Ask Me Why(67)

I growl in her ear. “Don’t tempt me.”

Braelyn suddenly break away from me. “That reminds me I have something to ask you. All the sex and orgasms were clouding my memory. I forgot until you got all alpha again.”

“Okay?”

“Why were you cursing a blue streak after the movie last night?”

I glance down, collecting the scatters of truth. “You two looked like a dream I never wanted to have.”

She tips her head sideways. “What?”

“You and Ollie on the couch. Cuddled up like that. Hit me in a spot I didn’t know was there. Just weird, I guess. Never mind.”

Braelyn’s mouth curves into a secretive smile. “That was a very sweet moment for me. I would have stayed in that uncomfortable position all night if it meant Ollie was sleeping soundly.”

“That’s part of the issue,” I mutter.

Her lips twist to the side. “Of course it is.”

I almost laugh at her flip in expression. “We don’t need to spend a ton of time delving into my fucked-up frame of mind. It was a moment of weakness.”

“Have you ever been in love?” Her question comes out of left field, smacking me in the face. I let my expression grow taut. “That’s outrageous. I have a child. I love him irrevocably. To assume otherwise is asinine.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she whispers.

“Other than my son? Nope.”

“I’m talking the passionate, Eros kind.”

I scoff. “Absolutely not. Why?”

She studies me far too closely. Her gaze flickers away a moment later. “Just curious.”

“Problem?”

“No.” The word is so soft my ears strain to hear it.

“Why bring up the concept of love only to drop it immediately after?” Now that we’re on the subject, maybe a few boundaries can be reinstated.

Her mossy eyes aren’t sparkling when she peers up at me. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Just popped into my brain.”

Guess we’ll have to discuss our situation tonight.

I drop her hand, checking the time on my watch. “On that note, I gotta go.”

Braelyn startles, looking over her shoulder. “What? Where’s Ollie?”

“Still sleeping. Mary is in the office, doing who knows what.”

“O-okay.” She looks a little lost.

I press my lips to the crown of her head. “If you’re concerned about exposing our cover, I’d get gone. Little man will wake up sooner rather than later.”

She leaps to her feet, almost knocking the chair over. “Yeah, good idea.”

That gets a loud laugh out of me. “I didn’t mean right this second.”

She twists her fingers together. “It’s fine. I should be going anyway. Thicket won’t open itself.”

“Well, if that’s the case.” I sweep an arm toward the entryway. “I’ll walk you out.”

Braelyn is quiet, to the point of concern. Maybe I should prod deeper. But that might make it worse. We slip on our shoes and step into the garage. I press the opener, the gears grinding as it lifts. We stand next to each other without saying a word. The silence stretches, making the air dense and hard to swallow.

I loop an arm around her. “You okay?”

She seems to snap herself out of something. I haven’t witnessed this type of reaction from her in weeks. “Uh-huh, yeah. It’s nothing, I’m fine. Sorry for being weird.”

“No worries, babe. We’re all good. This is still working for you, right?” I motion between us.

“Of course. I’m not acting odd because of you. Promise. Just a funk.” She taps her temple. “This baby never shuts down, remember?”

I pull her into my chest. “Except with lots of sex.”

“Right.” She giggles, and the tension seeps out of me.

“‘Til tonight then?”

Braelyn nods, those green pools vibrant once again. “Looking forward to it.”





Braelyn



Spite



I knock on the door, my palms still sweaty from the drive. My fingers shake, and I curl them into a fist. For whatever reason, my nerves are shot. I’ve tried to calm the chaos that’s building in my belly. There’s no explanation for the unsteady pulse thrumming through me. My day was uneventful, which suited me fine. Other than my strange reaction with Brance this morning, nothing has been out of the ordinary.

As I wait on the stoop, a chill sweeps over me. A quick glance at the sky confirms thunderous clouds descending at a rapid rate. I can’t help feeling there’s more than one storm rolling in. But that’s just my weird mood whispering poison.

Mary swings the door open, a wide smile stretching her weathered features. “Braelyn, welcome.”

I offer a small wave. “Hello, Mary.”

“Come in, please.” She moves over and makes a path, gesturing toward the hallway. “Have a seat at the table.”

After slipping off my shoes, I shuffle into the kitchen. My eyes land on the massive windows along the far wall. A few hints of sunshine are fighting to peek through the torrential gloom. Rain is imminent.

“Sit, sit.” Mary bustles in behind me, humming a cheery tune. Her giddy demeanor lifts my mopey spirits.