Frustration filled Quinn as the bookcase closed behind them after they entered the hidden passageway. She could smell Luke’s desire, and it would have been impossible not to notice the log burgeoning from his groin. He obviously wanted her, but he was not making any moves. He already said he wasn’t with Marigold, and he admitted to liking Quinn, so it had to be something else.

“Why are you holding back?”

“I can’t tell you.” He hesitated. “I don’t want to tell you. I’m … not ready.” Luke’s breath brushed over her skin like an erotic breeze. He gripped her upper arms. “I didn’t expect it to be like this.”

“Like what?”

“Being consumed by fire. I burn for you, Quinn.” He pinned her against the wall. His darkened gaze held her hostage. “I feel like I need you as much as I need my next breath.”

“I want you, too. Isn’t that enough?”

Luke looked away, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard.

“Is it your bear? He doesn’t want me?”

He faced her again, his blue eyes narrowed on her. “There’s not a single part of me that doesn’t want you.”

“Are you already married?”

“No.”

“Engaged?”

“No.”

Frustration made her bear roar. Take the man now, cried her beast. “Are you an ax murderer, a drug dealer, on the lam from the law for tax evasion?”

“No, no.” The corner of his mouth tugged up in a smile. “And no.”

“Then whatever it is can’t be that bad.”

“Yeah. This … well, it’s pretty big.”

Quinn screwed up her courage and placed her palm over his rigid cock. She gave it a squeeze through his jeans. “Yep,” she said. “It’s pretty big.”

Luke let out a ragged breath. “You make it hard to do the right thing.”

“If loving me is wrong, I don’t want you to be right.” She wiggled her brows and gave his package another caress. “And I’m definitely making it hard.”

Luke growled, his hands still on Quinn’s upper arms, as he pushed her back against the wall, a puff of dust shaking from the wood beams. “I can’t resist you,” he said. He fisted her hair and pulled her neck to one side, his lips brushing tiny kisses along her skin. When he got to her earlobe, he said, “You taste like honeyed wine.”

Quinn turned to him, her lips skimming his. “Oh, Luke,” she sighed into his mouth. It had been too long since she’d had a man hold her in his arms. If her bear wanted Luke—and Luke’s bear wanted her, then she could think of no better mate. Surely they were compatible in other ways, too. But … she’d gone to Mrs. Wilder. She’d asked for the matchmaker’s help. Her clan was too important to risk on the wrong man.

But Luke felt right. He smelled like a bear—and heaven knew he was acting like one. Her alpha instinctively knew that Luke was an alpha, too.

A mate.

Could he be the one Mrs. Wilder sent to her?

Did she give a shit?

Luke released a shuddering breath. His fingertips caressed the side of her breast in direct opposition to his words. “Christ, you’re so beautiful.”

She leaned her head back as he nibbled on her collarbone, his thick, wavy hair tickling her skin. She slid her hands through the silky strands, moaning as his thumbs brushed over her nipples.

“I need…” He kissed her neck again. “I need…” He kissed her jawline. His hands moved on her body, tentatively, as if she would shatter beneath him. “I…”

“What?” Quinn panted. “What do you need?”

He pressed his wide mouth to her lips, his tongue sweeping inside to take possession. The heat of his body as he lifted Quinn into his arms nearly sent her over the edge. She wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding herself against his hard cock.

“Yes,” she whispered against the hot press of his lips. “You are mine.” Her bear exalted in the words, and it was too late for Quinn to take them back if Luke didn’t feel the same.

“We can’t,” Luke said, making no move to stop moving his hips against her. “You’ll hate me.”

“Never,” she said and hoped it was a promise she could keep. After all, she really didn’t know much about the man. She stripped her top off, her breasts heaving in her black bra. “I need you to fuck me, Luke Dashwood.”

He bit his lip hard enough to make it bleed and groaned when her boobs came free of their cage. “You fucking make me so goddamn hard,” Luke growled.

When Quinn met his eyes, the blue had turned almost amber in color. She leaned forward and tugged his bottom lip between her teeth and savored his blood. It was wild, heady, and like nothing she’d ever tasted.

“Woman,” he rasped, his hoarse voice turning Quinn on even more.

She ground her pussy against him harder, knowing she was leaving a wet spot on his jeans. “Man,” she countered.

