ass that I really wanted to bite.
By the time Basil had finished making the kids a snack, I had apparently fallen asleep on the couch—healing really did take a lot outta ya. I spent the entire day in and out of sleep. Basil had to help me up the steps by nightfall because I was so out of it. Truthfully, I mighta played it up a little to get his hands on me, but in all honesty, I was in no condition to do anything other than sleep.
Basil had a spare bedroom that he’d decorated in shades of orange—Rasha’s favorite color—and even though he claimed it was a spare room, nothing more, it was very clearly already set up for her. He’d told her she could pick out new decorations and furniture if she wanted, claiming that it could be her room while we stayed here, but she was already in heaven and happy with it. She and Niya were sleeping in there tonight.
I lay in Basil’s bed, and when he went to walk away, I asked, “Where’re you goin’?”
“I was going to sleep on the couch.”
“Why in the hell are you doin’ that?”
“I didn’t know if you wanted me—”
“Basil, get your ass in the bed.”
A slow smile spread over his face, but he closed the door and began getting ready for bed. I watched him remove his arm and leg bracers, his utility belt, and several necklaces and bracelets. When he started climbing into bed, I asked, “Are you really sleeping in those pants?”
He froze. “Normally, I’d sleep in my boxers, but—”
“I’m in no shape to attack you in the middle of the night. You’re safe enough.”
He rolled his eyes. “Not you, hunter. I meant because Niya and Rasha are here.”
“Oh.” I thought about that for a second, and he had a point since Rasha was sleeping outside of her own home for the second night in a row and might wake up in the middle of the night. “You must have sweatpants or jammies or somethin’, right?”
He snorted out, “Jammies.” I rolled my eyes, but he grinned. “Yeah, I have some.”
I waved at him.
With a sigh, he walked to his dresser and faced away from me while he changed into his jammies. I only got to see his ass in his boxers for a couple of seconds which was seriously disappointing.
As he climbed back into bed, I asked, “Why didn’t you just magic them on or whatever?”
“Because you don’t like it.”
That made me freeze and slowly turn my gaze to meet his. “What?”
“You hate witches and witch magic, and I know you’re already… trying hard to be okay with it all. I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable in my house, so I figured while we’re here, you wouldn’t like me doing magic all the time.”
Something in my chest tightened and guilt began eating away at me. “Basil, I don’t want you changin’ who you are—”
“But you hate witches.”
I sighed. “I… did. I still hate the ones that hurt Millie and Rasha, obviously, and I hate the ones back at home that continue hurting people, but I don’t hate you… or your family. Bas, I could never hate you or any part of you.”
He swallowed thickly. “You don’t?”
“Hey, I thought it was pretty damn obvious that I kinda like ya.”
He smiled, but only a little.
“And your family has been kind and helpful, so I have nothin’ against any of y’all.”
His smile was bigger this time. “You mean that?”
“‘Course I do.”
“You really wouldn’t mind me doing magic around you?”
“Nah. I want you to be yourself, Bas.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
He settled on his pillow as we fell quiet. I had just shut my eyes again when he whispered, “I still feel off, so can I…”
“Can ya what?”
He didn’t respond, so I turned my head and found him already staring at me. It took all of five seconds to figure out what it was he didn’t want to say, so with a sigh, I held my arm out. He practically dove into my side, settling his head on my shoulder and his hand on my chest. I wrapped my arm around him and enjoyed the sigh that escaped him.
As much as I wanted to take advantage of havin’ his sexy little body against me, sleep was already claimin’ me. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said going through a healing took a lot out of you. Hopefully I could get him naked tomorrow night.
“I’m glad you and Rasha are here,” I heard him