When she forced herself to turn her attention back to her menu, she noted he’d been staring. “What?”

“Whatever were you just thinking about?”

“What I’m going to order. Combo three I think, and I’ll take your recommendation for the sides.” She continued to stare at the menu to keep from staring at him.

“Remember I can scent your arousal.”

He spoke low enough that no one else could hear but her. The place was loud as it was, even if they all were shifters and probably had super hearing.

“It’s hunger. I’m hot for ribs.”

He laughed but didn’t push any further. Even as they ate, he kept it light. And he ate like nothing she’d ever seen before.

“Holy cow, I don’t think I’ve witnessed another person eat that much food at once. Where do you put it all? You probably have like what? Two percent body fat or something criminal like that?”

He paused as he forked up yet another bite of the Boston cream pie he’d been eating and sent her a smile so carnal she might have actually pulsed just south of her belly button. She sucked in a breath, trying to get herself back together. He did something to her. Awakened something she hadn’t known had gone dormant until that day.

“You noticed my body-fat content?”

She motioned his way with her fork. “Well for heaven’s sake, look at yourself!”

“I like it better that you look at me.”

“Hmpf.”

He grinned, and God help her, he was so ridiculously beautiful she couldn’t help but suck in a breath.

The grin slid off his features replaced by something else entirely. Hunger. He wiped his mouth and leaned forward. “You feel it too.”

There was no mistaking what he meant. “I need to find my friend.”

“Yes, of course. But you can’t do anything about that right now. Come back to my apartment. You can stay with me while you’re here.”

She shook her head, hard. “Uh-uh. That would be a monumentally bad idea.” She bet shifter males were a big ol’ unruly handful, and she had limited time and energy. Hell, she’d probably end up getting steamrolled into stuff every time he smiled at her.

“Oh, I disagree. I think it’d be a fabulous idea. You want me, Michelle. As much as I want you. I promise to get you nice and tired so you can sleep.”

“You come with all sorts of complications, Josh. I can’t right now.”

“You still angry with me?”

She sighed. “No. I get it.” And really she didn’t blame him. It had hurt, but she’d moved on and he did have a better life here. She cared about him enough to be pleased for that. And he’d been nothing but helpful in the search for Allie.

“But?”

“But you’re an alpha male and I have too much stuff on my plate to take you on right now. I want to check in to a hotel, take a long shower and then go to sleep.” After masturbating most likely because he got her all stirred up.

The check came, and she didn’t fail to notice the way the waitress tried to flirt with him. But he didn’t engage, all his attention was on her and it flustered her.

“Come on. We’ll get you back to my apartment where your car is so you can get your bag. There’s a hotel about three blocks from me. Secure. We put people up there when they come in from out of town. Leave your car at my place.”

“Why?”

He put an arm around her as he steered her to his car. “If they know you’re looking for them, they’re going to be on the lookout for your car. If it’s in the garage at my building, they won’t know you’re staying at the hotel down the street.”

Which is something she should have thought of.

She grabbed her small overnight bag from her car and he drove her to the hotel where they knew him, and of course everything female seemed to fall over herself to be of any assistance.

“I’m walking you up so don’t argue.” He spoke, his lips against her temple, and she shivered.

Her scent dug into him with sharp claws. She was turned on, wet for him, her skin heated from a perpetual blush. He couldn’t help but stay close enough to breathe it in over and over, dragging her over his tongue, swallowing her in big gulps.

“Fine. Whatever. I just want to sleep so whatever it takes to make you go.”

He grinned as he took the keycard from her fingers and opened up, heading in to check the space out and also leave his scent all over as he touched doorknobs, brushed against doorways.

A suspicion had begun to build in his belly over the last hours, and each time he felt the need to do something like mark her space, it got stronger.

“I’ll collect you first thing. All right? We’ll grab breakfast and head out. We’ll go back to the gas station and track on foot from there.” He knew Damon and GiGi would have already, but she knew Allie’s magick better than anyone else and it added another layer to the search.

And it was all they had right then.

She nodded and he moved to her, intending to hug her, but she looked up at him and there was nothing else to be done but kiss her. He tried to keep it soft and slow but she made a sound, a quiet, needy sound, and he swallowed it down, his tongue sliding between her lips, her taste, God her taste, it rocketed through him, filling him up and crowding everything else out but her.

His wolf pushed at him, wanted to lay her out and feast on her until he was sated. Until they’d eased the stress from her features. The fierce need to protect her made sense, the need to scent her space and draw her close.

She nipped his bottom lip, and he pulled her even closer, the jut of his cock against the softness of her belly. Her nipples were hard, pressing against him, begging to be touched. Licked, bitten.

He wanted to bury his face between her thighs, licking her pussy until she screamed out. Wanted her to ride his cock until he came deep inside her.

Which would be a whole different issue. He didn’t have any condoms with him, and the man slapped him back enough to realize he needed to talk with her about what all this meant.

She was tired and worried and scared. Now wasn’t the time. No matter how much he wanted it.

Sweet Jesus he tasted good.

Michelle’s fingers slid up the wall of his chest and into his hair, pulling him closer as he kissed the sense out of her.

His hands at her hips were hot, firmly holding her in place as she fought not to writhe. His cock was hard at her belly, and she didn’t resist sliding against it until he gasped against her mouth.

She was on fire for him. Wanted to be fucked in a way she couldn’t remember ever feeling before. He stoked that fire she supposed had always been in her belly for him until it consumed her.

She couldn’t think straight, and that’s what finally gave her the strength to take a step back.

Chest heaving, he examined her, licking his lips, his eyes had gone that otherworldly green. “I should go.”

She nodded. “I can’t right now. It’s too much. I’m really tired and I just… I’m not thinking straight.”

He hugged her one more time but stepped back without trying to kiss her again. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Please lock the door behind me. I should tell you one of my men will be on the hotel, keeping watch. You can see us, right?”

“You mean your energy?”

He nodded.

“Yes.”

“If you see anyone hanging around without that energy, you call me.” He picked her phone up from where she’d put it to charge and added his number. “Mine is here, as is Damon’s. You call, do you understand?”

“Yes, of course. I appreciate it. But I’m all right. I’m a cop, I can handle myself.”

“I don’t doubt that in normal circumstances. But these guys aren’t your run-of-the-mill baddie.” He slid the pad of his thumb over her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Michelle. But you need to know this thing between us isn’t over.”

She knew that. And she knew from the look on his face that he had every intention of ending up naked and horizontal with her, and she really couldn’t find it in her to be annoyed by that. He respected her wishes and that’s what counted.