“So, Rebecca, tell me about yourself,” he said.
She decided not to let her fears control her this time. She’d been given a round two with the same man. “I’m an editor. I work from home.” Oh God, that was about it. Her life sounded more pathetic than it seemed.
“I love to read. Guess we have something in common.”
The three of them continued along, the road getting darker as they grew more distant from the lights in the parking lot. “Why didn’t you let your dog help you out back there? Not that you needed it.”
He smiled. “I didn’t want him to get hurt.”
Was it possible to fall in love in less than an hour?
“I love animals,” she said. “Dogs, cats, rabbits, you name it.”
Liam stopped, turning her to face him. “We’re a lot alike, you and I. What about wolves, Rebecca? Do you like them?”
“I love wolves,” she said. “They’re so beautiful and feral. Of course, I wouldn’t like to meet one on the way home.” She giggled, then stopped herself.
“You have nothing to worry about,” he said. Liam trailed his finger along the edge of her jaw, a feather-light touch. The way he looked at her made butterflies flutter in her stomach. “I’ll protect you from the wolves, too.”
Rebecca might be a thirty-year-old virgin, but she could envision changing all that for a man like him. “I bet you could.”
They began walking again, their hands occasionally brushing, bringing her body to life. The crickets droned all around them, a soothing melody. She was surprised how comfortable she felt around this man. New people usually made her clam up.
When they reached her home, they stopped in front. A lamp she’d left on glowed from the third-floor window. The faint scent of his woodsy cologne had her breathing in deeply for more. “Who’s waiting for you?” he asked. “Are you married?”
She shook her head. “I live alone.”
“You’re new to town. You’ll have to let me show you around one day.”
Rebecca felt a jolt of excitement. This gorgeous, beast of a man was actually interested in her? Or was he just being nice?
Chapter Two
“You’re different,” Ben said.
Liam glanced toward his friend and shook his head. “No, I’m not.”
“Yeah, you are. Since you came back home the other night, you’ve been … happy.”
Of course he was happy. Rebecca had given him something to think about other than his lack of a mate, or the fact he was desperate to meet the right woman. Rebecca called to him in a way no other woman had. He felt possessive, fueled by desire and a need to get to know her. She was perfect for him in every single way. He knew it deep down into his soul, and there was no way that was ever going to change.
Since meeting her, every second that he thought about her, he couldn’t get the image of her heavily pregnant with his child out of his mind. She was his mate, he was sure of it. The scent of her, the need to take care of her, it all led to one conclusion—Rebecca, the mystery shopping lady, was his mate.
“What’s wrong with me being happy? I’m not moody or snapping. All of you have been complaining about it.”
“You’ve met a woman, haven’t you?” Ben asked.
“I’ve met someone, yes. No, I’m not telling you about her or anything else. Just know that it’s serious.”
“Come on, you can’t do that. There’s no way you can leave us hanging like this,” Ben said. “I’ll tell the others.”
Liam smirked. “Go ahead, tell the others. I thought your places would be ready by now.”
“We’ve hit a couple of snags.”
“You mean your mates want it a certain way and now you’re having to wait to make the necessary changes,” Liam said, aware of his fellow packmates’ plans. His friends couldn’t say no to their females, and it was no surprise. He saw their daily devotion to each other. It was just another reason why he wanted to go out tonight.
Coffee wasn’t something he really enjoyed, but the chance to see Rebecca again was too hard to pass up. Besides, they were heading to a place that had seats outside, and he didn’t like being in buildings, especially with humans. The scent of them often annoyed and irritated him, driving his wolf crazy. She wanted him to bring Alphie as well.
“When you’re mated you’ll understand. We all want them to be happy and to give them whatever their hearts desire,” Ben said.
Liam smiled. “I get it. I do.”
“You know, I think I like crazy, brooding Liam a lot more. I’m used to him. Are you getting laid?”
He sighed. “Look, I’ve got a date, and I like this woman.”
“Who is it?”
“You don’t know her.”
“She’s not part of the pack?”
“Nope.”
“A casual hookup?”
He snarled, hating the thought of any man considering Rebecca a casual thing.
Whoa, down, boy!
“Wow, I’ve never known you to have a reaction like that. Are you okay?” Ben asked.
“I don’t know, but until we know exactly what is going on, don’t refer to Rebecca as anything other than her name.” He’d been known these past fifty years to be in complete control. Even as a young one, his wolf had never taken control of him.
He’d been one of the few wolves within the pack that showed zero emotion, and his wolf constantly stayed at bay until he needed him.
This was the first time that he hadn’t been in control.
“Are you sure having coffee is a good idea?”
“I think so. I want some coffee.”
“You hate coffee,” Ben said.
Liam was fast growing bored with his best friend. He wasn’t used to feeling so fucking desperate to get out of his home. This was his sanctuary.
“Could you stop with the third degree already? And for the record, the dining room table is for eating on, not for fucking your woman.”
He saw Ben’s cheeks heat.
“I’ve seen way too much of your, Eli’s, and Jake’s asses. That table is for when I have a mate so that I can fuck her on it, not you, not your mates, mine. Now, do you think you can stick to your bedrooms tonight?”
He didn’t give Ben time to answer. Leaving his home, he whistled for Alphie, and smiled as his dog trotted toward him. He really did love this guy.
“You ready to go and meet our girl?” he asked.
Alphie cocked his head to the side.
“Yeah, you understand me, don’t you? Always could.” He kissed the top of his dog’s head. “I could really use the walk, but I know that’s going to look weird. Especially when I bring her back here one day. Don’t want to freak her out too much just yet. We’re taking the jeep.” Alphie whined. “I know, boy. I know. I want to walk, too. We’ve got to look a little normal to my female. Don’t want her thinking I’m a bit weird before we’ve even got there. Now, remember, if it looks like I’m screwing up, you’ve got to do that adorable thing. Remember, roll over, show your belly.”
He laughed as Alphie did just that. “Good boy. Come on then, let’s go.”