrugged and he blushed.
Everything inside me stood up. Preston was a beautiful bear and now I really couldn’t take my eyes off him. Everything inside me wanted to reach out and pull him over into my lap. I’d kiss him until all the tension fled his muscles and then I’d kiss lower chasing off any lingering parts that might try to make a comeback. I wanted to make him cum again and again until he forgot the meaning of the word stress.
“Your scent says so very much,” Preston said.
I opened my mouth to say that he had no room to speak but stopped short. His arousal was thick on the air but I didn’t want him to feel subconscious about it. Behind his tangy arousal was the scent of someone tired and nervous. All of this felt too good to be true.
“We’ll hang a curtain over the door too,” I said instead. “Or I could take you home and put you in a bubble bath and leave you to read or something.”
Preston blinked and cocked his head to the side.
“I’m starting to think I’m imagining you,” he said a second later.
Then he reached out and poked my knee with a single finger as if to see if I were solid or one of the dead people who tried to get his help.
“I’m not too good to be true. I’m an introvert and I despise most people. I’ll never lock you up, but it’ll cause issues at some point. It always does. Sometimes the silence is better than all the company in the world. Maybe I’ll snatch out someone’s liver for hurting your feelings or making you uncomfortable. I don’t really play by the paper rules.”
“Uh… Their liver?”
“You only have one and can’t live without it,” I shrugged. “Less messy than a heart. Slower death too.”
Preston swallowed hard. For a second, I thought I scared him, but his scent turned more aroused.
“Maybe we can leave the baby with Mori for just a bit,” he said. “I mean, Mori lives with me when he’s in town. So they’ll be around later.”
“And your parents are making a pot roast,” I reminded him.
“I’m not really in the mood to see my parents,” Preston shook his head. “Let’s go.”
“Shouldn’t you tell Mori?”
“Twin link,” he said, standing up and reaching his hand out for me. “I wouldn’t normally leave dirty dishes in someone else’s living room but today’s a special occasion.”
I didn’t even have time to grab my stuff before he pulled me out through the door and down the steps.
