As she drifts off to sleep, I lie awake thinking about Craig’s accusations.
Coward. Traitor. Weak.
Maybe I am all those things in his eyes. But I’m also the man who chose love over loyalty to corruption.
And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
CHAPTER 15
CARLA
Billy’s warmth surrounds me. The pillow wall didn’t even make it an hour last night. We’d given up pretending after the third attempt to rebuild it. Now I’m draped across his chest, our legs tangled, his arm holding me firmly against him.
“Morning,” he rumbles, voice rough with sleep.
I tilt my head up to look at him, and my breath catches. His eyes are darker than usual, amber bleeding into the brown. His bear is close to the surface.
My pulse quickens.
“Morning,” I whisper back.
His hand slides up my spine, fingers tangling in my hair. The simple touch sends heat through me, but it’s more than just desire now. My skin feels hypersensitive, every nerve ending alive. My wolf is pushing forward, desperate for something more permanent than stolen nights and careful boundaries.
Mark him, she demands.Claim what’s ours.
The urge is so strong; it makes my teeth ache.
Billy’s nostrils flare. His fingers tighten in my hair, and I feel a tremor run through him. “Carla...”
“I know.” I press my face into his neck, breathing him in. The spot where his neck meets shoulder seems to throb with its own heartbeat, making my mouth water. “I feel it too.”
“We should... we need to think about this.”
His voice is strained. His other hand traces the same spot on my neck, fingertips barely grazing the skin, but it’s still enough to make me gasp.
“Do we?” The words come out breathless. “No. You’re right. We should think. Be rational.”
Neither of us moves. His thumb strokes my throat, and I can feel my pulse hammering against his touch.
“I need to get ready for work,” he says finally.
Still, no movement.
“The brewery. Ethan will be waiting.”
Another moment passes. The air between us feels charged, electric. Like one spark could set everything ablaze.
“Carla, if we don’t stop now...”
I force myself to roll away, the loss of contact actually painful. “Shower. You need to shower.”
He practically bolts from the bed, and in seconds, the bathroom door closes with enough force to rattle the frame.
I press my palms against my eyes, trying to calm my racing heart. My wolf whines, pacing restlessly inside me. Every instinct screams to follow him, to push him against the shower wall and…
No.I dig my nails into my palms. Control.
When Billy emerges, dressed for work, there’s a careful distance between us. But I catch the way his eyes track my movements as I navigate the kitchen. His knuckles are white where he’s gripping his coffee mug. Ceramic creaks under the pressure.
