about, but all he could think
about was Avery. He felt her sadness like a blow to the gut, and it killed him. He
could see she forced herself to pay attention and not look at him. Something he had
done had upset her. Or more accurately, something he hadn’t done. Talk to her for
starters. Introduce himself and get to know her. Better yet, toss her over his shoulder,
and carry her away, so he could convince her they were meant for each other.
The lion within rippled right beneath the surface, clawing to get out. Already, in
the span of twenty minutes, Declan had to stop his shift twice. Once when he’d walked
by her, getting a full-frontal assault of her scent. The second time when she’d turned
away, hurt and embarrassment shining in her eyes when she’d jumped to the accurate
conclusion he would be doing absolutely nothing about the pull between them.
He knew who she was now, thanks to Nik, along with a quick but thorough background
check. Some might call him an asshole for doing it, but he wanted to know as much
about her before he got wrapped up in mating. Running background checks was a force
of habit, something to kill time when sitting at a desk.
Everything he hoped to find out about Avery came up on his check.
A lion shifter. Age twenty-five. She was the residential manager living on the third
floor of the townhouse she shared in with three other students. One bedroom in the
building available. No one assigned as of yet.
Single, with no significant boyfriends in the last two years—thank the gods above.
No criminal record of any kind—also another plus.
She was the oldest of Dr. Michael and Jane Hillman’s six children. Graduating at the
end of the school year with a master’s in health services management, she would be
taking over the day-to-day operation of her family’s medical practice in Mischief.
She had honey-brown hair he wanted to bury his face in. Creamy skin he wanted to kiss
and caress. A body he wanted to get lost in for days on end. Lips he wanted to see
wrapped around his dick as she knelt in submission before him.
A low rumble worked its way up his throat. Mark kicked him in the shin, causing Declan
to grimace in pain. The kick did its job of pulling him from his thoughts, but it
did nothing for the hard-on in his pants.
“Watch it,” Mark whispered harshly. “You can pounce on her after class.”
Declan looked toward Avery again. Unlikely . She had yet to look his way again and, even from this distance, he got the “hell-no”
vibe she gave off. Something was really wrong.
For all his research and subsequent planning, he knew there would be no way in hell
he could ignore the fact she was his mate.
Not now.
The woman sat there, in the same class as him, and would be for the foreseeable future.
After his background check, he’d taken the liberty of deciding they could wait to
meet. He would be up in Mischief before she would. He could find a place for them
and get settled in. Then he would find a way to run into her. It shouldn’t be too
difficult since her family ran the only clinic in town.
He cringed as he realized the ramifications of what he had done. It would be too much
to hope she wouldn’t find out about him doing the background check. He’d taken a calculated
risk. Braved playing with the Fates’ timeline and would likely pay for it in the form
of one pissed-off mate.
A grin kicked up the corner of his mouth. He would enjoy cajoling her into a better
mood. He could start with her beautiful face…placing kisses on her eyes, nose, cheeks,
and jaw before claiming her mouth. After she surfaced from his assault on her lips,
dazed and completely under his spell, he would work his way down her body. Kissing,
licking, and nipping every inch of her skin. Run his teeth along the column of her
neck. Laving the spot at the base near her shoulder where he would place his first
mark.
Declan shifted in his
about was Avery. He felt her sadness like a blow to the gut, and it killed him. He
could see she forced herself to pay attention and not look at him. Something he had
done had upset her. Or more accurately, something he hadn’t done. Talk to her for
starters. Introduce himself and get to know her. Better yet, toss her over his shoulder,
and carry her away, so he could convince her they were meant for each other.
The lion within rippled right beneath the surface, clawing to get out. Already, in
the span of twenty minutes, Declan had to stop his shift twice. Once when he’d walked
by her, getting a full-frontal assault of her scent. The second time when she’d turned
away, hurt and embarrassment shining in her eyes when she’d jumped to the accurate
conclusion he would be doing absolutely nothing about the pull between them.
He knew who she was now, thanks to Nik, along with a quick but thorough background
check. Some might call him an asshole for doing it, but he wanted to know as much
about her before he got wrapped up in mating. Running background checks was a force
of habit, something to kill time when sitting at a desk.
Everything he hoped to find out about Avery came up on his check.
A lion shifter. Age twenty-five. She was the residential manager living on the third
floor of the townhouse she shared in with three other students. One bedroom in the
building available. No one assigned as of yet.
Single, with no significant boyfriends in the last two years—thank the gods above.
No criminal record of any kind—also another plus.
She was the oldest of Dr. Michael and Jane Hillman’s six children. Graduating at the
end of the school year with a master’s in health services management, she would be
taking over the day-to-day operation of her family’s medical practice in Mischief.
She had honey-brown hair he wanted to bury his face in. Creamy skin he wanted to kiss
and caress. A body he wanted to get lost in for days on end. Lips he wanted to see
wrapped around his dick as she knelt in submission before him.
A low rumble worked its way up his throat. Mark kicked him in the shin, causing Declan
to grimace in pain. The kick did its job of pulling him from his thoughts, but it
did nothing for the hard-on in his pants.
“Watch it,” Mark whispered harshly. “You can pounce on her after class.”
Declan looked toward Avery again. Unlikely . She had yet to look his way again and, even from this distance, he got the “hell-no”
vibe she gave off. Something was really wrong.
For all his research and subsequent planning, he knew there would be no way in hell
he could ignore the fact she was his mate.
Not now.
The woman sat there, in the same class as him, and would be for the foreseeable future.
After his background check, he’d taken the liberty of deciding they could wait to
meet. He would be up in Mischief before she would. He could find a place for them
and get settled in. Then he would find a way to run into her. It shouldn’t be too
difficult since her family ran the only clinic in town.
He cringed as he realized the ramifications of what he had done. It would be too much
to hope she wouldn’t find out about him doing the background check. He’d taken a calculated
risk. Braved playing with the Fates’ timeline and would likely pay for it in the form
of one pissed-off mate.
A grin kicked up the corner of his mouth. He would enjoy cajoling her into a better
mood. He could start with her beautiful face…placing kisses on her eyes, nose, cheeks,
and jaw before claiming her mouth. After she surfaced from his assault on her lips,
dazed and completely under his spell, he would work his way down her body. Kissing,
licking, and nipping every inch of her skin. Run his teeth along the column of her
neck. Laving the spot at the base near her shoulder where he would place his first
mark.
Declan shifted in his
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