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C hloe had never felt so safe and cozy in all her life.

She wriggled a little under the blankets, pressing up close to the warm, comforting presence behind her.

And paused.

Wait, what? Since when do I have a human-sized hot water bottle?!

Her eyes shot open, taking a moment to register the piles of boxes in front of her, before her muddled mind managed to work it out.

She was in her house – her new house, which she’d only moved into a few days ago. Half-emptied packing boxes were still stacked haphazardly around the room, clothes dangling precariously down their sides.

The only familiar thing was her bed, and the blankets that were piled on top of it.

And the warm presence behind her.

Now that she was awake, she knew who it was. Even if she hadn’t been able to feel the mate bond tingling beneath her skin, the feeling of pure safety that he radiated was unmistakable.

Ethan. My mate.

She rolled over to face him, picking up his arm so she could scoot around under it. He really was dead to the world, not moving at all despite how she was wriggling and writhing. About the only indication he gave of even being alive was a gentle snore.

She wrapped her arm around him and took a moment to look at his face – really look at it, from close up. She wanted to memorize all of it – every line and curve, every eyelash, every tiny freckle.

Asleep, he looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. The perpetual hint of a scowl between his eyebrows was completely smoothed out, his face a blank canvas for what she hoped would be laughter lines in the years to come, rather than frown lines.

In the years to come.

They hadn’t had a chance to talk properly after coming down from the gorge – she had been so cold and out of it that she barely remembered anything that had happened after Ethan had summoned the water that had carried them to safety.

Well, relative safety, anyway…

She had the vaguest memories of being flown back to Kira’s wonderfully heated cabin, being stripped of her wet clothes and wrapped in a toasty warm blanket and given a cup of sweet hot chocolate. There may have been a check-up from a doctor at some point as well, but she was fuzzy on the details.

She knew that after a while, though, she’d been driven home in Kira’s car, giving Kira murmured answers to the questions she was asking her to keep her awake until she was satisfied Chloe was safe from succumbing to hypothermia.

And after that, mostly there was just the bliss of being fast asleep, warm and safe with the man she loved.

Possibly quite a bit of time asleep, now that she came to think about it. She was ravenous.

But still, not quite so ravenous that she was willing to get up just yet.

Chloe pulled herself in closer to Ethan, enjoying the feel of him, the smell of him.

She noted with both gratitude and dismay that he had apparently managed to source a t-shirt and some shorts from somewhere – while she appreciated that he had been gentleman enough to not jump into bed naked with her, she certainly wouldn’t have objected!

Oh, well, she thought. It could be worse – he could still be wearing the suit. I think I’d have to draw the line at that. It’s just nice to know that he is actually physically capable of wearing regular clothes.

It seemed that someone had also dressed her in her pajamas as well, and Chloe was certainly glad of that.

She lay there contentedly for who knew how long, curled up against him, just enjoying being in his presence.

In the end, though, after way too much time spent listening to the slow beat of Ethan’s heart, Chloe’s stomach won out.

She wiggled her way back out from under his arm again, marveling at how deeply asleep he was.

Looking around the room, she noticed the bright sunbeams creeping around the edges of the curtains.

Just how long was I asleep for, anyway?

Chloe reached over to check her phone, and…

Ah.

She’d been asleep for the better part of twenty-four hours, apparently. No wonder she was starving!

And no wonder Ethan was asleep. Chloe knew he’d never admit it, but she was pretty sure that he’d stayed up all night watching her until he was satisfied that she was safe and well.

With one last fond glance over her shoulder, Chloe stumbled out to the kitchen. All things considered, she felt remarkably well – no lingering feeling of cold, no aches and pains, no exhaustion. Just a little bit of remaining tiredness that she was sure would be gone by tomorrow.

Food would definitely help, she knew. Rifling through the mess of a kitchen, she managed to find eggs, bread, and coffee. Nothing gourmet, and certainly nothing remotely as good as everything else that was apparently available in this town, but she was more than happy to take it.

Frying up every last egg she had, she hummed a jaunty little tune. Things were certainly looking up – and they’d already been pretty good to begin with!

Placing the simple but generous breakfast plates onto a tray, she turned around – and almost jumped out of her skin at Ethan leaning against the kitchen doorway, his shorts and t-shirt rumpled, his hair as mussed as hair that short could possibly be.

