“The bedroom is in the loft?” Midas’s joints protested the idea of climbing the ladder.
“The interior designer had all kinds of weird ideas. Apparently, that was one of them.” She led him straight to the office door. “This is the original master suite.” She shoved open the door. “Linus used it as an art studio. There’s only the one bathroom, and it’s off the main space. No en suite.”
“One bathroom in this entire place?”
“Nuts, right?” She shook her head. “What was that woman thinking?”
“That it would only have to suit Linus?”
“Forever?”
“He didn’t have a lot of prospects until recently.”
“He had his pick of the litter. He just didn’t want any of them.”
Once she stepped aside, he could see the interior better. “That is a big bed.”
“Looks like Lisbeth opted for a king size after all.” She wrapped her arms across her middle. “I hope you don’t mind. Your toes won’t hang off now, and you’ll actually be able to turn over. With this much space, we might not even stick together anymore.”
“I loved that futon.”
“Liar.” She chuckled. “You slept with one cheek flapping in the breeze.”
“But I slept with you.” He took her hand. “That made up for it.”
“Sweet talker.” She tugged down the sheets on his usual side. “Climb in.”
He did as he was told, grateful when he sank onto the cool sheets and soft mattress.
“Are you thirsty?” She covered him up to his waist. “Hungry?”
“All I need is you.” He reached for her. “Come to bed.”
A happy sound escaped her, and she launched onto the mattress. Rather than bouncing, she stuck fast in the dense memory foam and frowned as she sank in. He barely felt her wiggling free from his side of the bed.
“That was more fun in my head.” She inched closer to him then settled in. “It feels so weird to be here.”
“In Linus’s old suite?”
“It’s like I’m sleeping in my parents’ room while they’re away. Like Linus might come home early and find me with a boy in my bed.” She stared around the room. “I also feel like there are eyeballs in the walls, like Grier is watching me.”
“He did have an abnormal amount of Grier-based art in here…”
“Right?” Her breath huffed across his shoulder. “The man is obsessed.”
“He’s in love.”
Hadley made a thoughtful sound. “Is there a difference?”
That she had to ask meant she hadn’t experienced it yet, and he rubbed a dull ache over his heart.
“I’m not sure,” he confessed softly. “Maybe.”
“Stop that.” She caught his hand and lowered it to his side. “You’ll hurt yourself.”
“You handled the situation in the elevator like a pro.” He refused to let her go, so she laced their fingers. “I was impressed.”
“I’m trying to walk the line between what’s acceptable to the pack versus what’s acceptable to me.”
“Keep that up, and they might think you’re serious about me.”
“I can’t remember being more terrified in my life than when you dropped in the hall.” Her expression grew haunted. “Trust me.” She shivered. “That’s saying something.”
The sensation of fur brushed along the underside of his skin as his feral half relaxed again, even as its curiosity prickled. “You owe me a secret.”
“I thought about scooping your hair out of the trash and putting it in a plastic bag.”
Midas cranked his head toward her. “Are you serious?”
“Can you imagine Ford’s face if he opened a letter, and there it was?” She mimed wiping tears from her eyes. “What about you?”
“I want to know more about you.”
The laughter dried in her throat, and she swallowed hard. “You might not like what you find out.”
“Please.” He tightened his hold. “Don’t pull away from me.”
“I didn’t mean to, I just…have to think about this.” Her gaze went distant. “I can’t give you an answer tonight.”
“I don’t need one tonight, or tomorrow, or next year.” He pinched her chin and angled her head toward him. “I had to say it.” He scented her fear, regret, grief. “You can say no, and I’ll still be right here. You can say yes, in five years or ten, and I’ll still be right here.”
“You can’t promise that.” Her eyes glittered. “You don’t know me well enough.”
“You saved my life. A couple of times. You’re smart, brave, and dedicated.” He exhaled. “Whatever you tell me won’t change any of that, and I don’t need a preview of coming attractions to make that vow.”
“Movie joke,” she teased. “I like it.”
“I thought you might.” He kissed her knuckles. “I meant to tell you Dani sent me a text reminding you to come to the gym with me first of next month.”
“She’s got a phone?”
“Her grandparents pay the bill.” He kept in touch with her and reported to them weekly. “She could go live with them, but they’re out of state, and she won’t leave her mom. They showed up out of the blue one day with sentinels to force her hand, but she disappeared for a month. They haven’t tried it again.”
“Poor kid.” Her fingers slid from his. “Tell her I’ll be there.” She shifted onto her back. “For my safety, and the safety of everyone else in attendance, I think I’m going to start her out with pool noodles.”
“Sword Fighting 101 with Hadley Whitaker,” he mused. “BYOPN.”
“Evildoers tremble with fear.” She turned back toward him, scooched a little closer. “I’ll think about it.”
He didn’t have to ask what she meant. He knew she was giving him his answer.
Smile tugging on his lips, he let his eyes close and fell into a healing sleep.
Fifteen
Reece texted me while I was attempting to figure out how to work Linus’s fancy espresso machine. It was the only countertop appliance left, proving how well Bishop knew me, and it was smarter than me. I could tell by the tone it used every time I got the button sequence wrong.
“I will end you.” I slapped the top with my open palm. “Give me my coffee.”
“That model is worth a few grand.” Midas padded into the kitchen, skin light pink in spots but steady on his feet. “You can always sell it and use the cash to buy a machine like the one you had. Or you could use it to pay one of the twins to bring you coffee every morning from the shop around the corner.”
“I thought they only did laundry.”
Simply known as The Twins, sons of one of the pack enforcers, they had absconded with the rolling laundry cart Bishop acquired for us to smuggle Bonnie Diaz, in gwyllgi form, into the Faraday. They used it to launch their own laundry service for single, busy, or just plain lazy gwyllgi in the building.