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)
His forehead furrowed. “No one here is going to hurt you, Nina.”
Trying to keep from making faces was a whole lot harder than I ever would have imagined, especially when he was looking right at me—and in that short-sleeved, collared shirt that showed off tan biceps, no less.
Henri kept going. “Either of you. And yeah, you can take her out if you want.”
“I do,” I answered. “She’s not grounded then?”
“She is, but….” He gave me a long look that had my eyebrows shooting up my forehead.
“But? Are you breaking the rules?” I whispered in delight.
Who was this man?
His facial expression didn’t change, and I ate it up even more. “If you don’t tell, I won’t either. She’s a good kid, and it was Pascal’s idea. She told me she tried to get them to come back, and I believe her.”
My mouth formed a little O in even more surprise, and one side of his mouth hitched up for a split second before he blinked and it was gone.
“Do you need to give me a permission slip in case anyone asks?”
The man, who kept surprising me, looked around. Literally, over both of those broad shoulders. “Are there more people out here right now that are gonna worry about it?”
I really didn’t know who he was, not the same man-boy I’d known, but I wanted to get to know him. This part of him made me smile, not just because it was unexpected but because… I liked it. A lot.
I snorted. “Just because I don’t see them or smell them, doesn’t mean they aren’t out here. You probably have people patrolling at all times, don’t you?”
He made a gesture that said I wasn’t wrong. “How are your friends?
“Sienna felt better enough that she came down and ate a little bit of plain chicken for dinner, and Matti was still upstairs claiming he’s on his death bed. It’s the first time either of them has ever had food poisoning.”
That got his attention. “What’d they eat?” He hadn’t asked about it after we’d paid them a visit. He’d seemed so distracted to me. “When we checked on them earlier, I thought they’d caught something viral. There’s a few illnesses that do get us sick.”
“Hot dogs from a gas station.”
His forehead furrowed. “Why the hell would they eat that?”
I laughed. “That’s what I said!”
Henri shook his head in disgust. “You remember the name of the gas station?”
Even more than a fit body, I had a thing for a good man.
I was in trouble.
But I shouldn’t have a thing for this good man. It had just been too long since the last time I’d talked to one, I guess, that it felt so new. So rewarding. My last boyfriend had been BD—before Duncan. Before my RV life, even. My last boyfriend had been when I’d lived in Santa Fe.
It had been a while.
Anyway, I wasn’t convinced this particular good man liked me as a person all that much to begin with. Tolerated? I could see that. Could be sarcastic with and maybe joke a little with? Yes, but I was also aware I gave those vibes off to most people, at least some part of me did. I was a weird contradiction in repelling some folks and strongly attracting others.
And there wasn’t going to be a point in harboring a little crush on an attractive man if I was going to have to devote myself to finding someone here to marry me so I could stay. That was the most important thing I had to focus on. I needed to find options. Whoever I ended up with, we were going to make it work, come hell or high water.
Because, if it was a werewolf, they stayed with their mates. A werewolf’s dedication to their partner was unparalleled. In sickness and in health, through sunny skies and tornadoes, they stayed together. And I liked that, I always had. But there was no point in thinking about that in front of Henri, even if a werewolf was my best shot since most of them seemed to like me just fine.
But some part of my brain wondered again about Henri being a potential mate. The other question was, did I talk to Matti about it or did I keep the idea to myself? He had a big mouth, and I wasn’t sure how he’d react.
“I do remember. I called and spoke to the manager earlier, but I’ll write down the number for you in the morning if you want,” I told him.
He nodded, then asked, “Do I need to check on them?”
“I don’t think so. Sienna and I won’t let Matti die. I don’t want him haunting me for the next sixty years.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners, there one second and gone the next. “All right,” he replied a little more softly than he had before.