"i didn't think it would be easy. in fact, i was thinking it was going to be very, very difficult."

"jessica, i'm bound by a very powerful client, and there's more to this story than i can share with you now-or quite possibly ever." he broke his gaze and i took the meaning intended.

my heart raced again with the proper use of my name, but i pushed it to the farthest reaches of my mind. my wolf howled her delight again at hearing, and i had to quiet her before i went on. this is not the time. you have to cool it. "you mean somebody would've taken the job who didn't owe a life debt to the alpha of the u.s. northern territories? somebody who could've extracted the 'by whatever means necessary' information by ripping out my fingernails or running a silver blade across my neck?"

"yes."

"so you went into this knowing there was a good chance you would have to save me at some point, even though it meant double-crossing your powerful client?"

"by 'saving you,' i'm not double-crossing my client. i'm simply bringing you to another location to obtain what i need."

"and if i refuse to give it freely?"

"the only way to do that would be to escape me." his eyes sparked.

i raised an eyebrow and ran my head pointedly around the small room. "hmm, i'm thinking that may be a likely scenario, rourke. but the minute i make my masterful 'escape,' you'll be back to hunting me, correct?"

"yes," he said, not bothering to look abashed as he crossed his arms. "most likely in a day or two, after i've had some time to recover from the serious injuries you inflicted on me in your overzealousness to escape."

i couldn't help but laugh. the thought of fighting him suddenly sent my libido skyrocketing several octaves. damn cat. my wolf yipped. quit. i know you're behind this. we're in serious discussions here and i need to stay focused. can you please keep your mind off sex for two freaking seconds? it's getting to be on the insane stalkery side. she growled and snapped at me. "i'm assuming once you've recovered from all my crushing blows, your debts to my father will be paid in full?"

he glanced down at his boots, a lock of hair fell over his eye. "yes."

"interrogating women isn't your thing, is it?"

he looked up, surprised. "no. i don't make it a habit to shake down women."

"but you fight them on occasion, right?" there were some nasty-ass supernatural women on the planet. not all were created equal.

"when duty calls."

"you mean when you're paid enough?" i didn't wait for an answer. "if i choose to give you enough information freely, will your client back off?"

he dropped his arms and paced to the door. "i don't know. my client tends to be attracted to the unusual. once the entire supernatural world learns about you, there may be no end to the curiosity. right now, i'm being paid to gather necessary information only. the next job may be a bit more ... detailed."

"nobody's putting a gun to your head to take the next job, rourke."

he turned, covering the small room in a few short strides, grabbing on to the back of my chair, putting his face right next to mine. it took everything i had not to shrink back. his eyes were sparking, green arrows of light shooting like beautiful starbursts in his irises. my wolf jumped to attention immediately, but instead of snarling, she ran her typical circles. "if i don't take it there's always someone next in line who will." the scent of him thickened around us, making my head dance.

"why do you care?" i breathed.

both of us stilled.

he backed off, dropping his hands from my chair. "i don't."

his scent said otherwise, but the markers were so unique it was hard for me to really tell. he was giving off something new, and i couldn't sort it fast enough, but whatever it was, it was heady and strange and it was all over the place, pinging around in my mind like a pinball drenched in honey. he didn't smell like a wolf or a human. he smells incredible, richer than before. i was beginning to get light-headed from it and my wolf was beyond frenzy. i had to find a way to shut her out of my mind completely so i could concentrate.

i shook my head, but it didn't help. "so if someone else took the job, your debt to my father would be forfeit? is that why you took it?"

he ran an absent hand through his hair. "dammit, having you here complicates everything." he strode toward the door and reached for the handle.

he so didn't get to storm out of here.

i was pissed. i jumped up, my anger wiping away the last tendrils of whatever scent of his that had lingered in my mind. "if you remember correctly, i didn't want to be anywhere near here. i wanted to stay with my pack and fight. i was a complication you didn't need to act on. it was your choice to bring me here. you could've dropped me in the next town over and my father would've called it good, your life debt paid in full."

