Page 75 of Rugged

“At the hot spring, when you wanted me to call him. I didn’t know his number. I’m Emma, not Lyssa, remember?” Tears filled my eyes. “I lied. I mean, really lied when I faked calling him. I didn’t know he was dangerous. Or that–”

“Shh, it’s okay.”

I shook my head. “You can’t forgive me that easily.”

“I kept being a shifter. And an enforcer. And that I marked you.Andthat your not-boss was really dangerous and a bad guy. I think we both lied, huh?”

I sniffled then nodded.

“Now tell me about being a twin, ‘cause that’s a twist.”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“But…why did you say you were Lyssa?”

I sighed. “She was the one who had the job here. I really did quit my job in L.A. and came here to visit with her. Then she went off with some guy to Ibiza. When you showed up, I pretended to be her. Taking on her persona allowed me to act more like her. Be the wild and crazy one.”

He frowned at me, confused. “Like what?”

“Like hooking up with you. Leaving with you. Skinny dipping. The box of toys. All of it. I’m not usually impulsive. I’m very conservative. I don’t hook up with random guys or take chances like that.” I had to glance away when I admitted my biggest fear. “I…I don’t know if you’ll like boring Emma.”

I expected Johnny to say something sweet, but instead he laughed. My gaze returned to his.

“Is that funny?”

He immediately schooled his face. “No, baby. Sorry.It’s just that I haven’t explained something to you yet. Something kind of huge. About us.”

I went still. Held my breath. What could be huge about us? What else could there possibly be?

“Remember when I asked you if you believed in fate?”

I nodded.

Johnny looked so earnest. A little nervous. Handsome as hell. I brushed his stubbly jawline.

“Well, every wolf has a fated mate. They’re hard to find because they could be anywhere on the planet, but the lucky ones find each other. When we meet our mate, we know her by scent.”

My heart did a double-tap in my chest. What was he telling me?

“When you opened that door three days ago and I caught your scent, I knew immediately that you were mine.”

I blinked. Hard.

“Oh.”

“So you see, it wouldn’t have mattered whether you worked for Chapman or for the governor or if you were unemployed. It wouldn’t have mattered if you said your name was Mickey Mouse. I was definitely going to do everything I knew to make you see what I already knew–that we were made for each other.”

A sheen of tears coated my eyes, and my lips parted. “And if…Lyssa had opened the door?”

“Your sister?” He shook his head. “Nope. She’s not the one. But it sounded to me like Knox and Travis think she’s theirs.”

“Both of them?” I exclaimed.

He nodded. “They’re from the Two Marks pack in Wyoming. A slightly different breed. They mate in pairs.”

I laughed. “Well, it would take two of them to handle her!”

Johnny laughed with me then sobered. “Did you really think I might like Lyssa better? Or that what we have wasn’t real, and I was just using you to get to Chapman?”

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