Page 23 of Bleed the Shadows

“Figured I should bring you something before Remy got to you with some fucking bone broth and a salad.”

I took a bite of the sandwich and he sat on the other side of the tray of food. I’d forgotten how beautiful he was, the sharp planes of his face a foil to his ridiculously full lips, his shoulders broad even under his sweatshirt.

He’d taken a shower too, and his dark hair was damp and shiny. He smelled like soap and balsam and I had to resist the urge to push my fingers through it, pull him close.

He reached into the pocket of his jeans and withdrew a key. “Let me get that collar off, little bird.”

The nickname sent a dangerous rush of pleasure through my body.

I scooted closer and offered him my neck. The collar fell away, and he touched a finger to the bandage on my neck. “Do you need a doctor?”

I shook my head. “I’ll live.”

He pocketed the collar. “We’d have taken this off last time if you’d asked.”

I pressed my lips together. “I didn’t know that was an option.”

“Everything was an option.” He hesitated. “You left without saying goodbye.”

There was no rebuke in it, but there was sadness, and my cheeks heated with shame.

Bram had deserved my rejection. Poe and Remy hadn’t.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“It must have been pretty bad,” he said.

I knew he was talking about what had happened between Bram and me even though Bram obviously hadn’t given them the details.

“It was.” I took a sip of the hot tea just to keep my hands busy, just to keep from replaying that night in the kitchen with Bram for the thousandth time.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“It’s not your fault. I…” I took a deep breath. “You and Remy were never anything but good to me. I shouldn’t have left without saying goodbye. I was just… not in a good place.”

He nodded. “I understand. And now you’re back.”

“Now I’m back.” I forced a laugh. “Guess we better get groceries tomorrow so I can start cooking.”

He shook his head. “This isn’t that. Not this time.”

“What do you mean? I lost the Hunt. Again.”

He stood. “We’ll talk after you get some sleep.”

I had no idea what time it was — I hadn’t bothered looking at my phone since I’d removed it from the pocket of my jeans — but I was suddenly exhausted.

I sighed. “Not gonna lie, sleep sounds even better than that sandwich, even better than the brownie.”

He picked up the tray and set it on the dresser across the room, then came back to pull back the covers on the bed. “Come on. In you go.”

I scooted to the top of the bed and slipped my legs under the covers, then lay back with a sigh.

“Can I get you anything?” he asked.

I hesitated. “Can you stay? Just until I fall asleep?”

He bent down to kiss my forehead. “I’ll stay as long as you want.”