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.”

now, standing so close she could practically feel his hot breath on her face, she couldn’t remember why she’d want to make him mad enough to leave her

darkened. “What do 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

make me feel strangely alive,” he murmured in her

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

hadn’t meant to admit that—Fear made you vulnerable. It made you more easily hurt or exposed—but Xavier just gave her a crooked smile.

now, she was sure he wouldn’t try again.

she admitted. “Of everything. People getting to know me. My past. Rejection. I guess that’s why I piss people off. Keeps them

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 women when he was younger. But since his father had died, he’d been a recluse. No parties. No

believe someone like Xavier Wilde was scared of getting close to anything. But if

hand on his arm. “Xavier?”

when he re-focused, he studied her so intently she knew there was no other thought on his mind besides her. “I know 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

that,” she said, and his

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