Bad Wolf (Wild Men 4)

“Not shaking.”

How can I conquer when I can’t even roll over a small bump like this and keep talking? The tension rises. The air in my chest compresses. My legs shake with the need to run.

Then the doorbell rings, and I spin around, my heart pounding.

Christ.

Clearing the haze of panic from my thoughts, I stalk to the door and check through the peephole.

Clear blue-green eyes stare back at me, set in a handsome tanned face.

Jesse.

“Who is it?” Kayla asks, coming up behind me.

“Nobody,” I reply.

The bell rings again. Those stunning eyes shift up, then down, uncertain, and that long, soft mouth tightens. That flash of insecurity flips a switch inside my chest, and without warning, I grab the handle and pull the door open.

For a fleeting moment, it’s almost like opening the door to myself.

Then Jesse looks up and his face transforms. The uncertainty falls away like dried mud and a smirk lifts the corners of his generous mouth.

Whoa. I stumble back, hot and cold running through my body, and only have the time to think what a bad idea this was, before he walks inside.

“Howdy, stranger,” Kayla drawls from somewhere behind me, easy and relaxed-sounding, and I wonder how she does it.

“Hey there,” Jesse says, hands shoved deep in his jeans pockets, eyes sparkling. “How’re things?”

Standing there, talking as if they see each other every day. Yeah, I’ve often wondered how others do it. It’s just one of those things I can’t wrap my head around.

Seeing as they are fine talking to each other, I’m probably not going to be missed, so I turn to go to my room, to finally get that much-needed moment and space.

“Embers.” His deep voice catches me like a fish on a hook.

I stop, a shiver dancing down my spine. “Told you, that’s not my name.”

“But you like it.”

I turn around to glare at him. “No, I don’t.”

“Um, guys.” Kayla lifts her hands and sighs. “Sorry to interrupt the fun, but I have to go. I’m meeting with some friends and I’m late.”

I watch her skip past Jesse to get her purse and light coat, and groan inwardly.

“Traitor,” I hiss between my teeth. She didn’t seem to be in such a hurry to go two minutes ago.

Jesse’s brows climb up, then he shrugs and fixes his gaze on me. “Then I guess it’s just you and me, Embers.”

Everything in my body tightens pleasurably. Okay, how can this be? I don’t like drawing attention, but I do like having his attention on me.

“By the way, she’s right, you know,” Kayla the traitor says as she steps through the still open door to go. “That’s not a name.”

“Oh, come on.” He bends his head forward and chuckles. “You gotta admit it sounds nice.”

“It’s cute,” she says, compounding her treason, and leaves me alone. With Jesse James. Or Lee. Or whatever his name is.

I turn on him, hands on my hips. “What do you want?”