Page 88 of Rock Giant

“Ow!”It hadn’t actually hurt, but he was going for a sympathy bid.

“Sorry.”She gave it a rub.Hey, any sort of contact, he’d take it.“Weren’t my idea.I’d have happily hit the sack sooner.”

Then again, maybe he shouldn’t encourage early nights.“When’d you get to bed?”

“5ish.But it was after six before I dozed off.”

The Ghost Boys had obviously stuck it out at the club long after Black Halo left.“Explains why they all look so ghoulish today.”

She gave another yawn, prompting another adjustment to his plans.Much as it’d be fun to jump into a taxi with her and head off to the mountains, a less arduous form of leg-stretching was in order.Also, practically speaking, neither of them were dressed for a wander in the Norwegian wilderness.He at least had a jacket, plus a daysack of essentials.She had a purse on a long strap across her body that served to emphasise her bust, and slip-on shoes that’d seen better days.

“There’s a park with a lake just over the way.I thought I might do a lap or two.”

“Swimming?”

“On foot.”

“Right, I knew that.Sounds good.”

She was wearing his old jumper again today.He remarked on it, earning himself another elbow to the abs, this time she hit him right on his bruise, causing him to suck in a breath.That damn table had done him more damage than first appeared.It’d heal though, if she didn’t keep poking him there.

“I don’t own many clothes, and stuff’s still drying.”

“Do you need to clothes shop?”

She looked him over, incredulous.“I can make do, and you don’t want to stand around while I try stuff on.”

“It could be fun.”Actually, it might be a lot of fun.

She shook her head again, insistent.“Clothes shopping is soul destroying.Nothing fits, and I look horrible in all of it.Plus, I can’t afford it, anyway, and that wasn’t a hint that you should offer to pay.I can support myself.I don’t need charity.I’ve a decent paying job these days.”

“PA to an up-and-coming band.Rather you than me,” he muttered.Actually, his brain had stalled over the notion of her looking awful.She always looked fantastic to him.Still, he made a note to slip her another of his jumpers somehow, and to one day take her shopping and make sure she knew exactly how much he appreciated her curvy body.Not necessarily together.He wouldn’t mind getting arrested for shagging in a changing room, but he guessed she might.From what he’d seen, she seemed to have put her bad girl past behind her, and was now attempting to pull off typical, nothing out of the ordinary, everyday citizen.He hoped she didn’t think she needed to do that to make herself fit in, or worse, to fulfil Nash’s version of an ideal wife.

A green area with bench-lined walkways surrounded the roughly octagonal lake, where an underwhelming fountain spurted jets of water into the air.They did a lap and a half of the circumference before making use of one of the benches.Paul ate his apples.Jodi polished off a sandwich and a can of cola.They shared the chocolate.After a few minutes debating whether to enter the museum opposite that had a Munsch collection, and agreeing they should, neither of them moved from the bench.An art museum wasn’t where he wanted to take her.Nope, that’d be to the hotel he could see the roof of, and where they all conveniently had rooms booked for that evening.It might not stretch his legs, but they could get in a vigorous workout.He didn’t suggest it.Couldn’t face hearing her answer.Nor was he prepared to risk prompting her departure.

Being friend zoned was shit.He didn’t want a platonic marriage.He wanted a physical one, a soul-deep spiritual one.Something that involved feels and connections across multiple planes of existence.Sadly, Luthor was right.He wanted her to himself.Wanted to be able to give her all the things he’d promised without overstepping the mark.

He let her ramble on about the stupid shit the guys did, nodding appropriately.It was predictable stuff.Her complaints were the same ones that Elspeth had often made about how guys were nothing but smelly oversized toddlers.

He shifted, the bench suddenly far too hard against his arse.That ring on her finger was fuck ugly.Clearly the man had no taste.

“Want to go get a tattoo?”

“Huh?”She goggled at him, a grin stretching her lips.“Right now?Do you even have space for another one?”

Tons.Also, he had something specific in mind, something he’d been mulling since their handfasting.The trinity ribbon symbolising their bond remained fastened around his wrist, but nineteen days on, it was starting to look rather grubby and frayed.There was plenty bare skin to ink three bands and a symbolic knot around his wrist though, and he really wanted her present for the occasion.

“Where would we even go?”

It only took a minute for the internet to provide the answer.There were numerous choices all within a five-to-ten-minute walk.

And still they didn’t move.

“Are you mad at me?”she asked.

Where had that come from?“Never.Why the fuck would I be?”

She shuffled, so that she was sitting sideways, knees up against his legs.“Because this isn’t what you want, not really.Us being friends, I mean.”