Etienne (The Shifters of Shotgun Row Book 1)(30)

But that was the thing. I knew it wouldn’t. Something happened over the course of tonight, and for the first time, I felt like he could be the one, and even if he turned out not to be, he was worth a bazillion times worth the risk.

“He was married. I didn’t know. I swear it. And then he said stuff, and I got kicked out of school, and here I am. You sure you want an uneducated naive fool?” I spat it all out at the speed of light to avoid chickening out.

“I absolutely do not.” I went to pull away, only to find his other arm pulling me in closer in a complete hug, his lips caressing the top of my head before he continued. “I want you. All of you. Your ghost-talking, king-nut making, best-ass-in-town self.”

“Did you just talk about my rear?” And, more importantly, why did his crass comment make me giddy? I should be appalled at the sexist nature of it, but instead I wanted more compliments.

“I was guessing it was too soon for titty compliments.”

Be careful what you wish for? I laughed.

“Maybe just a little bit.” I yawned before I could stop myself. It had to be near midnight, and I’d been at the bakery at four. Thankfully, we were closed tomorrow, so I could sleep in.

“I need to get you to bed.”

“Do you need to get up early?” Because if he didn’t, I planned to fight sleep, but if he did, that was a different ball game.

“Nope. Third shift tomorrow, which I normally hate, but seeing as it means I can spend the day with you, I hate a lot less than normal. Bakery is closed tomorrow, right? You keepin’ your grandma’s old schedule?”

“I am. And I would love to spend the day with you.”

He gave me another squeeze before offering his hand, which I greedily took, and leading me to his bed.

“Here, you take the bed.” He pulled down the covers before reaching into the small dresser beside it, pulling out one of his T-shirts, and handing it to me.

“Thanks for the shirt.” He turned his back to me dutifully while I put it on and climbed into bed. “I was hoping you’d sleep with me. Not sex, as we already discussed, but sleep?”

Because the thought of him not being there with me while he was in the same building was just too much for this girl to bear. Or gator, as the case might be.





Etienne



She didn’t know what she was asking. And I sure as fuck didn’t know how to say no to the redheaded female now tucked into my warm bed, surrounded by my smell.

“Are you scared a gator or a bear or a panther will snap you up in the night like a little snack?”

She laughed, but it sounded far away. She was already falling asleep when I shucked my jeans and shirt and climbed in next to her.

“No, I know you wouldn’t eat me. Wait, which one is the panther?”

The panther was Callum, but I didn’t think she would remember even if I told her.

I brushed a chunk of hair from her face. The bayou moon was coming into my window and caressed the other side of her face.

“I’m glad you came into my life, gorgeous.”

Her eyes flew open. “I am, too. I’m not tired, Etienne. Tell me more about being your mate.”

She was a filthy no-good liar about the tired part. Her exhaustion was in the air around me like a film. But I would oblige. She could just about ask me for anything here in my bed in the night, and I would do it for her.

Anything.

“Mates are like marriage on crack. It’s not that we vow never to cheat, we physically cannot cheat. My body is yours and yours alone, now. It’s not that we try not to lie. You will know when and if I lie and be able to call me on it immediately. I don’t promise to honor you in sickness and in health because, how could I not? Your needs come before mine. We will be bound in a union a marriage certificate can’t touch. But I know you’re not shifter, so if you want to do the wedding thing, I would do that for you. Basically, you’re stuck with me for a long-ass time.”

One of her hands lazily trailed up the side of my torso from my hip to my shoulder, and she kneaded the muscle there. “I want to be stuck with you for a long time. Isn’t that too soon? Isn’t it weird? I’m not a shifter.”

I shrugged. “You’re not a normal human, either. Maybe that has something to do with it.”

“You won’t tell them until I’m ready?”

My eyes closed. Even now, as I explained to her she was my mate, she still questioned if she could trust me. It made me want to strangle whoever that other man was—and by strangle, I mean choke with my gator teeth.

“I would never tell my brothers anything you don’t want me to. I hope you like them. They are family to me.”

She laughed again. “Lazare offered to take me on a run in the woods. Said it would be like Tarzan in the trees.”

Apparently, the thought of Lazare hanging through the trees was a trip wire for her giggle box because after she said that, it took a full twenty minutes before she stopped laughing.

“You’re tired, Tansy. Get some sleep. Otherwise, you’re going to be too sleepy to enjoy me in the morning.”

Yes, that sounded the way I wanted it to.

“Okay. Rub my back. I will pass right out.” She flopped onto her stomach.

“Here?” I asked, rubbing right above that glorious ass of hers.