“I don’t fucking care, Maya. If this bastard has been touching you without your permission and making your workplace hell for ten years, he needs to die.”
“Werewolves can still go to jail.”
“I’m on my way out anyway.”
“Don’ttalk that way,” I said sharply. “I offered to seal the bond last night. You turned me down. You don’t get to be all possessive and ragey and threaten to murder some asshole for touching me,afterrefusing a mate bond. We’re just friends, remember?”
“I only said no for your good, Maya.”
“You don’t get to decide what’s good for me just because you’re in love with me. I’m handling my problems with a coworker in a job I hate as well as I can, and you’re not going to jail for killing him when you’re not even willing to seal a mate bond with me to save your own life.”
“Yours matters more.”
“Not to me.” I took a step back. Ethan released my arm, and I moved out from beneath the water to grab a towel.
“Maya…” He followed me to the edge of the shower with suds dripping down his neck and chest.
“I need some air. I’ll call you in a few hours.”
Ethan grabbed a towel and followed me to the closet. “Where are you going?”
“Some of my friends have the day off today too. I’ll bug one or two of them,” I said, pulling on a pair of leggings and a comfortable cropped tee. We both had clothes at each other’s places after going back and forth for so long.
“You don’tbuganyone. They’re lucky to spend time with you.”
I dried my hair as well as I could. “Don’t spend the day alone. Call one of the guys and go hang out with them. Participate in the coaching sessions or something.”
“If their mates aren’t working, they aren’t either.”
“Jade and Emmy are back at work already.”
Ethan let out a long breath. “Fine.”
I stepped up to his chest and slipped my hand around the back of his neck, pulling his face down toward me while I went up on my tiptoes and kissed him.
He kissed me back, his damp hands finding my hips until I pulled away.
“For the record,” I said, “If this isn’t what love feels like, I have no idea what else it could be.”
His eyes burned with emotion. “Indigestion?”
A snort escaped me. “Sure, Cupcake.” I stepped back before I could decide to spend all day in his arms, and turned around.
“Take my truck,” Ethan said. “I don’t need it to get to work.”
“I don’t need it to look for Abby and Stella, either.”
“Just quit arguing with me for once and take it, Muffin.”
“Fine. Thank you.”
My throat felt thick as I closed the front door behind me and walked away, but I did need air.
Air… and time to figure out what I was going to do about everything.
I knockedon Stella’s door a short while later.
“I’m out here!” she called from the back porch.
