Page 127 of The Wolf Prince's Mate

Because I wanted that too, more than I could ever say.

And because I couldn’t let him have her.

Nova pulled me to my feet, and I let her.

Neither of us spoke again as she finished scrubbing my skin, then turned off the water and grabbed towels.

A few minutes later, she tucked me into bed. She hadn’t bothered to find me any pants—she knew I liked sleeping naked—and had yet to venture into the closet to get herself something to sleep in.

I hoped she wouldn’t.

When she started to step back, her gaze flicked to the door.

I was too tired to go with anything but the most forward route, so I grabbed her waist and dragged her beneath the blankets with me.

Her body fit against mine just right. Like it was fate.

“I should get something to wear,” she murmured.

“No.” I held her tighter.

“Clay,” she began, and I squeezed her.

“Shh. You said we’re sleeping.”

Nova laughed softly, the sound unraveling the tension in my chest. “Alright, fine. Go to sleep.”

I made a noise of agreement.

It took a few minutes to convince myself that she wouldn’t be gone when I woke up, but eventually, I crashed.

twenty-four

NOVA

Clay sleptthrough the whole afternoon. I knew he didn’t mind having the TV on while he was out, so I binged a mystery TV show. He stirred every time I tried to move, which made getting up out of the question.

At dinner time, I slipped out long enough to heat up the last few burritos from his freezer, and made him wake up to eat them.

He went back to sleep immediately, burying his face in my hair the same way he had earlier, and I went back to my show.

It was one of the most relaxing days of my life, even though I knew the next day would be far less comfortable.

In the morning,I was up before Clay. After pulling one of his button-ups on just to drive him a little crazy, I headed out to the kitchen to start the coffee. He still wasn’t a big fan of it, so I didn’t make him a cup. Instead, I fried some eggs, bacon, and hash browns.

The food was just about done when he came stumbling out, his eyes bleary and his hair sticking up at every angle. He was still naked, and his morning wood saluted me.

The relief in his eyes was palpable as he dropped into one of the barstools, slumping over the countertop.

“Thought you left,” he mumbled.

“You’d have to carry me off the property and throw me over the fence.” I considered it for a moment, stirring the hash browns. They took longer than everything else, so I guess I hadn’t started them early enough. “And change the code.”

“I’m not going to do that.”

“Yet.”

He let out a harsh breath. “It’s not safe for you to be here, Nova. You need to leave.”

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