“That’s fine.” I took the pajama pants he was still holding out from his hand.
“You don’t have to wear them,” he said hastily. “It was a joke. I?—“
“We’re mates, right?” I started to stand. He quickly offered a hand and helped me to my feet as he straightened too. My muscles were weak, and exhaustion was setting in fast. “Or halfway mated, at least.”
“A lot more than half. My wolf isn’t going to reject you.”
I stepped into the pajama pants. Graham started to let go of my hand when I did, but when I nearly went down, he recaptured it. He held my elbow lightly too, balancing me.
“Thanks.” I wobbled a bit as I pulled the pants into place. My limbs grew heavier as the months without sleep slowly began to weigh on me. “Wow, I’m tired.”
“I can imagine. Your wolf did her due diligence.” Graham’s voice was light.
I snorted. “She should’ve bitten you months ago.”
“She had to make sure I was a safe choice.”
“Compared to the abusive fucker I was fated to before, you’re a sexy teddy bear,” I mumbled, starting toward the steps that would lead off the porch.
I was still topless, and though my hair did its best to hide my tits, I wasn’t a mermaid. It wasn’t covering anything.
“Wait one second.” Graham put my hand on the porch railing before stepping away just long enough to grab the cake he’d left at our feet. “It’s still your birthday.”
“I think I’m going to sleep through most of it.”
“I’ll wake you up for cake.” He balanced the cake on the railing before scooping me unceremoniously off my feet.
“Oof.” I collided with his bare chest.
Yeah, those were somesolidmuscles.
“Sorry. I should’ve been more gentle. I?—“
“You just caught me off guard. Don’t worry about it.” I leaned my cheek against his pec, closing my eyes.
Wow, that felt good.
My tongue darted out before I could stop it, and horror crashed into me when I realized what I’d just done.
He snorted. “Did you lick me?”
“I think I did.” I sighed. “Sorry.”
“You can put your tongue on me any time you want, Stella. Don’t apologize for it. I’m dying to do the same to you.”
“When I’m not so tired, I’ll have no problem with that.”
His chest rumbled.
He grabbed the cake with his free hand, adjusted his hold on my body, and carried me off the porch.
I drifted in and out of sleep while he hauled me back to his house.
Every time I woke up, I saw him looking pointedly away from my bare chest. My hair was swaying everywhere, so I was definitely exposed.
We’d need to talk about that at some point—his worry about offending me by checking me out.
But the conversation would have to wait until I was less asleep.
