She probably should have protested about this man she barely knew driving her car away, but honestly, she felt a strange kind of peace being around Arthur. It was almost like she instinctively knew he was trustworthy and wouldn’t make any bad decisions when it came to her and her things.
Then Arthur took her hand and cemented that thought.
Normally, she hated when people touched her without warning, but this felt different. It was as if they’d known each other forever instead of a few minutes.
“Down here?” he asked as they got to the mouth of the alley.
She pointed to the stacked recycling. “Yeah, over there. Poor little guy is scared to death. It’s probably my fault, I almost hit him.”
“You did nothing wrong,” Arthur said quickly as he walked down the alley. “It’s the fault of a careless human.”
He must be involved in rescue because that’s the type of stuff she said all the time with other volunteers. There’s no such thing as a bad dog, only bad humans or owners.
“That’s true,” she agreed.
They got to where the dog was hiding. Arthur leaned over to peer at him and the dog growled low and threateningly. Beatrix quickly pulled him away.
“I think we should give the sweet thing some space until that Titan guy gets here,” she said.
“I’ll bow to your superior knowledge," he said as he let her lead him a few steps away. She put them between the dog and the mouth of the alley.
She couldn’t believe how the dog had growled at Arthur. The thing had only been scared with her, but maybe past abuse made the dog reactive to men. She’d seen it at the shelter before.
“Don’t take it personally,” she said.
“What?”
She looked up to see that he was intensely staring down at her. The dog wasn’t even on his mind, it felt like his entire focus was solely on her.
“Are you okay?” she asked. He blinked once, slowly, as if he was having a hard time forming words. “Arthur?”
His hand tightened on hers as he leaned in closer. The artificial lights in the alley made his eyes glow.
“I need to kiss you,” he said. “If you don’t want it, tell me no.”
His masculine scent filled her nose as his face hovered over hers. Saying no wasn’t an option. She needed his lips on hers. It was imperative.
He moved slowly, as if giving her plenty of time to object. With her free hand, she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him the last inch to her.
The moment their lips met, electric sparks shot down her spine. He swallowed down her gasp, then deepened the kiss.
Heat filled her body. Their fingers were still tangled, so when he moved that arm behind her back, her hand went with his. She didn’t fight against his hold, she wanted it. In fact, she wanted to grip him back.
Her other hand was still at the back of his head. She tightened her fingers in his hair, making him shudder.
She pressed her body hard against his, desperate for more contact. Layers of clothes kept their skin from meeting, making her want to weep with frustration. She’d never wanted to be naked with someone so badly in her life.
The sound of traffic and drunk, laughing pedestrians on the nearby street disappeared. Her world narrowed down to Arthor.
“Um, hello?”
The hesitant voice was like getting hit in the face with a stream of cold water. Beatrix’s first reaction was embarrassment at being caught making out in a public place like a teenager. Arthur’s reaction was much stronger.
He pulled away from her and swiftly stepped between her and the voice.
“Stay back, wolf!” he growled with enough menace to make her shiver, and she wasn’t even the one he was talking to.
And why did he call the newcomer wolf? Did he know the guy?
