Was she imagining it, or was he just as reluctant to part as she was?
Should she invite him upstairs?
No, that would be completely inappropriate, especially after their conversation about her remaining neutral.
Finally, Aurora said, “Thanks for dinner tonight, Grayson.”
“You’re welcome.”
When their eyes locked, the heat between them turned palpable. Her heartbeat quickened. She yearned to close the space between them, rise to her tiptoes and kiss his lips. For a highly charged second, she thought he was about to do the same to her.
Snapping herself out of the fantasy, she declared, “Good night.”
Her voice sounded strange, not like her own.
“Good night, Aurora. Sleep well. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She gave him a smile before she turned and rushed into the lobby before she said something she’d regret. As she ascended the elevator up to her room, mercifully alone, she questioned her reaction. What was wrong with her? She’d never been so unprofessional with a client. Every part of her responded to Grayson in a way that was foreign to her. She felt like a teenage girl newly discovering her sexuality, although she had never felt quite so lit with awareness.
What was it about him that affected her so?
After she changed into pajamas, she performed a short meditation before the window to end her day, looking out at the moon. She then climbed into the massive king size bed, pulling the white fluffy comforters up to her chin, she turned on the TV. She flipped through the channels to search for something to watch.
Ladyhawke was on, a movie she hadn’t seen in years. Rutger Hauer played a man cursed to become a wolf each night. As she watched the movie, she was pulled into the story of two lovers forced to be apart, agonizing over their plight. They remained devoted to each other in search of a way to be together again.
Aurora couldn’t help but think of Grayson and his dual nature. What did he look like in wolf form? For someone who never cared much for shifters, especially wolves, she spent far too much time fascinated by one in particular.
Chapter 5
Grayson
When Aurora stopped by Grayson’s office the next morning, wearing a pair of black jeans and an emerald green sweater that drew his attention to her full breasts, it took all his self-control not to move closer to her. He forced himself to stay seated in his leather desk chair and not inhale her bewitching scent by keeping his feet glued to the floor.
“Sleep well?” she asked him. Her blue-violet eyes were bright, captivating him.
Not really. He’d been tormented by thoughts of her as the inner struggle with his wolf had grown worse. His wolf insisted they should court her and then claim her. Grayson didn’t know what he was doing. He certainly didn’t need to invite Aurora to dinner or to bring her to Damon’s with him, but he couldn’t stop himself. The yearning to be close to his mate was almost overwhelming.
“Fine,” he lied. “You?”
She averted eye contact, and her cheeks turned an enticing shade of pink. “The bed is very comfortable.”
Had she had any thoughts about him? Last night, he was surprised he hadn’t succumbed to the urge to kiss her. He’d come so close. The sensual tension that burned between them was almost impossible to resist.
“I’m glad to hear that.” He cleared his throat and opened the manila folder on his desk. “Here’s an offer to present to the Sacco pack today.” He handed it to her from across the table, careful not to brush his fingers against hers. It would stir a new form of agony, in which he’d want to touch her more.
She opened the folder. After skimming the document, she glanced at him. “That’s a generous offer. Do you think they’ll respond?”
Grayson pulled his lips into a grim line and glanced outside. “They better. It’s more than they deserve.” What he needed was a few runs out on the trails. The mountain air would help him clear his head. When he brought his gaze back to Aurora, he smiled. “Thank you for doing this.”
After they went over the details of the offer, she stood and he followed suit.
“I’ll let you know how it goes.” She turned to leave.
His gaze skimmed her from the head down and he almost groaned while staring at her ass. Yes, he definitely needed to get out on the mountain to clear the lusty haze from his head.
A few of inches of snow last night added a light powder to the ground’s surface, which would likely be flattened by the time the lifts closed. Gray lingered in the sky, and clouds occluded the sun. Still, enough light peered through to cast some warmth through the otherwise breezy morning. He inhaled the crisp mountain air tinged with the scent of the nearby pines and followed it up with a few more deep breaths to help center him. For someone who had spent his life being the cool, calm one in the pack, he didn’t know how to deal with this inner restlessness, the disquiet that urged him to search for something more.
On Grayson’s fourth run, he veered off to the trail that would lead to the staff housing near the lower part of the mountain. One of the perks of living here was the slope-side lodging. He could ski to the office and back home.
He skied over to Damon and Sophie’s cabin. They were preparing to leave today. Grayson wanted to say goodbye as well as ensure that they hadn’t changed their minds. They would be safer far from the Sacco pack, at least for now.
After greeting them both, Damon offered Grayson a hard cider, and they sat outside on the Adirondack chairs that Damon had created from old skis. He was good with his hands, a skill Grayson envied. Damon had built his cabin himself with the support of other shifters.
Although Grayson was quick with numbers and skilled at negotiations, when it came to building things, he was better suited at calling a contractor. That’s how he’d had his home built farther up the mountain. He’d ensured it had plenty of room for a family, yet it remained empty. Would that ever change? Or would he stare out of the picture windows to the forests on the mountain each day, alone?
Grayson drank some cider, the crispness of the apples tart on his tongue. “There’s something I wanted to ask you about.” He exhaled and stared into the forest in the distance. “Was it worth it?”
“Was what worth it?” Damon asked.
“Letting down your guard. Being vulnerable and allowing yourself to commit to a mate.” He faced Damon. “Because I know how reluctant you were and see how happy you are now, it makes me wonder…” He didn’t finish the sentence and instead, shook his head.
“Ah.” Damon groaned and raked one hand through his dark, chin-length hair. “I know how much trouble I have brought to the pack, and the guilt is something that I still struggle with. But the answer is yes. It was worth it. She is worth it. She means everything to me.”
Grayson put his cider on the flat armrest and rubbed his temple. “That’s what I thought you’d say.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I’m in trouble,” Grayson admitted, his torment apparent through his tone. “I’m torn between what’s the right thing to do and what my wolf is telling me I can’t ignore.”
You can’t, his wolf insisted.