Tempting His Mate(6)

“So fucking hot.” His words surprised her, but before she could respond, his mouth crushed down on hers.

He took her off guard, pinning her against the vehicle with all that male strength. As his tongue danced with hers, she instinctively arched into him. Even with clothes separating their bodies, she could feel his heat. It wrapped around her along with his scent, making her lightheaded with lust. She slid her hands up his chest and clutched onto his shoulders.

He rolled his hips once, his thick erection pressing insistently against her abdomen. Warmth flooded between her legs as she thought about how easy it would be to let him take her right here. For anyone to see. The thought was strangely exhilarating. As if he read her mind, his hand slid up under the bottom of her shirt. Those wicked fingers skimmed her bare skin and she barely refrained from groaning out loud. He was so hot, so built and would easily take off the edge that had been building inside her since the first night they’d spent together.

But…she pulled her head back and shoved at his chest with a lot of force. Though she doubted she could have moved him unless he’d chosen to let her, she was glad he backed off. Digging her keys out of her clutch, she looked him in the eyes. “I told you I have somewhere to be. And if you want me again, you’re going to have to work for it.”

She took perverse pleasure in his stunned expression as she slid into the front seat of her car. That man probably never had to work for any female in his life, and she’d been no different than any of them, hopping into bed the first night they met. Ugh.

He just exuded a primal sex appeal any female with a pulse could appreciate. While she’d loved that night they’d spent together, she wasn’t in the market for some bad-boy fling. Nope, she was starting over and that did not include Mr. Badass tattoos. No matter how her body and instincts responded to him.

As she pulled away from her parking spot, she resisted the urge to look in her rearview mirror. She didn’t care if he watched her leave or not. Of course, even she didn’t believe her own lie.

She really hoped her friend Margery had baked tonight. Ella had just dropped by the bar to see Lauren before heading over to her new packmates’ place for a girl’s night. Margery could seriously cook. Right about now, Ella wanted to drown in the female’s sugary baked goods. Maybe they would distract her from that annoying growing need for one impossibly sexy wolf.

* * *

Asher stared in shock as Ella drove away. He could still smell her need. It wrapped around him, nearly choking him with its intensity. His body was keyed up just as much. He’d been ready to take her right up against the side of her car. Which made him feel like a total jackass.

She deserved better than that. Her parting words had stunned him.

And if she wanted him to work for her, he had no problem doing that. The only problem was, when she’d thrown down that challenge, he was under the impression she didn’t mean it. Like she didn’t think he would work for her.

If that’s what she thought, she was about to be proven very wrong. After his mate had died he hadn’t had many lovers. Occasionally he’d found a female shifter to help take off the edge. Usually with a lone she-wolf, someone just like him, looking for temporary relief. He’d been too damn busy the past few decades working his ass off. He’d been in too many wars, served under various commands and various branches of the military. The Marine Corps was his favorite branch, but he’d had to mix it up. Then for the last decade he’d done pretty much nothing but contract work overseas.

And made a killing.

That hadn’t left much time for finding a willing female. Not that he’d been interested. After being mated he knew what the real thing was like. He’d thought that no female would ever affect him so strongly again.

Then a sexy, petite blonde jaguar female had tipped his world on its axis.

“Did Ella leave?” Max’s voice drew his gaze away from the exit of the parking lot and he found himself looking at both Max and Grant.

Shit. He hadn’t even heard them come outside. Glancing around, he made sure they were alone. He’d never been this distracted before. Not so much that he wasn’t aware of his damn surroundings. He needed to get his head on straight. Clearing his throat, he said, “Yeah.”

Grant just watched him with interest. It was as if the alpha wolf saw right through him with those dark eyes. “I hear you’re taking the job?”

He nodded. “I’d like to go over specifics, meet the security team and see who will work best with whom. You know your pack’s personalities better than me, so I’ll run the first months work schedule by you and change around anything if you think it’s best.”