Page 76 of Into the Lion's Den (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

God, he looked good in his suit. I wanted to run my hands through his hair, but the dark look in his eyes had me taking a step backward and putting the chair between us.

“You totally ran out on me,” he said, taking a step closer. “And we needed to talk.”

I put my hands up, palms flexed toward him as if that could hold him back. “I didn’t see anything.”

“Sure you didn’t.” He moved around the chair, coming closer.

“I see naked men in the woods all the time.”

The corners of his full lips twitched upward. “Uh-huh. Is that all?”

I took another step backward and ran into the edge of my bed. “What else should there be?”

“You discovered my secret, Sarah.” He prowled closer, his movements as fluid as water.

My mouth fell open. I’d expected him to tell me I’d imagined the whole thing. “I didn’t mean to see anything.”

“I’m sure you didn’t. But now you have one up on me because I still don’t knowyoursecret.”

Oh no. Did he think he was going to torture it out of me with his sexual persuasion? I didn’t want that. Or fuck. Did I?

“You don’t have to tell me right now,” he said silkily. “We’ll cross that bridge later because, Sarah…I’m a cat. I’m curious by nature. But what I want to know right now is, what are you going to do with your newfound knowledge?”

Oh. Of course he’d be foremost concerned about that. “I’m not going to tell anyone, if that’s what you mean.”

“Good.” He closed the final few inches between us—so close I had to tip my head back to look at him.

I could see the mountain lion in the soft glow of his green eyes, and I was surprised to realize that that’s what I'd been seeing in them all along. Reese was wild. Passionate.Dangerous.

As if he could read my mind, he said, “You don’t have to be afraid of me. You don’t have to be afraid of anything when you’re with me.”

I nodded, though I still wasn’t certain. “Does anyone else know what you are?” I thought of the dozens of other employees.

“No one knows.”

“What about your brothers and sister?”

His eyebrows drew together in a confused expression. “Of coursetheyknow.”

“I mean...” I shook my head, still not quite believing we were having this conversation. “Are they...the same?”

“I’m their alpha. Other than that, we’re the same. Now I want to know why you’re still here.”

I gave him my own look of confusion. I would have thought the answer was obvious. “The Maddoxes were coming. I couldn’t leave the resort in a lurch.”

“The resort?” His hand came up, and he stroked his thumb along my jaw.

“You,” I admitted. “I couldn’t leave you.”

Reese kissed me. It was tentative at first, just a feather-soft brush of lips. This was followed by a slow and purposeful sweep of his mouth against mine...right...then left...before he sucked my bottom lip into his mouth.

Every muscle in my body tensed, and although I knew I should end the kiss—for my sanity if not for the protection of my identity—I didn’t pull away. I couldn’t. It was impossible.

A low vibration rumbled through Reese’s chest—almost like a purr. No.Exactlylike a purr.

That sound sent shivers of pleasure skittering down my spine.

His lips moved against mine, kissing, nibbling, sucking until his hands slipped around my waist and down over my ass. He squeezed, and my mouth opened on a gasp.

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