He needed her.
Every second he spent without mating with her was torture to him. His bear would not quit growling. Rollo thought that if he had to listen to his grizzly behaving that way much longer he might lose his damn mind. His intention was to get to the bottom of the case and to take care of his mate. If she ended up being responsible for the theft, he would find a way to make everything right in the end.
What mattered most, was that they were together. She may be reluctant now, but there could be any number of reasons for that. Whatever it was, Rollo intended to find out. He didn’t buy the story about her parents, although it sounded like a perfectly valid excuse. But all of the clues were adding up. Zoe Bright had become the top of his suspect list.
But first, he just wanted to spend one night with his mate. He’d put on a casual suit without a tie, shaved, and put on some cologne. He clipped on his watch and put his phone in his back pocket before he walked out the door and climbed in his SUV. The drive up to the institute was nerve-wracking as his heart beat in anticipation of meeting Zoe again.
Seeing her at the woodshop in those cute, girly coveralls with all that black hair of hers hanging in a playful ponytail, had almost done him in. If it came down to it, Rollo wondered if he would be able to arrest his mate if he had to. He knew he would do his job, but he was also already desperately loyal to her. He couldn’t help it; she was his other half.
He pulled up in front of the dormitory section of the Bright Institute for Shifters. The building was a cross between traditional Ivy League university and ultramodern Silicon Valley tech company. There were huge walls of windows that arched up to the ceiling over the entry.
He saw her walk out the front door, wearing that formfitting jaguar print dress and black high heels. Her hair was straight and long down her back, slicked back over her head. She wore deep red lipstick and smoky eye makeup. His cock bulged in his pants as she walked towards him. He hastily scrambled out of the SUV and hurried around the passenger side of the car to open the door for her.
Zoe saw him, smiled and then slinked past him into the passenger seat. He could smell her scent mixed with her citrus perfume. His inner bear growled hungrily. Rollo licked his lips and shut the door behind her as she put on her seatbelt.
As he sat beside her and the car, the scent of her arousal rose off her sexy curves and filled the air with its thick aroma. They stared at each other in the summer evening glow as the light filtered through the cab of the car. Her breasts heaved as she took deep panting breaths and she bit her luscious red bottom lip with her straight white teeth. He wanted to grab her and kiss her, shove his tongue between those lips, and feel her groan under his touch.
“Should we get going?” she finally said.
He turned on the car and backed out of the parking spot and sped out onto the road leading back into Fate Mountain Village. They took the highway a few miles and then turned off on the road towards Fate Mountain Lodge. When they parked in front of the lodge, Rollo hopped out of the car and hurried around to open the door for Zoe, but she’d already opened it and slid her legs around the side. He reached out and took her hand, helping her step down from the high seat and onto the ground in those sexy fucking heels.
Her body was so amazing he could barely tear his eyes away from her curves. His hands clenchedand unclenched, longing to touch her. He had to hold himself back as the animal inside thrashed in his mind demanding he take his mate right here, right now. Instead, he led her graciously through the parking lot and up the front walkway of the lodge. He opened the front door and escorted her through the lobby and into the dining room.
Fate Mountain Lodge had a five-star restaurant run by the famous Wild Bears chef Shane Keenan. Shane had once had famous cooking show, back before the war. He’d been notoriously bad tempered, and the audience had eaten it up. That was until he’d been outed as a bear and drafted into the military. But now Shane Keenan lived on Fate Mountain and was a member of the Rescue Bears.
The hostess led them to their private table that looked out onto the lake as the summer sun was slipping toward the horizon. The golden glow radiated over the crystal water that stretched out below the lodge. It was a perfect romantic spot for their first date, and Rollo congratulated himself for his excellent planning.
Zoe looked down at her menu as if deep in thought over appetizers. She’d painted her nails the same color as her lips and the sight of her put together like this was a stark contrast from the way she had dressed the day before. But Zoe in coveralls was no less sexy than Zoe in a skintight jaguar print dress, black heels, and red nail polish. He appreciated the contrast because it made him feel like he understood her that much more.