Chapter Five: Man with a Plan

She smelled of cilantro and the smell was driving him over the edge.  Since he’d become a strict vegan to help calm his carnivorous appetites, he’d somehow developed new cravings.  Certain herbs and spices had become stimulants to him and one of the most potent was that of cilantro.

The green, leafy plant didn’t look like something that would send shock waves down his body but there was just something about the smell.  It was almost like a hint of mint mixed with freshly cut grass. The sweetness of it was absolutely intoxicating. His wolf pounced around inside his chest and begged to get out and roll around in it.

Was this what it was like to find your mate? You lost your mind over everything they'd touched?

He wondered why she had this particular scent. Had she been cooking with cilantro earlier today? Her hands must have been buried in heaps of fresh cilantro recently because after just those few moments of touching this book, she’d transferred the scent to it.

Santiago suddenly remembered that he was standing on the sidewalk in front of the bookstore. He wondered if he looked insane  standing in public and salivating over the smell of a book.  So, he quickly made his way back to the car to wait for Tenny to return.  In the sweltering heat of the car’s interior, the scent of Gabbi Connor intensified.  He buried his nose in the book and inhaled deeply.  He felt his cock harden immediately.

This was ridiculous.  He’d been attracted to many women in the past but never had one consumed him with this level of desire with so little contact.  It was distracting him from everything else and he knew that he had to find a way to see her again.

The problem was that she was a celebrity type and any efforts that he made to contact her might be seen as stalking.  In this day and age, the last place he wanted to end up was in jail.  The violence and tension in a place like that would surely turn him into wolf form and then he’d slaughter the whole place before someone put a bullet in him.

He shook the images out of his mind and then looked down at the book.  He saw her beautiful swirling handwriting as it spelled out his name and her signature.  He traced his finger over the words. Then, he saw a tiny series of numbers under her name. He pulled the book closer and felt another rise from his crotch as he realized that he was staring down at her phone number.  

Why had she shared her number with him? A complete stranger? And a strange man at that?

Did she feel it too? Did she sense the call of their mating bond?

He wasn't sure how this worked when you were mated to a human. It was pretty rare and, in fact, he'd only heard about it happening a couple times and that was not with anyone he knew personally.

If he were to reach out to her...if he were to connect wither...could this even work? 

He looked around for Tenny and he was nowhere to be seen. He'd never come back after the suggested walk he went on. Probably got distracted and forgot why they were even here.

He wanted to dial this number. Here her voice. Plan to meet her. But he knew that she was still at the signing. He remembered the sign on the door indicating the times of the book signing and there were still a couple more hours before she'd be available to take a call.

Before he could change his mind, he fired off a quick text message to her.

He cranked up the car and put it in drive. He'd circle the block once and if he didn't see Tenny he'd have to leave him behind. He'd apologize later. Right now, he had to get ready for tonight.

If his plan worked, she'd agree to meet him. He might only have this one chance to meet her. Talk to her. Hold her. Make her his. His cock grew even harder at the thought.

Make her mine.

The wolf inside was pacing and raring to be let loose. He'd have to take him for a run before he'd be calm enough for tonight. 

Down boy.

He laughed. He wasn't sure if he was talking to the wolf or his cock.