His fingers slid up her thigh, his thumbs looping into the band of her lace panties. “I’m going to fuck you so hard.” He yanked. The fabric cut into her skin but tore apart under his strength, and he ripped them clean off her.

Quinn gasped. “You don’t mess around.”

“No,” Luke said seriously. “I don’t.” He wrapped his hands around her thighs, his fingers finding the folds of her slick pussy. She moaned as they danced over her swollen clit.

“You’re so fucking wet.” Luke yanked her tighter to his body and rubbed his jean-clad groin against her sex. “So fucking hot. So ready for me to drive my cock into that tight, sweet pussy.” He put his fingers to his lips, tasting her glistening need. “But first I’m going to shove my tongue inside your slick heat and feast on you until you beg me to stop.” Luke walked Quinn across the room. He stripped his shirt off with one quick jerk and put it over the seat of the folding chair and set Quinn on the edge. He knelt down in front of her, his hands slipping between her thighs.

“I won’t beg you to stop,” Quinn said.

Luke leaned in close, his face less than an inch from hers. “The human body can only take so much pleasure before pure ecstasy rides the line between fucking fantastic and truly painful. Believe me, when I tell you, you are going to come hard and you are going to come often, and you will beg me, and I mean beg me, to stop.”

Quinn’s entire body shuddered at the dark promise, her pulse racing with anticipation. He spread her legs apart, and Quinn was amazed at the reverence in his gaze.

“So beautiful,” he said. “This pussy is fucking mine.” He used his fingers to spread her lips apart.

Quinn cried out as Luke’s tongue slid between the folds of her sex. His hand traveled up her abdomen until it rested on her breast. He moved up the length of her body and pressed his lips to hers. His tongue briefly fought for occupation in her mouth, then he was back down between her legs to lick and suck the tender flesh. He hooked his other hand under her thigh, lifting her leg for a better angle, delving his tongue deeply into her pulsing heat.

She grasped his hair, squeezing her hands against the coolness of the coarse mane while he worked gloriously between her legs. When she could stand no more, she pulled him up for another kiss. Luke’s chest rumbled on a growl, vibrating her entire body as he took two fingers and plunged them into her pussy while his teeth grazed her lower lip.

“Fuck, oh fuck,” she moaned into his mouth. She thrust her hips against his hand as he drew his fingers in and out. His free hand moving to steady his solid cock, he rubbed the thick head against her swollen clit.

He tortured her by making her wait. “Please,” she begged. “In me, please.” Quinn wrapped a leg around his back, trying to force him inside, but Luke was stronger, much stronger, and he played with her to the point of near insanity.

“I’m going to come,” she whispered harshly, her breath ragged and labored.

“Good,” he said, his voice low and guttural. “I plan on making you come again and again.” With that promise between them, Luke moved down once more between her legs, kissing his way to the sensitive skin of her inner thigh.

He swept his tongue between her folds, feasting and feeding on her sex like a man who’d recently called off a long and painful hunger strike. Quinn squirmed under the exquisite pressure, moaning her pleasure as he plunged his tongue inside her, fucking her with his mouth.

She arched and cried out his name as the mounting pressure exploded, turning her into a shuddering, quivering ball of ecstasy. He sucked hard on her clit, pressing his fingers an inch or so inside her channel to rub her sweet spot as a second wave of passion escalated.

Quinn cried out again, but Luke didn’t let up. He gripped her thighs, his claws digging erotically into her flesh as he gently licked the cream of her desire from her.

“Hot damn, you’re good at that,” Quinn said in a ragged breath. “I don’t know if I can come again.”

He glanced up from between her legs. “Oh, you will,” he promised. The thick fringe of eyelashes that framed his almost translucent golden eyes thrilled her. Pupils dilating, Luke murmured softly against her skin, “And again and again until you beg me to stop.”

Fur had blossomed on his cheeks, a snowy white unlike anything Quinn had seen before. It yanked her out of the moment. “Are you a polar bear?”

Luke’s hands stilled. “No.” He shook his head, and the hair receded.

“Then what?” She gasped when she remembered talk of what the Native American’s called a spirit bear. “Are you Kermode?”

Luke shook his head, his eyes had gone back to icy blue. “No.”

