I almost choked on a gummy worm. “How much PDA are we talking here?”
“General touching is usually enough. Holding hands, sitting together like this.” His palm was hot when he lowered it, warming my skin as he made a slow trail with his thumb. “But you’re not marked, and my brothers are unmated, so I might have to touch you a lot. Is that okay?”
Was it okay?
That pulling sensation in my chest felt stronger, and even through my jeans I had tingles where his hand was resting on my thigh. He was so warm I wanted to curl up in his lap.
It would be easy to let him put his hands all over me and pretend I was infatuated. Too easy.
Dammit, I was doing it again. If it wasn’t a stray dog, it was a stray man. I just couldn’t say no to those puppy-dog eyes.
Or werewolf eyes, in this case.
But how long before my fake feelings slipped and fell and turned into real feelings? I fell in love with every cute little animal, and Rhett was no exception. He was adorable with those impeccable manners. Being hellbent on getting to his mother’s birthday party, even in this weather.
I mean, I couldn’t exactly change my mind now. We were halfway there. I heard him tell his mom on the phone that he was bringing a guest, and she probably already jumped to the conclusion we were hoping she would.
So, I might get a little attached. No biggie. It wasn’t like I could stay in Alaska indefinitely. I had a return flight booked for next week.
“Can we keep it PG?”
“Of course.” His hand left my knee, and I shivered. “I won’t ask for anything you don’t want to give.”
We finished our vending machine snacks in silence, listening to the whir of the heater as it overexerted itself.
I was beginning to think we would be warmer if we slept in the car.
A yawn stretched my lips before I could cover it, and I looked longingly at the bed.
“How do you want to do this bed thing?” It wasn’t going to be a comfortable fit for him either way, but he paid for the room, so I didn’t want to put him out.
“I’ll sleep on the floor.”
I stood, rifling through my duffle and looking for a pair of sweatpants.
“No, you won’t. We would have shared a bed if we had made it to your mother’s house. We are both mature adults. We can share a bed.” I made a pile of clean clothes on the bed. My cosmetic bag was set on top of it. “I’m not going to freak out ifI accidentally rub up against your morning wood. It’s nothing I haven’t experienced before.”
Rhett stood abruptly. His eyes were golden again, hands fisted at his side. The corners of his jaw tightened, moving up and down as they flexed. I could hear his teeth moving together painfully.
When he spoke, it was thick and gritty. “I’m going to take a shower.”
The bathroom door slammed behind him. A second later, I heard a metallic squeak and the groaning of old pipes as water sprayed into the shower.
Ooookay.So, we were supposed to touch each other, and that was fine, but joking about his AM hard on was taking it too far?
I stuffed a handful of cheese puffs into my mouth with a sigh.
Rhett reappeared thirty minutes later, dark hair damp, chest on full display. His jeans sat low on his hips. I tried to force my gaze to the white shirt clutched in his fist, but it kept wandering back to his toned stomach and the flush across his skin.
“It’s too cold in here for that.” I waved my hand in his general direction.
The corner of his mouth quirked up. His expression was too intense to be playful.
“It’s warmer in here than in the shower.” He flicked his shirt over his shoulder, arms flexing. “There doesn’t appear to be any hot water.”
“No,” I groaned. “Lukewarm, at least?”
“If you close your eyes and hold your breath, it might feel lukewarm.”
