She nodded, keeping her eyes closed. It didn’t take long for her breathing to even out. I watched her for a while. When it looked like she would stay sleeping peacefully, I went to the couch.
The whole place smelled like her. I sat down and breathed deeply, letting myself relax.
* * * *
The typical slow brightening of the room was missing when I woke. I went to the window and eyed the dark skies.
Knowing it would be a full day of keeping the kids busy, I went to my place and quickly showered. It didn’t take more than a few minutes before I was back in her place, folding my blanket. The apartment stayed quiet for another hour. Then the sky rumbled. Liam and Aden were the first to stir. I went into their room and said a hushed good morning, then helped them quietly dress.
“Brush your teeth then go to Nana’s. She’ll make you breakfast,” I said as I opened the bedroom door for them. They ducked into the bathroom and brushed their teeth quietly.
Two hungry cubs coming your way, I warned Winifred on my way to the kitchen to see what I could make Michelle for breakfast.
The sky rumbled loudly just as the boys opened the bathroom door. I heard Michelle stir. The two boys must have, too, because they ran down the hall and out of the apartment. Michelle was out of bed and running, too.
I stepped into the hallway, ready to assure her the boys were fine. Instead, I caught her in my arms as she barreled into me. Spinning, I tried redirecting the force of her momentum. It didn’t quite work. Her face collided with my chest.
“Ow!” She pulled her head back and squinted at me with watering eyes.
The pale, shadowy Michelle of yesterday was gone. The woman in my arms was adorably disgruntled.
“I’m sorry.” I leaned forward to kiss her abused nose. Her breath caught, and her scent sweetened as I slowly closed the distance. Slowly, her eyes fluttered shut. The tempting sight of her lips almost redirected my aim. Patience, I reminded myself, gently brushing her nose.
Her eyes flew open.
“I wouldn’t have stepped in front of you if I’d known you’d get hurt.” I carefully moved a strand of hair that had fallen over her face during our collision.
“Uh. It’s okay.”
I inhaled slowly, noting it was anything but okay. She was anxious and confused.
“Just a minute.” She turned and closed herself in the bathroom.
I went back to what I’d been doing in the kitchen. Taking out the eggs, I started collecting what I needed to make her a small breakfast. When she reemerged, I had four eggs in the pan and bread in the toaster.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, looking her over. The brief whiff of anxiety and confusion before she left had me wondering if she was still feeling unsafe here.
“Fine. No permanent damage,” she said, misunderstanding the question.
I didn’t clarify. If she wasn’t thinking about Blake or her stepfather, I didn’t want to remind her. I put a single egg and a slice of toast on a plate and set it before her. After plating up the other three eggs and remaining toast, I joined her at the island.
She ate a few bites then turned to look at me.
“What are we?”
I paused, afraid to hope I’d understood her question correctly. Turning, I finished my bite of food as I studied her. She sat there, calmly returning my gaze. Surely, if she was asking about our relationship, she wouldn’t be this calm. Every time I’d mentioned it in the past, she’d blushed or quickly found an excuse to leave the room. And, her talk about having no room for any distractions still rang in my mind, too.
“I’m not sure I understand the question,” I said warily.
She blushed and stood.
“I get this.”
She leaned forward and planted a light kiss on my nose.
“And I get this.”
She buried her face in my neck and inhaled, trailing her nose against my skin. I nearly lost it. She was so close. All she needed to do was open her mouth and plant her teeth into my skin and it would be done. She’d be mine. I closed my eyes and struggled to hold myself still.
“And I’m told—”
I shuddered at the feel of her breath on my skin. She quickly pulled back, and I wanted to howl.
Her eyes were wide as she looked at me. Did she know the animal she’d just stirred?