Page 192 of Fangs
Wolf’s eyes narrowed as he turned toward Lee, but I stormed up the ladder and waited. There was a whispered argument downstairs, but after a couple of minutes, Lee appeared, frowning at me. He pulled himself into the loft and crossed the barren floor to stand before me.
“Not a fan of bein’ used as a pawn to get back at your brother,” he said in a low voice.
“I’m not,” I muttered.
He raised an eyebrow, and I realized he was partly right. I knew it would bug Wolf the most if Lee helped me, but the primary reason was genuine.
“Okay, it’s notjustthat,” I sighed and lowered my voice, “You’re just… I get least anxious about you…” my face felt hot “… touching me.”
His expression lightened as he pretended to be shocked. “You don’t say?” he teased, but I couldn’t muster the energy to be playful.
“What do you think?” he asked after a few moments. “Is it okay if I put that salve on?”
I took a deep breath and turned around, holding my shirt against my chest, my heart rate increasing despite my best efforts. I waited for him to lift the hem of my shirt, but instead, he leaned down and gently kissed my shoulder. I sucked in a startled breath, but his lips touched my neck next, and my knees felt suddenly weak. He slid a hand into my hair, gathering the thick waves into one hand and using his hold to turn my head so he could kiss my neck again. My eyes fluttered closed as he explored my skin with his lips and tongue.
“I don’t think… this is how you… do the salve,” I managed to whisper.
“Maybe not the way Sable does it,” he murmured against my neck. “I like doing things my own way.”
He kissed my neck again, just under my ear, before releasing my hair. I heard him open the tin, and then he lifted my shirt and spread salve over my scars, his fingers gentle. Every so often, he leaned forward to kiss my shoulders or neck, and I eventually realized he was doing so whenever I started to tense up—he was trying to soothe me.
“I want to kiss every freckle you have,” he said low in my ear.
“I have freckles everywhere,” I whispered, curling my lips into a smile.
His hands slid from my back to trail across the bare skin of my stomach. “And I’m gonna find ’em all.”
I let my head fall back to rest on his shoulder, a shiver running through me at the heated promise in his words.You’re just starved for touch.I told myself as my entire body felt alive under his fingers.It doesn’t mean anything.
“We better go back downstairs before somebody comes up here to check on us,” I said.
“I’ll go down. You should get dressed,” he said, releasing me, but when I turned around, he stepped into my space, seizing my face with both hands and kissing me until I was breathless. Then he pulled away, a smug smile on his face.
I stared at him, trying to catch my breath, and he winked before disappearing down the ladder.It’s just physical.I reminded myself sternly, turning to pull my clothes out of my dresser.It means nothing.
Breakfast was quiet at our table. I refused to acknowledge Sable and Kai, gave Wolf and Scar one-word answers, and tried to pretend I wasn’t acting like a sullen child.
The quiet continued at the clinic. I had no patients to distract me, so I threw myself into cleaning. It felt like the first day with Wolf and his crew in the clinic all over again—me cleaning and all six of them watching me like hawks watching a mouse. I ran out of things to clean and started re-organizing the tincture bottles for the hundredth time… this week.
“Didn’t you just do this yesterday?” Tuck asked, breaking the silence.
I clenched my jaw and didn’t respond.
“Pretty sure you did it the day before that, too,” Kai said.
“Pretty sure I’ve seen you do this at least six times,” Wolf added.
I set the tincture bottle I held on the shelf with more force than necessary.
“Leave her alone,” Sable said. “She does it when she’s nervous.”
For fuck’s sake.I turned on my heel and stomped to the door.
“Where are you going?” Wolf demanded.
“To check on Clarity,” I said without looking back, slamming the door behind me.
I didn’t get far before I heard someone catching up to me. I glanced back, assuming it would be Lee, but instead met Wolf’s angry gaze.
