Chapter 3

The ice cream parlor has small red tables set up outside, and once Jasper and I get our cones, we head toward one. I get my standby, chocolate chip, and he decides on the same. Creamy flavor coats my tongue as I lick around the top edge of the cone, and Jasper watches me. He says, “It appears you have a proper technique for this.”

I nod. “It’s important to make sure the ice cream isn’t going to drip down the cone and get your fingers sticky, so you need to lick all the way around and keep it balanced.”

“Balance is good.” He laps at his cone. “But when I hit the right spot?” He bites the top off his cone and winks. “I devour it.”

“Does that apply to your mate?”

“Would you like it to?”

A sentence for Jasper’s new description comes to me. Eager to please his mate. I smile coyly at my cleverness and to flirt with Jasper. “Very much.” I take it a step further and drag my tongue up the side of the cone.

He chuckles, and I notice his gaze drops to my mouth. When his eyes darken, I think he’s imagining me licking something else. A tingle of desire rushes through me as I watch him lap at his cone without breaking our gaze. Now I’m the one imagining his tongue laving me, and it’s suddenly hard to breathe. My cone crunches as I bite some off with a little more force than necessary, and I glance up to stare into his eyes. Jasper leans in closer to me to say, “I can’t wait for that pretty little mouth of yours to bite me.”

My jaw drops because the idea makes me heat up a little more. “I can’t put rough sex on—I mean—you clearly have a thing for biting. Good to know.” I know I should move back, but while I tell my body to do it, I find I only close the distance between us a little more. This is crazy. I’m not going to fall for a man just because of physical chemistry.

As Jasper chews, his tongue darts out to lick his lips, and I involuntarily mirror him. He’s so close to me now, I detect the scent of his soap along with the faint odor of his male musk. It makes my stomach tremble, and the urge to touch him overwhelms me. Maybe what I need is to kiss him and satiate my need. Just once should do the trick because chances are it won’t be the best I’ve ever had, and then I can get over my silly crush.

I’ve stopped eating my treat, and cool, melted ice cream rolls over my fingers as I’m trapped in the pools of Jasper’s green eyes. I can’t take it any longer. I lean into him as he moves toward me, and the moment his mouth touches mine I know I’m in trouble. It’s as if our lips were made for each other, and I fall into a kiss that’s familiar in its ease but exhilarating as our chemistry sizzles.

My cone splats on the ground when I drop it, and I grasp at Jasper’s arms to hang on for the ride. His ice cream falls, too, and he takes my face in his hands as our tongues twine together. The voice of reason finally gets loud enough for me to stop. I pull away and take a deep breath. Jasper lets out a small noise as his eyes dance with amusement.

He thinks he won. He is so wrong. Sure, that was an amazing kiss, but he’s still not the man for me. I throw my shoulders back and ask the question that I’ve been dying to ask. “What did you do to break the law?”

He chuckles. “Why do you think that?”

“Kevin told me you weren’t allowed to sign up for Life Revenge. He—well he never actually said you’re a criminal, but finding you a mate was part of a deal I made, and I got the impression—are you a felon?”

Jasper’s eyes flash, and the heated gaze he gives me makes me want to cover myself as if I’m naked. I grab a napkin to wipe my sticky fingers. He reaches for my hand and lifts it to his mouth. I half-heartedly try to tug it away, but I let him keep his grip. “First, you should know I wanted to…” His mouth is warm on my finger as he sucks one in and licks the ice cream residue off, and any ideas I have of resisting him melt away. “… devour you the moment I saw you.”

My voice shakes as I say, “Oh.” And I let out a little sigh when he licks another one of my fingers.

“Kevin thinks I’m difficult because that’s what we do.”

I scowl as I wonder what kind of rift is between him and the beta of his pack.

He chuckles. “I suppose I am. I knew you were my mate the first time I smelled you, but since I refused to be part of the mating plan, I couldn’t let Kevin know. He thinks he’s punishing me.”

“What are you talking about? We’ve never—oh.” I recall that while human women will be reading profiles and assuming our program will determine if they are a match, it’s a different story for the werewolves. They smell an item of the woman’s to find out if they are attracted. “Wait. What did you smell?”

“The scarf you knit for him. I nearly lost my mind thinking you two were together.”

I pull my hand away now that he’s done licking my fingers. “You didn’t want a human wife.”

He shakes his head. “I’m—I’m too rough around the edges for human women.”

“What a ridiculous thing to say. I’ve seen your table manners, and you’re not nearly as scary as you pretend to be.”

He frowns. “Then why are you trying so hard to resist being my mate?”

“I—” I can’t tell Jasper I want a brilliant mind instead of a hot body, and that he probably doesn’t qualify. “It’s not appropriate. I work on Life Revenge and can’t be grabbing a match before other women have a chance.”

“You’re a rule follower,” he says.

I cross my arms. “I am.”

Jasper leans in, but I pull back. He stops short, and his brow knits before he says, “You’re still not going to accept the fact that I’m your mate, are you?”

My heart sinks because part of me wishes I could. Our kiss didn’t solve my attraction. It made it stronger, and I’d love to have a physical relationship with Jasper. But that wouldn’t be fair to either one of us, and I can’t start something with him with the knowledge it would never turn into the marriage required of us. “I can’t.” I stand up to indicate it’s time to leave. “I really shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m sorry I led you to believe we could be together.”

He smiles at me. “That’s only going to make me try harder.” He crouches down, and using a napkin, picks up our discarded cones. They thump in the garbage can where he tosses them. “You might think you can resist me, but I assure you when a werewolf meets his mate, he never gives up.”

“Jasper.” I sigh. “Please stop. When we get back, I’ll finish getting you set up to find a match.”

We walk back, with feet tapping along the pavement, toward my office building. The sky is darkening as evening approaches, and the bright headlights of cars flash as they pass by. It occurs to me I got sidetracked earlier and never found out why he and Kevin don’t get along. “You didn’t tell me why Kevin wants to punish you. What did you do?”

“What restaurant did the steak come from?”

“You’re changing the subject,” I state. But as soon as the words leave my mouth, I get what he’s really telling me. I should be angry, but instead I’m amused, and since I did just bruise his ego, I go with it. “Seriously? I have to bribe that out of you too?”

Jasper grins at me when I glance at him. His smile is infectious, and I give him one back. “Fine,” I say. “How about breakfast tomorrow? I know a place with donuts you can’t resist.”

“No. I have something much tastier in mind.” He waggles his eyebrows at me, and my cheeks heat up as my mind goes straight to the juncture between my thighs. Jasper smirks. “I was thinking another kiss, but—” I gasp when he moves in and laps up my neck to stop behind my ear.

I stumble back, horrified that my first thought was to hope he’d bite me. “Stop that.”

Now he laughs harder, and when he recovers, he says, “Marilyn, you belong with me. And I’ll take as long as you need to convince you I’m your perfect match.”

How I wish that were true. I steal a sideways glance at the sexy werewolf walking by my side. When I recall our kiss, I resist the urge to touch my lips. It was the best kiss of my life, and for a moment, I let myself believe he’s right.