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staring at the ceiling. His leopard was restless, anxious about something, but damned if he knew what it could be. Max was utterly, completely satisfied.
    Yet, something about his current situation rankled the beast inside him. The longer he lay staring at the ceiling, the antsier his other half became. Reaching out, he pulled Laurie against his side. She still struggled to catch her breath, but she nestled against him, one leg sliding between his and curling around his calf. A soft bundle against his side.
    Like that, his shifter half eased, settling inside him in satisfaction. Now it made sense. His leopard had been unhappy about losing contact with his mate. With her snuggled against him, he was content to rest his eyes and go to sleep. Yawning, Max decided to join his other half in slumber. He turned to his side, cocooning Laurie in his embrace, and let the world fall away.
     

Chapter 3
     
    Dear God. Laurie’s breath exploded from her lips as she opened her eyes. For just a moment, she’d hoped last night had been a dream, but seeing the man sleeping beside her proved otherwise. What had she done? She’d just…and it had felt really good…but oh God.
    Laurie concentrated on breathing, frantically trying to calm her racing heart. Of course, concentrating on her breathing only made her erratic breathing more noticeable, which only made it more erratic.
    This wasn’t working.
    Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Max fast asleep. Typical male. All they needed was a rub on their head, either head, and they’d shut down like the tin man without oil. She studied him in the predawn glow from the window. He really was a textbook example of male beauty.
    Last night she’d been so focused on the fact he was her mate, she hadn’t taken the time to really look at him. Now, she examined him without mating lust clouding her vision. His hair was jet black, obviously his natural color judging by the morning stubble darkening his cheeks and chin. He was thin, but not so skinny that he’d give her a complex about her weight, and he had enough muscle for her not to worry about his strength.
    His long black eye lashes rested against his cheeks. She envied him those lashes. If they were hers, she’d never have to wear mascara ever again. They should have made him appear feminine, but instead, they were perfect frames for his piercing cobalt eyes. The man oozed masculinity. Definitely drool worthy.
    Staring at him, she realized her breathing had evened out, the panic receding. How had she let things get to the point where the mere sight of him calmed her? The thought almost sent her back into a panic attack. But she took a deep breath and got control.
    Careful not to wake him, Laurie crept out from under his arm. Her breath caught in her throat as that arm reached out to pull her back against him, but he slept on, grabbing her pillow instead and clutching it close.
    With a sigh of relief, Laurie crept toward the bathroom, picking up items of clothing that were scattered across the room as she went. Shirt, check. Jeans, check. She glanced at the torn scrap of lace and satin that used to be her underwear. Beyond repair. Leaving them on the floor, she continued her trek. Guess she’d have to go commando until she found her luggage, presumably in the room with Danny, wherever that was. The ridiculousness of her situation would have made her laugh were the need for silence not so prevalent.
    Reaching for her left shoe, Laurie winced at the thought of her family. How was she going to explain this to them? They’d all taken their time getting to know their mates before tying themselves together forever. Well, except for Ethan and Gwen. At least she had one person who might be on her side. She remembered how surprised they’d all been when Ethan came back from vacation mated. Sure, they all loved Gwen, but Gwen was easy to love.
    How had she let things go so far? She could almost hear her siblings. Once again Laurie jumping into