Page 29 of Cupid's Pack

“It’s okay, I imagine the trip here was hard for you with it being your first time.” Her eyes flicker between Willem and I. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay in the main house? I know Ian offered the guest house, but we have guest rooms here as well. This house is far too big for just the two of us.”

“Oh, no.” I won’t be able to handle staying under the same roof as them. They’ll want to separate us, I imagine, after Ian’s refusal to acknowledge any of the bonds to them. “I would feel too terrible imposing like that after showing up unannounced. And I’m sure Ian will feel better about us staying in the guest house.” Otherwise why would he have suggested it?

“If you’re sure, honey. I don’t want you to think we’re bad hosts… or parents.” She gets a faraway look in her eyes for a moment, and I have a feeling she must wonder what I know about Mason and Ian. My heart aches for her a little.

“I promise you I don’t think either of those things,” I tell her softly. Ian and Mason’s dad might be a little gruff, but there’s no mistaking the pride in his and Tia’s eyes when they looked at both men. The one they raised and the one they missed out on.

I can’t imagine the kind of pain that goes into making the decision they did. And really, it’s none of my business.

I happen to like both men, no matter how or where they were raised.

“Let me show you the guest house.” Tia shakes her head like she’s shaking away the sad atmosphere, and it seems to work for her. She spends the walk to the guest house telling Willem and I about how Ian split his pants minutes before he was supposed to leave for prom his senior year of high school.

It’s nice to hear her humanize him. I was probably starting to idolize the twins a little too much after they helped protect me twice. It’s good to know I’m attracted to the normal, awkward side of Ian too.

I’m left with happiness buzzing in my chest when Tia says goodnight to Willem and I, leaving us alone in the guest cabin.

“We didn’t get our bags,” Willem points out as he trails deeper into the cabin. It’s nice and homey, a slight upgrade from the rentals at the campground, and it looks like something right out of Appalachia. Sleek furniture fills the space, and an overstuffed couch and set of armchairs sit in front of the fireplace in the living room. A short hall leads further into the cabin, and I can just make out a few doors lining the shadowed walls.

I shrug, though my heart beats like a kickdrum in my chest at the thought of being separated from the heart stones. Convincing myself that they’ll be safe, that I’ll only look insane if I run back in there and demand my bags, leads me to say, “I’m sure Ian will think to bring them.” I feel like we’re on tenuous ground with the twins’ father—I don’t want there to be any reason for him to turn his back on his sons or ask us to leave.

“It could be a while. It seemed like they have a lot to talk about.” Willem stops to look out an oversized window, drawing my gaze to the view and distracting me for the time being from my bags and the heart stones.

I hold my breath as I join him, amazed at the way the cabin looks out over the side of the mountain. Bathed in moonlight, it’s shadowy and mysterious, but still beyond gorgeous. In the daylight, I’m sure it would beautifully showcase the peaks and valleys surrounding us. It’s picturesque, and I imagine land developers would kill to know this view exists.

Ian must not have been joking about how far removed this small town is from society. There’s no way a place like this would stay empty and mostly untouched otherwise.

“This is stunning,” I breathe out.

“It’s not a bad place to stay for a couple of days,” Willem agrees.

I catch myself leaning into him, and after a moment, he puts his arm around me. He meets my eyes in the reflection of the glass, and we stare at each other that way for a long time as tension builds.

I’m attracted to Willem, but more than that, I feel emotionally connected to him. Maybe it’s silly to think in terms of love at first sight, but my heartbeat feels absolutely haywire as his fingers rub slow circles on my arm.

Maybe it’s puppy love because I’m connecting with someone for the first time. And maybe some of the reason is knowing he needs someone, and I want to be needed. Caring for others is what I’ve always done best, after all.

Whatever the reason, I find myself turning toward him and tilting my chin up—silently asking him to kiss me.

“Are you sure?” He puts his hands on my shoulders, as if he’s somewhere halfway between pushing me away and drawing me closer. His brows furrow as his dark brown eyes search my face, and I force myself to stifle a smile.

“I’m not sure of anything,” I admit, and something about the words lifts the weight that’s been crushing over me the past few days away. Maybe some vulnerability about the situation, accepting that I have no idea what the heck I’m supposed to do next, is exactly what I needed. “Kiss me anyway.”

I brush his hands off my shoulders and step closer, putting us chest-to-chest. Instead of waiting for him, I stand on my tiptoes and get as close as possible, bracing myself with the palms of my hands flat against his pecs. His breath quickens, body pressing against mine, and because we’re so close, I can just pick up the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his chest. His nerves are cute, but I’m antsy to be touched by him, to feel his lips on mine as we connect.

“I’ve come ninety percent of the way. I only need you to meet me at the ten percent mark,” I whisper.

My own heart pounds painfully in my chest at the possibility of being rejected. I don’t think he’ll deny me, but the fear is still there. If he kisses me, I can finally let myself believe he might really be open to exploring our bond without fretting over the bonds I share with two other men.

I desperately need that confirmation from him. The twins have made it more than clear that they’re along for the ride, regardless of what it brings, but I need Willem to show he’s here for reasons that are more than his need to stave off his loneliness.

Willem cups my cheeks, and my breath catches. My stomach dips as he leans in, breath puffing over my lips as his mouth drops open slightly.

He kisses me.

It’s chaste, not prodding or full of any expectation. He kisses me like he would be happy even if this was the only chance he ever got to. But I want more. It’s sweet, but it's the kind of kiss you give someone on the way out the door for the day. Quick and easy, not necessarily devoid of feeling, but not full of the passion I long for.

My tongue darts out to brush the seam of his lips. A thrill shoots up my spine when his lips part for me, letting me slip my tongue between them and deepen the kiss. My hands trail upward, one resting on his shoulder and the other reaching around to caress the back of his neck before delving into the short hair at the base of his skull.

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