fell to her knees in front of him, the wonder on her face easing most of his fears. “You’re beautiful.”
He tilted his head into her palm, eager for her touch. She stroked him, running her fingers through his fur, scratching behind his ear. He sighed happily and licked her cheek.
“Ew. Dog breath.”
He growled playfully, his tail wagging back and forth. He held on to the desire to pounce on her.
His wolf wanted to play with their mate.
“Gee, grandpa, what big teeth you have.”
He shook his head and stepped back, beginning the change again. He had the urge to run, a need he always had when his wolf was dominant. A need he couldn’t indulge in South Philadelphia. And the thought of Lana taking him walkies on a leash?
Hell to the no.
He reached first for his underwear, slipping it back on. “So we’re agreed that we’ll stay here until Cole finds us.”
“But in separate bedrooms,” she added quickly.
He rolled his eyes and reached for his pants. “Fine. We’ll have separate bedrooms.”
“Don’t sound so grumpy. Next thing you know you’ll be whining and giving me puppy dog eyes.”
He gave her his best sad-sack face. “Can you resist puppy dog eyes?”
She bit her lip. “I hereby exercise my fifth amendment rights against self incrimination.”
He chuckled softly. “I like you.” He stroked her hair away from her eyes, lingering in its silky sweetness. “Maybe some day soon you’ll like me too.”
Her expression turned serious. “I hereby exercise my—”
He kissed the rest of the sentence away, forgetting where they were, forgetting everything but the taste, the scent of her.
When his lips left hers she sighed. “I am in so much trouble.”
Chapter Five
Grammy had insisted that Chris call her Annabelle. And he did, striking up a relaxed conversation over ham and cheese sandwiches and barbeque potato chips, sitting in her kitchen at Grammy’s comfortable ebony stained banquette. He’d even offered to sit on one of the long benches behind the table, his back to the wall, leaving the chairs for Lana and Grammy. He was calm, polite, a total gentleman.
She wondered what he was up to.
“So it’s all right if Lana and I stay here, at least for a little while?”
She tuned back into the conversation to find Grammy nodding. “Of course you’re both welcome to stay here. Do you have any idea why Cole is so eager to hurt you and Lana?”
Christopher frowned and rubbed at his forehead. “I have no idea. There’s some bad blood between us, but nothing that would warrant attacking Lana.” He cleared his throat. “Last I heard he was happily ensconced in Pittsburgh along with his family.”
Lana watched Chris gulp, his face turning pale. He discreetly pushed his plate away. “I need to do a little research, find out exactly what he thinks I’ve done this time.”
“This time?” Lana watched Chris take a sip of soda, wincing before he put it back down. Something wasn’t right. He was flushed, then pale, and he was beginning to shake. Every instinct she had sat up and began screeching. She pressed her hand against his forehead. “Chris, you’re burning up.”
“Too soon to get sick from the rain.” He coughed into his napkin, his body wracked with shudders.
“Looks like you’re wrong about that.” She stood and pulled him from the bench. She staggered, his full weight hitting her, nearly dropping them both to the ground. “Whoa! Steady, Chris.”
“Not wrong. We don’t get sick like this.” He coughed again, his voice hoarse. She winced in sympa-thy at the wet sound.
“Grammy? Blue room?” At Annabelle’s nod, she steered Chris through the kitchen towards the stairs at the front of the house. “Most people would catch cold after being out naked in the rain.”
She took hold of the banister, pausing when he grabbed hold of her wrist. “Not like this.”
She bit her lip, narrowing her eyes at him. “You think this is magical?”
“Yes.”
She pulled
He tilted his head into her palm, eager for her touch. She stroked him, running her fingers through his fur, scratching behind his ear. He sighed happily and licked her cheek.
“Ew. Dog breath.”
He growled playfully, his tail wagging back and forth. He held on to the desire to pounce on her.
His wolf wanted to play with their mate.
“Gee, grandpa, what big teeth you have.”
He shook his head and stepped back, beginning the change again. He had the urge to run, a need he always had when his wolf was dominant. A need he couldn’t indulge in South Philadelphia. And the thought of Lana taking him walkies on a leash?
Hell to the no.
He reached first for his underwear, slipping it back on. “So we’re agreed that we’ll stay here until Cole finds us.”
“But in separate bedrooms,” she added quickly.
He rolled his eyes and reached for his pants. “Fine. We’ll have separate bedrooms.”
“Don’t sound so grumpy. Next thing you know you’ll be whining and giving me puppy dog eyes.”
He gave her his best sad-sack face. “Can you resist puppy dog eyes?”
She bit her lip. “I hereby exercise my fifth amendment rights against self incrimination.”
He chuckled softly. “I like you.” He stroked her hair away from her eyes, lingering in its silky sweetness. “Maybe some day soon you’ll like me too.”
Her expression turned serious. “I hereby exercise my—”
He kissed the rest of the sentence away, forgetting where they were, forgetting everything but the taste, the scent of her.
When his lips left hers she sighed. “I am in so much trouble.”
Chapter Five
Grammy had insisted that Chris call her Annabelle. And he did, striking up a relaxed conversation over ham and cheese sandwiches and barbeque potato chips, sitting in her kitchen at Grammy’s comfortable ebony stained banquette. He’d even offered to sit on one of the long benches behind the table, his back to the wall, leaving the chairs for Lana and Grammy. He was calm, polite, a total gentleman.
She wondered what he was up to.
“So it’s all right if Lana and I stay here, at least for a little while?”
She tuned back into the conversation to find Grammy nodding. “Of course you’re both welcome to stay here. Do you have any idea why Cole is so eager to hurt you and Lana?”
Christopher frowned and rubbed at his forehead. “I have no idea. There’s some bad blood between us, but nothing that would warrant attacking Lana.” He cleared his throat. “Last I heard he was happily ensconced in Pittsburgh along with his family.”
Lana watched Chris gulp, his face turning pale. He discreetly pushed his plate away. “I need to do a little research, find out exactly what he thinks I’ve done this time.”
“This time?” Lana watched Chris take a sip of soda, wincing before he put it back down. Something wasn’t right. He was flushed, then pale, and he was beginning to shake. Every instinct she had sat up and began screeching. She pressed her hand against his forehead. “Chris, you’re burning up.”
“Too soon to get sick from the rain.” He coughed into his napkin, his body wracked with shudders.
“Looks like you’re wrong about that.” She stood and pulled him from the bench. She staggered, his full weight hitting her, nearly dropping them both to the ground. “Whoa! Steady, Chris.”
“Not wrong. We don’t get sick like this.” He coughed again, his voice hoarse. She winced in sympa-thy at the wet sound.
“Grammy? Blue room?” At Annabelle’s nod, she steered Chris through the kitchen towards the stairs at the front of the house. “Most people would catch cold after being out naked in the rain.”
She took hold of the banister, pausing when he grabbed hold of her wrist. “Not like this.”
She bit her lip, narrowing her eyes at him. “You think this is magical?”
“Yes.”
She pulled
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