He appears in the threshold after a second, and I swallow, looking his tattooed body over.
Shit, that’smine.
“Birds,” he says plainly. “Looks like maybe the lights disoriented them. They ran into the windows.”
“Oh… That was really loud. How many fucking birds was that?” I ask.
He rubs his hand behind his head and shuts the door. “Too many,” he says quietly.
I can’t help but think he’s hiding something.
“Are they dead?”
“Yeah. I’ll take care of it in the morning. You don’t need to worry about it.”
I squirm slightly.In the morning.
The bird scare is nearly forgotten at the words.
“Does this mean you’re finally staying the night?”
A smile tugs at the corners of his lips as he locks the door. “If you’re okay with that.”
I should not be this giddy about a sleepover, but between the birds flying into the window and whatever was on the street last night, I’m okay with someone sleeping in the bed with me.
Even if Oreo and Pack might nudge him out.
Who am I kidding? They’ll nudge me out first, they love him so much.
“Yes.”
I catch a glimpse of myself in the long mirror hanging on my bedroom door as I rise to my feet, and I instantly cringe.
Fucking hell, how long have I looked like this?
“Um. I think I need to shower. I look… God, why didn’t you tell me I looked like this?” I ask, pointing to the mirror.
“You mean why didn’t I tell you that you’re impossible to resist? Or why I’m not eager to forget the way you look when you’re thoroughly spent?” He encloses the space between us and kisses me—soft enough that my knees want to give out again, and I grip his wrists to keep from falling.
“I’ll help you shower,” he adds.
“Why?”
“Because I did this to you,” he says, flicking my chin. “I have you, baby.”
And I know he does.
Fuck, I know he does.
Chapter 16
North
The ground is covered with a thick layer of frost that I don’t intend to melt. I haven’t been able to shake the fear I felt on Juniper all night. Even with the photos she texted, I’m still a wreck.
Damntricks.
I was walking up her street last night when I saw it—the troll hurling dead birds at Juniper’s window. It had stopped when it saw me and tried to run, but Blaze hasn’t lost his speed, nor his rage. I searched the house as he bound the troll, even more impressive in his nakedness, and when I saw how scared Juniper was, I almost appeared to her.
