Page 131 of Her Wolf

She glanced at his plate. “I want a steak.”

Zachary patted a napkin against his lips. “Then I’ll bring you one.”

The kitchen faced the porch. Zachary had been keeping an eye on her the whole time while he’d been cooking. But, to reach the kitchen, he had to go through the front door and down a short hallway.

Zachary stood, pushing back his chair with the back of his legs.

“And another bottle of wine,” Cora said.

“You don’t like the wine?”

“I’d prefer a white.”

Zachary left with an amused smile on his mouth. Just before he stepped inside the beach house, Cora slipped off her sandals and held them in a hand.

As soon as the dark interior of the beach house swallowed Zachary, she ran straight for the side of the porch and vaulted over the railing.

Soft beach sand broke her fall, but she still stumbled forward three steps before she could catch her balance.

Behind her, Lady barked.

No! Bad dog!

She didn’t look back. Her feet sank relentlessly into the soft sand as she tore over the beach, heading for the beckoning dark.

Another bark, this one louder than the first, but not any closer.

“Stay!”

For a moment, she thought Zachary’s command had been directed at her, and that made her laugh.

Fuck you, motherfucker!

Her legs screamed at her to stop, but she forced herself to run faster. She pumped her arms, lungs burning the closer she got to the overgrown jungle.

Just before she broke through into that cool, green darkness, she hazarded a quick glance behind her.

Zachary stood on the porch, wiping his hands on a dishcloth. Lady sat at his heel, ears pricked up and tongue lolling out the side of her mouth.

Cora stopped running in sheer confusion.

Why wasn’t he chasing her?

She was far enough that she couldn’t clearly make out his expression, but it looked like he wore a rueful smile. Cora spun to look at the jungle, her skin suddenly writhing in panic.

Was there something worse in the jungle than Zachary? Was he that sure of himself that he knew she’d come running back to him out of fear?

Fuck that.

She plunged into the cool darkness. Foliage reached for her, slapping against her arms and legs as she struggled through the thick underbrush. Roots kept snagging her bare feet, and branches and dangling trellises caressed her face as she moved deeper into the jungle.

Seconds later, light cut geometric shapes through the vegetation.

She squinted, and her heart pounded in victory.

A road.

She was right by a road!

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