“No, you wouldn’t. Christian, maybe you should stop denying her and yourself. I understand you won’t know for sure until she’s eighteen, but if she’s going to the Academy in a few months…”
“She hasn’t decided to go yet.”
“She needs to go, Christian. You and I both know that.”
“Then maybe you can convince her. So far, she hasn’t agreed to go and I’m not going to force her. That’s a good way to make her fail and also hate me.”
“Do you want me to talk to her?” she asks.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea either.
<i>“</i><i>} </i>
“Then, maybe we regale her and Alpha Shane with tales of the Academy over dinner.”
I stare at her a moment. “You’re fucking brilliant, do you know that?”
“Well, I’m not number one of the leaderboard, but I am number five,” she says smugly.
I shake my head and wrap my arm around her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get you settled and then we can meet Shane and Enya for dinner. They really are great. Even with everything that has happened to them, they’re so resilient and they love each other very much.”
“Christian, if you’re mated to Enya, then I have no doubt that she’s amazing. You are the type of man who deserves an incredible mate. As
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much as I expect her to throw barbs at me, I’m excited to meet her. I want to know who is finally going to spin you on your head and shake up your world.”
“Did I say I like you? I meant I didn’t like you, not at all,” I say, making herugh as we walk into the packhouse and up the stairs.
I show her to her room, making sure she has everything that she needs. “Dinner is in thirty minutes. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“Thanks Christian. It’s really good to see you.”
“You too, Talia,” I say, walking into the hallway and closing her door.
Enya is walking past but she barely nces over at me.
<i>“} </i>
“Enya she ignores me and keeps walking. I reach out and take her arm, steering her into my room and closing the door. Rather than waste time trying to get it out of her, I push her body against the wall, pressing my body against hers.
“Is there a problem?” I ask.
“No problem. I’m just going to make sure dinner is ready,” she says.
I take her chin, forcing her to look at me.
“Let me be very clear about something. Talia and I are friends. Just friends. What is happening between you and I, isn’t friendship. I may not have a name for it, but what I feel for you is much more than what I feel for Talia. So, stop with the jealousy. There’s no need for it. She is a friend. A really good friend. But that’s all she is and that’s all she’ll ever be. If you don’t realize that there’s more going on between us, if you don’t know me well enough to know that I would never, ever be with you like we have been and then jump in bed with someone else because the opportunity presented itself to me, then you don’t know me
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at all.<i>” </i>
I hold her gaze for a long moment. “I can’t help that I feel jealous, Christian. You’ve been with her in a way that you refuse to be with me. So yes, I’m jealous. But … I do know that you are not the kind of man who indiscriminately goes from one woman to another. I know that you would never hurt me like that. I didn’t when she arrived and I‘ m not saying that I’m not still jealous, but I know that you’re not the kind of man who would be with me like you have been and then sleep with her just because she’s here.”
I lean in and kiss her, taking my time, enjoying her taste and the feel of her tongue against mine. When I finally pull away, I lean my forehead against hers.
“Are we good?” I ask.
She nods. “But if you sleep with her, I swear I’ll rip your balls off.”
“Good to know that my balls are safe,” I say, grinning at her before releasing her.
“I’ll see you at dinner. I want you and Shane to eat with us,” I say.
She sighs. “Okay, Christian.
<i>“} </i>
I close the door after she leaves, then get in the shower to relieve what feels like a constant ache in my body every time she’s around.
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