There was an angry emoji follow-up. This wasn’t going to be the last I heard from her.
At least I had someone watching my back.
I sipped my coffee, letting out a groan, as Rhett approached me with an uncertain expression.
“Everything alright?” He jerked his chin toward my phone.
I stuffed it back into my pocket. “Just checking in with my sister. She wants to know your mom’s address so she can cyber-stalk you and make sure you’re not a serial killer.”
Rhett nodded seriously. “That’s smart of her.”
“Thanks for not denying that you’re a serial killer.”
“Do you want the good news or the bad news?”
“Good news, please.” I handed him his paper cup. He sipped it, his frown deepening. “I’m going to have to see a dentist after this.”
“The coffee tasted like motor oil. I improved it. You’re welcome.”
He swallowed another mouthful, grimacing. “The good news is that every room comes with free dinner.” He lifted a plastic bag to show me a crumbled package of generic vanilla crème cookies and a bag of Fritos. “The bad news is that they only had one room left.”
“And…?”
“And it only has one bed.”
Chapter 4
Angie
“IthinkIcansee my breath in here.” I huffed and watched a small cloud form before evaporating.
Rhett scowled at the yellowed plastic of the thermostat on the wall. “It doesn’t say what temperature it is. Just ‘max heat.’”
“On the bright side, this is going to be a hilarious honeymoon story someday.”
He pointed to a pile of snacks on the small two-person table crammed between the window and bed. “At least we got some real food for dinner.”
I picked up a bag of sour gummies and laughed. “The vending machine is the most modern thing in this motel by like forty years.”
There wasn’t even a TV in here.
Rhett dropped into one of the wooden chairs, and it creaked ominously. He lifted his coat off the back and held it out to me.
“No, thanks. I’m sick of feeling like a penguin in that thing.”
“I’m sorry about this,” he said. “I’m sorry I can’t get you a proper dinner.” He gave the cheese puffs a forlorn look.
“Are you kidding? Cool ranch corn nuts is like my favorite food.” I popped a few in my mouth, wincing when they crunched a little too much. Truthfully, they were so low on my favorites list that I forgot they existed until tonight, but Rhett was so genuine that I didn’t want to make him feel bad. “This isn’t any better than the accommodations I would have been able to afford in Fairbanks.”
He pursed his lips. “Mates like to feed each other.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “Like in a kinky way?”
“You would think that, wouldn’t you?” I shrugged, and he continued. “Male wolves are especially concerned with feeding their mates. I thought I should warn you.”
“As long as you’re not spoon-feeding me, I will not complain. Food is the surest way to my heart.” I offered him a gummy worm, and he accepted.
He shifted his chair so that our legs were touching. Gaze locked with mine, he hovered his hand over my thigh in a silent request. “Mates like to touch each other too.”
