He rubbed his hair briskly, trying to get rid of excess energy.
Obligingly, it stuck up in small curls that he usually kept too short to look anything but neat and well- groomed.
"Who am I talking about?" he asked, though I didn't think the question was directed at me.
"This is Mercy.
Getting you to talk about anything personal is like pulling teeth at the best of times.
Getting you to talk to a stranger ..." I hadn't thought myself particularly closemouthed.
Actually, I'd been accused of having a smart mouth.
Samuel had told me more than once that I'd probably live longer if I learned to bite my tongue occasionally.
So I waited, without saying a word, for Adam to decide what he wanted to do.
The room wasn't cold, but I was shivering a little anyway--it must be nerves.
If Adam didn't hurry up and do something, though, I was going to be throwing up in the bathroom.
I'd spent too much time worshipping the porcelain goddess since Tim had made me overdose on fairy juice to view the thought with any equanimity.
He wasn't watching me, but he didn't need to be.
Emotions have a scent.
He swung back to look at me with a frown.
He took in my state with one comprehensive look.
He swore and strode back to me, wrapping me in his arms.
He pulled me tight against him, making low, soothing sounds in the back of his throat.
He rocked me gently.
I took a deep breath of Adam-scented air and tried to think.
Normally, this wouldn't be difficult for me.
But normally I wasn't all but naked in the arms of the hottest man I knew.
I'd misunderstood what he'd wanted.
To double-check, I cleared my throat.
"When you said you needed my answer to your claim today--you weren't actually asking for sex?" His body jerked involuntarily as he laughed, rubbing his jaw against my face.
"So, you think I'm the kind of person who'd do something like that? After what happened just last week?" "I thought that's what it took," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks heat up.
"How long did you spend in the Marrok's pack?" He knew how long.
He was just making me feel stupid.
"Mating wasn't something everyone talked to me about," I told him defensively.
"Just Samuel ..." Adam laughed again, one of his hands on my shoulder, the other moving in a light caress on my butt, which should have tickled but didn't.