Page 28 of Cruel Mate

Layla’s face grew hot, and she guessed it was almost as red as his bloodied one.

“I…umm…I guess I was having a bad dream.”

“You think,” Zander scoffed, cocking a brow at her. “What about?”

Layla shook her head. “I don’t remember.”

There was no way in hell she was going to open that can of worms.

Zander looked unsatisfied, and she half-expected him to demand she tell him. Instead, he gestured to her leg. “Well, it looks like you’re all healed up.”

Layla glanced down and stretched her leg. It no longer hurt. Slipping it out from beneath the blanket, she saw the bruising was gone.

“I guess so,” she shrugged, almost disappointed, knowing what it meant even before Zander spoke.

“You should get washed up and then we’ll be on our way,” he said, gesturing toward the bathroom. Layla noticed the way he averted his gaze from her bare leg as if it made him uncomfortable.

Maybe she wasn’t the only one having inappropriate thoughts. A part of her wanted to drop the blanket again to see if he might act upon it.

She imagined doing so, letting the blanket fall slowly, caressing her body on the way down. His hands would feel even better as they covered the areas of her flesh she had revealed to him.

She breathed a slow and frustrated exhale, gripping the blanket a little tighter around herself. She was frightened to see where it might lead if she allowed herself to follow through on such thoughts.

“Maybe we should just go?” she suggested, biting the inside of her lip. The longer they remained, the greater chance there was for her to do something she might regret.

Zander shook his head and turned toward the door. “Shower. You still stink of the enemy.”

The way his nose wrinkled made Layla’s insides tie in painful knots, but he glanced back over his shoulder with what she was sure was a longing glaze in his eye.

Before she could say a word, he unlocked the door and gripped the handle. “I’m going to give the area a quick scout while you freshen up, make absolutely sure the coast is clear. I don’t want you running on that knee if we can help it.”

His concern for her touched her all over again, and she pursed her lips to keep from commenting on it. Zander seemed like the type to clam up if she did.

“Hurry up,” he growled at her when she made no move toward the bathroom. “I don’t want to spend a minute longer here than necessary, and we need to get home and report this. The pack is likely worried sick by now.”

“About you, maybe,” Layla grumbled.

Zander turned on her then, an angry glower plastered on his face. He looked about ready to tear her a new one for saying such a thing, but then he grabbed the door handle, yanked it open and was gone, leaving Layla standing there more flustered than ever.

“Bye then!” she grumbled after him, turning to storm into the bathroom. She winced as she realized her knee was healed, but definitely still tender.

In a huff, she entered the bathroom, unable to believe how easily Zander had gotten under her skin. He was infuriating, annoying, and damn, he smelled good.

The smell of him lingered in the bathroom, and Layla realized he must have been in there before she had started screaming in her sleep.

Flicking on the shower, she hoped the water might wash away some of his scent, but dropping her blanket on the floor only seemed to make it worse. The scent of him wafted so powerfully into her nostrils that she almost turned the shower off again and headed to find him.

No, if she did that, he would tell her off for not washing, and they’d end up in an argument again. There was no telling where that might lead.

And so, she stepped into the shower, the hot water almost scalding her skin.

Soon the steam was caressing her, so thick she could barely see her hand in front of her face. Grabbing the bottle of soap she had restocked a while back, she started to lather up.

That’s when she heard the door click open. Her heart raced, but she didn’t freak out. She smelled him immediately. It was intoxicating.

The sound of his shorts hitting the floor made her quiver. And when he slipped in behind her, wrapping his arms around her to cup her breasts, she breathed a sigh of relief.

It felt good to be touched, oh so good. She leaned back against him, enjoying the feel of his large, muscular body pressed against her back.

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