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Instinct took over and Lance leaned in a little, his hands pressed against the wall on either side of her to stop her from falling if she became dizzy, but also to stop himself from touching her again.
It was just as big a mistake as helping her up had been, only drawing her closer. Their noses almost touched as she turned her head up to meet his gaze.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and the way her breath tickled his lips made his entire body quiver. She smelled so good. Her breath smelled even better. The way her gaze locked with his was intoxicating and he found he couldn't look away.
The urge to kiss her was so strong, so deep, that even his wolf was rearing inside him. He pursed his lips tightly to stop himself and finally shoved off the wall.
It took all he had in him to break his gaze away from hers.
Control yourself! he yelled inwardly, his hands tightened into fists.She is your secretary, your daughter's best friend, half your age and much too beautiful. She is way out of your league.
He had to remind himself of all that and more just to stop himself from doing what his entire body, mind and soul wanted him so desperately to do.
The way his wolf clawed at his insides was so painful that he almost howled aloud.
“Mr. Leafson? Lance? Are you alright?” Kayla asked as he turned away, closing his eyes tightly and pursing his lips even harder.
When he felt her hand upon his back, he almost whipped around and dominated her right then and there. It was perhaps only the reminder of what had just happened, her being attacked, that stopped him from doing so. He wouldn't traumatize her any further tonight.
But what about tomorrow?
He forced the thought away. How were they supposed to pretend like nothing had happened now? He was almost certain she must have felt something, just as he had. Maybe revulsion at the thought of being kissed by someone old enough to be her father.
“Please, don't touch me,” he hissed under his breath, but it was clear she had heard him when she removed her hand slowly, as if she thought too swift a movement might awaken the animal in him.
“Are…are you hurt?” she asked hesitantly.
Lance shook his head, teeth gritted. Taking a mental inventory just to be certain, he realized he didn't have even a scratch on him. The lion shifter hadn't had the opportunity to get a good lash in before he scared him away. He might have laughed at that if he wasn't so tense.
“Lance, are you sure you're okay?” she asked again. Lance cringed. Why did he have to tell her to call him that? His name suddenly sounded far too good on her lips. Those lips that were plump and pink as rosebuds.
Eyes still closed and teeth still gritted, he growled, “Grab your things. I am walking you home.”
Chapter 5 - Kayla
The walk home was just as awkward as the bar had been, if not more so. Kayla's only relief was that Lance didn't ask who had been attacking her. For all he knew, the guy had been a total stranger. He didn't need to know that she had been stupid enough to actually date that guy back in the day.
Though she was shocked by Stan appearing out of the woodwork, what stunned her more was how she felt at Lance's rescue. He had been so strong, so dominant, so frightening. She had seen how every muscle in his body rippled beneath his shirt as he shoved Stan away from her.
Even though she had stumbled and hit her head, ending up on the floor, she hadn't missed their exchange or the fact that Lance was twice the size of her ex, domineering and sexy and quite simply her type in every single way.
The fact that his rescue was like something out of one of the romance movies she so loved to watch most definitely didn't help the situation. If it hadn't been for who he was, Kayla would have rung Sarah gushing about the encounter.
The way she had felt when their eyes locked as he helped her to her feet was something she would remember for a lifetime. The exhilaration she had felt was almost, if not as, powerful as what she felt the day she had embraced her wolf side for the first time.
And that was quite simply frightening as hell when it came to thinking of who had been standing opposite her.
She couldn't feel that way for her best friend's father, let alone her boss.
Though the walk from the bar to her home was fairly short, it felt like a lifetime as they walked in sheer silence, a good distance between them. Yet the air between them seemed filled with electricity, the tension there so heavy it weighed on Kayla's shoulders like a cinder block.
And yet, when they came to stand before her front door, the time suddenly seemed to have gone all too quickly. Before she knew it, she was blurting, “Will you come in for a drink? A-as a thank you for rescuing me.”
She blushed uncontrollably then. She hadn't really needed rescuing. At least, she didn't think she did. She was a werewolf, after all, and she knew how to take care of herself. But when it came to Stan, she always found herself lacking. Even a she-wolf couldn't exactly match the power of a lion shifter. Yet, Lance seemed to have had no trouble.
“I should probably head home,” Lance responded, and Kayla felt disappointment claw her insides.
It was probably for the best. All hell might break loose if he came inside.
