as hunched over the bar, a scowl fixed on his face as he ignored the brunette who had been shamelessly trying to seduce him for the last half hour. Her hand slid up hi

that sent shivers down her spine. He pushed her hand aw

his dark, tousled hair. He wasn't here for this-he was here to escape the relentless responsibilities of being Alpha, e

's sharp senses pricked as a new presence en

wanting anyone to see the mess she'd become in the span of a few hours. Her engagement to Alpha Kevin was supposed to

t of her, she poured a glass and knocked it back, the liquid burning her throat as she tried to drown her pain. She

k, not her future. Nothing mattered because th

ing around the glass. She poured another drink, her vision bl

pread through her, pulling her attention away from the bottle. Ella's heart skippe

... is

, irresistible scent hit him like a tidal wave. It was sweet, intoxicating-like wild roses m

Ma

. She was breathtaking, even in her disheveled state. Her golden-brown hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves, her lips parted slightl

e unmistakable scent of their bond. His blood surged, his heart r

de her, calling for its mate. She turned her head, her eyes locking onto Derek's dark, brooding figu

jawline was dusted with a hint of stubble, and his stormy gray eyes were fixed on her with an intensity that made her heart race.

at scared her.

ate

space between them seemed to shrink as they dre

His touch sent a jolt of electricity through her body, awakening every nerve. Ella

ely contained. His thumb brushed against her lower li

whelming sensation of the mate bond. She should have been scared-this man was

ing under his touch. His name rolled off her tongu

t mixture of arousal and innocence driving him wild. His hand slid from her cheek to the back o

whimpered into his mouth, her hands clutching his broad shoulders as he deepened t

snapped. Without a word, he scooped her up into his arms, carr

er through the bar and up the stairs to his hotel room. She could barely think, he

air between them crackled with tension, the mate bond so strong it was suffocating. He hovered

led, his voice low and dangerous as his eyes flic

her body trembling with need. She had never want

her body, pulling at the fabric of her clothes as he stripped her down, leaving her bare beneath h

her hips as he positioned himself over her. "And to