Page 13 of No Harm No Howl

“Well, I’m already laid off. So, I suppose I can start whenever you need me to.”

“Do you need a week or two before you start working again to take care of any personal issues, or do you want to hop right into your new job?”Please say you’re ready to start now. He didn’t know why he’d even asked her if she needed some time off before starting. What in the hell was he going to do if she replied that she wanted two weeks off? He’d go crazy not being able to see her for that length of time.

“I think I’m good to start now. I honestly don’t know what I’d do with myself if I had that much time off.”

“Perfect. Then let’s plan for you to start tomorrow.”

“What time should I be there?” Gia asked.

“What would be better for you, a seven a.m. start or eight a.m.?” he asked. It really made no difference to him.

“I’m good with seven. I’ll see you then.”

“See you then, Gia.” Russ disconnected the call and let out a long exhale.

She had taken the job. That was the first step in getting close to her. He hated to use it to his advantage, but what choice did he have? She was his mate, and it looked as if she was going to buck him on every front when it came to their possible relationship. He’d seen it happen before. Multiple times.

Why shifters chose to fight that pull, that natural instinct, was beyond him. He’d never once seen anyone successfully fight the mating instinct. Not once. Whatever Gia was up to, she would fail. Of that, he was one hundred percent certain.

It would only be a matter of time before she would crack. The only question was, who would crack first? Her or him?

NINE

GIA

Gia pulled into the parking lot with a good fifteen minutes to spare. She’d gone to bed early, knowing she needed to be up early. Right now, nothing was more important for her than making a good impression on her first day at her new job.

This was the job she had always dreamed of. The job she had wanted more than anything. It could make or break her career. It had taken Gia an hour just to pick out what outfit to wear. The perfect outfit that hugged her curves without looking like she was dressing for attention.

Trying to figure out what to do with her hair had been a whole other beast. She'd opted to leave her long curly locks hanging down around her shoulders and called it done. She took more time than she ever had to put on her makeup. She was careful to not make herself look like she was headed out for a night on the town.

In all her life, she'd never put so much thought into looking perfect for anyone or anything. It simply wasn't like her. Yet, today, she felt the need to be that person. That person who meticulously agonized over their looks.

That's because our mate will be there,her wolf said. Her animal, who had been uncharacteristically quiet over the past twenty-four hours, had finally spoken up.

She had wondered why her wolf hadn't chimed in before now.

We are going to work at our new job. We will not be hooking up with anyone we work with. Period.

Please! You practically had to fight yourself to keep from jumping him the first time we met him. How do you expect to work side by side with our mate every single day and not get involved with him?

Damn her wolf for being so freaking logical. It was the one thing Gia was worried about, but she couldn't let her worries interfere with her career. She had never been that way. Nor was she about to be. She would remain professional around Russ at all times if it was the last thing she ever did.

Unclicking her seat belt and straightening her shirt, Gia glanced into the rearview mirror and checked her makeup. She smiled, making sure she hadn't gotten any lipstick on her teeth. That would be embarrassing. Checking her watch once more, she grabbed her purse and her briefcase and headed into her new office. Butterflies danced in her stomach with each step she took across the parking lot.

Surprisingly, Russ met her at the front door and let her in.

“Good morning, Gia. We’ll have a security badge issued for you a little later today. All of the external doors require your badge to be swiped to be let in.”

“Thanks,” she replied.

“This is Marybeth, our receptionist. She keeps all of us in line.”

“Damn right, I do. It’s nice to meet you.” The friendly older woman smiled at her.

“It’s nice to meet you as well.”

“I’ll show you where your office is. You can get yourself set up before Angela from HR comes to get you. She said something about onboarding.”

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