Sharp pain throbbed at Autumn’s temples and she pressed her hand to her forehead as her vision adjusted slowly to her surroundings. She sat up on the bed and leaned against the headboard. Her right arm was partially wrapped in some cloth bandages. The muscles were sore, but the main source of pain was her throbbing headache.

She looked around at unfamiliar surroundings.

“Where the hell…?”

She was in a room she didn’t recognize. On a bed she didn’t recognize. What she did recognize was the telltale sign that Garrett had been in the room. His potent almond scent was everywhere. Her memories came crashing back to her like a movie on fast replay, but only in reverse. The last thing she could remember was seeing Garrett’s face and then passing out.

As a wave of heat and nausea hit her, Autumn shoved the blankets off of her and swung her legs over the bed. Her toes connected with the cold hardwood floors. The room was small and cozy. The curtains had been pulled closed so she couldn’t tell if it was night or day but she had that sick-in-the-stomach feeling like she’d overslept. She was wearing an oversized shirt that came past her knees. Thank God that her bra and panties were still intact. Oh shit! They weren’t even matching. The bra was black and her panties were a peachy shade. At least these were the pair that didn’t have any rips or holes or anything. She really needed to buy some new matching underwear to be prepared for the next time she got into a car accident, had to go to the hospital, and people had to disrobe her or something. It seemed she was running out of what luck she had left around every corner she turned.

Autumn groaned.

She inspected her body, looking for any other wounds. Except for some slight bruising on her knee and her bandaged arm, everything appeared normal. Or not…

The horrid image of a wolf biting her assaulted her memories like a slap in the face. She couldn’t believe a shifter had bitten her. She’d practically lived her whole life among them. Who in their right mind would run down and bite a human? She already knew the answer to that and the memory was clear. The wolf had red and auburn fur. Her biter was Simon. She lifted the edge of the bandage and peeked under it to see exactly how much damage he’d done. The skin there was puffy and a little red. She tried to peel it back some more…

The floorboards creaked just outside the doorway. The doorknob spun slightly to the right. Feeling naked, she lifted her legs back onto the bed and covered her exposed thighs with the blanket.

Garrett entered the room holding a small tray with some fresh fruit, a sandwich, and a bottle of water on it.

She breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Hey, I’m glad you’re up. I meant to be here when you woke up, but I had to take a call. How are you feeling?” he asked, kicking the door closed behind him and then setting the tray on the nightstand near the bed.

“This headache is killing me, but I’ll be okay. How long have I been sleeping?”

“Since yesterday.”

She gasped. “Since yesterday? What time is it?”

“Almost eleven,” he said. “In addition to the accident and with everything that’s been going on, I think you were extra tired. Doc said it was okay to let you sleep.”

“Yes, I was tired. I guess.”

He lifted a small bottle off the table with some pills inside and showed her the label. “Aspirin. The family doctor just left. He checked your vitals, blood pressure, and everything. You’re tough. You’re going to be fine. He says you should limit your activity outside the home, though. He wrote you a doctor’s note for work before I told him what really happened and why you were with me.”

Autumn chuckled. “You know, I probably will need an excuse for the days I’ve been out. I own an itty-bitty small stake in the restaurant, but I’m still on the payroll. Simon's payroll.”

He frowned. “After what he did to you, that jackass needs to be staked in the heart. Don’t worry. You’ll have your restaurant back, and then you’ll be the boss.”

“I hope so.” She lowered her stare, avoiding his eyes. She took an aspirin pill from him and swallowed it with some water. “Simon was the one that bit me.” It was more of a statement than a question, but she was still a little shocked about everything that had happened.

He nodded and then took her arm gently. “It’s healing already.” He untied and began to unwrap the bandage. “Still a little swollen though. The thing about a bite from a wolf shifter is that the healing properties from the wolf are transferred with the bite.”

When he revealed her arm, she noticed some faint marks from the wolf’s canines. Garrett was right. The bite wound had sealed miraculously as if an animal had bitten her months ago.

“That’s so weird,” she mumbled.

“Yes, but what also gets transferred in is the essence from the wolf.”

