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“How is Carter?” Mila asked.

Gio sighed. “I should've given you an update earlier, I’m sorry. He’s resting comfortably. Faith says he should be able to get out of bed for a limited amount tomorrow.”

Mila couldn’t believe that. “He will? I thought he was dying! I’m so relieved it's not that serious.”

Gio’s expression did something complicated, like he was both relieved and frustrated at the same time.

“Would you like to see Carter?” Gio offered. “He’s asleep, but setting eyes on him might make you feel secure that he’s going to be okay.”

She wanted to. She wanted to so badly she almost stood up right then. She barely kept herself seated. “I don’t think I should. Not while he’s asleep."

“You’re absolutely wrong,” Gio answered. “I think it would be good for all of us for you to be near Carter.”

Standing up, he held a hand out to her. Babette started wiggling in her arms, so Mila set her down. The moment the dog was free, she started running back up the stairs, her toenails click-clacking against the wood.

Accepting Gio’s hand, she let him help her up, but he didn’t let go once she was standing. Twining his fingers with hers, he led her up the stairs and to the bedroom.

Chapter 11

Gio

Gio led Mila into the bedroom and found Carter was in the same position he’d left him in. He was fast asleep in the very center of their large bed, arms spread out like a starfish. When he was in the bed by himself, Carter tended to spread out as if unconsciously looking for someone to cuddle. Gio had finished cleaning Carter as Faith healed him. After she was done, Gio had pulled a sheet over Carter, but all the movement had drawn it down to his navel.

While they stood there, Babette managed the mighty leap onto the bed and snuggled back up on the pillow next to Carter’s head. The man didn’t even twitch.

They didn’t stop until they were standing at the end of the bed. Mila’s hand tightened on his, as if she was fighting the urge to do something.

Carter must have sensed their proximity because he started moving restlessly, rousing Babette. With a little whine, she uncurled her head and licked his face. He huffed but didn’t wake up or stop moving his limbs.

“Would you stay with him?” Gio asked, urging her to the far side of the bed. “I need to do a few things, and I don’t want to leave him alone for too long.”

She mumbled something about invading Carter’s space even as she let Gio press her down on the edge of the bed. She hadn’t taken her eyes off the wolf since they’d walked into the room.

Carter’s slowly moving arm bumped into her thigh. He whispered something unintelligible and curled his large body around where Mila was sitting. Somehow, his head ended up in her lap and his arms around her waist. His feet dangled off the bed as he crunched his knees up against her other thigh to the point where his nose was almost touching his knees.

“Carter?” Mila whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder. “This can’t be comfortable. You need to move over and stretch back out.”

As Gio expected, Carter didn’t move at all. Gio bit his lip, trying not to smile when Mila looked up at him with a helpless expression. “He can’t sleep like this.”

“He’s a snuggler,” Gio explained. “It’s hard for him to sleep without someone to wrap around.”

“But I’m not his person,” Mila said. “You are.”

“Trust me, he wants you to be his person also,” Gio said. Before Mila could begin protesting in the way humans like to do, he pointed to the head of the bed. “I can uncurl him to give you time to move into a better position. He needs comforting, and I need to do a few things. Would you please do this for me?”

He watched her protest die a quick death. “Of course.”

She probably didn’t even realize she’d been stroking Carter’s shoulder the entire time.

Moving around to the opposite side of the bed, Gio crawled onto the bed and stretched out until he could get hold of one of Carter’s hands. Pulling it free of Mila, he tugged gently.

“Come with me, Carter,” he urged in a low, sexy tone. Carter unfurled from around Mila and let Gio pull him more toward the center of the bed, but refused to let go of where his hand was on Mila’s thigh. Consequently, he started pulling the robe away from her.

With a squeak, she followed Carter further onto the bed. Gio wasn’t ready for Carter to keep hold of his hand while also rolling over and tucking Mila tight against him. He almost ended up toppling on top of Carter and Mila.

It wasn’t hard for Gio to pull his hand free of Carter’s grip, but the wolf did make an unhappy sound.

“Gio?” Mila whispered from her spot as the little spoon.