He stared at her. “Woman, have you lost your mind?”

“No, I think I’m getting it back.” Her hand reached out and she blindly grabbed some other hunk of metal. Computer equipment it looked like. “Yeah, I’m feeling better each second.” She pulled her arm back like a pro baseball player and Smitty took the three long steps over to her, grabbing hold of the thing in her hand and wrenching it away from her.

“Jessie Ann, calm down!”

“Go to hell,” she snarled as she reached for that damn shelf again. Everything on it was a potential missile to take out his head.

Slamming down the thing already in his hand, Smitty reached out and grabbed Jessie by the back of the neck. Without thought, only wolf instinct, he yanked her over to him, determined to get her under control. To get her to submit. That’s what Alpha Males did, and it didn’t even occur to him that Jessie wasn’t part of his Pack. Hell, she was barely part of his life. Just a blip in his week, really.

But when her body slammed up against his, everything but the wolf in him was wiped clean. All that calm, cool, rational logic he’d spent years and years refining until he moved only as fast as he wanted or needed slipped away from him, leaving the raw, demanding animal behind.

Jessie stared up at him, her hands slapping against his chest, trying to push him off. Too late for that, and he could tell by the way her eyes widened and her breath left her body in one rush that she realized it too.

His grip tightened on her neck and he lifted until she stood on her toes.

“Smitty, wait—”

He didn’t. He cut off her next words by slamming his mouth down on hers, his tongue sliding into her already open mouth, and kissing her hard. He sensed her claws unleash, coming for his face or his chest, so he released her neck and grabbed her wrists, before turning them both and forcing Jessie up against the wall. Using his hold on her wrists, he pulled Jessie’s arms above her head and pinned them in place.

She struggled against him, her knee trying to move so she could take out his nuts. Again, the rational voice in his head that he always listened to told him to let her go. Told him “nice Southern gentlemen” didn’t do this sort of thing to sweet, innocent, wild dogs.

Then Jessie Ann groaned. It slid up the back of her throat, easing into his mouth, setting his nerve endings on fire. In that moment, his rational voice got shut down for the beast who ruled his heart.

And this... this right here was why he didn’t kiss her that night all those years ago. If it had caused even a tenth of the lust pouring through his body this very second, his poor little eighteen-year-old brain would have crumpled from the pressure, and the two of them would still be stuck in Smithtown up to their armpits in Smith sons.

He didn’t have to worry about that now,though. They were both adults with an excellent grasp of birth control. They could keep this simple and friendly and still have the time of their lives. Because he had to have her. Now. This very second.

Damn. Poorly planned, Smith. He didn’t think to bring a condom with him. Unfortunate, since he’d love nothing more than to take her right here, right now, and right up against this wall. Then again with such weak drywall probably not a good idea. Of course, the floor had looked pretty clean...

“Hey, Aunt Jess, Mom’s wondering if you guys are hun—Whoa!”

Jessie shoved so hard Smitty stumbled back from her. He knew Kristan stood in the doorway, but at the moment he couldn’t really turn around. She was way too young for that visual.

Horrified. Of all the people in the world to catch her it had to be “Big Mouth, I have no filters” Kristan.

“I am so telling Mom!” she squealed.

The evil brat took off, laughing the whole way, and Jess shoved past the bastard wolf standing in front of her and went after her niece.

Kristan threw open the door and skidded into the main office. “You guys are not going to believe what I—”

Jess slapped her hand around Kristan’s mouth and dragged her back into the hallway.

“Excuse us,” Jess said to the room full of shifters staring at them.

Jess carried the pink-clad brat into the storage closet and slammed the door.

“Not a word!”

“Oh, come on! You can’t expect me to keep this to myself. You making out with a wolf. I could sell this to Sixty Minutes!”

“I’m ordering you to keep your mouth shut.”

Kristan snorted and Jess stepped up to her.

“You’re sixteen. Almost an adult. It’s time you learn how it works when you have an Alpha.”

“Yeah, right.”

Jess bared her fangs and took two dramatic steps forward. Frightened, Kristan stumbled back, slamming into the wall behind her. Jess moved in close and rested her cheek against Kristan’s forehead, her snarls low and dangerous, her fangs brushing against the girl’s skin.

“Okay, okay!”

“Are we clear?”

“Yes!”

Jess stepped back. “Not a word. Understand?”

Kristan nodded but wouldn’t look Jess in the eye. Good. She was learning.

“Now get Johnny and you two go home.”

The girl nodded her head again and took off running.

Jess gave herself a very brief moment to get her breath back and wipe shaky fingers over her bruised lips and through her hair, trying to get it back under control before following after Kristan since she wasn’t entirely ready to trust the girl would keep her mouth shut.