Page 28 of The Wolf's Plus-Size Nanny

“Yeah,” I grunt, though the tightness in my chest hasn’t entirely gone away. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, man. You know that.”

We get into the car and head back toward the house, but as we approach, I can feel the heaviness creeping back in. The glow from the windows spills out onto the lawn, but it feels like a barrier more than a beacon. Like the weight of everything I’ve been trying to outrun is waiting for me just inside those walls.

Reiner gives me a quick nod, sensing my hesitation. “Go on. I’m gonna head home. Call me if you need anything.”

I nod and watch him disappear into the night before I take a breath and push open the door. The house is quiet, thankfully. I just want to get to my room, to crash and maybe sleep off whatever this is that’s been going on with me since the fight, but as I turn toward the hallway, I see Sonya.

She’s sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through a magazine with a mug of tea in her hand. Her head snaps up when she hears me, and the concern in her eyes is immediate. “Jack, what happened?”

“It’s nothing,” I insist, waving it off as I try to edge past her, but she’s already on her feet, crossing the room with a frown.

“Your knuckles are bleeding,” she points out. Her voice is edged with something I can’t quite place—worry, maybe, or frustration. She reaches for my hand, and her fingers are gentle as they skim over the raw skin. Still, I have to bite back a wince at the sting.

“It’s just a scratch,” I mutter, but she’s not buying it. She pulls me toward the sink, flipping on the faucet and grabbing a washcloth from the counter.

“Sit,” she states, and it’s not a suggestion.

I slump into the chair, too tired to argue, and watch as she wets the cloth. She kneels in front of me, keeping her touch careful as she dabs at the dried blood on my knuckles. The cool water is a relief, but it’s the tenderness in her touch that makes my breath catch in my throat.

She’s so close, I can see the tiny flecks of gold in her soft grey eyes. The soft sound of water and the rustle of her movements are the only sounds in the room, but it feels like the most intimate thing in the world, like we’re sharing something neither of us knows how to name.

“You should be more careful,” she murmurs. “You’re gonna hurt yourself one of these days, and then what?”

I don’t know how to answer that, so I just watch her, the way her hair falls over her shoulder, the gentle curve of her neck. I reach out without thinking, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She freezes, her gaze snapping to mine.

The air between us shifts, charged and electric, and I can’t seem to look away. Her lips part, and for a second, I forget every reason this is a bad idea. I forget Tanner’s jabs, forget the fight, forget the way I promised myself I wouldn’t make things worse.

I lean in, just a fraction, and Sonya doesn’t pull back. Her breath hitches, and then her fingers tighten around mine, grounding me even as everything else feels like it’s spinning out of control.

“Jack…” she whispers, and this time, it’s the sound of my name on her lips that does it. That final push I didn’t know I needed.

I kiss her, and it’s like coming home. Her mouth is soft and warm, and she tastes like peppermint tea and something sweeter, something that’s purely Sonya. She kisses me back, tentatively at first, then with a fierceness that makes my heart race. Her hands slide up to cup my face, pulling me closer, and I can’t get enough of her, can’t believe how right this feels when everything else has been so wrong.

For a moment, there’s nothing but us—the feel of her against me, the way her fingers tangle in my hair, the soft, breathless sounds she makes as I deepen the kiss. It’s perfect and terrifying all at once, and I’m so lost in her that I almost forget why this can’t happen.

Almost.

I pull back, resting my forehead against hers as I try to catch my breath. Her eyes are closed, her cheeks flushed, and when she opens them again, she looks at me like I’m the only thing keeping her tethered to this moment. It would be so easy to let this continue, to keep kissing her, to forget about all the reasons why I shouldn’t.

“What started the fight?” she asks, and it’s like a splash of cold water in my face.

I swallow hard. I don’t know how to tell her, don’t know how to explain why I reacted the way I did to Tanner’s taunts. And I sure as hell don’t want to admit that the fight was about proving him wrong.

I look away, and my hand slips from hers as the weight of what I have to say presses down on my chest. “Sonya…” I start, but the words stick in my throat. The truth feels too heavy, too sharp, and I don’t know if I can bear the way she’ll look at me when she knows.

Chapter 15 - Sonya

“What happened out there, Jack?” I demand as I watch him pace the kitchen like a caged animal. His knuckles are split, raw, and bruised, and I can’t ignore the anger simmering just beneath his calm facade. I’ve seen him frustrated before, but this is different. This is like he’s been set off and can’t find the off switch.

He stops mid-step, running a hand through his hair and wincing when his fingers brush against the cut on his forehead. “It was Tanner,” he finally answers, and my heart sinks. “He said some things about you. About us.”

“I told you not to go looking for him!”

“I didn’t, I swear. I went to the bar with Reiner, and he just happened to be there. We tried to avoid him, but he just kept pushing.”

I cross my arms, trying to hold onto the last shreds of patience I have left. “What kind of things did he say, Jack?”

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