The scent of this woman was amazing. He could smell her all the way down the hallway when the secretary pointed him towards her open door. Gerri was right. He would know instantly if she were the woman meant to be his mate. He’d heard the stories. Even his father told him he would know by scent alone. He was terrified that when he saw her for the first time her beauty would not appeal to him. But he couldn’t have been more wrong.
Her scent was exotic like amber oil, tiger lilies, and vanilla bean. It was driving him wild. That, along with the city slickness of her, made his inner wolf want to howl and come charging out. Her essence was primal. He could tell she was aroused by the sight of him as well by the way her eyes roamed over his body as he stood framed by the door to her small office. And she wasn’t being discreet in her perusal, though he doubted she realized she was doing it. She was too caught up in the moment of meeting him for the first time. She sensed the attraction between them, but she could not scent her mate the way he could. She was a human and did not have that ability to sniff out foe and friend. For his kind it was par for the course. And his mate, well to say that her scent was driving him wild would be a gross understatement.
He was going to have to woo this woman and that was going to be fun. It would be his absolute pleasure to make this woman scream his name. He planned to do just that. Over and over again.
* * *
“So, what do you think?” Annie asked as they made their way back into the large open kitchen and living room combination. She felt his eyes roam her backside for the hundredth time that day. It had her feeling giddy. She tried to focus on her job. She pointed to the wall of sheer glass. The view of the beach from the wall of floor to ceiling windows on the western side of the house was spectacular. The waves crashed softly on to the shore just thirty yards away from the back deck of the current home she was showing him. She would love to live on the beach. This home in particular was stunning. The breezes coming off of the Gulf kept the worst of the humidity at bay, unlike in her downtown third-floor condo.
When she showed this three-bedroom bungalow just last week, she knew it was out of that client’s league. But Bill Armbruster was different. He exuded confidence, sophistication, and power. Not to mention he was sexy as hell. His body was something else. The way he kept looking at her had her senses reeling. He’d hardly even looked at the last home she had shown him, but had spent his time watching her and her reactions. Even in this house, which would be ideal for him, he had spent most of his time staring at her. She would’ve been uncomfortable if it didn’t turn her on so much. Even right now she could feel his eyes on her backside.
When he still hadn’t answered her question, she turned to him. She saw the flare of his nostrils before his eyes move up her body to take in her face. “I’m sorry, Annie,” he confessed with a smile that made a dimple appear in his right cheek. “I’ve been caught staring. I just can’t believe how beautiful you are. Gerri made the right choice in selecting you. You are most definitely my type.”
His words reached into her heart and held. She knew she had just met the man and he was obviously trying to impress her, but it was something about the way he said it that made her feel he sincerely found her attractive. She knew her body wasn’t perfect. Her boobs way too large, she’d always felt, her eyes too far apart. “That’s Ok. And I . . . um, want to let you know that I find you attractive as well. For a matchmaker, Gerri did her job well in that department.” Annie wanted to let him know she found him equally attractive, but didn’t want to come on too strong either. This was something new for her and she didn’t want to rush it, well, maybe the sex part she wouldn’t mind jumping into.
He cleared his throat and came closer to where she stood by the windows. “She is very good. She even set my parents up over 35 years ago.”
Annie was pleased he was talking about his past. She didn’t like it that men were so closed mouthed about their backgrounds. For Annie that was a sure sign of someone having something to hide. “Oh my goodness. She’s been in this business a lot longer than I thought.”
He laughed and took another step closer. He could feel the heat emanating off of her body. He could sense her arousal. He stopped when he was about a foot away. She was so darn tempting.
Annie saw it again, the flare of his nostrils. It was strange, like he was smelling her and she found that strangely disconcerting but titillating at the same time. She hoped her deodorant hadn’t run out.
“She didn’t do it officially back then, but from what my parents tell me it was something she was always good at. I’m very close to her and though we are not actually related, she is like an aunt to me.”
“I did like her. Very feisty.”
Again Bill laughed. Aunt Gerri had said that about her. Told him that Annie was quick witted and sarcastic. And she was. Her comments about the Florida heat as she drove them to the first house had been on point and humorous. That home had not been secluded enough for him. This home though was spectacular. It had a nature preserve on the left with absolutely no neighbors. He would able to shift and run whenever he wanted. There was one neighbor about a quarter of a mile to his right. But that was on the road to get here and so there should be no reason for his neighbor to be snooping around and drive down to the end of the dead end road.
