Page 38 of The Wolf Prince's Mate

I’d never seen her so exhausted.

I wanted to ask why, but that had already gone terribly. I obviously wasn’t going to be bringing up my friends with benefits idea the way I had been planning to.

I captured her hand and squeezed it before letting go. “I trust your judgment. Just tell me.”

Nova sighed, and gestured to my shirt. “Take it off.”

“You want me naked again, huh?”

She glowered at me.

The woman wasn’t in the mood for joking around at the moment.

I undid the top few buttons quickly, and eased the fabric over my head. Turning back to her table, she picked up the sketch again and trimmed it down. When she waved me over to the mirror, I followed her.

Her touch was light as she lifted my inked arm and placed the sketch on my side. The top was only an inch or so away from the end of my existing tattoo, and it didn’t take much imagination to see how the ink could connect.

“I think it would look good,” she said, studying my body closely.

The way she watched me made me hard. I hoped my jeans would hide my erection, because she wasn’t in the mood to see evidence of how much I wanted her.

“It would look awesome,” I said, though my gaze lingered on her rather than the sketch. I’d seen enough to know she was right, and even if I hadn’t, I trusted her judgment.

“The linework alone will take a full day.” Her gaze lingered on the sketch, and she moved it around slightly, trying to decide where to put it. “I think it needs to be bigger. Might take a day and a half, unless we start early and finish late. It would be better to get all the lines done at once if you can handle the pain.”

I knew Nova well enough to be sure which option she preferred. “Let’s go with the marathon. You know I can take it, Gorgeous.”

Her cheeks flushed suddenly, and she stepped back, putting the sketch back on the table. She glanced at the clock, then handed me the ones we hadn’t gone with. “My next client will be here soon, and I need a cup of coffee. Schedule it with the receptionist.”

I captured her hand again before she could make her escape. I couldn’t seem to resist touching her, even just like that. “Let me get your coffee.”

“I already called it in.” I could smell the lie on her skin. “You know where the door is.”

Pulling her hand free, she ducked out of the room. Both of her security guys followed, blocking my exit.

She could try to keep putting space between us for as long as she wanted. Eventually, things would get back to normal.

And then I’d bring up what I really wanted.

Her.

seven

NOVA

“I need a break, Hunter.”I leaned my head back against the seat of my car, squeezing my eyes shut as I spoke into the phone. It was dark out, but I was supposed to be at my next meeting in ten minutes. “I can’t keep doing this.”

The fact that I’d swallowed my discomfort enough to call him said just how much I was struggling.

“What happened?” His voice was neutral, which was frustrating. He and I had reached a truce of sorts, and we had become kind of like coworkers who only spoke when absolutely necessary.

It had been three weeks of meetings, with a small break in the middle for Thanksgiving. I spent the holiday with Aspen, Sydney, the Savages, and Fletcher. It had been nice. I was just in over my head.

There were four guys I’d been out with five times each, and there was nothing wrong with any of them. Hell, I kind of liked them. We were friendly. They made me feel sexy.

I just didn’t have any desire to touch, kiss, or screw them.

Silas had agreed to be my backup if I absolutely couldn’t find anyone else after a few months, but he hadn’t seemed thrilled about it. I’d known when I left the meeting that I would never resort to mating with him.

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