Page 89 of The Heart of Winter

"Yeah. When we get back from Japan, I’m supposed to spend a few days with Blue. I’ll finally get to meet this mysterious bodyguard of his."

I had the sudden urge to tell him my theory, that I suspected the guy might be my cousin Gabriel. But I didn’t.

What if I was wrong? I didn’t feel like making a fool of myself over a gut feeling.

We made our way into the terminal, there wasn’t much time left before our flight, and we’d both arrived right on the edge of being late. We joined the line for check-in.

Standing there, I could feel him.

Not in the normal way.

Not like I was just aware of his presence; I felt him physically, his energy, his warmth, as if his body were somehow an extension of my own.

My heart was still racing, and I had no idea why.

Worse, I was fighting completely irrational impulses. Like the sudden, sharp desire to run my hand along his forearm. Or to press a kiss to the side of his neck.

I had to get a grip.

Then I noticed him watching me. His eyes were locked onto my face with unsettling intensity. His mouth parted slightly, and then he bit down on his lower lip, hesitating, like he was gathering the courage to say something.

I wished, for the first time ever, that I could hear an alpha’s heartbeat. Because I was certain his had just sped up too.

"Can I ask you something?" he said at last.

I nodded slowly.

"Who was that guy you met after the lecture? That… Finn?"

Bam.

Well. There it was. I could have brushed it off. I could have told him it was none of his business. But let’s be honest—it was his business.

And I knew exactly why he was asking. If he was interested in me, of course he’d want clarity on that situation.

"When I was in college, we dated for a while," I admitted. "But after we graduated, we broke up. We haven’t been together since then. Then, about three years ago, we ran into each other at a lecture. He works as a college professor."

I hesitated. Why the hell was I telling him all these details so easily?

"I started seeing him again after that," I continued, "but not as boyfriends. Just… as fuckbuddies."

Saying that out loud felt weird. I swallowed hard.

"But for a long time now, that whole thing hasn’t made sense to me anymore."

Sariel’s expression didn’t change much, but his voice was careful, slightly tense, as he asked,

"Have you seen him recently?"

I had every opportunity to shut this down. But once again, my mouth betrayed me.

"The last time I met up with him was before you and I first met at the company."

"So you haven’t fucked him since I started working there?"

My lips pressed together tightly.

Seriously! Why was I answering at all?

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