Chapter Six

Nolan rubbed both temples with his fingers, staring unseeing out the window of the hotel suite’s bedroom. When he’d arrived last night, he’d thought the rooms seemed large and roomy. Today they had shrunk to nearly suffocate him.

His mate was on the other side of the door behind him. He’d waited his entire life to meet her, to finally know firsthand the feeling shifters got when they “knew” she was the one. He hadn’t honestly expected it to happen so dramatically and with such certainty. That was rare for his species, although seemingly more common lately.

After spending the night in a combination of pacing and lying restlessly on the bed, he’d known he had to see her. Hold her. Touch her. If nothing else, he wanted to capture that feeling again. Remind himself it was real and not a figment of his imagination.

The last thing in the world he’d expected was for her to show up experiencing the same stomach-dropping sensation with another man—his best friend.

It’s not her fault. He kept reminding himself of this fact over and over like a mantra he needed to memorize. She didn’t ask for this problem. Neither did Reid.

The door opened softly behind him as he knew it would eventually. Her scent was stronger as soon as she was in the room sharing the same airspace. Not that it mattered. He could scent her from down the hall when she stepped off the elevator. His entire body had come to attention, heat suffusing him at the thought of seeing her—only to be doused with a bucket of ice water when she and Reid lowered the boom.

He needed to speak. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have raised my voice,” he told the window.

“Don’t apologize. You have every reason to be angry.”

“I’m not angry,” he said as he turned around to face her, leaning against the window sill. “Okay, maybe I am,” he amended, “but not at you. And not at Reid either. In my rational mind, I know neither of you asked for this any more than I did last night.”

She nodded. Her arms were wrapped around her middle as if she were cold. He took her in fully for the first time. Thick chocolate hair hung in long waves down her back, cascading haphazardly over her shoulders. She was stunning even though he knew he’d given her only a few minutes to get ready before Reid picked her up. He hadn’t cared that he didn’t give her enough time to primp or put makeup on or change clothes or style her hair. He’d wanted to see her as soon as possible.

And he wasn’t sorry. The woman in front of him didn’t need extraordinary grooming measures to knock the socks off any man. She might have been wearing minimal makeup, but otherwise, he knew in his heart this was Adriana Tarben. The real Adriana. Not the one he’d seen on many pages of her social media—often dressed like a model with perfect hair and makeup and jewelry. No, this was the day-to-day woman he would wake up to for the rest of his life. Or would he?

Her eyes were wide again. Deep brown orbs that called to him. Made him want to rush across the room and take her in his arms. She looked like she needed exactly that, but he wasn’t sure he should go there. Not yet. The more he touched her or even breathed her air, the harder this was going to get.

He prayed he was right about her binding to Reid. Surely if he let her go and she and Reid completed the binding as soon as possible, the strong connection he felt to her would be severed, and he would feel a sense of peace. If not? Well, fuck.

Letting his gaze roam down her body, he took in the rest of her. She was almost a foot shorter than him, small for a shifter. She wore a form-fitting white T-shirt that probably looked sexy as shit in its simplicity when it wasn’t covered by the thick navy cardigan she had on over it, with the sides pulled together as if she were standing in the cold. Even with her arms crossed to keep her sweater closed and metaphorically shut out the world, he could detect the outline of full breasts.

Her sweater hung long, down to her thighs. Her jeans were worn and hugged her body perfectly in the way of well-loved clothing.

He jerked his gaze back up to her face to find her soaking in his details in a similar fashion. He smiled. “This is not how I envisioned the day going.”

“I know.” Her voice was soft. Kind. Soothing. It washed over him every time she spoke, luring him to get closer. He gripped the windowsill at his sides to keep from moving.

“Where did Reid go?” He knew his friend would not have left the hotel. For one, he wouldn’t abandon the job he’d been asked to do. For two, he wouldn’t be physically able to walk away from Adriana.

“Hotel bar.”

Of course. “I’m being an insensitive ass.”

“You’re being human.”

“Ah, but I’m not human. None of us are. At least not fully. We know how this works.”

“Do we?” She cocked her head to one side. “How many shifters do you know who met more than one mate in the same weekend?”

“None.” He sighed. He needed to reach out to someone, ask for advice, get help. But who? He didn’t want to include his parents or anyone else in this mess yet. Not until he understood it better himself.

She stepped closer, hesitantly. Her eyes were bright with tears, and when one broke loose to run down her cheek, she lifted a hand to dash it away with the tips of her fingers. “Sorry. I’m not usually this emotional. I’m exhausted from lack of sleep. My stomach’s in knots. And it feels like an electric current is zapping my brain every few seconds with mixed messages.”

