morning. The sensations were new. Since he’d been orphaned, he’d persuaded himself “loner” was his natural state. Looking at her, he knew something inside shifted.
“May I give you a compliment?” With a bashful smile, she glanced down. “When I turned fifteen, I took Tae Kwon Do classes. My therapists thought learning some form of self-defense would be a good exercise in personal boundaries and help build my physical confidence. Let’s just say I found it challenging. After struggling for months to improve the tiniest bit, I could appreciate your speed, skill, and weird ability to read your opponent’s mind. You’re supernatural.”
She gave him that look. As if he were some great prize. God, he wished he weren’t so scared to fall off the edge of the pedestal. At this stage of his non-career, it wouldn’t be too far a drop. Poor Christy. He’d confessed one of his guiltiest acts, and she still thought him special. “I’m different in a way that most people wouldn’t understand or like.”
Grasping his hand, she then brought his fingers to her lips and gave them a gentle kiss. “Why do you look so worried? You don’t want to talk about this, do you? Do you think you have to be perfect all the time just because another part of your life went sour? I don’t think so.”
Closing his eyes, he allowed his thoughts to float for a moment on the sound of her voice. She touched his heart in a strange way that soothed as much as excited. He wanted to believe she could accept him. With his chest tight, it got hard to breath. Unannounced, the Wolf in him desired a life mate and chose her. He tried to tamp the feelings down, but all his senses focused on Christy. To his despair, every detail felt right, even her scent. A fact his inner Wolf found confusing. The attraction to her connected with the force of a roundhouse punch. Things were moving too fast between them. For a second, he almost convinced himself it might be okay to tell her everything.
“You can trust me, Mitchell. I’d never judge you.”
He wanted to shout, I’m a goddamned Wolf! But the communal secret could not be revealed. No one in the Black Hills pack would forgive him for deliberate exposure. If trouble came of it, Christy might inadvertently come to the Enforcer’s attention. A violent fate she didn’t deserve. Inviting this sweet-tempered woman into his bed only to face yet more personal danger and an uncertain future would be cruel.
Just as he worked up the nerve to march downstairs and beg Gee to sleep on his couch, a tree branch near his window became so laden with snow it crackedwith a brutal snap. The limb fell to the ground with thundering swoosh . A moment later, the television screen flickered with gray flecks and emitted loud burst of static. The show disappeared, and a “service disruption” banner appeared.
Feeling agitated, he picked up the remote then clicked off the television. “Whoops. Lost signal. No more Doctor Who .”
She shivered. “It’s damn cold leaning against this wall.”
“Sorry.” He motioned for her to follow. In a gallant gesture, he reached for a quilt and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Standing near the bed, she clutched the quilt. “It’s much warmer over here.”
He sat on the mattress and patted a spot beside him. “Have a seat.”
“I thought you didn’t want me sitting on your bed.”
“I lied.” A tense laugh burst free of him.
With a sunny smile, she laughed, too. “Good. I just finished scolding myself for coming on too strong and making you uncomfortable.”
“No need.” Beneath the rumpled quilt, she looked lost. He folded the edge down so he could better see her face. “What shall we do now? Do you play cards?”
“I don’t know any cards games.”
“Tex taught me lots of card games to play on the road. Come to think of it, he cheated. Never mind.”
Bundling the quilt closer, she swayed. “I don’t need to be entertained.”
She looked down, and a
“May I give you a compliment?” With a bashful smile, she glanced down. “When I turned fifteen, I took Tae Kwon Do classes. My therapists thought learning some form of self-defense would be a good exercise in personal boundaries and help build my physical confidence. Let’s just say I found it challenging. After struggling for months to improve the tiniest bit, I could appreciate your speed, skill, and weird ability to read your opponent’s mind. You’re supernatural.”
She gave him that look. As if he were some great prize. God, he wished he weren’t so scared to fall off the edge of the pedestal. At this stage of his non-career, it wouldn’t be too far a drop. Poor Christy. He’d confessed one of his guiltiest acts, and she still thought him special. “I’m different in a way that most people wouldn’t understand or like.”
Grasping his hand, she then brought his fingers to her lips and gave them a gentle kiss. “Why do you look so worried? You don’t want to talk about this, do you? Do you think you have to be perfect all the time just because another part of your life went sour? I don’t think so.”
Closing his eyes, he allowed his thoughts to float for a moment on the sound of her voice. She touched his heart in a strange way that soothed as much as excited. He wanted to believe she could accept him. With his chest tight, it got hard to breath. Unannounced, the Wolf in him desired a life mate and chose her. He tried to tamp the feelings down, but all his senses focused on Christy. To his despair, every detail felt right, even her scent. A fact his inner Wolf found confusing. The attraction to her connected with the force of a roundhouse punch. Things were moving too fast between them. For a second, he almost convinced himself it might be okay to tell her everything.
“You can trust me, Mitchell. I’d never judge you.”
He wanted to shout, I’m a goddamned Wolf! But the communal secret could not be revealed. No one in the Black Hills pack would forgive him for deliberate exposure. If trouble came of it, Christy might inadvertently come to the Enforcer’s attention. A violent fate she didn’t deserve. Inviting this sweet-tempered woman into his bed only to face yet more personal danger and an uncertain future would be cruel.
Just as he worked up the nerve to march downstairs and beg Gee to sleep on his couch, a tree branch near his window became so laden with snow it crackedwith a brutal snap. The limb fell to the ground with thundering swoosh . A moment later, the television screen flickered with gray flecks and emitted loud burst of static. The show disappeared, and a “service disruption” banner appeared.
Feeling agitated, he picked up the remote then clicked off the television. “Whoops. Lost signal. No more Doctor Who .”
She shivered. “It’s damn cold leaning against this wall.”
“Sorry.” He motioned for her to follow. In a gallant gesture, he reached for a quilt and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Standing near the bed, she clutched the quilt. “It’s much warmer over here.”
He sat on the mattress and patted a spot beside him. “Have a seat.”
“I thought you didn’t want me sitting on your bed.”
“I lied.” A tense laugh burst free of him.
With a sunny smile, she laughed, too. “Good. I just finished scolding myself for coming on too strong and making you uncomfortable.”
“No need.” Beneath the rumpled quilt, she looked lost. He folded the edge down so he could better see her face. “What shall we do now? Do you play cards?”
“I don’t know any cards games.”
“Tex taught me lots of card games to play on the road. Come to think of it, he cheated. Never mind.”
Bundling the quilt closer, she swayed. “I don’t need to be entertained.”
She looked down, and a
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