"dropping you off and leaving you alone wasn't in the cards," he ground. "my honor is one of the only things i have left to give freely, and i don't give it lightly."

i stalked toward him. he dropped his hold on the door and faced me. "all the stories i've ever heard about you in the past have been full of hard edges, but honestly, rourke, you've turned out nothing like them. now i'm left wondering what's true and what's a goddamn smokescreen. i'm beginning to think everything is a lie and you're just one big, badass kitten under all that muscle." i got in his face. "are you trying to gain my trust so you can pull one over on me, or are you really just a nice guy masquerading as a stone-cold killer?"

all in one motion i was up against the doorframe, his body flat against mine.

his mouth covered mine, his lips soft but firm, the kiss deep and full. his mouth felt hot against my lips; his strange, wonderful scent pouring over me in waves, making my whole body ache with need.

my body responded on its own, my mouth opening up to his. my tongue found his warmth; my nails sought his back. gods, he's hard and soft at the same time.

"it shouldn't be. this shouldn't be right," he growled into my mouth, then covered my lips again fiercely, his grip tightening on my hips. he groaned, pulling back a few inches, his eyes fully dilated. he took my mouth again, his hands sliding up to tangle in my hair, his body full of power as he leaned into me, pressing me farther into the jamb. the currents of his power radiated into my body, throbbing everything deliciously. "jessica."

my body seized and all my synapses exploded at once.

reality came back slowly, like waking from a dream. no. what did he just say? i have to stop this. what was that? i tried hard to clear my head, but instead my hands slid to his still naked chest, caressing, feeling, my brain too foggy to concentrate on anything but pleasure. his delicious scent was overpowering me and i let it.

he nipped at my lips, his teeth pulling, tasting, his tongue lapping me.

i moaned.

"jessica," he murmured as his mouth covered mine again in a deep, sensual kiss.

i froze. no. no. no. what's happening? it took everything i had, but i braced my hands against his chest and shoved.

he stumbled backward, dazed.

"what was that? i ... i ..." i ran a forearm over my bruised mouth. i tried to refocus. everything was blurred. "that wasn't a normal kiss, rourke. i know you're hot, and my wolf's been going apeshit over you, but holy crap. i've never ... that was ... i ..." there were no words.

rourke stared at me without speaking, his irises a full blaze of green. he appeared as stunned as i felt.

my wolf howled, angry with me. she shot a picture into my mind of rourke looking down on us like he just had, but this time we were licking and biting his chin.

ohmygod.

no. my wolf danced around excitedly, like she'd been doing all day. rourke is not our mate. she snarled and bared her teeth. no! it can't possibly be right. that would be insanity. she howled. i shook my head. there had to be some mistake.

"jessica." rourke closed the gap between us and tried to reach for me again.

i stepped to the side, pushing him away. "you knew," i said accusingly. "you knew what was happening-what had been happening to us all day-and you didn't say a damn thing."

"no." he shook his head. "i had no idea until right now. until i just tasted you. something shattered between us when we came together and i know you felt it too." he gazed at me in open wonder. "your blood is calling to me right now. just being this far apart is making me crazy. i need to touch you."

he felt different to me too, but i wasn't ready to admit it. it was too much. "how could this happen?" i scooted away. i needed some space. "cats and dogs don't play together, and if this really is true, the universe is playing some kind of cruel joke on us."

"it's no joke," rourke said, taking another step toward me. "jessica, when i first saw you striding toward me in the bar, all confident and headstrong, it was all i could do not to bend you over a barstool and take you right there. but i marked it up to a regular male response to a gorgeous woman. i didn't think about it any more than that." his eyes were still wild, firing a beautiful green. "when i realized you hadn't set me up, and you were in real trouble-my beast went crazy trying to get you out of there and out of harm's way. i had trouble controlling his impulses, and it pissed me off. that has never happened to me before. it seems i've been denying him the whole time i've been with you, pushing him back, scolding him. he never stopped urging me, fighting with me, until this very moment. when you got in my face, i finally gave in to what he's been pushing me to do all along."

"and what was that?" i asked warily.