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“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he says slowly.

“I think it’s a great idea. I want my first kiss to be with you, Maverick. Please?”

I watch an array of emotions pass through Maverick’s features. He carefully pulls the jewelry off my tusks, setting them on the table beside him. Then he cups my cheek, his thumb gently caressing just under my eye.

“How about this,” he says slowly, barely above a whisper. “You lie down and have a good night's sleep. If you remember this and still want to ask for a kiss, we can talk about it tomorrow. Okay?”

“You promise?”

“If you remember and ask me, then I promise. Yes.”

“Of course I’ll remember,” I murmur, almost sulkingly. Real mature, I know.

“Good night, Thane.”

I carefully rearrange myself on Maverick’s couch, stretching out with a sigh. Maverick makes sure I’m comfortable with the pillow on the couch before dropping a blanket over my body. I feel him pet my head one more time.

“Good night,” I murmur before dropping into a deep sleep.

Chapter Seven

Maverick

What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck?

I stare up at the ceiling, my eyes dry from how long it’s been since I last blinked. My head is a whirlwind of emotion. I’m so fucking tired, having barely slept a wink all night. I keep replaying last night over and over in my head, half expecting my living room to be empty when I finally leave my bedroom, proving that everything had been a really vivid dream.

Except, I can fucking hear Thane snoring out there. He’s still on my couch. He’s still out there.

How have I gotten myself into this mess? Why did I think bringing him back here would be a good idea? It would have been just as easy to walk him back to his dorm room. Or order him an Uber or something.

I’m in so deep and I have no idea how I got here. I told myself it would be better for everyone if I just stayed away from Thane yet here I am, inviting him into my house. Here I am, making him promises I really shouldn’t keep!

The truth of the matter is simpler than I want to admit; I like him.

I like Thane.

The more I get to know him, the more I’m drawn to him. I want to know everything. I want to see him celebrate his wins. I want to see him delve into these experiences he’s never allowed himself to have until now. I want to be there when he stumbles so I can be the one he leans on, the same way he leaned on me last night on the way here.

I turn over and reach for my phone, checking the time. It’s 6:30. That’s an acceptable time to leave my bed, I decide.

Keeping as quiet as I can manage, I get myself out of bed and dressed. Then I move into the bathroom, getting ready for the day. Despite working at the university health center full time, I still get calls asking me to cover shifts at the ER from time to time. Today is one of those shifts. It’ll be ten hours in the ER starting at nine this morning. I have a bit of time to kill and take care of Thane before I have to go.

I head into the kitchen, stopping behind the couch for a moment just to look at Thane’s sleeping form. He’s so soft in his sleep, the tension he carries in his body all gone. I can’t help but smile before moving into the kitchen.

After getting a fresh glass of water and some painkillers ready for Thane, I start on breakfast. I’ll make some veggie-filled omelets, some crispy hashbrows, and some turkey bacon. A variety so that Thane can pick and choose which his stomach can handle this morning.

Just as I’m starting to plate everything, I hear a groan from the living room. Affection surges through me. Ugh, why must I have it so bad for this guy? Why must I have all these feelings making everything so confusing? Why couldn’t Thane be just another annoying student?

There’s some shuffling before Thane is walking into the kitchen, sitting down at the table and looking up at me with wide, golden eyes. The eyeliner from the night before is smudged around his eyes, some of it even sliding down the center of his cheeks. He’s so pretty when he looks at me like that.

“Good morning,” I say, giving him a small smile. “How’re you feeling?”

“Like I drank way too much. How the hell did I end up here?”

I hum softly, ignoring the way my heart starts to race. Shit. He doesn’t remember last night does he?

“I found you wandering the streets alone. I brought you here so you had a safe place to sober up.”