Series: Lee Savino
Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
He nods warily. “But if it bothers you, I’ll stop. I understand how upsetting it must be to you.”
“For seven years?”
To his credit, Matthias looks miserable. I know he didn’t mean to hurt me, but he has.
Deeply.
He spreads his hands. “I tried to stay away from you, Maisy. You were far too young for me. I knew how flustered I made you–I presumed it was because you could feel our biological connection, and it confused you since I was so much older.”
He knew how flustered…
Ugh. Humiliation washes through me as memories of how I spilled coffee, stammered, and became tongue-tied every time he walked into the cafe. The whole time, he was thinking of me as a child. Someone “far too young” with whom he has an inconvenient biological connection.
So basically, he wasn’t interested in me as a person. Of course he wasn’t! Why would he be–I was a nobody. But his animal body has an attraction to my physical body.
And apparently, what I thought was some kind of deep soul connection was also just biology. I was never in love with Dr. Hunk. It was my body. I had no choice in the matter.
I don’t like this.
What felt like a magical, mystical, true love has now been reduced to an unwanted biological urge.
Ugh!
It makes me feel unwanted and worthless.
“Our biological connection,” I repeat hollowly. My stomach twists up again in a painful knot.
“Yes.”
I blink rapidly, and tears spear my eyes.
Matthias looks horrified. “What did I say, Maisy? Why does that upset you?” He comes closer and reaches for me.
“Don’t.” I hold up a hand. “Don’t come near me. I–” I shake my head to arrange my thoughts. “I need to go home.”
“Why?” He steps closer again, and I move away. “Maisy, what’s bothering you? Talk to me, please.”
The part of me that wants to fight back surfaces, and I pin him with a blazing look. “Yes, Matthias,” I snap. “You flustered me. I guess I did feel the biological connection between us.”
He appears confused. “Why is that upsetting? What am I missing, Maisy?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m glad you found a way to control your biological attraction to me. I would hate for you to have to give in and actually, you know, mate with someone you didn’t want. Someone so much younger and easily flustered.”
“Maisy, beautiful. I didn’t mean to offend you. I didn’t mean it that way.”
Tears spill down my cheeks. “I don’t know how else to take it. Basically, the only reason you’re here is because your biology demands it. If it were up to you–to your head and your heart–you wouldn’t even be with me.”
“No. That’s not true.”
“It is true. You just took a drug to keep yourself from mating me.” I wave a hand in the direction of his doctor bag. “Clearly, you don’t think we’re right for each other. You’ve avoided me for seven years. I’ve been an adult for four of those, but you never made contact. You didn’t show up until I was in danger. And then, it was probably because your biology forced you to. So don’t worry. I’ll keep my distance from you, so you don’t have to keep poisoning yourself with drugs to keep from claiming me.”
I pick up his phone from the counter and turn the screen to his face to unlock it, then dial up Axel.
“I’m going back to Bad Bear. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t contact me.” I hold my head high.
Matthias may think of me as a little flustered girl, but he’s the one who missed out. I’m all woman. We can chalk my inexperience up to biology–I guess some part of me was confused and waiting for him, but that’s over.
I’m a grown woman, and if I’m not enough for him, it’s his damn loss.
Chapter Twenty-One
Maisy
I cling to my resolve to be strong and bottle it all up and wait until I’m home before I lose it.
After calling Axel, he got us both on the next commercial flight to Albuquerque, and then rented a car and drove us back to Bad Bear. I didn’t say a word the whole way, and neither did he.
Thank God for friends like him.
Daisy is waiting on the doorstep. I run to her, and she opens her arms wide, like she used to when I was little. I hug her carefully because she feels so thin and frail in my arms. This time, I’m holding her up, instead of the other way around.
“Maisy,” her voice is clogged with tears. “Thank goodness you’ve returned.”
“I’m here. I’m okay.” She’s shaking, and I’m afraid she might be cold standing on this icy stoop. “Let’s get inside.”
She lifts her head, and her face is wet as she looks around. Axel’s already driven off, probably to give me space. “Where’s Matthias? I want to thank him for bringing you back to me.”