Page 67 of Stealthy as a Wolf

Grady instantly abandoned the cart and pulled me against his chest. He cradled me close, then slid his hand into my hair and angled my head back until I had no choice but look up at him. “Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”

Embarrassment heated my cheeks. For a second, I even thought about refusing to answer, but I suspected he would wait until he got what he wanted. Blowing out a heavy breath, I glared up at the big lug. “You were flirting with me,” I accused.

“Yes.” He didn’t bother to deny it, and a troubled frown lined his face. “It made you uncomfortable.”

He almost sounded hurt, and I was horrified.

That was the last thing I wanted.

Not wanting to make things worse, I blurted out the mortifying truth. “I don’t know how to flirt.”

Grady just stared at me like my words didn’t make sense, then a ghost of a smile lit up his stunning blue eyes. “I find you charming. There is nothing you can do or say that I wouldn’t find adorable. But if you want to practice flirting with me, I have absolutely no objection.”

I pursed my lips and debated his offer, silently relieved. The other three men were so suave with the ladies that I would look foolish by comparison.

The last thing I wanted was to look silly in front of them.

I wanted them to see me as sexy and desirable.

Not childish.

My anxiety was so great that it gave me enough courage to whisper my greatest fear to him. “What if I’m bad at it?”

“I pray that you’re bad at it,” Grady muttered with a rueful smile.

“What?” Hurt exploded in my chest, and I scowled up at him, offended by his confession. Contrition immediately darkened his eyes, and he clutched at me when I tried to squirm away from him, unable to stand being near him a second longer.

“Stop!” The alpha bark in his voice froze me to the spot, leaving me unable to do anything but glare up at the giant dickhole.

I fought his control, but it was like trying to move through cement.

“What I meant to say—what Ishouldhave said—is that if you were any more proficient at flirting, I don’t think my heart could take it.” He cupped my face even as the command faded. “I love your clumsy attempts. They’re charming and heartfelt. They’re uniquely you, which makes them even more special, and I love it.”

My anger melted away like it never existed, leaving me just a little bit more in love with him. “How do you know exactly the right thing to say?”

His face softened, and he leaned down, kissing the crown of my head almost reverently. “It’s easy to find the words when you’re simply telling the truth.”

“Charmer.” I swatted at him, warmth burning my cheeks, and I gave a bashful laugh. It was hard to be near him and not touch.

With an unrepentant grin, he nudged me along to finish our shopping.

Now that I wasn’t super self-conscious about his nearness, I became hyperaware of the other customers in the store…or more precisely, the pearl-clutching woman at the end of the aisle who seemed to be spending more time watching us than shopping.

With each turn of the cart, I could hear the squeak of her shoes, the wobble of her wheels as she followed.

I didn’t know if it was the open affection Grady was showering on me, the not so innocent touches and kisses that offended her, but her pinched lips said she was one second away from a total meltdown.

Wanting to see how far I could push her before she exploded in outrage, I gave myself permission to touch Grady the way I’d been itching to do since I saw him nearly naked at his cabin.

When he went to grab something from the bottom shelf, I rested my hand on his back possessively. He stiffened slightly, and I swore that his wolf yipped joyfully in my head. He straightened, putting something in the cart, and I allowed my hand to slide down the corded muscles of his back. Completely distracted, I forgot our audience and reached down to give his gorgeous ass a squeeze.

Grady gave a growl of pleasure, then turned and pinned me against the rickety shelving. His piercing blue eyes were locked on my mouth. He was so close that I couldn’t resist licking my lips, craving the taste of him.

He shuffled closer, his big thighs pushing apart my legs, and my breath caught when the hard muscles hit my core. A hum of pleasure danced along my nerve endings, and I couldn’t resist squirming against him. He crowded closer, dipping his head down, the tip of his nose brushing along my neck, his lips dragging lightly against my skin.

I was so distracted that it took me a second to realize that he was talking to me, his husky words making my core spasm with lust.

“You’re playing with fire, little alpha.” He gave my ear a sharp nip, hard enough that the spark of pain had me arching against his thigh, desperate for the friction. There was a smile in his voice when he spoke next. “If I didn’t know you’ve been putting on the show for the judgmental old biddy, I would take you up on your offer. Just remember that the next time you proposition me with a touch, I won’t care whether we have an audience or not.”

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