“Oh, of course.” Theo glanced at the busted lock. “That’s very nice of you, even if it’s not all that reassuring about the motel’s security. In any case, I packed for both of you. Cooper said we were about the same size. I don’t mind waiting until Iz is out of the shower. Or taking over guarding duty, if you want to go get a cup of coffee. There’s a pot in the lobby, but I’m told you should manage your expectations.”
“Yeah, I had some last night. Trust me, my expectations are at rock bottom.” He leaned back against the door and then quickly straightened up when it wobbled in the frame. “I—I’d rather stay on guard duty, if you don’t mind.”
Even if you do mind, his hellhound growled.We will not leave our mate without telling her first.
“Not at all,” Theo said. “But in that case, I thinkI’llget a cup of terrible coffee.”
He started to pick up the suitcase, but Logan waved him off. “I can just put it inside.”
“Thank you.”
Theo turned to go right as Logan—whose hearing was still pretty sharp even in his human form—heard the distant waterfall sound of the shower switch over to the roar of the hair dryer. He started to tell Theo to just wait, since Iz would probably be out in a minute, but—despite a pang of guilt—he let the cousins delay their reunion a little longer. Hereallywanted to get in a quick word with Iz before they had to face any more people today.
He carried Theo’s suitcase inside with him, and he called out to Iz once he heard the hair dryer shut off. “Your cousin’s here, he just went to go get some coffee. I’ve got a suitcase for you with a change of clothes.”
Considering it just about took shifter strength to lug the thing in here, he was tempted to speculate that it also had bricks and barbells in it, but the brief conversation with Theo had already left him liking the guy enough that he didn’t want to make a joke at his expense.
Iz swept out of the bathroom in a whirlwind of platinum-blonde hair, and Logan experienced a dizzying rush of adoration and arousal.
God, she was gorgeous. Her skin was flushed and rosy from the shower, and aromatic steam seemed to cling to her. Her lips shone.
He wanted to take her to bed again and make love to her slowly this time.
“Is something wrong?” Iz said.
I love you and I don’t think I have what it takes to make you happy.
“Nothing,” Logan managed to say. He wheeled the suitcase over to her. “Um, clothes. Here you go.”
Iz gave the suitcase an experimental hoist, and her mouth curved in a delicious,biteablesmile.
She, apparently, felt no compunction about teasing her cousinin absentia, which was probably what family was all about: “This is very Theo. He believes in abundant hospitality, with an emphasis on theabundantpart. I hope you didn’t dislocate your shoulder heaving this through the door.”
“I toughed it out.” He coughed awkwardly. “I—Theo was kind of curious about what I was doing in your room while you were in the shower.”
Iz went still. “Oh?”
All Logan could think was how embarrassed she must be, how much she must be panicking at the idea that her cousin and team might have learned she and Logan were supposed to be mates.
He explained in a rush, trying to put her at ease. “I told him the door was broken and you’d asked me to keep an eye on it. I figured we didn’t have to ... get into the rest of it.”
“Okay.” Iz shoved the suitcase over the threshold of the bathroom door, pushing until its wheels stopped catching on the sill. “I’m just going to get dressed. I’ll be out in a moment.”
Iz—
But he was trying to talk to her in his head, and she couldn’t hear him. She shut the door behind her.
He had claimed his mate, and they were further apart than ever. He was handling this all wrong.
You need to be ready to walk away, he told himself again.Make sure she’s safe from Sebastian, and then ... be willing to leave, if that’s what she wants. You know you’re not the man she deserves.
He stood there alone in the empty room, repeating that thought to himself and trying to see if he could get to a point where it wouldn’t hurt.