Page 42 of Stealthy as a Wolf

Heaving a sigh, I elbowed my way past him, making sure I nailed him hard enough in the ribs that he grunted. “If you like staring at him so much, maybe you should join him.”

Nose in the air, I sauntered into the room, my pace slowing when I saw both Matty and Grady had returned. My ire with the twins faded, replaced by concern. Grady stood in front of the window, while Matty sat on the edge of the bed, both of them snapping to attention when I entered.

They looked exhausted. “Did either of you get any rest?”

Matty raked his fingers through his hair and shrugged. “After being locked away for so long, I can’t seem to fall asleep. I’m afraid I’ll wake up and find myself back in prison.”

My chest tightened at the flash of genuine fear in his bright green eyes. I came to a stop in front of him, and he naturally opened his legs to make room for me. I edged closer, hesitantly lifting my hand toward him, and he leaned into my touch with a little sigh. I ran my fingers through his sandy blond hair, marveling at the shaggy texture, taking pleasure from just being able to touch him.

He groaned, his head falling forward to rest against my chest, seeming to melt at my touch. A near silent, broken purr rumbled under my fingertips. He stiffened slightly, almost like he would pull away, as if ashamed of the sound, and I ran my claws lightly down the back of his neck—then sank them into his shoulders.

He jerked, hissing in a sharp breath, then tipped his head back and peered up at me in confusion. Before he could say anything, I dipped down and kissed him. It was slow, more of a pressing of lips as I memorized the taste of him, the sensations leaving me all tingly and floaty.

I pulled back with a dreamy sigh, reluctantly cracking my eyes open, then blushing at the unguarded awe that lit up his expression.

“Are you thinking about prison now?” I searched for any cracks in his composure, looking for any remaining darkness haunting his eyes.

He shook his head, his expression dazed. “No, that’s the last thing on my mind.”

The corner of my lips quirked, the worry knotting my gut easing. “The next time you feel overwhelmed, think of that kiss. And if that memory isn’t enough, find me and I’ll give you another demonstration.”

A slow smile brightened his face, chasing away the last of the shadows. He captured my hand, then kissed the back of it. “Deal.”

The slam of a door made me jump, and I broke away from Matty to see Burke disappearing into the bathroom. I rolled my eyes and turned toward Grady, noting the tired lines on his face. I strode over to him, grabbed his arm, and tugged.

When he refused to budge, I ended up jerking to a halt. I frowned at him over my shoulder, then gave an impatient yank. “Come.”

With a flicker of amusement, he took a reluctant step to follow. When we reached the bed I shared with the twins, I grabbed his arms until he was facing me, then shoved his chest.

He was a big bastard, my touch shouldn’t have budged him, but he allowed me to move him the way I wanted until he was seated on the bed. He released a giant sigh, his shoulders sagging, and I gave him another push. “Lie back.”

Again, he obeyed without a word.

What I didn’t expect was for him to grab my arms and drag me down with him. I landed with anoomph, thought for a second about peeling myself off him, then rejected the idea. I was right where I wanted to be. I squirmed around until I found a comfortable spot, then rested my head against his chest with a sigh and draped myself over him like a blanket.

Albeit a very short, very small blanket, compared to his size.

His hand came to rest against my lower back, spanning it almost completely, the heat of him soaking into me. His chin came to rest on the top of my head, snuggling me close, then everything in him seemed to relax. His breathing gradually became even and steady, and I was shocked to realize that he fell asleep just that fast.

Matty met my eyes, flashing me a soft smile. “The clothes look good on you.”

“You picked them out.” I wasn’t sure why I was surprised, but it made sense. I liked that I was wearing something he selected just for me, done with obvious care. “Thank you.”

He fell back against the bed, never breaking eye contact, leaving us face-to-face. “Grady dropped me off to pick up some supplies while he scouted the area.”

I scanned the room, noticing the bags lined up below the window. I’d been so focused on Grady that I missed them the first time. When I glanced at Matty again, his eyes were closed, and he was sound asleep.

Who knew I had a special skill that instantly put men to sleep?

While part of me felt smug knowing I could give them that peace, a tiny part was annoyed.

Out of four men, I was batting zero.

It was a little depressing.

A door opened behind me. Without looking, I knew the twins were back. Electricity sparked in the air when they were near, calling to my beast. For the first time in my life, I knew what made girls giggle when looking at a guy, what made their eyes go all dopey, and what made them do stupid things.

But I wasn’t that girl.

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