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“If you need a hug, you ask for it straight away. No matter what time it is or where we are.”
“That’s a rule?” That was the weirdest house rule she’d ever heard of. And also the sweetest.
“No, I haven’t finished. If one of us leaves the house or returns, we need to hug when we see each other again. So, when I leave to go get your stuff from the motel, I’m going to need a hug. Same when I come back.”
She could feel herself blushing, but she nodded. She wasn’t against hugging. It was as good as kissing him in her opinion. She still got that same feeling of safety. And excitement. Hugging him was definitely no hardship.
She wondered if there was going to be a kissing rule.
His chest moved as he laughed. “A kissing rule?”
“Oh shoot, why do I keep doing that,” she mumbled from behind her hand, which she’d once again placed over her mouth.
“I don’t know, but like I said, it’s adorable. And we can have a kissing rule if you like. Right now, I want you to eat then go have a nap. I also need to read through your discharge papers to make sure I’m taking care of you properly.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said hastily. “I’m really fine.”
He was silent for a long moment. “There something in there you don’t want me to know? Because you said that Xavier didn’t find anything—”
“He didn’t!” Shoot. She didn’t mean to worry him. Damn it. She was going to have to tell him. “I’m fine, really.”
“Healthy people don’t collapse on the side of the road like that. Even if they do push themselves too hard. And they don’t shake with exhaustion. It’s obvious you haven’t been taking care of yourself. You’re thinner, you’re pale, you look like you haven’t been sleeping properly. Do you have nightmares like the one in the hospital often?”
She took a deep breath in. “Yes. Although I’ve been having them more often lately.”
“Do you want to tell me about them?”
“No,” she whispered. “Not yet.”
To her surprise, he let that go. “Okay, just remember, I’ve got big shoulders and you no longer have to go through things on your own.”
She stared up at him in amazement.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.” No, she needed to say something. “I’ve just often wished I had someone I could share things with. Who would help. I know I’m meant to be able to do it all—”
“That’s bullshit,” he cut in. “If we were meant to be able to do it all ourselves then we’d never need anyone. And that would be a sad way to live, don’t you think? Lonely.”
Lonely is exactly the way she’d describe herself.
“I came back to Wishingbone because of that kiss, and because I was feeling . . . lost, lonely, scared. The last time I remembered feeling safe was with you, with your arms around me, kissing me. I’ve had nightmares since I was sixteen, but lately, they’ve been every night. I’ve let myself get rundown. The job, it’s been wearing on me. I guess the more tired and stressed I became, the worse the nightmares got.”
“So you collapsing the other day, that was because you’re rundown and pushed yourself too hard?”
“Ahh, yeah. Running is the one way I know of escaping my thoughts. I tend to run until I’m too exhausted to think.”
“I don’t like that,” he rumbled. “You could hurt yourself. Do you even watch your surroundings?”
His voice was deep and commanding. Her insides quivered in response. Funny, she never thought she’d go for an alpha male. Her brothers were all domineering and bossy and she didn’t want someone like them.
Or so she’d thought.
“I usually run the same tracks, so there’s no issue of me getting lost or anything.”
“I’m not just talking about you getting lost, young lady.”
Young lady? Ooh, she was in trouble.
