J.D. crossed her arms over her chest. “Nuh-uh, you’re not going to make me say it.” The tiger shifter had been impossible ever since he found out she had shifted in front of other people and was now trying to guess what she was. Well, he would never find out, not if she could help it.
Darcey rolled her eyes. “I apologize for my mate. I swear, I can’t take him anywhere.”
“It’s all right, Darcey. Don’t apologize for him.” Getting to her feet, she turned to Anders. “However, I think you owe an apology to a tree somewhere for providing you oxygen.”
“Hey!” Anders protested.
J.D. chuckled. “All right, I’m gonna go look for some snacks.” She had forgotten to eat lunch since she was rushing to get all her work done, and now her stomach was gurgling with hunger. “I’ll see you guys around.”
Getting up from the table, she made her way into the main building. There was a vending machine somewhere on the first floor, but she couldn’t quite remember where.
Since everyone was probably outside waiting for the festivities to begin, it was empty inside and half the lights had been turned off. She walked down the main corridor, tapping her finger on her chin. Maybe it was by the locker room. Or the observation deck downstairs? Or—wait. An idea popped into her head.
Damon loved peanut butter cups, and when she had lunch with Anna Victoria the other day, she had seen her with a big bag of them. When she asked who they were for, Anna Victoria said it was for Damon to keep in his desk so he would stop being such a grumpy bear when he was busy and forgot to eat lunch.
Heading down the darkened hallway, she made her way to the very end where the door to Damon’s office was. She crept inside and dashed to the large oak desk, opening the bottom drawer on the right.
“Damon, you magnificent predictable bastard,” she exclaimed when she saw the drawer overflowing with not only peanut butter cups, but also other candy. “Don’t mind if I do,” she cackled, ripping a packet of peanut butter cups and devouring both. Before closing the drawer, she stuffed her jeans pockets with more candy and chocolate. Satisfied with her haul, she zipped toward the door. As she prepared to shove her weight against it, however, the door swung open, and J.D. found herself sailing forward.
“Shit!” Momentum kept her flying until she collided with something solid and hard. “What the—oomph!” She landed on the floor with a hard thud, the wind knocked out of her. It took her a second before realizing that it wasn’t the floor she’d landed on. No, she was right on top of someone. A living, breathing someone, based on the rise and fall of the chest she was now plastered to. “I’m so—oohhh!” A delicious male scent teased her nostrils, and she pressed her nose against the khaki fabric underneath her, taking a big whiff. Hmmm. That scent made her want to curl into a ball and wrap it around herself. Strangely, her cat felt the exact same way. Huh. Her prickly little feline never had an opinion on any male … ever.
“If you wouldn’t mind …”
The smooth voice sent tingles across her skin. “Actually, I do mind—hey!”
She found herself being pushed away, then hauled up to her feet as warm hands gripped her arms. “What do you think you’re doing, tossing me around like a sack of—” A gasp left her mouth as her gaze collided with the most unusual blue-violet eyes she’d ever seen. Even behind the gold-rimmed glasses, she could feel them examining her with cold, detached curiosity.
Mine, her cat purred from out of nowhere.
And his animal let out a triumphant roar as it answered back: Mine!
“Well, fuck me sideways,” J.D. breathed out. “You’re—”
“My mate,” he finished, that cool stare never leaving hers.
The low, edgy growl that rumbled from his chest sent heat straight to her nether regions. “Oooh,” she moaned, her knees weakening. Control yourself, woman, she chided herself as she leaned back to steady herself on the door. You too, you little hussy, she told her cat, which was now lying down on the ground, rolling on its back and showing its belly. Oh, come on now. Play it cool. That was the plan anyway, at least, until she lifted her head to meet those eyes again.
The icy, unaffected gaze slowly melted as his blue-violet eyes ignited with desire. Before she