Willow felt a wash of relaxation flow over her body and mind. She took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air and let out a sigh of pleasure.
This was exactly what she needed.
Her phone pinged in her purse and she pulled it out.
“Did you arrive safely?” Corey’s message asked.
“I just got here,” she replied.
“Would you be interested in a late evening meal?”
Willow’s heart seemed to seize in her chest. He wanted to meet her already. It was all moving so fast. Her mind raced, thinking of what to wear.
“Maybe some dessert,” she hesitantly typed.
“Great! Meet me in the dining room in an hour.”
Chapter 5
Corey picked up his phone to read a text message from Angus.
“Important crew meeting in an hour at the lodge dining room. Be there.”
“What’s going on?” Corey typed.
The crew saw each other often enough that any issues were normally ironed out right away. Most of their meetings took place after rescue missions, and that usually involved a lot of beer.
“We’ll talk about it at the meeting. Wear something nice.”
What? Since when was there a dress code for a crew get-together? Corey was so wrapped up in his latest algorithm that he didn’t stop to question Angus’s request for very long. He went right back to work and continued typing code until he only had fifteen minutes before he was supposed to meet the crew at the lodge.
Crap.
He hurried to his bathroom and pulled off his dirty clothes. He took the world’s fastest shower and jumped out to get dressed. After throwing on some random nice clothes, he slipped into his shoes, put on his glasses, and headed out the door.
Angus better have a good explanation for this.
There were only two bears who could call him away from his work. One was his alpha Levi. The other was Angus, Levi’s second in command. It had been that way for years.
He trusted Levi and Angus completely. The other bears on the crew, maybe not so much. Zach was impulsive. Drew was too sensitive. And Shane. Shane had been unhinged most of the time Corey had known him. Even still, he trusted every bear on the crew with his life. But that didn’t mean he’d leave work to run off to some meeting if someone other than Angus or Levi had called.
He went through the back door into the lodge and circled around the halls to the lobby. The double doors to the dining room were open, so he walked up to the hostess, looking around for the rest of the gang.
“I’m here to meet the Rescue Bears,” he told the hostess.
“Right this way,” she said, grabbing two menus.
Why was she grabbing two menus? There were six men on the Rescue Bears, and he didn’t see a single one yet. The hostess put his menu down on a table for two near a window looking out over the lake. The late summer sun had set, and the big full moon had come out over the water.
“The guys won’t fit at this table,” he told the hostess.
He’d never seen this girl before. She smelled human and probably didn’t know who the Rescue Bears were. Strange, considering she worked for Levi, the alpha of their crew.
“I’ll look into it,” she said, filling his glass with ice water.
He frowned. Where were the rest of the guys? He didn’t have time for any of this, yet he was the first one here. Angus had called this meeting. The least Angus could do was show up on time.
He was grumbling to himself when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked toward the entrance to the dining room. A woman stopped in front of the hostess station, wearing a printed summer dress that showed off her shapely legs and ample bosoms.
Corey’s heart jackhammered in his chest. His stomach did flip-flops and his face burned. The second he saw her, he knew what was happening. He couldn’t move from the shock and sat stone still as the pretty dark-skinned woman approached his table.
The hostess seated the woman across from him, and Corey was dumbstruck. His mouth felt too dry to swallow. Her scent wafted across the table, making his inner grizzly roar to life.
This is not happening.
His mate smiled up at him with her full pink lips. She batted long eyelashes and started to speak. He could barely hear what she was saying through the sound of his own heart beating in his ears.
“What?” he finally asked.
“I was just thanking you for the accommodations. The suite is gorgeous.”
“Accommodations?”
The woman’s eyebrows knit together in confusion.
“You are Corey Bright, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Willow Rhine. We met on Mate.com? Any of this ring a bell?” she said, obviously becoming increasingly irritated and confused.
“Oh. Now I know what this is,” Corey said, cupping his forehead with his hand.
His crew had obviously set him up. They’d tricked him into answering the Mate.com questionnaire after their last rescue mission. They’d used the answers to create a profile. He should have known. He should have checked. Now it had gone way too far.
His mate was sitting across from him, looking delicious with her caramel skin and chocolate colored eyes. His gaze lingered on the round globes of her cleavage before he tore them away and looked at her face.
“What is it?” Willow asked.
The waitress walked up to the table and asked if they were ready to order.
“I’ll have a raspberry tart and a glass of sweet red wine,” Willow said, handing her menu back to the hostess.
“And for the gentleman?” the waitress asked.
“Who set this up?” he asked the girl.
“The chef told me to seat you here. I don’t know anything else.”
“Shane is in on this too?” Corey growled.
“Can I get you something to eat or drink, sir?” the girl asked nervously.
He sighed. “I’ll take a pint of Fate Mountain Lager and a piece of apple pie.”
“Very good,” the girl said, taking his menu before she walked away.
“What’s going on?” Willow asked, picking up her glass of water.
“I’m sorry you ended up in the middle of this mess.”
