Page 88 of Hot Girls Date Shifters

Three.

And that's all it takes.

The hopeful light in her eyes begins to dim.

Her smile falters.

“Oh...”

She drops her gaze to the ground.

“I...”

She lets out a tiny, embarrassed laugh that sounds like it hurts.

“I'm sorry.”

She starts to turn away.

As if she's already decided she read this whole day wrong.

As if she thinks I'm rejecting her.

I am absolutely not rejecting her.

That single thought jolts me back into motion.

“Elsie.”

I catch her gently, one hand circling her wrist just long enough to stop her before sliding to the small of her back.

The other finds her waist.

I turn her toward me.

Not roughly.

Carefully.

Like she's something precious.

She is.

Then I pull her into my arms.

She comes willingly.

Her body fits against mine so perfectly it steals the breath from my lungs.

Goddamn.

She's warm.

Soft.

Curvy in every place I've been trying not to think about all day.

Perfect.