“Wait—he’s the guy you chose to match me with?” Becca gasped.

Jaylon met Becca’s skepticism with a disgruntled scowl. “He’s the guy? Jeez, Becca. Fickle much? You didn’t have a problem when you left the train station with me this afternoon, and you didn’t have a problem when we went to lunch or anything we did together.”

High color invaded Becca’s neck and cheeks. Jaylon’s insinuation was loud and clear, not only to her but to anyone within earshot. Claws burned in her fingertips. Kiss and tell? Neanderthal shifter jerk! Try kiss and kill.

“It’s not the same, Jaylon. I didn’t come into the city to pick up some random dude. I came to meet Ms. Wilder because I had no choice. My Leap and our council need me to marry. When I met you, it was my last stand before I bound myself to a loveless political alliance.”

“Last stand? Oh, please. You mean One-Night Stand.” The muscle in his jaw clenched. “And for the record, I never suggested that. I said the opposite, in fact.”

Bec shook her head. “Uhm, I don’t think so.”

“Yes, I did.”

She lifted her chin and eyed at him. “When?”

“Didn’t I say, ‘when something good crashes into you, it makes you wonder?’” He jerked his thumb toward the hotel lobby. “We were standing at the reception desk when I said it.”

Becca threw a hand up. “How am I supposed to know what you meant? You could be wondering about anything.”

“What the hell else could that mean except I wondered where this thing between us would lead?”

“I. Don’t. Know! Do I look like I read minds?” Becca’s eyes burned and she knew they flashed jungle yellow, and not for the same reasons they did in the hotel room.

Gerri watched the two of them spar and Becca noticed her eyes soft with humor.

Jaylon caught the older woman’s amused expression as well. “And when do you get involved? When the fur flies or do you wait for blood?” He exhaled, pushing his champagne away. “I need a real drink.”

“Don’t you pick on Ms. Wilder, you big ass! It’s not her fault you and I are the complete opposite of what she expected.”

Gerri tsked. “There’s that word again. Expected. It’s not a word I use. I don’t expect. I know. You both took great pains to tell me what you wanted in a mate—what you expected—but you never thought to consider what you both needed. It’s my job to see to that aspect for all my clients. They rarely ever know what they need, and as for what they want, it’s usually what they tell themselves and nothing more.”

Becca eyed the older woman. “How do you know?”

She shrugged in reply. “It’s a gift and I’m never wrong.” Gerri leaned in and pointed to them both. “And I’m not wrong about you two. Sometimes, I have to take some matters into my own hands to get couples to see what they refuse to. It’s quite vexing. But you two, you found each other without much of a push from me. I love when that happens.”

Becca’s brows knotted and she spared a glance for Jaylon. Did Ms. Wilder push her on the escalator or was she merely being metaphoric? “Uhm, what do you mean by push, exactly?”

Gerri lifted one perfectly manicured hand. “Does it matter, dear? You and Jaylon are a match, just as I predicted. Just as I,” she chuckled, “—expected.”

The older woman’s face sobered and she eyed them both. “Now, it’s up to you to figure out the rest. Be honest with each other. Talk. Connect in whatever ways you can tonight, because tomorrow it is game on with the rest. Both separately and together.”

Gerri pushed back from the table and stood, smoothing the front of her dress. “A little push is easy. The hard part is holding on, so when you fall, you fall together.” She winked at Jaylon. “Give your father my best.”

The stylish woman walked out of the bar, more than one head turning as she left.

Jaylon signaled to a passing waiter.

“Sir?” the server asked.

“Scotch. Neat.” Jaylon exhaled, barely looking up.

The server looked at Becca. “Anything for you, miss?”

Mouth open, she nodded. She wanted to ask for fifteen minutes alone with Jaylon, so she could kick his ass, but doubted the server could give her that, so she went for something easier. “Same, but make mine a double.”

* * *

“Becca! Where the hell are you?” Lyssa’s voice crackled through the phone.

Becca blinked, trying to get out of the daydream of Jaylon licking her to orgasm. That was so not conducive to relaxation at that moment. “What? Uhm…yeah…I’m still in the city.”

“Why? We expected you back hours ago.” Lyssa’s worried voice raised an octave through the phone. “Did you meet Ms. Wilder?”

Becca worried her lip, trying to figure out how to break the news to her friend. “Yes, but the meeting was pushed back.”

“Until when? Tomorrow?”

“No. She and I met this evening.” Becca paused. “Listen, Lys—”

Lyssa’s confused tone only worried her more. Would her friend think she’d lost her mind after she told her?

“So, did she find someone suitable?”

Ah, what the hell? Might as well just tell her and be done with it. “Lys, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. I met someone. It’s complicated, and yes, Ms. Wilder is involved, but I need to stay overnight to try and sort things.”

“What things? Oh God. Is he that bad?” Lys asked in a panic.

Becca chuckled. “No, he’s gorgeous, actually. That’s not what’s complicating things.”

“Then what? Lucilla and the rest are going to want to know.” Now Lyssa’s voice was curious.

“He’s a wolf.”

Lyssa snorted, but when Becca didn’t reply she audibly sucked in a breath. “You can’t be serious!”

“Like a heart attack.” Becca held her breath.

“But, Bec, you specifically asked for a cat! Any kind of cat. Lion, bobcat, tiger. Not a canine.”

“Gerri doesn’t work that way. That’s what’s complicated. I’m sure it’s going to be just as bad on his end.”

“What’s his name?” her friend asked.

“Jaylon Ross.”

Lyssa exhaled on the other end of the phone. “Okay. I’m going to google his ass, but in the meantime, don’t do anything stupid like sleep with him.”

Becca chewed on her lip, staying silent again.

“Did you hear me?”

“I heard you, Lys, but—”

Lyssa gave a loud gasp. “Oh, no. Please tell me you didn’t let that dog sniff around the goodies.”

Becca chuckled. “He did a lot more than sniff.”

Lyssa’s groan made her grin even wider. “It’ll be fine, Lys.”

“You lay down with dogs, Bec, you wake up with fleas.”

She gave her friend a halfhearted laugh. “Who on the council came up with that bullshit line?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Becca smirked at her phone. “Well, lying down with this dog had me waking with a smile. Lys, I could barely walk!”

“Eew! Bec! No more, please.”

“C’mon. You’re my best friend. Have a little faith. At least wait until you meet him before you jump to conclusions. He’s got a strong pack and that’s what we need.”

“So you told him what happened?”

Becca hesitated. “Not really.”

“What do you mean not really?”

Lyssa’s question was pointed and Becca winced. “No. Okay? I didn’t tell him. But I will, tonight. It’ll be fine. Jaylon’s not a hidebound pack leader with archaic ideas. He’s a modern Alpha. He won’t care.”

“A modern Alpha. How did it go over when you told him you were Prowl Leader? Or didn’t you get to that, either? Could it be he’s not as modern as you think?”

Becca didn’t answer. Maybe Lyssa was right. After all, Jaylon did make that stupid comment about pups and cubs being a female’s domain.

“Listen, I gotta go. You can grill me more tomorrow. I’ll be at the station at noon. Can you pick me up?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks, Lys.”

“No worries, love—and Bec?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful, okay?”

“I love you, too.”