Bryce rolled out of bed and stood still for a moment, listening for a sound that Alexis might have actually stayed the whole night. Sam’s soft snoring filled the otherwise silent house. He fought the urge to tiptoe into the living room to see if she was there and shuffled to the shower instead.

After the way he’d treated her last night, he’d be surprised if she stayed. Asshole. What had he been thinking?

She’d convinced herself he was just like her dipshit ex-boyfriend, and instead of proving her wrong, he’d given her exactly what she wanted—a dickhead.

He groaned as he shut off the water and toweled off. Jabbing the toothbrush into his mouth, he scrubbed his teeth, and then he stomped to the bedroom to get dressed. He shoved his legs into his pants and struggled with the buttons on his shirt.

Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly, hoping to calm the anger making his heart pound like a hammer. If her opinion of him mattered so much, why the hell had he acted like an asshole?

After fumbling with his belt for half a minute, he finally got the damn thing buckled and pulled on his shoes. He’d make it up to her—if she ever spoke to him again.

He shuffled to the living room and found Alexis curled up on the couch next to Sam, stroking his fur as he snored away happily. Her boots sat next to her backpack by the front door, and she’d folded the blanket and stacked it with the pillow on the chair.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he nodded. “Hey.”

She looked at him, and her green eyes sparkled in the early-morning sunlight streaming through window. “Hey.”

“I…didn’t think you’d be here.”

She glanced at her stuff by the door. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No.” He sauntered into the room and sat on the arm of the couch. “I’m glad you’re here. I want to apologize for the way I acted last night.”

She narrowed her eyes and studied him, the seconds stretching into an eternity. “Why did you act like that last night?”

He let out his breath in a huff. “I was childish. There’s no excuse for my behavior, but…”

Sam raised his head and peered at Bryce sleepily before sliding off the couch and walking to the back door.

“Hold on.” He shuffled to the door and opened it, and Sam scrambled outside and down the steps. Bryce left the door cracked and turned to find Alexis on her feet, leaning against the back of the couch.

She crossed her arms, and the corners of her mouth twitched. “You were saying…”

“Here’s the deal. I like you, and when you compared me to that jackass you dated…” He sighed. Why couldn’t he spit it out? “Like I said before, I don’t want you to think poorly of me, but you’re not giving me a chance. I got frustrated and acted like an ass, and I’m sorry.”

She smiled. “Apology accepted. And I’m sorry for assuming the worst of you. You’re nothing like Eric or any other man I know.”

“Thank you.” The tension in his shoulders loosened. Stepping toward her, he took her hand. “Let me make it up to you. If you’ll stay here today, I’ll make dinner for you tonight.”

“You can cook?”

“I can learn.”

She gazed at their entwined fingers before blinking up at him. “I don’t know, Bryce. I…”

“Where else are you going to go?”

She drew her shoulders toward her ears. “I was thinking about seeing Macey.”

“One more night. Please? Have dinner with me, and then if you don’t want to see me anymore you can leave. I won’t bug you to stay.” He held his breath, waiting for her answer.

“I guess dinner won’t hurt.” She smiled. “I’ll go see Macey this afternoon, and I’ll be back in time for dinner. Does that work for you?”

The knot in his chest unfurled in a flush of warmth. He still had a chance. “Be home by seven?”

“Sure.”

He could have lost himself staring into her emerald eyes. Her irises sparkled like actual jewels, and they held so much depth he felt as if he could swim through her soul, if she would let him in. As she held his gaze, a strange energy passed between them, and he could have sworn he felt a piece of her wall crumble. He leaned toward her. “Is this the part where we kiss and make up?”

She laughed and pulled her hand from his. “Don’t push it, mister.”

He held up his hands. “Okay. Okay. I have to go to work. I’ve got a school visit this morning.”

“Michael’s school? Is he going back already?”

He grabbed his keys from the bowl and dropped them in his pocket. “The bully’s been removed, but Michael’s not going back until January. I need to check on the other kids. Make sure things are running smoothly.”

She caught his gaze, and her smile held so much warmth the entire world seemed to pause for a moment. “Those kids are lucky to have you looking out for them.”

He cleared his throat. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want. Sam enjoys your company.”

A knock sounded on the door, and Bryce tore his gaze from hers to answer it. Michael stood on the landing, holding a metal pan.

Alexis moved behind Bryce and rested her hands on his shoulders. His stomach tightened at the casual way she touched him. It felt way more intimate than it should have.

“Do you always have your meals delivered?” She moved a hand to his bicep and peered into the dish. White icing melted on top of four giant, fluffy cinnamon rolls.

The kid’s gaze cut back and forth between Alexis and Bryce. “I…uh…Sorry. I didn’t know you were busy. My mom wanted me to bring you these.”

Bryce smiled and patted her hand. “No problem, man. I’m never too busy for your mom’s cooking. This is my friend, Alexis Gentry.”

She offered him her hand to shake.

“Hi. I’m Michael.”

Alexis glanced at Bryce, and he gave a small nod of confirmation as he took the cinnamon rolls.

