Page 24 of Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart

A minute later, as her eyes scanned the pages, she realized she had been holding the book upside down. She shook her head.Who am I kidding? There is no way that I can focus on reading a book right now.

She snuggled deeper into the bed, closing her eyes, replaying the previous night’s events in her mind. Smiling, Sadie held her body pillow tightly as she remembered the tenderness and passion in Dakota’s eyes and the way he had held her, as though she really did mean something important to him.

Making love to him had been amazing. She had heard stories from other women about their experiences. Some of them had told her that they had a great partner who made them feel incredible while others had said that the entire experience had been awkward or uncomfortable. A couple of her acquaintances even reported that the sex had been disappointing.

Maybe they just had the wrong partner. Making love to Dakota had been everything I ever dreamed my first time could be. It was more than just physical. It was raw emotion.

Sadie sighed. “Am I in love with him? Could Talia be right about the fated mates thing?”

Then, she laughed at herself. “I haven’t known him long enough to fall in love with him, and it would be stupid to do that. Nothing good could come from me letting myself fall down that rabbit hole.”

She slowly drifted off to sleep, thinking about Dakota, pretending his arms were wrapped tightly around her.

The morning was incredibly busy the next morning. Students were in and out of the library, looking for books or needing help with research. She didn’t have a chance to think about Dakota. Finally, though, it was time for lunch. Talia came into the library and they ate together in the large conference room.

“Spill. I want to hear everything about your weekend with Dakota.”

Sadie smiled. “It was amazing. We got to Albuquerque early enough to do a little bit of sightseeing. We went to Old Town and rode the tram. The gallery opening was exciting. There were a ton of people there. I don’t know whether they were there because they knew who Dakota was or if they regularly attended such events, but Dakota captured their attention immediately. Most of his work was sold that night.”

“Good for him. Then what?” Talia looked knowingly at Sadie. “You guys went back to the hotel. What happened.”

A heated blush exploded in her face. “Would you believe we went to our own rooms and spent the night watching reruns ofLaw and Order?”

“Nope.”

“Fine then. I pulled him into my room, undressed him, and we made love. It was so incredibly perfect. I never knew that I could feel such incredible ecstasy. It was like the world disappeared and we were the only two beings in the world. Atone point, I was pretty sure that my body would explode from the fire burning inside of me.”

“That sounds like my first time with Sebastian. There are no words to describe how I felt.”

Sadie ran her fingers through her hair. “It was so much more than sex, though. We hung out and had silly conversations. It was fun and I can’t describe how I felt. His scent haunts me. Saying that we were connected sounds lame, but I don’t know how else to say it.”

Talia nodded knowingly. “I know exactly how you feel. It was how I felt with Sebastian and still do. Even when we’re apart, he’s with me. It sounds like you’ve fallen in l…”

Sadie put up her hand and shook her head. “Don’t say it.”

“Just because I don’t say the word, doesn’t make it true. But I am worried about you. Have you two talked about your future?”

“Only to the point where he’s made it clear that he’s not in Angel’s Creek permanently and I’m not leaving. I figure that I would just enjoy the time I have with him while he’s here and have good memories when he leaves. It’s not like there are any men around here that I could ever be interested in.”

“You never know. Some stranger might come into town and sweep you off of your feet.”

“Doubtful. But I know the deal with Dakota. He’s always been honest with me. I’ll take this time I have with him and I’ll never regret it. He makes me feel alive and if all I have, for the rest of my life, are memories of him, his smile, and his touch, then that’s okay.”

Talia looked at her, her face filled with concern, but she didn’t have time to say anything because the bell rang. She packed up her lunch bag, smiled at Sadie, and left.

A few minutes later, her phone buzzed. Sadie pulled it out of her pocket and smiled. It was a text from Dakota.Thinking of you. Can’t wait to see you again.

She replied,Me, too. Hugs.

Sadie was glad to get back home after the crazy day. She absolutely loved her job and the kids, but there was nothing like the quiet of her own house. She wished she could see Dakota, but he had taken an early morning flight to Chicago to see his publisher. He wouldn’t be home until way past her bedtime.

After grabbing a bottle of sweet iced tea, she settled into her favorite chair and thumbed through the catalog of new books that were coming out. The school board had actually given her a decent budget to buy new books.

The catalog had several of Dakota’s books. She was going to buy at least one of each offered. He had spoken so passionately to the students that several of them were instantly hooked, even those who weren’t into wildlife or photography before. There was a waiting list for his books.

As she entered the ISBN numbers into the order form, her mind wandered back to their weekend together. The memory of his touch, his scent, and the way he made her feel rushed through her.

She picked up her phone to text him and tell him she was thinking about him, but her doorbell rang. “Maybe he got back early.”

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