told her she wanted Alan instead. It might even end their
friendship.
The breath halted in her lungs, too frozen to move in or out. Her gaze fastened onto
his full lips. She’d dreamed of kissing him since high school. How would their lives have
changed if she’d had the guts to do it back then? What if she did it now?
His sexy mouth parted. Hers did, too, so close she inhaled his warm, quick breaths. A
shiver of desire rippled through her, hardening her nipples.
He pointed, breaking the spell. “I see a light. We’re not far from the parking lot.”
Thank goodness he’d broken it. She belonged to another man, almost. As he walked,
he still covered his crotch with his hand. His erection had grown so large he could no
longer conceal all of it. Shelley swallowed, trying to ignore the hot cream making her
panties slide between her thighs as she walked.
Although his attraction to her appeared obvious, he’d made it clear he wanted to be
left alone. Her eyes stung because she’d probably never have the only man she’d ever
really wanted.
She had to tell him the truth about the prom, for the sake of her conscience if nothing
else. It didn’t matter whether he forgave her or not. After that, she’d figure out how to
tell Curtis she’d finally made up her mind about his proposal.
She couldn’t marry him. It wouldn’t be fair to him when she felt such a strong
attraction to someone else.
***
14
Inside the cab of Shelley’s bronze pickup truck, Alan put on a T-shirt and a pair of
worn jeans from her donation bag. They fit tight because they were too small. Not that it
mattered. She’d already witnessed his bare erection in the woods. God, he hadn’t been
that hard since he’d dreamed about her in high school.
The bed of the truck was full of rakes, shovels, and fruit and vegetable bins.
“You’ve got enough tools back there to supply food for the whole pack,” he
commented.
“I pretty much do,” she replied. “I bought a farm with money I inherited from my
daddy after he died in the attack. My mom and I do most of the work.”
Luckily, the other cars were already gone, giving them some privacy. He wiped his
knuckles across his mouth, grimacing at the sore scabs. He was Scabs again, all right.
Here he sat in Moonlight, Florida, feeling like the biggest failure who ever lived. His life
in northern Virginia might have been dull, but at least he’d felt worthwhile. Like a man.
No different than the others around him.
Despite his snaggly mouth, she’d looked ready to kiss him out there in the woods. The
moon must have played tricks on him. She’d never wanted him. He’d hoped she
would’ve grown up over the years, but the rest of the pack sure hadn’t. They’d acted like
a bunch of schoolyard bullies in the diner, and he’d let them push his buttons again.
Maybe he hadn’t grown up, either.
Did she need reassurance she remained sexy by getting every man she came across to
drool at her feet? She merely had to look in a mirror. Whatever game she played with
him now, he didn’t want any part of it.
He tipped his head and inhaled the air. Ever since their almost kiss, he’d gotten drunk
off her unique scent—one he’d remembered over the years. It reminded him of a sweet,
juicy orange. Inside the truck, it smelled stronger than it had been in the woods. The
arousal in it, rich as a slab of key lime pie, stood out as obvious as his erection.
Knowing he made her hot helped make up for his crappy reception in the diner, but
he had to focus on Dad. Miss Prom Queen wasn’t going to make a fool out of him a
second time.
“How is Dad?” he asked. “Tell me everything.”
“He’s weakened since the attack,” she said.
15
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he demanded, more sharply than he intended.
“We were so busy trying to survive and build a new pack, we didn’t notice at first. It
started with him cutting corners at the diner. Coming in late.