Page 72 of Clashing With The Grumpy Wolf
"She's cooperating fully. She's turned over evidence, given a complete confession. Her testimony will be crucial in putting Vera away." He pauses. "But if Vera has a history with the law, Courtney has an even longer one. She’s a career con-artist, Julia. She’s done stints all over the country for at least five years, getting people to trust her, then betraying them. She’s an accomplished hacker and she lost no timehacking into the security system. That’s how she got the combination to the safe, how she managed to keep her tracks hidden. She did this long before you even met her."
"I should have sensed something was wrong," I say quietly. “Part of this is my fault.”
"No, it’s not," Adrian growls. "You trusted them both because that’s the kind of person you are. Trusting and kind and hardworking. None of this is your fault."
I nod, surprising myself with my own response.
"I just hope she learns from it."
Adrian studies me with a mixture of pride and admiration.
"You're a better woman than most," he says softly, touching my face with gentle fingers.
He leads me deeper into the garden, where the crashing sea can be heard through the rose hedges. The salt air mingles with the floral scents, creating a unique perfume that I've come to associate with Saltford Bay. With home.
"What happens now?" Adrian asks quietly, turning to face me. The moonlight silvers his dark hair and catches in his green eyes. "What do you want, Julia?"
I pause, taking in the moment, the moonlight on roses, the distant music from the ballroom, the way Adrian looks at me like I'm the only person in the world who matters.
"I love my job," I tell him honestly. "I won't give it up. But I can build a life here in Saltford Bay, base my company here, travel for events only when necessary, and always come home to you."
I reach up to touch his face, tracing the strong line of his jaw.
"If you can deal with a mate who's on the road now and then, I think I could be the happiest woman alive."
Adrian's eyes shine with emotion. He catches my hand and presses a kiss to my palm. Above us, a dual roar shatters the night as Seraphina and Percy take flight as newlyweds for their honeymoon, two shimmering dragons soaring over the cliffs into the moonlit sky.
"All I care about is your happiness," he tells me. "Wherever your career takes you, I'll be right here when you come home."
Adrian turns me toward him and kisses me, slow and deep, his hands cradling my face like I'm something precious. The sea crashes against the cliffs below, the roses bloom around us, and in that moment, I know with absolute certainty. I'm home.
Chapter 22
Adrian
Iwakewithastart, my body instantly alert. The bed beside me is empty, the sheets cool to the touch. For a split second panic grips my chest before my senses kick in. Julia's scent still fills the cabin, fresh and alive.
She's here, in my house. In our house. Everything I have is now hers.
I listen, focusing my heightened hearing. The soft gurgle of my ancient coffeemaker. The gentle pad of bare feet on wooden floors. A quiet humming, slightly off-key butachingly sweet.
My wolf settles immediately, contentment spreading through me like warm honey. For the third night in a row, I've slept through the night without waking once. No restlessness, no prowling at three a.m., no staring at the ceiling, waiting for dawn. Just deep, untroubled sleep with my mate in my arms.
My mate. The thought still sends a thrill of disbelief and joy through me.
Sunlight streams through the gaps in my bedroom curtains, painting strips of gold across the rumpled bedsheets. I stretch, muscles pleasantly sore from last night's activities. The memory of Julia beneath me, around me, her scent mingling with mine as I marked her as my own, sends a fresh wave of desire through my body.
I pull on a pair of sweatpants and follow the scent of coffee and Julia into the kitchen. She stands with her back to me, wearing nothing but my flannel shirt, the hem exposing the luscious curves of her thighs. Her hair falls in tousled waves down her back, and sunlight catches the strands, turning them to burnished copper. Her head bobs slightly as she hums, completely unaware of my presence.
The sight of her in my kitchen, so at home, so comfortable, makes my chest ache with a feeling I can barely contain. I move silently across the floor and wrap my arms around her waist from behind, burying my nose in the crook of her neck where my mark sits, dark against her pale skin. My wolf’s saliva healed it quickly, but the redness will linger for a while. And the mark will stay forever.
"Morning," I murmur, inhaling deeply. The scent of us, mingled together, makes my wolf rumble with satisfaction.
Julia jumps slightly, then relaxes back against my chest. "I was wondering when you'd wake up. You were sleeping so soundly I didn't want to disturb you."
She turns in my arms, two steaming mugs of coffee in her hands. Her eyes are bright, cheeks flushed, lips slightly swollen from last night's kisses. The flannel shirt gapes open at the top, revealing the curve of her breast and a trail of small marks I left on her skin.
"I've never slept better in my life," I admit, taking one of the mugs from her. "Must be the company."