Page 24 of Broken-Hearted

“Later,” he says.

I blink myself back into the present.

He’s peering down at me with a smile so smug I itch to smack it off his face. “What about later?”

His eyes dart to my mouth. “That kiss can happen later.”

I yank myself out from under his arm. “Or never.”

Simon grins at me. “So, how about it?”

I stop glaring at Nathan to focus on Simon. “How about what?”

“Our place for the night,” he explains in a tone of someone who might not be saying this for the first time.

Shit, Clara. How long were you mooning over Nathan?

“Are you sure?” I frown. “We’re driving.”

Matilda nods. “We’ve handled problems before. They were running toward the road. It’s better to leave your car there until tomorrow. That way, you won’t walk into any ambush they might’ve left behind.”

Good idea.

“And this trouble you had?” I ask, curious.

They seem nice, but for them to be living in the middle of nowhere might be because they have no choice. Like they’re hiding from something or someone.

Matilda’s expression briefly darkens. “My brother, Noah, and the guy who wanted to mate me. But that’s an old story. Come on, we have food.”

My wolf perks up at the mention of food.

Nathan manhandles me? Nada from my wolf.

Matilda mentions food? My wolf starts paying attention.

You need to work on your priorities. You know that, right?I tell my wolf.

An image of her licking her lips in front of a massive slab of steak fills my mind.

I breathe out a sigh.

My stomach rumbles. It’s been a while since I last ate, and steak sounds pretty good right about now.

I glance up at the sky, trying to gauge the time. It’s overcast now, with a light wind blowing through the trees.

“Do you think your car will be okay?” I ask Nathan.

He shrugs, not looking the least bit concerned. “If not, we’ll work something out.”

As we trail Matilda and Simon deeper into the forest, Nathan snags my hand. “You’re a glass half-full type of guy, aren’t you?”

“Haven’t given it much thought before. What about you? Half-full or half-empty?”

I consider my many reckless decisions over the years. “Half-full, I guess.”

He nods. “Where were you leading us before?”

“Before?” I frown at him.

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