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“Of course.” He stood, which made me look at him. “I suppose that would have been wishful thinking.”

James approached me cautiously, like a baby deer that would bolt if he made any sudden movements. I didn’t intend to flinch when James brushed the hair out of my face, but I did. And I didn’t miss the way he stiffened in response.

“I just need time,” I whispered, so softly I hardly heard myself.

“I know.” He matched my tone, tucking that stray piece of hair behind my ear.

I turned to face him, inadvertently leaning into his touch. It was like my body could sense what my head refused to. He glanced at my mouth, and I knew what he was waiting for: a kiss. Though he wouldn’t force me and would never outright ask for it, those chocolate eyes met mine with the faintest hint of red, and I wondered if I wore my emotions on my face the way he wore his in his eyes.

I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips softly to his. It was quick, less than a second, but the tension in the air eased slightly.

“We have lunch with Shiloh tomorrow,” he reminded me.

“I know. I’ll be there—I promise.”

His “okay” was almost inaudible. I remained frozen in place as hemoved for the front door. I heard it open and close, then silence.

I was left alone with my worst fear: my own thoughts.

My scotch sat on the table, almost untouched. My stomach was churning too violently to risk drinking it. I grabbed both glasses and took them to the kitchen, dumping the contents down the sink and rinsing them out. I had a dishwasher, but I was desperate for something to do. Carlos was still out back, playing in the leaves. It was too dark to see him, but I could hear the happy yelps and crunching as he bounded back and forth between the piles. I knew I wasn’t alone in the house, but that didn’t stop it from being too quiet.

Fuck.I missed him already. The conversation replayed over and over in my head.

Mates, bound together by fate.

Destined to be together.

Where the hell was I supposed to go from here?

Feeling lost, I wandered back to the couch and put on one of my mind-numbing reality TV shows. The only time I moved was to close the back door once Carlos decided to grace me with his presence. As if he could sense my unease, he curled up on the couch beside me instead of on his blanket. I could have gone to bed—Ishouldhave, but I didn’t. Put off by the idea of sleeping alone, I stayed right where I was. One episode played into another, the night slowly creeping by.

I must’ve dozed off at one point because I blinked and the sun was streaming through the windows. The TV silently judged me, asking if I was still watching my show. Carlos was gone, but it didn’t take long to figure out that he was begging for scraps in the kitchen.

I sat up, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes. Footsteps approached, and when I looked up again, a cup of coffee sat onthe table in front of me. I followed the tattooed arm up, finding Raleigh’s eyes.

He was shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of pajama pants. Tattoos covered every inch of his body, and I noticed a new one over his heart—Evie’s name, right next to Angel’s initials. “Thought you might need that,” he said, indicating the steaming mug.

I muttered a thanks. “How’d you sleep?”

“Like a rock. Where’s James?”

“Home, I guess.”

“Uh oh.”

“It’s nothing. What time is it?”

“Ten-ish?” Once I’d had a couple sips of coffee, he asked, “Is there a park around?”

Curious, I crooked a brow. “Yes.”

He glanced toward the bedroom, where I assumed Angel was still asleep. “He’s always losing sleep because of Evie. Why don’t you leash Carlos up and we’ll go for a walk?”

I froze out of reflex, bracing for the chaos that always followed that word. Thankfully, Carlos was happily distracted. “Is there an ulterior motive here?”

“Absolutely.”

“What are the chances of me getting out of it?”