Page 3 of The Wolf Professor

Max pulled open the big oak door. And blinked.

A girl with warm caramel skin, huge brown eyes, and a tumble of dark curls framing her heart-shaped face stood in front of him.

Max found his heart beating faster.

He racked his brains, trying to remember if he’d ordered anything to be delivered.

“Hi.” She flashed him a dazzling smile and shot out a small hand. “I’m Charlie.”

“Charlie?” Max parroted.

“Your research assistant, Charlie Sullivan.”

“You’re female,” Max almost spluttered. He prided himself on being non-gender biased and yet he’d gone and assumed the name Charlie belonged to a male. What a fucking knucklehead.

He looked down at the hand extended toward him, and realized he was supposed to shake it. He took it and pumped it up and down, trying to wipe the frown off his face.

His mistake suddenly dawned on her, and her brow puckered. “Oh—you thought I was a guy.”

“Um, yeah, look no problem, I—I er,—”

“I didn’t put my gender on the application form, so I guess that’s an easy mistake to make.” She gave a little laugh, and the sound shot down his spine and curled pleasurably low in his belly. “My full name is Charlotte,” she continued brightly, “but I’m only called that by my mom.” She cocked her head. “Is the fact that I’m a woman okay with you?”

“Of course. I’m not a misogynist,” Max growled. The warmth of her little hand in his made his cock stir. Hell, insta lust for his research assistant. Bad move. He dropped her hand like it was a hot coal.

She looked a little disconcerted. “I’m sorry, I—” She gave that adorable infectious laugh again. Max wished she’d stop laughing. “I guess if we’d talked on the phone beforehand my voice would have given it away.”

“I’m not one for phone chats. I prefer emails,” he said gruffly. He noticed her suitcase on the step next to her. There was nothing for it, she was here to stay. For four bloody weeks.

“Bring in your stuff,” he said.

“Oh, I just realized I left my laptop in the car. I’ll go get it.”

“Sure.”

He watched her retreating figure almost skipping down the path. She was wearing a navy-blue skirt and a lilac blouse. Very professional. Except for the way the skirt pulled over her delicious ass. And the blouse was that silky kind of material that would perfectly show off her… Max pulled himself into line.

Stop this now.

A sudden horrified thought struck him. Was this happening because he was back in Motham? Was it reminding him of his baser nature? His inner wolf?

Hell’s hounds. Maybe he should have done his research from his home in Selig. Except then he’d have had no hope of accessing the hand-written dairies of Athelrose Motham. Or the Almanac of Beasts, the famous publication detailing every species that lived within the city walls.

As Charlie trotted up to the house carrying her laptop, Max forced a smile. She was panting a little as she joined him, her full lips parted, the buttons of her silky blouse tugging over the swell of her breasts.

Silently groaning, Max turned toward the staircase. “This way.”

He could hear her heels on the parquet floor, clipping behind him as she chatted about the weather and the traffic. All inconsequential stuff, except her breathy tone was doing nothing to calm his libido. He told himself firmly that she was likely nervous, being confronted with his rather stern demeanor. He knew he hadn’t exactly been welcoming, but he was trying to come to terms with his new assistant’s gender… and her gorgeousness.

Just before they took the stairs, he remembered his manners. “Here, let me carry something.”

When he turned, she nearly bumped straight into him. This close, the velvet smoothness of her skin made him want to reach out and touch her, and when she looked up at him, something crackled almost audibly in the air between them.

Her eyes were mesmerizing. Soft as brown sugar, with little amber rings around the irises that made them glow. For a second, Max felt he was drowning in their depths, then he grabbed her bag, and their fingers touched.

Sensation zinged down his spine and into his cock.

I want to chase you.

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