Free Protecting a Mate by Maria Connor

Chapter One
    Melanie ignored her ringing phone for the fiftieth time. She already knew who was calling and she had better things to do than talk to her asshole ex. Because, seriously? He offered to bang her sister when Paige needed banging and… It really didn’t matter. Right now, she had to get to her sister’s office at the M&M Mating Agency and drop off the file Paige had left at home that she so desperately needed.
    Mel figured if her baby sis wasn’t banging her new mate every five seconds, she might have remembered the thing.
    But she wasn’t envious or anything.
    Much.
    She scooted into the elevator as the doors slid closed and pressed the button for Paige’s floor.
    Nervous energy flitted through her as she waited for the thing to freaking hit her floor already. She had to drop this off and then race to the other side of town to begin her rounds of fetching paperwork from each of the Catson Construction build sites.
    Because, God knows, foremen for some reason couldn’t stuff their reports in an envelope and mail the things. Or even better, scan and email the information.
    Build a skyscraper? Yes.
    Slide a sheet of paper into a slot and push some buttons? No.
    She wasn’t aggravated with the males.
    Much.
    The elevator finally came to a gentle stop, a low ding announcing its arrival, and the doors parted.
    Melanie strode into the lobby, intent on the receptionist desk which held a very good looking male.
    Helloooo there.
    Dark hair, tanned skin, and those eyes… Oh, wait, she couldn’t forget all those muscles either. Her little ferret chittered and wiggled in appreciation for the man. And he smelled… divine. All predator and growly hunkiness. He wasn’t her mate, but he was still sexy as hell.
    “Hi, I’m—”
    “How you doin’?” His voice was deep, filled with sex, and… his identity hit her like a ton of bricks.
    There was one constant at the M&M Mating Agency. Well, two, but only one who drove Paige up the wall.
    “You must be Max Rowe.”
    “I am. Are you looking to sign up, baby?” His gaze traveled over her, from toes to nose, he took in her body. “Lemme start a file on you. Twenty-nine, five-five, and just waiting to hop on my di—”
    “I’m looking for Paige. I’m her sister, Melanie.” Melanie forced her lips to form a smile. Her little sister told her Max was a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen.
    “Oh.” And like that, his passion was replaced with… fear. “Can you not tell her—”
    “Mel! Thank you so much!” Paige raced down the hallway and snatched the papers Mel brought along. “I’ll see you for dinner, and Max, don’t think I didn’t hear you! I’m sending you to sensitivity training. Again.”
    Melanie tried not to giggle. She really did. And… failed. She ignored Max’s glare and spun on her heel, anxious to get to her real job. The one where they actually paid her to race all over the city, stare at hunky, sweaty guys, and pick up after them. Paper-wise, anyway. She’d cleaned up after a guy once, for years, and she wasn’t getting hauled into that trap again.
    What had her new friend Chloe’s mom said? When you first start dating and living together, don’t start doing things for him unless you’re willing to do them for the rest of your life. Rest. Of. Your. Life.
    Melanie got back on the elevator and not-so-patiently waited for it to return to ground level. Once there, she raced through the lobby and out the front doors. It took no time to hop in her car and then she was gone, racing out of the parking lot toward her first stop.
    She pulled onto the highway, blinker clicking, as she merged with traffic and once again her cellphone rang. One good thing about having a steady, asshole ex-boyfriend who never wanted her to work—he bought her everything she wanted and put it in her name. Including the lovely little Mercedes convertible she currently occupied.
    She listened to her car identify the caller and groaned when the voice simply