The Wolf’s Billionaire by Layla Silver

Chapter 7—Ainsley

I didn’t remember getting through the door of my suite. I also had no idea where Bas’s camera or either of our coats had gone, but when he pressed me against the wall and nuzzled at my throat, I couldn’t bring myself to care about anything but the way he felt against me. I’d missed the heat of his solidly muscled body more than I’d dared admit, and there was something heady and magical about the fact that he wasn't the least bit deterred from wanting me by the fact that I was in jeans and a sweater instead of a beautiful dress.

“I dreamed of you last night,” he rasped, kissing beneath my ear and making me tip my head back with a sigh.

“Mmmm?” I’d meant to ask a proper question but his hand snuck under my sweater, derailing my thoughts, and a hum was the best I could manage.

“I dreamed of Tucson. Of waking before you left.”

“Oh.” Guilt spiraled through me. “I didn’t—”

Bas’s fingers plucked at the thin fabric of the thermal top I wore beneath the sweater, tugging it loose from my fleece-lined leggings.

“—I didn’t want to disturb you.”

He grunted and his touch wormed beneath my base layer to stroke my skin. Pleasure fizzled through me, bright and volatile.

“I thought—” I could hear myself, breathy and barely coherent, but I had no control over what came out of my mouth. “I didn’t know what I’d say.”

“Say I can take you to bed, now.” He dropped to his knees, his hands rucking up my shirt and sweater so that he could mouth kisses to my stomach.

I squirmed, my hands flying to his broad shoulders to brace myself as the scruff on his cheeks brushed my side, sending tingling prickles up my spine and making me yelp in protest.

Bas laughed and pulled back enough to look up at me, amusement in his eyes. “I don’t remember you wriggling this much last time.”

“Last time you started with my toes,” I retorted, my skin going hot.

“I did,” he agreed. My clothing fell more or less back into place as he trailed a hand down over my hip, his eyes darkening with intent. “But I missed a spot and I’ve regretted it ever since.”

My chest squeezed, fear surging up and closing my throat. I made a choked-off noise, knowing the reaction was irrational but unable to stop it.

Bas’s brow furrowed. “Ainsley?”

I shook my head, as if that would help—as if it would squash the rush of unwanted emotion throttling me and stealing my words. Gods, he was going to think I was faking this, that I was trying to manipulate him, just as my mother had always accused. Or maybe he’d decide that I was crazily unstable. Any second now he’d make an excuse to leave and be checked out and long gone when I started my shift tomorrow.

My head went light and I couldn’t breathe. Despair and dread threaded through my spiraling anxiety.

He should leave, maybe. Shouldn’t he? He was like Teagan and Grayson—a wanderer at heart. A stardust soul never meant to be tied down to any one place.

If he stayed, I’d love him with all I was worth, but I’d only make him miserable, as my father had my mother. I’d unavoidably drag him into the monumental task of helping restore the pack and rebuild a whole region. I’d replace our handful of beautiful memories together with shackles of obligation and that would breed resentment. There could be no good ending to that. It was better if he just—

“Ainsley.”

The sharpness of Bas’s voice made me flinch but the movement shocked my locked-up lungs into sucking in air. I felt momentarily nauseous as the world tilted then righted itself, my nerves going edgy as my stomach flipped.

Large hands framed my face, tilting my head up. “Ainsley? Tell me what you need.”

What did I need? Other than to not be me, not be so broken anymore? I didn’t know.

Instead of answering, I reached out blindly, my fingers fisting in Bas’s shirt. I had no idea what I needed but I wanted him with every fiber of my being.

I half expected him to gently push me away with excuses about my needing rest, but he didn’t. In fact, he pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me and cradling me against his strong chest. I burrowed into him, feeling some of the jittery panic in my veins ebb away. Weariness flowed in to take its place.

“It’s all right.” Bas tucked my head under his chin and stroked my hair, steady and calm. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

To my horror, tears welled up, stinging my eyes. When was the last time anyone had been here when I’d felt like this?

Kaia tried. She did. But she’d been gone for so long and she had so much on her own plate that she just wasn’t around very often to notice, much less to sit around comforting me when I had meltdowns. Bianca was the only one of my friends who had never left and I knew that she cared but she’d never known what to do with me when I got like this. She was just too put together, too independent, to understand.

“I’m sorry,” I croaked as the tears ran hot down my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do this. I’m not—”

“It’s okay.”

To my astonishment, Bas leaned down and scooped me up as if I were weightless. Carrying me across the room, he dropped onto my couch, grabbed the chunky chenille throw blanket from the back, and swathed it around me. Tucking me against him, he stroked my arm gently.

The tenderness undid me and I sobbed helplessly, soaking his shirt with my tears. All my stress and fears poured out until I felt paradoxically both heavy and empty, my head thick with exhaustion but also a little untethered.

When I had no tears left, I struggled to pull myself together. It took immense effort to lift my head but, when I did, Bas cupped my cheek in one hand, his eyes worried and kind and wholly empty of anything resembling pity or disgust.

“Better?” he asked quietly.

I nodded. “Tired,” I admitted, wishing I had the energy or elegance to say something better.

“I’m not surprised.” There was no judgement in his tone. “How about I get you some aspirin and some water and get you into bed?”

On one hand, that sounded heavenly. On the other… “not such a great end to a date, is it?”

One corner of Bas’s mouth tilted up. “I’ve had worse.”

Tucking one arm under my knees, he stood, again effortlessly lifting me and carrying me to my bedroom. Setting me on my bed, he ordered, “get changed. I’ll get some drugs.”

When he strode out of the room, I dragged myself through the process of peeling my clothes off. Leaving them where they fell, I pulled on a silky nightgown. The thought of going to bed with my face unwashed was abhorrent, but the idea of attempting to walk to the bathroom and go through my usual evening routine felt insurmountably enormous.

Bas resolved the question by reappearing, a glass of water and several pills in hand. “Here.”

He waited while I downed the pills and drank half the water, then reappropriated the glass and set it on the nightstand. Pulling down the covers, he ushered me into bed. I smiled drowsily as he tucked the blankets in around me.

“You’re good at this.”

“For you, I’ve got nothing but first-class service,” he quipped, moving away. He returned a moment later, my phone in hand. “Open this, please.”

The covers were warm and weighty over me and keeping my eyes open was a struggle, but I managed. Bas took the phone back and punched some buttons. “I’m putting my number in here,” he informed me, finishing and setting the phone beside the water. “If you need anything, call me, all right? It doesn't matter what time.” He smiled wryly. “I’d stay, but I’m due to meet Renly shortly and I think if I don’t show he’ll come break your door down looking for me with a shotgun.”

I wanted to laugh but it came out as a huff. “Won’t,” I mumbled. “Probably.”

“Uh-huh.” Bas sounded doubtful. “Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not gonna risk it.” Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow.”

I nodded and then I was asleep.