Looks like you'll be wiping away drool, after all. His jaw hardened with the thought. Hell. No. He was desired and craved throughout the galaxies. He was not a whipped schoolboy panting after a specific piece of ass.
"You're angry," she said with surprise. "Why?"
There was a sudden, frantic knock at the front door, and as it echoed through the bedroom, Bride paled and scrambled from the bed. She didn't bolt from the bedroom, though, but stood unsteadily, eyeing the exit with trepidation.
"What's wrong?" he found himself asking, anger forgotten. Do not approach her. Do not put your hands on her.
"Do—do you think that's Aleaha?"
He nodded, hoping that would soothe her. "I'm sure of it."
"She's early, and I'm not ready." Bride licked her lips, still not budging from that spot. "What if... what if she ran from me, all those years ago, and has been hiding from me?"
Her uncertainty reminded him of the boy he'd once been. The boy who had put on his best clothes
and snuck into his mother's wing of the palace to give her a birthday present. The boy who had knocked on his mother's door, hoping, praying for a smile, even a hug, when he gave her the picture he'd drawn for her. The boy who'd had to throw the gift away, because his mother had looked at it, thanked him, and placed it back in his hands before shutting the door in his face.
"She likes you, sweetheart. I swear it. She's been searching for you, intending to save you from my wrath."
More knocking.
"Coming, coming," Dallas shouted from the living room.
"Why did it take me so long to find her, then? Why did I only recently discover her scent?"
She looked so vulnerable, Devyn's heart actually swelled in his chest, aching, grinding against his ribs. He was at her side before he realized he'd moved, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her close.
She rested her head in the hollow of his neck, her tremors vibrating into him. Her night-wild scent wafted to his nose, and he breathed deeply. The silk of her hair tickled his chin. He'd never held a woman like this. Just held her, an offer of comfort with no expectation of sex. As her hands gripped his back, as though she wanted to step inside him, be a part of him, he wondered why he'd resisted such a thing. This was paradise.
"Yo, Dev," Dallas called. "Macy's here, and she's about to claw my face off for holding her back.”
“Then say good-bye to your face. We're not ready."
A frowning Bride drew back. "Macy?"
"Remember. Aleaha took Macy's identity. Just be glad her boyfriend, Breean, isn't here. You'd have to endure an interrogation before touching her."
The frown faded, leaving her vulnerable again. "Does Breean know who she really is? Does he treat her right? Is he rich?"
"Yes, he knows, and yes, he does. He loves her. And why do you care if he's rich?”
“We promised each other we'd never marry anyone who was poor."
"He's rich." I'm richer, he wanted to add, but didn't. His finances didn't matter, as he'd never remarry. "Are we ready now? Macy will be happy to see you." If Macy turned him into a liar and did not welcome Bride the way she deserved, he was going to kill her. Slowly, painfully.
"Yes."
"Send her in, Dal," he finally called. Even as he spoke, he moved away from Bride. His arms tingled where they'd been in contact with her.
The door flew open, and Macy raced inside. When she spotted Bride, she gasped and stopped. Her hands tented over her mouth.
Bride gulped, then nervously licked her lips. Devyn had watched her take down a human slaver. She hadn't flinched or betrayed a hint of nerves when he'd killed said slaver in front of her. But now, she was eaten up with worry. Over a friend who might not love her anymore.
His chest started aching again.
And when tears filled her eyes, he almost fell to his knees. Tears had never affected him. How could they? Giving in to them would mean he was involved, not just with his body but with his mind. It would mean he harbored affection for the crier—affection he didn't understand or condone. But here, now, seeing Bride's emerald eyes liquefy ... he was struck with the urge to do anything and everything in his power to ensure she never had reason to cry again. What the hell?
"Did you hurt her?" Macy suddenly demanded of him.
"No," he said. "And I won't." Maybe. "And before you ask, no, she's not a prisoner." Yet. The women looked at each other. Both remained silent, as if they were too afraid to speak. "Hello, Aleaha," Bride finally said, gaze intense. "You've grown."
A trembling Macy nodded. "Hello. You're just the same."
When one of those tears splashed onto Bride's cheek, Devyn stepped toward her, meaning to comfort her again. But with a joyous cry, Macy suddenly ran past him and threw herself into Bride's arms.
"It's you. It's really you."
Bride's gaze met his for a split second, wonder in their depths. Then she was hugging Macy with all her might, crying harder, laughing, twirling. "I can't believe I found you. I've been looking so long. So damn long. I only stumbled on your scent a few weeks ago."
"I've been looking for you, too! I was afraid something had happened to you.”
“Where did you go that night?"
They were talking over each other, but somehow he understood every word.
"One of the officers had hung back while the others chased you," Macy explained. "He found me and dragged me to their car. I escaped before they could lock me up, but someone else grabbed me and knocked me out. I woke up in a plane with other kids being carted God knows where. I had to take the identity of a guard, but managed to free the kids before working my way back to New Chicago. I looked for you but couldn't find you. I was afraid my scent had been buried underneath all the new identities I'd taken, and I guess I was right. You only just started smelling me again, and I only just let myself be me again. Well, me and Macy. Breean helps me."
"Oh, Leah," Bride said, and Devyn had never heard her use such a gentle, loving, fiercely motherly tone. "I'm so sorry! Did anyone hurt you? Tell me their names, and I'll find and kill them."
"I'm fine, I'm fine. But what about you?" Macy cupped Bride's cheeks and studied her face. "Like I said, you're just the same, just as lovely."
"And you're ten times as lovely. Look at all that dark hair, those bright green eyes. And you have the br**sts you always dreamed about having."
The two shared a laugh.
So she could see the woman underneath Macy's skin, Devyn realized. Impressive.