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“I’ll be there,” Em promised.
Chloe spun and strode away, her shoulders straight and her head held high. Em shook her head at her friend’s curious behavior. She put her hand in one of the pockets of her dress and pulled out her phone, whose case doubled as a wallet. Inside the pocket, she’d tucked her ID and some cash. She was about to head to the bar to get a drink when the hairs on the back of her neck rose, goose bumps raced down her arms, and her stomach flipped.
The enticing smell had returned, wafting toward her.
She turned around, aware that someone was watching her.
Across the room, she locked gazes with a man with dark hair.
Holy hell, he was sexy.
She licked her lips as he made his way to her, stalking toward her like she was prey and he was a big beast. Which, considering she’d just learned this was a shifter bar, was entirely likely. She wasn’t afraid, but damn, she’d never wanted anyone more than she did in that moment.
He paused a few feet from her and inhaled deeply, his eyes a brilliant gold that made her think of shiny coins. He smelled like the cologne she’d loved, spicy and sweet with a hint of the woods in the fall.
She’d smelledhim.
She was inexplicably drawn to the towering man in front of her.
She was glad she’d stayed.
Chapter Three
Diesel felt a pang in his chest, his heart giving a quick double-thump that made him straighten. His cat was pacing and snarling in his mind, urging him to get off his ass and move.
Rising to his feet, Diesel drained the last of the drink and tossed it in a can by the back door. He walked inside, his cat stretching and clawing within him. He was running on autopilot, walking straight into the crowded bar. He stopped at the edge of the dance floor and scanned the people. He could feel a pull from within him across the room, and he stared in the direction he felt something. Someone.
Then he locked gazes with her.
He felt an immediate connection to her like a punch in the gut – strong and overwhelming. His cat was right under his skin, rubbing and purring, and he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from crossing the dance floor to get to her for anything. He stopped in front of her, looking down at her gorgeous features. She had chocolate eyes surrounded by dark lashes, and her long hair was a deep brown. She was petite and curvy, wearing a pale green dress that hit mid-thigh, dipping in the front to give him a tantalizing view of her cleavage.
“Hi?” she said.
He blinked and smiled sheepishly. He knew he was staring, butdamnshe was beautiful.
And more than that...she was his. His heart-match.
His cat was right there letting him know she was the one for him.
The. One.
“Hi,” he said, grimacing when his voice cracked. “My name is Diesel Cowan.”
She smiled. “I’m Emberly Greer.”
He inhaled silently, sorting through the scents around him. She smelled amazing, like sunshine and honey, and underneath that he found her to be human. But he didn’t care.
“Are you here with someone?” he asked.
“I was. My friend’s getting married tomorrow. Tonight was her bachelorette party. The bar they wanted to celebrate at was closed and we came here, but my friend...” She trailed off and her eyes darted to the side, guilt flashing in them.
“Your friend what?” He ran his fingertips lightly down her arm and captured her hand with his. His cat was swiftly calmed by touching her.
“She doesn’t like shifters, I guess. The party bus driver recommended this bar, but once Chloe realized who was here, she wanted to leave immediately.”
Diesel had seen his fair share of bigotry from humans over the years. While it was against the law to discriminate against someone because they weren’t human, it still happened. There were people who were afraid of shifters or didn’t like them simply because they weren’t fully human. There wasn’t much he could do about it except to just ignore it and move on. Life was too short for grudges.
“You stayed, though.”
