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I needed to avoid having his hands on any part of me.

It was hard enough to control myself when he wasn’t touching me.

“Do you have something against shirts?” I asked.

“Do you have something against me being shirtless?” he countered.

He had me there.

“No. I would just be more… comfortable… if you wore a shirt.”

Beck lifted an eyebrow at me. “My bare chest makes you uncomfortable?”

Yes.

In a horny, horny way.

I couldn’t say that, though.

“It’s distracting,” I said instead.

“Ah.” He kept stirring his food. “Well, your legs are distracting. And your neck. If I’m putting a shirt on, you need to cover up too.”

“How can my neck be distracting?”

“Your neck is on the way to your chest. Have you already forgotten how much I like having you on my mouth?”

My body flushed hotter. “Okay, I’m leaving.”

His hand landed on my thigh, holding me lightly in place. “I don’t think you want me to chase you out right now, Si.”

My gaze lowered to his erection, on clear display through his pants.

Hot damn.

“Tell me what you want in a mate,” he said, distracting me.

My attention jerked up to the pan of chicken simmering in heavenly-smelling sauce. “Um… I don’t really want a mate.”

“It’s too late for that. You have a mate. So, tell me what your ideal life with me would look like.”

My face was still crazy hot. “I’ve never really thought about it. You tell me yours.”

He nodded. “I’m not tied to any specific ideas in particular. Mainly, I’ve always wanted a companion. Someone to hold at night, and pull into my arms when life gets difficult. Someone to have fun with, and talk things out with.”

My throat swelled a bit.

I liked the sound of that.

“Do you want to stay in Wildwood? And do you want kids?” I asked.

“I don’t have any expectations. I assumed that when I met my mate, we’d figure out what was important to her and craft our life together around that.”

“But what do you want?”

“If it was up to me, I’d like to stay in Wildwood permanently. I don’t know that I want kids, but statistically, most mated couples eventually decide to have one or more after a few decades or centuries together.”

My heart sank a little.