Page 30 of Misbehaving With Minotaurs (Haven Ever After #8)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CATHERINE

I shoot back against the pillows, clapping my thighs together as I drop Manorin’s hand and sink against the headboard. Drawing the covers up over my chest, I level him with what’s probably a horrified look. “We need to talk” has never preceded any good news.

He shakes his head. “I didn’t come in to break your heart this morning, Sunshine.”

I curl into a ball and stare at him. “Then what do we need to talk about?”

It’s bad news, I can tell by the sorrowful look on his face. Even his horns seem droopy. I don’t even think that’s possible .

“Rip Shorthorn asked me to call him this morning,” he starts. “I thought he wanted to discuss Alarion, but he wanted to tell me he’s retiring, and he’s going to recommend the Punishers offer me the head coach position upon his departure.”

Oh gods . His dream job.

I suck in a deep breath and glance across the room to the only window. The roofs of the buildings across the street are barely visible, but I focus on what I can see as I fight to steady my voice and handle this logically. But we said no strings attached, and that’s what this should be.

But how can it be, when I’m falling for him again? Because I am. I think I started to the moment he looked at me from the middle of the skyball field and smiled like I was the only thing he ever wanted to look at.

After a quiet moment, I force a smile and look at him. “You should take that job if it’s formally offered. You’ve wanted this as long as I’ve known you.”

“I can’t take that job for two reasons,” he says, lifting a finger. “Firstly, it hasn’t officially been offered, and he’s not even sure he wants to retire. Secondly, you and I haven’t discussed it, and I’d never take a new job without discussing it with you in depth.”

I shake my head. “You don’t need to discuss this with me, Nor. We’re just,” I wave a hand awkwardly between us, “playing around, having fun. It’s not serious.”

He cocks his head to the side. “We both know that ain’t really how it’s working out though, don’t we?” His expression is so assessing, so shrewd, I wonder if he can see right to the heart of me where those damn feelings are taking hold.

“I’m falling for you,” he whispers, moving forward to hover his upper body over mine. “And I think you’re feeling the same, Cath. Am I right?” He strokes big knuckles up my chest, then drags his fingers along my jawline.

In my mind, walls begin to snap up around my heart. I picture Wesley and the trust I had in him. He shattered it so completely, and I don’t know if I can trust like that again.

“This’ll work out how it’s meant to, right?” It’s all I can think to say as he reaches for my hand.

He gives a slow nod. “You didn’t answer my question, Catherine.” His crimson eyes focus on my mouth. “Am I wrong? If I am, you can tell me that, and I’ll understand. I…” his voice trails off .

I can’t find the words. If I admit them, a dam will break loose inside me, and I’ll be overcome. So, I plaster a bright smile on my face. “We don’t have to cover this now, Nor. Let’s go to breakfast and the running of the bulls. I need a minute with this, okay?”

He sighs, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he rises from the bed. “Alright, but you know I wouldn’t just take this role, right?”

“Okay,” I agree as I slide off the bed and round him. “I’m going to shower and get ready, and then we can go, alright?”

He says nothing as I disappear into the bathroom. The moment I shut the door, I sink against it and to the floor as I try to collect my thoughts.

Manorin’s quiet during breakfast. I try to enjoy Betty’s famous roast beef breakfast sandwich, but Rip Shorthorn’s sitting at the bar with Hadrian Alkazar—wining and dining him, no doubt—and Nor’s a silent, frustrated-looking presence across the table from me.

Now that I’ve had a little time to sit with his big reveal, we should talk about it, but we obviously can’t do that in public. Especially not with Rip sitting right there at the bar.

Nor looks over the table at me. “I’m kinda thinking we should head back to Ever, unless you want to stick around for the running of the bulls?

And Amatheia might be disappointed if you don’t sing karaoke.

But…” He trails off. It’s obvious he wants to talk about this too, but knows this isn’t the right spot.

I fight back a frown. I want Annabelle and a quiet place to talk with Manorin.

“Can we go after breakfast?” It’s all I can manage, but his quiet nod tells me he’s feeling the same way. This whole situation, even this weekend, was always meant to be pure fun. The reality is, despite my best efforts, my long-dead feelings for him are back with a vengeance.

Knowing he’s going to get the Pine Gulch job makes it feel like I’ve already lost what I don’t even have. I’m sick to my stomach over it, and I can’t manage to eat, even though breakfast was my idea.

