Page 279 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

“I’d like that.” He studied Kass, looking for the twitch or the tell that would reveal that wasn’t quite what he meant.

The smile returned. “Good.”

“But?” Bailey could taste it between them.

“My parents are giving me a hard time. They want me to give it all up.” He held Bailey’s gaze.

“Everything? Why would they want that?”

“Because of your family. They think it’s too dangerous for me—and they don’t know you got stabbed.”

Bailey studied the table. “They might be right. I don’t know what they’ll do when I get out. I can’t imagine they’ll let me walk away.”

“So what are you going to do?”

He looked up. “I have no idea.” He understood why Kass’s parents didn’t want them dating, and he agreed with them even though he never wanted to let Kass go. “I may not able to find work because of this, and I don’t want to stay in the state. But you live here.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

Would they, when the world seemed to be against them? Maybe the Fates had made a mistake.

Kass leaned closer. “Did you want to make plans for Friday? Are you up for a run?”

He wished he was, because running with Kass was amazing. “No, I’m full of stitches and I’ve been told not to do anything strenuous because tearing them will lead to internal bleeding. Who knew pens could do so much damage?”

“Anything pointy can do damage.”

“Do you want to do something else?” He lifted an eyebrow. Hoping that Kass wanted to get magically naked with him. When he got out, he wanted to be skin to skin, because he was so done with waiting.

Kass grinned. “I don’t want you to rip a stitch.”

If it meant getting laid—in person—he’d unpick them himself. “I might rip a stitch in frustration.”

“Ten okay, or do you need it to be later?”

Bailey nodded. “Ten is fine. Is it weird to be setting up these times?”

“Better than being caught unaware.”

“Right back at you.” There’d been a few times he’d been aware that Kass was getting off, and he’d tried not to think about who it was with. They weren’t really dating, so he didn’t have the right to ask, but he wanted to. It burned within him.

“Awkward side effects no one ever discusses.” Kass glanced at his watch. They were running out of time.

“If you’d known, would you have still kissed me?”

“I don’t know, would you?”

Bailey shook his head. “But I’m glad I did. I needed to learn the truth, not just my family’s fears.” He didn’t regret anything that had happened over the last year. He’d woken up, and he was ready to live.

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