Free ALPHA SPEED DATING (BBW) (Rocky Mountain Shifters) by Susan Arden Page A

“At these events, you’re supposed to rotate.”
    “My mum never taught me to share. Staying put. You, on the other hand, should skedaddle.”
    “Miss, is that okay with you?” The man stared at her.
    She brought her hands up. “Yes. Please forgive us. Tell Henry your next drink is on me,” Mari offered.
    “No problem. That won’t be necessary.”
    She smiled and watched the man walk toward one of the last empty seats. Swinging her attention back to Conrad, she hissed under her breath, “You assume too much.”
    “No argument there. I live on instinct more often than not, deep in the Amazon jungle or high up on a mountain pass.” The bell rang. Three more minutes of torture. Conrad released one of her hands. He moved his arm under the table, and his fingers settled on her knee. Her breath hitched. Immediately, his eyes widened incrementally. He was an alpha. A photographer and experienced journalist. No doubts in how he watched for every sign. Absorbed the details from the environment.
    “This isn’t a dangerous trek across the Andes in search of a challenging shot,” she said, gripping the fingers of his free hand, still on top of the table.
    “Then tell me to stop.” Conrad didn’t even wait. He began working the material of her dress upward. The scent of their mutual arousal tingled her nose. He was already aware she was turned on. Together they were a hairsbreadth from doing something crazy. She met his eyes, glimmering pools that caught her breath and stole the line of sane thinking from her head. Damn, his warm fingers had her giddy and ready to explode.
    “Please,” she whispered. The cool air swirled across her thighs. His hand moved upward, whispering heat over her skin like a lover’s touch. Crud ! This alpha playboy was about to be just that if she didn’t stop the insanity.
    “Give me what we want.”
    “You’re delusional.” Her heart rat-a-tat-tatted in her chest. The oven door of her imagination opened, blazing a billowing cloud that spread from her belly, up over her breasts and toward her chest. Scorching her skin from underneath. A nonstop heat wave rising up to the top of her head.
    “No. I’m not. You’re afraid.”
    She reached for his drink and gulped the contents. Holy hell! “What was that?” she said hoarsely.
    “Two fingers of straight bourbon. Soon, I doubt you’ll be feeling any pain, or was that your intent?”
    “I don’t run from trouble. Or hadn’t you noticed? Two shots of jet fuel isn’t going to have me spelunking under the table. I’ve not indulged this evening, thanks to someone who has kept me busier than busy.”
    Big freaking talk! She wanted to howl at being torn straight down the middle by Conrad’s super sexy mojo. Good Mari wanted to keep her professional profile, and then there was bad, naughty Mari, clicking her heels at the idea of meeting one hot wolf between the sheets.
    For a second, she saw a solution, telling her sassy self to shut the hell up. She could go find Sonya’s office and hide. Barricade the door and pray that the fates weren’t this desperately bored to yank her chain. He might find another woman to torment and not follow her.
    “Fine. If you’re not a little coward, then meet me upstairs. We don’t have to do anything. Talking is fine, but I’d rather do it naked with you under me.”
    Her jaw dropped. The man didn’t have a censor on his tongue. “News flash. Do you realize I can hear your thoughts?”
    “Baby, if you only knew what I’m thinking.”
    “No, no.” She held up her palm, her pulse skittering dangerously at all that he’d said and didn’t say. “Trust me, no mystery there. Crystal clear.”
    “There are ten more speed dating rounds tonight. Correct?”
    “What’s your point?” This was going to be priceless, and she shivered as his fingers stroked up the inside of her thigh, then teasingly down again.
    “Stop wasting our time when we could be skin-on-skin by now. If I leave, that’s one man