It occurred to him this could not be easy for her. In fact, it would be worse. Weirder. Unimaginable. He was still struggling to understand how it was possible for his best friend to have the same deep feelings for the woman he knew in his heart was his. Meanwhile, Adriana was theoretically experiencing a link to more than one person. Yep, he was an ass.

“Come here.” He lifted a hand and motioned her forward with his fingers.

She swallowed, her brows coming together as she considered the ramifications of getting any closer. He let his guard down enough to open his mind to her. If he could find a way not to block her, he might be able to delve into her brain too. Understand better. Help her.

He needed to remind himself this wasn’t all about him. Others were suffering too. The woman he should be safeguarding and protecting against the world was standing several yards away in pain, and he was just watching her. “Please, Adriana. Come here.”

It seemed prudent to let her come to him. He could encourage her with words, but she needed to approach on her own. After all, in the end, the decisions were hers. He’d never been more impotent in his life. The frustration he’d felt earlier about ensuring his stubborn mate was safe had increased tenfold since she’d arrived.

Seeing to her physical safety was only a fraction of his job. He needed to take care of her emotional safety at the same time. And he’d set that aside for the last half hour to wallow in his pity party.

He didn’t want to scare her or make her think she didn’t have her own free will, but dammit, he wanted her in his arms of her own accord. A protective instinct kicked in. Perhaps it was combined with a bit of the dominance he knew was his nature, but he needed to find a way to balance those two and quick. He’d learned that morning that ordering her around would get him nowhere fast. She would dig her heels in every step of the way if she thought he was dictating her moves.

Did she realize Reid was cut from the same cloth? He was no less domineering with his women than Nolan. Possibly even more so. It was one of the things they had in common. It made him smile inside.

Damn, this was fucked up.

He could concede and go to her, but that idea still didn’t seem like the best path.

She exhaled slowly and inched forward.

Thank God.

Her body was shaking when she stepped into his personal space.

He reached out, wrapped his hands around her biceps, and tugged her the last few inches until she was pressed against his chest. Closing his eyes to commit this moment to memory, he wrapped his arms around her body and lowered his face to her hair. The floral scent of her shampoo combined with her personal pheromones called to him like a siren.

Home.

There was no doubt in his mind she was his. His heart beat too fast.

After a few seconds, she released her crossed arms, closed the gap, and flattened more fully against him. Her small hands eased up his back as she hugged him fiercely. Her deep inhales told him she was also processing their connection. “It’s so powerful,” she whispered against his chest.

“Yes.”

“Why is this happening?”

“I don’t know.” If only he had the answer to that question.

He wanted to kiss her senseless. Toss her on the bed and climb over her to stake his claim on her body and her soul. But that wouldn’t be fair to anyone. Confusing her further would do no good. It wasn’t as if he needed to taste her in order to be more certain. There was no doubt in his mind.

And he sure couldn’t sleep with her.

Did Reid also know she was a virgin? Surely not. The fact that she’d told him had been a random coincidence. He was sure she didn’t run around announcing anything of the sort to other people. In fact, he reminded himself, she’d specifically told him he was the only person who knew that about her.

It occurred to him that he hadn’t returned the favor. He owed her a secret.

He rubbed his hands up and down her back while he considered his next words carefully. Nothing came to mind that was tangible. Instead, he gave her the next best thing, a glimpse into his vulnerable side. “I’m scared out of my mind, Adriana.”

“Me too.” The words caught in her throat, choked out as she tipped her head back and set her chin on his chest. Her expression was pained and so serious.

They needed to lighten the somber mood. They couldn’t stand there all day shrouded in sadness as if someone had died. “Let’s take a step back. Get to know each other. Pretend like we’re normal humans on a blind date.”

She smiled. “I’d like that.”

“I should call Reid. Tell him to come back.”

She shook her head, shocking him. “No. I’ll talk to him later. Let this be your afternoon.”

He held her at arm’s length, seeking her eyes for information. She was an open book. She didn’t have secrets.

“Reid and I have never dated the same woman before.”

Her smile broadened. “Well, I’ve never dated two men at once either.”

“How many men have you dated?” he asked as he took her hand and led her back to the living room area.

“Not many. Enough to know this is different.”

He lowered onto the couch, pulling her down beside him. “Talk to me about this new degree you’re pursuing. Why did you change your mind?”

She twisted around in the corner of the couch and tucked her legs up under her. She even pulled off her sweater.

