Page 13 of An Uncertain Claim

I chuckled and took the two steps down into the garage. “You know I think your wildcat is sexy as fuck,” I drawled as I approached her.

Peyton rolled her eyes, but her lips curled up in amusement. “Okay, so we’re even…sort of.”

That reminded me of the other thing I needed to tell her, and I shifted uncomfortably as guilt seeped into my system again. I found the feeling unpleasant and I hoped by admitting the truth to Peyton, it would make it go away. Just as he’d been before, my wolf retreated from the unfamiliar feelings and rumbled softly with displeasure.

Surprise registered on Peyton’s face before it filled with confusion. Her eyes probed mine as if searching for something, but I had no clue as to what she thought she’d find.

So I kept going. “There’s something else I should tell you.”

She narrowed her eyes, focusing on my words rather than whatever had been holding her attention. “What now? Did you change my name to King while I slept? Tattoo your name on my forehead? What?”

“Both of those suggestions are not without merit.” I chuckled when she glared at me. Her hand twitched and I knew she’d actually considered touching her face to see if there were signs of a tattoo. “That’s not what this is about.”

She folded her arms across her chest, lifting her full breasts and putting them on display—however unintentionally—making me grit my teeth.Wrong head to be thinking with, King.

“I sent Asher and Ephraim to collect your belongings and I’ve recently been informed that it’s likely your attacker followed them back to you.”

Peyton showed no emotion on her face, and I couldn’t get a sense of what she was thinking. I had expected her to explode with anger and blame me—rightfully so—for the killer managing to capture her.

But I should have known better than to try to predict anything Peyton might do or say. She rarely did as I expected.

“You feel guilty,” she stated after a long pause.

I inclined my head, figuring she’d inferred it from my tone. “It’s my fault you were taken”—I traced her jaw where it had nearly healed, but still held a faint purple bruise—“that you were hurt. Nearly killed.”

“That’s ridiculous,” she scoffed. “You feel guilty over that?

Confused, I just nodded.

“Well, you’re doing it wrong.”

“Pardon?”

Peyton threw her hands in the air and took a step closer, so we were only a foot or so apart. Her head dropped back so she could look me in the eye while she frowned and muttered, “I can’t believe you feel regret for something out of your control and would probably have happened sooner rather than later, but you don’t feel an iota of remorse for being an overbearing bastard who made critical decisions about my life without including me.”

I didn’t have a clue how to respond at first. Then I grumbled, “You said you forgave me for that.” For some reason, that bothered me more than I would have guessed.

“For fuck’s sake, Nate. Is that all you took from what I said?” she muttered.

“Did you change your mind?”

“Of course not. I was simply making a point through comparison. You should feel remorse for the latter. Not something that is out of your control.”

“Perhaps,” I responded. “But when coupled with my accusations this morning…I’m responsible for a great deal of the pain you went through today.”

Peyton put her hands back on her slender hips and took a deep, cleansing breath. After she finished, she seemed lighter, as though she’d lifted a weight off her shoulders. “Why don’t we start over?”

“How so?” A smile played at my mouth. Peyton had an interesting way of approaching life and while it often annoyed the shit out of me, I also found it refreshing at times. My wolf enjoyed her unpredictability, finding it alluring.

“We can’t pretend the last couple of weeks haven’t happened, but we can move past all the bullshit and leave it behind us. Start with a clean slate. We’ve agreed to be more open and honest with each other. Let’s begin there.”

I liked her idea…especially because it opened the door to a discussion I’d been wanting to have with her. Closing the distance between us, I extended my hand and tucked some strands of her midnight hair behind her ear. Her honey-and-cloves scent filled my nose and lust slammed into me, taking my breath away. When my fingers trailed lightly over her cheek and traced her lips, a shudder went through her body. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought I felt her own desire in addition to mine. My wolf emitted a low growl and his fur brushed against my skin as she moved closer to the surface.

“You want honesty between us, baby?” I asked softly.

She gulped, but in true form, she didn’t back away from the clear challenge in my tone, something I admired about her. “Yes.”

“Why are you fighting this so hard?” I curled an arm around her waist and hauled her up against my body. She was lean and toned and yet, whenever we were pressed together, I felt softness in every inch of her body. “I know you think about that night just as much as I do, and I have no doubt you crave to experience it again with the same desperation that plagues me.”

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