Kate Canterbary

Because refusing you anything makes me physically sick.”

I fucking promise. I promise to listen to you. Although I can’t promise that I’ll be happy about it. But I need to know that I have you. That for the rest of my life I have you here, with me, loving me. Loving me like no one has ever loved before. Tell me, Bronwyn. Because if I don’t… if I don’t have you, I’m going to–”

I finally reach up and put my mouth on him, kissing his words away so I can give him some of mine.

“I will.”

And so fucking lovable that I kiss him again.

He’s too numb to kiss me back but it’s okay. I’m content to lick his parted lips, suck on them, tangle my tongue with his, all on my own.

Until he wakes up.

With a growl.

That sounds and tastes so sweet.

As sweet as his thick, almost slurred words. “You will.”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I nod. “Uh-huh.”

He still isn’t over his shock as he prods, “I have you.”

She considered this for a second before handing her sword to Noah. “I don’t want to scare them,” she explained. “They might think I’m trying to conquer their land if I’m armed.”

Getting to my wallet meant releasing Shay and there was a solid moment where I blinked down at my niece and prayed for a better solution to come my way.

In the end, Shay shocked the shit out of me by reaching into my back pocket, grabbing my wallet, and passing Gennie a five. When she returned my wallet to the pocket and gave my ass a swift pat, I was toast. Just fucking done.

None of it would matter because she’d kissed me back—and she’d loved every second of it.

When I pulled away, I said, “I am sorry.”

Shay shook her head. “Don’t be. You can use me any time you need to fend off the thirsty women of Friendship. There must be dozens of them. I’ll break their hearts for you. Destroy their dreams.”

“You sound…excited.”

She took Shay’s hand and towed her toward the stadium. Shay glanced back at me, held out her free hand.

I’d never moved so fast in my life.

“I thought you wanted her to be your girlfriend.”

“I thought you wanted her to be your girlfriend.”

She gave me a look that must scare the shit out of her students. “You know why, Mr. Just Dropping By With a Freshly Baked Loaf of Carby Goodness.”