Page 18 of Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart

“That’s not what I meant, turkey, and you know it.” He gave her a little swat on the butt and she giggled.

They went into their own rooms to shower and dress. He fumbled slightly with the buttons on his shirt. Dakota left the top two buttons unfastened because he didn’t like feeling choked. Reluctantly, as a nod to the formality of the occasion, he slipped on a black jacket that fit him perfectly.

He was amused that he was actually a little nervous. It had nothing to do with the exhibit and everything to do with the petit redhead that was dressing next door. She had turned his world upside down in the short time they had known each other.

There was a light knock on the door separating their rooms.

“It’s open.”

She stepped through the connecting door and Dakota’s breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a black dress with thin straps that accented her body perfectly. Her gorgeous legs were enhanced with black strappy heels. She had curled her hair and styled it so it framed her face.

“Do I look okay?” She sounded anxious. “I’ve never been to one of these before, although everything I read about on the internet said this dress would be okay.”

“Darlin’, you look gorgeous, and you’re lucky that I’m afraid Lydia would hunt me down and murder me, or we wouldn’t be going anywhere.”

She smiled shyly at him. “You clean up nicely, too.

Sadie walked over to him and put one hand on his chest. She put her other hand on the back of his neck and tilted his mouth toward hers, pressing her lips against his.

His hard shaft twitched in his pants and fires exploded inside of him. When she pulled away from him, Sadie stared into his face with hungry green eyes.

“I think that maybe you should stay three feet away from me at all times or we might just end up giving an exhibition of a different sort.”

Sadie giggled. “Natural art. Could be interesting.”

Lydia rushed up to them as soon as they stepped into the gallery. “Cutting it a little close, aren’t you? You have seven minutes before the doors open to the public.”

Dakota grinned and pointed at Sadie. “It’s her fault. She distracted me.”

Sadie gasped and smacked his arm lightly. “Don’t you dare put the blame on me, mister. I’m just along for the ride. I follow your lead.”

Lydia just shook her head and growled low in the back of her throat.

Promptly at six, the doors opened and people started arriving. Everyone was dressed to the nines. He was the only one without a tie. Women wore beautiful dresses and expensive jewelry. Some of them carried purses that he suspected cost more than his truck.

“Is this a gallery exhibit or a fashion show?” he whispered to Sadie.

She laughed quietly. “Yes.”

Sadie slipped away as people approached him, wanting to talk to the man of the hour. He talked about his work and answered questions about what inspired him. Several of the people in attendance had actually taken the time to watch at least one of his documentaries. A couple wanted pictures with him.

The entire time he was talking to others, he was acutely aware of Sadie. It was almost as though an invisible string was tied between the two of them. He watched her studying his photographs.

For some reason the look of admiration on her face made him feel prouder than any of the accolades he was getting from the other patrons. She wandered back to his side and listened intently to his conversations with the gallery patrons, speaking up and contributing intelligently.

She stood in front of the crowd when he delivered his speech at 7:30. Although he knew everyone in the room was listening, he felt as though he was talking just to Sadie. She smiled at him and nodded at important points, making him feel even more confident than he usually did.

He talked about how exploring the lives of wild animals he connected to a part of his soul. Of course, he didn’t mention anything about being a shifter, and even though it wasn’t his strength, it was still a part of his identity. Sadie’s smile told him she understood the deeper meaning of his words and she felt that connection as well.

Lydia had insisted that his speech be about ten minutes but he expected people’s eyes to start glazing over around the five-minute mark. He was gratified that almost everyone’s attention was focused on him throughout the entire speech. The applausebrought the house down when he finished and people crowded around him. Some of the guests picked up on the fact that she was with Dakota and engaged her in conversation, which he halfway listened to as he spoke to other people. She insisted that the work was all his and that she was just a fan while pointing out the attributes of his work. Sadie also brought up his documentaries and books.

He was gratified to see that red dots appeared on the descriptions beneath a lot of his work. Lydia pulled him aside and told him it was one of the most successful gallery exhibits she had hosted in the last decade.

The event was formally over at nine, but several patrons stayed until ten. They only left because Lydia shooed them out the door.

“We may have to host your work once a year. You were fabulous and everyone loved you – even if you didn’t wear a suit or tuxedo.”

Dakota grinned. He took her teasing remark as it was meant to be. “Next time I’ll wear a flannel shirt and jeans with my old comfortable work boots.”

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