The problem was, I didn’t know which side of the razor-sharp knife we’d land on. Could this actually be the start of something? Or would she continue to freeze me out like she’d been trying to?
I splashed some cold water on my face before peering at myself in the mirror. “You need to get it together, Carter. She’s just a wolf from your pack and this is just lunch.”
I knew it was so much more, but I needed to lie to myself or I didn’t think I’d be able to leave the bathroom again. When I thought I had myself under control, I steeled my nerves and stalked out.
Back at our table, I found Callie had already ordered something.
“I hope you don’t mind,” she said as I took a seat across from her. “I got you a water and us some fried pickles.”
I reached over and grabbed a few of the battered chips and popped them in my mouth.
“Ah! Ooh, ooh,” I breathed around the fiery food in my mouth.
Callie laughed and I looked up at her, the lava on my tongue forgotten for a moment. The afternoon sun was hitting her in a way that lit up the red highlights in her dark hair and made her eyes even brighter than usual. But it was the wide smile across her face that made my heart pick up its pace once again.
“You’d be hot too if you just came out of a deep fryer,” Callie said between chuckles.
I swallowed the fireball in my mouth and downed a sip of water before answering. “Coulda’ warned me.”
She laughed again and I swore right then I’d devour the whole basket of fried pickles if I got to keep hearing that sound. “I didn’t get a chance. I don’t even think your butt was all the way on the seat before you dug in.”
I leaned an elbow on the table. “You noticed my butt?”
She rolled her pretty eyes, but that smile was still on her face. “Just figure out what you’re ordering.”
I shrugged and grabbed the laminated menu, using it to hide my dumb smile. It did not go unnoticed by me that she’d didn’t deny noticing my butt. I’d take that as a win any day.
“Hey there. Are y’all ready to order?”
I turned to find a waiter standing at the edge of our table. He had dark hair that was over-styled, and just enough stubble to look like he didn’t care when it was clear he really did. I instantly didn’t like him.
When I realized he hadn’t taken his stupid blue eyes off Callie, I hated him.
“Can I have two double bacon cheeseburgers? One with loaded cheese fries and the other with onion rings. Oh, and a chocolate shake?”
I turned narrowed eyes at Callie, Stubbles the waiter forgotten for a moment. “Are you storing up food for the winter?”
She tipped her head back and laughed loud, the sound making my heart thud again, but this time, I didn’t mind. She was so beautiful in that moment, I wouldn’t have cared if the whole pack heard my pulse pounding.
“Shut up, Wyatt.”
Damn it, I loved the way she said my name.
My eyes were still tracing her face, getting stuck over and over on that little birthmark next to her lips. I wondered if she knew how sexy it was.
“Sir? What’ll you have?”
I dragged my gaze from Callie and focused on the waiter again. His smile seemed to have dimmed a few notches, but I didn’t care.
“I’ll just have what she’s having.”
He nodded once, grabbed our menus and turned to leave, but not before shooting Callie one last grin. “Let me know if you need anything in the meantime.”
I ground my teeth together as Stubbles made his way across the restaurant. When I glanced back at Callie, I found her staring at her phone and not watching the waiter like I had been. It calmed the wolf in me to know she wasn’t paying as much attention to him as he was to her.
“So, a cheeseburger? Really?”
She looked up at me but kept her eyes far away from mine. “What’s wrong with a cheeseburger?”
I sat back in the booth and propped an arm along the back of the seat. Her eyes darted from my chin to my biceps so fast I almost missed it.
My smile got bigger.
“It’s just surprising is all.”
“Why? Because a woman should eat salads and kale and crap? What? Are cheeseburgers too manly for me?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “No, nothing like that. I just figured, you know...” I gestured idiotically with my hand. “You’re all into the environment and drive a Prius and shit. I thought you’d be vegan too. A vegetarian at the very least.”
She rolled her sky-blue eyes and picked up the placemat in front of her. “Everything in this restaurant is locally and responsibly sourced.”
I glanced at the information she was pointed at before focusing on her again. “I shoulda known.”
“Yeah, you should have.”
I chuckled and sat back in my seat again.
“And besides,” she leaned forward and lowered her voice, “I’m a werewolf. Have you ever met a vegan werewolf?”
“No, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you were the first.”
Her lips twitched with a smile as she folded her hands in front of her. “I tried it once. When I was younger.”
“Not surprising.”
“I didn’t even make it a whole twelve hours without bacon.”
A loud laugh shot out of me at her confession, making Callie’s cheeks turn the prettiest shade of pink. It made the birthmark near her lips stand out even more and I clenched my hands into fists to stop myself from reaching out and touching her. I’d been doing a lot
