Marcus looked tired, and paler than he had when the two of them had left.I crossed the distance between us on autopilot and put my arms around him.I loved that Dom had put Marcus in my jacket, but holding our mate satisfied a need inside me.
Marcus’s eyes went wide when I gently ran my knuckles over his forehead.He looked up at me.
Dom chuckled.“Did you really think I wouldn’t manage to bring him back here in one piece?”
I frowned.“I think you tired him out.”
Marcus pursed his lips.“I think he’s standing right here, and he can speak for himself.”
Dom whistled.“Getting feisty there, Little Red.I like it.We ran into the ex when we went to the diner.”
“He’s still in town?”I unzipped the jacket for Marcus.Our mate rolled his eyes, but he let me.
Dom nodded.“Him and some friends.They smelled sort of oily.Like you do when you clean those handguns you keep in the safe.”
Marcus jerked.“You keep fucking guns in the house?”
“Yes, although with no intention of using them outside of keeping my aim up at the range.I worked in personal protection, Marcus.I know how to handle a gun and not to leave it lying around.”
“Oh.”
Our mate deflated as I pushed the jacket off his shoulders.He smelled slightly of sweat and something sweet, with the lingering undertones of sickness.All I wanted to do was get him out of his clothes and drag him into my bed, keep him warm against my body, and watch him sleep.The way Dom was smiling, he probably wouldn’t have minded joining.
I looked at Dom.“I have Smith coming into town.”
I put an arm around Marcus, very carefully so as not to spook him.Either because Dom had exhausted him or because he felt comfortable, he didn’t pull back at all.
Dom looked unimpressed.“Your creepy PI slash special forces buddy slash stalkery type?”
Marcus jerked again.“What now?”
I narrowed my eyes at Dom.“Dom, for the sake of fuck.”
“Ouchie, Linc.You should go chase that f-bomb with a kale smoothie or something.Speaking of, is that tea I smell?”Dom gave me the kind of grin that had first hooked me on the man—the kind of grin that generally made it impossible to get or stay mad at him for any amount of time.He walked past our mate and me, rubbing my shoulder as he did.
“Yes.Marcus, think you want to lie down a bit?”I asked.
He looked about ready to collapse where he stood, clearly not fully back on his feet yet.
Marcus crossed his arms.“Only if I don’t have to listen to you talk about stalkers or my ex, thank you very much.Also, I want that tea.Please.”
Dom whistled from the kitchen.“Cool, cool.I’ll get you guys some tea and food, and you can show our mate why our cuddle puddle is the best.”
“I’m keeping my clothes on,” Marcus said, sounding firm.
“Not the shoes though.”I bent to help him out of them while Dom got busy in the kitchen.
“You guys really don’t see how weird that is, do you?”
“Weird?What’s weird?”
Dom chuckled from the kitchen.“He was talking about a shoe fetish killer when I fitted his hiking boots.Brutus?”
“Brudos,” Marcus and I said in unison, and I grinned at him.His moonstone eyes were fever bright, and Ell would be so mad we hadn’t made him rest.
“Dom paraded me around in front of his family and the hardware store beta,” Marcus added in a low whisper.
Which, of course, Dom heard.He burst out laughing.I got done with Marcus’s shoes and forced myself to let him walk with my arm around his back, rather than carrying him.
