Page 81 of Furever Loyal
“If this is your way of telling me you want to go pull some Bonnie and Clyde shit, I’m gonna have to sayno,” Kincaid moaned, exhausted.
She turned just in time to see him pull back the white duvet and stick his head out.
“Why do you have the curtains open already? Do you really hate me that much?”
Haley snorted. “It’s ten-thirty in the morning. Aren’t you big beasties supposed to get up with the sun or something?”
“Oof. That’s cold-blooded.”
“I’m hungry,” she said, letting the littlest bit of whine enter her voice.
“You know perfectly well where the kitchen is. I’m sure there’s food made. Wanna be a doll and grab me some?”
Haley lifted her eyebrows, placing both hands on her hips at the same time.
“Okay, okay. I’m getting up!” Kincaid yelped, tossing the covers down to reveal his naked body.
Muscles tightened and popped into definition as he sat up and stretched, providing her with more than an eyeful.
“My eyes are up here,” he muttered.
“I know.” She kept staring.
He finally left the bed and came over to her, wrapping both anaconda-like arms around her and holding her tight. Haley didn’t bother to hide her contentment, snuggling back into his embrace with unabashed glee. She loved when he held her like this. It was so calming. She felt safe and secure in a way she did at few other times.
“Haley.”
She stiffened. There was something in his voice… “Yes?”
“I think we need to talk.”
For just an instant, a crack appeared in the perfect little world she’d spent the past two days constructing while staying with Kincaid. She’d known it would never last, that she would have to go back to reality and her job eventually, but Haley had always expected Kincaid to still be in the picture. They loved each other after all and had said so repeatedly.
“A-about what?” she asked nervously, unable to force herself to turn and look at him, choosing instead to remain staring out the window.
What was he going to say? Haley had just about had her fill of surprises and revelations to her world. What more could he possibly tell her besides the fact that shapeshifters of all types from wolves to dragons existed alongside magic users that could cast real honest-to-goodness spells on people?
Maybe it was a more personal thing, some sort of confession. Was there someone else? Was that it? Had his House decided that he couldn’t be with her because he had to be with someone who could provide shifter children?
“I need to ask you how you’re doing.”
She frowned. This wasn’t what she expected. Not at all. The focus had suddenly shifted from Kincaid, to her, and she wasn’t ready for it.
“What?” It was the best she could manage.
“Listen,” Kincaid explained, gently taking her hand and spinning her in place so that they were looking at one another. “You’ve been through a lot the past week. You’ve learned things that you never knew existed are real, that the world you thought you knew, you didn’t. You’ve seen horrific things, you’ve done things you never thought you would do.”
“Yes.”
“Nobody takes that sort of thing without flinching. Without having a moment of panic or fear. So far, you’ve taken everything that’s come along in your stride, without seeming to be fazed by it, and that’s got me worried.”
Haley blinked. “I’m doing okay, and you’re…worried because of that?”
“Yes,” he said, staring at her, imploring her to speak. “I’m scared you’re bottling it up. Not letting your emotions properly show.”
“I…” she went silent, thinking. “I’ve learned a lot about myself this past week,” she said slowly. “I don’t want to repeat what we’ve just been through. It was quite enough, thank you very much. But buried in it, I think, are some lessons that I desperately needed to learn.”
Kincaid didn’t say anything, giving her time to speak, to explain why she wasn’t having a meltdown or freaking out over what she’d seen. The more Haley talked, the more confident she became that what she was saying was the truth of her emotional and mental status.