Autumn grimaced. “What does that mean?”

“Remember when you asked me about marking and imprinting?”

She nodded.

“Well, he’s marked you by bite.”

Autumn balled her hands into fists. “That bastard. I knew he would do something like that. Anything to trap me with him.”

“It’s likely that he still knows you’re with me. He can track us as long as his essence remains with you, but he’d be a damned fool if he did.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry I got you into this. Look, I’ll leave. I don’t want anybody else getting killed over me.”

“No. Stay here,” he said, firmly. His features softened up a bit and then he said. “What I meant to stay was you’re safe here. I want you to stay.”

“I’m feeling okay-ish, really,” she said. “It’s just this darn headache.” She glanced down at her arm again and ran her fingers across the swollen skin. “How long will the essence stay?”

“A couple days to a week. He didn’t bite that deep,” he said. “That’s the other reason why I want you to stay here in Aspen Valley. As long as you’re here, in the territory of another Pack, he can’t get to you.”

She sighed. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she got and she began rubbing aggressively at her skin in an attempt to get rid of the thing altogether. She became so overwhelmed by her feelings of defeat that some tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back. She wouldn’t let Simon get the best of her, and she definitely didn’t want Garrett to see her lose her shit. She was more angry than scared. She wanted to lash out in ways that shocked her. She wanted to murder Simon.

“Hey…” Garrett moved closer on the bed and pulled her against him. “Everything’s going to be fine. I’m here for you.”

She swallowed. “But I’m taking you away from your responsibilities. I doubt doting on me at my bedside is part of what an outlaw does.”

He laughed, and she couldn’t help but chuckle right along with him.

“Remember what else I told you?” he asked, pulling back to look at her face. “I’m whoever and wherever I need to be to complete a mission. I do what I have to do. I let him get away back there, but I won’t stop until I do what I told Benjamin I’d do. But your life is more important to me.”

“But why? You don’t even know me,” she said.

“Just because I’m a shifter, doesn’t mean I don’t value human life. Besides, I…” He dropped his head momentarily to gather his thoughts.

“You what?”

“I really don’t want you to leave me anyway. I wished that we’d meet under different circumstances.”

“What’re you saying? Would you have asked me out on a date?” she teased.

He smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I would have asked you out in a heartbeat. Work has been hectic, so I haven’t dated a woman in a very long time. I’ve almost forgotten how to date a human woman.”

Autumn put both hands on her hips. “Does that mean you’re a one-night-stander?”

His face flushed almost blood red. “Hardly. I’m not what you think. I’m not promiscuous.”

She realized she was embarrassing the heck out of him. She’d never met a man who was so in tune with his own feelings but yet took care of business despite the annoying setbacks. She was pretty sure that she was an annoying setback.

Autumn did something that she’d wanted to do since she met him. She placed her palm against his face. The hair on his chin tickled her fingertips. His skin was surprisingly soft and his jawline was solid against her touch.

“We’ll fix this dating situation soon,” she said. “After this is all over with, we’ll go out, so I can remind you that it’s okay to have a little fun outside of work. And the next time you find someone that you want to mate, human or otherwise, you’ll be ready to win her over.”

He closed his eyes and turned his face into her palm so that his lips were touching her. She traced them, admiring how perfect he was. To be able to shift from man to wolf and then back again and be this perfect was truly a gift. Once she started touching him, she couldn’t stop. Her fingers found its way down across his jaw, his neck, before finally resting near his collarbone where his birthmark was and where most of his tattoos began. Something vibrated across his skin directly to hers. The soft growling noise that he made as her fingers slipped under his collar awakened something in her. Hunger. But not hunger for food. Something deeper within.

The pads of her fingertips made contact with something on his shoulder. The thick piece of cloth felt familiar—almost like the one she wore. A bandage.

She gasped and he opened his eyes.

“Were you hurt?” she asked.

He swallowed visibly and nodded.

Without asking him, she pushed his collar back from his shoulder to reveal that he had a square bandage wrapped around his left shoulder. A round patch of blood had seeped through the white cloth. She applied a little pressure to the exposed part of his skin and he winched.