“Please explain. I don’t think I can handle the suspense.”
“It wasn’t me that messaged you or set up this date.”
Willow’s expression turned dark and she slumped in her seat, crossing her arms defensively.
“If it wasn’t you, then why am I here?”
“My crew set me up. They want to force me to claim my fated mate.”
“Am I really it?”
“My fated mate? I’m afraid so.”
Willow fidgeted in her seat, and the waitress arrived with their orders. The girl put their plates and glasses down in front of them at the table and walked away, obviously as uncomfortable as Corey and Willow at this point.
“And this is a problem why?” Willow asked after taking a long drink of wine.
She held her glass and stared at him, her lips red from the wine. It only made her sexier. That was the last thing he needed. His bear growled in disagreement; appreciating his mate’s sexiness was exactly what he needed.
“I don’t want a mate. My crew knows that. But apparently, they think they have the right to meddle in my personal life. Believe me, I’m not okay with this.”
“So, where does that leave me?” she asked, shoving a piece of tart in her mouth.
Something about her was soft and sweet in a way that made his bear aggressively agitated to mate her. But there was also a spark of inner depth and intelligence in her eyes that intrigued the man even more than her alluring curves.
“I’m sorry you were caught up in the middle of this. We might be fated mates, but that is the worst kind of relationship. People get hurt when they can’t resist each other. I never want to do that to anyone. And I never want it done to me either. I just don’t have room in my life for that kind of irrat
ional drama.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Willow said, taking another sip of wine.
“How do you mean?”
“To be honest, I left Seattle to get away so I could work. Not that I didn’t want to meet you, but I’m mostly here so that I can focus on writing my novel.”
“Writing your first novel, huh?” he asked, sizing her up.
“This is my twenty-seventh novel in six years,” she said, chopping her tart with the side of her fork.
That surprised him.
“Have I heard of you?” he asked, not knowing what else to say.
“No. I’m a ghostwriter. But the name I write for is pretty famous. I’d just rather not say who it is. I’m having problems with that right now.”
“Problems?”
“I’d tell you, but I don’t know if you want to hear about my personal drama.”
“We might as well have a conversation while we eat dessert.”
“Okay…” she said, taking another sip of wine.
The waitress came over and filled her wine glass. Her scent gave away that she was becoming a little tipsy.
“So, you’re supposed to stay for a week?” he asked.
“That’s what you said in your text.”
“My crew is going to pay for this,” he muttered.
“I’m sure they were just trying to help.”
“It’s a kind of help that I don’t need. I’ve known for a long time that I don’t want a mate. All of them know it. There’s no excuse.”
“Meeting me isn’t that terrible. Is it?”
“You seem like a great person, but let’s just put this out on the table now. There is no way we will be dating or mating. It’s not going to happen. It’s nothing personal. It’s just a choice I’ve made for myself.”
“Honestly, I don’t know if I can deal with the whole fated mate thing. From what I understand, it’s all really intense and overpowering. I’m already late finishing my manuscript. My editor is breathing down my neck, and the publishing company is threatening to hold my royalty checks if I don’t come through.”
“I hope your stay at the lodge will be productive,” he said. “I know I get irritated when I’m stuck on something at work too.”
“Your fake profile said you were a computer programmer.”
“Yes. I created Mate.com.”
“And you don’t want a mate?” She started to laugh, and the sound filled Corey’s heart with some indescribable joy. He pushed the feeling down as quickly as possible and frowned. Was she making fun of him?
“I identified a gap in the market and capitalized on it. That’s just smart business. It doesn’t mean I have to use the app.”
“I bet you’re raking in the cash hand over fist. That site’s been getting so much press lately.”
“It’s no big deal,” he said.
In the scheme of things, Mate.com was a small part of his portfolio. But he wasn’t going to tell her that.
“I need to get some air. This wine made me hot,” she said, standing from the table. His bear wanted him to tell her she was hot, but he pushed that thought down hard and put it where he put all the other observations about how cute, sexy, and amazing she was.
She took the half-full wine glass with her and headed for the French doors leading to the patio that wrapped around the main lodge building. He followed her, not wanting to be rude. They were having a conversation. Even if he didn’t want a mate, she was still interesting to talk to.
They walked out onto the patio and began to meander around, looking at the darkened view of the lake. The water was illuminated by the big, bright full moon that shone above. It cast a hazy glow of silver-blue light over the water.
Willow stopped in a private corner of the deck and leaned over the railing with her glass of wine. She took a sip and sighed, gazing into the distance.
“I wouldn’t mind living in the country like this. I bet it’s nice to look at the lake every day.”
“I like my life. I don’t want anything to change.”
“I’m about ready for some change myself,” she said softly.
The moonlight caught in her eyes as she tilted her face to look at him. Why was she so damned beautiful? Why couldn’t his mate have been gross? That would have made it so much easier to ignore the feelings stirring deep inside him.
“What do you want to change?” he asked in a low voice. “You seem perfect.”
