Page 186 of Fangs
They all looked at me with heavy sadness in the brief silence, and I wracked my brain for something to chase it away.
“I want to hear the most embarrassing stories about Wolf.”
“Oh, buckle up,” Lee said, grinning as Wolf groaned.
“We got plenty of those,” Kai agreed.
They launched into stories, and I listened with rapt attention as I worked, slowly putting together who my brother had grown up to be. They painted a picture of a man who was smart and stubborn as hell, who was serious until you got to know him and discovered his dry sense of humor, a man who sometimes took things too literally and had trouble shifting his focus, a man who could not and would not be stopped when he set his mind to something; and a man who loved his friends like family.
I healed a few people between stories, and by the time the dinner bell rang, I was mostly sober. In the dining hall, Nemo came by and gave us an update about Mac and the crew. When he told us that everything was going according to plan and they would be back tomorrow, I couldn’t stop the wide smile that spread across my face.
I didn’t stop smiling until we returned to the clinic. I stopped short at the sight of my bed on the main floor, surrounded by bedrolls.
“Why is my bed down here?”
“Cause someone fucking attacked you last night.” Wolf sounded exasperated. “You’re not sleeping upstairs by yourself.”
I glared at him, anxiety crawling back up my throat. “I want to sleep in the loft.”
“Why?” he asked, but in a much more gentle way than I was expecting.
I shifted on my feet and picked the most uncomplicated reason to give. “I’ll probably have nightmares and wake you up.”
“No offense, Freckles, but you wake us all up from the loft, too,” Lee said, nudging me with his elbow and my face heated.
“Can you sleep down here tonight? We can talk about other options tomorrow.” Wolf’s voice was even, but there was an edge of tension in it. I glanced up at him, and I couldn’t deny the worry in his eyes.
“You can’t snore louder than your brother if that’s what you’re afraid of,” Kai added.
“Shut it, Kai,” Wolf rolled his eyes.
“You want all of us to cram into the loft with you instead?” Tuck asked, smirking.
I had no doubt they could keep this up for hours. I blew out a frustrated breath and gave up. “Fine.”
As annoyed as I felt, the relief that swept across my brother’s face made me feelgood.
30
Idid some random cleaning to kill time and channel my anxiety into something productive until bed. Wolf and his crew did their usual evening routine of playing cards, but they did so on the porch since the bedrolls and my mattress were already laid out on the floor. I sternly reminded myself we’d been sleeping in the same building for days. The only change was that I was on the same floor now. It wasn’t like I thought any of them would hurt me. It just felt… intimate. I liked the separation of my loft. It made it easier to keep them all at arm’s length. Well, except for Lee, who had somehow become the exception.
It was just getting dark when they came inside, and Wolf asked if I was ready for bed. I knew they were going to bed earlier than usual for my benefit, but I pretended not to notice. I went upstairs and changed into my sleep shorts and oversized T-shirt. When I came back down, I noticed for the first time that they all just changed in front of each other, simply turning their back for a bit of privacy. I washed my face and teeth in the sink, and when I turned around, I caught Lee watching me from where he was unbuttoning his flannel shirt, revealing the muscled plane of his stomach. His heated gaze was on my bare legs, but it crawled upward until he finally met my eyes. My eyebrows raised, but he didn’t look even slightly embarrassed that I caught him. Instead, he held my gaze, and his dark eyes flashed with a challenge. Uncertainty swept over me, and I hesitated, but he cocked an eyebrow and smirked, andsomethingcame over me. My body flooded with warmth as I raised my hands over my head and stretched, knowing my shirt rode up and exposed my midriff and my breasts strained against the fabric. His throat worked, and his eyes moved across my body, lingering on every curve like a caress. A new tension stretched taut between us when he met my gaze again, sending a shiver across my skin.
Wolf began talking, breaking the spell. I climbed onto my mattress, unsurprised, to find that Wolf was on my right and Lee on my left. Tuck waited by the light switch until everyone was settled and flipped off the light. In the darkness, my anxiety about these new sleeping arrangements seized control again. I burrowed under my quilt and pretended I was up in the loft. I’d been so tired earlier, but now I was wide awake. Time slowed to a crawl as I lay awake under my quilt, listening to everyone’s breathing even out in sleep, but I couldn’t get my body to relax.
I pulled the blanket off my head and looked over at my brother. In the dim light of the woodstove, his sleeping face looked peaceful. I turned to the other side and bit back a startled curse when I met Lee’s dark eyes.
He grimaced and mouthed the word “sorry.” I glared at him, but that only made him smile. We lay there silently, watching one another for a while. My anxiety seemed to settle a little, and I wondered again when his presence had turned into something comforting.
He shifted and reached out toward me. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously but didn’t move. He brushed a stray piece of hair from my face, and then his fingers lightly trailed down my cheek. His hand was warm, and the physical touch made my lungs ache with longing. He gently brushed his thumb across my lips, and a shiver ran over my skin.
I think about kissin’ that smartass mouth of yours far too often.
He smirked like he knew I was remembering what he’d said and stroked his thumb across my lips again. Impulsively, I captured his thumb with my lips and pulled it into my mouth, trying not to laugh when his eyes widened in shock. I swirled my tongue around his thumb, and his entire hand flexed, his eyes darkening. I pursed my lips around his finger, sucked lightly, andheardhis breath catch.
He pulled his hand back, and I released him, but my smirk died at the intense look on his face.
“Outside. Now,” he breathed.
