Page 35 of Enemy Wolf

A frustrated huff left his mouth. “You were pushing me away and telling me to stop.”

“Just right in that moment, not for good!” I exclaimed. “I was overly sensitive from coming twice within five minutes!”

The kitchen doors swung open before I’d finished speaking. Sawyer stopped dead in his tracks, then was forced to lean and sway to prevent stacks of cups and saucers from crashing to the floor. Animal reflexes must have kicked in because nothing fell, and he made it to a counter where he swiftly unloaded his burden.

“I heard absolutely nothing,” he said, heading straight for the doors again. “And I won’t be dropping off more dishes until, oh,” he looked at his left wrist, which didn’t have a watch, “at least ten minutes. And just to be safe, I won’t let anyone else come in either. Great, I’m glad you guys agree. Bye!”

Sawyer disappeared through the doors, leaving Orson and I alone again.

We stared at each other for a few silent moments. I was trying to gauge his reaction while keeping myself together. He ended up cracking first.

Orson’s head fell back and he let out a beautiful throaty laugh. His smile was the widest I’d ever seen, and it transformed his face. Sure, he’d had that scowling, moody thing all the time, which was hot in its own way. But seeing his face lit up with joy was breathtaking.

The laughter bubbled out of me in a girlish giggle, and Orson looked even more delighted at the sound.

“I like your laugh,” he said.

“Really?” I’d always hated it. I sounded like a toddler when I laughed.

He nodded. “Almost as much as I like the sound of you yelling at me.”

I brought a hand to my chest with a mock gasp. “Orson of Howling Death, did you just make a joke?”

“My first attempt. Told you I’m a slow learner.”

“Well, it’s not the worst joke I’ve ever heard.”

His expression slowly hardened again, and I already missed his smile. “I’m sorry for misunderstanding things that night. I thought you wanted me to stop everything and just, you know, leave.”

We could always give it another try, was what I wanted to say. Instead I nodded and, desperately needing something to do with my hands, I settled for plucking chamomile flowers one by one from the stash of herbs I’d grabbed.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I feel like I understand where you’re coming from a bit better now.”

He didn’t crack another smile. If anything, he looked even more tense. “I’m sorry about before too. When I just showed up to install cameras without talking to you first. And how I acted when you spoke to me then. You were the reasonable one. I was not.” His gaze lowered, and I could picture his wolf bowing his head in the same gesture, ears and tail down. “I don’t mean to be a difficult person, but that’s not an excuse. I’m sorry for being an asshole, Shiloh.”

Fuck me, I wanted to hug him so badly. I went to him, my feet moving as if of their own volition. The next thing I knew, that icy stare was incredibly close. It was all I could see, and there was warmth there that I hadn’t noticed before.

“I forgive you, Orson.” My gaze lowered and, damn, his lips were pretty close too. “And I don’t think you’re difficult or an asshole. Maybe just a bit misunderstood.”

His face raised and lowered in a slight nod. “Socializing as a human just doesn’t come naturally to me. But I am trying.”

“I know you are.” I so badly wanted to touch him, to bring him home. Not just for more mind-bending sex, but to talk, cuddle, and learn to understand each other more. Maybe his wolf would let me rub his belly again.

Relief flooded my system, but so did apprehension. We’d turned a new leaf but were also starting over, in a sense. Despite what we’d already done, it felt like we were re-introducing ourselves. Maybe clearing the air was enough for him and he had no intention of repeating our full moon night. He wasn’t exactly jumping my bones. But then again, nor was I jumping his.

Then an idea hit me. If this was a do-over, maybe we could also retry the first day we met.

“So.” I placed a hand on my hip. “Would you like to come to Stout & Spirit and install those security cameras for me?”

Orson’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, then that slow, wolfish smile returned. “I have the owner’s permission now?”

“You do. When can you come out?”

He scratched the short beard covering his cheek. “How about tomorrow night?”

“That works perfectly.”

The wolf grinned wider. “It’s a date.”

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