Chosen Mate (Catamount Lion Shifters #2) Read Online Free

Dane.”
    Rosie climbed into her car with a wave. “Call me if you hear anything. See you tomorrow.”
    Phoebe headed directly to Jake’s office. As soon as she walked in, desire slammed into her body, disorienting her. All of her promises to herself that she’d be able to put their kiss behind her went up in smoke. Jake was looking at his computer screen and ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t appear to have heard her come in. For a moment, she allowed herself to enjoy the sight of him. Even hunched over a desk, his body was pure masculinity. He wore a soft t-shirt that stretched across his back, the corded muscles along his spine standing out, his strong shoulders taut under the fabric. She wanted to walk over and drop a kiss on the soft spot where the curve of his neck met the bulk of his shoulder.
    He suddenly straightened and swiveled in his chair, his eyes snapping to hers instantly, his intense blue gaze igniting sparks inside of her. Less than five seconds had passed, and her breath was short, molten heat swirled in her center, and she lost focus. It didn’t help that Jake’s eyes darkened the moment he saw her, desire flashing in them. His primal gaze set butterflies amassing in her belly.
    “Hey,” he said gruffly.
    “Hey.” Her one word greeting hung in the air, as she stood frozen inside his office.
    All the reasons why she’d kept her feelings for Jake tucked tightly in a corner raced through her thoughts. She forced her eyes away from his, tracking the movement of a cardinal outside flitting in the trees. Its bright red plumage glowed amidst the snowy skeleton of the trees. This is what she’d wanted to avoid—the discomfort, and the worry that he saw the depth of her feelings for him beyond the heat of the moment. Above all, he was one of her best friends. If she lost his friendship, she would be devastated. She was startled out of her train of thought by his voice.
    “Phoebe.”
    The cardinal flew from one branch to another, and she brought her eyes back to Jake. Her belly did a somersault. She couldn’t seem to force her body to obey her. Years and years of habit should have kicked in, but the kisses they shared last night had blown her control to bits.
    “Whatever you’re thinking, stop it,” Jake said flatly.
    His stark words had the intended effect of knocking her mind off its loop. “How about you stop trying to read my mind?” she countered, irritated at how easily he could read her.
    He stood from his chair and moved fluidly around his desk coming to a stop in front of her. He leaned his hips against the desk and reached for her hands, which were cold from the snow-chilled air. The feel of his warm, strong hands around hers caused her breath to draw sharply. Her pulse went wild again, but she couldn’t have looked away from his gaze if she wanted.
    His hair was rumpled as if he’d run his hands through it repeatedly. His eyes were still tired, though not as weary as they’d been yesterday. Her heart tumbled. The worry she held for him had been constant ever since news had come about Callen’s death. None of them could have realized that event was only a harbinger of more to come.
    Jake rubbed his thumb across the back of her palm. “I wasn’t trying to read your mind. How about we agree not to freak out about last night?”
    Relief washed through her. Jake understood. He was trying to get them back on friends-only footing, which was exactly where they needed to be. On the heels of relief came a sharp pain, the pain she’d been trying to avoid for years. A less than five-minute span last night, and the heartbreak she’d tried to avoid for years was in front of her. Because dammit, he’d give her a reason to hope. And no matter how many times she told her heart it wasn’t a good idea to hope, her heart ignored her.
    Phoebe nodded. “Right. I’m all about not freaking out about last night. It was an aberration. We’re friends, we’ve been friends for years and that