Chapter 32:

Taine walked through the door first. Camila had never been in here. She had thought about what the room would be like...She had even fantasized a few scenarios. And curiosity had even tempted to go inside when Taine wasn't home...

She walked in and looked around not knowing what awaited her. She glanced around the room like a cautious animal in a foreign place for the first time.

"Don't act like this is some kind of torture chamber, it's just a room."

Still, Camila's arms were crossed and her body was rigid as she eyed the beige curtains, the dark wood furnishings and the other bits and pieces scattered through the room that gave it character.

"I'd never know with you Taine."

It looked functional and bland. She wasn't surprised since it seemed like Taine barely slept and was a workaholic. She stepped further into the room noticing that the messy closet was one of the few things that made the space look lived in. She could sense Taine watching her as she took it all in. At least he had made the bed for her, that was nice.

She turned to him, a comment at the ready. When she saw something on the wall adjacent to his bed.

"What! How come you have a TV in here? That's so not fair!"

He chuckled lightly. It seemed a foreign and forced sound, but Camila believed it was genuine nonetheless.

Taine stepped over to the right side of the bed. She could tell her skittishness and keen observation was thinning his patience.

"Come to bed."

Camila had an onslaught of snarky remarks sitting on the tip of her tongue – Who did he think he was commanding her? but she refrained. She approached the bed slowly like the mattress was about to jump up and swallow her whole. Was it too late to get eaten by James?

Babbling to ease her nervousness she launched into a speech about why this was ridiculous and that she couldn't understand why the Taine thought the next step in their relationship was this, rather than him taking her out on an actual date.

Closing her eyes before she had begun the action, she pulled back the duvet and slipped under the cool covers. She laid on her back and controlled her breathing while Taine laid down next to her.

"Wait," Camila called as she tumbled out of the bed and ran into the hall.

She came back unrecognizable. Weighed down by a stack of at least five huge pillows.

"What are you doing?" Taine asked, sitting up.

He watched her throw the pillows onto the bed, two intentionally at his face. She then climbed back onto the bed before beginning to arrange the pillows between them like a brick wall, making sure she had more room than Taine. Her company came at the cost of precious mattress real estate. "I said no funny business and I meant it." She said simply.

She peeked her head over the pillow wall and waved Taine goodnight before settling down into the covers with a smile on her face.

During the night in a state of half sleepiness, she felt Taine gently push against her otherwise architecturally sound barrier.

"Don't even think about it or I'll end you."

She heard him sigh and return to his side of the bed.

She knew she would sleep well tonight and Taine wouldn't.'

----

The next morning Camila woke in a confused daze. She rolled over to grab her phone but her hand landed on something warm and squishy with a slap. She opened her eyes and realised where she was. And that she had just slapped Taine in the face.

"Crap."

She felt him stir awake. He gingerly removed her fingers. Some of her nails had managed to get him right in the eye.

"Is waking up like this going to be every morning?"

She glared at Taine noticing that he still hadn't let go of her hand. Hers was cold and thin and his was warm and soft.

The fortress of pillows she had built was in disarray around them.

"Okay first of all, who said anything about every morning? And second..."

She trailed off realising that Taine didn't have a shirt on.

He rolled over to face her, propping his head on his hand. She narrowed her eyes at him. Even though she hadn't put on her glasses yet, the amount of skin she was seeing – albeit blurry skin, was making her heart beat too fast for the morning. And she knew, Taine knew that he was making her all kinds of uncomfortable.

"...I'm going back to sleep."

Camila turned over and closed her eyes. It was too early for this.

After sinking into a blissful sleep for what only seemed like minutes, she felt a hand on her back and a hot breath whisper in her ear. Her body was too tired to resist the pleasent warmth of the touch.

"Mila?"

She made an intelligible sound in response. She felt the hand slip from her back to past her waist. She felt a gentle pressure moving her slowly and the covers beginning to lift around her.

"We need to go to work," were the last words she heard before Taine flipped back the duvet and pushed off the bed and onto the floor.

She landed on her rear end with a thud.

"You asshole!" She screamed.

But Taine was dressed and halfway down the stairs, ready for the day.

--

Camila marched into the office with coffee in her hands and a scowl on her face. She strutted straight past Taine's office without so much as a glance.

