Page 8 of Wolf Desired
“What?”
“My switchblade. Can you put that big nose of yours to use and sniff it out?”
“I’m not a blood-hound.”
“Wolf. Hound. Close enough.”
“I should take you over my knee, female, and teach you some manners.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, likely not realizing how much skin she exposed since folding her arms pushed up her breasts. He had trouble taking his eyes off of her. And she noticed, immediately, uncrossing her arms.
“Never mind, I’ll find it myself.” She got down on all fours, a position that stirred him all too easily, and started pushing the leaves and twigs around. “I’m sorry,” she said a moment later, that lovely ass of hers teasing him so innocently.
“That apology was quite pitiful,” he said, adjusting his pants, that had become too tight.
She sat back on her legs to face him. “Take it or leave it.”
“Take? Never tell a shifter to take.” Though he would take anything she offered in a moment if he could. This female—Artemis—had the sweetest ass he’d ever seen.
She rose. “I guess I didn’t make myself clear. I apologize for not believing you. There. Now you cantakethe apology andleaveme the fuck alone.”
“Sorry, princess. I can’t do that.”
“Princess?”
“You’re right. That doesn’t fit you. You’re too dirty to be a princess.”
“I’m dirty because the branch broke, and I got tossed through the tree like I was a ball in a giant game of pachinko.”
“That wasn’t the type of dirty I was talking about,” he said, locking his eyes on hers.
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“I mean stick to business, shifter.”
“You are my business. And I intend to find just the right name for you.”
“I have a name. Artemis. And it was a sincere apology. I should have listened to you up in the tree, but I can be a bit stubborn when it comes to taking orders. Especially from guys I don’t know.”
“And yet you insult me over and over,” he said instead of merely accepting her apology and keeping his distance from her as he should. Being nice to her went beyond the scope of his duty here, and yet he couldn’t pull himself away from her.
“You’re right,” she said, with a slight nod before she resumed her search. “I’m not exactly myself right now.”
“Because of Graves?”
“It doesn’t matter why. Being on edge doesn’t justify taking it out on someone who’s trying to help me.”
A twig snapped nearby. The human and shifters he’d scented. “They’re close. If you plan on escaping, you better go. Now.”
“I can’t outrun them.”
“Does that mean you’re giving up? You don’t strike me as a quitter, Artemis.”
“I’m a realist.” She checked her watch. “And my hour’s up.” As she stood, she treated him to the most glorious smile he’d ever seen, one that made his wolf sit up and pay attention, as well as another part of him.
Fuck. He didn’t want to be attracted to this female. He had no right to her, not after what he’d done to Isabella.
