“Hello, Lilly.” His voice held a slight growl that surprised him. He’d been victorious in his hunt, and regardless that he wore human skin, he was still a wolf and liked to find his prey. Dillon hoped the woman didn’t notice it.
“How do you know my name?”
Dillon pointed at her chest, where the name badge sat just above her right breast. Stop looking at her breast. He was surprised to find himself admiring her physical form. She had full hips, shapely legs, and a small waist. His eyes returned to her face, and he saw once again a flush in her cheeks. The sight made him smile. Wide-eyed, she stared back at him.
“Right.” Lilly gave a sharp nod. “Is there something I can help you with?” She wrung her hands in front of her and shifted from one foot to the other.
Dillon enjoyed the fact that he flustered her. It was endearing. Though she held her chin high and her shoulders back, she didn’t come across as haughty like many of the women who came into the feed store. “I’m looking for a book.” He glanced around the store.
“As you can see”—Lilly cleared her throat and gestured around her—“you’ve come to the right place. Do you have a specific book in mind?”
Dillon tried to keep a straight face as he spoke, but it was difficult, especially with her looking so serious. “Something about wolves.”
“Fiction or nonfiction?” Her voice steadied, and the flustered appearance left her. She was slipping back into her element, answering a customer’s question about books.
Well, that won’t do. Dillon liked her flustered.
“Which do you recommend?”
She shrugged. “I guess that depends upon whether you want to learn something or you want an escape.”
He shrugged. “I guess I need an escape. I spend a lot of time alone when I’m not at work. I can only spend so much time working out and running before it starts to get boring.”
He saw Lilly’s eyes move down, taking in his body. Her lips pressed together until her eyes moved back up and she met his gaze again. “Exercise looks good on you, I mean, it’s good for you. Running is good for you. Not just you, but everyone.”
Dillon lifted his hand and rubbed it across his mouth to hide his grin. She was cute. His wolf growled inside of him. He didn’t approve of where the man’s thoughts were heading. Dillon ignored his beast and focused on the lovely Lilly. He stared at her, watching her squirm under his scrutiny.
“Okay.” She brushed her hands down her thighs and turned on her heel. “Let’s check out the paranormal section. There are loads of books about werewolves, and they’re quite entertaining.”
“You read about werewolves?” He followed close behind her, trying not to notice how her backside swayed back and forth when she walked. He was failing miserably.
“I like to read just about anything.” Lilly’s tone was confident again. “As I said before, reading is a way to escape. You get to travel to different worlds, meet new people, and forget about your own problems for a little while.”
She stopped in front of a section of books, but Dillon’s gaze remained on her. “Do you have a lot of problems you need to forget about, Lilly?” His voice sounded more serious than he’d intended, but he suddenly found that he didn’t like the idea of this woman having to suffer through any hardships. What the hell, Dillon? She’s not ours. His wolf growled at him. Maybe not, he answered. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be her friend and help her if she needs it.
Lilly bit her lip and looked as if she was contemplating how to answer. Finally, she looked up at him. “No more than anyone else, I’m sure.’’
Dillon narrowed his eyes on her, and he saw the pulse in her neck increase. Her scent changed, telling his wolf she was nervous. He could tell it wasn’t the same kind of nervous she’d experienced when she’d first seen him in the store. Canis lupus learned that emotions had distinct smells. Even variations of the same emotion smelled differently to the nose of a wolf. The nervousness she felt right now told Dillon she wanted to get away from him. He was asking questions she didn’t want to answer.
“So.” She blew out a breath and motioned to the shelves. “Here’s our paranormal section. Lots to choose from. I’m sure you will find something that intrigues you.”
“I already have,” Dillon said softly. He continued to look at her, ignoring the books at which she was gesturing.
Lilly swallowed and crossed her arms in front of her. She glanced down at the ground, and Dillon wondered if she was hoping a hole would open up so she could escape him.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?” He already knew the answer.
“You know you are.”
His lips stretched into a wide smile, and he stepped closer to her. He liked her scent. It was driving him crazy that he couldn’t tell what about it was so different from a human’s. But it was definitely different. Perhaps she was a dormant? If so, maybe the bond between true mates wouldn’t respond the same way as between two full Canis lupus. She is not our mate, his wolf grumbled. Dillon ignored the sulking beast and focused back on the lovely Lilly. “Would you let me take you out on a date so I can continue to make you uncomfortable?”
Her eyes snapped up to his face. “You enjoy making me nervous?”
Dillon shrugged one shoulder and slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “It makes you blush. And that makes your skin turn a soft, rosy red. It’s very becoming.”
She quickly dropped her arms and glanced around as if someone might have overheard him. There was no one near them, not that Dillon cared if someone was listening.
“You are quite forward, Mr.…” She paused, waiting for him to fill in the blank.
“To you, just Dillon.’’ He tried not to smirk at her obvious frustration, but she was too dang cute.
“Okay, Mr. Just Dillon. I’ve got to get back to work.” She started to turn away from him.
“Hold up.” He reached out and wrapped his hand around her arm, making sure to keep his grip gentle. She was human and much more fragile than he. “You didn’t answer my question.”
Lilly stopped and turned slightly so she could look at him. Several seconds ticked by before she replied. “Why would you ask me out?” He saw confusion in her eyes, and her brow wrinkled. “Women have been chasing you for as long as I’ve been in this town. And as far as I know, you’ve not accepted any of their advances. So why me?”
“Because you smell good.” That hadn’t been what he meant to say, so he quickly followed it up with something he hoped was a little less creepy. “And you intrigue me.”
Lilly’s eyes went wide. “I … smell good?”
“I’m sorry. I guess if I had said you looked good, you wouldn’t have thought that was as creepy, huh? But think about it. The sense of smell is just as important, isn’t it? At least to some species, anyway.” His attempts to sound less creepy were not going well.
“Some species? Um, I guess so.” She shook her head and grinned. “Are you some kind of dog, judging me based on my smell? I guess I should be thankful you haven’t tried to sniff my butt.”
He smiled as he saw humor in her gray eyes. She was enjoying the fact that he was the one who was uncomfortable for a change. “It’s just a date, Lilly. We both need to eat. I’m tired of eating by myself. Do you have anyone to eat with?” The thought of Lilly dining with someone else bothered him. Weird. Why the heck would that bother me?