The words came out before he could stop them. Her eyes widened and she looked away, hiding her face in the shadows.
“I’m not sure I want to keep ghostwriting. Or stay in Seattle. I’m not sure about anything.”
He took a long draw of her scent. It only made his inner grizzly more determined to claim her. He’d have to be more careful. Resisting his mate would require constant vigilance.
The bear grumbled and gnashed at the backs of his eyes. His feral instinct was strong. Maybe just one kiss wouldn’t hurt anything?
He leaned in toward her before he was able to cut off the thought. What was he doing? She tilted her face toward his, opening herself up to his kiss.
He backed away, feeling ashamed and stupid.
“Maybe I’ll see you around,” he said.
“Sounds like a plan,” she said, looking away.
“Goodnight,” he croaked, yanking himself away from her.
“Night,” she said to his back.
He walked around the deck and stepped down the stairs leading to the trail to his cabin. Corey hurried up the trail, his mind reeling. What was he doing?
When he opened the door to his cabin, he was instantly enraged. The entire crew, except for Levi, were all standing in the front room of his house, stepping on his cables. He growled and charged up to them.
“How dare you bring her here!” he roared, his bear coming out of his eyes and mouth.
Shane stepped forward, motioning with his hands for Corey to settle down. He wouldn’t settle down. He was going to punch one of these guys.
“You, Big Bear? Of all people, I never would have expected you to betray me like this,” Corey said to Angus. The big man crossed his arms and frowned.
“It was all of our idea,” Drew said, rubbing his beard.
“I thought it would be fun,” Zach said, his eyes darting to the exit. “As a joke. Haha.”
“She’s gorgeous,” Shane said, shrugging. “What’s not to like? You should be thanking us.”
“Thanking you for bringing her here so that I can break her heart?”
“Why would you do that?” Zach asked, stupefied.
“Because,” Corey growled. “I. Do. Not. Want. A. Mate. Can I make it any simpler for you, Ski Bear?”
“We know you’ll change your mind,” Angus said, his voice soft.
“It wasn’t for you to decide. You had no right,” Corey said through clenched teeth, balling his fists. “I don’t want to hurt her. Don’t you get it?”
“Whatever happened to you that messed you up, Corey, you have to let that shit go,” Shane said. “It’s time to get over the past.”
“You’re one to talk, Wild Bear. How long did you torture your mate? Fifteen years?” Corey growled.
Shane balled his fists and bared his long teeth at Corey. Corey let his canines descend and moved closer to Shane.
“Everyone just calm down,” Big Bear said, stepping between them.
“You leave Lily out of this,” Shane growled. “I learned my lesson. Now it’s time for you to learn yours, Geek Bear.” Shane brushed past him, smashing into his shoulder as he left the cabin and stormed off into the night.
“You shouldn’t have brought up Lily,” Angus said.
“Why not? He’s trying to lecture me about getting over the past when he hurt his own mate over and over again. It’s hypocrisy,” Corey yelled, flailing his arms around.
“Okay, crew, it’s time to pack it in,” Angus said.
Drew and Zach followed Angus out the front door of the cabin and into the ni
ght. Corey slammed the door behind them, furious at them…and at himself.
Chapter 6
Willow sat down on her big bed and looked out the window. That was not how she’d expected that date to go. Corey didn’t want a relationship. No matter what he said, she could feel the animal need inside her awakening.
She knew a thing or two about shifters, having written a book about them. She knew how important fated mates were. It was a long-standing custom in the shifter community to actively seek one’s fated mate. When mates met, the pheromones that bound them were instantly released.
The bear inside Corey must be going mad with lust. She’d read accounts of this during her research into shifter lives. It took tremendous strength for a male shifter to resist the urge to mate. She was impressed with his resolve.
In some ways, Willow was relieved that she was released from the whole fated mate thing. It was pretty intense, and she didn’t know if she was ready for it right now. Or ever.
On the other hand, she knew that she needed love in her life. A lot of things would be better and easier, including her work, if she found someone. Willow bit her lip and crossed her arms. Corey was adorable. He was so cute and smart.
Her body sang with newfound awareness when he’d looked at her. He’d been eying her cleavage all night. She’d noticed, no matter how careful he’d been not to linger. She’d seen the desire in his eyes and the way his lips trembled when he spoke to her.
She’d thought he might kiss her under the moonlight. But he’d pulled away and left. She didn’t know how she felt about any of it.
She was ambivalent. Just like the heroine in her novel.
When it came to love, she could take it or leave it. Corey didn’t want drama in his life and neither did she. She’d have a little vacation on Fate Mountain then go back to her life in Seattle. Case closed.
She laid down on her bed, groaning. She closed her eyes and all she saw behind them was Corey. The pheromones were no joke. She couldn’t get him out of her mind or out from under her skin. Her whole body felt alive, and she couldn’t help thinking that they had some real chemistry between them. Not just the sex appeal, but something else. She’d genuinely liked him.