Page 71 of Just for the Plot

“Going to your apartment for the night. Let’s go. I have to get to bed, and the longer you take, the longer you’re making me stay awake.”

“Bennett, be serious.”

He grips my chin, forcing me to look him in the eyes. “I’m dead fucking serious, let’s go.”

Umm…

Okay.

The thrill that just shot between my legs is criminal, because this is Bennett, for crying out loud, but the way he just said that, the look in his eyes, the control and strength he’s exuding? It’s…oh God, it’s making my heart race.

Jesus, maybe I should have spent the night with Cougar, as it seems like my body might have needed it.

I swallow and nod, not wanting to make him madder, and I head outof his apartment, him following me after he locks up. We take the elevator up one floor and he trails behind me when we reach my apartment. I unlock it and then turn toward him.

“It’s just boxes and stuff, so don’t judge me.”

He nods toward the door. “Let me in.”

Right.

Bennett has morphed into an alpha male for the night, so I open the door and he pushes it wider as I turn on the hallway light and notice all the outfit changes I made, scattered all over the living room.

Shit, I forgot about that.

“Uh, don’t mind the clothes.” I start gathering them. “Just had a hard time picking out an outfit.” I glance over my shoulder, where he’s taking in the apartment. It’s smaller than his, but it has plenty of light during the day and a white kitchen, which I love. And it’s just the right size for what I need. “It’s, uh, it’s smaller than yours, and it doesn’t help that I haven’t unpacked or really settled anything in its rightful place.” I stare at my couch that’s in the middle of the living room, the TV that’s still in its box. God, he must think I’m a freak. “Just been really busy is all.”

He moves deeper into the living room, to the mantel of the fireplace, where a single picture frame decorates the top. It’s a picture of him, Gabby, and me at a fair in Almond Bay. I’m in the middle, clutching both of them.

He picks it up and examines the picture.

“That goes with me everywhere,” I say. “One of my favorite pictures. It reminds me of the small family I’ve put together that’s outside of my own.”

He glances up at me. “It’s the only family I have.”

And that makes my heart ache. “If you want, you can have it.”

He shakes his head. “Nah, you keep it. It will remind you of me when I’m gone.”

I chuckle. “As if I could forget about you. You text me all the time.”

“Eh, you text me.”

I smile and push at his shoulder playfully. “No, you text me.”

“Fifty-fifty.”

“It’s so not fifty-fifty, but whatever.”

Happy that the mood is a touch lighter, I show him my bedroom that is currently a mattress with bedding.

“Where’s your bed?”

“It was broken in the move, so I have to get a new one. Haven’t done that yet.” I sigh. “I do so much for Adalade during the day that the last thing I want to do when I get home is situate myself, you know?”

“I get that.” He looks around some more. “But you can’t live like this.”

“I know. I’ll work on it.”