But what would happen once his mate found out he wasn't the man he pretended to be?
Could she ever accept the wolf that lived inside him?
He didn't know, but he promised himself that he would be honest with her. Once she was awake, he would come clean with everything.
He only hoped that being honest with her wouldn't cause him to lose her forever. Bride got up fifteen minutes past the time to open her store. As she pulled away from Vane, his arm tightened around her for just a second before he woke up. Those deep hazel-green eyes opened, then squinted against the bright light of the morning sun coming in through the windows.
"What time is it?" he asked, his voice deep and hoarse. "Quarter after ten."
He rubbed his hand over his face and groaned.
Bride bit back a smile at that. "Not a morning person?"
"No," he said gruffly, rolling over onto his back. He slung a long arm over his eyes to block out the light.
Bride had to take a deep breath at the image he presented lying naked in her bed. The blankets were twisted over his body, barely covering those long, manly legs. His chest was completely bare, showing off the muscles of his abdomen,
pecs, and arms. His dark whiskers added an almost deadly masculinity to his face, which was crowned by his long, wayward hair. Good grief, he was spectacular.
He moved the arm over the top of his face to peep at her with one eye.
"We've only been asleep for four hours, why are you up?"
She pulled her pink bathrobe on without getting up from the bed. "I have to work."
He reached out his hand to sink it deep into her hair. "Do you ever take a day off?"
"Only if I make plans with Tabitha in advance for either her or one of her staff to come over and cover for me. And of course I'm closed on Sundays. Other than that, no."
She kissed his hand, then pulled his arm away. He let it fall back to the bed without making any further comments. Getting up, she left him in bed and went to shower.
Vane lay quietly as he listened to the water come on in the other room. His entire body ached from last night's exertions, but he reveled that the pain of it didn't come from his back, chest, and arms having been clawed. He'd had too much fun with Bride last night and fun was something that was sorely missing from his life.
He grimaced at the brightness of the morning light. He really hated mornings. Forcing himself up, he pulled on his pants and zipped them, but left the button undone as he wandered into the kitchen area. Bride liked to eat two pieces of toast with marmalade in the morning.
While the bread toasted, he sliced her grapefruit for her and sprinkled a spoonful of sugar over it, then poured her a glass of orange juice.
He was putting the marmalade on the toast when she came out of the bathroom and stopped to stare at him.
"What?" he asked, puzzled by the deep scowl on her face.
"Is that your breakfast?"
Vane made a face. "Not hardly. I was going to fry some bacon for me."
"Then how did you know I liked to eat that?"
Vane paused as he realized that the man Vane wouldn't know what the wolf Vane knew. Clearing his throat, he shrugged. "I opened the fridge and saw the marmalade and grapefruit. Most people only eat those for breakfast so I figured you wouldn't mind them."
She seemed to accept that as she pulled the towel from her hair and draped it over her chair. "Thank you," she said, placing a kiss on his cheek.
Vane closed his eyes as his body hardened instantly. Without thought, he pulled her into his arms for a much more satisfying kiss. He trailed his lips over to her neck as he opened the front of her robe and pulled her naked body against his.
Bride moaned at the feel of his cool, hard body against hers. She ran her hand over the flexing muscles of his back and felt the scars he had there. His whiskered chin and cheek scraped gently against her skin.
"If you keep this up, I'll never get my store opened."
"Keep it closed and stay with me."