come, but only if he’s alone.”
He lifted one brow. “I live here.”
“Don’t you have a job?”
“I work from home.”
Damn. “Then stay in your office.”
“I can do that.”
She frowned in suspicion at his easy acceptance, but forced herself to look back at Liam. “I’ll see you around ten.”
He nodded.
“Now if you gentlemen will excuse me. I need to get home.” She grabbed her briefcase and ignored Mr. O’Connell as she walked by him to the front door, but it was hard to ignore his scent, which attacked her nose with its mouthwatering appeal. No cologne. All shifter and woods. The image of Mr. O’Connell shirtless, skin glistening with sweat, as he used an ax to chop wood teased her mind. That would be a sight to behold.
Wait. What?
She shook her head. Get your mind out of the gutter, woman. He’s a shifter.
That fact alone should’ve tempered her awareness of him, but it was there in full force, knowledge of his species and all. Not good.
She reached for the doorknob just as a strong arm shot past her. His hand slid across hers and sent a thrilling shock up her arm that shot to straight between her legs. She snatched her hand back.
“Allow me.” The deep masculine drawl breathed into her ear, causing another wave of liquid heat to wash over her.
She stumbled back as he opened the door, then rushed past him and down the path. His footsteps followed at a leisurely pace. When she reached the trunk of her car, she turned. “You can go back inside, Mr. O’Connell.”
He stopped in front of her, his chest mere inches from her face, the word “kiss” once again holding her captivated. She wanted to trace each letter, feel the muscles twitch under her finger with each light caress. Hear his beast growl in approval.
Instead, she tilted her head back to look at him, then had to crank it back some more. It was like looking up at the Jolly Green Giant. Part of her wished she’d worn higher heels. The four-inch ones perhaps, so he didn’t make her feel so small and vulnerable—but she had a feeling that even if she could look him in the eyes, he’d still have that ability, and that annoyed her.
She cocked an eyebrow. “Mr. O’Connell, I suggest you take a lesson in personal space.”
Damned if he didn’t move closer, forcing her to tilt her head even farther back. She wanted to step back, step away from the overwhelming awareness, but she held her ground. She’d shown a moment of weakness by stumbling away from his touch at the door. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing it again.
“Call me Aidan.”
“You’re the roommate of my patient. You’ll always be Mr. O’Connell.” But, boy, was she tempted to say his name. Just once. To see what it felt like on her tongue. “Good day, Mr. O’Connell.”
She turned away to head for the other side of the car, relieved to finally have some space between them.
“I accept your challenge.”
She clenched her hands. Okay. Enough was enough. Time to nip this in the bud now. She rounded on him, poking him once in the middle of the chest with her finger. “Do you truly believe I don’t have a clue what’s going on here? I’m not an ignorant human. I’m half shifter. I know what you are. I specialize in what you are. Don’t waste your time trying to use your shifter prowess to lure me in. I’m not fooled. ”
He wasn’t ruffled by her comments. He just leaned his hip against the trunk and crossed his arms again. “You’ve only made the challenge sweeter. I look forward to proving you wrong…Jaylin.”
She shivered at the way he said her name—a verbal caress that physically warmed her all over and lit a roaring fire low in her belly. She stared at him for a moment trying to come up with a retort. Words failed her.
“Oh!” She whirled around, rounded the back of the car, wrenched open her door, jumped inside, and slammed it closed. His chuckle followed her, causing weird zingies to ricochet inside her chest. Damn him.
“’Til tomorrow.”
He lazily strolled back to the cabin. She couldn’t take her eyes off him in the rearview mirror until he entered and closed the door behind him. Then she stared straight ahead, biting her bottom lip. What would it be like to say his name? She couldn’t ignore the part of her that wanted to hear it fall from her lips, and