Full Moon Games Series

Chapter 2

"What did you say?" I must have misheard him. Either that or he spoke in gibberish like I do.

"Well..." He licked his bottom lip, and damn me for memorizing every single second of it. "If you were a wolf shifter, like in these books that you love so much, what wolf would you be?"

"Um, I guess I've always identified as a lone wolf like from this book that I read once."

He furrowed his brow. "Hmm... No, I mean what kind of wolf are you?"

"Like in real life?" This was not how I'd imagined any bookstore conversation going, but here we were. "You first."

"Big. Fast." He leaned in, confident, suave, and totally mocking me. "I typically have a sandy gray coat, unless I get wet. And my scent, little rabbit, is like the sea during a rainstorm."

"Funny. You think because I like these books, I'm easy pickings. You're dead wrong." I waved the book in his face before I turned, ready to check out and get out of here.

Again, he flashed around me before I took a step forward. Okay, what was with this guy?

"No, I think you're fascinating. Something about you draws me in."

Ohhh, this guy was full of it, wasn't he?

"Is that right?" I forced out a laugh. "You don't even know me."

"Well, let's fix that." He leaned even closer, until those bright blue eyes were threatening to swallow me whole. "What's your name, little rabbit? I have to know."

I shouldn't have answered him. I had no reason to answer him. But I couldn't stop myself from opening my mouth and giving him exactly what he wanted. "Harlow. Harlow Vale."

"Harlow," he repeated, but the word came out of his mouth wrapped in silk and drizzled with chocolate.

I could have listened to him say my name over and over again.

"And yours?" I asked, my pulse thrumming.

"Aimes."

Aimes. Unique, like him. It sounded like a sigh, one that curled a pleasant tingle between my thighs.

"If you will excuse me, Aimes." Saying his name felt too damn good. "I need to finish my shopping so I can get to class."

I mostly just needed to get away from him before I did something silly. Like jump on him.

This guy had no right sauntering in here, the holiest of places, and making me feel so good.

I breezed past him with my book - books; oops, another jumped off a display at me - and headed into another aisle.

He didn't take the hint.

"Maybe you can offer me some good book recommendations," he said, following on my heels.

"Oh, you mean instead of shifter romance?" I picked up one book, only to slide it back in place because of the two sets of n*****s pointing right at my face.

"Yes. If you could recommend something other than wolf porn, that would be great."

"Wolf porn?" I laughed. "Wolf porn?"

"That's what it is, isn't it?"

He was clearly playing with me.

"Uh, no. Porn, or erotica, is just s*x. These have plots. Substance. Depth." And d***s, sometimes a few of them at once, but I kept that to myself. "They're not all dirty books. Some are just a little sexier than others."

I was right, of course, but he didn't seem to be buying what I was selling.

One of his eyebrows lifted mischievously. "You say that, but you like the dirty ones, don't you, Harlow?"

Yes. Yes, I did. And dirty men, too, apparently. "So? What do you like?"

"I prefer books with a little more meat to them," he said. "Thrillers, something daring and scary."

I snickered. "Well, my books have all of that. And they have plenty of meat."

I brushed past him, thinking I'd driven my point home, and my forearm touched his on accident. Something zinged through me, powerful enough to stagger me back a step. It felt like a spark had gone through my entire body, like static electricity and lightning had a baby.

"Holy f**k," I mumbled, shaking my hand as that zing turned to a low buzz.

My whole body tingled, my heart boomed, and I couldn't understand why I was having such a strong reaction to his touch.

He, on the other hand, was staring at me through wide, awestruck eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. Did you rub your feet on the carpet or something?" I asked, staring down at the cracked tile floor in confusion.

"You felt that?"

"Uh..." Probably not a good idea to tell a complete stranger about how tingly he made my body. That was a recipe for disaster. "You just surprised me, is all."

He almost looked disappointed.

I couldn't read him at all. He was such a strange guy, yet I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying our interaction. It was rare that I could easily banter with a man without knowing him for a long while.

"I would like to see you again," he said suddenly. "Can I?"

"Again?" I scoffed, mindlessly removing books from the shelves. "We've barely seen each other now."

"Come to a party with me tonight."

"What?" I snorted.

"Seriously. I have to go to this party tonight..."

"No offense, Aimes, but I'm a modern woman who's watched way too many true-crime shows, so I don't typically show up at parties with complete strangers."

"And I'm sure your mom taught you not to talk to strangers."

I nodded. "Exactly."

He flashed a charming grin that stole the breath from my lungs. "Well, you've already broken that rule. You might as well keep going. Live a little."

"Yes, until I end up locked in your basement freezer." He didn't seem the type, but I was wise enough not to trust like that.

He laughed. "That sounds very ominous."

"I'm sure it would feel even worse." I shivered at the thought.

"Take a chance. I promise you that you won't regret it. You might even have a good time." He had a glint in those blue eyes that made my heart beat faster. "There will be plenty of people to talk to, if you're already sick of me. But I would really like you to come with me, Harlow."

Oof, my name on his lips sounded like a sin waiting to happen. "I'll think about it."

"Fair enough. Let me see your phone."

I pulled out my iPhone from the purse hanging across my chest, unlocked it, and looked up at him with my brows raised. "Well?"

He spouted off his phone number and the party's address, then said, "It's a private club, so you won't have to worry about random psychopaths wandering in to steal girls and stick them in freezers."

"A good start," I said, nodding.

"Just...keep an open mind."

Whatever that meant.

He touched my hand and sent that same sizzling sensation up my arm. "Try to make it, Harlow. I look forward to seeing you again."

I nodded as he turned from me and walked out of the store. He didn't even look for any books or purchase anything. He was just here, and then he was gone.