Six

Wringing water out of his ponytail. His hazel eyes dance with silent laughter. 

"Can I sit down?"

"No," she said quickly. 

He shifted his helmet to the other arm, undaunted. His eyes swept over her appreciatively, 

"What's your name?" He asked 

She hesitated, as if giving him her name would give him some obscure power over her.a hook into her private self. She decided to give him a fake name. jill, or monica, or Brooke.  She looked into his intense hazel eyes, open her mouth and said, "Annie. "

"Annie." He said her name tenderly, savoring it." Just Annie?"

She gulped. "Just Annie. " 

He nodded. "Ok, just Annie, I 'm just Jacob. It's a pleasure to meet you last. You' ve led me on a merry Chase. "

"You haven't caught me," she reminded him tartly. She took a sip of her coffee and stared up over the rim of the cup, her mind spinning with confused excitement. Six foot two and over two hundred pounds of lean, rock- solid masculinity standing there, water streaming off his body, taking up all the air in the room. He was almost too much for a girl to take. But then again, she was tougher than she looked. 

" Can I please, please sit down?" His voice was warm and coaxing 

"No," she repeated. 

The silence between them lengthened and grew heavy, charging itself with sultry , quivering heat. She lick her lips nervously, helpless to look away. She was locked in a clinch of breathless silence with him. The feeling was shockingly intimate. 

His borad , sensual mount curved knowingly, as if he knew just why she was shifting restlessly on the plastic booth. He knew that a hot , secret little ache of yearning was blossoming deep inside her body, and he was doing it to her deliberately, with his hazel, laughing eyes, with his magnetic smile, with his raw Alpha male energy. God . This guy was more than just troubled. He was sexual dynamite.

Annie's breath stuttered in and out of her lungs. She forced herself to stop wiggling, and gave him a " don't - mess -with - me " stare, perfected on the tough streets of New York. 

" look, Jacob. Whatever you want from me , you're not going to get, so don't waste your time. 

His eyes gleamed with wry amusement. "Cruel Annie," he murmured.  "You know that's impossible, we are mate,we can't live without each other. "Go ahead.  Dash my hopes. Blow me off. I don't care. I'm still glad you're ok."

Her fingers tightened conclusively on the handle of her cup. "I appreciate your concern, she snapped,

"I saw your tires," he commented. " you're lucky to be alive. "

"My tires are none of your business," Annie said tightly. "Thanks for sharing your opinion. " She shoved past him, and instantly realized that it was a mistake to have touch him, even slightly. Just brushing against his solid frame made her shiver with intimate awareness.

He radiated warmth and power as he followed her stubbornly to the cash register. 

"It's not an opinion, Annie," he persisted. It's dangerous.'

She ignored him. "A bowl of chili and coffee," she told the cashier. 

He handed the cashier a twenty. " The lady's lunch is on me." 

"No , it's not" she hissed. She tried to push his proffered arm, but it was like swatting an oak branch. She held out her ten to the girl behind the register. The girl's pale blue eyes darted from one to the other of them, bewildered. 

Jacob pushed down her arm, handed the girl twenty. "I insist. " 

His voice was gentle but implacable. Annie fled the restaurant while the cashier was making change. The rain had stopped,she cursed to herself as she fumbled for her keys. She had to rely on herself, and herself alone, even as omega ,ever since she was a kid. It was the one thing in her life that never changed. After her parent's death, she promised to herself never to do anything with any werewolf, unfortunately, the world never let her be.

Jacob's shadow block the window,knocking on the rain-spotted glass. She shoved the key into the ignition, hands shaking.  He kept knocking, gentle but insistent. She rolled the window down a bare two inches, and he leaned close, 

"Annie, listen. "  His voice had a hint of uncertainty for the first time. "You are my mate, and i can never live you, but If you really, truly want me stop to following you for sometime, I'll  leave  you be for now to think things through, but will come back for you letter. 

She wrenched her eye away and stared out the window ( tell him to get lost, her sensible self urged. No! Her wolf roared we need him to survive!.)

She loolooked up, opened her mouth to say it- and the challenge in his eyes robbed her of breath. Her heart seemed to stop for a long, breathless instant. She couldn't back down now . She was too intrigued. Besides, maybe could teach him a thing or two, and wiped that smug, knowing look right off his gorgeous face. She'd never been able to resist a challenge in her life. It was one of her crowning defects. 

She turned the key in the ignition. She shot him a sidelong, provocative glance, let it melt into a tempting smile, 

" Figure it out for yourself, Jacob," she said, putting the truck in gear. She lurched forward, peeking into her rear view mirror. 

A grin of delight had lit up his face like a torch, and she couldn't help smiling back.