Her smile was just a little wistful as she brushed back his hair herself. “If you were in love with me, you couldn’t have been so reasonable about not sleeping with me anymore.” Her smile warmed with affection when he fidgeted. “Alan, we’ve been good friends, but we were mediocre lovers. There was no passion between us, no urgency or desperation.”

Discussing such a matter quite so frankly embarrassed him. He’d have risen to pace, but the wolf had growled quietly again. “Why should there be?”

“I don’t know. I just know there should. There has to be.” Thoughtfully she reached up to straighten his tie. “You’re the son my parents always wanted. You’re kind, and you’re smart and so wonderfully steady. They love both of us.” She lifted her gaze to his, thought—hoped—she saw the beginnings of understanding there. “So they assumed we’d cooperate and marry each other. And they convinced you that you wanted the same thing. But do you, Alan? Do you really?”

He looked down at their joined hands. “I can’t imagine you not being part of my life.”

“I’ll always be part of it.” She tilted her head, leaned forward and laid her lips on his. At the gesture, the wolf rose, stalked over and snarled. She put an absent hand on his head as she drew back, and studied Alan. “Did that make your blood swim or your heart flip? Of course not,” she murmured before he could answer. “You don’t want me, Alan, not the way a man wildly in love wants. You can’t make love and passion logical.”

“If you came back, we could try.” When she only shook her head, he tightened his grip on her hand. “I don’t want to lose you, Rowan. You matter to me.”

“Then let me be happy. Let me know that at least one person I matter to, and who matters to me, can accept what I want to do.”

“I can’t stop you.” Resigned now, he lifted his shoulders. “You’ve changed, Rowan. In three short weeks, you’ve changed. Maybe you are happy, or maybe you’re just playing at being happy. Either way, we’ll all be there if you change your mind.”

“I know.”

“I should go. It’s a long drive to the airport.”

“I—I can fix you a meal. You can stay the night if you like and go back in the morning.”

“It’s best if I go now.” Skimming a cautious glance toward the hovering wolf, he rose, “I don’t know what I think, Rowan, and don’t honestly know what I’ll say to your parents. They were sure you’d be coming back with me.”

“Tell them I love them. And I’m happy.”