Page 46 of Stubborn as a Shadow

“Uh oh.”

“That might mean someone’s been watching me.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “If my cover is blown…”

“Because of me?”

“I didn’t know you when I arrived, so I don’t see how it could be.”

“Are we taking my SUV?”

Nelson shook his head. “No. It’s compromised too.”

“So we’re walking to Willow Lake? For the record, that sounds dreadful.”

I might be a shifter, but my unicorn was a pampered bitch. Wilderness excursions, survival camps, and snowy hikes were not for me. Okay, sure, sometimes I envisioned what it might be like when I reunited with my unicorn herd. In those daydreams, I saw myself galloping across flower-covered meadows as part of a beautiful rainbow-colored family. But I’d always thought that’d be more like a family picnic, not a lifestyle choice. I liked television, fluffy pillows, and well-stocked refrigerators. Oh, and showers with steaming hot water. Those definitely needed to be added to the list too.

“No, we aren’t walking.” He held his hand out to me, and I slid my hand in his. His strong fingers flexed around mine. This was a nice development, although it’d be even better if my fingers weren’t freezing cold. Then he pulled me deeper into the trees.

Honestly, I’d expected him to head back to the parking lot and hotwire a car. Trudging through the trees was contradicting his “no, we aren’t walking” promise. But returning to the warm hotel wasn’t an option, so I followed. To distract myself from, well,everything, my thoughts strayed to more interesting things than hunters and walking in the snow and what not.

“Your shift is wild. I didn’t reallysee it when you shifted before.” I waggled my eyebrows at him. “It was super hot.”

He lifted one dark eyebrow. Snow was catching in his dark hair. I combed my fingers through the short strands to brush the snowflakes away. He moved away from my touch. Oops. Were we not at the touching stage yet? He’d wrapped me in his shadow form a few times now, but body to body touching was apparently a no-go for him.

“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” I said. But then, just in case he thought I was talking abouthis temperature with my “super hot” comment and not his fuckability quotient, as Violet called it, I reiterated, “but you are like super attractive.”

His lips twitched.

I’d been admiring him since we first stumbled out of the supply closet, but when he’d wrapped his shadow around me again just now, he’d really made my horn sparkle. Magic was sexy. That whole protective thing he had going on was sexy. Everything about Nelson was sexy.

But seeing his lips flirt with smiling, that just made me want to kiss them. They were plump and pink like candy. They were the one part of his face that seemed soft; everything else was so angular and sharp. In a good way. A very, very good way. It matched his whole badass vibe, with all his black clothing and stuff.

Sexy, sexy, sexy. Hallelujah. Give me a fan, I need to cool down?—

Or, well, maybe not. The snow was doing an excellent job of that already.

I bet those lips would be super soft against mine though. And someone with lips like thosehadto be spectacular at kissing. Anything else would be a travesty.

Not that I’d be able to tell if he was a good kisser or not. I’d never done that.

I smiled at him, making it big and wide, so he knew I was happy. People liked it when they made other people happy. It made them feel good. And since I could just look at Nelson and be happy, I was fully prepared to share the joy.

“Okay, handsome,” I said. Huh. My hand was back on him again. How did it end up on his chest? I patted him so he wouldn’t think I was trying to grope him. “How about we make like the rodeo and buck off?”

He wrinkled his forehead. “I’ve never heard that saying before.”

“Make like a banana and split?” I offered instead. “Make like an egg and get cracking?”

Nelson shook his head and led me away from the entrance of the parking lot. I noticed he stayed in the shelter of the trees still, which worked out well because the snow wasn’t as deep in here yet.

“I’ve got more. Do you want to hear them?” I asked, trotting along behind him.

“I think I’m okay,” he said.

“So, what’s your Plan B?”

He didn’t answer.

Okay. That was cool. I could wait.