Apparently one passionate encounter hadn’t satisfied her curiosity about his body. If anything, it had made the problem considerably worse.
He looked over his shoulder, and their eyes met, something warm and new passing between them.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice still low and rough with sleep, and it did something to her insides that she was going to have to examine later.
“Good morning.”
“You’re up early.”
“I wanted to wash.”
He nodded as though there was nothing remarkable about the morning at all, and for some reason that made her love him a little more.
Love.She shoved the word hastily aside.Not yet.
He rose to his feet and came to her side. For the first time, she wondered what the rules were now. Last night had changed something between them. She could feel it, but she had no idea what she was supposed to do about it. But he simply reached out and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.” The answer came easily. “Better than all right. I’m happy.”
The fine lines around his eyes crinkled. “Good.”
“Are you?”
His smile transformed his stern face. “Very.”
That was enough.
They made breakfast together as they had a hundred times before. But now when their hands brushed, she felt it all the way to her toes. When he leaned close to reach past her for the dried herbs, she breathed in the warm familiar scent of him and wanted to bury her face in his fur. When his deep laugh rumbled through his chest, she remembered feeling that vibration against her own skin.
Everything was the same. Everything was wonderfully different.
After they ate, she reached across the low table and touched his hand. His eyes darkened immediately, and heat curled low in her belly.Oh.So that was still there. Good to know.
“I should go check on Tess,” she said, not quite pulling away.
“I’ll walk you to the healer’s cave.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.” He turned his hand beneath hers, his enormous palm cradling her smaller one. “I want to.”
Something squeezed gently around her heart.I want to. NotI shouldorI need to make sure you’re safeor any of the other careful protective reasons he usually gave. Just want.
“Okay,” she said softly. “Then come with me.”
They walked through the quiet morning caves together, her hand still clasped in his, past clan members who were beginning to stir and cook their own breakfasts, past children who ran laughing through the corridors and called greetings to their clan leader. He returned each greeting with a nod, a word, or a brief touch to a small head or shoulder.
She watched him. This was who he was. Not simply the male who made her feel safe. He carried an entire clan on those enormous shoulders, and somehow he still found room for her.
This is who I’m?—
She stopped the thought before it could finish.Not yet.
He stopped at the entrance to the healer’s cave.
“I’ll leave you here,” he said. “I have duties to attend to. But if you need me?—”
