Dangerous Mating (A.L.F.A., #3)(9)

“That’s amazing,” Sheldon said.

“That’s my job,” she replied. The silence between them felt uncomfortable once again. She tried to think of something to say. “You have any children?” Everyone loved talking about their children.

He sighed. That didn’t bode well. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked. Kept her damn mouth shut. “No,” he began. “I’m still holding out hoping to meet my mate. I hoped with all the traveling we ALFA agents do, I would come across the one meant for me.

“What you said about mates in Tumbel’s office is more true than you know. I want a family before I get too old to enjoy them. But I have several years before it gets that far. I’ll just keep a nose out.” He winked at her. “What about you?”

She shrugged. “I guess I always thought I’d find someone who would sweep me off my feet and live happily with our 2.5 kids and white picket fence. But, you know . . .” She shrugged again. Maybe she had things in common with this hot shifter. She could handle being coupled with him. She’d eventually fall in love with him, right? “Do you like going to the movies? I love watching all kinds. I can spend all weekend sitting on the sofa laughing, crying, and screaming at the TV.”

“I prefer RPGs when home. I have enough of the real world during the day. At night, I’ll gladly be anywhere else.”

“RPGs?”

“Oh, sorry. Role-playing games. Video games. Assassin, Warcraft, Final Fantasy, that kind of thing.”

“Cool,” she said. She had never heard of any of these. “Do you cook when home? I have several of my mom’s recipes. Some she got from her mother. Creating natural food dishes is my second love. As you can see.” She gestured to herself.

He gave her a questioning look. “You look great. Don’t ever think you don’t. Any man would be lucky to have you. Especially if you cook. I usually order pickup or delivery. Pizza, Chinese, fusion, whatever I feel like.”

“You sound like you work a lot. Do you ever take a vacation? This is my first time out of the office for several days. I’m thinking a cabin retreat would be fun, though. Reconnecting with nature, hot cocoa in front of a blazing fireplace.”

“We do work a lot,” he said. “It’s what the job calls for. But I have taken time off. I’ve gone to the beach with lots of women. My wolf loved it. All the sand to run around in and heavenly bodies to enjoy.”

Okay, obviously, they didn’t have a chance in hell of having a relationship. The only thing they had in common seemed to be this job. “Do you know the agent who’s missing?” She wanted to know everything about this man. But didn’t want ask until they had a conversation going.

“Yeah, Day is a great guy. He’s dedicated, really smart, nice. He keeps to himself a lot. He’s always working.”

“Does he have family?” she asked.

“I’ve never heard him talk about anyone, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist,” Sheldon replied.

“Any pictures on his desk?”

Sheldon thought about the question. “I don’t think he even has a desk anymore. He does a lot of undercover stuff and is seldom in.”

She nodded. Day wasn’t sounding like good boyfriend or husband material. If he didn’t want a desk to tie him down, would he even consider a wife? Maybe he’d like an assistant to travel with. That was something. Who knew. She started thinking of him as a big, sexy cowboy type. Yeah. A cowboy or a rancher. She shut her eyes and let her mind drift off while still visualizing all kinds of crazy things with a man she didn’t even know.

“You seem so natural around animals, Kari. Like you were meant to be part of their world in some way.”

She looked up at Bryon from where she stood petting the horse’s velvet nose. He was so tall and broad and she licked her lips at the glimpse of muscled chest peeking through the open buttons on his flannel shirt. She dared let her eyes dip to his crotch and her mouth watered. Holy moly!

He stepped behind her and moved the hair from her neck and his breath fanned against her skin. She shivered from the tickling sensation, but also from how close his hard body was to hers.

Oh god, if he kissed her now, she’d let him have her right then and there in the barn. She closed her eyes and as if he could read her mind he slipped his hands over her bare arms and walked her backwards.

“Where are we going?”

His lips slid into a smile against her skin. “Wherever you want.”

She sighed and leaned into him. “This feels like a dream.”

Bryon turned her in his arms and lifted her onto a high hay bail. “That’s because it is, Kari. I am whatever you want me to be. I’ll do whatever you want me to do. Just let me have you.”

She gasped as his hand tugged her blouse loose from her skirt, his fingers slipping over her breasts to pull the cotton fabric over her head. It fluttered to the ground as his hand plundered her cool flesh. Heat streaked across her body, his rough hands teasing her nipples as his mouth took hers.

She cupped his firm buttocks and pulled his hips close, spreading her legs to feel the full bulge behind his zipper and the rough denim against her thin panties.

“You smell delicious, Kari. I just want to bury myself in your scent and taste every inch of you.”

His lips feather over her jaw to the tender flesh beneath and further down to the full mounds inside her lacy bra. He tongued the delicate fabric, sucking the hard peaks through the material, his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh until she gasped.