“What part? The attack on you?”
He shook his head. “No. Shifters caring about me. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”
My heart physically ached in my chest. Unable to stop myself, I brushed a kiss over his temple. “Think you’re going to have to become used to it, sweetheart.”
At least if I had any say in the matter.
Reid didn’t respond to that, just fiddled with a strand of my hair.
I’dnoticed that, whenever my lips were on him, he relaxed. That was why I ran them along his jaw and up to his earlobe. It wasn’t because I was desperate to have my mouth on him. That would be selfish.
My wolf laughed at my ridiculousness. Ah, it was fine. So long as Reid didn’t clock how insanely gone I was over him, I’d be golden.
“What’s wrong, Reid?” I whispered in his ear. “What couldn’t you say in front of Finlay?”
“Umm…will you be staying with me too?”
I tried to figure out what the right answer was here, before deciding to go with honesty. “That depends on you, sweetheart. If you want me to stay in the clan house, I will. But if you want me with you, then that’s where I’ll be.”
“That’s what I want,” he blurted out. “You with me. As much as possible. Please.”
I held him a little closer. “Then that’s what’ll happen.”
“I know I’m being weird,” Reid said abruptly. “You must be wondering what the fuck has happened to change my mind. One minute I’m insisting you get out of my life, and the next I’m begging you not to leave me. Honestly, I’m a fucking mess, Evan. I wouldn’t blame you if you told me to go back to my own flat and had nothing more to do with me. I’d deserve it. I keep fucking with your head, and doing this is just going to?—”
I cut off his self-flagellation with a kiss. Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to do, but I was tired of overthinking, of letting my mind lead the way.
It was time to let my instincts do some of the work.
Reid was breathless when I pulled away, and I used the opportunity to say a few things of my own.
“You have been upfront from me from the start,” I said firmly. “You’ve told me what your boundariesare. You’ve communicated the difficulties you’ve had about forgiving me but not knowing how to act with me. Ye even told me what ye needed the night your father died.”
“I didn’t…I wasn’t completely clear that night,” he mumbled, hiding his face in my neck. “You misunderstood something I said.”
My blood turned to ice. “Oh my god. Did I do something you didn’t want me to?”
“No, nothing like that.” His lips found their way to my throat again. “What I said about ye killing my father. I do wish it hadn’t been you, and I still think you shouldn’t have done it…but not because I didn’t want him dead.”
“Then why?”
“Because it put a target on yer back,” he breathed against my neck. “If the Clarksons ever found out it was you who ended him…”
“Wait.” I gently nudged him back so I could see his face. “You said that because you were worried about me?”
He flushed, unable to meet my eyes. “Aye. That’s what I meant. I tried to explain, but you left so fast.”
I groaned, letting my forehead fall against his. “Well, this is probably as good a time as any for you to realise I’m often a fucking muppet.”
He giggled, breaking the tension. “That’s okay. So am I.”
His jaw cracked as a massive yawn overtook him. I had more to say about the way he’d talked down about himself, but that could wait. Right now, Reid needed a hot bath and a comfy bed. Fortunately, I knew where to find both.
“Come on.” I turned in the direction of home. “Let’s get you comfy.”
He wriggled in my arms. “I can walk. Or drive, even. You don’t have to carry me.”
I didn’t break my stride, just raised a brow at him. “Are ye uncomfortable with me carrying you?”
