Brick stood atop a ladder and hefted a box in his hands, testing the weight, before leaning over to hand it down to Ivy, whose hands were raised in the air, ready to receive it.

“Be careful,” he said to her.

“I’ve got it.”

“That’s the last one.”

“Of this auction, yes.” She set it down and curled her hair around her ears. “There’re about 30 more, but they’re below ground. I had them moved there to give me more space in here.”

Her scent had been haunting him for hours, and in that moment, mixed with the beads of her perspiration on her brow, the agony was consuming him. Using all of his willpower, he pushed at the need to take her, as his stomach protested yet again.

The playful banter that they had when they started looking through the boxes, as they’d gotten to know each other better, had ended, and they had worked in silence for a long while.

“Ivy,” he said, as he hopped off the last rung and turned to her. “I’m going to have to take you to your car and see you tomorrow.”

“It’s that bad?”

He didn’t see any reason to hide it from her any longer. If anything, he thought his restraint should show her how serious he was about his intent.

“It is. My wolf is clambering for me to claim you, but I won’t act on it. What I told you stands. I’ll fight the Hunger until you come to me of your own volition—your desire to be with me.” He slid his fingers through his hair. “Probably need to hit the gym more, though, to work out this agitation. Sweat it out, maybe.”

“By wolf, do you mean…?”

“No.” He raised his hands slightly and shook his head. “That will never happen, Ivy. He and I are one, but he’s my primal nature. We want the same thing, but that part of me won’t surface in our intimate moments.” Brick approached her and said, “The TMD lied about that, giving humans another reason to want to exterminate us.”

“That’s what I thought, but thank you for confirming.”

“I’ll tell you anything you want to know about me.”

“What would happen if you kissed me?”

And with those words falling from her lips, his already hard cock began to throb, wanting to thrust inside her wet heat.

“Ivy.” His voice dropped to a growl. “Don’t tempt me unless you’re ready. I told you that I wouldn’t take you tonight, but I’m hanging onto that promise by a thread. If it snaps, I won’t stop with your mouth.”

Her body seemed to relax, and she blinked her eyes slowly. He closed the distance between them, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her flush to his body.

Whispering, she asked, “What would happen next?”

“I’d taste and take what’s mine. Bury my face there, lick and eat until you begged me not to, but I’d continue. I’d let my fingers feel you dripping off of them, as you came, screaming my name. Only after I was done would I order you to your knees and watch my cock sink inside your open mouth, while I held the back of your head, helping you take me down, claiming your throat before your sweet pussy.”

Ivy shivered and swallowed at what he’d said.

“Could you… would you… stop... if I asked you to?”

“I’d make myself, but you wouldn’t do that to me, Ivy. You’d beg me to do anything but. You feel the same as I do. Admit it.”

She bit her bottom lip, and he grabbed his dick with his hand, clutching it hard at the base to slow his reaction to such a simple act.

“Let me walk you to your car,” he said, his voice sounding strangled. “Duke’s here to pick me up.”

“What if I said ‘yes’? Not to mating, but to sex.”

“You’d accept my mark, then?”

“That’s similar to an engagement, right?”

“Yes, but it isn’t taken lightly. It means you belong to me and nobody else.”

She nodded and said, “I understand. Let me go.”

Crestfallen, he did as she asked, and she backed away. Turning around, she lifted her hair, baring her neck to him.

“I need help with the zipper.”

Brick remained where he was, with one question needing to be answered.

“What changed, Ivy?”

The room went quiet, with only the sound of their heaving breaths.

“Maybe I’m hungry, too,” she whispered.

Grasping her by her shoulders, he spun her around.

“For me?”

She nodded, cocked her head to the side, and gave him a coy smile.

“I want to get naked and get on you.”

With a grin, he swooped her off her feet and hurried out of the warehouse, towards her office. Ivy looped her arms around his neck, leaning her head against his shoulder, looking up at the man she was ready to give herself to.