She was probably saturating him with it now. How did he affect her like this?
Allie fidgeted with a pencil and looked at her list to try and center herself.
“Well, I have a lot to do tonight, so is there something I can help you with, or...?”
If he was going to stand there and be slightly creepy, and amazingly hot, while staring at her, he could get out. She really did have stuff to do. And thanks to him, she was going to have a hard time keeping her head on her work and not thinking about his dick and how mouth-watering he looked in that blue tee shirt.
Dax shoved his hands in his front pockets, another move that surprised her. He liked to use his hands for expression when he spoke. She didn’t peg him as the more submissive, hands-in-pockets type. She hitched an eyebrow. Maybe he was trying to keep from touching her.
“You have plans for tonight.”
What was wrong with him? His expression had a predatory shadow to it, which made her wonder again if he’d recently shifted.
“No... not aside from getting started on your chocolate cupcakes. You really wanted those, right?”
“It wasn’t a question. I’m telling you that you have plans tonight.”
Allie put her pencil down, trying to feel out that statement. Why did she feel so excited? Frustrated by the mixed signals, she picked up her list. He could stand there looking all angsty and tortured if he wanted to. She had a pot of coffee to brew and start drinking if she was going to pull an all-nighter.
“I appreciate the caveman thing you have going on right now, but you can show yourself out.”
Dax looked slightly amused. “Caveman thing?”
“Yeah,” Allie said as she reached for her apron and tied it on. “I feel like you’re going to throw me over your shoulder and carry me off somewhere.”
“You could tell?”
She did a double take at him, confounded. “What do you mean, I could tell?”
Whatever fog had been hanging over him faded off, leaving behind the playful and self-assured man she was getting accustomed to. He sauntered over and put the bag on the counter.
“Iwasgoing to carry you off. Over my shoulder and everything.”
Allie started to laugh, but he looked completely serious. Dax shrugged and pulled a bottle of wine from the bag. “It’s how shifter men get a woman they’re interested in to come around.”
“That’s barbaric. And illegal. And completely sexist.” Allie threw up her hands. “What if the woman isn’t interested in you? You carry her off and hope she’ll change her mind?”
“No. It only works when a shifter knows the woman is interested, but for whatever reason, is being a difficult shrew.”
“You’re calling me a shrew?”
“It’s a reference.”
“A really insulting one.”
“Kind of like calling me a caveman?”
She huffed and grabbed her signature coffee cup off the stainless-steel table by the door. Dax came through the service door and took the mug, grabbed her hand and pulled her into him. Allie gasped but didn’t resist. Her body started to sing at the press of his hard torso against her soft, hard-peaked breasts. He set the mug down with the wordage facing them.
“Yeah, yeah, the tears of your enemies. I know. But I’m not your enemy, Allie. You can have my tears. You can have my blood, my body. My heart. All of it. You could easily take whatever you wanted from me and I wouldn’t be able to stop it—I wouldn’twantto stop it—because you’re my mate.”
She tried to ignore the joyous emotion welling up inside her, as if her very soul was screaming, “yes, yes, yes!” to his theory. But it was absurd. People didn’t do this. This isn’t how love is supposed to go. History showed her what happened when she rushed. No more rushing love!
Besides, what if it wasn’t true and real? What if he changed his mind, just like Blake had?
“No, I’m not.”
Even as she spoke the words, Allie knew they were wrong. Resisting made the truth less glaring, though. She didn’t want it to go like this. After months and years of waiting and hoping for the right guy to show up, well, she wanted the slow, sweet, and steady fall. Being blindsided by a man she’d only known a few days wasn’t at all what she was expecting.
