Page 40 of Wedding for My Werewolf

“I can help.”

“Not tonight,” he said firmly. “You’ve had a hard day. Let me take care of you.”

The words sent a shiver of remembered arousal through her body, and when she looked over at him, his eyes were glowing gold again.

“Food. You need food.”

He headed for the kitchen with somewhat less than his usual grace, leaving her staring after him. Food wasn’t what she wanted from him. But how could she convince him to take care of her again?

CHAPTER 16

Eric stood in the doorway of the living room, watching Robin eat the soup he’d made. The fire cast shadows across her face, rendering it mysterious and unreadable. His wolf paced beneath his skin, radiating waves of possessiveness that made his chest ache. The urge to cross the room and pull her into his arms, to press his face into her neck and breathe in her scent, was almost overwhelming.

He clenched his jaw and forced himself to stay put. She had trusted him with her story. The last thing she needed was him complicating things with his feelings, no matter how much his wolf howled for her.

She put the bowl down, the spoon clinking quietly, and reached up to undo her braid. The firelight caught sparks of gold in her auburn hair, and his breath hitched. Fuck, she was beautiful. Not just her face or her body, but in the strength that had kept her going all this time.

His fingers tightened on the doorframe. He wanted to be the one she turned to, the one she trusted completely. He wanted her smile, her laugh, the sharp wit she revealed in unguardedmoments. He wanted all of her—not just as his mate in name, but in truth.

She looked up, catching his gaze. A small smile curved her lips, and his heart stumbled in his chest. How had this woman worked her way so deep under his skin? Their eyes locked, hers holding his with a hope that made his breath catch. The air between them grew thicker, charged with possibility. His claws dug into the wooden doorframe, anchoring himself against the pull of her.

Her scent shifted, sweetening with desire, and his nostrils flared. His wolf howled to claim her, to mark her as his own. But he couldn’t do that. She’d been through too much—he wouldn’t push.

“Come and join me,” she said, patting the place on the couch next to her.

He knew he shouldn’t, but he was halfway across the room before his mind registered the movement.

“Why don’t you have some?”

She handed him a glass of wine, her fingers brushing against his, then settled back on the couch, her knee resting against his. The heat from that small point of contact warmed his entire body.

“Thank you for telling me everything,” he said.

“Thank you for listening.” Her voice dropped. “For understanding.”

“You’re welcome. If I can do anything to help?—”

“There is something,” she said softly, and he held his breath. “Sleep with me.”

His hand clenched around the glass, and she shook her head, a faint blush rising in her cheeks.

“It doesn’t have to be like that. You could just… hold me. I’ve been so alone for so long. Ever since my grandmother died.”

“Is that why…”

He stopped, not wanting to pry, but she understood the question anyway.

“Yes. I was always kind of shy and bookish, not really interested in boys until I was, I don’t know, sixteen maybe? But that was around the same time Nana started having health problems. I had to take care of her. No, not had to. I wanted to. She’d raised me ever since my mother died. We kept hoping it would get better, but…”

A tear slipped down her cheek, and he put down the wine to take her hands.

“She managed to arrange it so I could go to college, but I still lived at home with her so I never had a chance for much in the way of a social life. Which was fine,” she added fiercely. “I’m glad we had that time together.”

He stroked his thumb across her wrist until her breathing steadied.

“She died right before I graduated so then I was dealing with that and starting my new job and I couldn’t really handle anything else. When I finally had time to breathe and started to think about dating I realized I didn’t have a clue about it. Or men. Or s-sex.”

She flushed, but didn’t look away, and his heart swelled with pride at her bravery.

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