Page 30 of Into the Lion's Den (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

My angry glare slid from Charlie to Sarah.Nothing happened?That fucker put his hands on her.

I snarled, “I told you that dress was a liability.”

Sarah’s tears of humiliation quickly dried up and her eyes flashed. “You want to try that again?”

She was right. I probably shouldn’t have said it, but I was too angry to apologize, and I was in serious danger of shifting right there in the dining room. Another man had touched the woman I had somehow begun to think of as mine. Some natural impulses were too primitive to control.

“Okay,” Jeff said, clearly trying to be the voice of reason. “I think we should all call it a night. The fish will be biting at the crack of dawn.”

Several others agreed, but Charlie raged. “Iknewit. Didn’t I tell y’all? With Tony gone, this place is as good as dead. No discipline. Like a bunch of fucking animals!”

Sarah rushed out of the dining room.

I took a step to follow, but Angel grabbed my arm and held me back. “Whatever that was, it’ll keep until morning,” he whispered in my ear. “Tonight we’ve got damage control.”

12

SARAH

Ididn’t bother with makeup the next morning, and I dressed to match my dark mood—a forest green sweater and black cords. I had barely enough energy to hold in my fury while I waited for what was sure to come.

The resort would soon be in even rougher financial shape if people started second-guessing their loyalty to a business that had lost its founder.

Reese needed to assure people things would continue to run smoothly and, personally, I could think of plenty of ways to improve the business’s marketing. For example, I still thought it would be a great destination-wedding venue for people who liked a rustic flair. But Reese didn’t want any changes.The idiot.

And now he was assaulting the loyal clients he did have?

More lost clients meant more lost jobs. And I was sure—given he considered me aliability—that despite his assurances, I could easily be the next crying girl to climb into a cab.

I wasn’t worried about the U.S. Marshal’s Office not being able to find me a new location, but I didn’t want to go anywhere else. I liked it here. I liked…a lot of things here.

Even one particularly ridiculous thing that couldn’t control his animal impulses.

I looked up. Speak of the devil. Reese was standing in my doorway holding a donut in one hand and a steaming cup of tea (with two tea bags) in his other.

“You look like you want to punch somebody,” he said in his deep smooth voice.

Helooked like a decadent dessert, but I refused to be affected by his body or that sensual timbre. “Maybe I do.”

The corners of his mouth tipped up infinitesimally. “That’s why I brought you a hot tea and an apology donut.”

I eyed the donut suspiciously.

“You don’t want it?” He sounded legitimately surprised.

“Depends on what you’re apologizing for.”

He shifted his weight. “Obviously I’m apologizing for what Charlie did to you. He left first thing this morning.”

I shook my head. “If Charlie was so inclined, he could come back and apologize for himself. I want to know whatyou’reapologizing for.”

“Me?” His eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline.

“Yes.”

His confused expression turned dark, then he prowled to my desk and set the tea and donut on the edge. “You thinkIhave a reason to apologize?”

I gave him a look intended to question his intelligence. “Yes.”

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