Page 15 of Titan’s Mate

She knew it wasn’t that long. She’d seen the dates. But she couldn’t say that. She couldn’t make it worse for him.

“It doesn’t matter how long it’s been,” she said instead. “You still miss them. Sometimes when you least expect it.”

His grip relaxed, and he pulled a set of sheets out of the drawer. “Who did you lose?” he asked, turning to face her.

He was in control now, his emotions calming.

“My grandfather,” she said. “A few years ago. He was my favorite person in the world.”

“That must have been hard.” He dumped the clean sheets on the chair and began pulling the dirty ones off.

“It was,” she said. “And then, after this”—she touched her head briefly— “I had to leave my clan. I was afraid of what would happen to them if the demon broke free and took over my mind before it killed me. I didn’t know what I might do to them.”

He nodded. Then a tiny, tiny smile quirked the corner of his mouth. “You’re not worried what you might do to me?”

She shook her head. “You’re bigger than a demon.” That got a little snort. More seriously, she said, “Besides, you’re not afraid of demons. You fight them all the time.”

The smile disappeared. “I don’t win.”

She wasn’t so sure about that. “You’re still here, aren’t you?”

He had no answer for that.

Mari decided it was past time to change the subject. She went to her pack to see if she could find clean underwear. Or a clean shirt to sleep in. “Is it all right if I take a shower? I don’t want to even tell you how long it’s been.”

“Sure,” he said. “Or you can take a bath. There’s even bubbles.”

Mari felt her eyes going big and wide, and she couldn’t suppress a tiny squeal. “I love bubble baths!” She hadn’t had one in… gosh. Years.

“Why am I not surprised?” But the tiny smile was back on his face, which she considered a victory. She started dumping clothes on the floor, hoping against hope for something clean.

“If you want, I can put your clothes in the wash,” Titan said. “You can wear one of my t-shirts.”

Get out of town. This big giant crazy bear was giving her his bed and offering to do her laundry? Her heart melted a tiny bit. To cover it up, she said “Are you sure you’re not just trying to get a look at my underwear?”

“Well, I don’t have any of my own, so I have to feed my fetish somehow.”

She wished he hadn’t reminded her of his commando peener. Because now her mind was in the gutter again.

Mari escaped to the bathroom, and her bubble bath.

Despite how late it was, Titan could tell Mari enjoyed her bath because she was in the bathroom for what seemed like forever. Her clothes had finished the wash cycle and were in the dryer, and he’d brought in more firewood and aired out the down comforter the girls in the crew had bought for him, that he never used because he never got cold.

Then he sat down in the easy chair and began pretending to read the book from his night table, telling himself it was only polite to stay right there, in case she needed anything else before she went to sleep.

Or had a demon brain aneurism while soaking in his tub.

He had read exactly zero words when she came out of the bathroom, all flushed and steamy and looking fucking adorable in his t-shirt, which came down almost to her knees.

Her hair was still damp, streaming over her shoulders, and she carried a rubber duckie. Who was wearing a little sweater.

I’m not asking, Titan told himself. Because her weirdnesses had nothing to do with him. Then his mouth immediately said, “Why do you have a duck in a sweater?”

She looked at him pityingly. “You can’t take a bath without a rubber duckie. It’s a rule. Everybody knows that.”

“Huh. I guess I’ve been doing it wrong all this time.”

“Clearly.”