Page 47 of The Bookseller and the Alpha (Witch Twins #1)

But if I he insisted on me coming along on his investigation, I was going to help .

I wasn’t just along for the ride or because Luc needed to keep me plastered to his side.

I was intelligent and I had a degree in magical theory.

I might not be able to cast the necessary spell to decode the journal, but I had a fair idea of how it would be done…

theoretically. I would be professional and helpful.

This morning we had work to do and I needed rational Caly; not the hormonal mess that he created just by looking at me.

It should have been easy to shove that Caly back down.

Back where she’d been buried. I didn’t have a high libido.

I hadn’t dated since the debacle with Javier.

And it had never been a problem. While I’d had dreams when I was younger that I’d be swept off my feet and fall in insta-love with a hot Shifter who would love me forever, adult Caly knew that real life wasn’t like that.

I’d dated and even tried a relationship when I’d been younger, but it hadn’t worked out.

The sex had been unexciting and the expectations that I would be a good little wife and homemaker had pissed me off.

I had a business to run. I had accepted that mind-blowing sex was something I’d only find in the pages of my romance novels and moved on.

Deep down, I still wanted Mr Right. I wanted it all.

A husband. A baby. But I wasn’t going to give up who I was for any man.

Until then, my life was just fine without a man.

Or should I say, had been fine without a man.

Until him . It was like Luc had flicked a switch that I hadn’t even known existed in my body.

And now that it was turned on, I wasn’t sure I could turn it off.

But not now. Today was work. So, no. I wasn’t going to think about that anymore. This was a work trip. Yeah. In a luxury car with a smoking hot Alpha who looked at me as though I was dessert and he’d been starving. And who had Declared his Intent.

I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. Who was I kidding?

Even though I shouldn’t think about that this morning, my thoughts kept circling back to the same question.

It was bad enough that Luc had turned on some sort of lust switch in my body.

But the idea that he wanted me as his mate.

I was incredibly tempted. He was all my dreams wrapped up in one large, hot, body.

I could say yes. I wanted to say yes. If I said yes, I wouldn’t need to worry that he would change his mind or cheat on me.

Shifters were faithful to their mates until they died.

And as far as I could tell, the sex was going to be better than anything I’d experienced in my life.

But my vagina wasn’t in charge of this decision.

And just as well, given that she was already fully on board with the idea. I had to use my brain.

And he’d really pissed me off when he’d suggested that my business didn’t matter.

I’d worked too hard for what I had. If I was going to accept him as a mate, he needed to understand that I wouldn’t roll over every time he made a demand.

At least he had listened. He had compromised.

He had said he was proud of me. Then he had blindsided me with another gift. One that showed he knew me.

Fuck, I was in trouble. Deep trouble. If this whole Declaration blew up in my face it was going to hurt.

My own overthinking was exhausting me and I tried to tune out the thoughts, by watching our surroundings out my window.

We were leaving the city, heading for the mountains.

But eventually, despite my brain telling me that I needed to ignore the man beside me, my gaze kept returning to him and my awareness contracted until I could focus on nothing but him.

I knew so little about him, but he did things for me that no other man had ever done.

He pulled all of my attention to him and I couldn’t stop noticing…

everything. The slight wave of his hair and the small curl at the nape of his neck.

The sexy stubble on his chin. The smooth play of muscles in his tanned forearms, and his long fingers on the wheel.

My mind flashed back to those fingers against my bare skin and my own reaction.

My body heated in remembered desire and I squirmed against the luxury seats, pressing my thighs together.

Hoo boy. It was suddenly too hot in the car.

Luc obviously noticed something… my scent, my arousal?... because he inhaled sharply. He flashed a glance in my direction. His eyes were very blue as his Shifter rose to the surface and I got a glimpse of sharp canines when he smiled. What the hell sort of Shifter was he?

He took one hand off the wheel to fiddle with the controls for the air conditioning.

“Don’t get me wrong, sweetheart.” His voice was deep, gravelly.

It was the voice of his inner beast. “I love how you smell, but I can smell your arousal and it’s just about killing me over here.

I don’t really want to visit my father while I’m sporting the biggest hard-on I’ve ever had in my life. ”

Unbidden, my eyes flicked to his lap where, sure enough, evidence of his state was clearly outlined against his pants. Then my lust-addled brain finally processed what he’d said. Wait . What? His father?

“We’re going to visit your father?”

“Yes, he’ll be able to help.”

I wasn’t sure why a Shifter was going to be able to help with our problem, but that question disappeared from my mind as I processed that I was about to ‘meet the parents.’ Fuck. I spluttered, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m telling you now. We’ll be at my folks’ house in about half an hour.” His voice had returned to its normal register.

“But I’m not properly dressed.” Oh gods.

Shit. Fuck. This was bad. Maybe I could keep my new coat on for the visit.

It was classy. I couldn’t visit Luc’s parents just wearing leggings and a sweater.

Sure the sweater was cashmere and it was a designer brand, but I’d purchased it at a charity shop so it was far from new.

It was bad enough that I was going to meet the family of a Shifter who’d stated his Intent, but that wasn’t the worst of it.

Oh no, not by far. His mother was the former fucking President.

I could feel myself spiralling and I started frantically searching through my bag. “I didn’t put on any make-up.”

“Caly.” One large hand dropped onto mine, covering it and squeezing gently. “Breathe.”

“Just let me get some make-up on. It’s better than nothing.”

The car slowed and Luc pulled over to the side of the road. He captured my chin with his other hand, gently tilting my face until I could see him. A frown pulled his eyebrows together. “Relax, love, it’s okay. Truly. They will welcome you with open arms.”

“Um, I doubt it.” I could imagine the sort of women he usually associated with. Women with thin waists and legs up to my armpits. In designer dresses. I didn’t understand why he would want me.

But I was starting to relax, despite myself. A feeling of calm flowed into my chest, soothing the frantic beats of my heart. Luc’s thumbs were working magic. One was rubbing my back in gentle circles; the other gently wiping away a stray tear. “You’re perfect,” he said.

“That’s all fine for you to say,” I grumbled.

“But this is not the first impression I’d have gone for if you’d told me.

I would have at least worn something nicer…

newer.” Still, I was no longer about to puke from anxiety.

Another wave of calm descended on me, flowing from Luc’s fingers into my chest… almost as though it came from Luc.