Page 3 of Someone Else's Wolf

"You say that now." Juan grinned at him. "But it'll be—"

Sue power-walked past and snapped, "Peter, we've got work." Peter straightened up quickly from where he'd been leaning against my desk and headed after her. She didn't look at me as she passed. Her back was rigid, her face set.

"Have fun in the field!" Juan called, cupping his hands. "Doing all that CSI shit."

Peter made a face at him as he hurried after Sue, moving to catch up and fall into step with her.

I hoped that would be the end of it. Tried to look busy and engaged in paperwork. No luck; Juan was studying me.

"Seriously, dude. Is there something I should know? He's glued to your side. I'm jealous."

"Why, I didn't know you cared." I batted my eyelashes at him sarcastically.

His grin was cute. "That's why you shouldn't assume things. Seriously, is he looking for a new partner? He's so soft with you. Like, protective and shit. You should've heard him the other day. Jeffries was talking shit about your car, and Peter started telling everybody what a great car it was."

"Jeffries is talking shit about my car?" The man had some nerve; I'd give him that. "With that thing he drives?"

"Yes, but that's not the point. Peter's defensive of you. Is he trying to get a new partner or something?"

"First I've heard. I hope not. I don't want to get in the middle of anything." Even as I said the words, as casually as I could, a warm feeling started in the pit of my stomach — something like butterflies. If Juan thought it, and Sue thought it—

Still. I wasn't qualified, and I wasn't trying to get into a whole thing with Sue, fighting over her partner.

So what if Peter liked me? I was a likeable guy. Who wouldn't like me?

I shook my head. "Nah, he's just being nice. He wouldn't pick her, then get all wiffle-waffley about it. Wolves are loyal."

"Now, who's stereotyping?"

I threw a wadded-up piece of paper at him.

He laughed as he ducked. "Wiffle-waffley? Dude. Learn to speak English."

CHAPTER TWO

All this talk about Peter got me pondering. I was flattered despite myself, thinking he saw me as something special, or interesting in some way. Now, I didn't really see it the way Sue and Juan seemed to, but it was still flattering.

As well, it was nice to know that either Peter had no clue I was gay, or else knew and was going to keep it a secret. He didn't necessarily know everything, no matter how good his sense of smell was. I could just as easily see him knowing and not saying anything. The guy wasn't exactly an open book. His protectiveness towards me might extend to keeping something like that private.

But what if he did want to switch partners and choose me instead of Sue? Was that even allowed? I doubted it. For one thing, I hadn't been trained. I'd be sure to louse something up in the heat of the moment, if there was any specialized know-how involved in working with a wolf shifter.

Besides, I really didn't think he'd be so quick to switch his allegiance to someone other than Sue. He'd picked Sue; he'd had a lot of choice at the training center, because they always did. (Yeah, I'd read up about it — despite the fact that I would never be there myself.)

No, more likely he was just a friendly guy. I could live with that. I liked having a pal. I thought again of the way he'd grabbed my hand and worried over my wrist. That had seemed a bit overprotective. But there were worse things in the world than working around a wolf who got protective.

Briefly, I allowed my mind to wander to a fantasy of a dangerous work situation — trapped in a burning building, say — and Peter barging in to my rescue.Heh. As if I'd be doing anything in a burning building. I was a cop, not a firefighter. Still, I got a decadent enjoyment out of the picture. I wasn't weak, I could take care of myself, and I never needed to be rescued. But the idea that someone could, and would want to, held a certain appeal.

I wondered if that would make me more gay than liking dick, in the eyes of my fellow officers of the law, but I decided not to think about that anymore. I wasn't planning on coming out, or sharing that particular fantasy, either, so there was no reason to give a shit what they would think if they knew.

Of course, after he'd rescued me, I'd need a nice long shower to wash off the stains of ash and the smell of smoke. A nice long shower, with a nice, protective Peter behind me, holding me at the waist with those strong hands of his, rubbing up against me, nuzzling my neck. Asking in that solicitous voice of his if he could help me relax.

I'd brace my hands against the wall and...

Whoa, where was this coming from? I didn't fantasize about sex with Peter. Not with anybody I worked with, if it could be helped. And it usually could, if Lt. Jacobs wasn't all up in my face. Him and his shirtless hotness. Sure, I'd had some daydreams about him, usually when I was hot and bothered and couldn't get enough time off to find somebody. But I'd never daydreamed about him with that same intimate feeling that came from showering with someone and being touched by solicitous hands.

Damn. Did I really want to have sex with Peter?

Well, no shit I was horny. Probably, that's all it was.