How to Tame a Cat (ManxMan)

Chapter Twenty-Five: It's Complicated

~Chapter Twenty-Five: It's Complicated~

Waking up in someone else's bed has always been weird to me. Especially when you wake up in their arms, wearing their clothes, and their face is tucked into your neck. It is different than the last time I woke up in Ryland's apartment, and much different from when I would wake up in a bed covered by wolves. Unlike the first time, waking up in the lion's den does not feel intimidating, only inviting.

Maybe it is because the last time I was here, I did not willingly climb into Ryland's bed, but simply woke up in it anyway. Or maybe, it is because I actually feel warm and comfortable, and have no trouble admitting it...mentally, not verbally. It could even be because he is not as frightening to be around as he was until recently. In fact, I might even...trust him. But only a little.

What sucks is that now, when I am perfectly comfortable sleeping for a few more hours in his comfortable bed, I actually have to be somewhere.

It took a total of five minutes to escape Ryland's hold on me, and another fifteen to get ready silently enough not to wake him, though I am surprised my vibrating phone alarm did not do that already. While I would appreciate the ride, it is only twenty minutes by foot and a little exercise has not killed me yet. By the time I made it out of the apartment, I had thirty minutes before my first class started. By the time I made it to the college, I had five. Too many stoplights.

"Even with that beanie, I can still tell you didn't brush your hair," Cameron says the moment I sit down next to him in our shared class. I roll my eyes before tucking the hair around my ears back, then grimacing when I realize that it has no intention of staying down and instead becomes spikey. Maybe it is time to get a haircut.

Ryland retrieved most of my stuff last night – namely my phone charger, computer, class books for today, a second pair of shoes, and a toothbrush – but he forgot to grab my hairbrush. So, it was either use Ryland's, or not brush my hair. My choice is rather obvious.

I narrow my eyes at the vampire when I catch a whiff of the scent clinging to him. "Why do you smell like Riley's brother?" I ask. It is not that I am complaining, but if Cameron is only hanging out with Jason to get close to Riley, we are going to have to talk.

To my surprise, Cameron refuses to meet my gaze, staring down at his desk instead, "He thinks he is trying to help me woo his brother."

"And is he?"

"At first, yes. Now, no."

I frown at his vague answer. "You're being more cryptic than usual today," I remark. However, judging from his expression, I cannot expect him to give me a better answer. "Whatever is going on, know that I'm just a phone call away."

"Thank you," Cameron says, an accent I have never heard before appearing in his words. He is so lost in thought that he must not have noticed. However, the thoughtful look quickly vanishes after he shakes his head a couple of times. "Speaking of smells, you are wearing Ryland's clothes. Have you two...?"

"No," I snap, before covering my face with my hand. "Sorry. I owed Ryland a favor and he cashed it by making me stay with him for a week. Now he won't let me get my clothes."

The vampire snorts with laughter, finding my pain hilarious. A few heads turn our way out of curiosity, but when neither of us makes any attempt to share the joke that is absolutely not funny, they look away. "Congratulations on your engagement," he quips.

"You suck," I growl, scrunching up my face in annoyance.

Cameron's lips quirk upward and he winks at me, "It's what I do best."