Page 203 of Dream Mates
“Sunday,” I assured, taking one of her cookies.
“Rude.” She rolled her eyes at me then stuffed the remaining two in her mouth.
“He thought it might be fun for us to spend the day on the beach as a pack tomorrow, since Grace’s beach day got cut short,” I replied.
Brennan led us outside where we were met with a swimming pool filled with families and children on one side, and a restaurant patio with fairy lights and live music on the other. The ocean lay straight ahead. We followed him down a lushly landscaped path, past the pool bar, a fire pit with children roasting marshmallows, and an area with oversized outside games filled with teenagers.
Spencer booked afamilyresort. Huh.
We passed a waterfall and what looked like an adult-only pool with a swim-up bar. It really was beautifully landscaped.
“I need a picture.” Riley grabbed her brother and pulled him over to the waterfall.
“I’ll take it,” Jett offered.
“Are you doing okay?” Brennan asked me softly as Evan and Riley shoved each other in front of the waterfall.
“Yeah. I mean, once again, Spencer was there to comfort her and I wasn’t. But it’s better him than no one,” I replied. “I’m also glad they bonded.”
And I meant it. I really just wanted her to be happy, to have everything.
Especially since her shitty childhood just got shittier. Fuck. How could her mom make her forget me when sheknew what it meant?
“It’s okay to be a little jealous sometimes. It’s what you do with that jealousy that matters,” Brennan replied.
“It was a little hard on the plane when things got intense. But I also know he’s just taking care of her. I’m sure she’s a wreckand will need all the dick for a while. There will be enough for me later,” I replied.
“Later? You mean in five minutes when we get there?” His eyebrows rose. “You know, I get a little jealous of Evan and Grace. What they have is so easy between them.”
“I’m so relieved by that.” I watched Riley and Evan make silly faces. “Grace seems to think we can tell Evanno.”
Brennan snorted. “Yeah, no more than we can tell herno.”
“You couldn’t?” I eyed him curiously. “I see the way she looks at you–and no, I don’t have an issue if you ever act on it.”
“What are you talking about?” Brennan asked, following Evan, Jett, and Riley as Riley took off someplace.
“Youcanhave an intimate relationship without bonding with her as long as you’re open about it,” I told him as we walked into an area filled with little cottages with ocean views. Must be the villas. Some of them had hot tubs.
His eyebrows rose. “It doesn’t usually work that way. Eventually they want bites.”
“Grace didn’t grow up here. It doesn’t mean the same thing to her.” I shrugged.
“True. I…” He sighed. “I don’t know.”
“That’s fair. Not trying to push everyone together. I’m just throwing it out there if you want to try and see if anything comes of it,” I replied. I knew from experience that it didn’t always work and that was okay.
“She’s probably just curious. They usually are once they know I have a ladder piercing.” He shrugged.
I rolled my eyes. “Which has been in her ass. One of the most fucking beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”
“She was high on pheromones. We were in the nest. I was also beyond fucking gentle. In the bedroom I’m not gentle. That’s what she needs. Gentleness. She’s a fragile little butterfly.”His hands shoved in his pockets, a look that was almost disappointment on his face.
Oh, was that why he called her that? To remind himself to be careful with her?
“For now,” I replied.
While she was a fragile little butterfly, she also had a core of steel. She always had.
