Page 49 of Fastlander Fallen

“Love it. It’s my favorite place to be. I’m a professional at it.”

He chuckled. If only she knew the dirty things he wanted to do to her. The timing just wasn’t right. Disagree. The animal’s voice whispered through his head, and it startled him enough to make him jump. Huh. He didn’t usually speak up unless Ace was near a Change. His skin was tingling. Wait, was he close to a Change? “Why?”

“Why what?” Corey asked.

“Oh, no…not you. I was asking…” He swallowed hard.

“Are you talking to your animal?” she asked softly.

He gripped the steering wheel tighter. He didn’t want her thinking he was crazy.

“Why what?”

“Why do I feel like Changing?”

There was a six-second pause, and he’d done it. He’d scared her. He parted his lips to tell her goodbye and end the phone call, but she interrupted his intentions. “Stay talking to me. You have shit to accomplish today. No Changing right now.”

A slow smile took his lips. It was cute that she thought she could manage the timing of a Change.

The tingling faded from his skin though, and a long purr rattled through his head. What the hell? That was a sound he had never heard his animal make in his entire life.

“What does a self-care day involve?” he asked.

“I’m getting my nails done, and then getting a facial, and then I’m taking myself out to brunch, and then I’ll probably be half-asleep so maybe a nap, and then—”

“Do you want to meet me?”

“What?”

He swallowed hard. “Do you want to see the spot my boss thinks will be a good location for the next Moosey’s?”

“Umm, yeah! Sure! When?”

“An hour?”

“Okay!” She got quiet. “Um, do I need to change into something different? Will we be hiking?”

“Nope, it’s in the mountains but it has a gravel driveway and parking lot. I’ll send you the address.”

“Will Captain be mad?”

“Who cares?”

“Oh. Um, I have to go freak out now.”

He laughed. “Freak out why?”

“I don’t know, I’m excited and nervous and I need to go figure out what that means, friend!” She did sound excited, and now he was starting to understand why she felt like he was playing with her head. She liked him.

He couldn’t stop smiling right now even if he tried.

“I’ll see you soon,” he murmured.

“Okay, bye, see you in an hour! Everything is great, friendship is my favorite, I will be totally cool and aloof.”

He bit back another laugh. “Me too.”

But as he hung up on her, he knew damn well neither one of them would be cool or aloof. He had no idea if it was the damn bagel-gift that had garnered his animal’s attention, but the man in him liked the woman in her.

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