Twisting, I took in Caspian’s intense expression.
“Look, Caspian, I’ll figure out the wholelose your coatthing as soon as I can, but right now I’ve got a really pissed off boss. I need to log into work for a few hours. Can you come back later?”
His pewter eyebrows shot up. “You want me to leave?”
I eyed his coat and rolled my lip through my teeth. He probably didn’t want to leave it. “Okay, why don’t you just sit and watch TV or something?”
My phone pinged with a text message from my bosshole asking why I wasn’t logged into work remotely yet. Sighing, I grabbed my mug and poured the cold coffee into the sink before setting the mug down with a clink.
“Goodbye, breakfast,” I muttered sadly.
His second angry text message had me tugging at my bun, trying to tighten it as I raced to the spare room where I’d set up my work laptop on the writing desk.
Hopefully, Mr. Selkie will be okay waiting.
As long as he left me alone, it wouldn’t bother me to have him there. It was a vacation rental, so there weren’t any valuables he could steal, just kitschy coastal decor and cheap furniture. And if he got bored, maybe he would leave.
As my work laptop started up, I tried to shove thoughts of Caspian out of my head. He’d be gone as soon as I figured out how to “lose” his coat.
I very decidedly didnotthink about the way my magic flooded my system when our skin touched. Maybe that was the sign we were magically linked—“beholden,” as he put it.
I’d have to think about the implications of that link later, too.
Until then, I had a half-assed project to throw together to appease my irrational boss.
Chapter 4
Breakfast and Bossholes
Caspian
Her words echoed in my head—“Goodbye, breakfast”—as she poured out her cup.
Was that coffee supposed to be her breakfast?
The thought dominated my mind. She needed a real breakfast. I couldn’t let my mate go hungry. That was absolutely unacceptable.
My scowl melted into a feral grin.My mate.
She was in the next room, working for a boss who was clearly an asshole.
I’ll deal with him later.
She was mine to protect, mine to provide for, and simplymine.
Cautiously,I glanced down the hall to where she’d disappeared. The hum of electronics emanated from that direction. Satisfied she was occupied, I casually strolled into the kitchen and started exploring. I hadn’t expected to find much, but to my delight, it was the type of vacation rental that stocked pantry goods.
My smile widened as I started my task. There was no milk, but she had an all natural coffee creamer in the fridge—that would work.
Everything came together easily, and I poured batter into the heated pan. As I watched for bubbles to rise to the top, I replayed our interaction.
“You could say I’m your husband now.”
What the fuck was I thinking?
Some deep-seated intuition told me she wasn’t ready to accept a fated mate bond, and the safer option was an accidental husband. Seemed less intimidating than a soul bond. But I hadn’t thought it through. I’d acted on instinct.
And now she’s going to try and lose my coat.
