Page 126 of My Broken Mate

“When we were waiting for you to come to the lecture, I pretended like I just received a message from you.”

“You gave me an alibi?”

“Yes, and I pulled it off. Cool, huh?”

“Very.” He smiles at me in a way that makes my stomach do backflips. “And smart, too. They will know you are with me now, and that it was all planned. Or that you decided to join me spontaneously. It’s fine either way.”

We get up as the train stops. I can feel his fingers wrapping tightly around my hand. He has not hesitated with any decision he’s made during the last couple of hours, since the train took off. I am oddly fascinated by his sudden spout of quiet confidence, needless to say, it makes him very attractive.

We need to take a stop midway in a tiny town. We would have ridden the whole way without a stop, but unfortunately, we need to change trains, and the next one doesn’t leave for a couple of hours.

“I have something to ask,” I start.

My handsome mate looks at me. “Of course, go ahead.”

“I-” I stare at his lips, wishing to taste them. In response, he reaches out his hand, cupping my cheek, his thumb brushing over my lower lip. “I was thinking about calling you Remus,” I say. “Only if you like it, though.”

He looks surprised.

“What do you think about that, Remus?”

Something flashes in his eyes; he moves his hand to the back of my head, his grip tightening before pulling me forward and claiming my lips.

“I take that as a yes,” I grin.

“Isn’t it weird for you?”

“Not at all,” I say. “I love the name. I might slip here and there, though.”

“That’s okay.” He takes my hand, leading me over the only road leading from the train station to the small town. We stop to grab something to eat first, and then visit a shop that seems to sell everything, and grab some items for me. I came completely unprepared, but now have two sets of clothes to change into, a toothbrush, and other smaller necessities. Then we search for a place to stay the night. The only hotel, more like a bed & breakfast, is a tiny old building that looks rather run-down.

Inside, it’s clean and tidy, though, and the owner promises us a breakfast early in the morning before we need to leave.

The room is an adventure of its own, however. Remus and I exchange a glance before bursting into laughter. There are flowery wallpapers everywhere, the blanket and pillows have frills and ruffles, the curtains are thick with roses and chickens all over, and the carpet covering the floor is in a rich, rose tone. To top it all, the design of the bedding has little kittens all over it.

We drop our backpacks, still in awe of the room. “This is fascinating,” Remus says.

“That’s one way to put it.” I chuckle.

“I guess for one night I will cope,” he says, clearly sounding amused now. “The old lady sounded nice.” He stretches. “I guess I will take a bath.”

I nod, sitting down at the edge of the bed. “I will go after you.”

“Or…” He looks at me. “You could join me. That is if you want to.”

My heart makes one of its rapidly-becoming, regular leaps. I should have gotten used to it by now, but I haven’t. Every time I am in Remus’ vicinity, it seems like my body betrays me and wants things it has never wanted before. It longs for him. It’s this longing that makes me feel slightly embarrassed, too.

A hint of insecurity flashes in Remus’s eyes. It makes me realize that he probably feels the same as I do. He might be embarrassed and nervous as well. Before he can act on hisnerves, I get up and take off my shirt, secretly thanking Ayden for forcing me to go on birth control, just in case.

‘Just in case’ happens to be now, it seems.

Remus follows suit, slowly taking his shirt off, revealing his upper body to me. He is surprisingly toned, not that I would have minded if he weren’t. I know Sean put together a training schedule for him to bond with his wolf. I wait for Remus to step forward. “I don’t have a ton of experience,” I mutter. “I had like one guy who was my boyfriend for a week before he found someone better.”

“It’s the same for me. I was loosely dating so that I wouldn’t need to be home much,” he says, wrapping his arms around my middle and pulling me closer. His hands wander into the back pocket of my jeans, resting there on my ass, while I wrap mine around his neck, for the first time feeling my skin against his, and fuck, the tingles are driving me insane with want.

Remus draws back a little, just enough to take my hand and lead me to the bathroom. They don’t have a shower here, just a tub, albeit a pretty spacious one. The bathroom is in the same corny design as the room, the tiles with big flowers printed on them and the towels in a screeching yellow with horses all over them. It’s silly, but it also takes the pressure off me a little.

I watch Remus filling the tub with warm water, my longing for him only getting stronger.