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hard kiss, then released her and sat up. She did the same. “Besides,
this air mattress isn’t exactly big enough for the two of us.”
    She looked down. “True. I’ll have my first night out in the tent,
then we’ll work out sleeping arrangements.”
    “That’s a deal.”
    They both gathered their clothes from where they’d ended up and then
dressed. Memphis unzipped the tent before he and Tori went outside. The fire
had burned down a bit. He used a log to shift the embers around. Once the
flames grew, he placed it on top.
    “That should keep it going for a little while,” he said as he sat
beside Tori and put his arm around her shoulders, tucking her close to his
side.
    She lifted her face in his direction and smiled. “I have to admit I
love it here. I could get used to the quiet and fresh air. And being on a
mountain with no close neighbors, except for family. I’ve always lived in a
city, but when I go in to the field, I feel as if I’m more in my element.”
    “Makes sense, considering you are a wildlife biologist. I know for a
fact I couldn’t live in a city. I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
    Wolf shifters liked to be in their animal forms as much as their
human ones. Memphis couldn’t understand how the pack in Helena could stand
living there. They didn’t have the open spaces as his family had to go wolf and
run through the trees.
    “Then I won’t ever ask you to come visit me at my place,” Tori said
with a chuckle.
    “No.” He kissed her forehead. “Maybe you’ll want to stay here,
considering you’ll have that new species to study. I’m sure you’ll need a lot
more than four weeks.”
    “Is that a bribe to get me to stay?”
    “Maybe.”
    Tori’s laughter left her face. “I’m going to be upfront with you,
Memphis. I don’t do serious relationships. I usually hook up with men who want
it to be casual. They know from the start that we’re basically just scratching
each other’s itches.”
    “Say I don’t want that? What if I decide I want it to be exclusive
and lasting?”
    “I honestly don’t know if it’d work. My career has always come
first. I’ve never had a dream of getting married and having kids. It’s been
wolves for me.”
    Memphis had to hold back the urge to tell Tori that being with him
she wouldn’t ever have to give up that aspect of her life. She’d be mated to a
wolf, and would become a part of his family’s pack.
    “I can tell you’re disappointed,” she said. “If this is going to be
a problem for you, maybe we should chalk this night up as a good time and leave
it at that.”
    Tori would have shifted out from under his arm, but Memphis held her
tighter to keep her where she was. “No, I don’t want that. Let’s not spoil the
night by discussing where we go from here. We’ll sit by the fire for a bit,
then I’ll let you go to bed.”
    “All right.”
    She settled against him once more. Memphis kissed the top of her
head. Tori might think she couldn’t have a committed relationship, but he’d
teach her that was exactly what she could do. Hopefully he’d be able to
accomplish that.
     
    * * * *
     
    Tori sat alone by the fire. Memphis had left not that long ago. She
stared into the flames, lost in thought. She couldn’t stop thinking about what
he’d said about him not necessarily wanting to have a casual fling. She liked
him, and would definitely like to come back and see him after her time in
Canyon Creek was over. To have a committed relationship, though, she wasn’t too
sure.
    She’d never run into that kind of problem before. To be honest, the
men she’d slept with in the past had all been in her line of work. They knew
what kind of toll their job could have on a significant other. When doing
hands-on research, it could take months at a time.
    The sensation of someone or something staring at her had Tori
looking around. She sucked in a breath at the sight of glowing eyes on the
opposite side of the fire, just inside the tree