Page 30 of Ruthless Alpha Beast

“Yeah,” I shrug. “Not bad.”

He winks and continues eating in that primal, wolfie way of his.

I want to find something to complain about, but I’ve got nothing.

There’s another excruciating, awkward silence as we eat, and then, Jasper finally talks.

“So, let’s talk logistics.”

I immediately think of his war, leadership books. I’m just a pawn in his game, nothing more.

“I’m not sure exactly what you mean by that, but okay.”

“We need to make this convincing, otherwise it’s not going to work.”

My mouth is full of bacon. I swallow carefully and wash down the deliciously salty flavor with juice.

“Okay,” I say. “What do you have in mind?”

“I need to know what you’re comfortable with,” he responds.

Wow. He said that so convincingly, I almost believed him.

“I don’t want you to touch me.”

He sighs and rolls his eyes as his hand falls to the table. “This is exactly what I mean about it not working.”

“Maybe we’re one of those couples that don’t like PDA,” I say. “Maybe we just like to save it for home.”

“Yes, okay, but we need to touch a little. How about a kiss on the cheek, and a handhold?”

“I’m not holding your hand.”

Cheek kissing, I can justify; I used to cheek-kiss my grandma. Hand holding is something else, though.

He cocks his head. “Really? What are you afraid of? Getting germs?”

“No.”

“Well, what?”

“That’s just too intimate.”

“But we’re putting on a show, that’s the point, Tara. Most shifters do a lot more in public with their significant others.”

I shudder at the thought of him and me ever being like those shifters.

“Why is everything always an argument with you?”

He looks at me as though I’ve just disputed his claim to Alphaship, or whatever.

“With me? I’m giving options, like I’ve been doing this whole time, and you’re just turning them down without any alternative solutions.”

“Fine,” I say. “You can put your arm around me and hold my waist. Kiss my cheek. That’s it. I don’t want to hold your hand, I don’t want to go anywhere near your lips, and I definitely don’t want to do anything else.”

“Fine,” he shakes his head, before leaning down to eat. As he does this, I notice the hair on his chest.

“What?”