Page 25 of Welcome to Bone Town

She moans in pleasure, but her eyes immediately widen like she’s shocked she let the little sound out. She pulls away. “Oh, you don’t?—”

I tighten my grip on her foot and keep rubbing. “How are you liking your first camping trip?”

Her giggle is infectious. “Well, it’s been exciting.”

My thumbs must hit a spot she likes because she sighs and her eyes roll back.That’s it.

After gently massaging her injured foot for a few minutes, I switch to the other, working over the tender muscles and up her tight calves. I don’t think she realizes all the sweet little noises she’s making. It would be so easy to work my way higher, make her feel really good, take away all the stress and fear of the night with my touch.

No. Nope. I need to get myself under control and not grope the pretty professor. We’re not exactly colleagues, but weareworking together, and I’m basically forcing her to sleep here with me. I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.

I already slipped up and broke my rules with Archer. Fuck, that was a good kiss. The memory of how he felt against me makes my cock give a little jump, which is really not what I need right now. Not while I’m holding Cora Whitlock’s dainty little foot in my hands, the soft skin of her legs tempting me.

Not once, in years of working in this career, have I ever broken my rules and gotten together with someoneon a job, but now, I’m tempted to throw it all out the window for not one, but two people I can’t seem to stop fantasizing about.

Carefully, I set her foot down on the floor. Yeah. Distance is good. Touching is bad.Keep it together, Bear.

“Oh, um… thank you.” She moves a strand of hair behind her ear and tucks her feet up under her as if she’s embarrassed I was just rubbing them.

“Figured you could use a little relaxation after all that.” I shrug indifferently, even though I’m feeling anything but indifferent toward Cora Whitlock. No, I’m feeling down right distracted and hard as a fucking rock. Not indifferent at all.

“I’ll let you get ready for bed,” I turn away from her as I stand, so she won’t glimpse the hard-on pushing against my pants. No need to freak her out.

“Um, I don’t think I’m going to… well, I’m pretty tired.” She pulls back the covers. “I’m just going to sleep in this.”

Huh, wonder what Dr. Slate would think of her sleeping in his shirt. I nod with a smile. Maybe the omega doesn’t dislike the professor as much as she tries to pretend. Her creamy legs slip under the blankets, damp hair fanning over the pillow as she lays down.

I take a seat at the card table set up near the door.

“You’re not going to sleep?” she asks.

“Nah, not tired yet.” Truthfully, I’m exhausted. But there’s no way I’m going to sleep when someone out there has taken an interest in our little omega. Sure, they might have saved her tonight, but the way they silently and efficiently killed that jackal just meansthey’re dangerous. Not someone I want anywhere near Cora.

“Is the light going to bother you?” I ask.

“No, I’m fine. I had a roommate in college who always slept with the light on. I got used to it.”

Since she’s alright with the light, I take out my gun and start cleaning it. There’s silence for a while, and I think she’s asleep, until she whispers, “Bear?”

“Yeah, honey?”

“What… what do you think about scent matches? Do you think they’re real?”

What’s with everyone asking me about scent matches all of a sudden? Do I look like an expert or something? I’ve never metanyonewho’s scent matched. Not once. I chuckle softly. “Truthfully? I think it’s kind of beautiful. The idea that there’s someone out there who’s perfectly suited for you, body and soul? Yeah, I like that thought.” I snap the last piece back on my gun and tuck it into the holster. “But that kind of thing’s rare. You can be happy with lots of people other than your scent match. Just comes down to what you choose.”

“But…” There’s a hesitancy in her voice that has me leaning forward, peering toward the dark corner of the tent where she’s tucked under a mound of blankets. “What would you do if you found your scent match, and they weren’t someone you… knew, or trusted? Would you pursue it? Or walk away?”

I scratch my beard. “Well, I can’t say for sure. But I think I’d want to see what fate had up her sleeve, you know? I’d want to get to know them a bit first. Though, from what I hear, the bond is pretty intense and makes ithard, at the beginning, to do much other than… well, you know.” I waggle my eyebrows at her to take the awkwardness out of that statement.

Even in the low light, I’m sure she’s blushing.

“And what if… they aren’t… um… good?”

This time I bark out a laugh. “In bed? Damn, Cora, hell if I know. I ain’t never had bad sex.”

“No!” She squeaks. “I didn’t mean it like that! I meant…well, what if they, like, murder people or steal or break the law in some way?”

That sobers me a little. “Huh, guess I never thought of that.” I lean back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling. “I’ll tell you, I think good and bad, right and wrong, are a lot more subjective than people think. I did some things during my time in the military that I’mstillnot sure were right or wrong, and I had to find a way to live with that. Does it make it any more right than the actions someone without orders may take?” I shake my head.

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