Page 5 of Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart

She opened the door with a smile. The blue halter top wasn’t tight but it fit her perfectly and paired with her blue jeans, he could see that she had an incredibly beautiful body. It was obvious that she took care of herself.

“Come in. Dinner will be ready shortly.”

He handed her the wine and stepped inside. She led him into the kitchen and put the wine on the counter.

“My friend, Talia, gave me a recipe for a chicken, potatoes, and green bean dish. It’s one of my favorites – mostly because it’s easy to make and I haven’t messed it up yet. I can cook well enough to keep myself alive, but that’s about it.”

He grinned. “That’s all you really need, isn’t it?”

“True.”

She put plates and silverware on the table. He studied her for a moment. “What made you decide to be a media coordinator?”

Sadie giggled. “I was inspired by Rachel Weisz’s role of Evie inThe Mummywhen she announces ‘I am a librarian.’”

Dakota laughed.

“Actually, I love working with kids and helping them discover the world around them. I love research and learning. Being a media coordinator lets me work with all the kids in the school, not just the ones who sit at the desks in front of me. I help them with different kinds of projects.” She grinned. “And, unlike classroom teachers, I get to go to the bathroom whenever I want.”

He laughed. “That is important.”

“What inspired you?”

“I’ve always loved photography. The old cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words is absolutely true. A person can look at the same picture over and over again and each time they will learn something new from it. A photograph will capture information that a person won’t necessarily see when they first look at a scene, which is why forensic techs always photograph crime scenes before they do anything. I’ve heard it said that you can’t hear a picture, but there are some images that not only talk to you but scream at you.”

Sadie nodded thoughtfully. “That’s true. There are several pictures that I can hear and smell. I can even feel them, like the cold of a winter’s snow or the soft touch of a feather. You’ve answered the photography part. What about wildlife?”

“They are the purest form of life. Non-human animals, including insects, are honest about who they are. Sure, they camouflage themselves for protection or to hunt for their prey. They might pretend to be another animal for that purpose. However, no animal pretends to be your friend and stab you in the back. All animals have souls. They love, are loyal, and followtheir instincts. There is an innate beauty in the lives of non-human animals.”

Sadie looked at him, contemplating his words. “You talk like someone who’s been hurt before.”

Dakota shook his head. “I really haven’t. However, I’ve always been an observer and watched people even when I was in elementary school. I know that most people are wonderful and are good. There are plenty of people who work hard to understand humans and try to figure out why people act as they do. There aren’t as many of us who’ll go out into the wild and find out what makes a hippopotamus tick.”

The oven beeped and Sadie pulled the casserole dish out and set it on the trivet on the table. “Glasses are in the top right cabinet.”

He pulled two out and poured the wine. During dinner, he asked her about life as a media coordinator for the high school.

“The hardest part about my job is getting some kids to return books. I have one student who will check out a book from her favorite author and then ‘lose it.’” She used her fingers to put quotation marks around the words “lose it.” “She’ll pay the fine and then check out another.”

“I guess that’s one way to create your own library.”

After dinner, she scooted close to him so she could see the presentation he put together. He could smell her scent and being close to him started a fire way down in his belly.

“I love everything. You are truly an artist.”

He looked at her and grinned. “Thank you.”

Dakota looked into her emerald green eyes. The smile that curved on her beautiful face made his heart skip a beat. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was soft and gentle at first. She made a little moaning sound in her throat and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He pushed his tongue against her lips and she opened. She tasted like the wine she had just sipped. His heart raced and their breaths mingled as he made sweet love to her mouth. The air around them heated up, and Dakota wanted to feel her naked flesh against his. The intensity of that want scared him, as he had never experienced anything like it before.

When the kiss broke, Sadie’s chest was heaving. She looked at him with an expression of pure desire. He wanted more than anything in the world to stay but knew that he couldn’t. They had just met and Sadie wasn’t the kind of person he could simply have sex with and walk away from. She deserved more than that, and he wasn’t in a position to give her a long-term relationship.

“I need to go,” he said breathlessly. “Thank you for dinner. I’ll be at the school.” He grabbed his computer and jumped up from the table.

She nodded and walked him wordlessly to the door. He turned around and pulled her against him, hugging her tightly. He brushed a kiss across her lips, and then left, wishing more than anything that he could stay.

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