Chapter 6: Laurel


    Laurel parked and stared through her windshield at the crowd spilling out of Mack’s Brewery. It was


    barely dinnertime and not even close to tourist season, but the ce crawled with people. No, not


    people. Shifters, she realized, as the faces filling the outside eating area came into focus. She’d heard


    they liked to hang here. It was how she knew where to find them outside office hours.


    And true to the gossip mill, here they all were.


    Five men, all of them built and toned and straining against the fabric of their cotton tees with the Blue


    Bear Search and Rescue logo printed across the left breast. She knew them all from the DOT meetings


    she’d sat in on, had spoken to one or two on the phone even. But she’d never allowed herself this close


    to them. Xavier’s rescue earlier today was the one and only run-in she’d had with the Wilde Crew, and


    it hadn’t been anything like she’d expected.


    She’d walked into that rescue determined to remain professional, in control, and politely aloof. Between


    her chilly demeanor and the ridiculous amount of perfume she’d sprayed in the car beforehand, she’d


    hoped it would be enough to keep him from sensing her animal. If he’d outed her in front of the rescue


    crews, she would have lost it. Thirteen months she’d lived here and managed to keep her animal a


    secret. Outing herself now would have devastated her and possibly cost her a job.


    But the perfume had worked. He’d grown more and more curt with her, and by the end, she’d sent him


    retreating. A funny oue, considering he’d almost knocked her over with his dominant alpha when


    he’d let it rise to the surface. But Laurel couldn’tugh. Not when she still felt the spark from their


    handshake all the way into her bones. And then tingles he’d sent through her middle, straight between


    her thighs, with a single look… no, she definitely wasn’tughing about that.


    Xavier Wilde was noughing matter.


    She’d almost prefer never to see him again. When she’d realized she’d missed his signature on the


    report, she’d been tempted to delegate it to her assistant, but Laurel was no coward. Besides, if the


    men in her office found out about her pushing her duties off on others, she’d never hear the end of it.


    Laurel got out of the car and squared her shoulders. In and out, she told herself. Just be quick.


    She took the stairs resolutely, bypassing the front entrance and heading straight for the deck. The


    noise increased as she got closer, and when she rounded the corner, her breath caught at the sight of


    him.


    Xavier’s navy shirt was tucked, straining against the muscles underneath and entuating his big


    biceps. His shaggy brown hair was messier than it had been earlier. She remembered because she’d


    spent the better part of the day wondering what it would feel like to run her hands through it. As if he’d


    sensed her thoughts, Xavier ran a hand through it himself. He leaned back, nodding and grinning at the


    man seated across from him. They both raised their sses and clinked them together in a quick toast.


    Laurel watched in fascination as his lips touched the mug and he gulped his beer. Lord, he was


    beautiful.


    Laurel shook away the thought and gripped the papers in her hand even tighter. She started forward


    again.


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    When she was only a few feet away, Xavier finished draining his ss. He set the empty mug on the


    table and his gaze leveled on her. His eyes narrowed fractionally, and again, Laurel stopped in her


    tracks.