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310 Lisa: Humans Have Pheromones?
LISA
Kellan's stare leaves me unsettled. It's been intense ever since our reunion.
I'm grateful for the space he's given me-this whole fated mate business is like being slammed into by a rogue freight train-but there's a whole lot of little things that keep throwing his feelings into the foreground, making it impossible to ignore. Like how he touches me a little too often.
How he watches my every move.
He hasn't kissed me again, but it doesn't make the current situation any less awkward.
"Can't sleep?" he asks, as if us sharing a bed and him lying on his side to stare at me for the past hour is somehow conducive to falling asleep.
"Nope." The word pops out with a little more sass than I intend, but damn it, does he have to
stare at me like that?
"Oh."
And awkward silence again.
"So, why couldn't I just bunk with Dr. Blackwell?" My question breaks the uneasy tension
between us.
"They don't have an extra bed," he explains easily.
"And no empty beds anywhere else? At all? Just-none?"
"None."
"No sleeping bags?"
"No."
"Extra blanket?"
"Not even one of those."
He's lying through his damn perfect teeth.
"You have a couch," I point out. I saw it. I know it's there.
"People come in and out at all times of day. It isn't the safest place to sleep. Better to be in bed."
glance in his direction again, only to be caught by his unblinking gray eyes. "You could sleep on the couch," I point
"I don't want to."
do what
ahout it to then a
17:09 y
Humans
in the darkness. I hate to admit it, but I
that he's
and Lucas are
I'm sure they are.
huskiness of his voice has all my lady
his mate and he's being all caveman about
change the subject from the tension simmering between us. "It's only right to give the newly mated couple their own
slightly. "Absolutely. Ava and Lucas need to be
momentarily overriding my
imagine a sapling that's just been planted. It needs constant care, water, and
together. She'll feel wrong and
bullshit. It's a lot less romantic when you suddenly get slapped with the
myself studying Kellan's face in the dim light, noting the strong line
something?" I
"Anything," he replies immediately.
now? I mean, with us? With
he isn't
up
is a lot to take in, and I don't expect you to just fall into my arms and live happily ever after.
decide I don't want
He's quiet again.
are you? Drag me into
he
the mattress. The tension that
Humans
widen as I realize how my words must have sounded. "No! I mean, I don't-" I stumble over my words, trying to backpedal. How do I explain that
I know you're an independent soul. The last thing I want to do is scare you or
that mean you are going to do it and you're
Kellan-half groan, half laugh. "No, Lisa. I would never do that to you. Never." His gray eyes lock onto mine, intense and sincere in the dim lighting. "I want you to come to me of your own
of the past few days, the whole mate situation being dropped on
propping himself up on one elbow. The movement causes the blanket to slip further down his chest. He doesn't have a shirt on, which is far too enticing for a woman like me. Especially when I'm trying so hard to not fall into his arms. "I know
you need."
ask you something
"Of course."
ask all the questions we humans want to know. "What exactly does being mates mean? Like, practically speaking. Is it just... attraction? Or is
though that's certainly part of it. It's a deep, instinctual connection. Like finding a missing piece of
gone."
words send a flutter through my stomach. It sounds romantic,
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