“It’s okay, Norah.”
Her face tightens in frustration. “It’s not okay to leave that unspoken.”
I shake my head. “You don’t owe me anything.”
Her hand lifts tentatively, brushing the inside of my forearm. Warm. Light. Enough to punch the air out of my lungs.
“You’re a good friend, Ryker.”
A scoff bursts out of me before I can stop it. “Don’t call me that.”
She blinks. “Why?”
I step closer, close enough that her tote bag brushes my thigh. Close enough that I smell cocoa on her breath and the floral sweetness that clings to her clothes no matter where she’s been.
“You shouldn’t think of me like that.”
She frowns. “Like what?”
“A friend.”
“Why not?”
I drag my palm down my face. “Because I’m still an Alpha, Norah.”
Her lips part. Confusion flickers across her features, followed by something warmer.
“What do you mean?”
I hold her gaze, making sure she doesn’t mishear a single syllable.
“You were almost naked last night. You told me every way you thought we could sleep together. You climbed into my lap and whispered my name like you wanted something from me.” My voice drops. “I promise you I’m not a gentleman.”
She sucks in a small breath. Color rises across her cheeks.
“Ryker…”
“If you think I didn’t feel every inch of you, you’re out of your mind.”
Her eyes widen. She doesn’t step back, though. She stays right where she is.
I shake my head once. “Go inside. Go to Maisie. Before I do something dumb.”
She studies me, lashes lowered. “Have you been drinking?”
“No.”
“Then why do you think you’d do something dumb?”
“Because you’re dangerous,” I say. “And I don’t get how you don’t see it.”
Her breath catches, barely audible, but I feel it more than I hear it. Her hand slides a little higher on my arm.
Dark heat slams through me. Sharp enough to dizzy.
She whispers, “Ryker…”
That’s it.
