Dixon waited for Deja to finish closing up. The hotel he was staying in was a quick walk from the bar and grille. Earlier that day he had stopped in, but she hadn’t come on shift yet. He and Percy had spent the day skiing since they had arrived a day earlier than the rest of the council members.

He barely felt the cold as he watched Deja come out of the restaurant. The snow had stopped falling at the moment. Since that morning, the sky had dumped at least another two feet. His eyes were locked on Deja as she spoke to her friends.

His tiger snarled as she hugged the guy who must have been the cook. He didn’t like the way the guy whispered into her ear. He wanted to run over there and tear the guy apart. He bit back a growl as she began to make her way toward him. He could see that her friends were curious, but they turned and walked down the opposite path.

“Hey,” she said shyly. She pulled her coat tighter as the wind blew past them.

“Where’s your hat?” he asked, feeling his protectiveness for her coming to the forefront. Unable to keep from touching her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. He knew that as a shifter, his body ran warmer than a human. She buried herself in his side as they began the walk to his hotel.

His chest rumbled from his tiger, loving the feel of her pressed up against him. They fit perfectly together. She was so tiny compared to his almost six and a half foot frame.

“I don’t have one. I lost it a week ago and just haven’t gotten around to buying a new one yet.” She laughed. He tried to use his body to shield her from the cold as they picked up speed. “How are you so warm? You’re like a furnace!”

“I don’t know,” he lied, pulling her closer. His cock was rock hard, just thinking of peeling her out of her clothes. He wanted to see if her body was as he had imagined it being all this time.

Minutes later, they were walking through the lobby of the hotel. He led her to the elevator and hit the button, then ushered her inside. He refused to let her hand go. Anticipation for what was to come had his heart racing.

He had tried to live his life after her, but no other woman compared to Deja. Now that he finally had her back in his grasp, he refused to leave Breckenridge without her. They arrived on his floor and he pulled her behind him, then pulled his keycard from his jacket as they arrived at his suite. He opened the door and waved her in.

His heart had slammed against his chest when she’d asked for them to talk. They would have plenty of time to talk tonight, but right now, he needed her naked and spread out on his bed for him to feast on her curvy body.

“These suites always amaze me,” she breathed as she walked in. He closed the door behind them and flipped on the light. The suite was plush, consisting of a living room, dining area, private bedroom, and two bathrooms. The balcony even had a hot tub that he had fantasied about them using.

He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it on the back of one of the dining chairs before moving to her to help her remove her jacket.

“What did you want to talk about?” he murmured, trying to calm his beast. He took her jacket and placed it on the back of another chair. He watched her walk around the living area before making her way to the patio doors. She paused in front of the large glass doors that displayed the mountains. The snow had begun to fall again.

“We had one night last year together, and I don’t even know your last name,” she said softly. He watched as she reached out a hand to place it on the glass, as if trying to touch the snow.

“Blackburn,” he answered, moving toward her. “What’s yours?”

“Scarlett.”

She reached up and pulled her hair from the bun. He held back a groan as he watched her dark hair cascade around her shoulders. He loved her hair. It was thick, soft, and silky. He wanted to feel it brush against his naked skin as it did before. He could remember her blazing a hot trail of kisses down his chest as she went further, before taking him deep into her mouth.

His jeans grew tight, his cock demanding to be set free as he stood next to her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Deja Scarlett,” he murmured, holding his hand out to her.

“Likewise, Dixon Blackburn.” She smiled, taking his hand. The jolt of electricity that ran up his arm from their touch caused his tiger to pace. It knew their mate was in front of them. It wanted to claim her now. But they couldn’t. Humans didn’t know of shifters or the paranormal world. If she accepted him, then he would have to tell her.

“I thought about contacting you, but wasn’t sure it would be welcomed,” she said, glancing away from him as she let his hand go. He could see a red tint appear on her cheeks.

“Why would you think that?” he asked. He reached out and turned her back to face him.

“I figured someone like you wouldn’t want anything to do with me, that I was just a passing fancy while you were on vacation with your friends. We didn’t exchange last names or numbers. There was no promise of anything, which I was okay with. Not that I’m complaining. I knew what I was getting into last year,” she said.

His tiger slammed into his chest.

She had wanted to contact him.

He reached up a hand and brushed her hair from her face, feeling regret fill his chest for the thousandth time. He should have made sure she had his contact information.

“What do you mean, someone like me?” He frowned down at her as she stepped closer to him.

“I’m just a small-town waitress and you are you. I don’t know what you do for a living, but it seems to me that you’re someone important. Besides what we shared, what would you want with me?”

Forever, a voice screamed in the back of his mind.

He stepped closer to her. Cupping her face with his hands, he lowered his head to hers, covering her mouth with his. Her lips were as soft as he remembered. She gasped, opening her lips for him to allow his tongue to enter her mouth. He swept the inside, learning her taste all over again.

He had dreamt of this night for months. He was given a second chance, and this time, he was not letting Deja slip through his fingers again.

He held her face tight in his grasp as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. They were quickly spiraling out of control. He knew she had wanted to talk, but right now, he needed her. His fingers slipped beneath her shirt. He pulled it up and over her head, breaking their kiss.

“Deja,” he breathed, taking in the picture of her in jeans and lace bra. He saw the clasp nestled in between her breasts. He reached up and gently undid it, freeing her bountiful breasts, and pushed the restricting material to the floor.

He released a growl as he scooped her up in his arms. He rushed into the bedroom and laid her on the bed before reaching for the lamp on the nightstand to flick it on. He wanted to see her.

“Dixon,” she moaned as he removed her shoes and socks. “Hurry.”

“I’m taking my time tonight,” he growled, removing the rest of her clothes. The sight of her on the bed, naked, with her hair spread out against the white comforter was the exact image that he imagined in his mind.

“You have too many clothes on.” She gave a husky chuckle as she looked at him.

He stripped his clothes off before reaching for her. His cock was stiff and ready. He could scent her arousal and knew that she was ready for him, but he just had to taste her first. He had been dying to have the taste of Deja Scarlett on his lips again.

Dixon pulled her to the edge of the bed and her legs fell apart, revealing her glistening pussy. His chest rumbled at the beautiful sight. He dipped his head down to feast on his woman.