My fingertips graze against his cheekbone, and his one hand quickly snatches mine.
“Good morning,” I whisper.
“Morning,” he mumbles, grabbing my waist and tugging me against his body. His nose is nestled against the back of my head as he holds me. “How are you?” he asks.
“Is it bad that I’m not upset?” I ask, feeling completely vulnerable.
How fucked is that? She was still my family. I’d known her my whole life. But there isn’t this never-ending sadness rippling through me. Just a crippling guilt that my reaction isn’t normal.
“I think family is one of the most complicated things in our lives. You do not ask to be related to them, yet you are. From what I can tell, the relationship was a tense one. It’s okay for your feelings to be complicated.”
I run my fingers along the veins of his massive forearm, lifting his hand and kissing it.
“Thank you for last night.”
“You’re welcome,” he says, and I smile, liking that he didn’t say some bullshit like it’s no problem or acting like he did nothing.
“Did Ethan go home?”
“Your Beta is on my couch,” he replies, and I turn around in the bed and search his face.
“I want this to work, Bram. Tell me we can make it work.”
“He isn’t so bad,” he replies, and I smile and grab his chin and give him a kiss.
“If he wasn’t in the other room right now, I think I’d make you consider your whole moving slow stance.”
“I might be changing my mind,” he replies.
“Is that so?”
“I missed you while I was gone. More than I’ve ever missed anyone. Not to mention I rubbed your slick on my shirt after I fingered you so I could bring your scent with me,” he admits.
Oh, my sweet Bram, ever so honest.
“You rubbed my slick scent onto your shirt and used it to jerk off?” I ask.
He nods his head and cups my jaw with one hand. “Yes.”
“That’s actually pretty romantic, I’m not going to lie,” I reply, and he smiles.
“Me, you, and the Beta. I can make it work.”
“Ethan,” I remind him.
“Me, you, and Ethan. I can manage that,” he replies.
I smile at him and place a delicate kiss against his lips. “You have the day off on Wednesday?” I ask, and he kisses me again before nodding his head.
“Just me and you, we can do whatever you want.”
“I’ll plan something,” he promises.
His bed is soft and warm. It doesn’t hurt that it smells just like him either.
“I guess we need to get out of bed, huh? I probably should head home and see how my dad is doing anyway. Don’t say anything to him or the team unless it’s brought up.”
“Practice is in an hour,” he grumbles, resting the bridge of his nose against my neck. When I look down at the larger than life man wearing only boxers, I have to lick my lips and mentally do my best to try and calm myself down.
