My plate was half-empty by the time he hung up. Chuckling, he rose from his seat and headed to the fridge. After fishing out a beer, he returned to the table.
“This is so good,” I hummed around a mouthful.
“Looks good.”
I ducked my head. It was his food, and here I was making him wait for pizza. I glanced up from beneath my lashes, noting the amused grin tugging on the corners of his mouth.
“Guess your appetite is kicking in, hey?”
Appetite? I paused, the fork dangling near my mouth. I hadn’t thought of that. I’d figured my hunger was a result of sleeping the day away. But he was right. As a general rule, werewolves consumed twice as much food as humans. Something about their—our—metabolisms running hotter.
I clapped a hand over my mouth before grinning. He didn’t need to see half-chewed food.
“And I see you’re pleased about it.”
I swallowed, then scooped up another forkful. This time, I rose from my seat and closed the distance between us, my other hand held beneath the fork in case any food fell. Nibbling my bottom lip, I offered him the fork. “Bite?”
A wicked gleam sparked in his eyes. “You, or the food?”
Oh, doggie. And speaking of doggies, she perked up at the sight of him. Was that a sign? I’d heard talk of mates knowing they belonged together, feeling a connection that exceeded the normal. It was the way he watched me that made me wonder: Was that how he felt?
What if we weren’t true mates? What if this was nothing more than simple lust?
And how the hell was I supposed to know the difference?
My wolf turned and eyed me, as though to say you just know. But I didn’t know. And I didn’t know him. Still, I knew how he made me feel. How my body lit up around him, how my heart lost all manner of rhythm.
Be brave.
I eased into his lap, emboldened by the sharp breath he sucked in. His arms closed around me, holding me in place, his thighs warm beneath mine.
“Juniper?”
Forcing myself to breathe, I guided the fork toward him and waited for him to take the bite. He moved slow and purposeful, his eyes never leaving mine. I watched as his lips parted and closed around the food. God, I wanted to sink more than my fork into that mouth.
I waited for him to swallow, then asked, “Good?”
“Who the fuck knows,” he rasped before cupping my face and bringing our mouths together.
Sweet Jesus. My damned ovaries exploded. With an unbecoming groan, I sank into the kiss, my hands clutching at his shirt. He tasted of the skillet. And now more than ever, I was grateful I’d used his mouthwash this morning.
He pulled back from the kiss, his startling jade eyes sweeping over my face. “I just want to devour you. The moment I walked in and saw that pert ass of yours hanging out of my fridge. And wearing my sweater…”
I stole the next kiss, angling my head just right. His arms tightened around me, and without warning, he lowered us to the floor, my head braced on his forearm.
“Juniper, if you’re uncomfortable in any way—”
“Shut up,” I whispered, pulling him down for another kiss.
His chest rumbled with laughter, which ended the moment my hands swept down his back and cupped his ass. He smoothed my hair back from my face, his lips sliding from mine as he nibbled his way across my jaw. I gave a contented sigh, then reached for his belt buckle.
He froze above me, every muscle in his body going taut. “Wait.”
“Why?”
He paused, his palms cupping my cheeks, then cursed under his breath.
“What’s wrong?”
“Get up,” he growled.
Before I could blink, he was on his feet and pulling me up. While fumbling with his belt, he gave me a once over. “As much as I love your outfit, you’re going to want to find something to cover yourself.”
“Why? Mathis, what’s going on?”
“Ah, shit,” he muttered a second before the doorbell rang.
Oh, the pizza. I’d almost forgotten about it. But damn, that’d been fast. He’d only called a few minutes ago. Maybe it was an alpha thing. Putting his food order above all others. Not that it explained why I needed to put on more clothes…
My father’s voice, on the other hand, cleared everything up.
With a small squeak, I bolted through the house and up the stairs. Damn it! I hadn’t gone home yet to change. All I had was Mathis’s sweater or my dress. And if I put on the same dress from last night… Oh, this was horrible. Yes, I was twenty-one, but the last thing I needed was to strut downstairs in men’s clothing, or the same outfit from the night before. I had standards!
I rummaged through Mathis’s dresser, mentally apologizing as I tore through his underwear drawer. But thankfully, I found what I was looking for. A pair of grey sweatpants with a drawstring.
My father’s voice boomed through the house. “Where’s my daughter?”
Sweet mother of Mercury. No way he’d challenge the alpha, right?
But I knew I needed to get down there before something terrible happened.
I slipped into Mathis’s sweats and wrenched the drawstring as tight as I could. Once convinced they wouldn’t slip off my hips, I bolted back down the stairs and skidded to a stop in the living room, where three pairs of eyes turned my way.
Oh, shit. My father had brought reinforcements.
“Mom,” I said, breathless. “Dad. What are you guys doing here?”
My mother stalked forward, perfectly balanced in her three-inch pumps. She’d always made it look effortless. As she had everything else in her life. Her hair was perfectly coifed, the same mahogany locks swept back from her face to emphasize her angular cheeks and sharp blue eyes. “Piper called us today. She grew concerned when she couldn’t get a hold of you.”
My phone. Right. I’d noticed the missed notifications, but I’d been a mite bit distracted by everything else happening in my life. “Well, I’m perfectly fine, as you can see.”
“I want to know what the hell is going on here,” my father demanded.
Wincing, I met his chestnut-brown gaze.
“You reek of wolf,” my mother accused, her narrowed eyes flicking back to Mathis.
Thankfully, he seemed in a jovial mood. He leaned against the wall, hiding the massive hole he’d punched through it, his mouth pulled upward. A mouth I would have enjoyed…
No! Come on, girl! Think with something other than your hormones…
“Juniper,” my mother snapped. “We demand an explanation.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“No?” Her gaze turned arctic. “So, you didn’t spend the night with our alpha? You aren’t wearing his clothes? You didn’t seek out a witch after Rumor’s wedding?”
Piper… A low snarl ripped free of my throat.
Both my parents startled, their expressions priceless.
This time I was grateful when the doorbell rang a second time. Mathis pushed off the wall and sauntered past, abandoning me to my parents’ wrath.
“Um. We ordered pizza,” I murmured. “If you’re hungry. I can fill you in over a slice?”
The scent of meat wafted up through the house, and my mother’s nostrils flared. She glanced at my father, then gave a haughty shrug. “We could eat.”