Shaw (Alpha Geek #6) - Milly Taiden Page 0,9

other parts of her very much aware that her mate was right there.

“I am, yup. I’m just looking for the bathroom.” There was a sharp change in the man’s scent. He was lying.

Poppy didn’t fully understand why he should be lying about something so trivial, but she had to guess that he was nervous about his first day working for a new company. More than that, she had been totally eye-fucking him, and that kind of attention could have made any man nervous. Especially a human.

“It’s the third door on the right. I’m Dakota, by the way. One of the agency’s protection agents. I have to say, I was surprised by the breach we had. Some of my friends are tech geeks, and they thought this place was as safe as houses.”

“Right. Well, you never know with technology. There’s always some new thing or another messing with the kinds of things it takes to keep a company safe and secure.” He gave her a tight smile, but it wasn’t too long that his eyes were back onto Poppy.

She felt herself blush. Like a silly twelve-year-old girl meeting a boyband front man. He kind of looked the part, too. Now that she knew he was a tech guy, his nonchalant attitude, beanie, and odd sense of style made sense. Even his thick-framed glasses were on point with his whole vibe.

“Do you two know each other?” Dakota asked as she looked from Poppy to the man. Her face was easily readable. She didn’t quite understand what was happening.

Poppy’s gaze flickered toward her, and Dakota’s face lightened with a mischievous grin. “Oh, you don’t know each other.” Her intonation was teasing. The other shifter woman had totally guessed that Poppy had spotted her mate. It must have been written all over her face. “I get it. I’m just going to pop into Nick’s office for a second.” She threw a wink Poppy’s way as she quickly retreated to her boss’s office, no doubt to give them the time to introduce each other.

The second Dakota was out of sight, Poppy’s mate took a step toward her. It was tentative, but there was a certain sense of urgency in the way he leaned his head in toward her. He was mortal. There was no way he could feel the pull of the mate sense that was making her panther absolutely hormonal. But he was sensing something between them, maybe he was attracted to her on a whole new level he was not familiar with. That was entirely possible.

Poppy opened her mouth to say something, but the words died there. She was entirely distracted by the shape of his lips. She wanted to grab his neck and bite down on the lower curve and nibble on it as she took sips from his mouth. That would have been delicious.

“I think you and I should go on a date.”

Whoever this guy was, he sounded so sure of himself. It made her panther purr like a cat in heat. She couldn’t say yes. It would put his life in danger. She couldn’t have that.

Mate, her animal reminded her. Your uncle can’t get to you if you’re mated.

Then there was that.

But more than the fact that if she were mated, she couldn’t be forced into an arranged marriage, was the solid truth in her heart. She had found her mate, and that was something to be happy about. Even if he could have been Gumby’s body double.

Poppy could feel her cheeks heating up with blush.

“I’d like that,” she finally said, surprising the hell out of herself. Her panther had definitely taken control of her mouth to answer the question. No way going out for coffee with this guy was a good idea. But she knew that there was no way she could not go. There was a desperate need inside of her to get to know him.

The man seemed just as surprised by her response. “Excuse me?” he asked, his eyes going round with shock.

She took a moment to appreciate his features. He was handsome. His jaw, though scrawny, was square and defined. His eyes were deep and full of mystery. The beanie and curly hair were also very intriguing. With his thick black-framed glasses, he was like an adult version of a skater boy. That had definitely been her type in high school. His limbs were long and thin, but there was a certain elegance in the way he moved.

“I would like to go out on a coffee