Page 10 of Can't Help Growling in Love
And find June staring straight back at me.
Chapter
Six
JUNE
A man stands in the corner, by the pickup counter, his body angled away from me. I didn’t really notice him before, not beyond counting him as yet another person crammed in the coffee shop, but now I can’t believe I’ve missed him.
He’s tall, well over six feet, powerfully built. His expression could almost be mistaken for cold. But there’s a flicker ofsomethingin his eyes, recognition and embarrassment, maybe?
It’shim. If the barista hadn’t called his name, I might not have made the connection, but from the way he’s looking at me, I know he recognizes me, too.
He saw my photo, after all.
Did he…?
Oh, crap. He must have seen me come in and decided he doesn’t want to talk to me.
And here I thought we were on the cusp of maybe meeting up in person. I’d deluded myself into believing that we were flirting, that he was just as into it as I was, but maybe this entire thing has been a giant nuisance for him.
The barista behind him clears his throat, and Asher turns around to accept the order. Any moment now, he’ll walk right past me. Maybe he’ll utter a low, “Hey,” and hurry along to avoid the woman who’s basically been stalking him online.
Nope.
I shouldn’t be here anyway. Buying a coffee from Cool Beans now might mean I’ll have to skip lunch later.
I’m moving before I’ve had a chance to make a proper decision. Out the door and into the rain, rushing to the bike stand to unlock the chain and get the hell out of here.
“June!”
I freeze at the sound of Asher’s voice. Because it’s him calling after me, I know it. I’ve listened to hours and hours of his programs on the radio, of his audiobooks, and I might have imagined him calling my name before—but not like this.
I curse as I fumble with the keys, my hands slippery from the rain. I should have taken the car today, gas prices be damned, because it would be worth it to avoid this situation…
Asher draws up short a few paces away, his presence tangible even though I’m still not looking at him.
“Hey,” he says softly. “June, right?”
I take a bracing breath and turn to face him. The sight of him hits me once more, his height, his handsome features, a frown tugging his eyebrows together. His eyes are a warm hazel, and he’s tracing his gaze over me, just as rude as I am.
“Uh, we should…” He takes my sleeve and tugs me gently to the side, just a few feet, so we’re standing under the coffee shop’s awning.
He lets go of me immediately, and I take a step back, not because I’m afraid of him but because he smells nice, like he’d showered recently, and it’s messing with my brain.
His nostrils twitch, flaring just slightly. It hits me that he’s a werewolf, with superior senses, even in his human form, and islikely scenting the fact that I’ve broken out in a nervous sweat under all the layers I put on earlier to hold off the chill and the rain.
Damn it, does he have to be attractive, too?
It’s unfair that he should have a voice that has my insides quivering every time I hear it and be hot on top of that.
Nature’s a bitch sometimes.
A pang of irrational sadness goes through me at the thought that I’ll have to stop listening to Asher if it turns out he’s uncomfortable with me. Then it hits me that we’re still staring at each other in silence. The people-pleaser in me wants to come up with something smart to say, but I stop myself.
I was going to give both of us a break and make myself scarce, but he ran out after me. He can be the one to speak first.
I crane my neck to meet his gaze. Damn him—he must be a foot taller than me.
