Wild Invitation

territory included the Sierra Nevada mountains. “Have you ever been out in Yosemite?” The nearest edge of the massive forest was only about an hour from here, the reason why this school was so popular with the pack. Many of them lived on the fringes of Yosemite.
    “Just the public areas.” She pressed her thumb to the door of her car, deactivating the security lock. “I guess those sections only make up a tiny fraction of your territory?”
    Zach nodded. In the past, DarkRiver had been relaxed about offering access to other parts of the forest—so long as people obeyed the rules that protected the land and its wild inhabitants. However, right now, with the Psy Council looking for any weakness in their defenses, they’d become more stringent. Nobody but Pack went in past what DarkRiver considered the public boundary. Of course, members of the pack could bring guests in. “Want to see more?”
    Her expression was startled. “I—” She snapped her mouth shut, and he saw her gaze dip to her leg. The movement was so quick, he would’ve missed it if he hadn’t been watching her so closely.
    Someone, he thought, a growl building inside him, had done a number on her confidence. “I can drive you up tomorrow,” he said, clamping down on the anger, “show you some of the sights most people never get to see.”
    “I shouldn’t.” But temptation whispered through her eyes. “I have to prepare for the class’s contribution to the Christmas pageant.” A fond look directed at Bryan.
    His nephew jumped up and down. “We’re going to do the story of how the Psy once tried to cancel Christmas. It’s gonna be so funny!”
    “Make sure you get me a ticket,” Zach said, but his mind was on how to secure Annie’s company for tomorrow. Challenge might work. Or perhaps…“Once-in-a-lifetime offer,” he said with a smile that he tried to keep from being ravenous. If she caught even a hint of what he truly wanted from her,she’d never get into a car with him, much less let him drive her into the lush privacy of the forest. “Pack’s getting strict about who we allow in.”
    She bit down on that full lower lip of hers, arousing his jealousy. He wanted to do the biting.
    “Well,” she said, clearly torn.
    Then Bryan clinched the deal for him. “You should come, Miss Kildaire! Then after, you can come to the picnic.”
    “Picnic?” She looked at Zach. “It’s winter.”
    “Winter picnic,” he said, as if that was normal. It was, for DarkRiver. “It’s informal, just a chance for people to get together before the Christmas madness.”
    “Please come, Miss Kildaire,” Bryan pleaded. “
Please
.”
    He saw Annie melt at that childish plea and knew he had her.
    “All right,” she said, and looked up. Her smile faded…because he’d let the cat seep into his eyes, let her see the dark hunger pumping through his blood.
    “I’ll pick you up at nine.” He leaned closer, drawing in the scent of her. “Be ready for me, sweetheart.”
    •   •   •
    ANNIE closed the door to her apartment and asked herself if she’d lost her mind. Not half an hour ago, she’d agreed to spend an entire day with a man so dangerous, a sane woman would’ve run in the opposite direction…instead of fantasizing about kissing him on those should-be-illegal lips. Her entire body went hot as she remembered the look in his eyes as he’d asked her to be ready for him. Dear God, the man was lethal.
    “Calm down, Annie,” she told herself. “It’s not like he’s really going to do anything.” Because while Zach Quinn might’ve flirted with her, might even have looked at her as a man looks at a woman he wants, she was pragmatic enough to know that it had probably been nothing more than a momentary diversion on his part. A man that good-looking had to have women begging to crawl into his bed.
    The idea of Zach sprawled in bed, all gleaming skin and liquid muscle, made her stomach flutter. Then she imagined him crooking a finger, that teasing smile playing over his lips. “If he ever looks at me like that,” she whispered, pulling the chopsticks out of her hair as she walked into the bedroom, “I’ma goner.” Her black hair tumbled around her face in a mass of soft curls.
    Zach’s hair had looked heavier than hers, sleeker.
    Her thoughts went from his hair to what he might look like in leopard form. A predator, all muscle and power covered with a gold-and-black coat. Would he allow a woman to stroke him?