moved so quickly it took her a few blinks before her body registered the loss of his heat. She sat up, her arms folding across her chest to hold in the warmth.
“Get your stuff and I’ll drive you to the resort.” He bent over to snatch up the sheet that had fallen to the floor.
Don’t look at his ass. No, don’t.
Her eyes didn’t listen and her body rejoiced at the vision of the tightest, most perfectly shaped butt she’d ever seen. She’d bet the house that she could bounce a quarter to the ceiling off that ass.
Rafe snapped the sheet in the air, folded it precisely in half, matched all the edges and meticulously repeated the action until he’d formed a perfect square that he tucked in a dresser drawer. He turned to Grace.
Front side, back side, all sides in between—God, he was beautiful. Not in a GQ cover sort of way. The rugged angles and planes of his face gave him a less cultured, rawer sexual appeal.
Frowning as he was, he looked downright lethal and sexy, and so not amused with the smile she offered.
“When a man is naked in his bedroom, there are only two things he wants.” Rafe’s glacial eyes would’ve turned Grace’s breath frosty if she could actually breathe. “Sleep and sex.”
“Technically,” she said, finding her voice, relieved it didn’t squeak. “We’re in your living room. The bedroom’s over there.” Tipping her head toward the Murphy bed less than ten feet away, she stood. “Are you suggesting we change locations?”
Rafe’s breath audibly stuck in his throat. He stared at the rumpled bed and swallowed hard. His gaze jumped to her, his eyes wide and uncertain.
“Considering you don’t like me, we won’t need the bed for sex and I’ve had enough sleep.”
“I never said I didn’t like you.” The low, gravelly rasp in his voice caused tiny bumps to pebble her skin.
“So, you like me but don’t want to be friends?” Grace padded around the coffee table to stand directly in front of him. His silent breaths were as hard and fast as her staccato heartbeat. “Not seeing the logic there.”
“You’re not the type of friend I need.”
“Too bad. I come with fantastic benefits.” She poked him dead center in the chest. “Get dressed. I have things to do today, and you’re not on the list.”
Testosterone and a slew of wolfan hormones stormed Rafe’s veins. Burning up all his restraint, Rafe stood perfectly still as Grace moved lithely out of the room with her hips sashaying in an erotic sway that beckoned both the man and wolf.
God, she was pretty. Long, shiny hair the color of corn silk. Bright green eyes that put polished emeralds to shame. Soft golden skin and an athletic body with just the right amount of curve. None of which he should’ve noticed. And yet, he had, and more.
She had a ready smile and a kind heart toward people and animals. He liked her spunk, more than he should.
And she smelled really good, too.
Another time, another place. Another life. She could’ve been the one.
But, he’d had a true mate, bonded heart and soul, and he’d lost her.
He wasn’t arrogant enough to believe it could happen twice. Besides, he wasn’t compatible with a human female.
Unlike Brice, whose grandmother was human, Rafe came from a purebred line. He’d inherited no human traits. Any he had were learned from Doc.
Since childhood, Rafe wanted to do right by the man who raised him. He’d modeled Doc’s manner, his style, his philosophies. He might have followed his father’s career path if he could’ve overcome his aversion to hospitals.
He hated the gut-churning scents that permeated the air. Fear, sorrow, sickness, desperation and death.
Grace’s human senses weren’t developed enough for her to detect the smells as acutely as he could, but she seemed to dislike hospitals as much as he did. Last night, he couldn’t, in good conscience, leave her there overnight when she clearly didn’t want to be there.
When he’d brought her home, he’d expected her to drill him about his abrupt decline of her offer of friendship a few months ago. Instead, she was gracious, respectful and annoyingly considerate.
She’d even gifted him with genuine smiles as if he’d never hurt her feelings that day. He knew he had.
But, he’d done what was necessary, pushing her away. Establishing a boundary. For her safety and his well-being.
Only she still ended up hurt and he was still drawn to her in ways that defied reason.
He needed to reinforce the no-friend zone and stay the hell out of her way.
Rafe pinched his sore ear, then drew back his hand and stared at the tiny drop of blood smeared on his thumb pad.
His stomach rolled.
Ah, hell!
Grace had not claimed him.
One, she had no idea what a bite meant to a Wahya. Hell, she didn’t even know what they were.
Two, they weren’t having sex when the bite occurred. It wouldn’t have taken much to physically tip the balance toward consummation, but close only counted with horseshoes and hand grenades, not claiming a mate.
Three, a human couldn’t legitimately claim a Wahya. Only a Wahyan bite during sex could establish a mate-claim.
A mate-bond, well, that was an entirely different matter. He doubted he and Grace were compatible enough for the ethereal connection to spark, so he had no cause to worry. Whatever was between them was purely physical.
Rafe knuckled his fingers in his hair and sucked in a deep breath to clear his head. Unfortunately, Grace’s scent permeated the room, overpowering his heightened senses, damn near swaying him to abandon all reason, give into primal urges and bed her hard, fast and forever.
Only forever wasn’t as long as he once believed. Forever with his former mate hadn’t even lasted his lifespan.
Rafe closed his eyes, willed his heart to stop racing and his body to cool. He had to get Grace out of his home and out of his system.
Without one window in the apartment, he was going to have a helluva time getting rid of her scent.
He pulled on a gray T-shirt and dark blue coveralls. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he put on his socks and work boots. He stared at the rumpled sheets, rich with Grace’s intoxicating scent, then stripped the bedding. Her phone tumbled to the floor. After pocketing the device, he folded the Murphy bed into the wardrobe. Next, he grabbed a clean, white button-down shirt and the bundle of sheets, and walked down the narrow corridor to find Grace.
He hesitated at the doorway to the kitchenette. The walls were painted
