Fantasies flashed through her mind as quickly as the shutter speed on her camera. They could talk about history, about everything in this shop. Their connection would deepen, and soon their conversations would turn to coffee dates, dinner dates, then to something more intimate. Erica caught herself wondering what he looked like under that cotton shirt, and her mouth watered.
It only took a short second for her to go from respecting Dominic to wanting something more than friendship. Erica desperately hoped it was the slight hunger that made her lose her mind. Or maybe it was a combination of the shop, his cologne, and those striking blue eyes that made her think aboutsuch things. It wasn’t like her to think that far into the future about any man.
She resolved to be professional, straightened, and firmly took his hand. “Erica Barrett.” She savored the warmth of his palm in hers.
Now would have been a good time to mention that they lived next door to one another. If he had been at the shop all day, he wouldn’t have seen her move in. He’d probably find out soon enough, and they could laugh about it later.
His smile widened. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Erica. The camera is yours.”
She glanced down, almost forgetting about the Rolleiflex again. “I was serious about paying you,” she said quickly. “I don’t have that much right now. I just moved here so I don’t have a lot of cash left. Maybe I could put it on layaway and pay you off a little at a time?”
“And I was serious when I said you could have it.” Dominic shoved his hands back into his pockets. “Giving away one camera will not break me.”
As stubborn as Erica wanted to be, she sensed she was going nowhere with his argument and finally nodded her acceptance, however much it went against all her principles. She gave her thanks and tried her best not to look like she had just been gifted with the royal jewels or something ridiculously precious. It was just a camera, but it truly meant so much more to her than that.
“You’re most welcome,” he replied. “And I hate to do this, but I’m technically closed for the day and—”
“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t even look at the hours on the door. I just saw the open sign.” Erica attempted to slide past him, nearly knocking over a basket of raw wool in the process.
“It’s fine,” he replied good-naturedly. “I just got distracted working in my office and forgot to turn the sign.”
It wasn’t until she was at the door and reaching down to pick up her takeout bag that she realized he had been following close behind her, or that it had become dark outside. The golden sunset deepened into a somber bluish-gray, the clouds nearly black with the faint twinkling of stars. So much for that picture.
“Well, thanks for letting me stay for a little while.”
Dominic opened the door, and the bell caught her off guard again. “Not a problem.” He looked up toward the street as she exited. “Did you park on the other side of the square?” he asked as he peered around for any sign of her vehicle.
Erica wondered if she should break the news that they were neighbors, but for some reason, unknown even to her, she preferred to keep some secrets from him.
“No, I walked. I don’t live far from here.”
An expression similar to concern passed over his face, and a silent struggle took place behind his eyes before he let out a sigh. “Well, be safe walking home,” he said. “We don’t exactly have any bad neighborhoods here, but there are still plenty of potholes you could trip into.”
A bit of Erica felt crestfallen. The dying romantic in her wanted Dominic to offer her a ride home, even though she would have refused anyway. She could change her own tires, kill her own spiders, and walk herself home without the help of a man.
At the same time, she admired him even more. He didn’t make concessions for her or assume that she wasn’t fully capable of walking home in the waning light. Or maybe it had to do with his own agenda. He might not have had the time. She told herself not to think too much about it.
Either way, she assured him that she would be fine and walked toward Second Avenue. Erica’s ears listened in for the tiny tinkling of the bell to tell her that he had closed the door. She didn’t hear it until she was well around the corner and out of sight.
Was he watching her leave? What did he think of her? Did it really matter? In the deepest, most guarded part of her heart, Erica wished that she could let it matter. But Dominic’s opinion of her wouldn’t change who she was or how she felt about herself. That was one thing her mother had drilled into her. She didn’t need a man to determine her worth or importance. Erica was her own person, and her introduction was worth far more than a vintage camera, though she still thought it was silly that a man would throw away the chance to make an honest dollar just to know her name.
Over and over in her mind, she replayed their first meeting. Despite herself, she couldn’t stop smiling at the pavement and fingering the edges of the camera in her hand.
She knew in a few hours, this buzzing feeling in her gut would go away. It always did when she met a cute guy and he showed her the least bit of kindness. In the end, it was just that. Kindness. It meant little, and no matter how much she and her mom tittered about hot men, Erica never lost her head over one. And she didn’t plan on starting now.
Chapter Three
As Dominic lockedup the shop, he cursed himself for his behavior again. Not only did he just give away a valuable piece of merchandise, but hindsight allowed him to see that he had been blatantly flirting with a customer. He wanted to justify his actions. He wanted to make some excuse that the way she looked at him with those mystifying hazel eyes made him lose his mind. The way she walked into his shop, bringing with her that presence that drove him wild and calmed him all at the same time, both confused and startled him.
She did all those things and so much more, but no amount of logic could save him from kicking himself ever since she’d turned the corner and walked away. Erica Barrett was a breath of fresh air and quite possibly the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. The way the sunset brought out the fine, natural golden highlights in her braid that hung over her shoulder, the way she smiled to reveal the cutest pair of dimples in Tolstone, how her clothes hung in just the right way over her curves to make him want to reach out and feel her in his hands. It was almost impossible to focus while his wolf repeatedly and hungrily growled,Mine.
Oh, how he wished there weren’t rules to dictate what he could and could not do with a perfect stranger. He would have broken every one of them if he thought he could. He had never felt this drawn to any woman before, so curious to know more about her and who she was. Had the stress of cleaning up after Wyatt’s pack made him that desperate for feminine company or had he found a treasure in Tolstone?
Dominic pulled on the door handle to make sure it was firmly locked and turned toward Second Avenue, almost following in Erica’s footsteps. He passed by the display window where the Rolleiflex used to be. It had been a gift to his grandfather from a German alpha who took refuge in Tolstone after moving his pack to the States to escape the chaos of World War II. His father hated to put it up for sale after his grandfather passed, and so did Dominic, but realistically, he wouldn’t have used it. He didn’t even have any film, but something told him that he had given it to a worthy customer.
Erica blew him away with her knowledge of the camera’s history, and if he hadn’t been swept off his feet by her quiet strength, then her little speech about the camera would have surely done him in. There were few within his pack who appreciated history as much as Dominic, and Erica’s passion restored his faith in humanity, if only a little.
As a werewolf, Dominic knew how to interpret body language. He could look at the simple way a person stood and understand their intentions. It was a useful skill for what he had to do every day with the packs that took refuge in Tolstone. If Dominic was as observant as he believed himself to be, this attraction was not one-sided. Therefore, walking her home—as he wanted—was a terrible idea. Erica might have invited him in for coffee, he would graciously accept, one thing would lead to another and…
