Free Already Freakn' Mated by Eve Langlais

see Chris again. And yet, she took offence at his actions?
    Oh the confusion. More than ever she wished she had someone to talk to. How she missed the wisdom of her mother. Would have loved to have a friend, a female friend, someone who would listen and give advice. But Sheng thought it too dangerous. The less people who knew their secret, the better. Yet, Jiao wondered if perhaps Sheng’s paranoia was too extreme. Kaleb and his goons lived so far away. And not everyone we meet is a spy.
    However, did she dare take that chance? It wasn’t only her life at stake, but her brother’s. Despite her need for change, she would never do anything to harm him.
    Back to square one. What to do?
    The shirt washed on a quick rinse cycle, all Jiao dared given her brother wouldn’t stay out running errands forever, she tossed it in the dryer. As it tumbled around and around, she couldn’t help thinking of the wolf in her basement, the shirtless wolf. The very handsome, deliciously sexy, half naked man.
    Right or wrong, she couldn’t help herself.
    Minutes later, she headed downstairs, her arms loaded with a tray carrying a steaming decanter of coffee and a plate of pastries she’d bought a few days back. A little stale, they at least provided a plausible cover for when she went to corner the wolf, and hopefully figure out some things. Like will he try to kiss me again ? Was it wrong for her to fervently hope yes?
     
    *
     
    Perturbed at what happened upstairs – I almost kissed a married woman! – Chris took up where he left off the day before, letting the calming monotone of work – hold nail, hammer, hold nail, hammer – bring his frenzied state of mind down a notch.
    His mate attacked him. A fact his brothers would think was hilarious. In his defense, Chris didn’t smell her approach, not with the scent of her all over the house. And she’d not actually hurt him. Surprised him yes, but as soon as she got the first hit in, he’d guessed who wielded the weapon. Not wanting to frighten her, he’d let her get in a second lick and feigned falling to the floor unconscious. His ploy gave him a great excuse to touch her and he’d almost gotten to kiss her. Almost got to taste the lips haunting his dreams.
    Her ill-timed sneeze ruined it, and in a sense saved him from himself. What would she think of a man, a virtual stranger, manhandling her and stealing a kiss? She’d think him a right jerk especially considering he knew she was married.
    Still, though, in the heat of the moment, that simple tidbit of sanity fled him. So much for seducing her slowly. Forget discovering more about her situation. One touch of her body against his, and boom, he turned into an idiot.
    An idiot who turned her on though. Yeah, baby. He’d noted the way she admired his bare chest. But what about my mind? Chris snickered to himself. In the past, he’d used his body to get women, counted on his physique actually to do the work. Yet, now that he’d met his mate, was it enough? He couldn’t help recalling his mother’s words about attraction not meaning they’d have anything in common. Did it truly matter? Since when did he care if a female just wanted him because he was hot?
    He cared a lot, he realized. He’d met the woman he’d spend his life with, a woman he hoped to convince to leave her husband. He’d need more than good abs and excellent technique if he wanted to claim her.
    A clatter of feet on the stairs saw him putting his hammer down. He didn’t need to sniff, or have his wolf yip, to know she came to see him. It was his lucky day. He’d have to remember to buy a lottery ticket when he finished work.
    Balancing a tray, Jill wouldn’t look him in the eye as she approached, but her awareness of him showed in the blush on her cheeks. Cuter and cuter.
    “I was making myself some coffee and wondered if you’d like some.”
    “I’d take it intravenously if I could.”
    She set the tray on the worktable he’d set up the day before and