by Paige Tyler
Down, boy.
“Are you good in the kitchen?” he asked.
Selena gave him a look that suggested she knew exactly what she was doing to him. “I’m good in every room of my place.”
He chuckled, loving the unexpected flirty banter, especially when her face heated up, making him think she’d been more shocked by the words than he had. “Well, in that case, dinner at your place it is. Tonight work for you?”
She hesitated, and again he was struck by the idea that this wasn’t the way she normally behaved. But then she took a deep breath and nodded her head. “Tonight sounds good. Eight o’clock?”
“Perfect.”
They talked a little while longer…and flirted a bit in between exchanging phone numbers, too. Every once in a while, he’d pick up the tantalizing scent of her arousal. But now, it was mixed with the one he’d picked up when he’d first walked into the admin building. He tried to get his head around the amazingly complex aroma. It was equal parts delicate flowers, exotic spices, and something feminine and uniquely Selena.
He couldn’t believe how different her scent was today from yesterday. It was almost like he was smelling a different woman.
But no matter what Selena smelled like, Brooks couldn’t deny how strongly her scent affected him. Some of the guys in the Pack had experienced this sensory sensation before, and in every case, it involved stumbling across The One .
Did Selena’s amazing scent mean she was his soul mate, a woman he’d known for all of thirty minutes? His head spun at the idea. Not because he didn’t believe in the idea of finding The One . It was simply that he’d never expected it to happen. He’d tried a long-term relationship once, and it had failed spectacularly. After that, he’d stopped trying.
But if Selena was The One , that would all change, right?
He was still wrestling with those thoughts when Selena stood up. “I’d better get to the store and pick up some stuff for dinner if I’m going have everything ready by eight.”
“You know you don’t need to do anything fancy, right?” He flashed her a grin as they walked to the door. “I’d be happy with another tray of brownies.”
Selena laughed. “You know, I think you mean that. But putting together a good meal isn’t work for me. I love to cook. It’s what I do for the important people in my life. Like you.”
Brooks gazed down at her, suddenly robbed of speech. Selena slowly ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, leaving a moist sheen behind that made his gums tingle as his fangs threatened to slip out. He leaned in to kiss her, when suddenly, the door jerked open.
Brooks shot out a hand and caught Selena before she could fall, but that didn’t keep her from blushing as Khaki and Rachel stood there with knowing looks on their faces. There were some introductions, a few apologies, and a lot of laughter as Selena got her feet back under her.
Neither of them spoke as Brooks walked her to her car. When they got there, Selena opened her door before turning to him with a smile.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
The urge to kiss her was still there, but he held himself in check and returned her smile instead. “I’ll be there.”
As Brooks watched Selena’s car disappear down the street, he replayed the moment right before Khaki and Rachel had opened the door and interrupted them. The thought of Selena’s luscious lips had him thinking about all kinds of things a couple normally didn’t do on a first date.
“She’s nice,” Rachel said, coming up behind him. “Y’all going to see each other again?”
Brooks started to answer but then stopped himself as he caught that almost familiar smell again. Even though she’d already left, Selena’s scent lingered in the air, surrounding him.
He turned and gave Rachel a sniff, then Khaki. Their scents weren’t exactly the same as Selena’s, but they were damn similar.
Khaki frowned. “Everything okay?”
“Do you smell that?” he asked. “Selena’s scent in the air?”
Rachel and Khaki tipped up their noses, testing the air. Rachel didn’t seem to be getting it yet, but from the way Khaki’s eyes suddenly widened, she’d picked it up. No surprise there. Khaki had the best nose in the Pack.
“I smell…something,” Khaki said, closing her eyes and opening her mouth a little to take short, panting breaths. “She almost smells like one of us, but it’s not quite right. The scent is…strange.”
Brooks’s heart began to beat faster. “It’s not just the scent that’s strange. When I rescued her yesterday, Selena didn’t smell like this. She smelled good—great even—but not like this.”
“That’s not possible,” Rachel said. “People don’t change the way they smell overnight.”
“Actually, they can,” a deep voice said from behind them.
Brooks turned to find Gage standing there. “What do you mean?”
“That extremely subtle but familiar scent you’re picking up is a woman going through the first day of her change.”
“Are you sure?” Brooks demanded. “I mean, she didn’t get shot or stabbed or anything like that. How could she become a werewolf?”
“You know as well as I do that she doesn’t have to go through a life-threatening event. Just a traumatic one,” Gage said. “Having one of her own students try to kill her is pretty damn traumatic.”
Brooks knew all of that, of course. He just wasn’t thinking straight. His head was swimming with the realization that Selena was turning into a werewolf. The beautiful woman he’d almost kissed a few minutes earlier, the same one who smelled so damn good, it was hard to even stand near her without wanting to bury his face in her hair and breathe her in, was going to be a werewolf like him.
He wanted to be thrilled but wasn’t. This was the absolute worst time to be a werewolf in Dallas. If hunters found out, she’d be marked for death.
