“You should know better than that.” She sniffed. “Just because you can’t smell me doesn’t mean I can’t smell you.”
His brows drew down. “What do you mean? I smelled you just fine.”
Her fingers went to the chain around her neck. He shouldn’t have been able to scent her. Was it because they were fated mates that he could? She needed to talk to her father. She shrugged it off as if it were nothing.
“Care to join me?” she asked, gesturing to the lawn chair beside her.
“Absolutely. So this second chair … are you expecting someone else, or am I free to take it?”
“It’s yours. I always bring an extra chair in case my favorite one breaks. I usually leave it in the back of the truck, but I decided to put it out once I caught your scent, knowing you’d join me at some point. I’m glad I wasn’t wrong.” Allie decided right then and there that flirting with her would-be mate was perfectly acceptable. After all, she was a female who had needs.
“I was unsure at first, but then I couldn’t refuse your invitation once you’d outed me,” he said with that sexy-ass grin.
“Well, I figured it would be better to talk to you than to have you creepin’ around.” Allie shrugged. “Do you want a beer?”
“Sure. Besides, it’s kinda required when we’re chilling next to a campfire, right?”
“Indeed. So, you got a name?”
“Marc … Marcus Romero. You?”
“Allie Varga.” She handed him a beer.
“Thanks. What brings you up here?”
“I like to get away to stretch my legs. I’ve found that humans tend to freak out if they see a large tiger running through town.”
“Right! All the screaming is ridiculous,” he agreed.
“Humans … such silly creatures.” She laughed.
“I agree.”
“So, Marc. What brings you all the way up here? Or are you a local?” Allie asked.
“Would you believe me if I told you that I was tipped off by a dating guru?”
“No, way!” Allie gasped. “You’re not talking about Gerri Wilder, are you?”
“You know Gerri?” he asked, failing to hide the shock he felt at her response.
“I met with her yesterday.” Allie was just as surprised by the turn of events as Marc seemed to be. She wasn’t sure what to make of the newest development. She had initially thought that Gerri was a kook, a hack, and was completely and totally full of shit. Now, here she was, fewer than twenty-four hours later, having a conversation with her hotter-than-hell mate … who just happened to be the same species as she was.
“I’ve known Gerri for a while. She’s been on the lookout for my mate for quite some time. She told me she tried to set up a date for tonight but asked if I could hold off until Monday because you were going out of town. I have to admit, I was so damn curious that I just had to hop in my truck and drive all the way up here just to catch a glimpse of you. I had honestly planned on waiting until Monday to approach you.”
“Are you disappointed?” she asked.
“Excuse me?”
“Are you disappointed in what you found?” she asked, quite bluntly, even for her.
“Not at all. In fact, I’m quite impressed so far.”
The heat that she’d long forgotten existed rolled through her as Marc eyed her up and down, her nipples pebbling under his heavy stare.
“Is that so?” Her words came out as more of a breathy moan. “Wow. It’s getting hot this close to the fire.” Allie stood and stepped away from the nearby flames, but she knew that wouldn’t cool her down as the heat was coming from within. Flames of desire twisted their way through her body just from her proximity to Marc.
Never before had she wanted to jump on a man and have her way with him. Never had she undressed a man and fucked him raw with her eyes. Geeze! What the hell was wrong with her?