She’d just swiped the card, unlocking the door, when the bellowed “You were going to pretend you didn’t know me, weren’t you?” had Bobby Ray’s precious papers and envelopes flying everywhere.

Brendon couldn’t believe how angry she’d made him. Did she really think he wouldn’t notice her? That he hadn’t smelled her as soon as he walked into the lobby? He’d kept his mouth shut to see if she’d say or do anything to acknowledge who she was, but when he saw her duck down to hide from him, his heart sank.

He could have let her walk away. He almost did as he watched her scurry from the lobby like a frightened mouse. But he’d been simply too angry to let her get away with it. It didn’t help, either, how damn good she looked in those shorts and boots.

“Weren’t you?” he yelled again.

She turned and faced him, her hand over her heart. She slumped against the wall. “Lord in heaven, you scared the shit out of me!”

“Good!”

“Well you don’t need to keep yellin’. I hear you just fine.” She glanced down at the papers and folders all over the floor. “Dammit. Now I gotta get these back in order.”

Papers? She was worried about papers? Who gave a flying shit?

He watched her crouch down and pull everything together. “Is that all you have to say to me?”

“Your fever gone?”

“Yeah.”

With all the papers in one hand, she stood and slapped her free hand across his forehead.

“You still feel kind of warm to me. You should probably be laying down and getting some rest before you start working again. Anyway, that’s my opinion. You can do what you like.”

She turned and again swiped the keycard, unlocking the door. Before she could escape inside and shut him out, he grabbed the papers out of her hands, ignoring her plaintive “Hey!”, and tossed them into the room. He could smell this wasn’t her room. It belonged to a male and he didn’t want her in there. Brendon slammed the door shut.

“What the hell do you think you’re do—”

Brendon shut off her tirade by kissing her. He couldn’t help himself. He’d never seen a female look finer in a pair of cutoff shorts, cowboy boots, and a T-shirt that had been in the washer so many times and seen so many years, he could easily see the aqua blue lace bra she wore under it. One good tear would have it off her in seconds.

To stop himself from doing exactly that in the middle of the hallway, he dug his hands into her hair and plunged his tongue between her lips. Her hands slammed hard against his shoulders, and he thought for sure she’d push him away. Maybe even claw his chest open. She-wolves could be mean when provoked.

But her fingers gripped his flesh hard and she yanked him closer, rising on her toes to meet his mouth, her tongue sparring with his.

Brendon didn’t want to give her a chance to have any doubts, to worry what her Pack would say, so he slipped his hands under her perfect ass andlifted her. He maneuvered her legs around his waist and headed toward the back elevator down the hall. The elevator that would take him directly to his apartment on the top floor.

He made it about ten feet when one of her hands released his shoulder and slapped against the wall.

She pulled out of their kiss. “Wait. Just wait.”

He growled.

“And don’t growl at me.” At least she was panting. Panting was good. “Where the hell are we going?”

“My apartment.”

She shook her head, confusion and lust all over her beautiful face. “We can’t…we shouldn’t do—”

Again he kissed her to shut her up and because she tasted so goddamn wonderful.

He set off again, her claws scraping a line down the wall as he hustled her toward the secluded elevator.

She pulled her lips away again. “Wait!”

He stopped and stared at her.

“I’m relatively positive we’re not supposed to be doing this.”

“Who says?”

“The laws of nature and God.”

“Laws are made to be broken and God just wants us to be happy.” Fucking this woman would make him so damn happy. “Come on. Let’s go break some laws.”

“No, no, no! Let’s think about this a minute. Just give me a second.”

He didn’t release her. And since her breasts were right there…

She gasped, her hands grabbing his head and pulling him in tighter as he suckled her nipple through her T-shirt and bra.

“You are so not giving me a minute to think.”

“I know,” he said around her nipple. “I don’t want you to think. Thinking is what had you running out on me.”

“I didn’t…I couldn’t…” She panted harder. “Stop sucking it like that.”

“Okay. How about this?” He drew her in deeper and she cried out.

Her hand slammed hard against the wall, claws once again out. “Your room,” she demanded. “Your room now.”

Brendon didn’t argue, he just moved.

The ding of the private elevator nearly snapped Ronnie out of her idiocy—but not quite. Not with a man who could kiss like this. If the way he used his tongue remotely mimicked his skills with his cock, she was in for a time.

Thought you were an adult now and you weren’t going to do this sort of thing anymore? Remember? New year…new life.

There it went again. That damn voice in her head. The one that sounded suspiciously like her momma. The one she never listened to even when she should. She probably should listen to it now, but the man’s kisses were drugging. Ronnie couldn’t think past his lips touching hers. His tongue gliding along the inside of her mouth, caressing and tasting. She couldn’t think past what he’d do once he got inside her, the very thought making her shudder and her pussy clench tight.