Page 26 of Loan Wolf
“Lots of things seem like good ideas after three bad beers,” Gabe pointed out dryly. “I’ve got some water and you should drink some.”
He steered her to the truck and found a fresh water bottle in the seat. He popped the lid for her and made sure she drank some. He rummaged in the console but couldn’t find an energy bar to feed her. It was hard to stay focused when she was still trying to get him undressed and rubbing herself against him.
She wants to play, his wolf said sagely.
At some point, it stops being a game, Gabe said firmly. He felt stupid for forgetting that she wasn’t a shifter. She was shifter strong and shifter graceful. She kept up with him effortlessly when they biked together.
But if she’d been a shifter, she would already know that he was her mate, and how much would that complicate her huge life decisions? He couldn’t tell her, and sway her conclusions. He had to let her do what was best for her. Even if that wasn’t best for them.
He made her drink the rest of the water and walk partway up the trail with him.
“This is the Eagle Ridge trail,” he said, pointing out the signpost.
“I’m not supposed to go up here without a guide,” Clara giggled. “Will you be my guide?”
“It’s fine on foot and it doesn’t get tricky for a little while anyway. The other end comes out by the Travers farm. They’re thinking about building a BigMart there.”
Gabe could see relatively well in the dark and he walked her about a mile down the trail, holding her hand to keep her from careening into the brush. Her steps got slower but steadier as they went. “The worst of the hairpins are directly above us,” he said, right before they turned around, pointing up the bluff. “More than one young punk has careened right off them. There are some bushes to break the landing, but I don’t recommend it as a rule.”
“You were a young punk, weren’t you,” Clara said fondly, reaching up to ruffle his hair.
“And you do ballet,” Gabe said dryly.
“Sk8ter Boi!” Clara said triumphantly. It didn’t surprise Gabe that she knew Avril Lavigne. There was a lot of Taylor Swift crossover.
Clara frowned then. “But they didn’t end up together,” she said sadly.
“It’s just a song,” Gabe reminded her.
“But it’s a sad song,” Clara wailed. “My feet are far away.”
“Let’s get you home,” Gabe suggested, tucking her arm into his elbow. “You need some food.”
“I have part of a burger in my fridge,” Clara said. “A real burger. With barbeque sauce.”
She had mostly sobered up by the time that they got back to the truck, and Gabe gave her a breath mint before driving her back to the hotel.
“Are you going to walk me to my door?” she suggested with a sly smile that dropped into disappointment. “Oh, my stepmom will be there.”
“I’m going to leave you here and hope you can make it up the stairs,” Gabe said.
He was reassured by the way she got out of the truck without falling or staggering, and could manage a basically straight line for the back door. She paused and waved when she managed to unlock it, but Gabe waited until the door was closed behind her, and then waited longer.
Should he make sure that Clara made it all the way up? The worst of her drunk had worn off, but she still wasn’t entirely herself.
Gabe had almost convinced himself to go up and make sure she wasn’t sleeping in the hotel hallway when a pounding on the driver’s door nearly made him pee himself in surprise.
He rolled down the window to frown at Aaron. “What do you want?”
Aaron looked fit to fight, his hands balled in fists at his side. “What do you want?” he countered.
Gabe could guess why Aaron was here. Lurking around at the back of Clara’s hotel, it was clear that he’d been waiting for her to come home.
“I was just driving Clara home from Eagle Lake,” Gabe said lazily. It was well known in the town as a place for exactly what they’d gone there to do, even if they hadn’t.
“Leave Clara alone,” Aaron snarled. “She’s too good for you.”
Gabe gave a bark of laughter. As if he didn’t already know that. “Well, she’s slumming it, and I’m enjoying it, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay out of our business.”
