Yeah, I was a little disappointed. But in retrospect, I knew he was right. It would have been weird between us. This was weird enough, but sex kind of solidified it in a more irreversible way. Not to mention if I’d become pregnant, it would have complicated my life in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

Still, it was one of the most erotic nights of my life. Strange to think it was possible to feel that way when we didn’t even have traditional sex. I’d probably need a cold shower for the next five years whenever I thought about what he did to me. What I didn’t realize was that Austin had inadvertently planted a permanent fantasy in my head where every time I’d touch myself, I would think of him.

Looking at the hood of his Dodge Challenger without getting aroused would also prove to be impossible.

I stretched my toes and buried my face in the soft pillow. Austin smacked my ass. “Get up, lazybones.”

“Get out.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want you to see me.”

Without a doubt, I knew I looked like a hot mess. Dried sweat and matted hair, smeared eyeliner, and probably marks on my face from having slept on wrinkled sheets.

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those girls,” he said, laughing heartily. “Jesus, Lexi. I’ve seen what you look like in the morning, and you’ve got nothing to hide about.”

“Yes I do,” I mumbled.

“Maybe you’re right. Your breath does tend to smell like sweaty socks when you wake up.”

I waved my arm out to slap him but missed. “That’s not funny.”

“Fine. I’ll just sit here staring at your lovely rear end for the rest of the morning. On a side note, I like these panties with the strings on the side.” He pulled the elastic and let it snap against my hip. “But I think the ones that ride up in the back are sexier. What do you call those?”

“Slut shorts.”

He chuckled warmly and fell against the mattress. I gathered up the sheets and covered my waist, sitting up with my back to him. A clump of hair fell in front of my face and I hiccupped, looking around for my clothes. It was so bright and sunny in the room that the memory of the night before was almost erased.

Almost, but not a chance in hell.

“Do you have any coffee?”

“Yeah,” he said, getting up and stretching out his back.

I tried not to peek at him through an opening in my hair, but damn, he looked good. Tight abs, his jeans slung low on his hips because the belt was off, barefoot, and shirtless. Austin had a nice tan all over, not to mention he was sporting the messy hair I found wildly attractive. When he rubbed his hand over his pec, pushing the skin around, I slammed my eyes shut. “Um, the coffee?”

“On it,” he said, bare feet sliding across the wooden floor. “The bathroom is down the hall and I left a few things in there for you like towels and a robe. I wasn’t sure how long we’d be here, but it ended sooner than I thought it would. Christ, I don’t think I could have taken much more of that.” His voice was strained, the words meant for his ears and not mine.

Austin disappeared and I ran in quick steps across the house with my clothes in my arms, looking for the bathroom. It was a beautiful house with a large staircase in front that led up to a second landing before turning right and going up another flight. The floors were an unfinished wood, and the white paint on the walls had begun to age. I didn’t have time to look at all the details, but I did notice a hole in the wall next to the staircase.

After a quick shower, I brushed my teeth and put on some fresh clothes Austin had packed. Jean shorts and a thin white shirt. Men didn’t really think about such things, but all he’d packed were black bras. I sighed and put one on anyhow. On hot days like these, I preferred wearing a thin shirt to a tight tank top. Just not with the faux pas of my bra being visible.

I walked barefoot through the beautiful house, my long hair tied up in a wet ponytail. Sunshine poured in through the front windows and I could see tiny dust particles floating in the air.

“Austin?”

“Out here,” he called from the front.

The house faced east and sunlight splashed across the wooden porch. Austin was sitting on the steps with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and a small plate on his knees. I sat beside him and lifted my red mug from the step. “Hola. What’s that you’re eating?”

He held the plate in front of me. “Bananas, granola, and dried cherries.”

“How did you get so fit eating birdseed?”

Austin held out his right arm and flexed a little. “You think I’m fit? I could probably use a little more muscle. I’ve been slacking these past few months.”

He had to be kidding. If he had been any more toned, I might have dry humped his leg when I first saw him at Dairy Queen. Maybe that was extreme, but it made me laugh and I took a bite of the banana.

“Want to share?”

“Not really,” I said, knowing he was asking about my thoughts, not breakfast. “Are there any neighbors nearby?”

