Julien laughs, the sound warm. “My pleasure. Liter?—”
A howl pierces the night air, followed by another, closer this time. The haunting sound slices through our bubble of warmth, a stark reminder of the world outside.
His body tenses around me, all traces of relaxation vanishing. “Wolves.”
“Or dogs?” I clutch the towel tighter. “Strays?”
His eyes meet mine, serious now. “Let’s move to the bed.”
TWENTY-FOUR
DAKOTA
He doesn’t wait for me to stand. Just scoops me up like I weigh nothing, one arm beneath my knees, the other around my back. The towel barely clings to my body as we’re moving from the heat of the moment to—what? Sleep? Something more?
“I can walk.” But I loop my arms around his neck anyway.
“I know.” He carries me toward the bedroom, kicking the door open with his foot. “Faster this way.”
“Because…”
“Because I want you in bed.”
Heat floods my cheeks. I’m still boneless from what he just did to me, every nerve ending still singing. “That’s—You can’t just say things like that.”
“Why not?” He lowers me onto the mattress, following me down. “It’s true.”
He’s looming over me, and I tug the towel higher, which is kind of useless after he’s already seen everything.
“You’re tense again.” His fingers trace my shoulder, following the ridge of my collarbone. “After I just got you relaxed.”
“I’m not—” I stare at the ceiling, easier than meeting those dark eyes. “This is just… You’re staring.”
“How do you know that? When you’re not looking at my face?”
I force myself to meet his eyes. “You’re staring.”
“Hard not to.” He traces the edge of my towel. “You look... wrecked.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“It is.”
Another howl cuts through the night, closer this time. Julien’s head snaps toward the window, muscles tensing.
“Should we be worried?” I ask.
“No.” His focus returns to me, but something’s changed. The heat in his eyes has cooled. “But we should keep quiet.”
My hands fidget with the edge of the towel. “So... sleep?”
He laughs, a soft rumble in his chest. “You sound disappointed.”
“I’m not.”
“Sure.” His thumb traces my lower lip.
“What about you?”