“I really like this place, Annie. Tell me about the neighbors.”
Annie did not find this request strange as Gerri told him he liked his privacy. “Actually I know the woman. Her name is Ana O’Rourke and her husband’s name is Teddy. They have a four-year-old daughter named Jessica. They’re busy people, often spending time on the weekends with family down in Tampa, I believe. I don’t think you will have to worry about nosy neighbors. They won’t disturb your privacy at all.
He looked around the room. Spacious. It was open. The views were amazing. He turned back to Annie. He knew she liked the place as well. Her descriptions of it in the car on the ride over had been more animated. He’d heard her sighs of pleasure in the large master bath at the steam shower, and she could barely take her eyes off the updated kitchen in this room. “Very good. I do enjoy my privacy especially if I can spend it with a beautiful woman like you.”
Despite her inner voice telling her not to, she blushed crimson. He most certainly was having an effect on her like no other man before him. She could be as cool as a cucumber, but not with him for some strange reason. She felt like a teenager again crushing on the hot boy in school. Not even her ex of ten years, Roger, had ever had that effect on her. She had to give it to Mrs. Wilder. She had mad skills when it came to match making. She was looking forward to going on an actual date with the man. Friday could not come soon enough for her.
She thought Bill must be reading her mind after his next words. “Let me take you out tonight, Annie, for a first date. Friday is just too far away.”
She resisted pumping her fist in the air. “Okay,” the word came out too quickly though and he grinned at her.
Turning to avoid him seeing her blush again, she needed a moment to calm down. Getting to know this very handsome though unusual man who claimed to be a shifter would be interesting. If she could work up the courage, she planned to ask him about that. The man was too good looking, too charming, and she didn’t want to fall for him to find out later what a lunatic he was. She would get a background check done ASAP, too.
He came near again and she could feel him next to her. His arm brushed hers and goose bumps popped up all over her flesh.
“I don’t know the area so I will let you pick the restaurant.” His words were thick and husky. She felt her panties get wet over him letting her pick the restaurant. Crazy!
She let out the breath she did not know she was holding to ease the sexual tension. She had to take a step back in order to speak. Him touching her so casually had felt like so much more. “I know the perfect place. It’s right on the water. It’s called Whiskey River.” The seafood restaurant was renowned in this community especially among those that lived in or near the water.
He came back towards her. This time he drew a finger down her arm. The touch was purposeful and so goddammed sensual. She wanted to lean into it. Have him rip her clothes off of her and take her on the carpet. The owners had left a few items of furniture behind. There was a bed in the master suite. She was tempted to suggest they go use it. His finger kept making delicious electric trails along her arm that sent jolts to her core and her nipples. She couldn’t focus. What had he just said?
He repeated himself when she finally broke away from staring at his finger on her bare arm. She looked into his eyes, her baby blues big and round like a doe caught in the head lights. He wanted to ravish her, but he knew he had to woo her first. “I’ll meet you at eight tonight.”
His words broke the spell she had been under and her head snapped up. “Yes. Sure. That sounds great.”
Annie had lost her senses for a moment. She couldn’t believe her body’s reaction to this man. She tried to refocus. “So, what do you think of the place?”
“It’s perfect. I’ll take it. Full asking price.”
Annie turned back to Bill and he was smiling broadly. She couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face either. She loved this house. The redesign of it had been amazing. It was close to her condo. “Wonderful! I love this place, and you will love it, too. Such a good choice.”
He beamed at her. “If you love it, then I made the right decision.”
She giggled like a school girl and stopped herself short. What the hell? Giggling wasn’t her. “I will get the paperwork drawn up as soon as I can. This afternoon.”
“You can bring the papers tonight for me to sign. And, if you can get the sellers to go to a quick closing that would be fantastic. I want to move in as quickly as I can. I want to make love to you the first time right here.”
Her mouth went dry. That was something she was looking forward to as well. She would get the sellers to close in lightening time.
At the look on his mate’s face, his inner wolf howled. She wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. The words had flown out of his mouth. He didn’t know if he could wait that long to claim her.
“I’ll get you the keys to the house just as soon as I can,” Annie promised Bill. She wanted this man’s hands on her body, too. His words alone made her knees quiver. What would his hands, and mouth be able to do, let alone that other body part of his she couldn’t wait for? She wanted this man to make love to her. Very much.
Instinctively she knew it was going to be the best sex of her life.