Page 27 of Loan Wolf (Green Valley Shifters: Generations #1)

27

GABE

G abe couldn’t say no to Clara.

As much as he knew he needed to cut her out of his life before it was too late, it was like trying to break an addiction.

He wanted to be here, in his bed, with her in his arms, making soft noises of surrender, threading her fingers in his hair, scratching the stubble on his face, kissing him, spreading her long, luscious legs…

Was it really wrong? he wondered, when they lay apart breathing air into the depths of their lungs again.

A few more days wasn’t going to break his heart any more.

Why shouldn’t he enjoy these few precious days while they were his?

While she was his.

She is ours, his wolf said confidently.

Gabe felt a stab of despair, because she wasn’t. As soon as their contract was over, she was going back to New York to be a famous ballerina and he was stuck in this backward town being a big no one .

Clara stirred and stood, stretching in a terrifically distracting way. Gabe could not resist sitting up so he could reach out to caress her side and trace down her hip in awe.

“Do you play the bass?”

Gabe wished he’d known she was coming over. He could have tidied his room and covered the instrument.

“Terribly,” he admitted, taking his hand back. “I thought I’d join a punk band and storm the world in leather pants at one point.”

Clara choked. “Do you have leather pants?”

“Not anymore.”

“I missed seeing that sexy ass in tight leather pants?!” To Gabe’s delight, Clara climbed back onto the bed, her eyes hot, and he had to scoop her up and kiss her all over again.

Once they had tickled and giggled— she giggled (Gabe might not have fragile masculinity, but he definitely didn’t giggle)—and kissed a little more, Clara sat up and asked him frankly, “How many girls have you slept with?”

Gabe froze. “Where the hell did that come from?”

Clara dropped her gaze first. “Someone—my stepmom—said that you’d slept around.”

Gabe snorted. “Slept around Green Valley ,” he reminded her. “That’s a pool of maybe a dozen who aren’t too old, too young, married, or…just no .”

Clara looked sheepish. “Good point.”

Gabe took pity on her. “A couple in high school when I was horny and bored, a handful since. I didn’t notch the bedframe or anything. What about you? Have you slept all around New York City? You said you weren’t a virgin.”

Clara went beet red. “I’m not ! I wasn’t ! There was a guy in Europe. And a dancer in the company who was really desperate to prove he wasn’t gay. He’s married now, and his husband is a very nice guitar player from Brazil. I’ve also dated a few guys that didn’t really work out or go beyond a few awful kisses. And now… you .” She played shyly with the rumpled sheet beneath her.

Gabe wanted desperately to draw her back down with him, nuzzle her, and promise that this was their last except for each other, that they were meant to be together forever.

But he wasn’t any more permanent than the not-gay dancer or the guy in Europe.

And he wasn’t going to pretend to be.

“You want a shower before we go back to the shop? I still need you to pay the rest of the week.”

“Do I need to fill out some forms for insurance?” Clara asked. “For wrecking poor Daisy?”

“You going to sue me?”

Clara scoffed. “No!”

“Then insurance doesn’t need to be involved. It would be way more hassle than it’s worth. I’ll swap out the tire and slap on a little paint. She’ll be fine.”

“What are you doing tonight?” Clara asked shyly, standing to find her clothing.

“It’s Thursday in Green Valley. I’ll be tying on a frilly apron and cleaning the house,” Gabe said.

She looked over her shoulder at him as she buttoned her shirt. “You are not. ”

“What, you think those fucking angels dust themselves?”

Clara considered. “You know, if they were fucking angels, they’d actually be less creepy.”

“You should write to Precious Moments with exactly that suggestion,” Gabe said, finding his pants and pulling them on. He mourned his ruined jeans again. He should go back to the lake and pick them up so it didn’t raise any questions. That was the moment he realized that his wallet had been in his pocket.