exactly what had happened there. But she wasn’t ready yet.
She kept rationalizing until she felt the car stop, lurching forward slightly.
But when she opened her eyes, she wasn’t at the airport. She was at the house where they’d made love. And Scott was coming around to open her door.
----
M ara stuttered , completely taken aback as he opened her door and pulled her out. He set her down by the SUV and started unloading her things.
“Scott, we aren’t at the airport.”
He ignored her and started carrying her things into the house. Her eyes watered, and she didn’t even know why.
“You’re my mate,” he said simply, coming back after he’d dropped off the bags. He bent and slung her easily over his shoulder. “Did you think I’d let you get away that easy?” She looked at the car in shock as he carried her bodily up to the front steps and through the door.
The house was beautiful inside.
“Didn’t you think it was odd I would bring you here? Make love to you here? Accidentally mate you here?” he asked. “This is my house. And you will stay here, as my mate.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but he brought her into the living room and dumped her unceremoniously on the couch. Then he pointed to the mantle, where her painting was hanging, looking perfect.
“I didn’t kill your stalker,” he said. “Nor did I let him near your painting.”
Her heart throbbed. “Then he’s still out there?” She was relieved, because she didn’t want him to be a murderer, but at the same time, didn’t that mean he could still eventually come after her?
“Yes,” he said, taking off his jacket and rolling up his shirt cuffs as he sat next to her. “But he won’t be back.”
“How do you know?” she asked, not meeting his eyes. She couldn’t help feeling disappointment, and she didn’t know why he had brought her here.
“Because, I told him I was always going to be here. From now until forever. And if he wanted to get to you, he was going to have to go through me.” He gave her a wry grin that showed her the animal inside him. “And I don’t think he wants to try to go through me ever again.”
She blinked. “So he’s not… Wait, forever?”
He put his arms around her and pulled her against him. “I’m sorry for what I’ve put you through. My whole life I’ve been the one who had to push things below the surface, ignore my emotions so I could get things done.”
She stayed still, listening to his rapidly beating heart.
“When my mom left, I didn’t have time to feel sad. I needed to take care of my little brothers, Sky and Sebastien. And help my dad. And deal with the move. I couldn’t have done any of that if I listened to my feelings, so I pushed them away. And I’ve been working to push them away ever since.
“But one thing I’m realizing is you can push them away and be unaware of them, but they’re still there, motivating everything we do. Like my love for my brothers made me push away my grief. And like my love for you made me hunt down the man scaring you. I told myself I didn’t love you, that I was just doing the right thing, but the love I felt for your paintings, for you as a person, motivated each email, each second of planning. By the time I’d caught him, I knew for certain my dad was right.”
“Your dad?”
“I went to talk to him. Right after we mated. I blamed him for making me the way I am. Because he wasn’t capable of taking care of things and he forced me to step into an adult role too early. But he saved me by pointing out maybe a part of me wanted to mate you and that’s why I brought you out here and let myself lose control.”
“A part of you?”
“Yes, the part of me that runs beneath everything I do, caring for people even though I try not to, making me a protector. Making me strong.”
She rested on his chest, just trying to take it all in.
“So I can’t let you leave. I’m sorry. I know you want to go, that you only gave me that
She kept rationalizing until she felt the car stop, lurching forward slightly.
But when she opened her eyes, she wasn’t at the airport. She was at the house where they’d made love. And Scott was coming around to open her door.
----
M ara stuttered , completely taken aback as he opened her door and pulled her out. He set her down by the SUV and started unloading her things.
“Scott, we aren’t at the airport.”
He ignored her and started carrying her things into the house. Her eyes watered, and she didn’t even know why.
“You’re my mate,” he said simply, coming back after he’d dropped off the bags. He bent and slung her easily over his shoulder. “Did you think I’d let you get away that easy?” She looked at the car in shock as he carried her bodily up to the front steps and through the door.
The house was beautiful inside.
“Didn’t you think it was odd I would bring you here? Make love to you here? Accidentally mate you here?” he asked. “This is my house. And you will stay here, as my mate.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but he brought her into the living room and dumped her unceremoniously on the couch. Then he pointed to the mantle, where her painting was hanging, looking perfect.
“I didn’t kill your stalker,” he said. “Nor did I let him near your painting.”
Her heart throbbed. “Then he’s still out there?” She was relieved, because she didn’t want him to be a murderer, but at the same time, didn’t that mean he could still eventually come after her?
“Yes,” he said, taking off his jacket and rolling up his shirt cuffs as he sat next to her. “But he won’t be back.”
“How do you know?” she asked, not meeting his eyes. She couldn’t help feeling disappointment, and she didn’t know why he had brought her here.
“Because, I told him I was always going to be here. From now until forever. And if he wanted to get to you, he was going to have to go through me.” He gave her a wry grin that showed her the animal inside him. “And I don’t think he wants to try to go through me ever again.”
She blinked. “So he’s not… Wait, forever?”
He put his arms around her and pulled her against him. “I’m sorry for what I’ve put you through. My whole life I’ve been the one who had to push things below the surface, ignore my emotions so I could get things done.”
She stayed still, listening to his rapidly beating heart.
“When my mom left, I didn’t have time to feel sad. I needed to take care of my little brothers, Sky and Sebastien. And help my dad. And deal with the move. I couldn’t have done any of that if I listened to my feelings, so I pushed them away. And I’ve been working to push them away ever since.
“But one thing I’m realizing is you can push them away and be unaware of them, but they’re still there, motivating everything we do. Like my love for my brothers made me push away my grief. And like my love for you made me hunt down the man scaring you. I told myself I didn’t love you, that I was just doing the right thing, but the love I felt for your paintings, for you as a person, motivated each email, each second of planning. By the time I’d caught him, I knew for certain my dad was right.”
“Your dad?”
“I went to talk to him. Right after we mated. I blamed him for making me the way I am. Because he wasn’t capable of taking care of things and he forced me to step into an adult role too early. But he saved me by pointing out maybe a part of me wanted to mate you and that’s why I brought you out here and let myself lose control.”
“A part of you?”
“Yes, the part of me that runs beneath everything I do, caring for people even though I try not to, making me a protector. Making me strong.”
She rested on his chest, just trying to take it all in.
“So I can’t let you leave. I’m sorry. I know you want to go, that you only gave me that
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