Chapter 12 Kane #2
A growl rumbles in my chest as I re-cap the water bottle. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
She glances at the clock. “It’s barely six. I’m rarely even conscious at this hour.”
“Then why are you today?”
“Maybe I’m just enjoying a lazy morning.”
“Maybe you should enjoy it dressed.”
She rolls her eyes and spins back around, giving me the middle finger before bending over to eat and scroll again.
I should really look away, but I fucking can’t.
Her body’s a damn work of art. Those long legs are on full display, tattoos crawling up her thighs, over her ribs, and curling around her arms. Each one perfectly flows with the curves of her body, enhancing her natural beauty.
My gaze tours her spankable ass and slender waist, tongue wetting my lips as it lingers on her full tits.
They look like they’d fit perfectly beneath my hands.
Her nipples are hard, pressing against the thin material of her tank top like a damn taunt.
Violet catches me in the act, her head suddenly snapping sideways. She glances down at the very obvious bulge in my athletic shorts, then back up, blue eyes colliding with mine. For a heartbeat we just stare at each other, the air between us so thick you could punch a hole in it.
I clear my throat and immediately deflect, pointing to the cereal box. “You know that stuff’s basically poison, right?”
“Says the guy who poured half a bottle of whiskey down his throat the other night,” she deadpans.
“Discipline is knowing when to indulge and when to restrain,” I mutter, glancing toward the coffee pot impatiently. It’s only halfway done brewing, and it needs to hurry the fuck up.
She snorts a laugh, rolling her eyes. “Sure thing, Commander.”
I frown, crossing my arms. “You make a habit out of eating sugar bombs for breakfast, mate?”
She flinches– just barely– but I see it. Every time I call her that, she has a knee-jerk reaction. She hates it. And I hate how she always manages to get under my skin, so turnabout is fair play.
“I make a habit out of eating whatever the fuck I want,” she snaps back, tone flat. “You don’t own me, Kane.”
Something primal stirs in my chest at the challenge. “We’re bonded, whether we like it or not,” I say, voice dropping low. “That makes you mine.”
“Since when?” she scoffs, lifting her chin. “If I remember correctly, you said we’d stay out of each other’s way, lead separate lives.”
“Things have changed.”
“Oh, have they?” she snorts.
“I know I’m not the only one who’s had trouble sleeping,” I say, leveling her with a stare. “Until last night, we were both walking around like zombies. It’s clear the bond is fucking with us.”
“So what are you saying?” She narrows her eyes, lip curling. “That we have to share a bed for the rest of our lives or we’ll slowly lose our minds and die of sleep deprivation?”
“Something like that,” I mutter.
Violet eyes me as she shovels another spoonful of cereal in, chewing thoughtfully, then swallowing. “Hard pass,” she says, pointing the spoon in my direction. “Make sure you pick out a nice gravestone for me, eh?”
“Don’t fucking talk like that,” I growl, jaw clenching.
She waves her spoon dismissively. “Don’t act like you actually give a shit.”
I turn away before I can say something stupid, snatching a mug off the rack and drumming my fingers against the counter as I watch the coffee drip. I swear it’s never dripped this slowly in my life, the silence between us stretching.
“I added you to my accounts,” I mumble offhandedly. “Since you were released from your position at the TTC due to our bond, it only seemed fair.”
She chokes on a wry laugh. “Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t need your money.”
“Are you planning on getting another job?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“For your information, that wasn’t my only gig,” she replies curtly. “I pick up work at a club sometimes.”
I arch a brow as I twist around to face her. “What kind of work?”
She straightens, swiping up her phone and bowl from the counter. “None of your damn business.”
I clench my jaw, hackles raising. ‘Working at a ‘club’ could mean any number of things, my mind churning as it combs through the possibilities. “What club?”
“Again, none of your business.”
“Everything about you is my business now,” I growl. “At least until we sort out whatever’s going on between our wolves. I’m gonna talk to Alpha about taking some time off next week so we can get a handle on this, and I’d suggest you do the same with your employer.”
She steps over to the sink and drops her cereal bowl inside, milk splashing the basin. “No thanks.”
My jaw clenches. “It’s not a request.”
She looks me up and down, then laughs under her breath. “So what, you’re gonna try to boss me around now?”
“If that’s what it takes,” I grit out. “Clearly, my wolf can’t function without you, and I can’t function without my wolf.”
Violet pushes off from the counter, rapidly closing the distance between us. I immediately tense, holding my breath as she steps into my space, brain short-circuiting. She reaches past me to grab a mug from the counter and proceeds to fill it with fresh coffee from the pot I just made.
“Good luck with that,” she chirps, then brushes past me, her hip bumping mine in a way that’s definitely not an accident.
Goddammit.
I glare after her as she exits the kitchen and disappears down the hall, leaving me red-faced half-hard. Begrudgingly, I reach down to adjust myself in my shorts, hating the effect she has on me.
So this is how it’s going to be.
War.
Fine by me. I’ve never lost a war in my life.