“I’ll be trapped. Like an animal. In these tiny classrooms. And they’ll expect me to be back at a certain time on certain days—for four years.” At the moment, four years sounded pretty much the same as forty.

“You’re not real good with everyday routine.”

“Why should I be? What’s so great about routine? The same thing everyday. Is anything more depressing?”

“Routine doesn’t always mean boring.”

“Ha!”

Shaw scratched her head, leaning over to kiss her temple. “What are you planning to study anyway?”

Shrugging, she replied, “Probably engineering. It’s what I studied in college the first time around.”

When he didn’t say anything, Ronnie looked at him. He stared off across the campus, a deep frown on his face.

Insulted, she slammed her fist in his shoulder, making him wince. “I know this accent confuses you superior Yankees, but being Southern does not make you stupid.”

“I never said—”

“Shut up.”

Shaw quickly complied, but she knew he was trying not to laugh. So was she.

Clearing his throat, he said, “Was that the textbook you had at the hospital? The one you hit me with?”

“You deserved it. And yeah. One of my old engineering textbooks.” She rubbed her hands over her face and rested back against the bench. “I started reading it, and it all rushed back to me. How boring this all is. No wonder Sissy Mae didn’t have to twist my arm to get me to bail. And bail I did.”

He chuckled. “But I thought you were ready to change your life. Settle down—”

Ronnie sat up abruptly and slapped her hand over his mouth. “Let’s not use those words right now.”

Intense gold eyes watched her, and he pulled her hand off his mouth. “What if you meet the right guy, Ronnie? Would you settle down then?”

“You mean the right wolf?” She wanted to get the distinctions clear because she didn’t much like the expression on that gorgeous face.

“Why limit yourself?”

“Mostly because I don’t want funny-looking children.”

Shaw rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you believe that breedist bullshit. Just because two different breeds mate doesn’t mean—”

She had her wallet out and her pictures unfurled before he could even finish. “One summer we stayed with Sissy Mae’s cousins in North Carolina. Momma’s Smith Pack, daddy’s a black leopard. This is their daughter when shifted.”

Ronnie handed Shaw the picture of her, Sissy Mae, and her cousin lounging around many years ago after the Fourth of July family hunt.

Shaw jerked back. “Christ.”

“Yeah. Exactly. Do you think that snaggle tooth is attractive?”

He shuddered but tried to hide it.“Okay. That’s one instance.”

“Really? Have you seen a wolf with a full mane? Or a cat with a long muzzle?”

He shuddered again. “Okay. Okay.” He motioned to the picture. “But what does she look like human?”

She flipped a couple of pictures over and showed him a picture of the three friends on the North Carolina beach in bikinis a year or two back.

“Whoa.” Shaw took the wallet out of her hand. “She’s hot.” He glanced at Ronnie and back at the picture. “North Carolina, right?” He shoved Ronnie off the bench. “That’s where I can find the snaggle-toothed babe?”

For a second there, he ran so fast she wasn’t sure she’d catch up with him.

Brendon glanced around the dance studio and frowned. “Explain to me why we’re here.”

For some unknown reason she’d dragged him into one of those ballroom dancing studios and had signed up for one of the advance classes. She wouldn’t tell him why, but she kept giggling, which had begun to make him very nervous.

“Would you relax already? You are so uptight.”

“I’m not uptight. I just don’t like to be confused. It’s a cat thing.”

Ronnie scrunched up her nose and glared at him. “Are you trying to imply that wolves like to be confused?”

“I’m not trying to imply anything. You’re the ones who chase your tails for apparently no reason.”

She went to slam her foot on his instep again, but he dodged her this time. Then the pulsating beat of Latin music started, and the teacher got in the middle of the room.

“All right, everybody. Let’s all partner up and get started.”

Ronnie Lee grabbed his hand and dragged him to the middle of the dance floor.

“Have you lost your mind? I don’t know how to do this.”

“Oh yes you do.”

“No, I don’t.”

Ronnie started moving to the beat, shaking that delightful ass as only she could. “Come on, darlin’,” she coaxed. “You did a great job the other night.”

“The other—” Oh God! He glanced around at the dancing couples. “I…I thought I dreamed that.”

She grabbed his hands and started taking him through the mambo. “Nope. You didn’t dream a thing. I had no idea you could move so well.” She took a step back and swung her head from side to side like, he now realized, he did that night, only with full mane swinging in the cold December wind.

“Oh Christ, shoot me now.”

“Now, now. No need to be shy around ol’ Ronnie Lee.” She turned and rubbed her ass against his cock in time to the music. “One day I’ll have to teach you the two-step, but this’ll do for now.”