I didn’t go for anything mad, like enveloping him in the tight hug he clearly needed but had been told he shouldn’t want. I kind of wanted to cry about his mum. I didn’t know her deal, but my mum would cuddle me 24/7 if I needed it.
I lifted his blanket so that I could sit snug beside him. I rearranged the puzzle board so that it was spread across both of our laps, our legs and arms pressed close together.
‘Is this okay?’ I checked.
He took a deep breath. ‘Is it okay with you?’
I laughed and grabbed the puzzle box from the coffee table. Kit’s arm was tense alongside mine as I settled back into the sofa cushion. ‘Have you met Aster? Do you think he had any concept of personal space growing up? Scratch that. Does he have any sense of personal space now?’
Kit huffed out a laugh. ‘I know that. It’s hard to miss. But.’ He tensed again, like he’d been gradually relaxing but had caught himself. ‘I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this.’
I nudged his shoulder. ‘I only really have one friend, and we’ve always hugged and touched a lot. It's actually something I missed, while he was here alone. Now he’s all loved up with Callum in the mountains so I can’t get my daily dose of being clambered over by him.’
If I’d been asked before Aster took his trip here, I would have said that the amount me and my best friend touched was dictated by him. That wasn’t untrue, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t welcome. I’d either been trained to expect a lot of hugs in my life or my best friend fulfilled a need I’d always had, but I’dfelt the absence while he was gone. Had felt it again during my first few days here.
Kit let out a shuddering breath and finally his arm and leg went lax alongside mine. ‘Thank you.’
‘You don’t need to thank me.’ I passed him the puzzle box as Kat leapt onto the sofa beside me to demand scritches.
He really didn’t. I wasn’t sure if his need for touch was weird, but he didn’t think my inability to not compliment him was weird either. I didn’t know if either of us was right, but it didn’t matter. So long as we were both happy, that was what counted.
I stroked a purring cat and snuggled close to Kit as he plucked out the edge pieces of a new puzzle of a rustic cottage beside a river. His mouth refused to do anything but smile, and making him happy seemed like a pretty wonderful thing to do.
CHAPTER TWELVE
KIT
The note I encountered the next morning was nowhere near as disappointing as the ones Lucas had left before. Slightly disappointing, because leaving a message meant Lucas had already left the house so there would be no considerate touches this morning, but not monumentally disappointing since he was no longer avoiding me.
Kit,
I hope you slept well.Not that you need beauty sleep. Shit.
I have to head out early this morning because there’s a problem with one of Oscar’s cows and I want to check her over before my surgery appointments. Thank you for the epic pizza last night, and for trusting me.
I’m going to give you the biggest hug later.I’ll see you later.
Lucasx
I grinned at the easily deciphered scribbled out sections. Deeply embedded shame had burned through me as I’d explained my issues around touch, but Lucas hadn’t seemed bothered. All evening, we’d sat close on the sofa. So close I could feel Kat’s purring through Lucas’s thigh.
I’d tried not to let myself relax too much, but after years of denying myself unmonitored touches, it was wonderful to sit beside a kind man and take my fill. I’d floated off to bed, so blissed out I was barely conscious even before my head hit the pillow.
I’d felt a stab of regret when I woke up this morning, sure Lucas would have decided my neediness was too much during the night, but his note dispelled that fear. I had carefully monitored his scent and had been ready to back off at the first sign of stale boredom or sparking annoyance, but I wanted to trust he didn’t mind touching me.
I frowned as I selected Kat’s disgusting breakfast pouch and was still frowning when Louisa tapped on my back door.
Despite his views on the matter, I didn’t think Lucas was strange. If he thought my desire to touch the people I liked and loved a lot was fine, maybe others would too.
It had been a long time since I’d let myself try. Too many partners, transient as they all were, had moaned about my tendency to seek as many points of physical contact with them as possible. I hadn’t had many friends before I moved to the island and had never attempted a hug with the dickheads on my law course. Even before Mum became so unwell that hugs hurt, she wasn’t the touchy feely type.
The only person I’d hugged properly since I’d become a werewolf was Callum, and that was because I’d taken the bite in his cabin and recovered with him. Everything had been too overwhelming as I’d adjusted to my changed body and enhanced senses. I couldn’t rein in my need for touch too.
But he hadn’t minded it. Even when the excuse of being a newbie wolf was gone. I’d thought he cuddled me because he was just as touch starved as I was, but he continued once he had Aster to snuggle as well.
I jumped down the stairs, threw open the back door, and launched myself into Louisa’s arms before I could second guess myself.
Immediately, the countdown of the acceptable number of seconds to hug members of my pack started. I ignored it, burrowing my face into the floral scented hair cascading down the side of Louisa’s neck.