“No.” He quietly sipped his coffee and made an audible swallow. “I bought a hundred acres, so we’re pretty spaced apart.”

“How much did that cost?”

Austin didn’t answer. I guess at this point, it didn’t matter. Finally, he pointed to the left by a pear tree. “What do you think about putting a garden over there? I could make some wind chimes and hang them from the branch.”

“You know how to whittle?”

He gave a handsome smirk and his dark brows sank over his sparkling eyes. “Don’t look so surprised. A Shifter once showed me how to make them out of wood. It’s not difficult.”

It was such a little thing, but it gave me insight to a side of Austin I’d never seen. Suddenly I wanted to know everything he’d been through in the past seven years—even the bad stuff.

“Can you remember things when you’re in wolf form? I mean, everything in detail?”

After taking another sip, Austin set the coffee down and stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankle. He’d put on a pair of brown hiking boots.

“Most of it. I can’t remember details of conversation too well, but I get the gist of emotions and things that I pick up through my wolf. Depends on the situation. Why?”

“Do you remember the lawyer coming by?”

“Ah, so that’s who that was.”

“My boss died.”

A blue jay squawked and flapped into a nearby oak tree.

“Sorry to hear that.”

After another bite of banana, I set down the plate. “He willed me his shop and I don’t know what to do. I’ve never run a business before; I’ll screw it up.”

Austin chewed on his lip for a moment, staring at the open stretch of land. “Do it. You’ve got my support, Lexi. Just don’t run yourself into a hole, and if it comes to that, then sell it or quit. You’ll regret it if you don’t try.”

“I know,” I said, resting my chin on my knee. “I just don’t know how to feel about it. Charlie’s gone, and it hardly seems like it’s the same without him.”

“But you knew how he ran the store and what it took to make money. You’re a smart girl, Lexi. I know you’ve picked up some business sense over the years working there. I’ll help if you need it. Maybe put Ben and Wheeler’s sorry asses in there to work for you.”

“Uh, no thanks. They’d scare the children.”

He laughed and leaned forward, chewing the granola and wiping his hand on his jeans. “When I was younger, they were more like Denver, personality wise. No tattoos, no morose expressions, and Ben worked with Wheeler for a while before he decided to play cards professionally. Something happened between them, and if I had to guess, it has to do with money or a woman. They still get along, but it seems more like they’re doing it because of rank or something.”

“How many more will you add to your pack?”

“Hard to say,” he mumbled, chewing the last bite of granola. I watched his strong jaw working hard and noticed he had shaved, although he’d missed a patchy spot on the side. “This house was renovated and has about fifteen bedrooms. If anyone brings in a mate, then that could double the occupancy without using up all the rooms. That’s why I bought the additional land. I’d rather not have everyone living in separate houses; that never works well with Shifters. But I can always build onto this one, or have a house just over there,” he said, waving his hand to the left. “We could connect them with a walkway or something.”

“What happens when the women go into heat?”

“They stay locked up in their bedrooms.”

I frowned. “That’s not practical. Maybe if you build an extra house, it could be the heat house.” I laughed so hard at my joke that Beaker made an appearance and I plugged my nose to make him go away. I hated my laugh when I got riled up because people used to make fun of me. It wasn’t any weirder than Pamela Jones, who used to snort with each breath. Or Danny (one of Wes’s friends) who would scream out his laugh like some old drunkard.

Austin pulled my hand away. “Don’t cover up your laugh,” he scolded. “Now finish up your coffee and we’ll head out. I’m anxious to start moving in and the boys have a lot of work to do before that can happen.”

“What kind of work?”

He stood up and locked his fingers behind his head, stretching in the morning light. “Marking territory. One hundred acres. We’re going to have to stop off and buy a few cases of Gatorade. Denver’s going to hate my ass.”

* * *

I called April and she confirmed that thanks to Austin, things were running smoothly again. I was a little too embarrassed to go straight to Austin’s house and face the music (and the stares), so Austin dropped me off at Sweet Treats. Now that I was out of heat, he was okay with taking off, which I was thankful for. I didn’t need someone in my life that was so possessive I couldn’t walk five yards without feeling a tug at my leash.