“Did he bite you too?”

He shook his head. “His Omega shot me. I’m all right. Doc got the bullet out, stopped the bleeding, and patched it up. All I have to do is take wolf form to complete the healing process.”

“Oh,” she breathed. “Here I was worried about one little bite and you were shot.”

“It’s nothing I haven’t experienced before. I’ve been shot more than I can count on two hands and I’ve been in dozens of wolf fights before.”

“Do you need to go ahead and shift or something?” she asked, anxiously. “Because I can stay here until you do what you have to.” She hated seeing him hurt.

He took her hand in his. “Don’t worry about me.”

“I know you’re a macho wolf and all that, but I don’t like seeing people in pain.”

“You know what, Autumn? You worry too much.” This time, he touched her face. “What would it take to erase all your fears, huh?”

She tried to divert her gaze, but he tilted her chin upward again and stared at her intently. A dark roving stare that took her breath away.

“That’s what I want to do for you, Autumn. I don’t want to let you go for some reason that’s really beyond me right now. But as I sit here with you right now, my number one priority is to please you. That’s crazy, isn’t it?”

She shook her head. “Not really.”

“You trust me, don’t you?” he asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

“Yes.”

“Then you’ll let me fix this thing, so you can live in peace.”

“I’d be grateful.”

Without warning, his mouth swooped down on hers, taking her lips in the most graceful way. A way she didn’t expect from a hardcore shifter like him. All of the tension rushed from her body. She fell into his arms and accepted what she so obviously wanted. His tongue slid across her lips and she parted them. He tasted like he smelled. Of almonds. An underlying taste also reminded her of vanilla. He branded her with his possessive lips, robbing her of her senses. His lips were soft against hers. The dusting of hair on his face and over his lips brushed against hers ever so softly.

His hands were on her. On her neck and in her hair. She placed her palms against his chest, which felt like pure granite. The contrast between hard and gentle had her wanting him in ways that went beyond an innocent kiss.

In the heat of the moment, she let out a low moan that mingled with the soft growls reverberating deep from within his throat.

Garrett drew back and broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. “I…”

“Please don’t stop,” she begged.

“I don’t want to hu—”

She kissed him to shut him up, sliding her fingers up the nape of his neck and pulling his mouth down on hers.

Autumn shifted on the bed, folding her legs under herself and lifting slightly so that she was almost eye-to-eye with him. His hot, calloused hand landed on her thigh. His fingertips grazed her skin just under the ends of his big oversized tee.

When was the last time she touched a man like this? When was the last time a man caressed and kissed her so perfectly? Never. She’d never met anyone like Garrett. She’d also never been in a shifter’s bed before. Had never even kissed a shifter before. She was instantly hooked. She loved it. She wanted more. His groans of satisfaction were not only making her incredibly aroused, but the sound sent goosebumps shooting up her spine.

Without breaking the kiss, he stood to his feet near the edge of the bed, gaining the upper hand on her. He couldn’t resist her any more than she could resist him and used his position to deepen the kiss.

With his big hands, he grazed the undersides of her breasts through the tee. It was the one time that she wished she weren’t wearing a bra. Not only because she wanted to feel his touch everywhere, but because her hardened nipples rubbed uncomfortably at the uneven, lace fabric of her bra.

He tilted her chin gently and started to work his mouth downward along her throat, reaching her jugular, and then the sensitive flesh behind her ears.

“You’re sweet, Autumn. I want you.”

I want you. Those three little words. That’s all she needed to hear and her body was on fire.

His hands were under the t-shirt, gripping either side of her waist with his big, strong hands. She arched into his palms when he reached her lace-covered breasts. The pads of her fingers dug into his scalp harder. She made no move to stop him when he unhooked her bra from the back. The garment fell in her lap, but she was too busy kneading his rock hard chest to care.

Her grasped her hips lifted her slightly, and then came on the bed over her. The way he stretched his thick, long arms out to trap her beneath him reminded her of a hunting wolf who’d caught its prey. Only this time, there was no fear. Unrestrained desire to give herself completely was the only thing running through her mind.

