He nodded, a huge smile spreading across his face. I clutched Nyx to my chest and backed out of the room, still mumbling thanks.
As I hurried across the hall to my room, the kitten nuzzled into my neck, her tiny purrs vibrating against my skin. The last glimpse I had of Ashton was that smile—warm, genuine, and for a second, it made me forget why I wanted to run away.
Once in my room, I set Nyx down on my bed and collapsed beside her. My cheeks burned as I replayed every moment with Ashton, but at least now, there was something good between us. A tiny, sneezing, black-furred good thing.
Chapter 22
Ashton
Erin dartedout of my room like she couldn't get away from me fast enough. Shaking my head, I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips. She was so damn cute running from me.
My mind had been tangled in a web of questions about those mysterious flowers when her text had pinged through, pulling my thoughts back to her. I'd got the police to pick them up for fingerprinting, though I doubted she even noticed their absence amidst the hangover she had to have had.
I pulled my phone out to send Aurelia a text.
Can you or Skyehang out with Erin on Monday while I go into the clinic?
Her reply came within seconds.
Aurelia: Yep. We'll take her antique shopping. We'll have fun. Don't worry about a thing.
"Damn right, I won't." Antiquing was Aurelia's code for keeping Erin safe under her hawk-like watch. With Erin out of harm's way, I could focus on reestablishing my vet practice. There were patients to contact, my office to set up, not to mention hiring an assistant. My partner, a wolf shifter who had a knack for managing things in my absence, would appreciate the extra hands.
Thanks, sis.
I made my way toward her room, my instincts on high alert. The Mafia threat loomed over us like a dark cloud, and every strange occurrence felt like a potential storm brewing.
I slipped the phone back into my pocket and paused at the threshold of Erin's room, the door open just enough to let me know I wasn't intruding. She was a flurry of movements inside, her back to me as she rifled through her closet. At my entry, she stiffened, and for a split second, the world seemed to hang suspended in silence.
"Hey," I whispered, stepping into the soft warmth of her personal space. "I don't know why you're embarrassed, but I don't want you to be."
Without turning, she busied herself with a small box she had pulled from the depths of her closet. A worn blanketfollowed, which she laid inside with careful folds before retrieving the tiny ball of fur that she'd found. The kitten mewed plaintively before settling down into the makeshift bed, its eyes fluttering shut almost immediately.
With the little creature content, Erin faced me, her eyes wide and vulnerable under the cascade of her red hair. She took a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling as if bracing against an invisible storm.
"I am so sorry for the way I treated you last night," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I basically forced you to give me an orgasm, and I can't believe I acted that way."
The confession hung between us, heavy with regret and something else—something like fear, maybe, or the edge of a new beginning.
I couldn't suppress the grin tugging at my lips, even with the gravity of her apology still hanging in the air. Erin caught the smile, and it puzzled her, drawing her in. "Why are you grinning like that?"
"Because." I stepped closer. "Everything that happened last night... I'm not complaining. Sure, I fell asleep beside you with the hardest dick I've had in my life. Believe me, it took everything in me not to take you right there." My voice dropped to a husky whisper. "There's no way I wanted our first time to be when you mightnot remember."
Shock registered on her face. With her eyes wide, she blinked several times, processing my blunt confession. Then came her reply, almost challenging, "Well, I'm not drunk now."
That was all the invitation I needed. In an instant, my mouth found hers in a searing kiss that ignited the latent desire smoldering from the night before. Her response was immediate, her arms wrapping around my neck as we stumbled backward, our bodies pressed tightly together.
My hands framed her face as our lips met in a kiss that was anything but gentle. It was raw, intense, the kind of passion that I couldn't fake or hold back.
"Wait, are you sure?" I asked between kisses. This had to be right for both of us.
"Yes." She pulled me closer.
I leaned back and slammed the door shut, and then our movements were frantic, clothes shedding effortlessly as if they were mere obstacles to what we both needed. My mouth found hers again, tasting, claiming, while our bodies pressed together, skin against skin.
"God, you're incredible." I groaned, trailing kisses down her neck, resisting the instinctive need to bite down, to claim her as mine in the most ancient way possible.
"More, Ashton, please." Erin guided my head lower.
