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beautiful you look, all flushed and warm? How turned-on I am, knowing I’m the one who put that look on your face?” he asked, staring at her closed eyelids and kiss-swollen mouth.
    Her eyelids fluttered open. The naked desire her eyes revealed took the words from his mouth. The overwhelming urge to kiss her again, to drag her into her apartment for all sorts of wicked things, rushed through him.
    “So tomorrow night, huh? Should I bring anything? Wine?” Her words penetrated the haze filling his brain. He shook his head, trying to clear it.
    “Sure,” he muttered. He needed to get out of here before he did something he’d regret. Julie was human. Taking her against the hood of his car like an animal was out of the question, no matter how much he might want to.
    Steeling himself, he placed a chaste kiss against her nose and led her to her door.
    “Sleep tight,” he murmured as she pulled out her key and unlocked the door. As she turned to say goodnight, her gaze drifted to the forest behind him, reminding him of her earlier fear.
    Something had spooked her, and it was his responsibility to figure out what and protect her from it. Once he got back to his place, he’d let his wolf patrol the forest around the store. He’d do whatever he needed to keep her safe.
     

 
    Chapter 4
     
    Taking this much time to choose wine was ridiculous. He probably wouldn’t even care what she brought over. So why couldn’t she make up her mind? Julie paused to examine yet another label.
    It might be easier to buy several bottles and decide at home. With any luck, Brendan would never know she’d traveled two towns over to get wine for their night together. The liquor store in Alpine Woods didn’t have anywhere near the wine selection this one had. The more she thought about it, the more she liked that option. It would be nice to have some around the apartment. It wasn’t as if she wouldn’t get to them all sooner or later.
    As if whatever wine she bought would change things between them.
    This was stupid. Brendan wasn’t hers, and she would never be the mate he needed. Maybe if she were a beta wolf or an omega, things wouldn’t look so bleak, but she wasn’t even a shifter. She was only kidding herself, fantasizing about winning his heart like a child. A wave of depression crashed over her. The truth was she wanted to go to Brendan’s. She wanted to do a hell of a lot more than kiss him too.
    She looked at the bottle in her hand, not really seeing the label. What was she doing? Having a fling with Brendan would fulfill the dreams she’d had since high school, but was such a bad idea. No matter how much she tried to deny it, her heart would get involved. And it would lead to more tears and a broken heart.
    It was already going to be difficult to let her dreams go once his mate came into the picture. Julie sucked in a breath at the painful thought. Having to watch her siblings pair off was hard, knowing she wouldn’t have the same connection. Watching Brendan with a mate would devastate her.
    Right now, she was at least rational. But if she acted on her impulses, dropping the reins on her wayward fantasies and jumping in with both feet, Brendan finding a mate wouldn’t just devastate her–it would destroy her.
    Where did that leave her tonight? Either she could go to Brendan’s and risk losing control–risk ruining everything–or she could cancel. Julie let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She knew what she had to do. As much as she wanted to throw a tantrum at the thought of cancelling, it was time to put on her big girl panties. The right decision wasn’t always the most desirable one.
    She glanced down at the two bottles of wine in her hands. Might as well buy them. Since she was going to spend the night alone and depressed, a bottle of wine might be just what the doctor ordered.
    “The chardonnay is a great choice.” Julie jumped at the sound of the deep voice in her ear. Why was