does it matter?
She thumbed the screen on and found her camera app. The light outside continued to change, and it seemed each second the scene shifted. She angled the camera to take photo after photo.
A moment later, a hand clasped her shoulder. She jerked, since the contact startled her. Twilight fell over the yard, with the only snow visible thanks to the reflecting the light from the open window. Pivoting, she stared at Dylan. He’d pulled on a shirt, and his hair was freshly damp. He smelled delicious, all warm male, cedar, wood smoke, and snow.
When did he shower?
A small amused smile softened the line of his lips. “I made coffee and hot cocoa. I wasn’t sure which you’d prefer. I also have some great box dinners from home. Fancy some lasagna? I’ll give the steaks to Mama over there.”
Blinking slowly, Chrystal glanced at her phone, then at the wolves. Dylan had hauled a mattress near one side of the fire, then set Mama and her pup up with blankets and a makeshift wall. It kept the sleepy pup contained, and Mama didn’t seem to plan to go anywhere. Though she curled around her sleeping pup protectively, her eyes were half-lidded. Chrystal held no doubts about Mama’s awareness of them. She watched every move they made.
Calloused fingers caressed her cheek. The contact yanked her gaze to Dylan’s once more. “What?”
“Let’s focus on the here and now, all right?” Taking her arm, he tugged her away from the window and settled her into a seat near the fire. The heat seemed to balloon in the fire’s immediate vicinity and chased away a chill she hadn’t realized she experienced. Goosebumps prickled over her skin, and her nipples tightened. Still clutching her phone, she folded her arms in an attempt to hide the evidence of their stimulation. Of all times not to have a bra—well, she had a bra-cicle, but it wouldn’t help.
Her tormentor—no, her savior, as he’d been far kinder today than on any of their previous meetings—crouched and held a mug out to her. “Hot cocoa. We need to get some sugar and calories into you.”
Her focus? Before she could ask, he plucked the phone from her grasp to set it on the arm of the chair. Capturing her hand, he wrapped it around the mug which meant she only had one arm to shield the tips of her breasts, pointed against the fabric of his shirt. “Drink.” An order seemed to vibrate in the words. It rolled over her and her wolf roused. In her mind, she imagined her wolf as something like a sleepy dog most of the time. The animal raised its head, tilted it to the side and studied Dylan. Then she yawned, and her head drifted lower.
“Drink,” Dylan repeated, and all but helped her lift the mug to her lips. The first sweet taste of chocolate rolled over her tongue, and she sighed in pleasure. Before she knew it, she’d drunk the whole thing. Still licking her lips, she was almost disappointed at finishing the hot cocoa so swiftly.
Her bossy pants wolf had abandoned her, but she heard a microwave in the kitchen come on, then abruptly shut off as all the lights cut out.
“Ut-oh.”
“Don’t worry.” He strode past her and opened a door she hadn’t even noticed. A moment later, a low hum filled the room and Mama jerked her head higher, ears flicking toward Dylan.
“It’s okay, Mama,” Chrystal said, setting the mug aside and sliding forward. Even if the power stayed off, they had the fire. Cooking over an open flame was something she actually understood. Crazy as it sounded, she’d roasted a fair number of hot dogs that way.
Mama switched her attention to Chrystal, and her lips peeled back off her teeth. The snarl sent a swirl of panic into her belly, and Chrystal retreated. Why didn’t Mama like her?
“Enough of that.” Dylan cut between them, and Mama dropped her head to rest against her pup, but she didn’t stop glaring at Chrystal.
“Why does she like you and not me?” Her stomach punctuated the question with a violent growl and a
She thumbed the screen on and found her camera app. The light outside continued to change, and it seemed each second the scene shifted. She angled the camera to take photo after photo.
A moment later, a hand clasped her shoulder. She jerked, since the contact startled her. Twilight fell over the yard, with the only snow visible thanks to the reflecting the light from the open window. Pivoting, she stared at Dylan. He’d pulled on a shirt, and his hair was freshly damp. He smelled delicious, all warm male, cedar, wood smoke, and snow.
When did he shower?
A small amused smile softened the line of his lips. “I made coffee and hot cocoa. I wasn’t sure which you’d prefer. I also have some great box dinners from home. Fancy some lasagna? I’ll give the steaks to Mama over there.”
Blinking slowly, Chrystal glanced at her phone, then at the wolves. Dylan had hauled a mattress near one side of the fire, then set Mama and her pup up with blankets and a makeshift wall. It kept the sleepy pup contained, and Mama didn’t seem to plan to go anywhere. Though she curled around her sleeping pup protectively, her eyes were half-lidded. Chrystal held no doubts about Mama’s awareness of them. She watched every move they made.
Calloused fingers caressed her cheek. The contact yanked her gaze to Dylan’s once more. “What?”
“Let’s focus on the here and now, all right?” Taking her arm, he tugged her away from the window and settled her into a seat near the fire. The heat seemed to balloon in the fire’s immediate vicinity and chased away a chill she hadn’t realized she experienced. Goosebumps prickled over her skin, and her nipples tightened. Still clutching her phone, she folded her arms in an attempt to hide the evidence of their stimulation. Of all times not to have a bra—well, she had a bra-cicle, but it wouldn’t help.
Her tormentor—no, her savior, as he’d been far kinder today than on any of their previous meetings—crouched and held a mug out to her. “Hot cocoa. We need to get some sugar and calories into you.”
Her focus? Before she could ask, he plucked the phone from her grasp to set it on the arm of the chair. Capturing her hand, he wrapped it around the mug which meant she only had one arm to shield the tips of her breasts, pointed against the fabric of his shirt. “Drink.” An order seemed to vibrate in the words. It rolled over her and her wolf roused. In her mind, she imagined her wolf as something like a sleepy dog most of the time. The animal raised its head, tilted it to the side and studied Dylan. Then she yawned, and her head drifted lower.
“Drink,” Dylan repeated, and all but helped her lift the mug to her lips. The first sweet taste of chocolate rolled over her tongue, and she sighed in pleasure. Before she knew it, she’d drunk the whole thing. Still licking her lips, she was almost disappointed at finishing the hot cocoa so swiftly.
Her bossy pants wolf had abandoned her, but she heard a microwave in the kitchen come on, then abruptly shut off as all the lights cut out.
“Ut-oh.”
“Don’t worry.” He strode past her and opened a door she hadn’t even noticed. A moment later, a low hum filled the room and Mama jerked her head higher, ears flicking toward Dylan.
“It’s okay, Mama,” Chrystal said, setting the mug aside and sliding forward. Even if the power stayed off, they had the fire. Cooking over an open flame was something she actually understood. Crazy as it sounded, she’d roasted a fair number of hot dogs that way.
Mama switched her attention to Chrystal, and her lips peeled back off her teeth. The snarl sent a swirl of panic into her belly, and Chrystal retreated. Why didn’t Mama like her?
“Enough of that.” Dylan cut between them, and Mama dropped her head to rest against her pup, but she didn’t stop glaring at Chrystal.
“Why does she like you and not me?” Her stomach punctuated the question with a violent growl and a
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