“If I’m here then you don’t have to—”
“Then you’re unprotected,” he argued.
She stared at him, flushing from head to toe. With all the sensory changes taking place in her body, it was a relief to know attraction and affection hadn’t changed. Well, it had, but in a good way. It was amplified. And right now, the fact that he worried about her filled her with pure joy. “I’ll be fine.”
He growled, staring back at the truck stop.
“Tell me this is weird for you, too, please,” she said.
“What?” he asked, not turning to look at her.
She wasn’t sure how to put it into words. There was a connection between the two of them now. Her wolf told her part of it was the bite. So it was nothing really, but it was totally something. “Me and you,” she managed.
“Yes,” he agreed.
She giggled.
He looked at her then, smiling—and taking her breath away. She could almost feel his lips against hers, almost remember the way he tasted. Her breath hitched as she stared at his mouth, the ache in her stomach startling her. She shook her head.
He groaned. “You’re thinking about what you said earlier?”
She kept shaking her head. Yes, that was exactly what she was thinking. But she didn’t want to admit it. “No. I’m thinking about something else.”
“You are?” he asked.
She stopped shaking her head. “No.” It was a whisper.
“You can’t lie to me a little?”
“I can’t. Lying is the worst possible thing a person can do.” She managed a nervous laugh. “You want me to lie to you?”
He shook his head. “No.”
His dark eyes drew her to him. She liked being close to him, even if the air was thinner somehow. She tore her gaze from his, fighting for breath. “I won’t lie to you,” she whispered, glancing his way.
He was staring at her.
“Any change? Ripple? Wave-thingy?”
He shook his head. “All clear.”
“Then let’s get food. If we don’t eat soon, I might just attack you.”
Mal grabbed her wrist and led her to the highway. By the time they were inside the diner, his posture was ramrod stiff, his don’t-mess-with-me expression giving the waitress pause to even seat them. When she finally did, he asked for a booth in the back corner.
“Stop glaring at people,” she whispered, hugging the long coat tight. “No wolves, no worries.” She hoped that was the case. They’d been walking all day, her need for a cheeseburger, french fries, and a milk shake was out of control. “Besides, the way you’re acting will only draw more attention.”
He glanced at her then, cocking an eyebrow.
She smiled. Tension rolled off him. Should she be worried, too? Her wolf was quiet—oddly so. “Thanks for feeding me.”
He shook his head, but he rolled his head and blew out a long, slow breath.
They placed their orders and sat in silence. The longer the silence stretched, the faster his tension returned.
“What do you do?” she asked him. “When you’re not saving me?”
He shook his head. “This and that.”