Unconditional by Lauren Dane Read Free Book Online

actually done anything back in the day had been rushed but for the night of his senior prom when he’d gotten a hotel room.
    She bet he filled out his boxers a lot better. All muscled and tawny. His hair was longer than it had been, he had scruff. Man, she was apparently a sucker for scruff. Who knew? She’d tended toward clean-shaven men in the past but Josh had converted her.
    When she forced herself to turn her attention back to her menu, she noted he’d been staring. “What?”
    “Whatever were you just thinking about?”
    “What I’m going to order. Combo three I think, and I’ll take your recommendation for the sides.” She continued to stare at the menu to keep from staring at him.
    “Remember I can scent your arousal.”
    He spoke low enough that no one else could hear but her. The place was loud as it was, even if they all were shifters and probably had super hearing.
    “It’s hunger. I’m hot for ribs.”
    He laughed but didn’t push any further. Even as they ate, he kept it light. And he ate like nothing she’d ever seen before.
    “Holy cow, I don’t think I’ve witnessed another person eat that much food at once. Where do you put it all? You probably have like what? Two percent body fat or something criminal like that?”
    He paused as he forked up yet another bite of the Boston cream pie he’d been eating and sent her a smile so carnal she might have actually pulsed just south of her belly button. She sucked in a breath, trying to get herself back together. He did something to her. Awakened something she hadn’t known had gone dormant until that day.
    “You noticed my body-fat content?”
    She motioned his way with her fork. “Well for heaven’s sake, look at yourself!”
    “I like it better that you look at me.”
    “Hmpf.”
    He grinned, and God help her, he was so ridiculously beautiful she couldn’t help but suck in a breath.
    The grin slid off his features replaced by something else entirely. Hunger. He wiped his mouth and leaned forward. “You feel it too.”
    There was no mistaking what he meant. “I need to find my friend.”
    “Yes, of course. But you can’t do anything about that right now. Come back to my apartment. You can stay with me while you’re here.”
    She shook her head, hard. “Uh-uh. That would be a monumentally bad idea.” She bet shifter males were a big ol’ unruly handful, and she had limited time and energy. Hell, she’d probably end up getting steamrolled into stuff every time he smiled at her.
    “Oh, I disagree. I think it’d be a fabulous idea. You want me, Michelle. As much as I want you. I promise to get you nice and tired so you can sleep.”
    “You come with all sorts of complications, Josh. I can’t right now.”
    “You still angry with me?”
    She sighed. “No. I get it.” And really she didn’t blame him. It had hurt, but she’d moved on and he did have a better life here. She cared about him enough to be pleased for that. And he’d been nothing but helpful in the search for Allie.
    “But?”
    “But you’re an alpha male and I have too much stuff on my plate to take you on right now. I want to check in to a hotel, take a long shower and then go to sleep.” After masturbating most likely because he got her all stirred up.
    The check came, and she didn’t fail to notice the way the waitress tried to flirt with him. But he didn’t engage, all his attention was on her and it flustered her.
    “Come on. We’ll get you back to my apartment where your car is so you can get your bag. There’s a hotel about three blocks from me. Secure. We put people up there when they come in from out of town. Leave your car at my place.”
    “Why?”
    He put an arm around her as he steered her to his car. “If they know you’re looking for them, they’re going to be on the lookout for your car. If it’s in the garage at my building, they won’t know you’re staying at the hotel down the street.”
    Which is something she should have thought