Page 21 of Meant for Her

“We’ll get them back. We have to.”

“I do have a possible lead. I asked my cousin to verify the information. Mind you, it could be false.”

“You Grangers certainly seem to be well-connected.” He stared at her.

“Out of curiosity, how did you figure out my last name? I never told you.”

“Your keychain.”

Her shoulders sagged. “The Double G on the chain. That was very observant of you.”

“I like to know who I’m dealing with.”

She liked that he was cautious. “Now you know.”

“Why are you really here? To spy on us or something?”

“What?”

Malia had enough of this man. Mate or no mate, he might not be worth the effort. At some point, she’d speak with Ryan. At least he was nice.

She stood. “I’m sorry I wasted your time.”

Luke jumped up and stepped inches from her. This time he didn’t hide his hunger. His walnut brown eyes morphed into a sun kissed golden color, but only for a short time. It was as if he was fighting hard to keep control. Had the hair on his jawline not thickened, she might have thought he was immune to her.

“You need to keep as far away from us as possible,” he demanded.

She’d had enough of his attitude. Malia tapped his chest with her forefinger. “And why is that?”

“Because if anything happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.”

Okay, that was the last thing she’d expect to hear Luke say. One minute he acted as if she was the scourge of the Earth, and the next he wanted to keep her safe. “You’re trying to protect me? From what?”

“I know you aren’t that dense. Protect you from the rustlers. I don’t know who they are, but if they come again and you’re here, no telling what they’d do to someone as pretty as you.”

He thought she was pretty? The man had barely looked at her. “Thank you, I guess.”

She should step back, away from his intense gaze, but it was as if he was some magnet drawing her close. Real close. His lips lightly parted, and the urge to kiss him nearly felled her.

CHAPTERSEVEN

“This is a mistake,” Luke said, stepping back from her.

Malia had no idea what he was talking about. “A mistake?”

“It’s a mistake to do what I want to do. With you.”

She swallowed hard, her heart pounding. “I don’t think it would be a mistake.” Malia lifted her chin, hoping he was thinking about making love with her.

That comment might either have been the bravest thing she’d ever said or the stupidest, but right now she wanted Luke Lattimore, plain and simple. This was the first time in Malia’s life she’d experienced that proverbial moth-to-a-flame draw, but as sure as the sun was shining, she was feeling it now.

Faster than she thought even a werewolf could move, he pounced. Their lips collided, and the need to absorb everything about the man filled her. Without thinking about the consequences for once in her life, Malia wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in. The pressure from his well-defined chest against her breasts sent streaks of lust straight to her pussy, lighting it up like a fireworks display.

When Luke didn’t try to kiss her more fully, she parted her lips in invitation. He groaned, and then accepted. The moment she swirled her tongue around his, she understood why he’d been reticent. His teeth had sharpened. There was no way he could deny they were mates now—unless he didn’t know. He did have an absentee dad and no mom.

Right now, that didn’t matter. All she wanted to do was taste and touch all of him. It was as if something—lust, love, desire, need, and yearning—had invaded her body, blocking all rational thought.

Luke cupped her face and walked her backward toward the front door. He better not be planning on shoving her outside. Her coat and purse were on the sofa.

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