Page 54 of Gold Rush
My heart beats in my ears as I whisper, “I don’t know how to do any of this.” The admission is soft. “I never wanted to be… known for anything.” My mind flickers back to my books. “I know that’s now how most people operate, or what they dream of, but now I find myself not only having a career exploding,but a world interested in my personal life. One would be overwhelming, both is…”
Arin gazes at me, his lips dipping into a frown. “I can’t imagine.”
I nod, my throat feeling dry. “I feel like I woke up one day and I suddenly wasn’t just Juniper Walden, the beta daughter to two beta parents who wished I was more.”
Arin tilts his head at me. “I’m sorry. That sounds like a lot of change in a very short amount of time, possibly the biggest change you could go through.”
The server reappears, pouring us both a glass from a bottle of red wine before leaving it in a chilled bucket on the table. Arin looks up, his hand tightening on mine, a reminder that the conversation is only paused, not over.
“Tell the chef the menu he sent over is perfect.”
The server nods her head before she leaves the table again. I look over at the windows, sucking in a deep breath as I tighten my fingers around his, clinging to him as much as he seems to be holding onto me. There’s something so… solid about him — for as awkward as he is, there’s a sense of serenity when I glance back at him and find him quietly watching me.
He’s really beautiful. His dark brown eyes are framed with thick brows, a softness in his expression that speaks of kindness. Messy curls are pushed back on his head, resembling slight order, but one piece keeps flopping forward on his forehead. He must have trimmed his stubble, because his beard is a little cleaner around the edges.
I glance down at our hands, my pale fingers wrapped around his bronze ones.
“I think I understand now why Theo thought I was just trying to worm my way into a rich pack.”
Arinsnarls, and I nearly pull my hand back at the noise. His nostrils flare, his eyes narrowing. “I didn’t know he saidthat.”
A shocked laugh barks out of me. “You look like you’re considering ways to kill him.”
“A lot of options are currently crossing my mind,” he mutters the words under his breath as the server returns with two salads. I finally let his hand go and pick up my fork, spearing fresh spinach, nuts, prosciutto, and dried berries all in one bite.
Arin clears his throat after he takes his first bite. “We grew up extremely close.” I tilt my head, eager tounderstandwhat the reasoning is behind the two of them being the baseline of the pack. “Theo is complicated and it’s not my place to say why, but for all his faults, he has a heart that’s begging to be unthawed.”
Balsamic vinegar bursts on my tongue as I look up at him. “He’s kind of prickly.”
“He’s a fucking asshole.” Arin takes a drink of his wine, leveling me with a look. “I apologize for his behavior. I’m very pleased with Bennett and Seth, though, and I hope you are too.”
I blush, spluttering around a bite of the salad. “They’ve been very nice to me.”
“Good.” He puts his glass back down, and then sighs, laying his fork on his plate too. “If I had more time, I think I’d have more tact.” Arin wipes his mouth, his full focus lighting me up from the inside out. “Doyouwant to stay in our home for your heat? Is that what would make you the most comfortable? Because I will do whatever you want, Juniper. I will hire someone for you, I will take Theo by the ear and drag him across the world so he doesn’t bother you, and I will leave you in the careful and capable hands of Bennett and Seth — but I want it to, ultimately, beyourchoice.”
My hands shake as I place my wine glass down.
How is this thefirsttime someone has truly and earnestly asked me what I’ve wanted during all this? Seth is well-intentioned, but leaving the center with him and Bennett wasn’t so much of a choice as my only option.
I stare at Arin. “I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.”
“That isnotwhat I asked.” He stares at me, his eyes dark. “Was it, Juniper?”
“No.” I whisper the word, embarrassment mixing with something else as my perfume blooms under his attention. I’m not going to be able to bullshit this man — and it’s equal parts terrifying and electrifying.
Arin’s hands flex as they rest on the table. “Answer me.” His nostrils flare. “Please.”
I suck in a breath, my chest tugging as I admit what I’ve known since the beginning. “Yes, I want to stay.”
He nods. “Then you’re staying.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
ARIN
She’s ethereal.
I thought she was stunning the night she cautiously walked into my office, but this version of her is something to behold. Her cheeks are lightly flushed, the smell of honey permeating the air as we clean our plates, each course more decadent than the last. And with each bite, she becomes a little softer, her smiles growing easier to coax out.
