Page 80 of Brandt's Rule
“And she knows you’re back here and if anything changed I’d have told her.”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” Tempest said, not looking at either of them as she spread butter on a slice of bread from the stack of bread Brandt had thoughtfully put out on a saucer in the middle of the table for whoever might want some.
When no one answered, she looked up to see if they’d heard her.
Both were looking at her.
“What? Did I say something wrong? If I did, I’m sorry. I’m not really good with social conversation. Tossing back and forth barbs, intimidation, I’m okay. Putting on a smile and being professional, I’m okay. Let my guard down and I always manage to say the wrong thing. I’m sorry, Barron.”
“No, you’re right. That’s the problem. She’s got nothing to worry about. No reason to be concerned. I’m sitting right here, just biding my time until she decides she’s ready, and she knows it,” Barron said.
“You might be right,” Brandt said.
“Might be?” Barron asked.
“Fine. You’re right.”
“I gotta change that,” Barron mumbled.
“How you feeling, Pest? You alright this morning?” Brandt asked.
Tempest nodded. “Much better. I was just so exhausted after helping Sadie. Thank you for letting me sleep so long. What time is it anyway?”
“It’s about 3:30 in the afternoon,” Brandt said. “Still got time to run to your place and get your things before it gets dark.”
“Hmm?” Tempest asked, her mouth full of food as she chewed.
“We still have a few hours to go pick up your things and bring them back home.”
“Why?” she asked.
His brows rose in surprise. “Because this is where we live.”
Tempest started to answer, then stopped herself.
“Didn’t quite think it all the way through, did ya?” Barron asked.
She shot a look his way. “Not exactly,” she admitted.
“Do you not plan to live with me?” Brandt asked. “Because you’re my mate, officially. You’re living with me.”
“That part just didn’t occur to me in the heat of the moment.”
Brandt shook his head. “Is there a problem living here?” he asked, looking pointedly at her. “It’s as much yours as mine. Everything that’s mine is as much yours as mine. You can change it in anyway you want to make it feel like home.”
“No, I’ll just need to explain to Bailey. Can she come visit me here?”
“Baby, this is your home, too, and she’s your friend. She can come visit any time she wants to. I’m not taking you away from anything.”
“I know. It’s just going to take some adjusting.”
Brandt sat at the table, wanting to ask what she’d expected, but didn’t. It was a change for him, too. But she was a whole lot less experienced than he was. And she’d been exhausted when they’d claimed one another. “Maybe we should have waited a while and let things settle,” he said quietly. “First I’m fighting it, and now you are. It’s like we just can’t find the right rhythm.”
Tempest put her spoon down and reached out, laying her hand on his wrist. “No, things happened as they needed to. I’m sorry. I have no regrets. I just hadn’t thought of all the changes it would require, and I second guess myself all the time. But I want this to work. We’ll make it work, and I don’t even have to say that out loud, you know we’ll make it work.”
Brandt covered her hand with his and leaned toward her, pressing his lips to hers, then sitting back just far enough to look into her eyes. “This mark on my throat says forever. Just like yours does. I’m not letting you go. If you make me, I will chase you down, but I’d much rather you want to be here.”
“I do want to be here.”