Collared for a Night (Crimson Romance) Read Online Free

bachelors on different paths.
    For any alpha male, fucking and mating were two distinct activities, one being a primal act and the other being a near-spiritual ceremony. He doubted he’d ever find the right female shifter whom he’d be bound to care for and protect for a lifetime. Shawn wasn’t about to abandon bachelorhood anytime soon.
    As he reviewed the bottom of the Excel spreadsheet, he did a double-take, staring at the neatly-typed name. “No fucking way.” Shawn ground his teeth. He double-clicked the mouse, opening the client directory. “Quinn, who booked room eleven?”
    His partner glanced up from his cellphone with an arched brow. “I’ll ring you back, doll. In five.” Quinn tossed the phone on top of his desk.
    Shawn studied the document displayed on the computer screen, searching for the intake counselor’s name.
    “I’ve not heard that tone in your voice since … Hmmm, when was it last? That’s right — never. Who the hell is in eleven?”
    “A straightforward question. Was it Bethany? Where’s the file?” Shawn tunneled his fingers through his dark hair.
    Quinn stood and came around the desk. He bent close to the computer, his red wolf eyes tracking across the screen. “Diana Hambre. I don’t get it. She’s not infamous. An ordinary woman’s got your edge up. How’d that happen?”
    “She’s not just any woman. Miss Hambre works for me at my day job.”
    “Yes, I know she’s part of your wiz design team. I’m still lost. Dude, what’s the big deal?”
    “She’s my employee . I, for one, don’t share what I do in my off time with those I file W-2s for while paying their health premiums. That’s asking for complications. Didn’t anyone remember to check her references and flag her for being a possible conflict of interest?”
    “I guess not. What do you want to do?”
    “For starters, I’ll see if we have grounds to rescind the executed service contract.” After opening Diana’s digital file, Shawn clicked on the service agreement. He scrolled down to her place of employment. “Bingo. Diana entered freelance graphic artist for employment.”
    He skipped to the end of the contract. “And she signed the contract agreeing to terms. Clearly, she didn’t read the fine print.”
    “Don’t be a son of a bitch. I don’t even read the fine print, and I’m a fucking attorney. That’s bullshit, Shawn. Whoa.” Quinn pointed at the computer screen below where Diana’s photograph was displayed. “She’s a widow. Says she’s been going solo since her mate died last year. Are you going to do that to a woman in need?”
    He glared at Quinn. “Now who’s full of it? You’re only taking up her cause because you’re interested. Don’t you get enough pussy already? Fuck you. Diana isn’t up for grabs. And besides, what she needs isn’t a scrappy wolf with too much testosterone.” Shawn’s chest expanded with the sensation of being filled with cement.
    Why the hell did it bother him that Quinn wanted to service Diana? He drummed his fingers on the edge of his keyboard. Christ, he’d avoided thinking of her in terms being of a woman or a shifter. She was a graphic designer. Who was he joking?
    For a year, he’d not let his imagination get the better of himself. He continually fought against thinking of her in terms of being a luscious shapeshifter needing a stud. Without warning, he envisioned her seductive pink mouth, invitingly open. He gritted his teeth, scrubbing his hand over his jaw.
    Christ. No reason to continue this fantasy unless he wanted to sport a full-blown hard-on. Bad enough that Diana’s body had given him one for the first month that she’d worked for him. Espiritu Santo. He gazed up at the ceiling. Room eleven was on the next floor above his office.
    Diana — his little enigma. He’d never doubted her talent in graphic design. After all, it was her creativity and design sense that made him respect her more and more, thwarting his desire to bend her