Page 30 of Furry Equations
“Your heart’s doing that thing again,” he murmured.
“Maybe if someone would use actual words instead of cryptic statements and enhanced hearing...” she whispered back.
His eyes darkened with something that made her breath catch, but before he could respond, Victoria returned with a chocolate soufflé that demanded everyone’s attention.
“Just wait until the pack holiday party,” Emily said as they dug into dessert. “Marcus actually has to participate in the talent show.”
Natalie’s eyebrows shot up. “Talent show?”
“He does dramatic readings,” Sheri supplied helpfully. “Very brooding. Very alpha. Last year it was ‘If You Give a Wolf a Cookie.’”
“It was a pack leadership metaphor,” Marcus defended.
“It was adorable,” Victoria corrected. “Natalie, dear, you must come. The pack would love to meet the woman who’s made our alpha smile more in the past week than in the last decade.”
After dinner, Marcus drove them back to Natalie’s apartment in comfortable silence. The evening had left her feeling warm and slightly overwhelmed, but in the best possible way. Still, questions nagged at her. What were they to each other? Why hadn’t he asked her to be his girlfriend if she was important enough to meet his family?
“You’re thinking very loudly,” Marcus said as they pulled up to her building.
“Enhanced hearing pick that up too?”
“No, but you’ve been biting your lower lip for the past ten minutes. You do that when you’re puzzling something out.”
“You notice things like that?” The question came out softer than she intended.
His eyes met hers in the darkness of the car. “I notice everything about you, Natalie.”
Her heart skipped, and his slight smile told her he’d heard it. “That’s not fair, you know. Having an unfair advantage in... whatever this is between us.”
“Whatever this is?” His voice turned serious as he turned to face her fully.
“Well, you haven’t exactly defined it,” she pointed out. “I mean, you took me to meet your family, but?—“
“But?”
NINETEEN
“But are we dating?” Natalie asked. “Are we just two people thrown together by circumstances and mutual attraction? Am I just the scientist you need to protect? Because I really like your family, and I really like you, and I’m kind of terrified that I’m reading too much into everything, and?—”
Marcus’s lips caught hers, cutting off her ramble. The kiss was gentle but deliberate, his hand coming up to cup her face. When he pulled back, his eyes were intense.
“I should have asked properly,” he said softly. “I’m not good at this, Natalie. Relationships. Feelings. I’ve spent so long being the alpha, being in control, that sometimes I forget to use actual words instead of grunt-themed emojis.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Emily was kidding about those, right?”
“Mostly.” His thumb traced her cheekbone. “But the point is, I want you in my life. Not just as someone to protect. Not just as a brilliant scientist who happens to be in danger. I want you as mine.”
“Yours?” Her pulse quickened.
“My girlfriend,” he clarified quickly, though something flickered in his eyes that suggested there might be more to it. “If you want that.”
“You mean if I want to officially date a brooding alpha who stalks me through enhanced hearing and brings dead rabbits as courtship gifts?”
“That wasone time—“ He caught her grin and growled playfully. “You’re never letting that go, are you?”
“Never,” she agreed, leaning in to kiss him again. “And yes.”
“Yes?”