Racing The Beast (Dirt Track Dogs #2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

probably seem like an insane person right now. Which actually isn’t something I mind people thinking. Usually. But I… guess I wanted to try to explain myself. I think I’m doing a bang-up job. What about you?”
    He opened the can of soup to stall.
    “Can I ask you a question?”
    She smirked. “You just did.”
    Ah, his mate had such a smart mouth. Such a smart sexy mouth.
    “I’m going to take that as a yes.” He filled the soup can with milk and added it to the pan. Milk—instead of water—was the secret to amazing tomato soup. Surge taught him that. “What would your answer be if I asked you when?”
    She frowned. “When what?”
    Beast shrugged. “Just… when?”
    He was intuitive. He could gain a lot of information from her answers. Especially if she didn’t realize what question she was answering.
    While she considered how to respond, he flipped the sandwiches.
    “2005,” she said quietly.
    She’d chosen the past. A long time ago in the past. And he knew immediately that she must be referring to the bastard who’d hurt her.
    Beast held his breath and then let it out slowly.
    She could’ve said “tomorrow” or “3pm” but she didn’t. She’d made a choice to confide in him without actually confiding in him. Which was exactly what he’d hoped for. It sounded screwy, but he understood it. He understood how Punk worked. She needed to talk, but she also needed to pretend she was keeping all her secrets tightly locked away.
    “And if I asked where?”
    She stared at her fingers, but snapped her response as if it was poison. “In a dim alley.”
    Shit. Every detail was making him angrier, and she didn’t need his anger right now. He’d seen how she shut down in the truck.
    “And if I asked why?”
    “Because assholes exist.”
    He plated the sandwiches and poured the soup into bowls.
    Placing the food in front of her, he said, “And if I asked… what?”
    She met his gaze squarely. He saw a war raging within her, wanting to share and wanting to hoard. Past hurts weren’t easily revealed. Sometimes they never were.
    “I’d say go fuck yourself.”
    One side of his lip pulled up. His mate had had enough. She’d been brave to tell him as much as she did.
    “Congratulations, sweetie. You’ve just mapped out our first date for me. We’ll go fuck ourselves in a dim alley because assholes exist… in 2005. Although, that part we’re going to have to compromise on because I haven’t learned how to time travel yet.”
    She blinked once. Twice. Then busted out a laugh. And she didn’t stop there. She kept going and going until he thought he’d keel over from the pleasure the sound brought him.
    He’d made her laugh. Brought her through a panic, drew out some of the poison she was hoarding from her past, and made her laugh with abandon.
    Today was a fucking good day.
    “And that’s prettttty much what a date with me would look like too,” she squealed. “A total fucking disaster.” She laughed some more and Beast found himself chuckling along with her.
    “Damn, girl. My wolf likes that. Your laugh is beautiful.”
    Ah, shit. It slipped out. He wouldn’t take it back though.
    “Your wolf?” she asked, a giggle slipping through.
    “Yeah, don’t you know? There’s a wolf under all this sheep’s clothing.” He flexed a bicep jokingly.
    “Oh, really.” She picked up a sandwich and shoved half the triangle in her mouth.
    “Really.”
    “That why they call you Beast?” she asked around a mouthful of food. “‘Cause there’s a beast inside you?”
    He grinned. “Maybe. You’ll have to wait until our date to find out.”
    “I guess I’ll be waiting a long time then. 2005 is a long ways away… in the wrong direction.”
    He leaned across the bar so he was hovering over the plate of sandwiches. “Yeah but I said we’d compromise, remember?”
    She nodded, her eyes dancing. “That’s right. You did.”
    He stared at her, unable to help himself. She was so beautiful.