~

 

“No … it’s … me,” Bonnie finished lamely on a nod of her head and the press of her lips together as she berated herself for overreacting – to his touch – to him – to the fact that he was up a stupid damn ladder doing her guttering…

“I get that you’re nervous about … everything to do with me…”

“It’s not you…” she sighed.

She wanted to explain how she felt, of course she did, but trying to formulate those feelings into words was way beyond her pay grade.

Karl dropped his chin down towards his chest and raised his eyebrows – questioning her words with just a look. Bonnie cleared her throat and looked anywhere but at him…

“Ok, it’s you a little. I mean – mates?” She took a steadying breath and considered that for a long moment. “Don’t I get a say?”

“Of course you do,” Karl offered gently, reminding himself once more that she was human and unaccustomed to the ways of the supernatural. He couldn’t possibly put himself in her shoes, but he wanted to understand her side of things.

“It sure doesn’t feel like it,” Bonnie offered back.

She didn’t want to sound mean or anything. She was actually getting to kind of like him, in a strange sort of way. He was kind, thoughtful, and he was as sexy as hell, but it still felt like a lot of pressure to be under for him to be the definitive one…

He’s the man of my dreams … only my dreams are usually nightmares and he’s not the one in them…

He’s a bear shifter – what do I really know about that world?

He’s big … nobody can say that the man isn’t damn big, because I’ve seen him turn his shoulders sideways to enter a room…

He’s also kind … and sexy … and I wanna touch those damn muscles and see just how hard they really are…

Is it wrong that I wanna see him naked?

“Well, look at you two all…” Bailey’s voice carried from across the way.

Bonnie wrapped her arms around her body and looked anywhere but at the vampire and her friend as they walked towards her and Karl … anywhere but at her mate.

“Timing is everything…” Bailey offered down to his mate. “And I guess I’m lacking in that department…”

“It’s fine…” Bonnie said in a crisp tone that had Bailey clearing his throat.

“Now I know that it’s not.” He leaned in and pretended to whisper to his mate.

“No,” Bonnie dropped her arms and took a deep breath. “It’s fine.”

“Well good, because I thought we could do lunch – then dinner – maybe supper after that, and there has to be snacks in between.” Bailey said, watching the woman closely to see how she was going to react – when she said nothing, Jenny double timed it towards her.

“Let’s go put the kettle on…” Jenny linked her arm with Bonnie’s and tugged her back towards the cabin.

“Good idea,” Bailey called after them. “I take mine red with a dash of iron…”

Jenny turned and gave him a wicked look, but Bonnie tossed a scowl back over her shoulder at him.

“Oh, a hit and a miss – well fifty percent is better than face planting in a ditch.”

“He’s…” Bonnie leaned in and whispered towards Jenny…

“Don’t say weird,” Jenny chuckled back. “Because I quite like him.”

“I was going to say – strangely funny…”

“Which is another word for odd, which is another word for weird.” Jenny offered back, and Bonnie grinned.

“Well, I guess after dying, coming back, and living a few lifetimes that will happen to you.”

“Maybe…”

“I’d say tell me about it in a few hundred years, but that’s not my destiny … apparently.” She shot another look back over her shoulder at her mate and found him looking thoughtfully frowny.

“Is it wrong that I want to see what Karl looks like naked?” Bonnie whispered, so quietly that Jenny just about caught it and so did the vampire, but Karl was oblivious.

“You had a bad experience – you’re not dead from the waist down,” Jenny hissed back.

“She wants to see you naked…” Bailey leaned in and offered towards the bear shifter, and the low, deep rumble of a hungry growl that went through him made the vampire smirk. “That’s her, not me, so hold onto that thought.” He warned.

Karl slowly turned his head on his neck and eyed the man beside him like he’d just grown another head … the growl that he offered that time was more of a warning…

“Don’t shoot the messenger, friend. I can’t help being irresistible to everybody I meet.” Bailey said with a spring in his step as he started after the woman … eavesdropping on the mates all the way.

“Did you let him in the house?” Jenny asked.

“Of course…” Bonnie shot back without even thinking why her friend would think that she wouldn’t.

“Then I guess on some level you know you can trust him,” Jenny offered back.

“Or I’ve gone soft in the head.”

“Maybe the head and the heart?” Jenny teased back to the sound of a grunt.

Bonnie frowned as she considered her friend’s words. Maybe on some level she did feel like she could trust him.

She guessed that only time would tell if that trust had been misplaced.

“Someone is going to invite me in, right?” Bailey called out to the mates as they strolled on ahead.

Bonnie flicked a grin at Jenny and her friend giggled like a schoolgirl with a crush.

“Can you leave your fangs at the doorway?” Bonnie called back.

“No,” Bailey bit out as if the woman was crazy… “But neither can he and he got in.”

“That’s because I’m her mate and not some bloodsucking leech vampire,” Karl offered back.

“I…” Bailey started, but he noted the glance that he got from Bonnie as she kept going towards the house…

“Ooo, bloodsucking leech vampire – that’s not really a good recommendation, now is it?” She teased and heard Jenny giggle some more.

“I have … needs that aren’t to everyone’s tastes, but unlike Mr Growly Mc – eat-a poodle or kitten here…”

Bonnie pulled up short and spun around with a look of pure horror on her face…

“I didn’t … I wouldn’t…” Karl rushed out, holding his hands up to his chest to save himself from her wrath…

“Has he?” Bonnie demanded, turning her attention towards Bailey, and the man took a long moment to build up a really good smirk…

“Not to my knowledge,” he admitted, and Bonnie deflated. “Although, a bear’s gotta do what a bear’s gotta do.” He smirked.

“Kill you, woo my mate, live happily ever after.” Karl growled back.

“Harsh,” Bailey snorted. “Touch a nerve?”

“I’m not a violent man,” Karl said to his mate. He could feel her eyes on him and he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. “But for him I could make an exception.” Karl turned his eyes back to the vampire.

“Bear by name – bear by nature,” Bailey grinned.

“Whose side are you on?” Karl grumbled a growl.

“Mine.” Bailey grinned. “And I’m sure your mate can see what a nice, reasonable, vampire I am.”

“Geez…” Karl rolled his head on his neck and returned his attention back to Bonnie. He wasn’t sure what he expected to find, but it wasn’t the mischievous look in her eyes or the wide grin on her lips.

He liked it – a lot.

“You can come in…” Bonnie said as she flicked her eyes back towards Bailey, and the vampire strutted towards the cabin.

“You know you have to be inside the cabin to invite me in, right?” Bailey called back over his shoulder.

“Oh, really?” Bonnie shrugged her shoulders at her mate. “Guess you’d better not annoy me between here and there then, or I might change my mind.”

Karl liked the fact that her grin got a whole lot wider and her eyes sparkled with fun.

He wanted her to smile, and laugh, and he wanted her to be happy. That was his job to make her happy, and he’d do it to the best of his abilities, but sometimes it didn’t hurt to have a little help.

Maybe the vampire was good for something after all.