Edith was selling this house today. She could feel it. Her luck was about to change. Although this new potential client had insisted on texting her instead of having an actual conversation, he seemed really keen. Wanted to buy the house for his girlfriend. He even said that he loved the charm of the place.

Lucky girl.

Despite this house being amazing, with views to match, the show day had been a disaster. She’d been there, handing out flyers, only her mind had been somewhere else. Her heart was still back in that shifter village with a guy who didn’t deserve it.

If only she could just shut her feelings for Gage off. If only. She would and in a heartbeat. Gage didn’t deserve her. Enough! She’d wasted enough energy on him already. Back to the job at hand. This house and her life, dammit!

Edith needed to get this place ready for the viewing. There was only one problem with this property, the owners had already moved out. It was more difficult to sell an empty home. Most people didn’t have vision. That, and it was easier to see the flaws, especially on a more dated property. A hint of peeling wallpaper, a broken plug point. A chipped window. It was all laid bare like her stupid, stupid heart. The one she had put on her sleeve. The one she had handed to Gage.

Asshole.

She flung open another window. The place would be nice and airy by the time Mister Carnivore arrived. What a surname. Poor dude must have been seriously mocked at school with a name like that. It didn’t matter what his name was, she was going to sell him this house. Lucky bugger. It was an amazing house. He and his girlfriend would be really happy here. So happy. They might even tie the knot on the lawn that led to the lake. Maybe they would say their vows on the jetty. Her heart felt like acting up. Her mind wanted to wander to thoughts of … No … she wouldn’t allow it.

Head in the game, Edith made her way back to her car, carefully taking out the vase of flowers. All in bright, bold colors. Long-stemmed roses, irises, and lilies. She planned on placing them on the center island of the kitchen to give the area a warm, family feel. The front door was still open, just like she'd left it. Her arms were full of vases and flowers. The latter distorting her view somewhat. She should've had them make up something a bit smaller. More manageable for someone who was only five foot nothing. Edith walked carefully up the path and took her time negotiating the steps leading to the front door, which she kicked closed behind her. Edith walked straight into an obstruction and screamed because it wasn't an obstruction but a person. The guy was big and all dressed in black. At least, from what she could see of him through all the flowers.

Intruder alert!

Edith did what any woman in her right mind would do and whacked him upside the head with the vase. Flowers be damned.

The vase cracked. Flowers went flying. Water sprayed, landing on the porcelain-tiled floor with a splatter. The intruder crashed against the wall with a groan. Music to her ears.

“Gage?” Her voice was laced with confusion because boy oh boy was she big time confused. “What are you doing here?”

He rubbed the side of his head. “Ow! I forgot how hard you can hit, Curls.” Gage smiled at her. Her heart beat faster. Her whole body felt warm and happy. Very bloody happy that he was there. Good thing her mind had better ideas. More logical ideas. Screw him!

“You deserved it. I’ve told you how many times not to sneak up on me?” She plonked the cracked vase down so hard it broke in two, the rest of the flowers spilling out. “What are you doing here? I have a client,” she looked at her watch, “arriving in the next ten minutes.”

“I had a chat with my four-year-old nephew,” Gage said. “He gave me some damned good advice. Ash and I also had a talk, but his advice was convoluted and quite frankly, a little long-winded. It took a four-year-old to put things nicely into perspective for me.”

“I’m not sure I follow you.” Edith pushed out a heavy breath. Not sure she wanted to listen to what he had to say. “I’m not sure why you’re here.” She couldn’t think of a single reason aside from sex, but that was not going to happen. Not in a million freaking years.

“The four-year-old is my nephew, Ethan.” Gage’s eyes lit up. “He’s such a great kid and smart too. Intuitive. He knew that I’ve been feeling down. Knew I was sad inside … his words. True though.”

Edith swallowed hard, not sure if she wanted to hear more, yet unable to tell him to shut up. It looked like he planned on pulling a one-eighty on her. “Look I’m not sure …” A half-hearted attempt to get him to stop. “You made up your mind.” She shrugged.

“Don’t you want to hear his great advice?” Gage became animated. She’d missed his beautiful brown eyes. His easy smile.