Eventually, Nor slaps money on the table and stands. He grabs my hand and pulls me to him, tucking a stray wave out of my face.

“Let’s go pack,” he says quietly, “and we’re going to discuss this, Catherine. I won’t have another meal where we don’t talk.”

I nod, glancing around at the overfull restaurant. Behind him, Alcazar and Rip Shorthorn are laughing over Bloody Marys.

I feel sick.

Rip Shorthorn’s recruiting for Manorin to swoop in and take over a kick-ass team. Everything sucks, to use one of the triplets’ phrases.

Nor sighs and pulls me toward the door. We remain silent all the way back to the room.

But the moment he closes the door behind us, he hauls me up over his shoulder.

Stalking to the bed, he lays me carefully against the pillows and climbs on top of me, sitting on his haunches.

He reaches down and unties my wrap shirt, pulling it open to reveal my soft belly and breasts.

A rumble from deep in his chest stokes a fire inside me, even as misery does its best to douse it. He unbuttons his collared shirt and shucks it off his enormous shoulders, crimson eyes meeting mine. Tossing the shirt aside, he slides one arm under me and flips us, settling me splayed across him.

“That’s better,” he says with an appreciative smile. “When we fight, we should fight topless. Easier to make up.”

“We’re not fighting,” I manage.

“We’re not not fighting, either.” One of his dark brows curls upward.

“We’re gonna get all of this out on the table now, Cath.

We started this thing for the sex. We’re adults; we knew what we were getting into.

I won’t speak for you, but it’s not just sex for me.

I’m in love with you. Again,” he tacks on.

“And based on how upset you seemed with the Rip Shorthorn news, I’m gonna guess you’re feeling something like I am. ”

A muscle in his jaw works overtime as he glances away out the wall of windows. After a quiet moment, he looks back. “I don’t want to assume that you’re in love with me, but?—”

“It’s headed that way fast,” I whisper.

A slow smile spreads over his face, lips curling to reveal his twin front fangs. “Cath, I…” His voice trails off as the grin grows wild and big. He slides both hands up my back and presses me to his chest. “Guess all that romancin’ did you in, huh?”

I’m too worried about the Punishers job to say anything else.

When I remain quiet, he strokes my hair. “Nothing’s set in stone, Cath, and I don’t want to put expectations on you when we’ve been dating all of a week, but?—”

“The Punishers is your dream job,” I say miserably. “You’ve wanted to come back here your entire life. We can’t ignore that.”

“Yeah, and I’ve wanted you for just as long, you might remember.”

“I don’t want you to have to pick.”

He grips the back of my neck. “You worried I won’t pick you?”

I scoff. “No, I’m worried you’ll pick me and be miserable because you could have been here…”

He sighs. “What’d I tell you about my priorities when we arrived, Sunshine?”

“I don’t remember the order.”

His low chuckle tells me he knows I’m lying. He lifts a finger. “You first. Extended family next. Job after that. I make my decisions based on that list of priorities.”

“I’m trying to think about how I’d feel if you asked me to leave Annabelle,” I admit. “Because I feel like that’s what you’d be doing if you get the Punishers job and don’t take it. You’re giving up a centuries-long dream, Nor. It’s not okay of me to ask you to do that.”

He pulls me to his chest, wrapping his big arms around my entire body in a tight hug. His heart pounds loud and low, and I center on that, even as misery fills me. Maybe it’s not misery. Maybe it’s pure dread, knowing he’ll be torn. I don’t want that for him. He deserves the best of everything.

I don’t feel any better by the time we get back home to Ever. Everything seems dim and muted under the weight of his impending offer. If I know anything it’s that there isn’t a better coach in the business. If Rip gave him a heads up, Nor’s gonna get offered that job. I don’t doubt it for a second.

When I broke things off with him all those years ago, I knew it was right at the time. But I’ve thought about him a lot since then. And now that we started up this no strings attached thing that immediately turned into feelings, I can’t help but feel like us parting a second time just isn’t right .

Not even Annabelle’s friendly welcoming creaks and groans lift my spirits.

Manorin does his best to act normal, but I’m crushed regardless. He was right to tell me, I know that. But after last night, I was feeling so good, and now I feel like I’ve lost something I didn’t know I had to have.