Total pages in book: 254
Estimated words: 240032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1200(@200wpm)___ 960(@250wpm)___ 800(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 240032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1200(@200wpm)___ 960(@250wpm)___ 800(@300wpm)
I dropped my voice. “Is it okay if we give Agnes some?”
“Yes,” Duncan replied without breaking his focus on the TV.
Love bloomed even brighter in my chest. “You’re a good boy, you know that?”
His head turned toward the door a moment before there was a knock.
“Henri?” I called out, finally sensing the strong presence of his magic. It was different from everyone else’s, big and bright, wild and solid at the same time. Just like him, in a way.
The door cracked, then went wider as the man I’d expected it to be appeared in the doorway. It was clear he’d showered from his glossy hair. His dark green pajama pants and white under shirt were a surprise though. I’d never seen him ready for bed so early.
“Hi, Fluff. I wasn’t expecting visitors.” I indicated down at the blanket tucked up under my armpits and the snacks scattered around my body, the beef jerky literally sitting on my chest.
From just inside the doorway, Henri nodded. “I can see that.”
He looked tired; he sounded like it too. He hadn’t been around for breakfast or dinner, and I’d thought he was supposed to have the day off.
I sat up a little. “Everything okay?”
His gaze moved around the room, landing on Duncan, the photographs of my parents, and us with Matti and Sienna on the nightstands, and then the toys piled on the dresser. Eventually those orange-brown eyes made their way back to me just as he cupped the back of his neck, hard muscles clinging to his thin white shirt in the process. I pretended not to notice that his nipples were hard. “I wanted to make sure you were all good after yesterday.”
“Yeah, I’m fine, thank you.” I watched him for a second, then contemplated for another second. “Do you want to watch this movie with us? It’s only been on ten minutes.” I gestured to my chest and to the plates. “We have snacks, and I washed the sheets today.” I patted the bed beside me and smiled at him. “No funny business. Promise.”
The faint smile that came over his mouth was one that touched my heart more than it had any business doing. Especially when he had the closest thing to dark circles around his eyes. How much sleep had he been getting lately?
“If you want,” I offered. “No one will come looking for you here. We can wedge something under the door so no one can open it.”
“They can still call,” he let me know, touching his pocket where the unmistakable angles of a phone pressed against the cotton of his pants.
“Yes,” Duncan said out of nowhere. It wasn’t that I thought he was scared of Henri anymore, and I realized he liked him more than Agnes liked me at this point, but I hadn’t noticed that he liked him this much, enough to invite him to hang out with us.
That’s interesting.
“Even Duncan is inviting you,” I translated for Henri, trying not to let the surprise show on my face. “No pressure though, Your Fluffy Highness.”
I saw the moment he made a decision, and I shifted closer to Duncan as Henri came straight over on those long legs, pulling the comforter back like he’d done it a million times and climbing into bed.
Into my bed.
Not on top of the covers but under.
He took a second to adjust the pillows, propping them up so he had his back to the headboard like I did, but straighter, all while Duncan and I watched him without even trying to pretend like we weren’t.
Part of me hadn’t expected him to actually say yes, but I smiled when we made eye contact and held the bag with jerky out.
He reached in for a piece and took his time eating it, his eyes lighting up halfway. Those orangey-brown irises slid toward me.
I held out the bag again, and he took another two strips.
“Why’s it so good?” he asked, after he’d finished one of his pieces.
“I don’t add liquid smoke or sugar to it.” I winked.
Gaze still locked on mine, he took another bite with those strong white teeth.
Setting the silicone bag between us, I faced the television again and knit my fingers together over my chest. Duncan glanced over twice, and I handed him another piece of jerky before he turned back to the television, holding the dehydrated meat between his paws.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Henri take an apple slice after a little bit. The sigh he let out was so deep it could have inflated a hot-air balloon. Poor Fluff.
No one said a word until two commercials later.
“You ever take that bracelet off?” he asked out of the blue.
I startled and touched one of the beads, like I didn’t have them memorized. “Sometimes, but not that often.”
His “hmm” caught me about as off guard as his, “You don’t need to wear them around me, you know.” There was a long pause. “It’s only us in the clubhouse right now.”