“Really?” Ryne reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. His fingers felt cool against her warm cheek. “I’d never have known. You seem to have a natural talent in that area.”
Mel blinked at him, processing the comment, totally unsure if she should feel honoured or insulted.
Ryne gave a short laugh, obviously pleased at having confounded her, and chucked her under the chin before getting into his truck. Once inside, he rolled down the window. “You can keep the camera while you’re here. Play around a bit with the different settings and see what you can do. There’s a cable in the case so you can download any pictures you take onto your laptop.”
“But won’t you need it?” For the moment, Mel gave up on sorting out her feelings and focused on what he was saying.
“No. Like I said, it’s my back-up. I hardly ever use it. The batteries are rechargeable, but I put a fresh set in before coming over, so you should be good for a while.”
“Well, thanks. I appreciate this.” Mel hesitated before asking about seeing him again. “Um... Can we get together again?” Seeing the evil twinkle in his eye, she quickly clarified. “For another interview session that is?”
“Sure...” He paused, seeming to think of something. “If I can ask you a question.”
“What is it?”
“How did you find me? Here in Stump River, that is. I’ve kept a pretty low profile.”
Mel swallowed hard. She didn’t want to admit that she’d been watching Kane and Elise at the post office in Smythston and then snooped through the mail. Falling back on a tried and true answer, she smiled nervously. “Reporters never reveal their sources.”
“What kind of an answer is that?”
Thinking quickly, she snapped back at him. “It came from the same category that ‘I didn’t exist before photography’ did.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Pure bullshit to avoid answering, in other words.”
“Worked for you.” Mel raised her brows and inclined her head.
Ryne grunted then gave what appeared to be a reluctant grin. “I’ll be in town again on Wednesday. I work until four. We could have dinner at The Broken Antler again and talk then.”
Mel nodded and with a wave of his hand, he drove off.
Chapter 20
Ryne pulled up in front of the house and turned off the engine. He made no move to get out; his mind occupied with other more important things, specifically, Melody Greene. For some strange reason, he had difficulty staying focused when he was around her. The real reason he was spending time with her—to keep an eye on what she was doing and to monitor the information she gathered—kept slipping from his mind.
Unexpectedly, the afternoon had turned out to be fun. Melody was an enthusiastic companion, eager to learn about her new found interest. He chuckled, thinking of how she’d furrowed her brow and bit her lip while absorbing what he told her. Then when she’d snapped a picture and the image appeared on the screen, her delight had lit up her whole face. There was a natural artistic streak within her. When she set up a picture, she seemed to know how to frame the shot and take the best advantage of the light and angles.
It was also interesting to see how she seemed to have an instinctive affinity to nature. This was surprising in someone who had purportedly grown up almost exclusively in a big city. Yet, the wonder in her eyes when she’d crouched beside him, examining the pattern on leaves and the path of an early ladybug, was real. More than once, he’d caught himself reaching out to grasp her hand as they walked along in companionable silence, soaking in the world around them. He’d enjoyed spending time with her, sharing his passion.
And speaking of passion, her nearness had stirred him more often than he really cared to admit. Her scent had filled his mind, making it hard to concentrate on taking pictures and explaining photographic theory. In reality, all he wanted to do was to throw her down on the ground and taste her sweet lips one more time. The sex between them had been great and, even though he knew any involvement with her was dangerous, he was eager to experience her once again.
Maybe it was the element of danger that was drawing him to her. She was like a forbidden fruit and he’d never been one to toe the line any more than he had to. While his logical mind said no, his wolf was telling him yes. Burying himself between her thighs, filling his hands with her curves, tasting her, smelling her; the very idea of Melody was consuming him beyond reason.
Ryne felt as if there was a battle raging within him. As Alpha, the needs of the pack came first. He knew the law and what was at stake. The actions he might have to take were spelled out clearly. Yet despite this knowledge, his wolf kept urging him towards the woman, pushing all other concerns into the background. What was it that his wolf knew, that he didn’t? Usually, they were of one accord, but now a dichotomy seemed to be developing within him. It was something he had never experienced before and didn’t know how to handle, yet handle it he must. The situation was too crucial. Who knew how many lives were depending on the decisions that he would make over the next few days? Having his mind clouded with lust was unacceptable.