Jaxson (River Pack Wolves 1)(18)

Terra’s pack was different—a collection of shifters tied together by bloodlines but not in business with each other. The Wilding pack had a research professor at the university, an entrepreneurial inventor with his own company, and even a colonel in the Army among their scattered count. Their pack operations were looser, with each individual striking out independently to make their marks upon the world.

That sounded more like Jaxson. And Olivia was certain, once he had a chance to spend time with the beautiful and passionate shifter girl-artist, he would find the mate he was looking for.

Then he’d likely never look at Olivia again.

She covered her face with her hands and leaned back in the black leather chair of her new office. She really had to stop thinking about him that way. One hot kiss in an alleyway didn’t mean anything. Which didn’t stop her from playing it over and over in her mind… another thing she really needed to stop doing. But that only brought the heat back to her face—

“That bad, is it?” a deep voice said from the doorway.

It jolted her and made her chair squeak. Her hands flew away from her face, and her mouth fell open. Jaxson stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb with his arms crossed, a smirk on his face and a laugh dancing in his brilliant blue eyes. His white silk shirt—the one she had helped pick out for his date—was just thin enough to cling attractively to the strong muscles of his arms where he’d rolled up the sleeves.

“What are you doing here?” was all she managed to get out. She glanced at the screen. “It’s only nine o’clock.”

Jaxson unlocked his arms, strode over to her desk, and leaned against it, stretching our his long legs. They almost brushed against hers dangling off the edge of her chair. “The date was a bust.”

“Already?” But her heart wasn’t unhappy about that, not really.

Jaxson shook his head and glanced at the screen. She had left the image files open with pictures of the three candidates. A flush of embarrassment swept across Olivia’s face, but Jaxson just sighed when he turned back to her.

“I don’t know if I can keep this up for a year.”

“Wow, that painful, huh?” Olivia bit her lip. Maybe she shouldn’t have lined up the least likely of the candidates first.

Jaxson’s gaze dropped to her lips, so she untucked them. Then he frowned and pierced her with a hard look. “You knew it would go badly, didn’t you?”

She tried not to cringe, but she was sure the guilt was printed across her forehead in forty-eight point font. “I didn’t know… but I kind of suspected.”

He wagged his finger at her. “You worked overtime to convince me to give her a chance.”

Olivia held up her hands. “Well, did you? I mean, really? There’s only so much I can do here with elegant restaurants and candle-lit dinners.”

“There were no candles.” He scowled. “And I’d rather take a knife to the chest than sit through another dinner with Morrigan North. Less pain, and at least the scars would be visible.”

“Jaxson.” She gave him an exaggerated look of impatience. “You’re never going to find a mate with that attitude.”

He frowned and dropped his gaze to study his polished black shoes. The worry lines were back on his face again, and it twisted her stomach. It was like the creases in his forehead were fissures in his soul, weathered and worn, but only she could see them. It propelled her up from her chair, and she was standing in front of him before she knew what she planned to do.

“Hey,” she said, teetering because she was suddenly too close to him but couldn’t really back away without making it more awkward. “Don’t listen to me. I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m the last person to know anything about mates or even dating, really. You should probably fire me as a dating consultant. I’m much better at filing, though, I promise.”

He smiled, but some of that sadness he carried inside leaked out and poisoned it. “But it’s true. I’m never going to have a mate.” His voice had turned soft.

“Don’t say that.” She dropped her voice, whispering now, like him. “There’s someone out there who’s The One, and you deserve to find her. Besides, we’re just getting started. I’m not giving up, so you’re not allowed to, either. I may be the world’s worst dating consultant, but I’m going to find you that soul mate, if it’s the last thing I do.” And at that moment, she meant every word. She couldn’t stand the lost look on his face.

He stood up from leaning against the desk—which didn’t help with the standing too close part—but he smiled a little more, and it lifted her heart. “You’re a very stubborn woman.”