“Earth to Jamie!” Willow’s laughter broughther out of her trance.
“Sorry, zoned out there for a sec.”
“Hmm, I bet you did.” Willow waggled hereyebrows. “What were you thinking about to put that smile on yourface? Or maybe I should say, who?”
“I wasn’t thinking of anyone.” Her cheekswarmed. She focused. “Wait, you said Grayson seems like a genuine guy, as in present tense.” Shenarrowed her eyes at Willow. “I’ll ask again; what’s goingon?”
“I have a bit of a confession to make.Promise you won’t thump me?”
“What have you done, Willow?”
“I talked to Grayson.”
“Yeah, you told me. Last week after myhissy fit, as you calledit.” When she’d been so flustered by Grayson she’d left poor Cujoin the corridor with him.
“No. I’ve been kind of talking to him sincethen, too.”
Jamie’s chest tightened. “When? How?”
“He somehow got my phone number and calledme.” Her friend took adeep breath. “He’s coming here. Today.”
Her heart pounded like tribal drums insideher ribcage. Today? “Whatfor?”
“He wants to take you out for the day, butonly if it’s okay with you.”
“You set me up? I can’t believe you’d dothat, Willow. You knowhow much I hate him.”
Willow shook her head. “No, you don’t. It’sso obvious you like him. You’ve been talking about him non-stop allweek.”
“I have not. Okay, maybe I have, but onlybecause he’s so damn infuriating.”
“Admit it, Jamie, you havethe serious hots forhim, and I don’t blame you. The guy’s gorgeous.”
Yeah, and a dangerouswerewolf.
“If I’m wrong, I’ll text him now and call thewhole thing off,” Willow continued, reaching for her phone.
“You set me up,” Jamie repeated.
“Only because you’re my bestie and I love you.” Willow smiledsoftly. “You can’t live your life hating men forever, Jamie. GiveGrayson a chance. The guy made one mistake, that’s all.”
Jamie hesitated. Her head told her no, buther fluttering stomach said something else. “But he’s not who you think he is.” Sometimesshe wished she could tell her friend about the supernatural world,but Willow wouldn’t believe it.
“One date, that’s all he’s asking.”
She vented a sigh. “Okay. Where’s he takingme?”
Willow did her stupid, spin-around dance, the one she did whenshe was excited. “Eeek,” she screamed. “You’re going to go? I’m sohappy for you!”
Cujo yapped around her ankles as if he wasin on the set up too. Jamie grinned as she tipped her coffee downthe sink. “Both of you are traitors, you know that?”
“See? Even Cujo likes him.”
“What time is he coming?” she asked,attempting indifference and failing. She turned the tap to rinsethe ditch-water coffee down the plughole.
Willow glanced at the kitchen clock. “Inabout five minutes.”
“What!” Her pulse rate hit the ceiling.Jamie turned the tap the wrong way and water splashed over hersweatshirt, soaking it. She turned off the spray of water and sworeas she looked down at her top; an old one from years back,with TeamJacob printed on thefront. Worse still, there was a wolf pawprint on the back, with theword imprinted underneath. Was that even a thing? What if Grayson had… Awerewolf would be here in five minutes, a real one, not one fromthe movies, who she’d had a daft crush on back then. She’d oncestayed up the whole night, binge-watching every Twilight film in succession. She spun to face herfriend. “Oh my God, I have to change! My hair’s a mess. I have toput makeup on—”
Willow laughed. “Calm down, woman. Youlook great.”
She skirted around her friend and headedtowards her bedroom. “Quick, help me find something to wear.Where’s he taking me anyway?”
“I don’t know, he wouldn’t tell me,” Willowsaid, following her.
“Huh, fat lot of good you are.” Sherummaged frantically through the racks of clothes, not finding anything suitable.Suitable for what? She imagined Grayson would take her to someposh, Michelin star restaurant, flashing his cash again. Jamiestopped. Whatthe hell am I doing? Theguy was an arrogant, overgrown dog… with a wicked smile that madeher legs turn to jelly.
Her doorbell rang. She pulled out herhairband and raked her fingers through the tangled strands. “He’shere already?”
Willow’s amused expression only madethings worse. “I haven’t seen you this jittery for a long time. I knew you liked him. Doyou want me to get the door?”
“No, I’ll get it. You’ve done enough damagealready.”
Jamie ran to the door, then stopped as shereached the hall. She couldn’t let Grayson see hersweatshirt—anything but that. She pulled it over her head and threw it behind her,narrowly missing Cujo, his tail wagging. Her hand on the doorhandle, she took a moment to compose herself. With Willow hardlygiving her any notice of his visit, he’d have to take her as hefound her, slouchy tee, old jeans and barely any makeup.
She blew out a breath. At least she wasn’tcaked in orange foundation this time.
Jamie opened the door, anticipation fizzingin her belly.
Chapter Seven
Grayson waited outside her door, for oncein his life having noidea what to expect. He could only hope Willow had managed toconvince Jamie to at least speak to him, but it might have gone theother way and set off that temper of hers again. Her sharp tongue?She could slice bread with that.
He shook his head in despair, questioning his sanity at puttinghimself through this. ‘Give her time and then be yourself,Grayson,’ Alice had said when he’d returned home after the last lotof abuse Jamie had hurled at him. His aunt had been his confidantand his friend for as long as he could remember, and he trusted hermore than any member of his pack, so he’d listened to her advicewhen she’d told him to wait a week, even though the time haddragged.
But now he was here.
In haste, he propped the package he’dbrought for
