I glared at him again. His eyes brightened, and he grinned before turning back to the action movie we’d picked out. I’d made sure it didn’t evenhintat romance.
After that, I tried to keep one eye on the space between us and one on the screen, but he didn’t make any more moves, and eventually the movie pulled me back in, especially once the chase sequence started.
About three-quarters of the way through, I went still as I realized Riggs was sitting right next to me. The space between us wasgone. He wasn’t touching me, but he was close enough that I could feel the heat of his body again, and the faint scent of whatever he wore—cologne, maybe, though it smelled more natural, like cinnamon and chocolate—was distracting.
I scowled at him, but he only smiled innocently back and said nothing.
The thing was, if this were happening to someone else, I would be laughing. He was being sneaky and funny, and deepdown, I appreciated it. But I was also trying very hard to stay away from my mate, and he was making that nearly impossible. Was he doing it on purpose? Obviously.
My heart and hormones vacillated between just kiss him alreadyandabsolutely not, keep your hands and arms tucked inside the vehicle.
Frustrated, I folded my arms over my chest and kept watching the movie. He wasn’t doing anything but sitting next to me. If he touched me, I’d hard block him.
But it had been a long day… week… month… year. The relaxation from the bath crept back in, and before I could rally, I fell asleep.
Chapter 13
Piper
Iwoke up and chose violence because someone wastouchingme.
There was a thud, then a grunt, then a wheeze, and then silence. Curious, I leaned over the edge of the couch and found Riggs sprawled on the floor, staring up at the ceiling as if contemplating its angles with a pained expression. I wondered where I’d punched him, but I had a foreboding feeling I already knew and winced in sympathy.
“I would just like to point out thatyoufell asleep onme,” he said.
“Why didn’t you wake me up then?”
He gave me a look that made me question any amount of intelligence I’d ever had. “Why would I wake you when I was exactly where I wanted to be?”
“Iwasn’t.”
His smile softened. “Weren’t you?”
I had no answer for that, because deep down, the most honest one was yes. But had I ever, at any point in the history of being me, made anything easy? For anyone?
No. No, I had not.
So the hard way it was.
Then I remembered I was responsible for a child. “Is Alanna up?”
He’d promised the night before that the Clan would take care of her if she woke during the movie, so we’d kept the monitor on low. He’d probably shut it off to let me sleep, because I couldn’t hear anything now.
Riggs pushed himself up gingerly, wincing. “She’s okay. Taco has her this morning while my Second and secretary are busy. They’re visiting Matteo in his room.”
I nodded, brushing my hair away from my face. I loved it, but there was a reason I kept it short. The texture was so fine it tangled easily, and on any given morning I usually looked like I’d been through a hurricane. I tried to pat it down, already knowing it wouldn’t help.
Riggs watched me, warmth in his gaze and a hint of a smile on his lips. “If you’re feeling self-conscious, don’t. I love your hair, especially now that I’ve seen what it looks like first thing in the morning.”
I snorted. “Unlikely. I can tell it’s sticking straight up.”
He shifted onto his knees and reached for my hair slowly, giving me time to pull away if I wanted to.
I didn’t move.
It wasn’t acceptance. It was… curiosity.
At least, that’s what I told myself.
