selfish path. The cruel path. She would have known what her suicide would do to her son, and possibly her husband. Yet she did it anyway.
“Anna?” Chase said, as if it wasn’t the first time he’d spoken to her and she hadn’t replied.
“Sorry, what?” She looked up into his warm brown eyes and felt a little light-headed. And it wasn’t from the alcohol.
There was something about this man that called to her. Although all the brothers she’d met so far looked pretty much the same, none of them drew her the way this man did. Something told her she could trust him; something she'd always thought of as her instincts, but was now beginning to realise was the cat she'd seen in the mirror that morning. So maybe it was as simple as the cat part of her being claimed by him. Or maybe it was more. Because she did trust him; even though he’d bitten her, taken her away from her home and imprisoned her in an underground maze.
“I was asking if you were ready for bed. You look exhausted.”
“Oh, yes. I am. And the wine hasn’t helped. But at least I’m more relaxed now. Dinner was very challenging. As you realized.”
“I have a lot of work to do… but… my cat just wants to curl up at your side and sleep. Would you mind?” Chase seemed nervous and a little insecure, as if he expected her to deny him.
But that had been one of the conditions of this strange contract they’d made. He would not require anything from her except to sleep at her side, he' said, and check in with her at different times during the day. For the rest of the time, she was free to do as she liked below ground.
So why was he worried she’d refuse? Maybe he was going to make a move on her after all?
Scrambling off the big bed, she headed for her overnight bag that sat by the bathroom door. Only when she’d found the floral boxer shorts and blue tee-shirt she wore as PJs did she look at him again.
“That’s okay," she choked out, keeping her eyes averted. "It’s a big bed. I’m just going to have a quick shower.”
“Okay. I’ll just find something to... wear,” he muttered.
“ Find something?” Anna couldn’t help asking.
“Yeah, well, I usually sleep naked. But that’s not going to work tonight.”
She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and felt the blush burning its way up her neck to her cheeks. Imagining him in that big bed, naked and sleeping, was too disconcerting to think about.
“I just wear boxers and tee-shirt,” she held up her sleepwear so he could see it.
“If I just wore boxers, would that be enough?”
That would leave his chest bare. That very muscular chest naked. But it wasn’t indecent, so she could handle it. After all, it was his bed. And he’d promised there’d be no funny business.
“That’s okay. Boxers are okay,” she mumbled, closing herself into the bathroom.
The shower was a little bit of heaven, a heavy jet of hot water that she could get to just the temperature she wanted. By the time she stepped out of it again, the room was steamed up, despite the exhaust fan, and she was feeling even more relaxed and sleepy. But there was also excitement thrumming below the surface, and that had everything to do with what she would find on the other side of the door.
Taking her courage in both hands, she opened the door and stepped out into the darkened space. Her eyes adjusted immediately, and she realised that something was definitely different about her vision. And the speed she could move. When she’d accompanied Chase to his room he’d moved incredibly fast, but she’d had little trouble keeping up with him. Were these parts of what it meant to have a cat inside her?
Chase was lying on his side of the bed, a light-weight comforter covering him. His eyes were closed, his dark-blonde – or was it light-brown – hair more tousled than she’d seen it before. Not sure if he was asleep, she crept across the room and climbed up onto her side of the bed from the bottom. Maybe
“Anna?” Chase said, as if it wasn’t the first time he’d spoken to her and she hadn’t replied.
“Sorry, what?” She looked up into his warm brown eyes and felt a little light-headed. And it wasn’t from the alcohol.
There was something about this man that called to her. Although all the brothers she’d met so far looked pretty much the same, none of them drew her the way this man did. Something told her she could trust him; something she'd always thought of as her instincts, but was now beginning to realise was the cat she'd seen in the mirror that morning. So maybe it was as simple as the cat part of her being claimed by him. Or maybe it was more. Because she did trust him; even though he’d bitten her, taken her away from her home and imprisoned her in an underground maze.
“I was asking if you were ready for bed. You look exhausted.”
“Oh, yes. I am. And the wine hasn’t helped. But at least I’m more relaxed now. Dinner was very challenging. As you realized.”
“I have a lot of work to do… but… my cat just wants to curl up at your side and sleep. Would you mind?” Chase seemed nervous and a little insecure, as if he expected her to deny him.
But that had been one of the conditions of this strange contract they’d made. He would not require anything from her except to sleep at her side, he' said, and check in with her at different times during the day. For the rest of the time, she was free to do as she liked below ground.
So why was he worried she’d refuse? Maybe he was going to make a move on her after all?
Scrambling off the big bed, she headed for her overnight bag that sat by the bathroom door. Only when she’d found the floral boxer shorts and blue tee-shirt she wore as PJs did she look at him again.
“That’s okay," she choked out, keeping her eyes averted. "It’s a big bed. I’m just going to have a quick shower.”
“Okay. I’ll just find something to... wear,” he muttered.
“ Find something?” Anna couldn’t help asking.
“Yeah, well, I usually sleep naked. But that’s not going to work tonight.”
She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and felt the blush burning its way up her neck to her cheeks. Imagining him in that big bed, naked and sleeping, was too disconcerting to think about.
“I just wear boxers and tee-shirt,” she held up her sleepwear so he could see it.
“If I just wore boxers, would that be enough?”
That would leave his chest bare. That very muscular chest naked. But it wasn’t indecent, so she could handle it. After all, it was his bed. And he’d promised there’d be no funny business.
“That’s okay. Boxers are okay,” she mumbled, closing herself into the bathroom.
The shower was a little bit of heaven, a heavy jet of hot water that she could get to just the temperature she wanted. By the time she stepped out of it again, the room was steamed up, despite the exhaust fan, and she was feeling even more relaxed and sleepy. But there was also excitement thrumming below the surface, and that had everything to do with what she would find on the other side of the door.
Taking her courage in both hands, she opened the door and stepped out into the darkened space. Her eyes adjusted immediately, and she realised that something was definitely different about her vision. And the speed she could move. When she’d accompanied Chase to his room he’d moved incredibly fast, but she’d had little trouble keeping up with him. Were these parts of what it meant to have a cat inside her?
Chase was lying on his side of the bed, a light-weight comforter covering him. His eyes were closed, his dark-blonde – or was it light-brown – hair more tousled than she’d seen it before. Not sure if he was asleep, she crept across the room and climbed up onto her side of the bed from the bottom. Maybe
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