belly, speeding her breathing. It was worth a night in a tent, she decided. If he could do this to her when he was only holding her hand, imagine the fun they would have tonight. What aftershave was he wearing? Or, she looked closely at his smooth chin and jaw, maybe it wasn"t aftershave. It looked like he didn"t need to shave.
“I love your cologne,” she told him, inhaling. “What is it?”
“My what?” he said blankly.
“Your scent. It"s yummy.”
His gorgeous white smile flashed. “It"s the mating scent. Just for you.”
The Mating Scent? She"d never heard of that one. Or was it called Just For You?
Whatever. It was delicious. She set the bowl aside and yawned.
He kissed the back of her hand. “You need to rest. Lie down.” His grin peeped out again, with a wicked slant to it. “Sleep now, because I"m going to keep you awake all night long.”
A thrill swept through her. “Promise?”
He licked her palm. “Promise.”
How many hours until dark? She watched him leave and shimmied with anticipation.
Damn, he was hot. She"d slept with a few men, but none like him. His appeal went beyond physical good looks; it was that, plus raw animal sex appeal. None of her previous lovers had licked her palm and made her so wet so easily. A few hours with him would rock her world and make her forget the stress of the last two days.
It was only after she"d lain down on the blankets that she realized she still hadn"t been able to notify the study center that she would need to reschedule her interview.
Chapter Three
Night had fallen when she woke up feeling like she hadn"t brushed her teeth or peed in a week. She really needed to find the bathroom. She sat up, groping in the dark for her purse to paw blindly through it for her travel toothbrush. Thank goodness she had brought a toothbrush and toothpaste along so she could freshen up before her interview. And speaking of that, as soon as she"d used the bathroom, she should find a phone and call. Or, no, maybe she should wait for morning. The office would be closed now.
Glory wrestled her way out of the teepee. It was too dark to see the door flap or how it fastened, so she ended up tripping and almost doing a belly flop into the grass. She had just managed to get clear of the darn thing and get her balance back when a man spoke right behind her.
“Hello. You are my son"s mate?”
Glory squeaked, slapping a hand over her chest and peering through the gloom to try to make out the man. “You scared me!” Boy, now she really needed to find the bathroom!
“What? Yeah. Hi. Glory Peterson. You"re Wolf"s Shadow"s dad?”
“Yes. My name is Arthur Muddy Wolf. I want you to know that you are safe here. No one will force you to do anything. You can stay with the Grandmother if you need more time to make a decision about my son. Are you married?”
“What? No! If I were married I wouldn"t be—” Glory cleared her throat, not wanting to admit her eagerness to sleep with Shadow in front of his dad. “Look, do you mind if we finish this later? I really need to use the little girls" room. Could you point me in the right direction?”
The man"s shadow didn"t move. “Little girls" room? We have no girls here.”
Good grief! She resisted the urge to roll her yes. If he was trying to be funny it wasn"t working. “The bathroom. You know, nature"s calling?” She wiggled urgently to give him a hint.
“The latrine. Yes, it"s—”
A familiar scent came to Glory, and Shadow stepped close to put his arm around her.
The night air was cold, and Glory leaned discreetly into his warmth. “I will take care of Glory, Father.”
“It is her decision, son. Just one more question, Glory. Is my son hurrying you? Would you like some time to get acquainted with him before you share his bed?”
Ack! Not too embarrassing! “It"s fine, really. I like Wolf"s Shadow. Oh, God. I am going to die of embarrassment before I can get to the bathroom.” Her eyes widened. “Did I just say