Mated to the Wilde Bear

“Are you always so persistent about your job?” he asked.

“Are you always so hard to work with?” she shot back. He laughed.

Laurel leaned in, drawn to the way he seemed to let all his walls down when he laughed. She wanted to be the one to make him laugh.

“Not always,” he admitted. “Only for you, it seems. You bring out the grumpy alpha in me.”

She felt her lips curving. “Funny, I was hoping only to bring out the grumpy alpha in myself.”

His brow quirked. “You like being in charge, huh?”

She tried to decide whether he was poking fun at her, but he looked serious enough. “I guess I like being in control of things,” she admitted. “Probably a little too much sometimes. It’s a gift and a curse. But I’m pretty sure my boss calls it management material.” In fact, her boss, Gerald, was the only friend she’d made here and the only one she let joke with her like that. Until now.

He grinned. “You’re way more fun when you’re not trying to piss people off.”

practically feel his hot breath on her face, she couldn’t remember why she’d want to make him mad enough to leave her alone. “Maybe I was,” she finally admitted. “Sorry about that. Occupational hazard

you mean? Did

his chest to stop him from getting so riled up and the same jolt shot through her again. Just like earlier, she tried yanking her hand away, but Xavier

strangely alive,”

You scare the crap out of me.” She felt her cheeks heat at the

more easily hurt or exposed—but Xavier just gave her

him down now, she was sure he wouldn’t try

know me. My past. Rejection. I guess that’s why I piss people off. Keeps them from

It was gone before she could be sure, but she had her suspicions. People at work talked. Rumors, mostly, since none of them knew Xavier personally, but she’d heard about his past. The parties and the

Xavier Wilde was scared of getting close to anything. But if the expression on his

laid a tentative hand on his

what you mean about keeping people out,” he said quietly. “I know a thing or two about that.” He cast a quick glance behind her, probably at his guys. She had no doubt they were watching and listening to the entire exchange. But she didn’t care. Not when Xavier was staring at her like she was the sun. “My crew taught me that’s no way

said, and

yes he’d already slid his arm around her hip and