Page 29 of A Wolfe in the Woods

When I could finally breathe normally again, I wondered how long I could hide out in the lake in my mortification before I could sneak back to my cottage when he wasn’t looking. So much for stretching out on the lounge chair as I dried off and reading my book.

Damn.

I sighed, sinking beneath the water, tempted to scream under the surface. Then I couldn’t help but smile, rubbing my face with my hands.Oh well. It happened. What could I really do about it? I hadeyeballs. And Jonathan Wolfe was a fine, fine man. Maybe Meg was right. I really needed to make time for dating more when I got back to Graymore. Maybe it was long overdue.

When I surfaced again, I blew out a breath and floated, distantly hearing hammering.

Staring up at the sky, now all I could think of were Jonathan Wolfe’s eyes. Or how they’d darkened to an inky indigo in the moonlight, which had made anticipation rise in me. Like I was holding my breath for him.

For the next half hour, I stayed in the lake—longer than I normally would’ve—as I snuck peeks at Jonathan, watching him work. He obviously knew I was here, but he kept his head down, continuing his task, not acknowledging me at all except for that one brief moment.

I was just about to get out of the lake, dry off, and retreat back to my cottage when he lumbered down the porch steps, heading toward the shade of a nearby tree. I watched as he leaned down to snatch a jug of water, tilting it back to drink. I tried not to stare, but the way his throat bobbed was oddly…mesmerizing.

Even beneath the warm water, I felt goose bumps spring up over my skin.

He lowered the jug, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. “I can see you watching again. You’re not very good at hiding, you know.”

The timbre of his voice rippled over the lake toward me. The way the water carried his words made it seem like he’d spoken them right into my ear.

Caught.

My face immediately flamed, though I could maybe blame it on the heat of the sun if I had to.

Brazen it out, Blanche,I told myself.You’re a guest here. You’re using the…amenities. If he’s walking around in a sweaty tank doing manual labor, you can’t suddenly pretend you’re blind.

“I wasn’t hiding,” I called out. Clearing my throat, I added, “I just didn’t want to be in your way again.”

He made a sound. Was that a laugh? Had I actually made himlaugh?

I held my breath as I waited for him to reply. Only he didn’t. Instead, he set down his water jug and…approached the lake’s shore. I straightened in the water, not expecting him to come closer orengage. My ears seemed to twitch as the sound of his boots crunched over the gravel path before they thudded on hard sand.

I met his eyes as he squatted down at the water’s edge. He skimmed his hands across the water before cupping it and splashing his face and neck. The ripples that radiated out from his touch reached me, and I shivered again. To dry off most of the droplets, he shook his head in a decidedly wolfish way. Then he stood, dropping to sit back on the edge of the lounge chair where I’d put my stuff down. His hands were draped between hislegs as he regarded me. Then those blue eyes went to the edge of the forest, seeming to scan its perimeter.

“Are you trying to…fix up all the cabins still?” I asked when the silence lingered too long.

He inclined his head, that gaze returning to me. I watched his eyes flick beneath the water before they came to meet mine. “Yeah.”

Not a talker, is he?I thought wryly.

“How long has the B&B been open?” I tried.

“Not long,” he said. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to get a knot out. For a brief moment, I wondered what it would be like to touch him, to try to rub his overworked muscles to offer him some relief. Then my face burned even more, which made him narrow his eyes on me. “Since spring officially. We have more cabins that need fixin’ than we have up and runnin’ though.”

I heard aslighttwinge of May’s accent in his voice, but it came and went. A mountain accent. I’d heard there was a whole community of people living in Juniper Woods, people who preferred their privacy, the peace of their land. Mostly shifters or Lycans, from what I’d gathered.

I wondered if Jonathan had grown up in these woods, but surely if he had, I would’ve seen him in town.

But I also didn’t want to ask him in case he thought I was prying and being nosy.

“Well, I like my cottage. Uh, cabin. Whatever you call it. You did a nice job,” I offered, hoping it was an olive branch between us since we hadn’t started out on the right foot.

He didn’t reply, just looked at me.

I licked my lips, tasting lake water. “Is there anything farther up?” I asked, my gaze drifting toward the stretch of forest beyond the lake.

Jonathan glanced up the slope. “There’s an old mine over the ridge. Abandoned. Faces the sea, but it’s been sealed for over a century.” He paused, as if deciding how much more to say. “There’s a system of caves inside the mountain that connects to it. The entrance is on this side, but I’m sure it’s long overgrown by now.”

I nodded slowly. “Is there anything else up there worth seeing?”