Chapter 38
He hadn’t lied.
A similar crowd greeted us once we arrived at the hotel.
I was a little more prepared this time, keeping myself tucked close to his side. Ansel’s arm was slung over my shoulders, stepping in time with me as he hurried us into the hotel.
The hotel room was… nice. Nicer than anything I’d stayed in, but not so over the top that I felt out of place. A king-size bed sat in the middle of the room, all crisp white sheets and too many pillows.
And just like that, my stomach swooped.
We’d shared a bed before — twice, actually — but this felt different. Bigger. More deliberate. There wasn’t a couch to retreat to, no excuse to say, ‘Oh, it just happened.’
My bag sat next to his at the foot of the bed. My heart did a weird little stutter at the sight. Like it was a preview of something I couldn’t let myself imagine.
“It’s not bad, huh?” Ansel’s voice pulled me out of it. He was leaning casually against the wall, but his eyes were on me, watching the way I took it all in.
“Yeah,” I managed, my voice a little too thin. “It’s… nice.”
“There’s only one bed,” he said softly, almost like it was a question.
“I can see that.”
His smile was slow. “We’ll survive.”
My pulse fluttered stupidly at that.
“It’s late,” he continued, sliding my bags off of his shoulder and onto the small desk. “I’ll probably wash the airplane shit off of me… if you want to join?”
My cheeks heated quickly, shaking my head. “I’ll shower after you.”
I was thankful for muscle memory, for politeness and quick answers. For once, it did me good to speak without thinking. If I had waited, if I had paused even a second, I might have found myself in the shower with him.
He just nodded, like he’d expected that answer, and grabbed his bag to head for the bathroom.
The sound of the shower running filled the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts — too many of them. My eyes kept landing on the bed, on his bag beside mine, like the universe was dangling something dangerous in front of me.
When he came out, hair damp, and a towel slung around his waist, bare-chested, he looked unfairly good — comfortable and so at home, like this wasn’t a hotel room in a strange city but ours.
“Your turn, kid,” he said softly, giving me that easy smile that always made my stomach flip.
I nodded, grabbing my pajamas and slipping past him. “Juniper!” He called, and when I turned… he was holding one of his shirts out to me. “You were such a fan the other night, I packed extras for you.” God… something about the way he just… wanted to take care of me…
It had me in pieces every time.
When I came out, my hair still wet and skin warm from the shower, he was already in bed — lounging against the pillows, scrolling aimlessly through his phone like he belonged there.
Against all better judgment, I forewent my packed pajama set and had slid his shirt over my head.
Too big, too soft, too him. It fell at the middle of my thigh.
It was obscene, I was sure. But… it was almost safe.
“You get the wall side,” he said gently, patting the mattress.
“I’m not sure if you’ve ever shared the bed with an alpha male,” I scrunched my nose, shaking my head.
He just laughed. “But no man should let his girl sleep close to the door. I’ll be the one fighting the intruders.
” His grin was smug, bordering on cocky.
“Plus, less chance of you trying to escape in the middle of the night.”
I rolled my eyes but climbed in anyway, settling gingerly on my side. The moment my head hit the pillow, his phone disappeared, and he turned to face me.
“Comfy?” he teased softly.
“Shut up,” I murmured, though I couldn’t stop smiling.
That was when his hand found my waist — just resting there, warm and steady. Not asking, not pushing. Just there.
And instead of pulling away, I shifted closer, knees brushing his.
“You’re trouble,” I whispered.
“Yeah,” he breathed back, thumb stroking a lazy circle against my hip. “But I think you like it.”
And I did…
God help me, I did.
My hand found his chest, then his neck… it was like I couldn’t stop touching him either.
Like we were in this secret place where the rules might not exist, where we don’t have to be Ansel and Juniper.
Like maybe… right here… I could just be his.
And him? God — he was gone. Absolutely gone.
I could see it in his eyes, the softness that lingered when he thought I wasn’t watching.
When no one was watching. At some point…
I think this had stopped being pretend. His thumb tracing soft circles on my skin…
his eyes on my mouth like it was the only thing in the room.
“Junie,” he murmured, voice wrecked but patient, so very patient, “tell me to stop.”
“Don’t,” was all I could say, heart heavy with whatever was hanging in the air around us. “Ansel,” my throat was thick with tears… and I had no idea where they came from.
“Sleep, baby.” He replied, tugging me against him. He guided my head towards his chest, hand tangling with my hair as he whispered unintelligible words against the crown of my head. “We’ve had a long day. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
And for once… I think I believed him.