21. Henley
HENLEY
“I’ll admit, my knowledge of this kind of stuff is limited, but I really don’t think this is how you plan a road trip, my mate.
” Blaine studied the dots on the map that we had laid out on the table but he was frowning instead of looking at it like the treasure map it was.
“Should we really be planning a trip around conventions and mysterious creatures the internet said are frightening?”
Or sexy…there was that one apparition thing that people said was trying to seduce everyone…oh, or that dragon thing that couldn’t be an actual dragon that seemed to be eating people up north?
“Don’t forget the comic book stores.” They were scattered all over the place but I’d found the ones that were supposed to be the best. “It’ll be fun.”
I’d enjoyed just putting the trip together, so actually going through with it would be even better.
“I think we might have different definitions of a little trip, my mate.” Blaine finally looked up from the map. “This will take us months.”
My estimate was over a year depending on how long each stop took, but I didn’t think quibbling over the timeline would help the discussion.
“What are your thoughts?” That had to be a better tactic than letting him ask me questions.
My brain was running in a thousand directions and all of them seemed to end up in circles somehow.
“Planning is half the fun and you liked the idea of going to the conventions. It’s going to be the best place to find your favorites…
and some of the figurines to go with them. ”
Oh, he was weakening.
“Let’s look at those again after I make the brownies.” We’d lost track of time the other day and never made them, so they’d be the perfect distraction.
“Alright, my mate.” His smile should’ve made me happy but it made me nervous. There was just a bit too much understanding in it. “One question first, though.”
This wasn’t going to be good.
“Of course.” Smile. Look excited. Innocent. I wasn’t guilty of anything.
“Do you have a time frame on how long it’ll be before I can ask logical questions about our future?” He was better at looking innocent than I was. “I think this falls under the limits category, but I need to understand the specifics.”
When in doubt claim it involved limits and ask to clarify.
He’d cheated.
“No.” I needed to learn to manipulate him better. “But I think traveling for a while will be a good way to bridge that gap.”
He should’ve sighed or rolled his eyes or given me the look he did when I refused to tell him what happened to Superman that was so offensive the internet kept screaming about it.
He smiled.
Ugh.
“Alright.” Focusing on the map again, he pointed to some of the northern areas we’d plotted out. “But I want to make sure we see snow somewhere pretty. I’ve only seen light dustings once in a while. I want to see enough snow to complain about it.”
“Deal.” I didn’t mind snow. “We might need to get a few things like snow chains but that won’t be hard.”
We couldn’t move the conventions around but we could easily shift the smaller towns and comic shops.
Horny Vapor Guy wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so he could wait too.
“What if we pick out someplace with lots of snow and pretty scenery for Christmas?” Hmm. “Do you celebrate that in any way? I mean, I know a lot of people who aren’t Christian skip the religious bits but enjoy the rest.”
Chuckling, Blaine nodded. “Yes, there are a lot of aspects of Christmas that I like. I think that’s a great idea.”
We had a plan.
“Great.” Relief rushing through me cleared out a few of the cobwebs in my head and I looked around the trailer. “Um, I can make the brownies.”
“Or we could do that later and go on a walk now?” Blaine was back to looking very innocent as he stretched his arms out like he was trying to subtly show he needed to move.
“What do you think about going out to that state park near where you found me and we actually walk around it now that we both look human?”
It was a very nice way to point out how long we’d been holed up in the trailer, but the idea of leaving it made me nervous.
Irrationally so.
I had a hard enough time walking over to the park bathrooms.
“Sure.” Ignoring the pressure that was building in my chest, I started folding the map. “I’ll get this put away and then we’ll go.”
I really needed to work on sounding more relaxed because Blaine stood without saying anything and took my hand to lead me over to the bed. The trailer was so small it was the best place for us to sit together, but I was going to get a complex if he kept using it to have discussions with me.
“What?” Acting confused just had him raising one eyebrow before he lifted me up and put me on the bed. “Oh.”
He was stronger than I’d realized.
Magical muscles. Got it.
His smirk said he enjoyed whatever he saw on my face. “Don’t distract me.”
I was not going to agree to that, but I wiggled to the middle of the bed and did my best to look innocent and like I had no idea what he was doing. “Did you want a nap?”
His sigh said I should’ve gone with a movie.
Before I could try again, he sat down at the head of the bed and patted his lap. “Come sit with me.”
He’d been doing too much research. “That’s cheating.”
That grin was addicting. “I thought you’d like that.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that.” Especially since I crawled over to straddle his legs. “You like winning too much.”
Shrugging, he gave me a quick peck on the nose before smiling. “Since that usually involves trying to make you happy in some way, I’m not going to apologize for it.”
Brat.
“That’s not the point.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him, but he just ran his hand over my head and played with the hair around my ear. “The point is that you’re cheating.”
“I thought the point was that I liked to win?” He pressed his lips together as I huffed. “Either way, I’m trying to make you happy.”
Being sweet was cheating too.
“You aren’t quite rational enough to see that at the moment, though, so let’s try to work some of that out.
” I thought that was a terrible idea, so I just stayed quiet.
“Do you know why the thought of leaving the trailer makes you nervous? You even dragged your feet going to use the main bathroom facilities and you like their showers.”
He needed to pay a little less attention to me.
“You aren’t happy with the food we’ve got stocked but when I suggested going to the grocery store you got very anxious.” My shrug didn’t stop him. “At first I thought it was money related but talking about going to the cheap store didn’t ease your stress.”
Okay, so maybe I wasn’t exactly feeling rational.
