Chapter 52
Chapter 52
“Ack! Declan p>
He carried her down the hall.
“What are you–where are we p>
He carried her past her room, to his own. He nudged his door open
with his foot and brought her inside.
“Your room p>
“Relax.” He dropped her onto his bed like an armful of laundry. “I’m not going to do anything to you. You need to sleep. And I need you to
do it where I can keep an eye on you p>
“Why p>
The golden gleam in his eyes was receding, returning to his usual midnight gaze. “Because apparently you’re a sleepwalker. And that’s a real liability when there’s a predator roaming around.” He caught the edge of the comforter and flipped it over her. “Get some sleep. I
won’t touch you p>
He settled into the armchair next to his dresser, sinking deeply against the backrest and toeing his boots off. Somehow, they’d gone from making out against the wall to some kind of sexless sleepover. As she settled back against his pillows, Tessa became aware of his scent surrounding her. Her face burned pleasantly where his beard had rasped against her. He was on the other side of the room, but she could almost feel the warmth of his body enveloping her.
He watched her shift beneath the covers, his gaze feverishly intent. She heard a sound so low, she couldn’t be sure she wasn’t imagining
Chapter 52
it–a rolling growl, resonating deep in his chest. When she looked back up at him, the growl died away.
“Go to sleep, Tessa,” he commanded. His voice rasped over her skin
like calloused hands. A delicious shiver chased up her spine. She
turned away from his heated gaze before she did something really
stupid.
Before she knew it, the comfort of his scent and the warmth of his
bed had lulled her. She fell asleep.
Tessa woke up the next morning in her own bed. She lifted her
t–shirt to her face, inhaling deeply. There was no scent of Declan.
Her cheeks and neck were cool and smooth, with no beard burn.
Her door was locked from the inside.
Had she dreamt it all? Alex and Declan? The werewolf conversation?
As soon as the word “werewolf” crossed her mind, she laughed at herself. Of course it had been a dream. If Declan kissing her and bringing her into his room weren’t fantastical enough, the absurdity of werewolves certainly brought reality crashing down.
Damn. She slid out of bed, smiling ruefully. Even in her dreams, she wasn’t getting laid. Dream Declan had been a perfect gentleman, dozing in his chair while Tessa slept in his bed. In the dream, his room had been tidy and sparse, with a green and blue quilt on the bed. Unlike the irregular shape of her room, his had been a perfect rectangle. Just like hers, the ledge below his window was stuffed with books. In the dark, she hadn’t been able to read most of the spines, but she’d noticed a copy of Julius Caesar’s The Gallic Wars and a big hardcover entitled Montezuma. Clearly, the sight of him reading had left a big imprint on her subconscious.
When Tessa made her way down to the dining room, half of the town seemed to be packed in there. Every head swiveled towards her. She froze in the doorway, mid–step.
Chapter 52
“Alright, alright,” Harry Lance’s voice cut through the buzz of conversation, impatient and gruff. “Leave the girl alone. She just wants some breakfast.” He leaned away from the counter, waving her over. “Come on, Tessa. Get some food in your belly p>
Was she still dreaming? Was that really Harry being protective of
her?
There was an open seat at the counter between Jess and Wade had to have been intentionally saved for Tessa, judging by t in the dining room. Every other seat was occupied, with spar mismatched chairs having been pulled out of storage and crowded
around tables.
“Hey, Tessa.” Jess nudged her, shoulder to shoulder.
“Morning,” Wade said, giving her forearm a friendly squeeze.
She hadn’t been sitting for even thirty seconds when a deep male
bass rumbled behind her, “Tessa p>
She turned to see Arthur. Before she could speak, he pulled her into
a lung–crushing hug.
“Thank you,” he said hoarsely, crushing her even tighter. “You saved
her p>
“No I didn’t,” Tessa wheezed. “I couldn’t get to her p>
Arthur released her, only to grab her shoulders. Holding her at arm’s length, he looked fiercely into her eyes. “If it hadn’t been for you, we’d have lost Tasha.” He looked stricken. “You were brave and
selfless and I owe you my life p>
“Arthur, no you don’t,” Tessa mumbled, embarrassed.
“I do.” He held her gaze for a moment, then clapped her on the
Chapter 52
shoulders and released her. Natasha emerged from the kitchen’s swinging door and Arthur hurtled over the counter with astonishing Tessa, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her deeply.
After a second of stiffened surprise, Natasha melted into his arms. When at last they broke apart, Arthur bent his head and bit at her shoulder playfully.
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