But beyond the fear he felt at the prospect of Selena becoming a target for the hunters, there was something else that struck him even harder. Not ten minutes ago, he’d assumed her scent had his head spinning because she was The One for him. Now, he wasn’t sure. It was just as likely his reaction was simply an alpha werewolf taking notice of a woman about to go through her change. She probably smelled the same way to everyone in the Pack with a nose good enough to pick it up. That knowledge disappointed the hell out of him. Damn. It had only been for a few minutes, but he’d gone and let himself start thinking she could be The One . But it seemed he was wrong.
None of this changed the fact that Selena was about to go through something that was going to rock her entire world and that it would be tough on her. It had been that way for him and every member of the Pack when it happened.
“How do we handle this?” he asked Gage. “I’m meeting her for dinner in a few hours. Should I tell her?”
“What, that she’s a werewolf?” Gage lifted a brow. “Somehow, I don’t see that going over very well. By the way, you’re a werewolf. Could you pass the butter? ”
Brooks grimaced as Khaki and Rachel snorted in amusement. Okay, something else he should have known…if he wasn’t so frigging addled by all this.
“You’re the one who saved her life, Brooks, so you’re the best person to tell her,” Gage said. “Just remember, there’s no need to rush. Since there wasn’t a major injury involved, it will take at least a few weeks before Selena starts noticing the effects of the change. That gives you time to break it to her gently. You just need to find the right time—and the right way—to tell her.”
Chapter 6
“It’s not a complicated question, Selena,” Ernesto said. “All I asked is whether this is dinner with a friend or a date?”
“Oh, it’s definitely a date,” Becca murmured. “With a dress like that, it’s definitely a date.”
Ernesto and Becca had stopped by after work to make sure she was doing okay on her first full day of forced downtime, but the moment they’d figured out she had a date, their interest had been piqued. Since then, they’d been pepp
ering her with all kinds of questions, trying to see where this thing with Jayden was going.
Selena glanced down at the little black dress she was wearing when Ernesto stepped closer, then leaned in and took a sniff.
“I think you’re right,” he said, glancing at Becca. “She’s wearing that expensive perfume you bought her for her birthday, the stuff that you promised would make men swoon over her.”
“Hey!” Selena pushed Ernesto away with a laugh. “I always wear nice perfume.”
Becca gave her a knowing look. “Honey, there’s perfume you wear to smell nice, and then there’s perfume you wear to smell nice . The stuff you have on now is definitely in the second category.”
Selena threw her hands up in defeat. “Okay, so I put on my best perfume and a fancy dress. What’s wrong with that?”
The words had come out sharper than she intended, and Selena immediately regretted them. Maybe she did need to talk to somebody about what had happened to her. Because she definitely wasn’t acting like herself. Fortunately, neither one of her friends took offense at her tone.
Ernesto smiled. “Nothing is wrong with it. I’m just not sure what I think of my girl going on a date with a cop. It feels like I should be against that idea.”
She laughed and thumped him on the shoulder. Even though he was out of the gangs now, he still liked to act like he was a badass from the streets. “Even if he’s a cop who saved my life?”
He snorted. “That’s the only reason I’m even considering it. But I’m telling you, he better be nice to you, or I’m going to go medieval all over his ass.”
Selena was about to tell him that line would have sounded a lot tougher if he hadn’t stolen it from a movie. But before she could get the jab out, the doorbell rang. She knew it was Jayden without even needing to look through the keyhole.
“Okay, you two.” She gave her friends a warning glare as she headed for the door. “Be nice.”
The expressions of mock disbelief they both sent her way almost made her laugh out loud. She stopped herself, focused on answering the door and greeting her date. Yeah, tonight was about having dinner. But her friends had been right about one thing. This was definitely a date.
The sexual chemistry between her and Jayden had been impossible to miss earlier today at the SWAT compound. It had also been impossible to explain. She’d been around a lot of men she thought of as attractive, but none of them had ever affected her like the big SWAT cop. As crazy as it sounded, she’d gotten aroused from simply being in the same room with him. If he’d actually kissed her, they might still be making out.
Selena almost laughed. Who was she kidding? She’d been ready to rip his clothes off and have mad monkey sex with him right there on the couch in the dayroom. It was like she was a hormonal teenager again.
When she reached the door, she hesitated. She could almost feel Brooks on the other side of it. In some bizarre way, it was like she knew exactly where he was standing, could sense his patience as he waited for her to answer the door. Even weirder, she had a sneaking suspicion he knew exactly where she was standing, too.
Smiling, Selena opened the door, ready to greet him. But the words got stuck in her throat the moment she saw Jayden. He was wearing jeans, work boots, and an untucked button-down, the sleeves rolled up to show off muscled forearms. It was difficult to believe, but he looked even better now than he had in his uniform—and he’d looked hot as hell.
Her gaze worked its way up to his face again, taking in the strong lines of his jaw, outlined with a trim beard to match his mustache, the sparkle of mischief in his blue-gray eyes, and the perfect lips that had almost touched hers earlier today. Her pulse skipped a beat, a little quiver of excitement running through her.
Crap. She’d just met him at the door and already wanted to jump him. What the holy cheese and crackers was wrong with her?
“Hey, there,” he said, flashing her a sexy grin. “I’m not too early, am I?”
