Page 32 of House of Wolves
“Nope.”
“Well, I thought I’d teach you how to look for mushrooms.” He points to his nose. “I’ve got a gift for smelling out the best ‘shrooms.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Wow, how nice of you to take me on a date where you teach me something,” I say sarcastically but smile to let him know I’m only half serious.
He rolls his eyes and cocks his head. “I know. Very mansplainy of me to do, but I thought it could add to the picnic, and it would be a fun activity to get to know each other better.”
“Get to know each other better? I didn’t think you’d be interested in that.”
He stops, turning to me and catching me off guard. He grabs me with his free hand, his expression serious. “I like you, Carmen.”
My heart speeds. “You like me?” I internally smack myself for letting my bones turn to mush. I don’t need this man’s approval, but why do I want it so badly?
He scoffs with a smile. “Obviously. This is our second date.”
“You could have ulterior motives.” It’s a stupid thing to say. I could completely blow my cover, but I must see him respond to the comment.
“If anything, it benefits me more to stay away from you.” He continues walking, stopping when something catches his eye, and crouches to search through the foliage.
“How so?”
He picks a mushroom and scrutinizes it. “It’s incredibly dangerous for me to be with you.” He straightens, and his eyes widen as if just releasing words he should have been guarding.
“Why is it dangerous to be with me?” I step closer to him, examining him.
He brushes off the dirt from his prize mushroom and throws it into his basket. “You distract me.”
“How so?” I hate that I’m stopping and starting whenever this man decides to make a move, as if he knows I’ll keep following him around.
“Well, instead of reading reports yesterday when I was working from home, I was talking to you and jerking myself off.”
“Brick!” I yell.
“What?” He gives me a confused glance before squatting down again to capture another mushroom.
“You can’t say that kind of stuff out loud.” My cheeks beat bright. Not from the weather, it’s surprisingly cool in the shade, but from this man's unfiltered words.
He looks around, wiping the dirt off his little fungi. “We are alone in the woods.”
“Yeah, but it's the middle of the day. Those words are meant only to be said in a very particular setting.”
“So you don’t fuck in the middle of the day?”
I give a sharp laugh. “Who said anything about fucking?”
He steps toward me, all attention off his stupid mushroom, and directed toward me. “You said those words aren’t meant for the middle of the day. If I fucked you right here, I’d probably mention how often I jerk off, wishing it was you wrapped around my cock.”
He’s a menace. Thank fucking God he’s hot, or I’d shit my pants. He says this sentence confidently, with no hesitation in his words. Suddenly, space doesn’t exist between us. His lips are only centimeters away from mine. My nipples are hard and sensitive, eager to step forward and brush against his chest covered by a flannel shirt. I close my eyes, ready to surrender.
“Let’s stop pretending this is something that it’s not.” I open my eyes to catch him staring down at me, heat behind his gaze. The air from my lungs disappears when he steps away, brushing past me and crouching near a bush.
I clench my eyes shut, stilling my mind, willing my cunt to stop gushing and cursing myself for letting Brick distract me yet again. Yes, I can’t smell the Were on Brick. It’s subtle, but there is something there—powerful and earth-shattering. It’s unlike any scent I’ve ever encountered, and I blame it completely for my inability to behave rationally around him.
I stand in the silence for a moment longer, Brick still rustling around behind me. His words ring through me:Let’s stop pretending this is something that it’s not.There’s so much he could mean. Is this more? Is this exactly what I expected all along—us both playing a very complicated and dangerous game? There’s only one way to find out.
I shake the fog away, turning and pressing my palms against my hips. “You said you were going to teach me about mushroom foraging, but you haven’t taught me shit.”
He pops to his feet, presenting a cluster of delicate brown caps. “These are oyster mushrooms.”
