Wolfsong (Green Creek 1)

“No,” I said quickly. “Absolutely not.”

“You sure about that?” he asked, his grip on my elbow tightening.

I just barely managed to pull my arm free. “I’m hungry,” I said, voice rough. “We should—”

“Sure,” he said. “Let’s go.”

I blinked.

He smiled at me.

My heart stuttered a bit.

The smile widened.

No one commented as we rounded the corner, though I was sure every single one of them aside from my mother had heard the entire conversation. Carter winked at me. Kelly looked rather pleased. Mark smiled his secret smile. Elizabeth watched me fondly. Mom just looked confused.

Thomas, though. Thomas looked more at ease than I’d ever seen him before.

Joe crowded into my side, sitting down next to me, not leaving any room between us.

The meal was an exercise in torture.

He leaned in often when talking to me, breath on my neck, whispering in my ear.

He touched my arm, my hand, my thigh.

He had a straw in his soda. He never used straws. Never. But he had one now, pulled from somewhere, eyelashes fluttering up at me as he sucked, cheeks hollowing.

I dropped my fork. It clattered loudly ont

o my plate.

“Joe,” Thomas sighed. “Really?”

“Oops,” Joe said. “Sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry at all.

Kelly said, “Oh man, this makes so much more sense now. And is much more gross.”

“I made pie for dessert,” Elizabeth said, coming back to the table. “Whip cream topping.”

I groaned.

Joe looked delighted.

Even more so when he ran a finger through the cream, licking it from his skin, never taking his eyes off of me.

Carter and Kelly had matching looks of disgust and horror on their faces.

“Stop it,” I hissed at him.

Joe cocked his head at me before leaning in and saying in a low voice, “Oh, Ox. I’m just getting started.”

and a bow tie/anything for you

I SHOULD have known he wasn’t going to drop this.

He let me have three days to worry over it. To fret over every little detail of every interaction we ever had.