“Would you prefer I called you Lachlan?” she asked quietly.
“Please. Or Lach.”
She nodded. “Why don’t you both have a seat while I get us something to drink?”
“Oh, Miss Emma, there’s no need to bother—”
“Hush, child. I don’t get many visitors, but when I do, I offer them a cool drink and a snack.”
I relented as the older wolf left the room. With a sigh, I sat down on the couch, crossing my arms over my chest. To my surprise, Lachlan sat down next to me so that our hips and shoulders brushed. The sensation made my stomach tighten and brought a rush of heat to the points of contact.
When I saw Miss Emma returning, carrying a tray laden with a tea pitcher, glasses, and a plate full of finger foods, I used that as a means to escape Lach’s proximity. I jumped to my feet and took the tray from my former teacher.
“I may be older than you, Chloe MacArthur, but I’m perfectly capable of carrying that tray,” she stated tartly.
“I know that, Miss Emma, but my mama raised me to be helpful to my elders.” I hesitated. “Now, where do you want me to put it?”
She laughed and pointed to the coffee table. As I set the tray down, she perched on one of the armchairs facing the couch, leaving me no choice but to return to Lachlan’s side.
He now had his arm thrown along the back, his ass firmly planted in the middle of the cushions, leaving me very little room. When I sat next to him once again, his arm came around me, pulling me against his side.
Miss Emma took us in, smiling happily. “Oh, Chloe. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is that you’ve found your mate at last.” I nearly choked at her words, the sound of my throat closing covered by the sudden ringing of her telephone. “Oh, please excuse me. I need to answer that.”
She rose and went into the kitchen, where an ancient rotary phone hung on the wall. As soon as I heard her speaking to whoever was on the phone, I nudged Lachlan with my elbow.
“A little space, please,” I grumbled, keeping my voice pitched low so that Miss Emma wouldn’t hear my words.
His mouth rested against my ear and, God help me, I couldn’t suppress the shiver that went through my body. It took me a moment to understand the words he murmured.
“We’re pretending to be mates, remember?” His voice was a low rumble and I felt it reverberate through my body, tightening my nipples and making my thighs press together.
I elbowed him again, this time with more force. “You’re in the doghouse though because you rejected me.”
He chuckled against my skin, the tip of his nose tracing the curve of my ear. The motion made my heart flutter because it was affectionate and sweet, two things I never would have expected from Lach. “Yes, but any alpha worth having would be pushing his boundaries.”
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to grovel before you’ll be forgiven,” I retorted.
His nose trailed down my neck, his lips barely brushing my skin, and my body went haywire. My heart was no longer fluttering, it was beating a rapid tattoo against my breast. When he replied this time, I felt his lips moving against my throat. “Alpha wolves don’t grovel.”
Vaguely, I heard Miss Emma hang up the phone. This time when I jabbed my elbow into his ribs, it was with enough force to make him grunt. He straightened, his hand rubbing his torso as he grumbled, “Ouch.”
When Miss Emma returned to the living room, her face was pale and her features pinched.
“Everything okay?” I asked her, watching her expression carefully.
“Not really,” she replied, dropping into the chair she’d vacated earlier.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Miss Emma’s eyes narrowed on me. “First, I want you to tell me something. Are you really here because of a lovers’ quarrel?”
Lach’s hand tightened on my shoulder, gripping hard. I ignored the warning and answered honestly. “No.”
Miss Emma nodded. “I didn’t think so. So you’re not mates then?”
I shook my head, hating the way her face fell in disappointment. “I’m sorry I lied to you, Miss Emma, but we needed a good cover story. Given Lachlan’s history, we thought this would be best.”
The she-wolf waved a hand at me. “Don’t worry about that. You were right to lie. I’m guessing you’re here about your parents?” she asked.
