Page 16 of Can't Help Growling in Love
As far as requests go, it’s fairly innocent. He didn’t ask to see my feet or anything weird like that, but the thought of being sniffed is strange. Not uncomfortable, but definitely not something I’ve heard before from a partner. I dated a ghoul briefly a few years ago, right after the Great Revelation, but he wasn’t really into me because he was still hung up on his ex. Other than him, all my boyfriends had been human.
But Asher isn’t—so his request is perfectly reasonable.
“Yeah.” I grip my knees with both hands. “Sure, that’s fine.”
He releases a deep breath, and I realize how important this must be for him. He moves our cups to the other side of the bench, then inches closer. Our knees brush, and I relax instinctively at the warmth of him. Asher hesitates a moment, then leans in until his nose brushes my temple.
His inhale is deep, followed by a low groan that goes straight to my chest, warmth blooming and spreading lower, to my belly.He shuffles an inch closer and breathes in again, as if he can’t get enough.
“Incredible,” he murmurs. “Damn, June.”
I’m warm all over now, even though the bench is cold under my ass. “Yeah?”
He nods, and the movement has our cheeks brushing together. So, so close. If I turned my head just slightly, I could kiss his cheek, and if he did as well, we could…
“Can I taste you?”
The words are barely more than a murmur, a whisper of breath against my ear, but they land with the concussive force of an A-bomb.
“Yes.”
The word is out before I can stop myself—and I don’t want to. I’m caught in this moment, anticipation and something sharper singing in my veins. Not fear, definitely not, but maybe…
Asher sniffs my neck, and I tilt my head to the side on instinct. His lips touch the sensitive skin where my shoulder meets the neck, barely exposed by my clothes. I shiver, goose bumps flaring up, but I’m nowhere near ready for the first lick. His tongue drags over my pulse point, raspy and warm, and I close my eyes, a sigh escaping me.
It feels… God, it feels so good, I keep perfectly still, willing him to do it again. We haven’t held hands, haven’t kissed, or even been on a proper date, but this is fulfilling a need of his, and I love it. I didn’t know this would happen when I led him down here. I only wanted to get him away from the coffee shop, but now I don’t want him to stop.
He huffs against my skin, presses a slow kiss to the spot under my ear, then licks my earlobe lightly, as if he’s truly tasting me. It’sweird, I know it is, but it’s all I can do to keep my hands to myself. I want to grasp him and keep him right where he is.
If his rapid breaths are any indication, he’s enjoying this as much as I am, but he finally pulls back, his eyes scrunched shut.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I clench my fingers to keep from reaching for him.
He ducks his head. “Just give me a moment.”
I glance down at his lap, and a gasp escapes me. His hands have turned furry, the fingers tipped with claws instead of fingernails. I focus on his face again and note how his jaw has sharpened. His ears have turned pointier, not quite furry yet, but definitely halfway through a shift.
“Asher.” I hesitate, then ask, “Will you look at me?”
A second ticks by, and another, then Asher opens his eyes to stare down at me. His hazel eyes have turned golden yellow, a piercing wolf’s stare so striking, I can’t help but study him. He sits perfectly still, as if waiting for me to freak out.
Instead, I slowly put my hand on his knee, giving him plenty of time to move away. “If you want to show me your wolf, I’d like to see your other forms, too.”
His lips twitch up in the corners. “Not here.”
“Sure.” I pull back and push my hair behind my ears. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Asher reaches forward and takes my hand between his warm palms. His fur is slowly receding, and he gains more control over himself with every deep breath.
“You’re not bothered by the fact that I’m a werewolf?”
His voice is low, his shoulders hunched. Is he bracing for a rejection?
“No,” I tell him firmly. “Nothing about that bothers me. Are you upset that I’m human?”
He flicks his golden gaze to me. “No.”
“Well, then.” I reach over him for my coffee cup and drink the last, cooling sips. “I’m glad we got that out of the way.”
