“Yeah.” I roll my eyes and correct her even though it’s not necessary. “Like when all he wanted was to give you a ton of licks and keep you warm from the cold weather.”
“Okay, if you say so.” Leticia stretches her arms up over the topof her head, and while I love seeing her in my clothes, I’m sad I don’t get a glimpse of her perfect skin underneath.
Something is wrong.My wolf and I feel it at the same time.
There’s nothing wrong with Leticia and me. We’re perfectly comfortable. But it’s like the whole world has shifted its atmosphere, and I can’t get a reading on what it is.
“Go shower. I’ll meet you there. I’ve got a little work to do.” I encourage Leticia.
But it doesn’t matter what program I check; all the camera feeds seem fine, and every system turns up with perfect security protocol. The nagging feeling that something is wrong stays seated in my gut, resting against my spine.
39
LETICIA
SUBURBAN DAD BOLOGNESE
I’m just waitingfor the conditioner in my hair to set when the door to the bathroom opens.
“It’s just me,” Royal calls over the rushing water. “Mind if I join you?”
“I would be offended if you didn’t.” I’m smiling before I even get to see him.
When did I become so enthralled with him?
“Well, wouldn’t want that.” Royal, already naked, steps into the shower with me and lets out a deep guttural moan. It brings back memories of last night, teasing a smile to my face. He sighs. “I didn’t think anyone else in the world liked showers as hot as I do.”
“What’s the point in having a shower if you’re not boiling like a lobster?” I scoff and draw a deep breath.
The shower has gone from smelling clean and soapy to thick with Royal’s natural scent — chocolatey, woodsy, and comforting. I’m salivating at the thoughts of all the things we’ve done together and all the ways he’s made my body feel like mine.
With Royal, I’m no longer renting my body from some future arranged marriage. It’s mine to use freely.
That’s why this hurts so much. “About today.”
“What about today?” Royal has his head tipped up, letting the water wet it. Overspray mists off him toward me.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to be so forward about how muchtime we’ve been spending together and how we’ve been spending that time with each other.” My words were meant to be so much stronger than they come out.
Royal swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and then he looks at me. “You’re right. Valor and Antonella have a lot going on. It’s probably not the right time to spring on them that I want to find a way to make us a more permanent thing.”
“I’m sorry, a what?” I blink dumbly at him, my jaw falling open.
More permanent. Oh my god. That’s not what I was...
“Leticia, I have big feelings for you, and I don’t want to be on borrowed time.” His eyes are that deep brown color again, not his wolf, but the soulful tone that sees me at my depths.
“I don’t know what to say.” The truth is that the butterflies are back and throwing a party inside me. I shake my head. “But not today. We can’t get into that today. We have to be just friends or something because Toni is a wolf now, and her life has already changed enough without her having to worry about me and Berto and my dad.”
“Okay.” Royal closes the few inches that were between us. “Deep breaths.”
I hadn’t realized I was hyperventilating. I draw a slow inhale, forcing my lungs all the way full.Borrowed time and big feelings.Those words rattle against the cage holding my heart. The cage that was protecting it from getting hurt because I’m destined for an arranged marriage. But now I know the truth — the cage is empty. My heart is already gone.
“Today we’re just friends. I’m just some asshole techy who’s been tormenting you with long-winded rants about cybersecurity and robots.” Royal says those words, consoling me, but I can tell he doesn’t feel them.
“And I’ve been boring you to death about cooking when you tried to make suburban dad bolognese.” I pick the most mundane and normal thing we’ve done.
“I promise to not think of you naked and how your ass looked propped up on my pillows.” His dirty words increase the temperature in the shower. Despite the heat, I shiver. “But then you’ve got to promise you won’t think about putting your ankles on my shoulders.”
