“Fucking puppy.”
“Fine. I’ll take the snacks back and lock them in my room so I can lure her into my cave and have her all to myself.”
Ezra’s arms tightened, and Mateo’s teasing chuckle disappeared.
She wasn’t sure how long after that she woke up again. She stretched and opened her eyes. Ezra lounged next to her, eyes closed and smiling peacefully. She reached up to kiss his cheek, widening his smile.
“Thank you.”
“For what, princess?”
Scarlett paused. How was she supposed to put in words the warm fuzzy feeling he’d gifted her? “For being with me—and not insulting me for once.”
“I believe I’ve learned that the opposite is far more enjoyable.”
Scarlett spun towards the nightstand to grab a bottle of water and hide her blush. Only then did she notice that she was still completely naked. She scanned the room, but the only piece of clothing that was in reach was Ezra’s shirt. With nothing to lose, she snatched it and pulled it on.
When she turned back, Ezra smiled wide, pleased with himself. He trailed his gaze over her body, licking his lips. “Perfection.”
“Don’t even think about stealing my clothes so I’m forced to wear yours.”
“What is the punishment?”
“It won’t be any fun if I tell you.”
“Clever woman.”
She rolled her eyes, but it only seemed to amuse him. She leaned against the headboard, selecting a chocolate treat fromMateo’s snack haul to please her growling stomach. Though hungry, she didn’t want to leave the bed. Part of her felt bad for hiding away with him without Mateo and Vince.
“I believe Mateo is waiting for you to ask him to cook you something.”
“That sounds like him.”
Ezra stretched his arms over his head, and Scarlett admired the way his tattoos seemed to come alive. When he spoke the raven on his throat moved with each word. His eyes sparkled when he caught her staring. He crawled onto all fours, creeping closer to her. Scarlettlovedit. Submissive, but the danger still lurked beneath his black eyes. He situated himself over her legs, his heels keeping his weight off her lap.
“I want more of this,” he husked, softly cupping her jaw in his hand. “More ofyou.” He leaned in, sweeping a kiss over her nose. “But not now. It is past lunch time, and you barely had any breakfast.”
With another kiss to her forehead, Ezra sat back so she could stand up. As she stood, he dropped to one knee and helped her into her pants. Ezra had been the one to scare her the most, so seeing him taking care of her with such dedication was… odd. Good, but odd.
“Thank you.”
“I might call you princess, but you deserve to be treated like a queen.”
She tamped down the fluttering in her stomach. “Words I thought I’d never hear from you.”
Ezra’s signature, devilish grin curled his lips, and he threw a wink that made her stomach flip.
As predicted, Mateo jumped up to cook the moment Scarlett opened the fridge. He insisted that she sit on the counter next to him as he heated up some chicken and rolled her a wrap.
“Have you made any plans today?” he asked her.
She shook her head, sipping on her glass of ice cold lemonade. “What’s your usual routine?”
“Very mood dependent, but I usually start by working out. Sometimes we prepare for our hunts. Other days I take care of the house.”
“You do all that alone?”
“I wish,” Ezra grumbled from the couch as he flicked through the sports channels.
