Her Werewolf Lover: Michael and Samantha (The Macconwood Pack Tales #15)

Chapter 13

M ichael stayed the night, assuring her that his daughter was fine. She was at a sleepover, and he wasn’t due to pick her up the next day, which was Saturday, until noon.

After they woke, and made love again, she recalled with warmth spreading across her cheeks, he took her out to the breakfast they never got around to the other day.

“Wolf Down Diner,” she murmured, looking at the retro logo that seemed to grace every tabletop in the joint.

“Neat, right?” Michael grinned.

Samantha couldn’t help her responding smile as Michael ordered a second helping of pancakes .

Breakfast with the sexy man was a great step forward in their new relationship, but hot damn, could the man eat!

“What?” he asked, a forkful of fluffy goodness hovering near his lips.

“Nothing. Just, um, you must be hungry,” she said, shrugging to hide her embarrassment.

“Always, Besides, we worked up an appetite, didn’t we?”

He winked.

“Want a bite?” Michael asked his eyes glowing strangely in the harsh light of the diner.

Samantha was captivated. Christ, he was good looking. She bit her lip as he waited for her answer. But the question merited some thought, didn’t it?

“Sunshine, open up,” he said, not asking again.

She smiled, opened her mouth, and snagged a bite of his pancakes.

Damn. They were good. She looked down at the single poached egg and the two slices of tomato she’d ordered.

Nothing wrong with it. But it sure as fuck wasn’t pancakes.

Call it a habit from her old line of work. Samantha frowned at her plate. There were times when being a model had truly sucked, and the strict diet routine was one of them.

“Excuse me, can I have an order of those?” Samantha asked the server when he came back to refill their coffee.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and went towards the open kitchen window.

“Good Girl, glad you ordered something you wanted,” Michael praised her.

“Me too. Want some of this?” she replied and laughed as he snagged one of her poached eggs and added it to his bite of pancakes.

She felt silly being pleased by that, but why should she be? It was nice being petted and told you were doing something right.

Her pancakes arrived, and she doused them in syrup and butter, feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. Michael’s chest seemed to rumble as he watched her chew and swallow, and the sounds of the diner faded away.

How did he make such animalistic noises?

“Good?” he asked.

“Yes. they’re great,” she replied, covering her mouth with her hand.

“We have to talk about last night, Samantha,” he said, and panic filled her .

No. Please, not the kiss off already.

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” he said, frowning, and she wondered if he could read her mind.

“Okay, I promise we can talk about it later. But for now, can we just keep it light?”

“Okay,” he hesitated. “But only for now.”

She exhaled a sigh of relief. Michael seemed to accept her reticence and alternated taking bites of his food and feeding her more when she’d stopped eating as they exchanged tidbits of info about each other.

It was a fun game, and she had a great time. Not just because of the sugary delicious carbs, but because of the smart, sexy man sitting across from her.

“I’ve never met anyone like you,” she said, revealing more than she wanted.

“You’re a first for me, too. I can’t wait to learn more,” he whispered back.

“Really? Do you mean that?”

“Of course, I do,” he said, reaching across the table and taking her hand.

It was a little chilly that morning, but that was not why she was trembling now. Samantha cast her eyes downward, unable to meet his gaze without revealing something of her inner thoughts, and wouldn’t that be horrific?

But Michael made her feel things she hadn’t felt in ages. Yes, he was gorgeous, but he was also funny and smart.

But was this just a fling for him?

Samantha was not the love ‘em and leave ‘em type, despite what the tabloids had said.

She didn’t want to be a cliché. She enjoyed last night, wondered if it could be more, but she was so afraid he was using her. The potential headlines alone were enough to make her cringe.

Divorced ex-model thrown away for a younger woman leaves hubby to have hot, sweaty affair with handyman.

“Hey, let me take you home. I have to pick up Maya, but I’ll be back to see about the painters and the flooring,” Michael said, dropping some bills on the table and offering her his hand.

“Sounds good.”

“Good. Sam, I meant what I said. Last night was a beginning, not an end,” he said as he helped her into his truck.

“Okay,” she replied, daring to take a chance on believing him, “but I’m asking you right now to always be honest with me. Don’t break my heart, Michael. I-I couldn’t stand it.”

“I won’t,” he said, but he looked worried.

That gold light she sometimes saw behind his eyes sparkled and in it she swore she saw something other. Something unknown.

A shiver ran through her, and Michael frowned, taking off his sweatshirt and handing it to her as he climbed in the driver’s side.

“Put that on, Sunshine.”

Samantha nodded and did as he said. It felt too good not to. The sweatshirt was warm from his body, and it smelled just like him. She sniffed at the collar unobtrusively and wrapped her arms around herself.

“You look damn good in my shirt, woman,” he growled, leaning over to kiss her quick and hard on the mouth.

“But you look even better without it,” he said with a wicked boy wink.

Sam blushed the whole way back to the house. Michael had stopped the truck, insisting on helping her out and walking her to the door himself.

“There now,” he murmured, kissing her again.

“Building castles in the sky,” she whispered, ducking her head down .

“What?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Samantha,” he said firmly, pulling her against his chest and using his other hand to grip the back of her neck, forcing her to lift her head. “Any castle I build is on solid ground and it’s for keeps, understand?”

“You hardly know me,” she said, shaking her head.

“I know you, Sunshine. Tell me, I don’t,” he dared her.

“Michael, you don’t have to say things like this to me?—”

“I don’t have to. I want to. You aren’t getting rid of me, Sam. It’s best you just accept that,” he murmured before dropping a hard kiss on her mouth. “Now, get that sweet ass of yours inside and lock the doors. I’ll be back soon, Sunshine.”

“Okay,” she said wide-eyed, and watched him leave from the window.

She wondered how this man had come to mean so much to her so quickly. He seemed part of the day to day now. Hell, he’d even given her a nickname before she knew what happened.

Michael was too good to be true. Even with all the strange growling. Honestly, she thought it was kind of sexy.

To think he was her lover now. She blushed at the description. Even though it was true.

He was sleeping in her bed, loving on her at night, and kissing her silly in the morning after feeding her pancakes of all things.

She smiled then. A big, warm, happy smile, and goddamn, it had been a really long time since she’d done that.

There was still so much she didn’t know. Like about his daughter. Maya.

Was the mom in the picture? Would this complicate things for them?

“Ugh,” she moaned out loud, shaking her head.

These were not things she thought she would have to worry about at her age, but Sam felt helpless to do otherwise. She really liked Michael.

Okay, fine. More than liked him.

Love was a small word. But it was a big commitment. Could it be possible? Did Samantha love him already?

Yeah.

Maybe.

Shit .

Was it wrong to fall so fast like this? She wondered, but couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.

It felt too good. Being with him felt too good.

Heat encompassed her as she remembered the way he wrapped his hard, muscled body around hers.

Oh, she’d been kissed before, had had sex, but never had she experienced anything like this.

Please God, let this one be good.