Page 51 of The Bear's Chosen Mate
“I already told her to stop, but she takes direction just about as well as you do,” Cooper said dryly.“As innot.”
“What a thing to say about your personal assistant,” Amber offered perkily.“I live to serve you.”
Cooper turned his back quickly, and Alex bit back a snicker.He didn’t think Amber had spotted that his big brother actually flushed at her words.
Cooper needed to get out more if the little human’s completely innocent comment ruffled him that hard.
Forget Cooper.Weneed too, his bear complained.Where’s the wolf?
Shut up, Alex snapped at his inner self.
The beast snarled but quieted down.
Fifteen minutes later, Alex got the final report from all but one of his security team.He escorted Cooper and Amber to the exit, locking the door after them.
He was headed back into the building when his radio went off.
“Alex,” he snapped.
“Nearly done.”The final report coming in.“I need to do a sweep of the auditorium stairwell.”
“I’ll take it,” Alex offered.“I’m right there.”
“Thanks, boss.”The man sighed happily.“Great evening.So happy for your brother.”
“Yeah.It’s a good thing,” Alex offered before turning off his radio and heading at a brisk pace to complete the final check.
He made it down three flights of stairs before realizing that the scent in the air was growing stronger.The scent that had been subtly driving him mad for days, ever since he’d gotten stuck in the booth next to Lara Lazuli.
Anger rose inside him, partly at her, but mostly at himself.The scent of her made him want to pick her up and slam her against the nearest surface.Not to hurt her, but to rip her clothes off and take her as if he were some kind of wild animal.
Ummm, his bear began.
Shut.Up, Alex snapped.
There on the ground floor by the exit doors, he caught up with her.“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Lara whirled, eyes wide, the silver rope of her hair flying to land across her chest.“You.”
He bore down on her like an elephant on a rampage.“What are you doing lurking in the corners?Try to get intel on Borealis Gems?”
“No,” she said quickly.“I was helping Amber earlier, and I took off my shoes.I had to come back to get them.”
A pair of three-inch heels dangled from her fingers, all sinfully thin silver straps and sexy buckles, and the thought of her in them made his body tighten in ways he didn’t want to admit.
“I was working with Amber, and you weren’t there,” he growled, closing in on her.
“Yeah, because you were totally in the ladies’ room where somebody had the bright idea to draw hearts on the mirrors in lipstick.Oh, I know you must’ve been hiding in one of the stalls while I was climbing up on the counter to help scrub the mirrors clean.”
He glanced down.There were faint smudges on the knees of her capris.
He grabbed her hand, a gasp escaping her as he lifted it toward his face.He flipped her palm up, hesitating as he spotted pale pink streaks under her nails.
He met her gaze.“Why would you help clean up a mess at a Borealis Gems event?”
“Because I was spending time with a friend, and she needed a hand.So I figured I wouldn’t be a dick and leave her with work to do by herself when I could help.”She tugged her arm as if trying to escape his grasp.“But I guess you don’t get that concept.Helping a friend.”
The chaos in his gut swirled harder.He’d been a jerk, and he knew it.But it was be a jerk or admit how much he wanted this woman who was the last person on earth he should be with.
