behind. My vision was partially blocked, and I shrieked when my hand dropped back down to my lap, and I saw that Kace’s naked body was sprawled next to me. “You think I’m hot, huh?”
I jerked my gaze away from his impressive hard on and used all of my willpower to stop myself from looking back down at it. “Like you don’t already know how attractive you are. I’m sure you have women hitting on you all of the time.”
“I don’t think so.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “It’s possible, but I never really noticed because nobody else is you.”
It felt as though butterflies swirled in my belly. My hands twisted together, and I started to look down at them when I remembered he was still naked. My cheeks filled with heat, and I blurted, “Could you put your jeans back on? I have some questions, and it’s really difficult to talk to you while that thing is pointing straight at me.”
I couldn’t tear my gaze away when he fisted his hard on and stroked down the length. “If you’re sure that’s what you want.”
I’d never seen a dick up close and personal like this, but I wasn’t about to admit to how badly I wanted to touch it—and maybe take a lick or two. Instead, I forced myself to say, “I wouldn’t have asked if that’s not what I wanted.”
His thumb circled the tip, and I bit back a groan when he bent over to grab his jeans off the floor. I pressed my head against the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling until he sat next to me and slid his arm around my shoulders. A quick glance confirmed that he hadn’t bothered with his shirt, and a shiver raced down my spine at being this close to his bare chest. “What did you want to ask me?”
A million questions barreled into my brain. “What’s an alpha? And a beta? Can everyone in Timber Ridge shift? Are they all wolves, or are there other animals? Wolves are super cool, but what about stuff like bunnies or honey badgers? What’s the deal with fated mates? Does Allegra know about Zeke? Is he a wolf, too? Is that why she’s all loved up so quickly?”
I finally trailed off when I felt his shoulders shake and a deep chuckle rumbled up his chest. “Keep going if you have more questions.”
“There are plenty more I can come up with, but let’s start there.” Having him so close was wreaking havoc on my ability to concentrate. I pulled out of his embrace, shifted on the couch so my back was against the arm, and bent my knees to sit cross-legged.
Kace turned toward me and leaned his shoulder against the back of the couch. “You know how you asked if there was illegal crap going on in Timber Ridge?” I nodded and flashed him an apologetic smile. “I’m happy to answer any questions you have, but you need to be ready to keep what you learn to yourself. Being a shifter isn’t against the law, and I’d like to keep it that way, which is why we don’t go around advertising the fact we exist.”
4
Larissa
People tended to be judgmental of things they didn’t understand, so I totally got where Kace was coming from. But that didn’t mean I was going to blindly agree to keeping everything he told me a secret from the people I loved. I crossed my arms over my chest and blushed when his gaze dropped to my boobs. My nipples pebbled at the spark of desire in his eyes, and a knowing gleam filled his dark orbs even though he couldn’t see them. “That could be a problem. I tell my best friends everything.”
“You can talk to Allegra,” he conceded with a smile. “Zeke already told her since she’s his fated mate.”
It was a relief to know I wouldn’t have to keep secrets from one of my closest friends, but it only half-solved my problem. “What about Calliope? She, Allegra, and I have been a trio since kindergarten, and it would totally suck for her to feel left out. I spend a lot of time with her since we’re roommates, and we’re already going to have to adjust to the fact that Allegra has apparently decided to move in with Zeke even though they’ve only known each other for one night. Calliope is way more sensitive than Allegra or me, so it’s going to be tougher on