Page 69 of Alpha Rising (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

“I don’t know yet. John hasn’t told me. But you’re right. I put your family in harm’s way tonight. With everything else you have to deal with, it’s best I go. You can get someone to replace me as events coordinator. Maybe Dorothy would come out of retirement.”

He looked at me like I’d sprung a second head. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m going to have to leave sooner or later. John said—”

He folded his arms, and I got the distinct impression it was to keep himself from putting his hands on me again. “Nofae—not even one who’s a government agent—is taking you away from me.”

I threw my arms out in exasperation. “What’s the point, Reese? You know I’ll be going back to Chicago to testify, and when I do, you can’t go with me.”

“Why not?”

“Why not?Because you have a business to protect. Because your family is under threat. They need you here. You and me… We were never going to be anything more than a short-term…whatever this is.”

A muscle flexed in Reese’s jaw, but he knew I was right. Even if the trial wasn’t a factor, we were never going to be a permanent thing. He’d made that perfectly clear, and I didn’t blame him.

Whatever the reason their mother had left, those scars ran deep. Lessons learned the hard way were impossible to unlearn.

Besides, even if Sam considered me Reese’s “woman,” I wasn’t so sure I wanted to be his forever mate.God, that word. It was too weird to wrap my head around, and if being a shifter’s mate meant more of this alpha, macho bullshit…

“Maybe you won’t have to go back to Chicago,” Reese said.

I made a scoffing sound. “You think Carmine DaBruzzi’s just going to suddenly confess and make my testimony unnecessary? He’s king in his world. He won’t back down any easier than you would.”

When he didn’t respond right away, I looked him in the eye. Something wild and slightly unleashed flickered in those amazingly clear green irises.

“What?” I asked, flicking my hands out.

“Only that stranger things have happened in your life.”

Well, that was certainly true. Reese was Exhibit A. “You need to give me some space.”

“Not gonna happen. You scared the shit out of me tonight, Sarah. There’s a price to be paid.” His smile was so wicked, I couldn’t look away, and it caused my heart to race in a different kind of way.

He sat on the end of the bed and slapped his thighs. “Over my knee. Ass in the air.”

I sucked in a breath. “You better be joking.”

“Did you have a different punishment in mind?”

I put my hands on my hips. “I didn’t haveanypunishment in mind. I’m a grown-ass woman who might have made a mistake tonight.”

When he arched an eyebrow, I emphasized the word—“Might!”—just to make sure he knew I wasn’t admitting to anything.

He stood up, and I could see in his eyes that he’d been joking all along. “I’m perfectly happy to come up with some other form of penance.”

He stalked toward me, the predator on full display.

I backed up quickly and hit my head against the wall. “What are you doing?”

“I was thinking about kissing you, seeing as you didn’t get yourself killed tonight.” He trapped me between his body and the wall, then his lips met mine.

All of the fight leaked out of me.

My body was nothing but soft compliance.

His large hands slid over my hips, then behind my thighs. He lifted me with little effort, and I hooked my ankles behind his back.

Then he turned and was striding for my bed.

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