Wolf Tracks - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,44
her early teen years.
Then, there was Jim. Sexy, smoldering, sumptuous Jim. A more intriguing man she had never met. A more interesting fellow she couldn’t even imagine. With every bit she learned about him, she wanted to know more, until she’d explored his every secret thought and desire.
That was the crux of it, right there. Desire. Never had she felt so drawn to a man. Even her nerdy professor hadn’t lit her fire with his most suave seduction the way a simple smile from Jim did. All he had to do was look at her, and she was instantly rapt. Ready for whatever he might say, whatever he might want.
She feared she’d be the easiest woman in history if Jim simply asked her to sleep with him. She’d say yes in a heartbeat and suspected she’d never have any regrets. She was beginning to think that her only regret would be if she never made love to him.
They finished dessert, splitting the last two of the variety of small cakes that had been on the plate. Then, Jim paid the bill, and they headed back up Main Street toward the B&B. Jim was holding the bags from their shopping spree earlier as they strolled along. The town had a festive vibe at night. It was welcoming and friendly, and people nodded to Jim as they passed on the street.
Helen watched the way the others interacted with each other. There was a certain distance in the way they dealt with Jim, but there was definitely respect and a bit of admiration—especially from the unaccompanied females. Helen felt like putting her arm around Jim, or making some other overt sign of possession, but she didn’t dare. She didn’t own him. They’d only kissed.
Sure, if she had her way, they’d be doing a whole lot more than that in the not-too-distant future, but right now, she had no claim on him at all. Even if they had been intimate, she didn’t think Jim was the kind of man any woman could hold onto if he didn’t want to be held. She’d learned a bit about shifters and their mates. She knew it was all or nothing for them.
Either she was Jim’s mate, in which case, they would be together forever. There was no such thing as divorce among shifters. Or she wasn’t. In which case, they could have fun while it lasted, but that was it. Helen wasn’t sure which way she wanted things to go.
On the one hand, being Jim’s mate was a scary concept because, really, they’d only just met. She was learning more about him as they spent time together, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to make a lifetime commitment to him. On the other hand, being the mate of a man like Jim was like a fantasy. If she could have more days like this—being with him in a place that didn’t draw on her gift every minute—she thought that would be a pretty nice life.
Whether that was the kind of life Jim could offer was another question. He’d been a Navy SEAL. He still worked dangerous missions on his own, as in this case, or, more typically, with his Uncle Arch, who was supposed to be some kind of super-soldier. She’d met Arch and had been impressed by him. He had spooky eyes that had a way of seeing right through someone, as if he saw more than the average person. She suspected he did.
She wondered if she was as transparent to Jim. Did he know how much she wanted to jump his bones right now?
Jim had been feeling some odd vibes from Helen during their meal and now as they strolled back toward the B&B. He wasn’t sure if it was wishful thinking on his part, but he thought maybe Helen might be receptive to another kiss…and maybe a whole lot more.
That kiss they’d shared the night before had left him wanting so much more, but their day had been filled to the brim with logistics and planning and flying and settling in. They had barely had a chance to breathe, much less anything else, all day. However, the night lay before them, and he wanted with all his heart to see where the darkness might lead them.
Jim did have one more task he wanted to complete, but not until much later. He planned to go wolf and scout the area around the feed mill, looking for clues. He would do it after midnight, when