“I need a favor.”

Seeing her stand there with her hands clasped as if in prayer, Jaime tensed. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to get out of here for a little while. I was thinking of going to the Rouge Bar. Will you come? I just need to get away.”

“Why, what is it?”

After a long sigh, she spoke. “Someone’s coming to visit, and I don’t want to be here when he does. Bring Gabe and Hope if you want, and we’ll make a night of it. Just, please, I need to get out of here.”

“Shaya, you have me totally confused and worried. If you want me to come with you somewhere then fine, I will. But, please, tell me what’s wrong.” Shaya bit her bottom lip hard. “Not here. Once we’re off pack territory, I’ll tell you, okay?” Impatient to know but not wanting to push, Jaime nodded. “Okay. Just give me ten minutes to get ready.”

“I’ll be waiting in my room.”

Eager to get Shaya out of their territory before this mystery person arrived and Shaya hyperventilated, Jaime began swiftly searching through her pine triple wardrobe for something to change into that, unlike what she was currently wearing, wasn’t stained with chocolate—her favorite food group. It was while she was stripping off her clothes that there was a heavy rhythmic knock that almost made her jump.

“Open up, Jaime.” Dante’s tone was implacable, totally unyielding.

Well, hell. Not one to procrastinate, she quickly slipped on her white silk robe over her underwear and opened the door. She’d expected to find a very hostile-looking wolf staring back at her. Instead, Dante was wearing one of his cocky grins—a grin that had her body instantly heating.

“We need to talk, Jaime.” Dante swallowed hard at the sight of her. She had to be wearing a slinky robe, didn’t she? “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

So that I can have inexhaustible, carnal sex with you, he refrained from adding.

And have the cocky jerk sense the overwhelming effect he had on her libido? Jaime snorted inwardly. Not freaking likely. As pathetic as it was, Jaime wanted more of what he’d given her last night, wanted his hands and mouth on her again, even as she knew that the lust was one-way. Come on, how f**ked up was that? As such, it so wouldn’t be a good idea to have the object of her lust standing in her bedroom.

Lying down in it, sure. She mentally slapped herself for that thought.

Dante arched a brow. “Well?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I’m a bitch like that.”

He persisted, “Let me in, Jaime.”

Ignoring the tug in his voice, she brought her index finger to her chin. “Now let me think…I’ve fed the cat, been to work, done my laundry, attended the baby shower…Sorry, but it seems that my schedule doesn’t include talking to you. Bummer.”

A huge grin spread across Dante’s face. He shouldn’t like her attitude, but he did. “Don’t make me push my way in, baby. You know I will.”

The stubborn set of his smooth jaw told her that he meant every word. Releasing an exasperated sigh, she turned and walked inside, leaving him to close the door behind him. Jaime watched in bemusement as he wandered around the room like he owned it. Typical dominant male.

Oddly, her wolf liked having him in her personal space.

Well that’s new . Her wolf was usually too territorial over her space to be okay with that kind of thing. All shifters were territorial, but not as bad as Jaime’s wolf.

“I like it,” said Dante as he took in the rustic look of the room and the warm feel created by the natural, woodsy colors. Jaime was clearly a messy person—something he would imagine drove Grace crazy when she came inside to clean—but the room was somehow inviting, calming. The white canopy bed caused a series of erotic images to flick through his brain. Not helpful.

“So you wanted to talk.”

He turned back to Jaime and was momentarily distracted by the way she was biting on her lower lip. Christ, that mouth. He wanted it again. He remembered how soft it was, how—

Enough. “Yes. It was an interesting conversation we had last night. I hadn’t been expecting to end up flat on my back. That’s some strength you have. What was it you said after calling me a son of a bitch? Oh yeah, that’s it. You said that if you want to f**k someone that you goddamn motherfucking will. Huh.” His wolf growled at the memory. “You even punctuated that by slamming the car door.” As he took a step toward her, a stifling sensual need assailed Jaime, twisting her insides.

Crap. Her body was now officially in “Must Have Dante” mode, and it would only be a matter of minutes before he sensed it. Damn it, why did his voice have to be so sexily gruff? And did he have to be so incredibly masculine? And why, oh why, couldn’t his self-assuredness piss her off instead of causing fluttering sensations in her stomach?

This whole thing sucked. Didn’t every girl imagine that she would one day manage indifference around the guy with whom she had been infatuated? Frustratingly, Jaime’s body was not on the same wavelength as her mind; her ni**les had tightened painfully, her br**sts were aching, her clit was throbbing, and she was so damn wet it wasn’t even funny. It was almost as though her body was submissively readying itself for him.

“Nothing to say to that?”

“What can I say?” she said meekly as she lowered her eyes. “PMS is a bitch.”

“The submissive act isn’t going to work with me any longer. Dominant vibes were washing off you in waves last night. Yet now I can barely sense your wolf. Maybe you could explain to me just why that is.”

“Maybe you could just go home to Olive Oyll and eat some more spinach.” There was that cocky grin again that tickled her in all the right places.

“Why can I barely sense your wolf, Jaime?”

She had to refrain from backing up as he continued to move toward her. The predatory look on his face and the stealth in his slow steps made her feel like she was being stalked. Her wolf liked the way he prowled toward her, liked being the sole focus of his attention.

“Jaime,” he drawled warningly, continuing to close in on her. “Answer me.” Again she ignored the pull in his voice, but it proved impossible to ignore the carnal hunger circulating through her system. And he was standing oh so close to her bed…She imagined herself on her hands and knees, clinging to the silk sheets, while he took her forcefully from behind.