Page 132 of Poet & Protector

But when I returned to the dressing area, I found clothes neatly laid out, waiting for me. Not the clothes I’d been wearing last night…yet they were my clothes, as in they were exactly what I wore every day.

Everything I needed was there. Boxer briefs, socks, shirt, vest, jeans, belt. A pair of shoes sat on the floor beside the chair.

Cold fingers crept up my spine. I had no doubt it would all fit me perfectly.

My choices were to refuse to put on the clothes, stick with my towel, find Logan and ask what the hell he was up to, or get dressed in the outfit he’d picked for me.

I went with the clothes.

When I exited the bathroom, I was greeted by the scents of eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee. My stomach roared to life. I was ravenous.

Logan was sitting at the dining table, enjoying his breakfast. He was fully dressed. He must have come into the bathroom, dressed himself, and set out my new clothes while I was showering. He’d been stealthy about it. I hadn’t heard him entering or leaving the bathroom. Then again, I’d been pretty lost in the dull roar of my thoughts and the six jets pummeling my body with hot water from all angles.

“How do you take your coffee?” he asked when I joined him.

“Milk and one sugar.”

I helped myself to bacon and scrambled eggs while he poured my coffee, doctored it to my liking, and slid the cup over.

I’d made two decisions in the short walk from the bathroom to the table. One: I was too hangry to deal with Logan before eating something. Two: if I didn’t mention the clothes immediately, it would probably annoy him and that made me happy.

“Was the couch comfortable?” he asked as I wolfed down food.

I nodded and continued to eat. He returned to his own breakfast, meaning we were going to play chicken when it came to the mysterious origin of my new outfit. He lost patience when I finished my breakfast and went on to drink my coffee in silence.

“Are you really not going to ask?” Logan’s mouth quirked with frustration.

“I figured you’d tell me, if it’s important to you,” I said tartly. My snark was a risk, but I was so fed up with him I didn’t care.

Smiling, Logan stood and crooked his finger at me.

Great. I’m being beckoned.

I didn’t growl in reply, but I wanted to as I followed him to a massive armoire that stood opposite his bed near the entrance to the en-suite.

He opened the doors and stepped to the side. Soft lights automatically clicked on, illuminating the interior, and my jaw dropped. The armoire contained at least a month’s worth of clothing.

“It wasn’t hard to create a collection,” Logan remarked. “We have records of every Guardian purchase, yours included.”

Any chance of feigning indifference was blown away as I stared at the neatly pressed hanging shirts and vests, the drawers filled with t-shirts, pants, jeans, socks, underwear, and the neat lines of shoes. There was no mistaking what it meant. They were all for me. This was my wardrobe.

“Am I…” My words rasped out. “Am I going to live here with you?”

I was steamrolled by visions of a life where I was Logan’s doll to be dressed up and played with day after day. I highly doubted I’d be sleeping on the couch for very long. My stomach roiled. I was at serious risk of losing my breakfast.

“No.” Logan laughed. “Of course not.”

Thank god.

I reached out to grasp one of the armoire doors, hoping it wasn’t too obvious that Logan’s revelation had left me weak in the knees, and not in a swoony way.

“The wardrobe is for convenience,” he said. “In cases like this morning, where you spent the night here and it would be too much trouble for you to run home for a shower and change of clothes. When you move into the Haldis compound, the distance will be significantly farther.”

Right. I could have lived without the reminder that Logan planned to have me here on a regular basis. But it was better than him moving me in permanently.

“I’m not going to separate you from your pack, Mason.” Logan came to stand beside me. “I understand how important Guardian bonds are. You impressed that fact upon me again last night. And as I told you, I’ll frequently be away.”

Unlike the first reminder, this one was welcome.