My bear practically purrs at the suggestion. Living here. Waking up every morning without having to leave. The rightness of it makes my chest expand.
“You sure?”
“Unless you like doing the walk of shame every morning.” She teases, but there’s vulnerability underneath, a question in her eyes that makes me ache.
I’m back at the bed before I realize I’ve moved, cupping her face between my hands and kissing her properly.
She gasps against my mouth, then melts into it, her arms coming around my neck to pull me closer. Her tongue slides against mine, and I groan, my control fraying.
For a moment, I forget about work, about deliveries, about everything except the taste of her.
“Yes,” I say against her lips, breathing hard. “God, yes.”
She smiles, and it’s like the sun coming up. Her whole face transforms with joy. “Good. Now go before Sean fires you.”
I steal one more kiss, then force myself to back away. My body protests with every step. At the door, I pause for one last look. She’s already burrowing back into my pillow, seeking my scent, and the sight makes me pause, overwhelmed with emotions I’m still learning to name.
Love. It’s love.
“Hey Billy?” she calls softly.
“Yeah?”
“Drive safe. Maya’s taking me to try the general store again today.”
Pride swells in my chest at her determination. She’s been pushing herself, reclaiming her life, one small step at a time. My brave mate.
“That’s great. Text me how it goes?”
“Always do.”
I leave before my resolve breaks entirely, but her scent clings to my skin, my clothes. A reminder of what I’m leaving. What I’m coming home to.
My bear grumbles the entire drive to town, pacing and snarling inside me. Leaving her gets harder every morning, not easier. The mate bond pulls taut between us, a physical ache in my chest demanding I turn around, go back, and stay where I belong.
Soon, I promise myself, gripping the steering wheel tight. Soon, I won’t have to leave at all.
CHAPTER 13
CARLA
The late afternoon sun slants through the cabin windows when I hear Billy’s truck pull up. My wolf perks up immediately, that now-familiar warmth spreading through my chest. He’s been bringing clothes over gradually, but today sounds different. His footsteps on the porch are purposeful, almost nervous.
He comes through the door carrying wildflowers. Not store-bought, but the kind that grows along the roadside. Purple lupines mixed with white daisies.
“Hi,” he says, and there’s something shy in his expression that makes my heart skip.
“Hi yourself.” I abandon my book, drawn to him like always. “What’s this?”
He extends the flowers, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand. “Saw them on the drive home. Thought of you.”
I take them, breathing in their subtle fragrance. “They’re beautiful.”
“Carla.” He steps closer, and I catch his heavenly scent. His hand finds my waist, thumb brushing the sliver of skin where my shirt has ridden up. “Would you have dinner with me tonight?”
“We have dinner every night.” I tease, but my pulse quickens at the intent in his eyes.
“No, I mean...” He pulls me closer, until I have to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact. “Out. At the steakhouse in town. A proper dinner. A date.”
