Page 53 of Can't Help Growling in Love
“Sorry,” I say quickly. “I have to tell you something.”
He raises his eyebrows. “Yeah?”
“I went to the library while you were gone.” I clench my hands in front of me, knuckles popping. “I borrowed some books. About werewolves. I wanted to learn about you because—well, because there are things that don’t make sense, and I wanted to be informed, but now I’ve realized that might have been intrusive, so I came to tell you. I’ll return them if you hate the idea. I’ve only read a chapter so far, nothing more.”
Asher stands still, the cold water pouring down on his back. “You borrowed books about werewolves? To learn about me?”
“Yeah.” I drop my gaze to the floor, wincing as I notice a few strands of my hair on the outdated tiles. “I should have asked you first.”
His head disappears behind the curtain, and my stomach plummets. He hates the idea. Maybe he’s angry and doesn’t want to argue with me. My throat closes painfully, and I blink, trying not to cry.
Then the water shuts down, and Asher slides the curtain aside. And there he is, naked and beautiful, staring at me intently. He steps from the bathtub and shakes his head, then towels off with quick, efficient moves.
I can’t look away. I’ve wanted to kiss him ever since I saw him waiting for me in the hospital parking lot, but then he was so distraught, I didn’t want to upset him more.
The moment he’s dry, he shifts back to his half form and closes in on me, his steps slow and deliberate, as if he’s giving me time to run away.
I don’t—I couldn’t possibly. Instead, I step back until my ass hits the door and wait for him, breathless with anticipation.
“You’re stunning,” he murmurs, running his knuckles over my cheek, then down to my neck. “You smell incredible. And now you’re researching werewolves because you want to know me better?”
He cups the back of my neck and tilts my face up, staring at me intently.
“Yeah,” I breathe. “Are you okay with that?”
He runs his nose along my temple, huffing out a breath. “Oh, I’m okay with that. In fact, I want to show you my appreciation. I thought maybe I could eat your pussy until you scream. Or just make you come right here, against the door.” His other hand lands on my waist, squeezing gently before he moves it up a few inches. “Would that be okay?”
“I didn’t…ohh.” I moan as he rubs one big thumb over my nipple. Even through the fabric of my t-shirt and bra, the contact is electrifying. “I didn’t do that expecting anything from you.”
“I know.” He licks the shell of my ear, then worries it lightly with his sharp teeth. “That’s what makes it even better.”
I dig my fingers into the soft fur on his chest, ready to let him do anything he wants with me, but the ring of the doorbell has us both twitching in place.
“Nooo.” I bury my face in Asher’s chest. “Notnow.”
He laughs and presses a kiss to my forehead. “You go on. I need a minute.”
I glance down at where his cock is now hard and straining up, the knot almost fully inflated. “Yeah. I see your point. But we’ll talk later, right?”
“We will.” He steps away from me, hands squeezed into fists by his sides, as if he’s holding back from reaching for me. “I’ll be right there.”
Chapter
Twenty-One
JUNE
With one last glance at Asher, I crack open the door and escape into the hallway. I don’t want to leave him, but I also can’t ignore the contractor who took the time out of his day to come to my house.
I smooth down my t-shirt and check the hallway mirror to see if I’m visibly mussed, but there’s not much I can do for the crumpled shirt and the flyaway hairs.
I throw the door open to find a tall vulpine man standing on the porch, examining the faded paint with interest.
“Hello,” I greet him. “You must be Mr. Duval. I’m June. Thanks for stopping by.”
“Gabe,” he corrects me, holding out his hand. “Glad to be here.”
I shake his hand and step back to allow him into the house. “My boyfriend will be right here, he’s just, uh, taking a shower. But we can go down into the basement now if that’s okay.”