“Well, I’m going to go. Have a nice day, Sergeant Samuels.” He raised his hand in a timid wave. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Gentry.”

Bryce closed the door and carried the cinnamon rolls to the table. “I’ll have to take mine to go.” He snatched a plastic container from the cabinet and pulled a roll from the tray. Gooey icing dripped down the sides onto his fingers as he dropped it into the container.

He stuck his finger in his mouth to lick off the frosting, and Alexis bit her bottom lip. Her gaze slid from his eyes to his mouth and back again, and his knees nearly buckled beneath him.

She sank into a chair. “Sweet kid.”

Bryce blinked away the memory of the way her lips had felt pressed to his. “Yeah, he is.” He grabbed a plate and a paper towel and set them in front of her. “Help yourself. They’re best when they’re warm.”

“Thanks.”

He poked his head out the back door. “Sam.” The dog stopped and looked at him for a second before lowering his nose to the ground and ignoring him. “C’mon, Sam, I’ve got to go to work.”

“You can go. I’ll watch him.” She took a bite of her breakfast, and icing dripped onto her lip.

He couldn’t help but stare as she flicked out her tongue to lick it off. Blood rushed to his groin, and a shudder ran down his spine. Watching a woman eat shouldn’t have affected him this way, but he’d never met a woman like Alexis. Everything she did had sex appeal. “I appreciate that.” He sauntered to the door, fighting the urge to adjust his crotch. “I’ll see you at seven?”

She stood and padded toward him. “I’ll be here.” Leaning in, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you. For everything.”

He nodded and opened the door. “My pleasure, ma’am.”

Warmth filled Alexis’s core as she watched Bryce through the window. He had a slight spring in his confident gait, and she hoped she’d put it there. She let the curtain fall shut and sank onto the sofa. Maybe nice guys did exist after all.

She checked her phone. Nothing from Eric or David, so hopefully that debacle had been taken care of. As second in command of the Biloxi pack, David should have been able to keep control of his son. He just needed to tighten the leash.

A high-pitched whining noise sounded from the kitchen, and she turned around to find Sam sitting by the back door, licking his front paw. She shuffled toward him, and he whined again.

“What’s the matter, buddy?” She reached for his leg, and he shied away, flattening his ears against his head. “I can’t help you if you won’t let me look.”

She gently took his paw and examined the underside. A huge bur wedged between the first and second pads, so she pinched it between her thumb and forefinger and pulled it out. Sam licked his paw one more time and jumped to his feet, doing his adorable full-body wag.

Alexis laughed and tossed the bur in the trash. “You’re welcome.”

She closed the back door, and the sound of a key turning in the front lock sent her heart racing. The door swung open, and a woman in her mid-forties stepped into the living room. She had medium-length, dark hair styled into a classic mom-cut. High-waisted jeans and a button-up blouse completed the look.

The woman closed the front door and fisted her hands on her hips as she turned to face Alexis. “Who are you, and what do you want from Bryce?”

Whoa. She got right to the point. “You must be Karen, right? My name is Alexis. It’s nice to meet you.”

Her eyes widened, and her aggressive posture relaxed slightly. “Yes, I’m Karen. I live downstairs.” She crossed her arms. “How do you know Bryce?”

Alexis mirrored her posture and tried to ignore the territorial instinct that had her wolf wanting to growl. How many women had a key to Bryce’s home? “We’re friends. Macey, his ex-partner, is my sister.”

Karen dropped her arms to her sides and let out a slow breath. “Is that your car on the curb?”

“Yes. I can park somewhere else if it bothers you.”

She nodded. “I know your type.”

“Excuse me?”

“Everything you own is in the back of that car, isn’t it? You drift from man to man, sleeping with whomever will take you in, using him until you get tired of him or he stops spending money on you.”

“You don’t know a thing about me.” How dare this woman force her way in here to corner her? She had no right to make accusations like this. Alexis didn’t use men. If anything, her life had been the exact opposite, and Bryce…she wouldn’t dream of hurting him.

What kind of person waltzed into a man’s house and started spouting insults at the woman he had invited over? She ground her teeth to fight the rumble trying to roll up from her chest.

Karen raked her gaze over Alexis’s cargo pants and sweatshirt. “I know enough. Bryce is a great guy. He deserves someone who’s going to treat him with respect, not someone who’s using him for a free ride.”

Alexis straightened her spine. “I’m not using him. I care about him.” He’s mine.

Whoa. Where did that thought come from? She’d dealt with plenty of territorial women in the werewolf community, and her wolf was standing her ground. That’s all it was. She hadn’t actually claimed him.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Karen, I appreciate that you want to protect Bryce. He is an amazing man, but you have to understand that he’s an adult, and who he invites into his home is his business. Unless you have some kind of claim on him?”

The muscles in Karen’s jaw tightened as she turned for the door. She paused with her hand on the knob. “Please don’t hurt him. He deserves better.”

Alexis sank onto the couch as Karen shut the door and trotted down the stairs. Sam jumped onto the cushion next to her and made a whining sound in his throat.

She scratched his head. “I really do care about him.” Way more than she should have. Karen was right, though. He did deserve better.