Edith rolled her eyes. “You’ve come this far, so you may as well tell me. I doubt it will make much difference.” She folded her arms, looking up at him, trying hard to keep her expression neutral. Just because he was here did not mean that this would end up going somewhere. Gage had hurt her.

“Ethan told me I needed a Band-Aid.” Gage gave her this amazing half-smile. “A Band-Aid. Have you ever heard anything so logical in all your life? Well, I haven’t. The thing is …” He reached out and touched the side of her arm, his eyes filling with … tenderness. “You are my Band-Aid, Curls.”

Oh shit! That was sweet. So darned sweet. It wasn’t enough though. Gage could be sweet and charming. He’d still hurt her though. He could still change his mind. There was no way she could trust him again. Her heart wasn’t on her sleeve anymore. It was safely tucked away.

“I know I hurt you.”

Big time.

More tenderness appeared in his eyes. Those golden flecks seemed to become more prominent. “I’d like to think that I can be your Band-Aid too. If you’ll let me?”

“You can’t just come waltzing in here ‒ scaring me half to death in the process ‒ and expect me to forgive and forget. You did hurt me. I know you never promised anything but still … I guess I was stupid enough to think that we had something going on, but you pushed me away. You can’t suddenly change your mind and all will be forgiven. That’s not how it works.”

“We did have something. Something real and true and it scared the living shit out of me.”

“You should not have thrown that something away then.” She pulled her lips into her mouth.

“No,” he shook his head, “I shouldn’t have. I let my fear get the better of me.”

“What is there to be afraid of?”

Gage sighed, he raked a hand through his hair. “I thought I had commitment issues. I didn’t want to end up hurting you, Curls. I figured if we ended it now before we became too invested, before you became too invested, that I was doing you a favor, but it isn’t true.”

“That’s crazy reasoning.” She widened her eyes.

“I know.” His jaw tensed.

“It’s cowardly too,” she spoke softly.

"Yes, it is. I can't deny that. I guess I needed to think things through. I've been miserable without you. I had somehow convinced myself that leaving you was for the best. That we were better off, but I was wrong." His Adam's apple bobbed. "I wanted to talk to you on that day when we got back after I pushed you away, but you were with Jacob. I saw you guys together."

Edith narrowed her eyes. "What? You thought Jacob and me… that …” She made a groaning noise. Anger and frustration ate at her. “You just assumed the worst of me?”

Gage shook his head. “I didn’t. I knew that the two of you were over.”

“We were over months ago. I told you that.”

“I made excuses though. I was … still am afraid. I fell in love with someone once. She happened to be in love with my brother.”

“Oh.” This was not what she expected. Not even close.

“It turned out that she was in love with both of us. He was the one who ended up mating her. Her name was Savannah, she was Ethan’s mom. My nephew, Ethan, the smart four-year-old. Anyway, Savannah died a couple of years back. It was a mess. A complete disaster. Being part of a love triangle is not fun. I didn’t so much as lay a finger on her after Ash mated her, but it was like invisible ropes still tied me to her.”

“A love triangle? That’s not what this is!” she yelled, couldn’t help it because he was so far off base. “I’m sorry that happened to you but there is nothing between Jacob and me. Is that what you’re afraid of?”

“I know there’s nothing between you and Jacob, but I hope it explains some of my apprehensions. The whole thing with Savannah nearly ruined my relationship with my twin brother. We were so close before. Breaking up with Savannah was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It nearly broke me to watch the two of them together, day in and day out. In many ways, what I had with Savannah was young love. It was first love stuff and it still hurt me so bad. I have a feeling we could have so much more, but that would mean taking a serious risk. Taking a leap of faith.” Gage took both her hands in his. “I know I pushed you away when I should have pulled. I was stupid and blind and scared. Truth is, I still am but I want this more than anything. I’m lost without you, Curls.”

Edith licked her lips, wanting so badly to jump into his arms.

“I know I hurt you. I wish I could take it back, but I can’t. Give us a chance. Take a leap of faith with me. I’m falling desperately and totally in love with you, that’s why I’m so afraid. What I’m trying to say is, let me be your Band-Aid.” He cupped her cheeks and she let him.

Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. “I’m afraid,” she said, wanting so much to trust him. “I don’t know if …” She wanted to jump into his arms and throw caution to the wind. “I just don’t know.”

"I do." He smiled, letting her go so that he could tug on a strand of her hair. "I see you left your hair the way I like it."

Edith tried to smooth the riot of unruly curls. No such luck. She shook her head. "I didn't have time to straighten it this morning."

“Bullshit, Curls. You haven’t straightened it once since you came back.”

She felt her eyes flare wide. “Have you been spying on me?”

“I knew it.” He moved in a little closer, not actually touching her. “You haven’t given up on me … on us. Please, Curls.”

His eyes. His smile. Him. “Please don’t hurt me,” she whispered.

“I won’t.” He cupped her cheeks again; his hands were warm on her skin. “Hurting you would be hurting myself. One and the same.”

“I never expected this to happen. That you would be here. That …” She forced herself to stop blabbing. “I’m falling for you too,” she all but whispered.

“Thank god!” He put his forehead against hers for a second. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.” Gage pulled back, looking deep into her eyes. “So, you agree to give us a chance?”

Edith bit down on her lower lip and nodded. “Yes, I do. I don’t have a choice because I’m miserable without you.”

“This is the part where I kiss you all better.” He clasped her cheeks firmer.

Edith smiled. “And I get to kiss you all better as well.” She looked at his lips. Oh, what a mouth.

“I sure hope so.” He moved in, his lips hovering just shy of hers.

Oh shit! “Wait.” Her eyes flew open and she pulled back.

“What is it?”

“My client will be here any second. This place is a mess.” She lowered her voice. “We can’t be kissing each other better in case he arrives.”

Gage laughed. “Mister Carnivore?”

“Yes, Mister Carnivore … he’s due to …” What? Wait just a minute. “How do you know his name?” She could guess. The little shit.

“With a name like that, I thought you would have guessed.” Gage looked sheepish. “You put me on the spot when you asked for my name, I made one up and sent it. In hindsight the name was stupid.” He chuckled. “I thought you would’ve put two and two together.”

Edith had to laugh. “Well, I didn’t. This means I don’t have an actual viewing. I thought Mister Carnivore seemed really nice. I thought it was sweet that he wanted to buy his girlfriend this house. He told me he loved its charm and that he hoped they’d be happy here for many years.”

“I do.” Soft and timid.

“What?” She must have heard wrong. That, or she had this all wrong.

“I’m not on that list. I’m not technically allowed to date. They’re probably scrapping the whole list thing long-term but I’m not sure when, or what the new arrangement would be. I want to buy this house for us.” He shrugged. “I want you and me to work. I want it more than anything. I'm going to move here and when you're ready, you can move in with me. I'm hoping you'll agree to eventually move to the village with me. Especially if we're going to have kids. Shifter young would be safer—”

“Wow. This is suddenly moving fast. You’re giving me whiplash here.”

“I’m trying to show you how serious I am. I don’t believe in long distance relationships. I’m sure we would make it work but it’s not what I want for us. I’m moving to Sweetwater and then we’ll figure it out.”

Gage, kids, him moving here. It all sounded fantastic. It made her a bit nervous too. “Okay. I want you to move to Sweetwater. You know I love this house.” She walked in a small circle, ending with him in front of her. Jeans and a tight tee. “I don’t want a long-distance relationship, but we need to take things slow.”

“That’s why I’m buying this house instead of throwing you over my shoulder. You do know that every instinct is making me want to do the latter?”

“Oh really?” She swallowed thickly, her body doing its own thing again. Good thing she was fully onboard this time.

Gage’s nostrils flared. “About that kiss …”

“Yes, about that kiss.”

He closed the distance between them and crushed his lips to hers. Edith could barely think coherently when he finally came up for air.

“I think you need to show me every room in this house.” Gage was breathing heavily.

“Every room?” She quirked an eyebrow.

“We can start with the main bedroom and work our way through the rest of the house.” He bobbed his brows.

“I must warn you, there’s no bed.”

Gage’s eyes seemed to darken. “Since when do we need a bed, Curls?”

Edith laughed. “You’re so right.”