“We’re still good about the money part. I helped a guy clear his house from being haunted. He paid really well. It turns out he had a ghost and shifter kids living under his house but I helped find a family to take them.”
I’d originally thought his house was just haunted as well, so I didn’t blame him for being confused.
“The ghost wasn’t the problem. The kids were loud at night.”
And since they’d been the issue, I hadn’t felt bad about taking the guy’s money.
Blaine wanted to ask more questions, I could see it in his face but he stayed on track.
It was a good story as far as distraction went, but I was going to have to work harder next time.
“I have no problem hiding out with you for days as long as it’s for fun or to relax.
My type of shifter is known for being loners unless we’re with family. But this isn’t making you happy.”
I really should’ve prepared for this conversation better.
“How do you know it’s not making me happy?” That wasn’t a lie, so I didn’t have to feel bad about being a pain in the ass. Questions were neutral. “I like spending time with you.”
Ha.
Not a lie either.
He chuckled.
What had I missed?
“I know I’ve mentioned this but I don’t think I was clear enough.
You’re my mate, so that means we have a bond.
It ties us together. I’m not sure how it will grow over time with you being human, but part of that bond means I can sense a range of your emotions.
” My sigh made him smile. “And being a shifter means that even in this form, my senses are stronger than a human’s. ”
Well, shoot.
“But not as good as if you’re in your other form?” I lifted my arms and smelled my pits. “Do I stink?”
Was that what the shower comment had been about?
Blaine threw his head back and laughed.
Brat.
When he finally stopped, he looked a tiny bit apologetic. “You are too cute. No. If you smelled any better I’d be walking around with a full erection all the time instead of just a half one.”
Oh.
I should’ve stayed still.
I should’ve been a good grown-up.
I should’ve been polite.
I wasn’t any of those things and I was also impulsive, so I wiggled and rocked my hips to see if he was right.
We both had on too many layers for me to be sure about that.
Unfortunately they had a well-stocked Dollar General and we’d found some stuff like slightly weirdly made sweatpants and T-shirts for him to wear.
Blaine looked like he wanted to laugh again but instead he raised one eyebrow and swatted one ass cheek.
That was cheating too.
I was going to tell him that but he raised one finger. “Before you say anything, remember that I know exactly how your body responded to that.”
Shoot.
Collapsing against him and groaning seemed like my best course of action, and ended up making me the happiest because it got me good cuddles and more head kisses. “You cheat.”
So I might’ve been just a bit whiny too.
“Humans also give off a lot of information through their responses…fear…arousal…they all smell differently.” Blaine’s hands softly stroked over my back and down the side of my thighs, but he stayed on track which was highly frustrating.
“So I understand you have very negative emotions about leaving the trailer but I need you to explain why.”
Ugh.
His chest jerked at my groan but he seemed to decide to ignore it. “Based on my reading, your options are to safeword in some way, explain what’s going on, or you continue to hide from your feelings and I have to figure out consequences to give you before you explain what you’re thinking.”
He was entirely too educated.
“You don’t want to give me consequences. You’re too nice for that.” He’d do it but every time he read about punishments his face got scrunchy. If I could read his emotions they’d have probably been talking very loudly. “So I have to behave. Otherwise I’ll upset you.”
That was the most frustrating Catch-22 I’d ever heard of and I didn’t like it.
“I understand that sometimes a submissive can’t help their behavior, so I am prepared to create boundaries for your behavior and apply the punishment.
” His firm, calm tone made it even harder to be dramatic but I succeeded and buried my face against his neck as I sighed.
“Which option are you going to choose? If I pick, you’re going to behave the first time. ”
Education was a terrible thing.
“I’ll behave.” But I didn’t have to like it. “But I want a reward after for being good.”
Coughing didn’t cover laughter no matter what people seemed to think.
“I’ll take that request into consideration after our conversation.
” His college professor kind of tone was making it hard to remember I was supposed to be being a pain in the ass.
It just did it for me and made me want to squirm and tell him I was sorry for turning in my paper late.
“And just a reminder, I’m more patient than you and I like cuddling on the bed. ”
In other words, he could wait me out.
Ugh.
Why had I been given a mate who paid attention to me, asked good questions, and wasn’t squirrel-brained in any way?
“Fine.” I didn’t have to like it, though. “I was honest when I said I didn’t know why I was being crazy about leaving the trailer.”
His sigh made me pout. “My mate, you might’ve thought that very clearly but I had to guess that information.”
Oh.
“Um, okay. I don’t know why I’m being a pain in the butt.
” Once I got started the rest just kept coming like the verbal version of eating a bad gas station burrito.
“When I think about it, my heart starts pounding and my stomach starts to roll. Being in the trailer isn’t scary so that’s what I’ve been doing.
But I like hanging out with you too, so it hadn’t been a hardship. ”
Before I could figure out how to ask if I’d been driving him crazy, he kissed the side of my head. “It’s been nice. Almost like a vacation, but you’re getting restless. There’s a part of you that wants to stop hiding and keep moving even if it’s just to hide someplace new for a while.”
He could read me entirely too well.
“You haven’t gotten to explore the country before, so I liked the idea of showing it to you and sharing my favorite places.” That’d made it easier to push past some of my anxiety. “I thought going someplace new would make me relax.”
“For a while that might work, but I don’t think it’s a good long-term solution.” Blaine’s ability to be a good grown-up and Dom was kind of frustrating sometimes…so was his amazing patience with my crazy. “Let’s try actually talking instead.”
Why had I kept asking the universe for a good Dom?
I was an idiot.