Page 46 of Can't Help Growling in Love
My face warms, and I know I’d be blushing if I wasn’t furry. “It’s not much. I just toasted the bagel, June. I should have made you coffee, too.”
She grabs my hand and squeezes my fingers, and when she speaks, her words come out sounding choked. “This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a while. I love it. I—” She stops herself and swallows thickly. “You’re an incredible guy, Asher. You didn’t have to do this, but I appreciate it.”
I wish I could hold on to her, but we’ve only got minutes. “Go on, eat.” I pat her knee, then return my hand to the steering wheel before I follow my instincts and touch more of her. “I’d hoped we’d get more time before work. But I guess we were both more tired than we thought.”
June nods, her mouth full. She gulps down a bite of the bagel, then says, “We’ve got tonight, though, right?” Her heartbeat flutters in her neck, and the sweet scent of her blooms in the airbetween us. “I mean, I’m still coming over to yours…since there’s very little chance my house has magically become livable.”
“You can stay for as long as you need,” I tell her, choosing the words carefully.
I want to tell her she can stay forever, but I don’t think she’s ready for that. There are things we need to discuss, things I’ve been holding back because I don’t know how she’ll react.
She’s human, and they don’tbitepeople, not usually.
It’s definitely not a topic to start while we’re racing to get her to work on time, though.
“Thank you.” She puts her hand on my knee for a brief second, then returns to her bagel. “And I’ll survive for a day on hospital coffee, don’t worry. Especially since I feel like I’ve slept for fourteen hours. Your bed must be magic or something. I don’t remember the last time I’ve felt this refreshed after six hours of sleep.”
I bite my tongue so I don’t tell her that we’ll always sleep better together from now on. And that for me, at least, spending nights apart from her will mean discomfort and anxiety. I’m not sure about her yet. Only time will tell how affected she’ll be by the mate bond. Humans and werewolves have intermarried in the past, of course, but I didn’t find any good research on the topic when I searched online during my shift last night.
June might experience the same attraction as me, or she might be completely impervious to the bond.
Too soon, I have to turn into the hospital’s employee parking lot. June drops the half-eaten bagel back into the tote bag and wipes crumbs from her lips. Then she leans in and kisses me, a soft press of her lips that leaves me wanting more.
“I’ll see you soon?”
I nod, too tangled in my thoughts to form more than a basic answer. “Yeah.”
She kisses me once more, and then she’s out of the truck, hustling toward the back entrance of the hospital. At the door, she turns back and gives me a wave, then disappears inside.
I drop my head to the steering wheel, my heartbeat racing.Thank the gods. I got her to work on time, she’s got the food I packed for her, and we’ve arranged to meet after work.
So why am I still so antsy?
I check the date and the moon app on my phone and groan. Only three more days.
June and Ineedto talk tonight.
She might take off, running for the hills, after she hears what will happen on the night of the full moon if she remains with me. But I can’t let her stay without warning her.
The last thing I want is to put my mate in danger.
Chapter
Eighteen
JUNE
“You smell like sex.”
Tia’s voice is a low murmur as she corners me in the locker room, but I still flap my hand at her to shush her. It’s two minutes until the start of our shift, and I’m wrestling with my scrubs, hurrying to change and get ready before we take over from the daytime nurses.
“No time,” I remind her. “And I did shower, I promise. Your nose is just incredibly sensitive.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “I want details later. You won’t escape me.”
I watch my best friend’s back as she walks out of the room, somehow wearing her scrubs like they’re high fashion. I sigh, check my reflection in the mirror, and decide that I’m as decent as I can make myself in the minute that I have left.
My mind wanders to how it felt like to wake up in Asher’s arms, warm and cozy andincredible, at least until I saw the time on his phone. That must be what Tia smelled on me—the happy hormones my body created while snuggled up to my new boyfriend.