“Actually, you’re right on time,” she said, finally finding her voice. “Come on in.”
Selena picked up the fragrance of Jayden’s cologne as he stepped inside the entryway, and it was all she could do to keep her hands to herself. How was it possible for a man to smell this good? She was so intent on his mouthwatering scent, she almost didn’t see the tall, colorful gift bag in his hands. It was tied at the top with a silver ribbon, the neck of a wine bottle sticking out.
“You didn’t need to bring anything,” she said as she closed the door. “I invited you here for dinner, which kind of implies I’m responsible for supplying the food and beverage.”
Jayden shrugged. “It wouldn’t have been right not to bring something. I wasn’t sure what you were serving for dinner, but I took a guess and brought a bottle of red. It was either that or go with Cooper’s suggestion, and that’s never a good idea.”
She smiled at the mention of Jayden’s roguish teammate from back at the compound. She’d gotten the feeling Cooper was like one of the many pranksters in her class, always causing trouble but usually with the best of intentions. “I hesitate to even ask.”
“He thought I should show up with the empty aluminum pan you brought the brownies in today, so you’d get the hint and bring it back full.”
She laughed, taking the bottle of wine and motioning him forward where her friends were waiting impatiently in the living room. She made the introductions, then went into the kitchen to check on the dinner. Becca joined her a few seconds later. Her back to Jayden and Ernesto, who were chatting in the living room, she made a show of fanning herself with her hand.
“Girl, he’s even bigger up close,” her friend whispered. “Do you think he’s that big all over?”
Selena rolled her eyes, unable to help laughing. She’d actually been wondering the same thing herself. She just wasn’t bold enough to say the words out loud. But man, was her overactive imagination filling in all kinds of details right then.
“I’ve always thought Ernesto was a big guy,” Becca added, looking out at the guys over the island that separated the kitchen and living room. “But Jayden makes him look small in comparison. How do you end up attracting all the big stud muffins?”
Selena snorted as she checked on the taco bake and sweet corn tomalito that were warming in the oven. Satisfied they weren’t drying out, she closed the door and glanced over at Jayden and Ernesto. While they were both big, tough-looking guys, Jayden probably had a good thirty pounds worth of muscle on her friend, but Ernesto still had that dangerous street edge to him. Neither were the kind of men anyone would want to mess with.
“For one thing,” she said, “Ernesto isn’t a big stud muffin. He’s a friend. And for another, it’s not like I did anything to attract Jayden’s attention, other than have someone shoot at me.”
Becca stared longingly at the guys for a moment, making Selena wonder whether her friend was seriously considering the value of getting involved in a shootout in order to meet someone like Jayden.
“You know, Ernesto isn’t dating anyone,” Selena pointed out. “There’s absolutely no reason the two of you couldn’t give it a shot.”
Her friend shook her head. “I’m not his type.”
Selena opened her mouth to ask what the heck that meant, but the guys wandered over before she could. Jayden didn’t look pissed off, so Ernesto mustn’t have tried to interrogate him about what his intentions were. That was good. She wouldn’t want to have to get in the middle of the two of them going at each other.
“You ready to get out of here, Ernesto?” Becca asked, picking up her purse and coat from the couch where she’d tossed them earlier.
“I guess we don’t have a choice,” Ernesto said as he helped Becca into her coat. “Unless Selena wants to invite us to stay for dinner.”
Becca grabbed Ernesto’s arm and pulled him toward the door. “Come on, time to go. If you’re that hungry, you can take me out to dinner if you want.”
He laughed. “I was just kidding about hanging
around. I have a late night planned at the office, so rain check on that dinner?”
Becca shot Selena a look that said I told you so as she and Ernesto walked out. Selena sighed. It looked like Becca was just as firmly in Ernesto’s friend zone as Selena was. Too bad. They’d make a cute couple.
She turned to Jayden to see him leaning back against the counter, his arms crossed over his muscular chest.
“Something smells really good in here,” he said, his low, deep voice making heat swirl in her tummy.
“Yeah, the food is almost ready,” she answered.
His dark eyes smoldered. “I wasn’t talking about the food.”
The heat in her tummy slowly migrated south, pooling between her thighs. Something Jayden was completely aware of, if the smile he gave her was any indication.
* * *
“Thanks for helping with the salad,” Selena said, peeking around his shoulder and watching him work. “But I’m almost afraid to ask, where’d you learn how to handle a knife like that?”
Brooks chuckled as he peeled another carrot, then made a quick series of julienne cuts to turn it into long, slim pieces slightly bigger than matchsticks. “I’d love to tell you I picked up my knife skills in the CIA or someplace cool like that, but to be truthful, my mom taught me. She loves all those cooking shows on TV and makes me watch them with her every time I visit.”
When Selena didn’t say anything, Brooks turned his head to see her standing beside him with a stunned expression. “What, did I just blow your whole image of me by admitting that?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. I’m just trying to figure out how you could possibly get any better. You’re attractive, heroic, show up for our date on time, bring wine, help me make dinner, and now I find out you visit your mother. It’s enough to make a girl wonder what kind of deep, dark secrets you’re hiding behind those captivating eyes of yours, because nobody’s that perfect.”
