Chapter 24
Rhys
This was meant to be. I could feel it in my bones, because why would Bronson be willing to come to the gym with me and why would Katie walk in the door at that moment? I fought the urge to grin as my girl took off down the road, our dog in tow. I scrambled to catch up, settling in to match her pace, assuming now we could really start to talk. Instead, she shot me a sidelong look, her eyes widening just a little.
Huh, the gods really were on my side. I’d pulled on an old tank top that was pretty threadbare and showed off the guns to good effect. I may or may not have flexed just a little. But instead of being impressed by my physique, she dragged her eyes sideways, focussing on the road ahead.
Interesting.
I forged ahead, getting out in front of them, and then started walking backwards to face her.
“So, are we going to talk on this walk, or is that too awkward?” More silence. Shit, I was dying out here. I leant down and peered into her eyes, trying to make eye contact. Bronson obliged me, giving me the best doggie smile ever. My boy was in his element and I knew why. He was happiest when he was around Katie, and I knew the feeling. “I mean…”
I had something smart to say, but of course, I had to go and collide with a metal sign one of the cafes had left out the front. It went down with a clatter, and the only reason why I didn’t go with it was because I flailed around like a drunken octopus. The cafe staff and some of the customers watched my display with some interest, so I put the sign to rights and then smiled at the server before walking more sedately beside Katie. A small snort caught my attention far more effectively than the stares of the patrons. When I looked sideways, Katie’s lips twitched up at the corner, her mouth fighting the smile, but it was a war it wouldn’t win. I grinned too, encouraging her to do the same and feeling a great big rush when she did. She shook her head, though, marching past the cafe and down the street.
“Oh, so that’s what it takes to get a reaction from you?” I asked. “Me nearly face planting on the footpath?” I angled my body towards her. “I will eat concrete if that’s what it takes to get you to go out with me on a real date.”
She stopped and stared, but rather than smile and say, “yes, please,” a small frown formed. My thumb itched, wanting to smooth it away. Bronson started to mill around her feet, obviously nervous now, but she said something to him quietly, getting him to sit by her feet.
“Why?”
“What?” I expected to deal with protests or rejection, but not this. I blinked and then shook my head.
“Why do you want to date me so much?”
Her arms crossed, the lead dangling from her wrist as her weight went to one hip, making clear what this was. The first hurdle. I needed to sail on over it, not come a guts at the initial obstacle.
“Why wouldn’t I…?” A small shake of her head made clear that she was not going to go along with that. OK, vulnerability time. I sucked in a breath, feeling the street, the noise of the cars, all fade away. It felt like I was sinking down into the core of me. “Because all my life I’ve dreamed of finding that girl, y’know? Not just someone funny or pretty, but the one that steals the breath from your lungs. The girl you feel that instant connection with and it only gets better over the years. Deepens, strengthens, becomes something so powerful nothing can withstand it.”
When I blinked, Katie was still standing there, which was promising. I was being way too heavy, way too fast, but hey, she asked.
“I thought I had that with my ex.” I shrugged. “It felt like that’s what we were moving towards, but now I know it wasn’t real. She was in it for multiple dicks, and I…” I rubbed my hand over my face, not really wanting to put my whole arse on display, but here goes. “I just wanted someone to love. Someone to belong to. Someone I can look after, protect and make feel safe, and maybe…” I swallowed hard. “Maybe she’ll do the same for me.”
“You…” She stopped herself, but whatever was going on in her head, it would not be denied. “You think that’s what’s happening here?”
“I don’t know.” It would’ve been better if I said yes and tried to sweep her up in this feeling, but even I knew that was too much, too soon. “All I do know is I feel something.” I moved slightly closer and Bronson looked up at me as he was panting, as if assessing whether or not I was worthy of his mistress’ time. “I’ve tried since the breakup, asking girls out, going on dates, but…” I shrugged. “Nothing comes of it. They’re nice. I do my best to show them a good time, but there’s nothing there. No spark, no connection.”
I dared to reach out then, taking her hand in mine. It was small and soft and I felt a weird need to protect it.
“You’re totally my type, but it’s more than just a physical thing. We could spend the day in bed, fuck our way through whatever this is, and I think…” My eyes met hers and suddenly I felt like I was standing on the side of the road, completely naked for the world to see. “I think that wouldn’t be enough for me.”
I watched her facial muscles twitch. It was like she didn’t know whether to smile or frown, but I knew which one I wanted to see. Instead, she pulled her hand away, using it to fidget with the lead instead.
“That’s insane,” she said finally, then turned to walk the dog up the road.
“Maybe.” If she thought she was putting me off, she was mistaken. I bounded after her, the spring in my steps the same as Bronson’s. “Maybe it’ll all come to nothing. We go to dinner and don’t know what to talk about, or worse, you like seafood.”
“You don’t like seafood?” she asked.
“You do?” I shook my head. “OK, I take it all back. No dates for you.”
“I don’t.” This came out in a much smaller voice, but that little look out the corner of her eyes made clear she knew what this meant. “The smell kills me. Like maybe it tastes awesome, but?—”
“You can’t get past the stink?” I finished for her. “I’m the same. Drew tortures me with his stinky ass lunches all the time. Wasn’t until the clients started complaining that he stopped. So you see, this is meant to be. Together we’ll work to stamp out seafood eating.” I wrinkled my nose. “Starting with Garrett. He’s always cooking some shit with prawns in it.” I linked her arm with mine. “You and me, baby, we’ll save the seas from being raped and pillaged.” I pulled her closer, feeling a rush when she didn’t resist. “And create something beautiful.”
I was just talking shit. There was no real hope that Katie would agree to what I was saying. The fact she even listened to me at all was what I was focussed on, but right as she opened her mouth to reply, Bronson let out a thin whine. He was keeping pace with us the whole time, but now he hung back. He fought the lead, shaking his head and digging his claws in, forcing us to work out why.
We were near the beach and “suns out, guns out” was the motto, and these guys were doing just that. They piled out of their cars, pulling down surfboards and talking loudly about the waves they were going to catch. My eyes flicked between Bronson and them, seeing what he did. Not fellas looking to spend a lazy afternoon surfing, but a large group of loud men.
He was scared.
“We need?—”
“Right there with you,” I said, darting forward and scooping the dog up in my arms. “It’s alright, mate,” I said, over and over in a low voice. I walked swiftly but surely, feeling him shiver in my arms as I put some distance between us and the beach. “It’s alright. Everything will be alright.”
I marched us right back to the gym, not taking a full breath until we walked in through the door and into my office. Bronson scuttled under the desk the minute I set him down, panting hard.
“This is why you need to take things more slowly!” I blinked and turned around to see Katie was obviously furious. She kept her voice to a low hiss, but the anger was palpable. “You can’t just… manifest Bronson being OK. He’s been through…” Her voice caught on that and I rushed towards her, but she held me off. “He’s been through a lot, and he needs you to be aware of that. You have to introduce him to new things slowly, otherwise his nervous system gets completely overwhelmed. Fear biting is a real thing. What if Bronson hurt someone?”
That didn’t seem possible right now. The dog was curled up in a ball, trying to make himself small.
“What if he hurts a child? The kid would face injuries or even death, and Bronson? The council would be around to put him down, no questions asked. Rhys.” I knew what she was going to say before she said it, because so many people had said my name in that exact tone. “Do this right or… don’t do it at all.”
At that, Katie turned on her heel and walked out of the office.