On anyone else it would’ve looked normal, but seeing Ethan in such a state felt positively scandalous . Had anyone else even ever seen him not looking like he’d just stepped out of a fancy suit catalog?

At least he looked perfectly fit and well – certainly not like someone who had jumped off a cliff yesterday.

I suppose shifters really are built different! And how…

“I was going to bring this to you in bed,” she stammered as she held out the tray, unable to think of anything else to say.

In retrospect, ‘Thank you for saving my life’ or even just ‘Good afternoon’ would’ve probably been appropriate, but, well, she thought that hopefully her mediocre breakfast would at least somewhat convey her gratitude.

“We can take it back there if you like,” Ethan suggested, but Chloe shook her head.

“If I go back to bed with you, I’ll probably never get back out again. And, as much as I’d like that, there are some things we need to do.”

Ethan’s eyes glimmered at the suggestion, but he nodded, making his way over to the kitchen table and clearing a space for the plates.

Chloe dived into her breakfast, shoveling eggs into her mouth at lightning speed – she really was hungry. She didn’t even care when Ethan huffed a gentle laugh. She thought that after everything she’d been through, she deserved to enjoy her food whole-heartedly.

“Mm. Food,” she muttered around a mouthful of toast, as her stomach showed its appreciation. “I love food.”

“I think I’m getting to like it, too,” Ethan said. “Amongst… other things. Like Girdwood Springs.”

When she raised an eyebrow at him, he clarified quickly, “And you, of course. I thought that went without saying.”

“Good save,” she said with mock seriousness, taking a sip of her coffee. While she’d partially been poking fun at him for its own sake, it also gave her a few seconds to think, while her stomach tightened in nervous anticipation.

Was Ethan seriously thinking about staying here, then? She barely dared to consider it.

“I was thinking…” Ethan said slowly, trailing off for a moment while he gathered his thoughts. Then he looked up and held her gaze with those piercing blue eyes.

“I was thinking that city life isn’t for me,” he said.

“I’ve devoted my whole life toward something that I don’t even like, and I don’t think I ever even realized it until now.

I need to get out for a while. Think about something other than what my family expects of me.

Do what I want to do for a change – once I figure out what exactly that is. ”

Chloe swallowed hard. Part of her was terrified of putting herself out there, of being too bold – but this was her mate . Even if she was still only just beginning to learn what that meant, she knew she could trust him completely. Even if he rejected her offer, he would do it kindly.

“Well,” she said, clearing her throat, “this house certainly has room enough for an extra person. If you were looking for somewhere to stay for a while. Before you get your own place. If that’s what you wanted to do. Though you wouldn’t have to.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Ethan’s lips, and Chloe felt the nervous knot in her stomach melting away.

“How could I say no to such a tantalizing offer?” he said, and Chloe let out a relieved laugh.

“But there are ground rules,” she said. “Such as, you have to get some normal clothes. As nice as you look in a suit, I think you’ll stand out a bit too much.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” Ethan said seriously. “But, okay. Fine. I’ll bring my jeans with me.”

“You own jeans?!” she exclaimed, even as she knew she was being foolish. Of course he owned jeans. She really couldn’t judge his entire existence after having only spent a few days with him, one of which she was essentially unconscious for.

Chloe was spared his response by the buzzing of her phone.

She glanced down at it to see a message from Keisha, from the staffing agency.

Has she managed to find a receptionist for the clinic?

A strange feeling of dread rippled through her stomach. She wanted a receptionist, and yet…

She opened the text.

Hi Chloe,

Sorry to bother you on a weekend!

I just wanted to touch base with you to let you know that I’m still trying to find you a receptionist. I do apologize for the hassle. You’ll definitely have one on Monday, though – if all else fails, I’ll come in and fill the role myself until we can find someone permanent!

Regards,

Keisha.

Chloe stared at the message, feeling conflicted. She really did appreciate the offer – Keisha was going above and beyond, and it wasn’t her fault the original candidate had changed their mind at the last minute.

Normally, she would’ve replied back right away to let Keisha know that everything she said was fine – but now, all she could think of was how nice it would be if Ethan really was her receptionist instead.