Page 16 of Pack Apollo

"Okay, I'm back," Palmer announces, bouncing back into the room.

I jerk back my arm like I've just been touching fire and meet him at the doorway. I don't know what Roz makes of me since I can't make sense of myself. One minute, I'm telling him I only want friends, and the next, I'm touching him. Friends can comfort friends, right?

"Let's go finish our tour," Palmer insists, taking my hand again and pulling me from the room. He doesn't give me the chance to say anything to Roz, which is likely a good thing, because I don't know what I'd say anyway.

"Upstairs we go," he says, slowing his pace to match my slower one going up.

"Why do I feel like you take these steps three at a time and slide down the banister?" I tease him.

He winks at me. "That's because I do. Of course, if I get caught I have to claim I was sleep walking or I'll get a sterntalking to."

My jaw drops. "And they're not the least bit worried about you sliding down in your sleep?"

His chuckle echoes down the stairs. "You'd be surprised the amount of stuff I can get away with."

Shaking my head with a grin, I can only imagine. I let him lead me around the second floor, popping open everyone's room to give me a view inside as we go. The scent that is released after every opening of the door, makes my body ache in places I didn't even think possible. When I say I could literally lay in the middle of the giant hall connecting all the doors and make scent angels on the carpet, don't think the thought hasn't crossed my mind.

The last and final door, Palmer opens with a flourish of dramatics. "And this, my lady, is my humble abode."

Even without the invite, I'd be able to tell this room was his. Spearmint hits me so strong that my tongue sneaks out to lick my lips of its own accord without me thinking of doing it. He's let me walk in front of him to explore, and when I turn around, it's to come flush against his chest.

Grasping my hips, he pulls me closer. Just before his lips touch mine, I gently place my fingers over his.

There's confusion in his expression, so I remind him. "Just friends, remember."

"No strings, remember?" he counters.

Damn the loopholes. I can't find it in me to argue past them, so I let my fingers drop. The second I do, he leans down and presses them against mine. Same as before, he kisses me so thoroughly that I feel like I lose myself in him. His tongue brushes against mine and his scent surrounds me in a comforting bubble that I don't ever want to escape from. The warmth from his palms radiates through my shirt, warming my skin beneath it.

It isn't until a voice clears over by the door that I'm ableto come to my senses and pull away. Palmer spins around slowly, and I try to hide behind him. After I just proclaimed to his pack mates that I didn't want anything other than to be friends, I get busted making out with one of them minutes later.

A sweet, fruity scent registers half a second before a finger slips beneath my chin to lift it. I'm met with understanding and no judgement in an icy-blue gaze. Brent's eyes drop to my lips and back up again. With one of my arms pressed against Palmer's back and the other caught between my body and Brent's, their scents mingle, making my heart do a double-time march in my chest. He doesn't kiss me, though, much to my disappointment.

"Don't hide from us," Brent says softly.

I nod in agreement, and he returns it, asking, "Want to see something?"

"Sure," I tell him in a soft murmur.

"I'm going to borrow her for a few moments," he tells Palmer, who gives his own nod before plopping down on the edge of his bed.

Not taking my hand like his pack mate has been doing, Brent slowly strolls out of the room, and I waste no time following behind him. The main hallway is more of a room itself, with all of their doors spaced out and connected to it. He takes us back to one in the right corner that I remember Palmer pointing out as Brent's.

"Did he give you a tour of all the rooms?" he asks, opening the door and allowing me to walk in first.

"He did," I tell him, quickly adding, "though, I do believe he was holding out on me." I say that because Brent's room is gorgeous. I got a quick peek on the way through, but it's nothing like stepping inside. The walls are the darkest shade of blue I've ever seen and they match the color scheme of his bed, only it has some light blue thrown in there with a couple pillows. Hisheadboard is black leather, and underneath the whole thing is a royal-blue rug accented in cream that runs throughout the material and around the edges. What's most impressive isn't even in the room. It's what I can see in the dresser mirror reflection from the bathroom.

Easing across the room, I step into the bathroom and my breath is sucked from my lungs. There are normal things like a toilet and semi-fancy, stand-up shower in the corner. But, the entire rest of the room is anything but normal. A giant spa-like tub runs the back length of the room. Behind it, built into the wall, is a massive aquarium with beautiful colorful fish swimming around. Small spotlights dot the edges of the ceiling, giving the room a soft glow.

"What do you think?" Brent asks from behind me.

Glancing over my shoulder, I find him standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, looking way sexier than any man should have the right to. His grey v-neck t-shirt strains at the arms and is tight around his torso. The dark-blond dusting of hair lining his jaw that arches above his top lip makes him appear like a rugged rough man, but those ice-blue eyes speak otherwise. A smile forms on his lips as he watches me ogle him.

"The view is nice," I answer, remembering that he asked me a question. "The room is nice, too."

His laugh is boisterous and echoes around the room.

"Honestly, though, this is by far my favorite room in the entire house," I tell him, still smiling.

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