Page 56 of Black Moon

“How would you feel about a shower?”

The low rumble of his voice almost had me wanting more, but my muscles were sore, my ass bruised from the incredible stretch of his thick knot on my rim, and every limb I had ached from the strain of coming so many times.

“A shower would be awesome,” I rasped.

It took him leading me, his arm around my back supporting the better part of my weight, to get me into the bathroom. I was only half conscious as we washed off, the tingle of his fingers scraping my scalp as he shampooed my hair making me lean into him and sigh.

When we got out, he wrapped me in a towel, but then he perched on the side of an enormous white tub and turned on the water.

“Didn’t we just do that?” I asked, scowling sleepily.

He chuckled. “Sure, but I thought you could use a soak. Stretching, even gently, seems like a big ask, and I’d rather not have you sorer than you need to be.”

Shit, this alpha was too considerate. Everything he did was sweetness incarnate, from letting me ride him that first time, even when he’d had to grit his teeth and hold himself back, to agreeing to help me in the first place. Now, there was this, and I was dangerously close to falling in love with the man.

Which was aterribleidea. Linden Grove might be an incredible force for good in the world, might have challenged every preconceived idea I’d had about alphas from growing up in the Doherty household, but that was just Linden. He was kind to everyone I’d seen him interact with, perfectly patient, always.

Just because he’d shown the same kindness to me didn’t mean this was anything more than that.

Still, I grazed my fingers over his cheek as I leaned closer. “I literally cannot, with how sweet you are.”

His skin was a soft pink under his tan, from the heat of the water beating down on him in the shower or because he was embarrassed by the praise. Either way, it was charming.

When the tub filled with hot water and bubbles, Linden held my hand to help me into it.

I wanted him in there with me, but he only sat on the stool beside it, his chin pillowed on his arm along the side of the tub, his other hand dangling in the water.

As ever, he was trying to give me my space, all too considerate when I wasn’t even sure I wanted him to be. I stayed pressed against the side of the tub closest to him, let his fingers drag over my skin silkily under the water.

“I was wondering,” he said quietly, “once you’ve had a chance to rest, if I could ask a favor of you?”

“Mm...” I turned my head up, nipping his forearm with a soft scrape of my teeth. “That’d be fine. Whatever it is you need, Linden, I think you’ve more than earned it.”

29

Linden

Every time I had to walk away from Colt, it got harder to do.

Even slipping out to the kitchen while he slept felt like too much, too long, too far away. I walked out of the room and instantly missed his smile, despite the fact that it hadn’t been aimed at me right then.

Then I’d feed him, and it was worth it. The gusto with which he took to every single thing was a breath of fresh air.

Yes, I was probably spending more time than was healthy with werewolves over the age of eighty, and they—at least the ones in the Grove pack—were not as inclined to be optimistic and joyful as Colt.

I loved them like I loved all the members of my pack, but it was nice, being around someone who thought every slice of pie was a wonderful new experience and didn’t complain that it wasn’t the same as their grandmother’s pie.

And maybe I was biased, but I thought that Rowan’s was the best anyway. Maybe someday I’d be the ninety-something complaining to the pack doctor that “my little brother’s pies were better than anything you’ve ever seen, whippersnapper.”

Yeah, fine, they didn’t usually call me that either.

But Colt just took what I gave him, and acted like celery and almond butter was the most fabulous thing anyone had ever brought him. Barring the pie, anyway.

His eyes were drifting shut as he lay in the steamy water, so I had to get it together and ask my question before he fell asleep. “It’s Brook.”

With that, he was awake. “Is he okay? Does he need something? I can—” He actually started to push himself up, in order to climb out of the tub right then, so I put a gentle hand on his chest.

“It’s not an emergency. He’s as fine as he’s been for the last few days.” He settled back into the water, his clear blue eyes focused on me, waiting. “He’s just been asking about you.”

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