“Then what?”

“I’m a wolf.”

Quinn blinked and shook her head. She must have cotton in her ears because she could’ve have sworn he said… “Wolf? Is there a wolf bear?”

“I’m a wolf,” he said. “You know, like the big bad.”

“It’s not possible.” Quinn sat up straight and pushed her skirt down. Her shirt and her bra were across the room, and suddenly she felt exposed and vulnerable. “This has to be a joke.” Only she and her bear weren’t laughing.

“I didn’t want to mislead you, Quinn. Mrs. Wilder made me promise--”

Quinn crossed her arms over her breasts. “Geraldine Wilder? The Paranormal Dating Agency lady?”

“Yes.” Luke stood up and retrieved her blouse and bra. “She said you were in grave danger, and I needed to be her to protect you. To make sure you survived your…mating party.” The way he said mating sounded bitter to Quinn. “She made me promise not to tell anyone I was a bear, even you. She said if anyone found out I was a werewolf, I wouldn’t be allowed to do my job.”

“She sent you to me?”

“I went to her. I knew the moment I set eyes on you in the emergency room that I wanted you. I still goddamn want you.”

“So you pretended to be a bear to … to have sex with me?”

“No.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “I wanted to protect you. The idea of you getting hurt … it tears me up.”

“Why? Why would you care?” Quinn couldn’t help but feel betrayed by Luke. Yet, the desire was still there, still strong. A wolf? “You can’t seriously believe that my clan would allow a wolf shifter to be its leader.”

“I don’t want to lead it.”

“Yeah. Whatever.” She struggled to get her bra on without looking like a maniac, and when he tried to help she slapped his hand away. Her bear growled at her. The traitorous beast still thought of Luke as hers. None of that, she told her animal. He is the wrong freaking species! The female bear didn’t care.

“Will you tell your clan that I’m a werewolf?”

“No. I don’t need the headache. And I don’t need to give Trey Steele more ammo to use against me.” Quinn finally managed her bra and put her shirt on. Her lace panties were ruined, so she’d have to do without. Her pussy contracted with pleasure at the thought of Luke ripping them from her body, and it made her even madder.

“You can hate me if you want,” said Luke. “But I won’t let anyone hurt you or your family.”

“Oh, look. A promise from a liar. I feel better already.” She pushed him away. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

Luke stared at her, obviously unable to answer the question. She turned away and stumbled back toward the hidden corridor.

****

Luke grabbed his ripped shirt from the chair. Damn it. The material was covered in Quinn’s scent, a reminder of what he almost had and just lost. Also, it was a reminder that spray Mrs. Wilder had given him was wearing off. He needed to reapply the masking compound and add more bear scent.

If anyone found out that he was a wolf, Luke would be barred from the “find Quinn a mate” party. Maybe getting barred was for the best. If he couldn’t have her, did he really want to stick around to see who walked away with his prize?

Mrs. Wilder’s words haunted him. There are several in the Orsino Clan who would rather see Quinn dead than mate with someone outside the clan.

However much it hurt to think of Quinn choosing another man, it would hurt worse if she died and he could have prevented it. He inhaled her aroma, thick on his shirt. His wolf howled its anger and disappointment as Luke mourned the loss of her. Quinn was a leader. She had her mom, sisters, and clan to worry about, even above her own wants or desires. Luke understood duty and responsibility.

Luke passed through the small hidden room to another corridor, unsure where it would lead him, but he wasn’t ready to confront Quinn. It would make the loss of her too real. Besides, he had a job to do, and if he didn’t search out the weak spots in security now, he might not get a chance later. The walls were mostly dusty from years of disuse, even the electrical wires were covered in grime and cobwebs. Except one.

Luke paused. A thick black cable ran along the wall at the ceiling. He followed it down around a corner and saw a small camera, the kind that can be bought in spy shops, with its lens flush against the wall. On the other side of the hall was another, and as he followed the wire, he found more cameras and listening devices. This was just the second floor. What would he find if he searched the other floors?

He pulled his phone from his back pocket and pressed the number for Marigold.

“Hey,” Marigold said. “Where the hell are you?”

“Inside the Orsino house, and I do mean inside,” Luke replied. “Go find Quinn and tell her to bring you to the secret passages. There’s something she has to see.”