“What if I came to visit you today?”
Grant blinked down at the text from Elizabeth and considered it. It was more than he could have hoped for, but was it too soon? He didn’t want to rush anything and frighten her away. Plus, with the heated dream last night, he was deeply concerned about his own self control. Still, if he refused her, she might not ask again.
“Sure. Do you have the address?”
“The one on your library card?”
Grant smiled that she remembered his address from just the quick glance she’d had at it the first time they met at the coffee shop. She had been interested in him from the very beginning or she wouldn’t have given it a second look before handing it back to him.
“You remember that? :P Yes. That one.”
“Three. Okay?”
“Great. See you at three then.”
He put the phone down and looked around. The cabin looked the part. It was intended to do so, after all. The collection of art here was the reason Saul had asked its owner to allow him to use it for these purposes. While Saul had not wanted the full details of how Grant intended to get into the Silver Wolves, he had helped him with the details that would be necessary to work it out. Grant had taken care of the rest through his own contacts.
His phone buzzed, and he picked it up to find a message from her.
“I got freed up early. Are you at home? Okay if I come early?”
“Yes,” he replied simply.
By the time she arrived, he felt more than just a hint of excitement and cautioned himself to settle down. It was ridiculous how she made him feel. Surely, he was beyond puppy love. Yes, of course he was. This was nothing more than lust, plain and simple. He kept telling himself that until she arrived at his door and sent him for yet another loop.
Grant opened the door to find her standing there is a blue wrap around dress that showed off every curve and turned her blue eyes into beacons of desire. Even with her coat pulled over it, he could see how well it fit. Once she stepped in and removed the coat, he could see even more how it seemed molded onto her.
“You found it okay?”
“Yes.”
“Where is your car?” Grant asked, peering out the door before closing it behind her and taking her coat from her.
His eyes roamed down the backside of her frame, lingering on her long legs visible beneath the little more than thigh length dress. What had she had in mind coming here dressed like that?
“A friend from school dropped me off,” she replied.
“School?” he asked.
“Yes. I started art classes today. I’m supposed to be in one right now.”
“You are blowing off your first day of class?”
“No. The professor blew it off. We went in and he had just left a student teacher with a syllabus and a list of supplies to buy. We each were given one and sent back out until next week.”
“I’m surprised you were allowed out without your bodyguards,” he told her, which was the truth for a change.
“I know. It was a hard fight, but I insisted that I be allowed to go to school like a normal human being.”
“I’m sure your mother didn’t like the idea.”
“She didn’t, but she wasn’t as livid about it as my father. He is hopelessly overprotective.”
“I can’t blame him. Especially when you leave the house looking like that. I mean, wow!”
“You like it then?”
“It’s perfect on you, right down to the color. It isn’t a bit much for a first day of art class?”
“Probably, but I also had my student ID made and wanted to look nice for that.”
“I’d say that you were successful. Extremely successful.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But hey, look at me with you just standing here at the front door. Come on in and have a seat. I’m guessing I don’t have much time with you before you have to run off again.”
“You guess right. You must think I’m such a kid with my parents keeping such a tight leash on me.”
“I don’t think you are a kid at all, Elizabeth. You’re a beautiful young woman.”
“I don’t feel that way. I feel like a kid being driven to school and picked up, always surrounded by big, burly guys that act as if I’m still twelve.”
“I thought a friend dropped you off from school?”
“She did, but Mom took me to school and will be there when she thinks classes are out to pick me up. I just got a girl in my class to drop me here on her way home. I’ll just jump a taxi back in a bit.”
“Don’t be silly. I’ll take you back when you are ready to go.”
They had slowly migrated to the sofa, where she had a seat on one end. Grant offered her something to drink and fetched her the bottle of water she asked for, along with one for himself.
“You have some lovely art in the house,” she remarked, taking a sip from the blue glass container.
“Oh, I’m sorry. You came here to see art. My bad. Come on and I’ll take you on a quick tour.”
Elizabeth followed him around the house as he gave her the background on each painting on the wall. He had been given the information to study when he had taken over the cabin and made sure he seemed well familiar with each one and the painter that created it. It seemed to be working, as Elizabeth marveled at each piece appreciatively.
“Impressive. I don’t know much of anything about art beyond how to create it myself. I’ve a lot to learn. My mother, she knows a lot. She would love this stuff. It’s a shame I can’t even tell her about it.”
“Why can’t you?” he asked.
Grant knew the answer, but it would be odd if he never questioned why her parents were so overprotective. It only made good sense for him to at least ask, even if she declined to answer. To his surprise, she didn’t. It only showed that he really was gaining her trust and that was a good thing.