Sinking into her plush office chair, she took a moment to mentally prep for the day. She had just begun to reply to an email sent by a distraught woman in regards to the lack of recycling bins in the pack when snippets of a conversation happening down the hall caught her attention.

"...It's so good to have you back Alpha. We were lost without you." It was the trade manager, coming to fluff up Taine's ego, as he often did.

Camila rolled her eyes. Yes, it was good to have him back, but the patriarchy loved to exaggerate. She picked up a few more bits of the exchange.

He had lowered his voice slightly. "...Luna...oversights...struggled with...task..."

She had to stop herself from marching over and slashing the guy with her claws. She was going to have to start sending blood money to the hospital with the her injury tally, or she could maybe negotiate a score card? 10 hospitalisations before you get a free cafeteria meal?

In all seriousness, How dare he. Just because Camila had asked for help on how to facilitate a trade negotiation with another pack! The point was that she learnt how to do it and could now do one with her eyes closed. Well, maybe only one eye closed...What did it take to prove herself here.

She tuned back into the conversation when Taine began to speak, "Yes she is still learning but I think she did a very satisfactory job. I mean the building is still standing isn't it?"

Even though the compliment was veiled and bordering on insulting and demeaning, it sent a warm glowering feeling through Camila. The way the manager corrected himself and vehemently agreed afterwards, made her realise that Taine rarely held anyone in high regard and so the fact that she did a satisfactory job – it meant something.

However, it didn't excuse him from throwing her off the bed. Nor did it stop the general sassy demeanour she often greeted him with. Giving him a chance didn't mean that it was going to be easy.

So, when Taine walked into her office a few hours later, she didn't lift her head to acknowledge him. Even though she was waiting for something to install she opened up a document and began to type song lyrics, just so she looked busy and didn't have to drool over the suit she knew he was wearing.

She had just hit the chorus when she broke the silence.

"Do you have an appointment?" '

She eyed Taine up and down while keeping her expression tight and formal. As could be assumed, he wasn't in the mood for banter in the office.

Camila sighed in laughter. "Well, I suppose I can squeeze you in then."

He gave her a fake smile. He hadn't sat down yet and Camila knew why. Her own desk and chair were deliberately elevated. And the visitors seats were low. A power move that didn't agree with Taine; God forbid she would actually have to look down at him.

"You can sit."

She barely concealed the smirk that traced itself onto her lips, when Taine tried to straighten his back so that he appeared taller on the seat.

"How's your day been?"

He looked at her as if she had just sprouted a second head. He didn't have time for pleasantries and small talk, even if it was with Camila.

"I need you to explain the notes you took on this document. Your handwriting is horrendous."

"My day has been fine Taine, thanks for asking." she quiped.

Camila walked over to his side of the desk and picked up the file he handed to her. Even though she would never admit it, her handwriting was something that resembled chicken scratches, and that was insulting...to the chicken.

"My handwriting is fine, you're just an idiot."

After she had deciphered and then explained what she had written on the report, she was just about to send Taine on his way, when she saw him gazing around the office, taking it in.

"I like what you've done with the place"

He reached out and turned over the photo frame she had sitting on the desk. It was one of her favourite pictures of her Jake and Mason. After glaring at it for a few moments he pushed it back, face down.

"Mostly."

Camila looked around the room and really took everything in. With Taine in the hospital, she barely had time to really notice how everything had come together.

It was monochromatic neutral with splashes of a dusty pink. The epitome of Pinterest board dreams.

"It's amazing what some Feng shui can do to a room."

He looked at her like she was a puzzle he just couldn't solve.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" She said smirking. She loved that he was at the mercy of her. She had to enjoy it while it lasted.

"I just needed to ask you one very important question."

The seriousness of his tone and the way his voice lowered an octave, sent a wave of concern through Camila. This sounded serious.

He used his finger to draw her close. He grabbed her by the forearms and made her bend down to his ear. "How's your ass?"

Camila took a few angry steps back and crossed her arms indignantly.

"None of your business!"

Taine stood up to leave her office, but not before saying with a wink,

She didn't know where this new attitude of his, was coming from but she didn't mind. At all.

"If you want me to kiss it better, you know where to find me."