Hunt Me! (I Crave The Chase) - Page 168

And Jules was the pretty one. The one who loved humans so much he never stopped reading about them.

“What else did he teach you?” I asked, pressing into him, the warmth of his body bleeding into mine. He always ran like a zillion degrees, and even in a suit I could feel the heat of his skin.

“He said to bring you flowers.”

“You already do that.”

“I know,” Mutt smiled, nuzzling my cheek. “But I brought you more anyway.”

“Where are—oh.” I glanced at our feet and snorted out a laugh when I saw the red bouquet of roses that sat scattered on the floor. I hadn’t even noticed him carrying them. Or when he’d dropped them to hold me.

Priorities.

“You smell nervous,” Mutt hummed, ducking right back down again to get back to work. I shivered, tipping into the flutter of kisses and licks that he settled along the length of my neck.

“I am,” I admitted, shivering. “I have a surprise for you—and I’m not sure if you’ll like it.”

“If you planned it I will.”

“Softie,” I slapped his chest playfully, then decided that was enough snuggling for now and peeled myself free. Only Mutt apparently was not done. Because he reeled me right back in, his face buried in my hair.

The next full moon was only a week away, and he’d been more and more clingy lately. I didn’t mind. Hell, if I was being honest I kinda loved it. He always touched me, possessive, and all encompassing. Clinging to me, pressing me into things, crowding on top of me like I was the comfiest place in the whole world.

We snuggled in the doorway for five minutes until Collin poked his head out of the hallway to check on us.

“You done?” He called, obviously trying to hide his outfit so he wouldn’t spoil the surprise.

“Fuck.” I flipped him off for the second time that day and laughed. Collin disappeared, but I decided he was right. It was time to get serious. Let the wooing commence. “C’mon, big guy. Let’s get you some grub.”

I jerked Mutt toward the center of the room, heart in my throat.

“What is a grub?” Mutt asked eagerly, twisting to admire the room with wide, blue eyes.

I shifted to the side so he could see better, waiting half-terrified to see if he understood what I’d done.

“It’s a dumb word for food.”

“Oh!”

A single round table sat in the center of the room covered in a checkered tablecloth. Two chairs sat beside it. A green bottle with a dripping candle rested in the center of the table beside a vase full of breadsticks. The buttery garlicky scent filled the room as I waited—and waited, heart skittering.

Does he get it?

My palms were sweaty.

And Mutt just kept staring.

There was a frown on his face, his brow flickering as he stared at the table like he recognized it but wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. So I hurried forward and pulled his chair out for him. He smiled at me, still confused. Then he moved to the other chair and sat down with a happy hum. He picked at his collar like it was itching him, and then his sleeves, staring at the candle with fascination.

“Do you…get it?” I asked, laughing a little as I slid into the chair I’d pulled out for him. Of course he didn’t know about that—chivalry or whatever. He wasn’t a chick.

Oh fuck.

Had I gotten this wrong?

Why wasn’t he talking?

Collin had obviously been watching us, because he appeared a few seconds later before Mutt could even reply. Except he was a shit. A total fucking shit—because he had a mustache on. And that had not been an approved part of his costume.