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He tilted his head slightly, his ears flipping back until I had to laugh. “Good to meet you, Nate.”
Ruby grinned, and damn, she was beautiful. “His full name his Nathaniel Barksalot Hawthorne.”
I offered my hand, and her little, black, toothless dog gave me a tentative sniff. “I guess I’m his first werewolf.”
“That’s safe to say.” She rubbed his head. “But he usually barks at strangers so this is pretty impressive.” She met my eyes. “I think he likes you.”
I grinned as I met her eyes. “What happened to his teeth?”
She kissed the top of his head. “He’s still got a few molars in the back, but he’s an older guy and Chihuahuas are notorious for periodontal disease. Short answer is he got them pulled a couple years ago.” She set him down, and we wandered into her kitchen.
Although the outside of the house had that old-time Victorian feel, the kitchen was full of new appliances and granite countertops. There was an island with a second sink in the center, too. Our kitchen at the farm was good-sized, but this one put ours to shame.
“You like to cook?” I asked.
Ruby nodded. “Yeah. My mom was an earth witch so she was always concocting things with herbs and spices. When I cook, I feel like she’s with me.”
She placed her wrap on the table in the breakfast nook and took her phone and wallet out of her pocket, laying them on top. When she turned around to face me, her bare shoulders were on full display, and just like that, I wasn’t cold anymore.
She held her hand out. “Want me to put your clothes in the dryer?”
I took off my wet shirt without any hesitation. The way her breath caught and her gaze slid up my chest had me ready to take off everything else. I liked knowing she wanted me, too. We might not be in love yet, but the physical connection seemed to be a step in the right direction.
“Thanks.” I offered her my shirt.
Her eyes dipped to my jeans, and if she asked for my pants, there would be no hope of containing my growing erection. She cleared her throat. “I have a robe you could borrow if you want to dry your pants, too.”
“Okay.” I unbuttoned them, and my sensitive ears had no trouble hearing the way her heart rate surged. Mine raced to keep time as my fingers moved to the zipper.
Her lips parted slightly, driving me out of my fucking mind, but just like that, she walked past me.
“I’ll be right back with the robe,” she called over her shoulder from the staircase.
I smirked and pulled out a chair to take off my shoes. Nate eyed me and came over to sniff them. I held my hand out. “It’s okay, buddy. She loves you, so I do, too.”
He wagged his tail and came closer. I scratched behind his ears and reached down with my other hand to lift him up. He licked my cheek, wriggling like a fish as I chuckled. “You’re ferocious.”
A giggle came from behind me. We both looked back as Ruby came into the kitchen with a fluffy black robe in hand. “Wow. He really does like you.”
I nodded as a smile curved my lips. “I’m not usually a small dog kind of guy, but he’s got big dog spirit, right, Nate?”
The little guy barked and licked my face again. I set him down and stood, taking the robe from her. “Thanks.”
I slid my arm into the sleeve. It was a little tight around my bicep and the cuff only came to just below my elbow, but it was close enough. I reached for the other sleeve and pushed my arm as deep as I could get it, but it was obvious there was no way my shoulders were going to fit in this robe. I shot Ruby a look when she started to laugh.
“I don’t think this is going to work.” I mumbled.
“It’s big on me. I was sure it would fit.” She came closer, struggling to bring the sides together. Her hands brushed my chest, and this time it wasmyheart racing. Her eyes met mine. “I have a blanket on the couch. We could watch TV while your clothes dry.”
“Works for me.” I took off the robe and unzipped my jeans. I pulled them off and handed them to her. My boxer briefs were no match for the raging woody, but I attempted to adjust myself a little so I could walk to the couch.
When she finally looked at my face, a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “I’ll meet you on the couch.”
She nodded, and I turned, heading into the living room. I could almost feel her watching my ass. My only regret was leaving my damned underwear on.
CHAPTER 11
Ruby