Garrett dipped his head low and enclosed one of her nipples in his mouth through the cotton tee. The contact, despite not being skin to skin, sent waves of ecstasy through her. She arched up into him as he teased her in that manner, sucking, licking, and biting at her through the tee. The fabric became hot and damp against her sensitive nipples and he took a moment to lean back and observed his work.

He looked arresting and fuckable, standing in front of her like that. God, she wanted him.

“Please…” she begged, as her pussy clenched and pulsed.

At her request, he lifted her shirt and latched onto her nipple and sucked hard. He moved from one and then the other, studying her reactions. With every pull of his lips, she cried out. By the time he was done with her, her buds were tight, wet, and swollen. He lingered over her, pressing kisses into her skin, tracing a downward path to her belly.

“Fuck. You smell sweet.” He groaned into her stomach, licking at her navel as if it were filled with honey.

“Garrett,” she moaned.

“Your panties are soaking,” he exclaimed.

Her face heated in a blush. Christ, she wanted him where it mattered most so badly.

“I’ll take care of that, sweetheart.”

He slid his fingers under the seams of her panties. She thought he would pull them off but he only pushed the fabric aside. He mumbled another curse before grabbing both of her thighs and pulling her firmly toward him so she was spread before him. He teased her softly, tracing his fingers against her pussy lips.

He thrust two meaty fingers deep into her.

She screamed.

He set a firm, relentless pace, driving his fingers in and out of her with purpose. The expression on his face was a look of sheer satisfaction. He bit harshly at his bottom lip as he worked her over. His forehead creased and hardened in concentration. The man was giving her the ultimate pleasure. He seemed content with just teasing her, achieving gratification from watching her tremble for him. He stroked at her clit with his exposed thumb. Pent up energy took root within her and then gathered in her loins.

He bent his head, pressing his soft lips to her knees, one and then the other. He took it further, sliding his perfect mouth along the inside of her thighs. She couldn’t hold on longer, even if she tried. Her drenching wet pussy clenched his fingers. The moment he looked up and they locked gazes, she let go. Sparks of energy came alive within her and ecstasy melted over her like warm honey.

Autumn was trembling on the bed with her eyes closed and reveling in the moment before she realized that he was standing over her with the biggest impression of a hard-on that she’d ever seen pushing against his fly.

She sat up on the bed and licked her lips. If she knew she was going to become a sex-crazed maniac the moment he kissed her, she probably would’ve stopped while they were both ahead. Or maybe not. She’d been attracted to him the moment she saw him.

She hooked her thumbs around the waistband of her panties.

“Autumn. Stop.” He shook his head. “I can’t do this to you.”

Her heart dropped in disappointment. “I…don’t understand. You’re…” She glanced at his erection.

“I’ll take care of it,” he said. “I already told you what the consequences were. I’m not taking advantage of you. Not like this. ”

She nodded and broke their gaze.

He turned away and sighed deeply. “I’m going for a run and I’ll be back in fifteen minutes. You’re safe here.”

“I know.”

“And please eat something,” he said, just before slipping through the bedroom door and closing it behind him.

“Oh, my God,” she exclaimed, once he was out of earshot.

Her breath came in labored pants as she tried to make sense of what had come over her. She didn’t need the expertise of a rocket scientist to put it into perspective. She hadn’t had sex in over a year. She was horny, needy, and aroused by a man who was obviously beyond a doubt attractive and equipped to do the job. He was there for her. She wanted him, and she took advantage of the opportunity.

She pressed her hands to her swollen lips, remembering how his kisses had driven her to the edge of insanity. Her clit pulsed in avid need. Her nipples were still beaded against his tee. And she was now fully wrapped in his scent.

Autumn spotted a bathroom inside the room. This time, when she swung her legs over the bed, she didn’t feel as nauseous. Miraculously, all the soreness was gone from her limbs. And the headache had disappeared.

Just as she entered the small bathroom on the other end of the room, she heard the long, deep timbre of a wolf howling.

“Garrett,” she whispered.

The sound sent an energetic mix of optimism and security up her spine.