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Normally, Preston would go back into the gym to finish his workout, but after sitting so close to Ariel, his mind was not on lifting weights anymore. Being around her had taken all of his energy not to shift in front of her. She might love dogs and cats, but he bet she’d freak if she ever learned that he was half animal himself. His teeth and nails had sharpened, but hopefully his eyes hadn’t changed color. Even if they had though, she wouldn’t know that he was a werewolf.
Thankfully, he had been seated behind his desk, or she would have spotted how his cock had tented his shorts.Damn thin nylon.At least when he first spoke to her and she’d checked him out, he’d more or less controlled himself. If Ariel made it a habit of stopping in, he might have to wear something a bit more concealing.
And then there was the way she’d pulled her pretty blonde hair into a pony tail that emphasized her large blue eyes and kissable pink lips. Even in her beige scrubs, Ariel was a devastatingly beautiful woman. Preston couldn’t pinpoint what it was about this woman that drew him in like the proverbial moth to a flame, but she intrigued him. It wasn’t just his cock that had been affected. It was his mind too. If he had needed any more proof that Ariel Williamson was his mate, he just got it.
Since it was almost closing time, he decided to shower at the gym for a change before heading home. Hopefully, he’d be able to convince his workaholic roommate to go out again tonight so they'd be uninterrupted. They needed to figure out what to do about this determined, head-strong woman. If she wasn’t careful when asking her questions, she might stumble into trouble.
Once he showered and locked up, Preston left. Two cars sat in the lot—his truck and a rather old Volkswagen. He was half way to his vehicle when the hairs on his arms sprouted.What the hell?
Preston glanced over at the car again. Someone was inside. And that someone was Ariel Williamson. Was she waiting for him to leave? It would be interesting to know if she planned to follow him home, but he dismissed that thought as soon as her engine sent out a tingling, grinding sound.
He strode over to her car, but she didn’t even look up as he neared. She was leaning over the steering wheel, jiggling the key. He knocked on the window, and she visibly jumped.Crap. He hadn’t meant to scare her. Preston motioned she roll down the window.
“The car isn’t starting?” Yes, that was obvious, but he didn’t want to act like some know-it-all.
“No.”
He waited for her to ask for help, but she seemed determined to start the old car on her own. He didn’t know if the battery had died or if she’d flooded it. “Would you like me to give you a jump?”
Her pressed lips implied she was trying to decide whether to accept his help or not. That hurt. He wasn’t the enemy here.
“Why not? What I’m doing isn’t working.”
He would have suggested that she carry a portable car charger with her, but that might come off as sounding a bit condescending. Happy just to be around Ariel, Preston jogged to his truck and then pulled behind her Volkswagen. As he grabbed the cables from the bed in back, she popped open her rear hood where the battery was located. Once he hooked the cables from his engine block to hers, he told her to start her car. Thankfully, the engine jumped to life immediately.
Preston walked up to her window. “Keep it running for a bit to charge the battery.”
She smiled, and his teeth instantly sharpened.Fuck. He prided himself on his control, but Ariel was his mate, and that control seemed to be fleeting. His looming roadblock at the moment was how to convince a human to be with a werewolf. From the way she was acting skittish around him, she might believe the rumors that he’d been the one to kill Samantha Ortiz, which was the furthest thing from the truth.
“I know the drill. Betty is on her last leg,” she said.
“Betty?”
She nodded. “I bought this used car as a college graduation present to myself. I named her then.”
Ariel probably held quite a few jobs in order to pay for it. “I never gave a name much thought. Perhaps you could suggest something for my truck.”
The moment those words were out of his mouth, he realized that come-on line wouldn’t work for a woman like Ariel.
She twisted in her seat to check out his vehicle. “Since it’s new, yours lacks character. Give it a few more years, and I bet something will come to you.”
He liked her response. Not wanting his facial hair to sprout again, he moved to the back of her car and unhooked the cables. Thankfully, the engine continued to purr. He tossed them back in his truck and then returned to her car.
“You’re good to go. Make sure not to leave your headlights on.” Another dumb comment.
She huffed. “My lights were not left on. I’ve made that mistake before.”
He held up a hand. “Good to know. Be careful going home.”
“Don’t worry. I’m always careful.”
Before he could toss back a retort, she took off.
CHAPTERFOUR
Ariel couldn’t believethat of all the parking lots in town, Betty had to break down inhis. How embarrassing was that? It had been convenient that Preston had jumper cables though, and she appreciated that he hadn’t made fun of her old car, but Ariel wasn’t willing to go so far as to say he was no longer a threat. Nothing he said proved he was innocent. Granted, nothing he said implied he was guilty either.
