he may never leave. You'd wake up and find him curled in bed beside you."
"Probably with Gabby," I countered. "She'd invite him onto the bed."
"Nope. I think he'd want to sleep with you." Lane gestured to my back gate. "You need sleep, and I'll keep you out here all night if you let me."
"Yeah," I agreed, taking a step back. "Maybe next time I'll get to pet him. Don't forget your shirt, Lane."
"I won't. Just noticed that you liked the view." He grinned.
My mouth curled to match, but my cheeks were feeling warm again. "I do."
Then, before I could ruin this, I turned and made my way back home. That counted as flirting, right? It wasn't much, but it definitely counted, and Lane did look really good without a shirt on, so I was just being honest. The strange thing was that it also felt a little empowering!
Ashley said he was only a few years younger than me. Thirty-six. The oldest of that group. Four years wasn't bad, and he was nice to look at. The problem was that I didn't know much more about him. I had no idea if I'd even want to date him, or how I'd make that work. There was a part of my brain that said it was too soon to date anyway, although it always had my ex-husband's voice.
But I'd done it. I'd flirted, and that was progress. I was going to count it as one step toward being a strong and independent woman. And yes, I was definitely telling Ashley all about this tomorrow morning.
Well, if I could calm down enough to get some sleep.
CHAPTER 13
The moment Elena touched me, I wanted to grab her, pull her against my body, and kiss her until she couldn't breathe. I didn't. Being fated for her made the desire stronger, but that didn't mean it shut off my brain. I refused to let it.
Instead, I told her I'd expected her hands to be cold. It was lame, but it worked. Thankfully, she didn't seem to suspect a thing. That didn't mean keeping my hands to myself was easy.
If I could survive two years living with a wild wolf pack without going insane, then I could handle this too. I just had to think first, then act. I had to talk myself through it. Sure, it was hard. The urge to have her was almost overpowering, but I was stronger. I had to be, because that woman would run if I wasn't careful.
That resolve was what kept my feet glued to the spot while she walked away. When I headed back inside, I thought about all the things I should've said. How I could've told her about Ian, making him sound good. Or maybe I should've asked her out on an official date. No, that would be a bad idea. Ian was right; I needed to stay away from her until she was more comfortable around us. Not just the five of us, but the entire pack she was unknowingly living with.
She'd admitted that she was nervous about her job, which only proved that she wasn't settled. It would be too easy for her to pack up those boxes again and leave. If she did that, I would have to follow. I didn't know how, but the thought of living without her being around? Even as just the beautiful woman next door? It made my insides twist up.
The moment I stepped inside, I knew I'd been caught. Pax was sprawled across the sofa with his eyes on me. I let out a heavy sigh, closed the back door, and decided to just get it over with.
"What?" I asked.
"So, you did pretty good with that," he told me. "I was watching through the window."
Groaning, I tossed myself into the closest chair. "I don't need a babysitter."
"You do if you're sniffing around her back door. Come on, Lane. You know better than that. Ian said to stay away."
"He told me not to be seen," I corrected. "To stay away from where she could see me. I didn't think she was awake, but I needed to make sure the house was locked up."
"Uh-huh. So what was that bit about the dog, then? I mean, if she didn't see you?" The bastard smirked like he had me cornered.
"Seth told her we have a dog," I explained. "When I went after the wolves last night, that's what he said. She accepted it, which means she doesn't see me, she sees a