Read Online Racing Home (Dirt Track Dogs Book 3) (Paranormal Wolf-Shifter Romance) by P. Jameson - Free Book Online

Blister?”
    “Yeah?”
    He stared at her over his shoulder and she wanted to say so many things. In the dark of night she was less inhibited. Less embarrassed of her feelings for him and the fact that he showed nearly zero interest in her other than to help someone who was down on her luck. She wanted to come right out and tell him that she was stupid into him. At thirty four did she really have time to waste?
    But insecurity stopped her. What if he completely rejected her? Could she deal with that kind of embarrassment right now, when everything else in her life was so shaky?
    “Can I ask you something?”
    He nodded, looking resigned. “I wondered when you would ask about them.”
    Annie frowned. “About what?”
    “These.” He gestured vaguely to his face.
    She stood, stepping closer to him. “That wasn’t what I was going to ask at all. But… I can see you don’t like talking about your scars.”
    His gaze was steady on her. “That time of my life isn’t something I like to think about.”
    “Maybe someday you’ll tell me about it. If it’s something you want to share. And I could tell you about my scars.”
    He frowned, his eyes doing a quick scan of her body.
    “Not physical,” she murmured.
    His eyes found hers, searching. He stared at her for so long, she felt herself getting lost in him, forgetting where they were. Her breath came in short pants as she waited for him to say something. Anything.
    “What…” He swallowed. “What were you going to ask me?”
    She blinked, breaking the hold his gaze had on her. “I was just wondering, um, what your real name is.”
    He shook his head. “That person doesn’t exist anymore.”
    Of course not. He wasn’t called Blister for the fun of it. “But he still had a name.”
    He stared at the ground, contemplating. “Maybe I’ll tell you that one day too. Goodnight, Annie.”
    “Night.” She watched him climb into the shelter and close the door before she went inside herself.
    ***
     
    Annie had set her alarm to go off pre-dawn, but it wasn’t the smooth, slowly increasing in volume, strains of Bottoms Up that she awoke to. It was the smell of fresh brewed coffee. She hadn’t wakened to that particular smell since her parents were still around.
    She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes.
    She should be alarmed that someone was in her kitchen, helping themselves to her Keurig. But it had to be Blister. Or one of the workers. After meeting them yesterday, she knew they were harmless.
    Quickly, she slipped on a sweatshirt to help cover up her braless state, swished some mouthwash, and fingered her curls back into place. Creeping down the stairs, she made her way to the kitchen, still a bit bleary eyed.
    Blister’s back was to her, his head bent over the counter, skillfully preparing a mug of morning fuel.
    “Mornin’,” she said, and his head snapped up.
    “Shit. Did I wake you?”
    Annie grinned. “My alarm was about to go off anyway.”
    His eyes roamed from her head, moving downward and back up. She fidgeted, waking up enough to realize she should’ve taken a few minutes to dress and fix her hair. The just-rolled-out-of-bed look wasn’t going to convince anyone she was girlfriend material.
    Shoot.
    Blister ripped his gaze away. “I, uh, hope you don’t mind. I’m only good after a cup or two, so I thought I’d start before the crew got here,” he said, gesturing to the coffee maker.
    “I don’t mind at all. What’s mine is yours.”
    His gaze cut back to her, his eyes narrowing. With a shake of his head, he went back to stirring his coffee. “Would you like some?”
    Annie settled on a stool. “Sure. Thanks.”
    She watched as he pulled another mug off the rack on the counter and set the K-cup to brew.
    “How do you take it?” He used that quiet voice again and it made her chest flutter.
    “Just sugar. One spoonful.”
    He measured it out and stirred the steaming mug before bringing it over to the bar. She went to take it from him, but