Just then, her stomach growled, making him frown. Provide. Protect. The two instinctual mandates all male shifters felt for their mates. He needed to feed her. “Let’s get you fed and then we’ll discuss the particulars.”
Like will I be fucking you at your place or mine?
He grabbed her hand—an overblown matish mannerism to show his possession—and headed toward the hostess stand. He had a feeling he’d have to watch that in the future. No doubt, Paige would give him shit if he was too dominant. Even after thirty years, his father still messed up trying to dictate to his mate.
Her stomach rumbled again. No telling how long she’d been at the restaurant before he’d arrived. His mate was hungry. No more waiting. As if the man behind the stand could sense Quinn’s determination, he held up two menus.
“Right this way, sir.” When he stopped by a small table near the front, Quinn shook his head.
“No. Over there.” He pointed to a secluded section of booths in the back of the restaurant. The area was slightly apart from the other patrons and provided some semblance of privacy, something he knew he would need. It was not going to be long before his bear demanded a taste of this woman.
His woman. His mate.
He had already claimed her in his head. He knew it wouldn’t be as simple as that and he wanted to roar in frustration. Unlike shifters, humans did not feel that instantaneous pull to be with their mate.
As they walked, he noticed more than one head turn in their direction. He was used to getting looks from women. The heads turning tonight were all male and definitely not looking in his direction. He suppressed the urge to roar, warning them away. He knew what the woman walking by his side looked like—pure, unfiltered sex. Her loose, generic clothing did nothing to hide the swell of her breasts or the sway of her hips. He knew for a fact every man in the room was imagining the thousand and one ways they could thrust their dicks deep inside her. He pictured shifting and grabbing the nearest male and crushing his skull with one hand. When another man’s lustful gaze roamed over Paige, he let loose a muted roar that caused the waiter to stumble and Paige to look at him with concern.
After the waiter seated them and left, Quinn turned to his date. His freaking blind date. One minute he’d been alone and the next the woman who made especially for him had appeared. Just like that.
He needed to know what she knew about shifters. There was some stupid shit out there about shifters and mating. “You do know I’m a shifter, right?”
She threw him a puzzled look. “Yes. Deb told me the Blackwoods were bear shifters.”
Humans had known about shifters and other paranormal beings for years. The first few years after the great reveal had been dangerous. He’d only been a small cub and his parents had protected him and his brothers and sisters from most of the harsher realities of the integration. Shifters were myth and magic come to life and many humans had not been happy with the change in the status quo. Just as many shifters felt superior.
“We are. Dad’s a grizzly and mom’s a brown bear.” He watched her carefully as he asked his next question. “And that’s all right with you?”
She smiled that sexy smile again and he wondered what he could do to keep ‘em coming. They shot straight to his groin and he was beginning to like that feeling.
“No. I don’t mind that you’re a shifter. I was glad there was another curvy woman at the firm when I got there. It gets a little tiring when you’re surrounded by blonde-headed, stick women who look as if a strong puff of wind would blow them away. Makes a person wish they lived in the Windy City.”
It took him a moment before her dry sense of humor struck home and he laughed.
She fingered the pattern on the tablecloth and he wondered if she was nervous. He breathed deeply. She was so new to him, he couldn’t read her scent yet. Not yet anyway.
“I’ve had shifter friends before.”
“Have you ever had a shifter boyfriend?” He had to ask. He knew women compared a man to every man they’d ever slept with. Not that he believed he’d have any problem wiping away the memory of some other bastard’s touch. It was always good to know what you were up against. Bear shifters were naturally better lovers than any of the other shifter breeds, and eons ahead of human males.
The real implications of having a human for a mate swept over him, causing him to sweat. A mate for a bear shifter. What was he going to do? He wanted her. His bear wanted her. He liked his sex hard and fast and as frequently as possible. Yes, he was a considerate lover, making sure the female found as much satisfaction as he did. Again, the troubling thought popped into his mind. Paige was human. A fragile, beautiful human.