Page 101 of High Stakes and Soulmates
He’s already close by the time I touch him. And it doesn’t take many strokes for me to bring him over that edge. He pulls back from me before hesitating. “You conned me.”
“Did I?” I ask.
“I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m pretty sure no part of that hurt,” I say as he kisses me again before grabbing the box of tissues.
“See? I knew it was a good choice to bring them.”
“Definitely was,” I agree. He cleans us up before sinking down on the bed next to me.
“I want to be spooned again,” he says.
“You’re awfully needy.”
“I know.”
“Maybe I only spoon when you’re least expecting it.”
“I’m definitely not expecting it,” Ezio says as he blatantly rolls onto his side so his ass is facing me. “Not expecting it at all.”
“Kind of looks like you’re expecting something from the way your ass is facing me.”
He just laughs, but when I roll onto my side and drape my arm over him, his entire body seems to relax. “You promise it’s not hurting you?”
“I wouldn’t do it if it was,” I say since my arm itself really doesn’t hurt and the position keeps all weight off my bad side.
“Let’s just stay like this and forget all about everything else.”
“I definitely can’t stop thinking about my fluffy balls on display,” I joke.
Ezio laughs again. “Okay. Forget about everything else. Some wolves don’t shift at all. Some just shift on the full moon. And I’ll be beside you. You’ll probably maul me, but it’ll be worth it. And only I will see your fluffy balls.”
“Never heard anything so romantic in my life,” I tease.
He falls quiet again, and I find myself wanting to chase away all of his worries. Instead, all I can do is squeeze his hand and attempt to comfort him.
“Ezio, stop thinking about what could happen and think about what’s happening now.”
“I’m trying,” he whispers as he kisses my hand. “I’m trying so fucking hard.”
I squeeze him tighter, and even though it puts pressure on my shoulder, I don’t want to let go.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
EZIO
“You sure you’re okay coming back here?” I ask Cyrus as I pull into the parking lot of Donovan’s club. “It’s only been a week.”
“I’m mostly healed. So yes.”
He knows that’s not exactly what I’m asking, but I don’t press it. Honestly, I don’t feel overly reassured. Being unable to find Phil Witt led to Cyrus wanting to leap out the door and go full detective mode, but I really didn’t want him to set foot outside of the house. Anxiety tore through me at the idea of him going back to the place where he was mauled. Even so, he was adamant and assured me that he had the same amount of protection whether he was sitting in Casimir’s house surrounded by vampires and a wolf or outside surrounded by vampires and a wolf.
I’m still not convinced.
My training on how to assassinate taught me that you had the upper hand in a location you knew. Even subconsciously in the heat of a fight or the dead of night, you knew how far away the table was, where the doorway was… but out here… we’re vulnerable.
“I have a literal vampire army here to murder anyone who looks my way,” Cyrus says as I look into the back of the SUV where everyone else is crammed.
