Page 31 of Can't Be Love

She turned and grinned at me. Her eyes were full of mischief, and I knew life with Lily would never be dull.

“There were no rules, Thomas.”

I grinned back at her. “I do much prefer Thomas to douchebag.”

I watched her cringe.

“Yeah, about that. Look, it’s just . . .” she started, and I raised my hand to cut her off.

“You don’t have to explain. I’m sure you have your reasons.” And I wasn’t certain I was ready to hear them all. Her parents had already given me plenty to consider. “Tomorrow I have a few things I have to do. You’re welcome to tag along if you want, or I’m sure Maddie or Sydney would be thrilled to spend the day with you.

“I won’t lie and say I’d rather hang out with you, because we both know that’s not true. But, I did make a promise, and if nothing else, that means something to me. If we’re going to give this a go, I think we should stick together, get to know each other, and try to put aside old judgements. Besides, I would like to see the territory and meet the people here, too. After all, I could be their Pack Mother someday.”

Lily sighed and laid her head on my shoulder. I turned and kissed the top of her head like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Someday,” I whispered.

I wasn’t sure how long we sat there in comfortable silence staring out into the night’s sky. After the turmoil I’d felt when she’d left, I didn’t care. I needed her near to comfort my wolf. It scared me just how much I needed her.

My dad once told me that your mate was your biggest treasure, your greatest weakness, and she must always be protected. I scoffed at him at the time.No woman would ever weaken me,I had told him. I truly believed it then.

Lily shivered, and without hesitation or even thought, I wrapped my arm around her and tucked her close to my side. In that moment, I knew exactly what my father had meant about a mate.

Much too soon, Lily wiggled away from me and stretched, yawning.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed, slugger. It’s been a hell of a day,” I said, trying to keep things light between us, but not really wanting the day to end.

The sexy way she moved when she stretched was making me uncomfortable in all the right places. I had made huge steps in the last twenty-four hours with her and I didn’t want to scare her off by acting rashly. If she stretched again and her shirt pulled up one more time, exposing the smooth skin across her stomach, I wasn’t sure I could be held responsible for my actions. My body still vividly remembered how soft her skin was and how perfectly my large hand fit in the curve above her hip.

She begrudgingly agreed, not seeming to want the night to end either. I sniffed the air and smelled the nerves wafting off her. Perhaps my little slugger was just nervous about what happens next.

She led the way back through the window and down the ladder from the loft into my bedroom. Crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive move, she waited for me to descend behind her. I wasn’t sure how I knew it, but despite her act, I knew she was checking out my butt.

Lily

Chapter 13

One thing that equally bothered and excited me was just how well Thomas had filled out over the years we hadn’t seen each other. If I were honest he was never that hard to look at. But the kid I remembered was tall and lanky with big teeth he hadn’t quite grown into yet, nothing like the man before me with his bulging leg muscles and that firm ass . . . I had always loved a nice butt, but dang if his wasn’t the best I’d ever seen in a pair of nice tight jeans. It made my hands twitch to reach out and touch him, but I quickly clasped my fingers together behind my back to fight the urge.

Thomas jumped down to the floor, skipping the last few rungs of the ladder, and turned to me with a smirk on his face like he had known exactly what I was thinking.Don’t blush, don’t blush, I scolded myself even as I felt the heat rising in my cheeks.

Feeling like it was safe to let go of my own hands, I crossed my arms back across my chest. As Thomas’s eyes dropped lower, my body felt like a live wire sparking with electricity.

I cleared my throat. “Where would you like me to sleep?” I asked.

His pupils dilated as they met my own eyes.

“I have five sisters. I know a loaded question when I hear one. I’ll tell you what your options are and then you have to choose,” he said, his voice deeper than it had been previously. “The couch in the living room. Either of the two guest rooms. Or, my bed,” he said, like he had just issued me a challenge.

I raised my chin in defiance and looked him straight in the eyes. “Fine. I’ll take your bed then.”

Turning on my heels, I left him in shock while I went to the living room to retrieve my suitcase. When I walked back into the room, Thomas was pulling up a pair of sweatpants and his shirt was nowhere in sight.

“What are you doing?” I squeaked.

“Getting ready for bed,” he informed me as he sat down on the big king-sized bed.

“I told you, I’m sleeping there,” I said defiantly.

“And where did you think I was going to sleep?” he challenged.

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