Refuge(119)

“I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I should have waited a few days for you to settle in and told you I was leaving for a while.”

“What do we do now . . . about this, us?”

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. I mean . . . ” I took a minute to think about what I wanted to say. “When Tristan told me about the bond, I was upset that you kept it from me, and I admit I kind of freaked. Don’t take this the wrong way after what we just shared, but we’ve only known each other for a few months. I like you a lot, but how are we supposed to know if we want to spend forever together. Forever is a long time.” I groaned inwardly. God, how lame am I?

“You like me a lot?” he asked in a teasing voice.

My faced burned, and I was glad it was hidden in his shirt. “Sometimes.”

He stroked my hair again. “Forever is a long time, but we don’t have to think about that right now. Let’s just take it slow and see what happens. Just promise you’ll talk to me if you have questions or doubts instead of listening to other people.”

“I promise,” I said hoarsely.

“Good. Now, do you want to tell me what was bothering you in training today if it wasn’t this?”

“Nate can’t come for Thanksgiving.” I told him about my call from Nate yesterday, and his hand moved down to rub my back comfortingly.

“I’m sorry. I know how much you were looking forward to his visit.”

“It won’t be the same without him.” I sniffed back another round of tears. “God, I can’t stop crying tonight.”

“Then it’s a good thing my shirts don’t shrink when they get wet,” he said, making me smile.

I hiccupped and Nikolas laughed softly. He shifted slightly, and his lips brushed the top of my head. My heart swelled and I wrapped my arms around him. For the first time in a long time, I felt no anxiety or fear. I had no idea what was going to happen tomorrow or next week, but right now I felt warm and happy. My Mori sighed softly, and I realized I had never sensed it being this quiet and content.

“Do you feel better?” Nikolas asked, his hand rubbing my back in soothing circles that were making me sleepy.

“Yes, but I’m never touching tequila again.”

His chest rumbled with laughter. “If I’d known you were going on a drinking binge, I would have told you that Faeries have very little tolerance for human alcohol, unlike the rest of us. Looks like you inherited that trait from your Fae family.”

“Great, now you tell me. Some trainer you are.”

“Actually a good trainer lets you make mistakes at first so you learn never to repeat them.”

I made a face even though he couldn’t see it. “Then you are the best trainer ever.”

Nikolas chuckled. “How did you ever get by without me?”

“I have no idea.”





Chapter 19





I AWOKE SLOWLY inside a deliciously warm cocoon that I never wanted to leave. Blissfully happy, I sighed and snuggled against the source of the warmth.

“Good morning.”

It took several seconds for the voice to register in my brain. My eyes shot open and the first thing I saw was sunlight pouring through a window. The second thing was the wide chest beneath my cheek. I blinked a few times, trying to clear my muddled head, and I soon wished I hadn’t when I realized where I was and, more importantly, whom I was sprawled across.

“Morning,” I mumbled, too embarrassed to move.

A hand moved against my back. “How do you feel?” Nikolas asked in a husky morning voice that made my stomach quiver.

Last night came rushing back, and I remembered every humiliating detail of my time on his bathroom floor, followed by our conversation and him holding me on the couch. What I did not remember was falling asleep or how I had ended up in my current position.

“Good,” I said hoarsely. “Considering.”

“Considering the gallon of alcohol you threw up, you mean?” I didn’t need to see his face to know he was smiling. I scowled at his chest. Good to know one of us was enjoying this.

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” I pushed away from him and sat up, unable to meet his eyes. Smoothing my hair back from my face, I wondered how things would be between us now. Emotions had run high last night, and we’d said too much, shared too much, for us to go back to the relationship we’d had a day ago. I was happy with that, but I had no idea how Nikolas felt in the light of day.

“Are you going to look at me?”

“I hadn’t planned on it.”

He laughed softly and sat up. “You know you can’t avoid me forever.”