Page 97 of Mate
“You don’t even know what I— ”
“I can read your mind, remember?”
He can’t. He doesn’t. But I feel myself relax against him anyway, too tired to fight. And since we’re already so close, since he doesn’t seem to mind too much, I hike my leg up his hip, uncaring of the sticky cotton between my thighs. My knee meets the scalding length of his cock. For the first time in my life, I fully comprehend the meaning of the wordthrobbing.
I want to offer him some help with that. But . . . wouldn’t it just make things worse? “I’m sorry,” I say, and I am. I’m sorry foreverything.
“That’s okay.” He sighs. Somehow, gathers me even closer. “I’ve never been less sorry about a thing.” Koen kisses me on the forehead. His hold never loosens, and we both fall asleep.
CHAPTER 24
He didn’t think she could be more perfect.
Then she offered him her bite.
KOEN’S PHONE RINGS, AND WHEN MY EYES FLUTTER OPEN, HE’Slying back next to me, head on the pillow, the column of his neck golden in the morning light.
Once again, his stubble is on its way to a beard. His features, his hair, the line of his profile— everything about him has become sodearto me, I want to bury my face in his chest and scream about it till my vocal cords give out.
That’s when his lips part, and he asks, “Are you okay?”
He sounds perfectly awake, but his eyes remain closed. “Yeah.” I don’t get a chance to ask if he is, too. The arm that isn’t wrapped around me grabs the phone, picks up the call, and sets it on speaker.
His eyes arestillclosed. “Sem,” he says.
How does he know—
“Sorry about the early call. I may have some news about Serena’s condition.”
“No shit,” Koen mutters.
“Excuse me? I couldn’t quite make out— ”
“See you at your office. Twenty minutes.” He hangs up. Wipes a tired hand down his face and, at last, looks at me.
“What’s that about?” I ask.
“You.” Gently, he extricates himself. He sits up, displaying an equally unsurprising and annoying amount of control over his core muscles.
“What can Sem have found out in less than twenty-four hours?”
“Fuck all. His partner, however, is a midwife.” He rolls his shoulders into a stretch, and I try not to stare at the masterpiece of architecture that is his back. Remind myself that he can hear my heartbeat speed up, and smell . . . everything. “I imagine he talked about your situation with her, and she realized what’s going on.”
“What do you mean?”
He ignores me and heads for the bathroom. “Get dressed. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”
“To go where?”
He looks at me from over his shoulder, a small smile curving his lips. “Biology class.”
KOEN INTERRUPTS SEM ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS INTO HIS CLEARLYrehearsed speech on why he decided to consult with another specialist regarding my situation. “Just call in Layla. We can safely assume that Serena should be transferred to her care.”
Two minutes and a greenish, flustered Sem later, Layla comes in and sits behind the desk. Sem never returns. “Koen,” she says. “I think it might be best if you and I talked about this for a minute. Alone.”
Koen frowns. “Isn’t this about Serena?”
She hesitates. Nods.
