Semua Bab BLIND DATE WITH THE HUMAN HUNTER: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Beads of sweat dampen my hand as I wipe them from my brow and gaze at my apartment. Twenty-One said he would meet me here. The scent of lemon cleaner hangs in the air, and surfaces that haven’t been visible since the first week I moved in shimmer in the sunlight like the hope in my heart.It’s a nice feeling, one I don’t usually get with men. My father left before I was old enough to remember him, and I figure that’s the reason I struggle to trust any male in my life. As cliché as it sounds, I have daddy issues, so to protect my heart, I only get involved with men for physical pleasure, keeping love off the table.But now I’ve been handed a guy who is obligated to marry me. Maybe I’m excited to meet him because it might force me to give love a chance.I wonder, though, if this is going to be one of those careful-what-you-wish-for scenarios I will end up regretting. Because while he can’t easily leave me, Twenty-One could be the kind of man who makes me wish he would. As I consider thi

Kissing is definitely something Ryan and I are good at, and it isn’t until Ryan’s stomach growls loudly that we break apart. It occurs to me that I didn’t have a chance to go to the market and lack enough food to make a decent dinner.“You’re hungry,” I say. “Put your clothes back on, and I’ll take you out to eat. What do you want for dinner?”“A burger and fries. Any good places in Howling Point?”I smile, thinking of the diner a block away. “I think so. I’ll even buy you a beer to go with them.”“Beer.” Ryan flashes his sparkling white teeth as he smiles back. “Are you trying to get me drunk in order to take advantage of me? I’ve heard about human women like you.”I chuckle. “And take away any inhibitions you actually have? Not in public.”After Ryan gets dressed, we make our way down to the street to the center of town, which is on the waterfront. A cool breeze winds around us, and I tuck stray strands of my hair behind my ear to keep it from getting in my eyes.I glance at him. “T

We’re nearly done eating when a cold ocean breeze slices through the warm air, and we both glance out over the water to see dark clouds approaching.I turn to Ryan. “A storm is coming in fast.”Ryan polishes off the last bit of a sandwich and licks mustard off his fingers. “Rain?” He scans me with his gaze. “You in a wet dress…”I go there too. “You in a shirt stuck to your body.”His eyes twinkle with mischief. “We’re not going anywhere.”I chuckle. “I suppose not.” As soon as I get the words out, fat drops of water start to fall, splattering on the leaves of the tree above us.The storm turns out to be powerful, so we decide to pack up the picnic items. When strong gusts of wind begin to blast at us, I know it’s time for us to abandon our plan.“Come on!” I have to yell to be heard over the steady beat of heavy rain falling. When I jump to my feet to jog out from under the tree, my body gets completely soaked. Ryan joins me, and I grab his hand to tug him to the uneven rocky path wh

The teakettle hisses on the stove, but I can’t seem to climb out of my place on the couch to do anything about it.Ryan gets up, and not only does he remove the boiling water from the burner, but he splashes it into a mug he’s prepared to make tea for me. The pillow in my hands is soft as I squeeze it tightly to my chest.My phone dings with a text, and I glance at the coffee table to see a notification from Val. She’s dying of curiosity about how things are going with Ryan, but because I can’t tell her about him being a werewolf, I’m afraid to answer.The couch sinks as Ryan sits next to me and places my tea on the coffee table. “Talk to me, Charlie.” When I don’t respond, he places a hand on my arm so lightly that I can hardly feel it. “Scream, break something, hit me. Please. Whatever you need to do to get the frustration out, please do it.”I turn to him. “Would it make a difference?”“It might make you feel better. This quiet version of you is scaring me.”I snort. “You want to k

“So many lilies,” I say to Val. The scent from the gathered pink and white Stargazer lilies is strong in the conference room of Kevin Black’s office building, and I wonder how the werewolves in attendance are dealing with it. “Did you rob a cemetery?”“I had nothing to do with it.” Val holds up her left palm to shield her right index finger as she points to the scowling giant leaning on the wall with his arms crossed, looking like someone’s bodyguard. She mouths the words, “But I think he did.”I glance around the sunlit room. Round indents in the carpet mark where a table must have sat at one point, and a podium adorned with some of the flowers stands at one end of the room.“It looks fantastic in here, Val. Thank you.”“It’s not my best work. But the light is perfect. If we hurry, the sun will be setting right about the time you say ‘I do.’”I lo