Chapter 16

Austin’s heart pounded as he took Tulia to his suite. He was a tidy person by nature, but he’d left in such a rush, he couldn’t remember if there was anything on the floor or how dirty his bathroom was. Although he’d asked Stella to help him decorate when she’d moved in, and she’d done a great job, how was he to know if Tulia would like it? She’s our mate. She’ll like it, his dragon hummed into his mind. Austin hoped he was right.

Butterflies took flight in his stomach. No woman, other than Stella, had been in his space. Never had he felt the desire to bring someone home or deal with the entanglements that doing so would cause. He hadn’t been celibate before meeting Tulia, but he wasn’t the womanizer his clan brothers assumed he was, either. The truth was, when he didn’t come home at night, it was usually due to him needing a quiet place so he could be alone. Austin stopped his dark, spiraling thoughts. The past had no place in this moment. He’d deal with it later.

“Are you okay?” Tulia asked, breaking into his thoughts when he stopped in front of his door. “If this makes you uncomfortable, I can stay with my parents.”

“No,” he said louder than the situation required. “I want you with me. Always. I mean that. I’m just savoring the moment.”

She blinked up at him. “Me, too.”

The honesty of her words sent all the butterflies that had been wreaking havoc in his gut flying, replacing them with a contentment so deep he couldn’t deny it. “Welcome home,” he said, then opened the door and stepped back, letting her in.

A quick glance around assured him that he hadn’t left a huge mess. A fine layer of dust covered the flat surfaces all around him, but otherwise, everything was as it should be. He’d give the place a cleaning tomorrow while Tulia was with her parents. Taking her through the room, he led her down the hallway leading to the bedrooms. He hadn’t paid attention to where his pack had gone, and at that moment, he couldn’t care less. He didn’t stop until he reached his bedroom and opened the door.

“You can sleep in here. If you don’t want to share a room, that’s okay, I’ll take the guest room next door,” he offered.

She stopped just inside the room to look back at him. “Are you kidding?”

Unsure how to take her question, he shook his head. Now that she was safe and there was no need to be so close to him all the time, he wanted her to know she had options.

“No, I don’t want you to sleep in the other room.”

The weight he hadn’t known he’d been carrying lifted from his chest. “What would you say to a hot bath? I don’t have anything girly, but if you don’t mind wearing one of my shirts, you can use that for now. Or, if you’d prefer, I can ask Charlotte if she has anything you can borrow. Then I can toss your clothes in the washing machine downstairs so that it’s clean for when we go shopping. You’ll need a whole new wardrobe, toiletries, and whatever else women need daily.” He took a breath and was about to continue when he realized he was babbling and she was grinning.

“You’re nervous.”

He sucked air into his lungs and released it. “Maybe a little.”

“No need. Would you rather I take the spare room? I won’t be upset if you say yes.” Tulia placed a hand on his chest, right over his heart.

“Not a chance. I’ve just never brought a woman here. If there’s anything you don’t like, we’ll change it.”

“I like it,” she said without looking around. “It smells like you.”

The way she looked at him with all the trust and passion he could ever hope to see in her eyes, it was all he could do not to wrap her in his arms and take her straight to the bed. “How about that bath?” he asked again before he lost the little bit of will power her had left.

“That sounds heavenly, thank you. As for the clothes, if I have to wear them, I’d rather they smelled like you.”

“You know you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, right? Not now, not ever.” He hadn’t intended for the words to be so heavy with meaning, but she had to understand. There was no debt to be paid, no obligation, and no expectation. Not that he’d ever insinuated there would be, but he had to make it clear, just in case the thought had crossed her mind. Who knew what those bastards had done at Eldurcrest?

She lifted herself on tiptoes and brought her lips within an inch of his. “Well, then, I guess I won’t be needing your shirt after all.” And then she kissed him.

***

As soon as Austin had brought her into his suite, the overwhelming fatigue that had plagued her downstairs drifted away. His scent permeated the room, making it warm and inviting. She wanted to touch everything and blend her own scent to his, marking not only him, but his things and his home.

More than anything, she wanted to do exactly as he’d suggested and take all her clothes off. She’d done that so many times with him already, but this was different. She wasn’t getting ready to shift. Wasn’t wanting to run or go anywhere. No, she wanted to be right where she was. Naked. With him. But she also wanted that bath.

Austin swallowed and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and then down his throat. “You can’t keep saying things like that to me, Sweetness. I want you so badly it hurts.”

“Where is your tub?” she asked. There were two doors, other than the one they’d just come through, and both were closed.

He took her hand and led her to the one on the right. It opened into a huge walk-through closet with yet another door at the end. Floor to ceiling shelves and drawers took up one side, and the entire other wall was designed for hanging clothes.

“Right through there.”

She’d never been to a fancy spa, but this bathroom rivaled anything her imagination could dream up. A long, double-sink vanity with a marble top and mirrors that went all the way to the ceiling greeted her as soon as she walked in. On the right, a glass-enclosed area with shower heads protruding at all different angles, and at the end of the room, a tub big enough to host a party. Not that she’d want that, but having Austin in there with her held definite possibilities. The walls were painted slate grey. It should have made the room dark and gloomy, but with the windows opening to the garden, and plenty of lighting, the whole space felt serene.

He released her hand and crossed over to the bath, turning the faucets and checking the temperature before finally pressing down on the stopper. He then grabbed a bottle from the shower and squirted some of it’s contents into the tub. “I don’t have anything that smells pretty, sorry.”

She took a deep breath. The smell of his shampoo rose from the water. “Smells wonderful.”

Austin made his way to the door before turning to her again. “I’m going to step out and let you get situated.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but he lifted his hand. “If I stay, and I do want to, there’s no telling when you’ll get to eat, and breakfast is long gone. I won’t start our relationship by failing to provide you the most basic of care. It’s been a rough couple of days. Let me do this. Let me care for you. We have the rest of our lives to be together.”

“When will you be back?” She appreciated his efforts, but being away from him wasn’t what she wanted at all.

Eyebrows quirking up, he smiled. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll step outside until you get into the tub. I may be noble, but I’m not a saint. You won’t make it into the tub if I watch you undress. Besides, someone will be bringing food any second. I need to let them in.”

“So, you won’t be bothered coming back in and sitting with me while I’m naked in the tub?”

“I guess we’ll find out.”

Before she could say anything else, a knock sounded at his bedroom door. “That’ll be our supper. Go ahead and get in the tub.”