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“You can shower when we get home.”
She knocked his fingers away from where they were struggling to rebutton her jeans and did the job herself. When she glanced up at him, he was quick to look away, back in the direction she assumed the house was.
Violet fought hard against the blush that wanted to color her cheeks and steeled her resolve.
“Those guys hurt you?” she asked.
It was lame, but it was the first thing that came to mind. When he looked at her, his eyes were dark.
“No. You going to start listening to me now?”
She couldn’t help the smirk that broke on her face. “Maybe.” It turned into a full smile when the edges of his lips quirked in reply.
“Come on.” He turned back toward the house, and they began to walk.
Violet tripped twice before he snatched her up into his arms, and she was too tired to fight. He was warm. Somewhere between listening to the steadythunkof his heart and watching the gold fade from his eyes, she fell asleep.
Chapter Four
“SORRY I WASgone today.” He finally broke the silence and Violet regarded him coolly from where she leaned against the doorway to his living room. “Had six orders to get out,” he explained gruffly, unlacing his boots, and not looking at her.
He also offered no explanation for why she couldn’t have gone with him to work in the shop like she had before.
It had been a long, boring day, alone in his house with the memory of the previous night turning over and over in her head. There were only so many woodwork manuals and home improvement books she could read before she went fucking insane.
Would it kill the man to own some fiction, a TV?
“You have a woodworking business,” she realized aloud.
He nodded and finally looked at her. “Mostly furniture.” Violet couldn’t decide if she wanted to kiss him or sneer at him—a dilemma she’d been working on all day.
“Want to go get some clothes?” His fingers paused work on his laces.
“My credit card is in my car,” she shot back, cool and challenging.
“My treat.” He offered her the ghost of a smile, but Violet didn’t return it. His jaw tightened, then he sighed.
“Car’s gone. Went back while you were asleep that first day. They’d already burned it. It’s probably at the bottom of the river now.”
It was irrational that she wanted to cry at the news. Tears pricked her eyes, and Violet turned away quickly.
“Let me grab my hoodie,” was all she left him with when she disappeared back down the hall.
HIS TRUCK, ANDof course it was a big black beast of a thing, ground to a stop outside a small store Violet didn’t recognize the name of. The ride had been quiet. He’d left her alone to her brooding over her car, over one more quick slip of her freedom through her fingers.
“Is that a camping store?” she asked.
The window display had a tent, blue fabric turned gold in the setting winter sunlight.
Mikel grunted what she assumed was the affirmative.
“Isn’t there like, a Hot Topic or something here in psycho wolf town?”
Mikel’s brow furrowed. He glanced down at his own outfit, a warm plaid coat and Wrangler jeans, then dutifully pulled the truck away from the curb without further comment. When they stopped again it was outside Target.
Violet blinked at the red motif on the huge building. “Werewolf town has Target?”
He smirked at her incredulity and killed the engine. He was quick down, and before she could reach for the handle, her door was opened for her. After she slid out, he closed it behind her too, and followed her to the entrance.