“My father is the VP of the Silver Wolves. Not too long ago, we were attacked by another bike club, the Dire Wolves. So, now no one goes anywhere alone. If my father would have had his way, one of those no neck dudes from the coffee shop would have sat on either side of me during my classes,” she laughed.
“Attacked? You mean like all of you? Physically?”
“Yeah, exactly. I can’t say too much, but we knew they were coming. We weren’t sure when, but we had been preparing. Ya know? Anyway, they attacked our clubhouse and we barely got out.”
“That’s crazy. Was anyone seriously hurt?”
She hesitated. Grant knew she would draw the line at telling him about the ones that were killed, but he had to ask her just what anyone would. He waited for her answer.
“I got a bit of a scratch down my arm. Didn’t even need stitches though, just bled a bit.”
“That’s pretty wild. I’m glad it wasn’t worse for you.”
Grant remembered her creeping back into the house. This was his chance to offer up the information that would do him in later if her father was the first to tell her. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be put off by it, but it would seem odd for him not to have said something when she found out the truth about him and she would have to at some point, hopefully soon.
“Yeah,” she said, taking a sip of her water and looking away for a moment.
“Elizabeth, I have to tell you something. It might make things easier for you to open up to me.”
She looked back at him, her eyebrows pushed together as if to ask him a question without any words. He continued before she said anything further.
“I know about the Silver Wolves and the Dire Wolves. I’ve met your father before.”
“What? What do you mean?” she asked, obviously still not sure if he was telling her he knew they were shifters.
“When I came here from back east, I tried to join the Silver Wolves.”
Her eyebrows unscrewed and shot up in surprise. She looked as if she wasn’t sure if she should remain still or bolt up and run. He reached for her hand, slowly, as if she were a timid animal that might be spooked by any sudden movements. He could feel her pulse speed up. Was it out of fear or excitement created by his touch?
“Your father turned me down.”
“If you didn’t join the Silver Wolves, then you joined the . . .,” her voice trailed off.
“No. No, I didn’t. I knew all about both clubs when I came here, and I wanted nothing to do with the Dire Wolves. They are bad news.”
“So, you have no pack? You’re a lone wolf? Are you afraid?”
“Afraid? Hardly. I’m an alpha wolf who lost his pack, but it makes me no less a warrior than I’ve ever been.”
“I didn’t mean to imply that you were somehow weak, but even with us, there are so many of them and so few of us.”
“I know. That is why I wanted to join you rather than them. I guess I’m a sucker for an underdog.”
“I see.”
Grant could see that she was bothered by the news, but she wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it while she was stranded here alone with him in his cabin.
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have told you or maybe I should have told you from the beginning. I’m no threat to you or your pack,” he lied.
“I just don’t know what to think. You don’t seem like you mean any harm, but Aspen would have a fit if he knew I was talking to a shifter outside our pack, Dire Wolf or not.”
“Well, I’ll leave it up to you if you want to tell him. There is no reason though that you and I can’t be friends. At least, not for me. It’s nice to be able to talk to someone, honestly. That’s the only thing about being a lone wolf. It doesn’t give you a very large support network.”
“What happened to your pack?”
“That is a much longer story than I think you have time for today, but let’s just say they were in a similar situation as your pack. Our numbers were greatly reduced by a disease and someone picked off the last of the ones that remained while they were weak. I barely got away to heal from the injuries.”
“Injuries?”
“Yes. I have quite a few scars.”
“I guess we both have scars then. I have a few myself.”
“From the Dire Wolves attack? Thought it was just the one?”
“From them, yes. The others are, well, from before.” A barely audible alarm went off on her phone and she silenced it before looking back at him again. “I’ve got to get going. Do you really not mind driving me?”
“Not at all. I’ll get the keys to the car. No way are you hopping on the back of the bike in that dress.”
“Thanks,” she replied, standing and smoothing down her dress as she let go of his hand. He had hardly realized it was still holding on to hers.
Grant took a step closer to her and pulled her to him, taking her chin in his hand and tilting her face toward his. She didn’t resist as he leaned in and kissed her. She tastes like coconut lip gloss and life, a life he had been missing for some time. They were briefly consumed by passion as they stood kissing by the sofa. Then, she pushed him away, looking down for a moment as she spoke.
“I need to go.”
“Of course. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have,” he began to apologize.
“No. Don’t apologize. I’m glad you kissed me, but I still have to go.”
“Let’s get you out of here then.”