ignore it? His bear agreed heartily. “It’s in our nature. Our instinct. We couldn’t possibly defy it any more than newly-hatched sea turtles stop themselves from crawling into the sea.” Besides, it was an interesting prospect. To be able to discover and observe the mating of shifters firsthand would be a fascinating thing indeed.
Her hands planted on her hips. “Did you just compare me to a sea turtle?”
“I, uh …” He never was good with women, unfortunately. While they were initially attracted to him for whatever reason, it was difficult to figure out what things to say that wouldn’t make them angry. Or vexed. Or generally annoyed. So, he just kept silent most of the time. It seemed easier, so as not to dig himself into a bigger hole. “It’s not that—”
“Because sea turtles are adorable,” she finished with a laugh.
He relaxed. “Yes, they are.” And now his curiosity was piqued—what was she? Was he supposed to know already? He remembered trace scents of fur, but he’d been distracted by … other parts of her. His gaze lowered to her lips, and he took a step forward, hands reaching out. “J.D. …”
“Yes?” Her lips parted, her voice low and husky.
Christ, he wanted her again. And again. This new sensation of lust and want was exhilarating, but also distracting. But he had to control himself, even though he could already smell her arousal, along with the sweet, female scent. “I think we should … explore this … between us.”
Her hands planted on his chest as her eyes darkened. “Oh, I agree … we definitely should explore.”
“And do things the right way.”
“You’ve definitely done things the right way.” Moving closer to him, she pressed her body up against his. “But I’m open to trying other things too.”
“I …” His cock twitched in his pants. But his own learned instinct from his human side quickly fought to shut down his need. “What I mean is … perhaps we should slow down.”
“Slow down? Didja want me to buy you some flowers or something? Ask your father for permission to take you out?”
He snorted. Like his father would have given a damn—oh. It was another joke. “No, not at all.” He pushed his glasses up his nose by habit. “What I meant is, perhaps we can get to know each other. Spend more time together before we … uh … again …”
Hazel eyes narrowed at him. “Before we what?”
“You know.” He harrumphed. “Do I have to spell it out?”
“Ohhh. You mean, take a one-way ride to pound town? Make the beast with two backs? Do the bedroom rodeo? Burp the worm—”
“Yes,” he interrupted. “Don’t get me wrong, J.D., I enjoyed what transpired between us.”
“But you don’t want to do it again?” Confusion and hurt crossed her face.
“I do.” Bloody hell, if she only knew how much, she’d probably run in the opposite direction. “But this is all new to me. And to you, too, I imagine.”
“Yeah … I don’t do this kind of thing, just so you know.”
Not knowing what else to say, he decided to just tell her the truth. “It’s overwhelming, and I … I don’t want to make a mistake.”
Her hazel eyes looked up at him. “That’s so … so sweet of you.”
“I want to do this the proper way.”
“I guess that makes sense. When my friends talk about the bond, they say it’s something special, but we have to be open to it if we want it to form.”
A sudden, inexplicable fear gripped him. What if this didn’t work out with J.D.? Their animal sides were in tune, but what if their human sides didn’t get along? Could they just go their separate ways? Form relationships with other people? His bear didn’t like that one bit.
“I wish I could peek into that mind of yours,” she said slyly. “What’s going on? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said, brushing those thoughts away. He knew he had a tendency to overthink things, but talking to himself helped assess any situation. Most people mistook his silence for coldness or indifference which made it difficult for him to act normally in social situations. He’d been like that most of his life, preferring his inner musings. His father’s voice broke into his thoughts from out of nowhere. Why can’t you just act normal, Cameron?
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Wait, are you trying to tell me you want to start dating first?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Huh.” She tapped a finger on her chin. “It wasn’t what I was expecting, but