Page 20 of Briggs (Paranormal Council Enforcers #16)

I stood to find Briggs, but he wasn’t in the kitchen.

When I walked that way, he was nowhere to be found.

Maybe he had to go to the bathroom or something?

I wasn’t sure. I tried to listen for him in the house, but the only sound was coming from the television.

I went back to the couch and sat, thinking back to what I’d said before he’d gotten upset and left.

I was broken. Did I want to be? No. But I couldn’t change that.

I was getting better. I could be around people now.

I didn’t jump at every little sound. I felt safe now and could be around alphas.

But I still had those dark moments that I couldn’t seem to escape.

I’d tried. I honestly had. But no matter if I had survived to be rescued, that wouldn’t help me with trying to figure things out with my mate.

I found the remote and turned the TV off. I took our snacks back to the kitchen and placed the bowl on the counter and the pop back in the refrigerator. When I closed it, I flinched at the sudden sight of Briggs standing there.

“Did you change your mind about the movie?” Briggs asked.

I shook my head but then nodded. “I’m going to go home, I think. It’s been a wonderful evening, but I think maybe we both need to figure out how to go forward.”

Briggs held up his arms, and in his hands were several bags. “If you want to go home, give me just a few minutes to put the cold stuff away, and I’ll walk you there.”

I looked at the bags, confused. “Where did those come from?”

“I messaged Master Edison.” Briggs tilted his head to the side. “Did you forget that he’d offered to deliver groceries?”

“No. But you had said you hadn’t messaged him about them yet.”

Briggs sighed. “I didn’t want to argue. I don’t feel you’re broken or damaged. I know you’re not. But I also don’t want to invalidate your feelings. So I stepped away and distracted myself. I should have said something.”

“Where did you go? Just a bit ago?” I asked.

Briggs stepped around me and placed the bags on the counter. There were a lot more there than I’d realized. “To the front porch. They were delivered there.”

“How? I didn’t hear a thing?”

Briggs slowly shook his head. “How do you think enforcers are able to sneak up on the bad guys? We’re all pretty stealthy.

I didn’t make a lot of noise because I didn’t want to disturb you.

I was just out front. I should have said something to you though.

I apologize for not.” Briggs started removing items from the bags and placing them on the counter.

Fruit, yogurt, more drinks, meats, cheeses… they kept coming.

“Did Master Edison send all of those? You requested them?”

“Yes. We were supposed to be gone for a bit longer than we ended up being, and I really don’t have much in my kitchen.”

That was true. I’d seen very little in his refrigerator. “Did you want some help?” I asked. Briggs was still removing things from the bags. “I can do that, and you can start putting them away. I would offer to help with that, but I don’t know where you keep everything.”

“It’ll certainly go faster with help. I think I have all of the cold things out now though,” Briggs told me.

I reached out and placed my hand on his. When he looked at me, I felt an ache I couldn’t quite understand. “I don’t want to leave, Briggs. The opposite, really. But I don’t want you upset with me.”

“Then don’t leave,” he said. Briggs turned his hand and laced ours together. “Despite anything else, I do need to get the cold things put away before we can even talk.”

I nodded in agreement before picking up a package of cheese and handing it to him. “Is this stuff you normally eat?” I asked. Not only was I trying to learn more about my mate, but I was curious if Briggs normally ate little cubes of cheese.

“Some of it, yes.” Briggs cleared his throat. “I also asked for anything that would be useful when dealing with a heat.”

I dropped the package of meat. “Heats?” I asked as I picked it back up.

“Yeah. Unless you want to go through it alone?” Briggs’s expression suddenly looked dark. “There is no way my wolf will let someone else help you through it. I’ll have to be sent away in order for that to happen.”

I moved closer and took a chance that what he said earlier was true.

He hadn’t scented as if he was lying, and he had no reason to do so.

I placed my hands on Briggs’s sides. Immediately, the thundercloud expression cleared, and a completely different one took its place.

“I wouldn’t want someone else to help me through it.

It’s been so long since I’ve had one, but I know I’d only want you to help me with it.

” I leaned closer, my body finally touching my mate’s, and I felt what I knew was desire go through me.

I’d never felt it before, but I’d discussed it with Dr. Garin earlier, and I had no doubt that was what I was feeling.

“Briggs?” I said quietly.

“I know,” he whispered back. When he reached up and ran his fingers along the side of my face, I felt a shiver start at the contact and travel through my body. “I absolutely do not want to ruin the moment, but I need to put the groceries away before anything. I’m sorry.”

The moment was broken, and although it was a bit frustrating, I understood.

I nodded, took a step back, and after I took several deep breaths, I reached for the package of yogurt.

I handed it to Briggs, and after a moment, he finally took it.

I felt his hand on mine, and when we made eye contact, his blue eyes had darkened.

He slowly slid his hand from mine, taking the yogurt with it.

It continued on like that until the rest of the cold things were put away and my nerves were in overload. I was breathing heavily; my pants were incredibly snug in the front yet uncomfortable in a different way elsewhere. I looked up at Briggs and whimpered.

“I think,” he said as he cupped my face, “that it is time we share our first kiss, at least.”

My breathing sped up, and I subtly shook my head. It was enough that Briggs hesitated and raised an eyebrow in question. “No?”

“I’ve never done that,” I told him. My voice was no longer my own though, and it came out in a whisper that I couldn’t seem to increase.

“Never?”

I shook my head.

“We’ll have to change that, then,” Briggs said.

He lowered his head a bit, hesitated, smiled, and then moved close enough that I could feel his breath on my face, but his lips hovered just barely off mine.

“If you don’t like it, you’ll have to let me know, but I’ve always found kissing to be incredibly sensual. ”

I felt his lips touch mine for the first time and melted.

His lips were warm and soft, yet firm enough to control the kiss without excessive pressure or making me feel uncomfortable.

I grabbed hold of his sides, and as Briggs’s hands held my face gently in his hands, I did something I’d never done before—I trusted enough to let go.