Page 36 of Alpha Rising (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

I wrapped my arms around him, holding him to me, riding out the wave of his orgasm.

After his body relaxed, it still took another moment before he set my feet on the floor and said, “I’m glad you got those inhibitions of yours lowered.”

It was a teasing reminder of the careless comment I’d made when he’d strapped me into the ropes-course harness, slowly teasing me with each of the straps he’d wrapped around my body.

"Me, too," I said.

He rested his forehead against mine while shaking his head in disbelief. "It's like...I can't get enough of you. I want to do this all over again. Already. Now."

I enjoyed knowing I had as much power over him as he had over me. “Later," I promised. "Right now, I need to clean up."

“Want me to come with you?” he asked.

“No. We shouldn’t go back to the party at the same time. Might look bad. Or...suspicious? I don’t want people talking.”

He tipped his head to the side. “I didn’t think you worried about appearances.”

“I don’t. Not much. But you should.”

He kissed me again, and the look he gave me said that he liked that I cared about his reputation, even if he didn’t think it was a big deal. “I’ll leave the closet first.”

But he didn’t leave, still holding me against his body and breathing those long, soft breaths of a contented man. “Shit,” he murmured. “I don’t want to let you go.”

“You have to.” And I winced internally, knowing that I would mean that in a more permanent way in a few short months. When I returned to Chicago, Reese wouldn’t be coming with me.

Finally, he released me, then buttoned his shirt and buckled his belt.

I smoothed my dress.

He bent down to retrieve his jacket off the floor, put it on, and cracked open the door. Drawing in a deep breath, he allowed his animal nature to determine if the coast was clear, then, giving me an over-the-shoulder grin, slipped out of the closet.

I picked up the roll of paper towels that had fallen on the floor and replaced it on the shelf.

Heart still racing, I waited another thirty seconds before finally turning off the light and returning to my room to freshen up. That done, I headed back for the party but stopped after taking only two steps from my door.

I thought I heard something. A noise coming from the other side of the dark lobby. I glanced in that direction. We weren’t expecting the arrival of any guests, so the lobby was dark, save for a small light on the reception desk.

The partition wall on the far side of the desk blocked my view of the offices.

There was another clinking sound coming from that direction, followed by silence. Had Reese or I left a window open? Maybe something had been blown off a windowsill.

I went to investigate and, when I opened Reese’s office door, discovered a dark figure hunched over his desk, flashlight in hand.

“Who are you?” I asked.

The figure straightened abruptly.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded to know.

The figure charged across the room, black-gloved hands extended.

I retreated backward and bumped into something hard, though not a wall.

I kept my eyes glued on the guy coming at me, but in my periphery I sensed another black glove rising.

I heard a buzzing sound and opened my mouth to scream, but before I could fill my lungs with air, something cold and metallic touched the side of my neck.

Then all the world went black.

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