“If you want to see me naked, all you have to do is ask.” Katalina shook her head at the wicked glint in his eyes.
“I think you’ve been in the ‘real world’ too long. Can I have the straight-laced, serious Sebastian Evernight back?”
“I’ve never been straight-laced,” he answered, pulling the duvet down to reveal his wound.
Placing her mug on the bedside table, Kat untied the strips of sheet around his middle and pulled them off. “Wow!” she breathed. “I honestly thought you were going to die when I saw this a few days ago.”
“Perks of being a wolf.”
“I’ll go get a dressing. I think there is a big one left.”
Katalina stuck the dressing on his stomach, her fingers brushing over warm skin. She found them wandering on their own, tracing each curve of his abs, steadily, they made their way up to his chest. Hands splaying possessively, she looked up to see eyes of starlit night, hungry with desire.
Their breathing shallow, and hearts a rapid tempo, they remained locked in each other’s gaze.
She was in his lap a second later, forgetting he was hurt, forgetting everything but him. His hands explored her body like she was a piece of art. Lingering on the curve of her hip, the edge of her rib, his hand held her possessively. She crushed her lips to his, wanting and consuming, pouring into him everything she felt; every kiss saying I love you… I love you… I love you…
The creak of a door and the shuffle of feet broke them apart in a gasp for air, chests heaving and hearts booming.
“Hide!” Katalina hissed as her hearing picked up the feet coming toward her door.
“Kat?” Her grandmother knocked softly on the door.
Kat glanced back at her bed, but Bass had gone. How does he move so silently?
“Yeah?”
“Hey, oh, are you going somewhere?” Her grandmother glanced at her bed, sheets and duvet rumpled, duffle bag half-open with clothes spilling out of it.
“Yeah, I need to go talk to Jackson.”
“Is that wise? He seems like a very angry man.”
Katalina sighed. Dropping the clothes from her hand, she slumped on the bed.
“The thing is, Gram, he is my father, and I need to see this through. I know he’s an arrogant ass and has a serious temper, but I need to hear him out.”
“Did you meet your mother as well, Kat?”
“No, I…she’s…she’s dead. She was murdered when I was a baby. That’s why Jackson gave me away. I guess he couldn’t handle me after he lost his wife.”
“Murdered!? Gosh, Kat, that’s terrible.”
Katalina nodded, unsure what to say.
“Look, Kat, I can’t tell you what to do. Only you can decide what is best, but I want you to know you owe that man nothing. He may be your biological father but he gave up every right the day he left you on our doorstep.”
“I know, Gram. I just want to sort things out between us so I can move on.”
“You’ll ring me when you arrive. Where is it you’re going?”
“Near Atlanta, he has a farm out there. It’s pretty remote.”
“You will keep in touch? There’ll always be a place for you at my house. Me and Susan, we’ll always be your family. You do know that, right?”
“Of course, Gram.” She hugged her.
“Oh, I forgot to ask, how’s Arne?”
“They kept him in for observation. The vet is going to ring this morning but she thought he was going to be fine.”
“Oh, that’s good then. Are you taking him with you?”
“Yes, not leaving without him.”
Her gram got up to leave, pausing at the door. “I’m just going to nip to the shop for milk.”
“Drive safely,” Katalina smiled.
Once the door was closed, Bass walked out of her wardrobe. His shorts hung low on his waist. Katalina was too distracted by his raw, male beauty to notice the dress he held.
“You should pack this. I like this.”
What? “Oh, that, read the tag,” she said with a smile.
Bass read the words on the tag pinned to the dress. “Be my summer girl, Dad. Summer girl?”
“I don’t like shopping. Hate it in fact. Most of the clothes in my wardrobe have been bought by either Mom or Dad. Mom had a thing for buying me anything, white or wintery, whereas Dad always bought me summer dresses, which I hardly ever wear. I’m more a shorts and tee kinda girl. Dad bought that for Christmas. I’ve not worn it yet.”
“Definitely packing it then.” Bass scrunched it up, hanger and all, and stuffed it in her bag.
Katalina pulled it out with a huff, removing the coat hanger and folding it neatly. “You do know its winter and there’s a foot of snow on the ground?”