That last part might have been a mistake since her tight, fitted, white T-shirt drew his attention to her chest, but he forced himself to keep his gaze on her eyes as they lit up. Her career change excited her.

“When I got my computer science degree, I guess I was doing what everyone expected of me. Everyone expected me to fall in line and work for the family brewery.” She shrugged. “It didn’t occur to me that I might like to do something different.”

“And fashion? When did that come into the picture?” He was trying to imagine her in a designer gown or runway dress. Something didn’t quite add up. Yes, he’d seen several pictures of her in fashionable attire on social media, but the woman in front of him was not superficial.

She must have read his mind because she answered the unasked question. “It’s not so much myself. I’m not high maintenance or anything. Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s more that I have vision. I like to dress other people. I have an instinct when it comes to knowing what will suit someone. I used to change my Barbies’ clothes all day long. I even made them different dresses when I couldn’t find what I wanted at the store.”

She lit up further while she spoke, and her passion was palpable. He loved it. At some point, he had angled his body to the side, drawing one knee up to face her. With the hand he’d draped over the back of the couch, he reached forward to pick up a lock of her hair. So soft.

He hadn’t meant to interrupt her, but she leaned into his touch, her eyes sliding shut. “What about you. Why accounting?”

He chuckled. “I have no exciting tale to tell about that. I was good at math, so I took the obvious route. While you were playing with Barbies, I was lining up numbers I guess.”

“Who’s the bigger geek?”

“It’s a tossup.” He grinned. Damn, he really liked her.

For a long time, he simply stared at her, soaking in her beauty, the flush on her cheeks that replaced the chill she’d had earlier.

“Now what do we do?” she asked.

“I have no idea. I wish I could say the right thing, but I don’t know what it is. You need to leave here with Reid. Please don’t argue with me on this. He has a condo not too far from campus. Stay with him. He’s a professional bodyguard. Nothing will happen to you in his care.”

“You’re sure about that?” She lifted a brow.

It took him a second to catch her meaning. Words got stuck in his throat. He took a moment to regroup, and then he sighed. “I’ll admit, I’m probably going to lose my shit when you leave. But the police are surely going to pick up my client this afternoon, and then I’m really going to be hiding. Even if it means losing you, I need to know you’re safe at all times.”

She didn’t move.

“Please, Adriana. Do this for me.”

“Leave here with your best friend? A man I’m clearly also connected to? That’s what you want? I’d almost be willing to go back to your original plan of staying with your parents at this point. This is so jacked up.”

He forced another smile. “But you’re right. If this guy decides to go after me, he’ll do anything to find me. I don’t want him to know I have anyone important in my life. Stay with Reid. Stay away from my parents and my sisters. Pretend you never met me.”

A tear slid down her face. “I don’t know how long we can keep this weird…triangle going.”

“That’s why I’m not asking you to. Follow your heart. If it leads you to Reid, do it. He’s a great guy.”

She shook her head. “He said exactly the same thing about you.”

Nolan smiled. “Not surprising.” He eased his hand from her hair to the back of her neck. “Do what feels right. I swear I will never fault you for whatever choice you make. You deserve happiness. If that means I have to let you go, it will be okay.”

Another tear. She wiped it away.

“No tears, baby.” His voice dipped too low. Too soft. His heart squeezed tight. “Will you do one thing for me?”

She nodded.

“Let me kiss you.” He glanced at her lips as she licked them. When she drew the corner of the bottom one between her teeth, he leaned forward.

She released her lip, her mouth falling open. And then she closed the last few inches to set her lips over his.

His eyes slid closed even though he had wanted to watch her expression. He couldn’t help it. He needed to go inside his head more. Feel every sensation. Store it for later…or forever. So soft. Gentle.

He tipped her head to one side and traced the seam of her lips with his tongue until she opened for him. When she let him inside, her hands grabbed his waist. Her fingers dug into his hips through his jeans, desperation evident in her grip.

His cock jumped to attention, but he ignored it, lifted his other hand to cup her cheek, and deepened the kiss. He tasted every inch of her mouth, devouring her. This kiss might have to last him a lifetime. He would never forget it.

Adriana Tarben was his. No matter what happened after she left this hotel suite, he would always know she had been his at least for one day.

Later, if she bound herself to Reid, would he know it immediately? Would something sever between them, breaking the connection? Would he bolt awake in the night and know she was no longer his?

He didn’t know the answers to any of those questions, but he would have to take this gift, cherish it, and let her go.

And pray Fate knew what She was doing.