Page 12 of No Harm No Howl

Gia thought about it for a minute. No. She knew Russ was her fated mate, but damn, she wasn’t ready to surrender her life to a man’s whims.

“He’s my mate. I felt that pull … that instinct … instantly. That doesn’t mean I’m ready for a mate. There’s so much more that I want to do with my life before I settle down. I’m not meant to be barefoot and pregnant, stuck in the kitchen for the rest of my life. I need more than that.”

The thought alone horrified her. She loved working and going out with friends. She loved her alone time when the world slowed down around her and she could catch her breath. Her wolf may have longed for her mate, but it didn’t mean that Gia shared that longing.

“What makes you think that you would have to give all of that up?” Gerri asked.

“I’ve seen it time and time again. With friends. With family. Hell, my mom gave everything up for my dad. I don’t want that for me. I want more. I need more.”

“Is that really what you think happens when someone finds their mate?” Gerri asked.

“I know it’s what happens. Of that, I have zero doubts.” In this aspect, she really didn’t care what Gerri’s opinion was. Gia was going with what she had witnessed firsthand with all the women in her life who had found their mates and were living their happily-ever-afters.

Gia had her own idea of what a happily-ever-after should be. Being someone’s slave for the remainder of her life wasn’t it.

“Okay, so what are you going to do about the job? Are you just going to turn it down? Just give up on your dreams of working for WSI?”

“I should. I should walk away, but I don’t think I can. I want this so bad. I’ve wanted it for so long, but …” Gia stopped before finishing her sentence. There were so many reasons why she shouldn’t take this job. She could fire off at least ten right off the top of her head.

“But what?” Gerri prompted her.

“That means I’d have to work with him every day, and I don’t know if I can do that. It goes against every standard I’ve set for myself of not dating someone from work. Unless … Ha! That’s it! That’s exactly how I can accept the job. Thank you.” Gia beamed.

EIGHT

RUSS

Russ spun his phone in a circle on his desk, waiting to hear back from Gia. Watching the paint dry would have been more fun. All he could think about was what her final decision would be. What would it be like to have her working side by side with him in the company that he had busted his ass to build? To have his mate beside him … nothing would make him prouder. Nothing would make him feel more complete.

“If she would only call.” The waiting was killing him. He wanted her answer. Needed her answer. Because if she chose to turn him down, he’d need to come up with a whole new plan. A new way to woo his mate, so to speak. She didn’t seem like the type who was going to swoon and fall into his arms with a dreamy sigh. Gia seemed like the exact opposite. That meant he was going to have his hands full.

Nothing in his life had ever come easy, though. And he certainly wasn’t going to give up on his mate. The way he looked at the situation, whether she decided to take the job or not, it was still the start of their courtship.

Just as Russ was about to bang his head on his desk in frustration, his phone buzzed.

“Hello!” he said with far more enthusiasm than he’d wanted in his voice.

“Mr. Waters?” Gia asked, her voice sounding even sexier and huskier than he’d remembered.

“Yes. I’m glad to hear from you, Ms. Dodson. What can I do for you?” He hoped more than anything her answers would include something along the lines of, bend me over and fuck my brains out, or fuck me until I scream your name and pass out in your arms, or I want you balls deep in me until I’m clawing your back to shreds. Really, any of those would have been good for him.

“I’ve decided to take you up on your offer for employment.”

Her voice, her reply, was music to his damn ears.

“Great! I’m glad to hear that. I think you’ll be a great fit for WSI.” Russ worked to keep his voice neutral.

“I’m not going to lie. I’m worried about my employment there,” she said.

“How so?” he asked, wondering where she was going with this.

“I don’t date people I work with. That’s one of my big hell-nos. I just want you to be aware of that. I expect this to be strictly a professional relationship between us.”

Her tone was very matter-of-fact and left no wiggle room for any other opinions. Russ wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that, but honestly, if that was all he could get her to agree to right now, he’d have to take it. It was far better than her walking away altogether. He wasn’t quite sure what he would do if she chose that option.

Swallowing any hope he had of starting things off on a more romantic foot, he drew in a deep breath and pushed the sexy thoughts he had of her to the back of his mind.

“I understand. When would you be able to start?” he asked, not willing to discuss the fact that she was his mate. She may be fully on board the denial train, but that could only last so long. He would have to rely on the instincts that were pushing him to the brink to do the exact same thing to her at some point. Her wolf would begin to demand her mate. And when she did, he would be there to take her into his arms and give her everything her heart desired.

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