Page 65 of Unraveling Rain
He howls, low, deep, and playful.
I chuckle, raising an eyebrow.
When he catches my look, he explains, “Since our team’s name is Red Wolves, we howl to celebrate or show excitement. We usually do it before a game, after the coach’s pep talk—or when we score.”
“That’s fun. I love that you have something unique to your team. Did your last team have something like that?”
Xander shakes his head as he opens the door, and we step into the lobby.
“Do you want to eat pie now, or should we save it for breakfast?”he asks.
“Let’s save it. Unless you’re hungry.”
His dark eyes immediately brighten, full of desire.
“I’m hungry for something else. I’ll be right back,” he says, jogging to the kitchen.
He returns quickly.
Then—without warning—he lifts me, slings me over his shoulder, and starts up the stairs.
“Xander, stop. You’re going to hurt yourself!” I shout, squirming but failing to get off his shoulder.
“Relax. This isn’t the clavicle I broke,” he says, carrying me up to the second floor.
Once we’re in his room, he places me gently on the bed. I scan his face for any signs of distress, but all I find is a wide, satisfied grin.
I drop the bag on the floor and start untying my boot laces. He mirrors me, sitting on the edge of the bed to take off his shoes.
“You know, I’ve been thinking,” I start.
He tilts his head, curious. “About?”
I take a deep breath and shift to face him fully, crossing my legs. “I appreciate how you opened up about your ex-fiancée.” His expression turns unreadable, so I continue. “I had no clue you were so close to getting married,” I say softly, unsure how to open up to him the way he did with us earlier.
“You mean you didn’t stalk me on Google like I did you?”
I chuckle and twist my hair into a messy bun.
“Yeah, something like that. I don’t really use social media, so all I did was quickly look up your team. But seriously… I wish I could open up to you more.”
I lower my gaze, knowing there’s no turning back now. Xander is the only guy I’ve felt comfortable enough with to even consider bringing up the night that changed me.
“Hey, look at me,” he says gently, reaching out to lift my chin with his thumb and forefinger.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath before meeting his gaze.
“There are very few things in this world that you could tell me that would make me run for the hills,” he says. I try to smile, but my lips quiver. “It can’t be that you’re married. Otherwise, your family wouldn’t have welcomed me like they did tonight.”
I nod, eyes closing again as I breathe deeply.
“Would you feel more comfortable if we turned off the lights?” he asks.
I look at him, then nod.
“Okay,” he whispers.
He gets up and walks into the bathroom, turning on the light before pulling the door mostly shut. Then he turns off the lights in the room, leaving just a soft glow coming from behind the door. I don’t know how he knew, but being in the dark makes me feel less exposed.
