Page 21 of Forbidden Mischief
Would that be how it would be for me?
He lets out a heavy sigh. Raising a shaky hand up, he runs his fingers through his dark brown locks, looking away towards the tree line.
He’s nervous, and I can smell the fear coming off him in waves. I want to pull him into my arms, tell him everything’s going to be okay. That I’d make sure it was.
I don’t, fisting my hands at my side as I wait for him to say something, giving him this time to process.
Before, when I was fighting my attraction to him, I told myself that it was wrong. That I was fucked up for thinking that way about my stepbrother.
After finding out he's my mate and talking to my mom, I no longer think that way.
I want him. So bad it’s taking everything in me not to claim him as mine, like my wolf is demanding me to do.
“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been having some sort of… attraction to you.” His confession is soft, a low whisper that if it wasn’t for my impeccable sense of hearing, I’d have missed it.
My heart stops, excitement swelling inside me. Maybe I heard him wrong.
But when he turns his big blues over my way, my heart kicks back into full force, nearly beating out of my chest at theintensity in them. My eyes drop to his throat, watching as his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows hard.
“You have?” My question comes out as a harsh rasp. I’m trying to hold it together right now, but all of this is new to me. It sure as hell is new to him, too. I don’t want to say the wrong thing, to scare him away.
He nods. “I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve never had thoughts about another man before. Ever. No offense.” He winces.
“None taken.” My lips twitch, a grin almost breaking free.
“But ever since you came to live here, that’s been slowly changing. And I don’t mean suddenly I’m finding men attractive, because I don’t. That hasn’t changed. It’s that I ah…” A blush breaks out across his cheeks, making the dusting of freckles below pop. Fuck, he’s so damn edible. “I find… you attractive.”
The smile breaks free, unable to hold back. “You do?”
He rolls his eyes. “Don’t go get a big head about it.”
A chuckle breaks free. “I’ll try not to.” I raise a brow.
His eyes widen at the double entendre.
“That’s not what I– I didn’t mean—” he splutters.
I save him from himself. “I know,” I say. “Keep going.”
He blows out a breath, scrubbing his hand over his face. “This is weird. Really fucking weird.” He peeks at me through his fingers. “No offense.”
“You keep saying that.” Facing him sideways, I lean against the porch swing, my arm laying across the top, fingers nearly grazing his arms. “But I can tell you, you're not offending me. This is all new for you. You have the right to feel the way you do. To process it how you see fit.”
He nods. “I just don’t want to say anything to upset you.” He cares and damn it, that means something.
“So far, how you’re taking it. It’s not upsetting me.”
He turns his attention back out to the forest. We sit in silence again and I take the time to admire him.
His sharp jaw, the few day stubble. How is it possible to have both young and rugged features? Crazy what a bit of facial hair can do to change one’s appearance.
My fingers itch to scrape my nails across it.
After a long while, he turns back to me. “I like you, Asher. You’re kind, caring, and a good person. A little broody,” he chuckles and I grin. “But I like that about you, too. You don’t talk much, yet I don’t feel like we always need words to enjoy one another’s company, if that makes sense?”
It does. I nod.
He already gets me. That gives me hope.
