I felt the moment Maddie walked into my shop. It was like my entire body was in tune with her, lighting up, becoming bigger, ready. I knew my woman was near. Hell, I might not have claimed her in the way that left us sweating and gasping for filthier fucking, but I would soon enough.

I’d planned on calling her when I closed shop, or maybe just showing up at her place. I was desperate to see her, to even just hear her voice. There was something about her that got under my skin, that made me hungry, thirsty, hell, drugged for her.

I grabbed a rag and wiped the sweat from my face. The sound of a few of the guys who worked for me hammering out metal played through my head, not drowning out the beating of my heart. The fucker started in like a war drum, pounding against my ribs, a mantra to go take her.

I noticed movement to my side and watched as Brendan started making his way toward Maddie. I didn’t know why she was here, but that didn’t matter. The grin on Brendan’s face told me the fucker was going to try and lay some game on her, and I was not having that. The possessive side of me reared up, and I was more than ready to let that beast out and make it known she was off-limits to anyone but me.

I wasn’t quick enough to get to her before Brendan was right up in her face, his stupid fucking grin and the “I want to fuck her” look in his eyes pissing me off. I set my tools aside and walked over to them.

“I’d be more than happy to help you with whatever you need,” I heard him say to Maddie. She was looking at me, though, her eyes wide as I stopped behind Brendan. I towered over his five-foot-eight frame by well over seven inches, and where he was lean muscle, I was all bulk. He looked small compared to me, and I fucking wanted him to know it.

Brendan might be one of the hardest workers I had, and I might have known him for years, but he needed to back the fuck off Maddie before I lost my shit. When it came to her, I didn’t mess around, not with other guys showing interest in who I wanted. He kept talking to her, his voice smooth, his desire for her coming out loud and clear, pissing me off even more. Maddie was watching me, despite the fact that Brendan was trying to be all smooth, even if he didn’t know why the hell she was here.

“I’m actually here to see Deacon,” she said, her focus on me. But Brendan was oblivious to the fact.

“I can help you with whatever you need.” He moved a step closer. “The boss is probably busy anyway.” When he went to take another step toward her, I reached out and grabbed the back of his shirt, making him stop. He turned, this annoyed look on his face until he saw it was me.

“You got work to do,” I said, letting go of his shirt, my voice flat, my expression mimicking my indifference to him, although inside I was jealous and possessive and wanted Brendan to know he had overstepped a big fucking line. “And she’s off-limits.” I didn’t hide the steel in my voice, the seriousness of what I was getting at. I watched as he swallowed, realizing I wasn’t joking. “Get back to fucking work.” I tipped my chin toward where the other guys were. When he left, I turned my attention to Maggie. I could see she was shocked.

“That was…” She looked down but glanced up at me a second later. “That was barbaric.”

I didn’t move, didn’t even respond. I realized when it came to Maddie, I was pretty fucking barbaric, a caveman at his worst. And I didn’t apologize for it.

* * *

I had no idea what in the hell had just happened or what was going on, but the little scene Deacon had made with the guy named Brendan—who had his name stitched on his shirt—made me feel all kinds of strange things. I’d come here because truth was I wanted to be the one to make plans for us to see each other again. I wanted to take control of my life. I wanted to show the man who’d ensnared me in such a short time that I wanted this too. I was still a bit embarrassed by last night, at my drunken come-on, but I was also feeling pretty incredible. Deacon had showed me he wasn’t the type to take advantage, even if it wouldn’t have really been like that, since I was more than ready for him. Hell, I’d wanted him since well before that night.

“I…” I wasn’t sure what to say, how to react to the possessive side he’d just shown me. Maybe I should have been wary of the fact he’d all but staked his claim on me to that poor worker. Sure, Brendan had been laying it on thick, and it was something I’d seen in his expression well before he even started speaking to me, but that wasn’t the point. It had been harmless, and Deacon had been so territorial.

And then there’s the part of me that melted at that, the part that got turned on, wanting to see how far he’d go to make it known I was his.

“I don’t know what to say about that,” I said and glanced at Brendan.

“He wouldn’t have treated you with respect.” Deacon crossed his arms over his chest. “He would have just tried to get between your legs.”

I bristled at that. Deacon would know his worker better than me, and maybe Brendan would have tried that, but acting like a caveman about it? No, not cool, logically.

“Even so, I can handle myself. I don’t need a guard dog.”

Even if said guard dog is super sexy and makes my insides tighten with awareness.

And Deacon’s response? He smirked at me. I should have been annoyed, but that smile looked good on him, so good.

“I didn’t expect you here,” he said and started cleaning off his hands with a rag that already looked dirty as hell.

“Maybe I wanted to keep you on your toes.”

The look that came over him told me I was affecting him, maybe in a way he wasn’t wholly ready for. Good.

“You’re certainly doing that ten times over.” He grinned then, and the sight totally transformed him. He didn’t look so hard-ass right now, didn’t look like he could kill a man with his bare hands. He looked almost human. I liked it, but then again I liked the other side of him too, the raw and rough part that made me feel like a woman.

“But Brendan needed to know his place.” He tossed the rag aside. “He needed to know you’re not his.”

I stared at this beast of a man, all raw power, his attitude telling me and everyone else he did what he wanted, when he wanted. He wore this apron, one that looked heavy-duty, stained and worn. His shirt was pushed up, his forearms strong, thick. “I’m not his?” I asked, not realizing I’d actually said those words until they were out.

Deacon took a step toward me, lifted my head up with his finger under my chin, and said, “No, you’re mine.”

This full-body shiver wracked me, and I inhaled sharply. He moved back, maybe knowing I needed some air, maybe knowing the effect he had on me.

I blinked, trying to clear my head.

“Not that I don’t like having you here, because I really fucking do…” He trailed off, and I snapped out of the trance I was in.

“I wanted to see if you would like to come over for dinner tonight.” I ran my hands over my thighs. I was nervous, so nervous despite the fact I knew I shouldn’t be. “My roommate is staying with her boyfriend tonight, so we can have a quiet meal.” Of course I was thinking about far dirtier things than eating, but I hoped I didn’t show it. Deacon, on the other hand, looked like his skin was too tight for his body.

“You want to cook me dinner?” The way he said it almost seemed like he was shocked. I didn’t know if that was because he thought I was too young to cook, or maybe no one ever did that for him.

“I do. I figure maybe we can get to know each other.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’d like to get to know you better.” I’d like to really know who you are, what you feel like on top of me, possessing me, making me come.

I’d like to know what it feels like to be yours.