#Chapter 61: Promises

Ruby Caleb caressed my cheekbone with his thumb. “I…” he started, but he hesitated for so long, I wondered if he even realized he never finished his sentence. Then again maybe he was nervous to say whatever it was he was thinking. Maybe now that the heat of the moment was gone, he was regretting being together. Maybe he didn’t want me beyond tonight. Mate bonds weren’t a guarantee of anything. My previous bond with Lucas was proof of that. “I understand,” I told him. I was partially trying to comfort him, partially trying to protect myself before I got too attached. Everything I had felt in the last few minutes, that level of connectedness to him—I couldn’t be sure that was what Caleb wanted. Our marriage was all contractual anyway. “You do?” he whispered, looking surprised. He was still inside me, his delicious weight still grounding me in our bond. I dreaded the moment he would get off me. “Of course,” I assured him. “This is a contractual relationship. You’ve been