Skating my fingers up her back, I curl my arm around her shoulder, drawing her closer, hoping she recognizes I wasn’t attacking her. “I’m not having a go. Merely making an observation.”
“Is that what you do? Watch everything from a distance?”
“Maybe. I was in the kitchen, wondering what to do to help make you feel better, when Ronin goes into your room, ready to fight, and lets you walk out with his guns. Keegan’s in the gym, ready to rip heads off people, but he goes to see you, and then the next moment, he’s eating out of your hand.”
She spins to stand in front of me and we come to a stop. Suspicion adds a brittleness to the green of her eyes, reminding me of broken bottles. “And?”
Being around Tally is so damn easy, and despite not knowing who she really is, I feel like I already do. It’s fucking weird, but there are just those people you meet who you instantly click with. They’re once-in-a-lifetime people, and I hate that I’ve made her edgy.
“Shit, Tally, I’m impressed, that’s all. Don’t hear me words differently. I’m curious how you’ll handle Ronin when we get back, because in spite of what happened today, I’d say you’re still keen on working. Right?”
She blinks a couple of times, slowly taking in what I said and the lack of challenge.
My hands itch to cup her face again, my lips want on hers like I’m starved. I want her smiling and relaxed. “I just want to make sure you realize that’s not normal for them.”
A line of caution creases her features, letting me know I’ve upset her. But it disappears as quickly as it appeared, and her smile turns playful again, making me more wary than ever.
“What’s normal for you?” she asks, diverting me away from talking about her. A very Omega thing to do, but there’s another reason for her doing it. I just can’t figure out what it is at the moment.
She starts walking backwards, perhaps aware of the time or my reminder of what’s to come, and she’s keen to get it over with.
Nabbing her hand and guiding her so she’s not walking backwards, I keep my other hand on the small of her back as we cross the road. “You’re still working, I take it?”
“Yeah. Nothing’s really changed, has it? I mean, I don’t think the boy gang intentionally targeted me. Unfortunately, I was the one they stumbled across, but thankfully, you were close by.”
I hear a small gasp, and she’s come to some conclusion. The way she wordlessly stares at me has me all but confessing.
“Of course we have people watching over us.”
“But, Tynan, I’m not in your pack.” She slows her speech and accentuates each word as if it will change the outcome.
“You’re our wife, Tally. Whether you want to believe it or not, the fact remains that you are an O’Connor.”
Her breathing hitches, making her lips purse together, and her scent gets lost under a flare of anger. “You followed me.”
“No, I was in the shower when you decided to go for a run unprotected and without giving one of us the chance to join you.”
“I left a note. I’ve been wearing my ring like I was asked.”
“And Keegan unlocked the front door. Nothing about that changes the facts. A guard whenever and wherever you go, and you’re an O’Connor until we’re nothing but a mere memory.”
Walking inside the lift, Tally refuses to look at me or say anything more on the matter, but it’s not hard to figure out her thoughts on any of what I said.
“Tally…”
“Look, we’re not going to see eye to eye on that one, so let’s not waste time arguing about it. I really like speaking and being with you. Can we leave it at that? No labels, no pressure, let's get to know each other.”
She’s right about some of what she’s saying, and I respect that. I drop pushing the subject but not the actual subject matter. Not that I say that out loud.
I close the distance between us again, because she’s like a magnet; my draw to touch her is impossible to ignore. Which, in the scheme of things, is pretty fucking huge. “So, what’s the plan?”
She shuffles over, and her warming presence brushes over my skin as obvious as her hand touches mine. Then she takes a long, slow inhale before letting it out and turning to look at me. “Now, I’m going to talk to your brother. Any hints?”
I shake my head. “Tally, you seriously don’t need any tips. You reach out to him, and he’s yours.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
