“Indeed. Next time you might let them sit on a paper towel for a minute or two.”
“The other pan is all yours.” Wheeler walked behind William and handed him the spatula before taking a seat on the bench.
William hustled to the stove and turned off the burners, giving each slice of bacon individual attention as he laid them neatly on a paper towel. “Say, Naya is a pretty good warrior, isn’t she? I’ve heard about panthers, but I always thought it was just their animal that knew how to fight.”
“She holds her own,” Wheeler replied, separating a few pieces of bacon and setting them on his green plate.
A loud snap sounded. “Christ!” William shouted. He rubbed his bare chest and moved the skillet off the hot burner before emptying out all the bacon onto a plate. “There’s always one little piggy that wants revenge.”
Most of the men dressed casual in the morning. Wheeler’s clothes wouldn’t raise any eyebrows, except for the fact he was wearing the same outfit as last night. Austin usually got all the way dressed—or at least in jeans—and it probably had more to do with upholding an image. Plus he always had manual work to do at the crack of dawn. He was probably outside right now, chopping wood or digging a moat.
William set the bacon on the table along with a carton of juice and two large bowls of biscuits. “Naya’s attractive. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Wheeler flicked his eyes up to William and shoved the rest of his bacon into his mouth. “What are you driving at?”
“Nothing. Just couldn’t help but notice how comely she is.”
Wheeler sucked the crumbs off his fingers and watched him closely. “Keep away from her.”
William quickly buried a smirk. “Naya isn’t my type. Just can’t help but admire a supremely beautiful woman is all. Don’t you think? Or… is she not your type either?”
“Why don’t you make some coffee before I shove this fork up your nose?”
“I’ll make the coffee,” a soft, feminine voice announced.
Naya strolled into the kitchen wearing nothing but her white nightie, and Wheeler almost catapulted out of his chair.
***
I didn’t like waking up alone, even though I’d done it a million times before. What I did like was that Wheeler had stayed with me all night. We had some sexy times, but he opened up to me in a way no other man had. Not only that, but somehow he’d managed to break down my own walls. I could be myself with Wheeler without fear of judgment or that I wasn’t enough. It was the way he smoothed his hand over my hair when I had startled myself awake with a nightmare about Misha. He listened to me talk about her without any snide remarks. When he held me in his arms, I felt relevant—like my thoughts and feelings mattered to someone.
While my heart sank when I’d found the bed empty, I decided to hold my chin high. I kept reminding myself we had a pact behind closed doors, but on the outside, there were no promises. Wheeler wasn’t in love with me, and he wasn’t going to hold my hand in front of his pack and put a claim on me. I was just an exotic dancer who had spiced up his sex life.
“Don’t be foolish,” I whispered to myself, walking down the hall barefoot. “Stop those silly thoughts right now.”
Thoughts that I might actually love him. That would be disastrous! A panther and a wolf? I couldn’t afford to soften my heart for a man who would be ashamed to admit we’d slept together. He had slipped out before dawn, for God’s sake.
As I neared the kitchen, I overheard Wheeler telling someone to make coffee.
“I’ll make the coffee,” I offered.
Wheeler lurched out of his seat, his fingertips pressed against the table.
I pivoted around and put my hands on my hips. “What?”
“You should cover yourself up,” he said, voice tight, muscles flexing beneath his tats.
I glanced down. “I am covered. This is more than what I wear to work. My gown will hardly raise any eyebrows in this house.”
William walked by me with silent amusement on his face. While he rummaged through the fridge, I put on a pot of coffee and watched Wheeler reluctantly sit back down.
I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to be naughty around him, but I made it into a game. Wheeler didn’t want me parading around in front of the Weston pack in my sleeping clothes, which I found delightfully amusing since Shifters didn’t consider nudity a big deal. So I leisurely strolled down the row of cabinets and opened a drawer in front of him. The dish towel dropped on the floor, and I took my sweet time bending all the way over to pick it up.
When I turned around, Wheeler had reached out and gripped the other end of the table. His taut muscles looked like granite.
In my defense, I was wearing a thong.
“Morning, Naya!” April gave me a lively smile and took a seat at the table. She had on a pair of sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt.