Page 38

My eyes, damn them, move back to that mouth.

“Hi, guys!” Shay calls, sauntering over, two bottles of water in her hand. “You thirsty?”

Cole takes a deep breath and leans away from me.

I gasp in a breath myself – not realizing that I’d stopped breathing. That my heart ispounding.

Shay stops before us, water bottles held out, a cute little grin on her lovely face.

“Thanks, Shayne,” Cole says, polite as usual, smiling up at her and taking the water bottle from her hand. “This was thoughtful of you.”

“No problem!” Shayne says, grinning at him and then turning to me, the water still held out.

I snatch the bottle from Shayne’s hand as I stand up, looking down at the ground, feeling…much more unsettled by that moment with Cole than I want to admit.

Because seriously – whydoI want to know? It’s not like Icare. It’s not like itmattersto me. It’s not like I’mjealous. It’s not like I – like I – like Ilikehim or anything –

“I’m getting back to work,” I grumble, pausing to meet Shayne’s eyes, hoping that she doesn’t take me storming off personally. I just…can’t be here right now.

“’kay!” Shay says, grinning at me, nodding, letting me know that she gets it.

I nod and walk away, headed for the nursing tent, wanting to get it ready in case more patients come tonight.

Behind me, I hear Cole sigh.

But I absolutely refuse to look back.

Chapter 20 – Look But Don’t Touch

Cole

Don’t look at her ass, don’t look at her ass, I growl to myself inwardly,willingmyself to resist as Nadia walks away from the fire, her water bottle clutched tight in her hand.

Come on, Cole, I say to myself.Don’t be acompletecreep.

Do it, my wolf urges – a soft, reverent whisper.

I clench my jaw, shoving him away. Nadia has made itveryclear that she is not, at all, interested in my advances – which would probably include me checking her out from afar.

Shayne moves to sit next to me on the log, her footsteps crunching on the rocky sand, and in that very tiny moment of distraction…my eyes drop.

As fasten precisely on Nadia’s…fairly perfect ass.

My jaw tightens – god damn it – how is it possible that – even in scrubs –

I force my eyes shut.

“Oh my god,” Shayne says next to me, her voice soft and delighted. “Were you just –“

I groan, my head dropping with shame.

“You totally were!” she gasps, all squeaky with glee. “You weretotallylooking at Na-na’sbuttwhen she walked away!” She bursts out laughing, and I sigh.

I look over at Shayne as she laughs, and I can’t help but smile, even if it’s at my expense. She just has a very infectious joy about her that’s hard to resist.

“Shut up,” I mutter, looking to the fire.

“You’re so cuuuuute,” Shayne coos, giving me a little shove on the arm.