Vivian Arend - Black Gold

His stomach grumbled, and he checked his watch again. If Gem didn’t show up soon he was going back to the room to haul her ass out for breakfast even if he had to remove the hinges—

Shock hit upside the head.

Shame.

Holy shit. He couldn’t turn it off. Even sitting here he was thinking like a Neanderthal. As if that was the way to get the princess to do anything. She was his mate . He might not have marked her, but he was damn well not going to give her up.

He dropped his head into his hands, plotting as hard as he could. Okay, if he’d recited a list to TJ about everything wrong between him and Gem, maybe he needed to make that list again, and use some of his sweet-talking ability and keen logic to improve the situation. There were a lot of ways to accomplish goals, and one sure way was for the other person to offer you exactly what you wanted.

Well, maybe somewhere in the next day or two he’d figure out what exactly it was that he wanted. Because right now, he had absolutely no idea, other than his plans had to include her.

The doors to the restaurant opened again, and this time instead of TJ’s ugly mug it was her . Pristine and perfect, dressed in a suit jacket with a matching knee-length skirt. Small heels on her shoes, dark hair pulled back to lie in immaculate sweeps over her shoulders. Shaun rose to his feet instinctively, and the frown on her face smoothed away.

Gem stepped slowly toward him, and he held out his hand.

“Ready for breakfast?” he asked. Polite. Almost formal. Shaun grit his teeth at how weird it felt to try and impress a female this way.

“Starving.” He held her chair, then waved down the waitress. Gem adjusted her place setting before looking up from under lowered eyelashes to smile hesitantly at him. “I seemed to have burned off a few extra calories last night.”

Sweet mercy. He licked his lips and discarded the first half-dozen responses that shot to mind—all of them far too dirty to voice.

Gem accepted a menu and examined it closely, giving him more time to stare in fascination at what fate had laid in his path. Mentally, he scrambled to organize the list—the winning Gem over list.

Number one. She was from the south, he loved the north. That was the biggest and most obvious barrier between them. Somehow he had to convince her that where she wanted to be was here. The beauty of the north was unlike anywhere else in the world, especially for wolves. Being able to enjoy the freedom of running through wide open spaces—he bet she’d never gotten to experience anything like that down south—not with the freaky “no wolves in Georgia” deterrent.

The waitress came by to take their orders and top up his coffee. Gem lifted her cup and took a long appreciative sniff. “Smells delicious.”

“Midnight Sun brewing company. Locally owned, and they roast the beans right here in Whitehorse. We’ve also got one of the pack who is a gourmet chef working the Moonshine Inn. You won’t find better in the fanciest restaurant elsewhere.”

“Really? How wonderful.” Gem took a slow sip and Shaun looked around helplessly for puppies to pet or something equally awe-inspiring. Five minutes into the meal, and he was reduced to boasting about the social graces of the north? Gag .

Still, desperate times, desperate measures.

While they waited for their order to arrive, Gem shared about her trip north the previous day. Even as she spoke, Shaun nodded absently and mentally scrambled through his foggy memory banks. She had mentioned something vital this morning. Something about…spreading her wings and trying new things.

She’d been protected—really, really sheltered up to this point in her life. Although the fact concerned him and made all his own protective instincts rev up to high, her wanting to experience a freer life could work right into his game plan. He would show her around, but allow her space. He totally understood that need.

Gem continued to examine the restaurant as if fascinated. It allowed him time to add give Gem breathing room to his list.

The biggest worry he had right now was her crazy trip to the North Country.

Over the years, most of the bookings he’d flown that had turned out disastrous involved members of the research community. What they thought was adequate preparation in the lab had been nowhere near what was needed in the bush. The only way Gem could get her information would involve a lot more hands-on activity than helicopter fly-bys. They would have to hike and camp on the actual terrain.

Their breakfast arrived, and Gem smiled sweetly at the waitress before dipping into her food. Shaun tried to picture her in the middle of his usual going-back-to-the-land-to-relax situation, and couldn’t. Simply couldn’t. The delicate aura surrounding her turned him on, then wrapped him in knots of fear. What if she hated the trip? He came out of his intense concentration to catch her staring.

She reached across the table to touch his hand. “Is everything all right?”

Shaun nodded rapidly. “Fine, just fine. Wonderful.”

“You’re frowning.”

Because he’d imagined her taking one look at the primitive campsite they’d be living in for days and running as fast as her pretty little shoes could take her, as far away from him as possible.

He scrambled for some logical excuse. “Too much coffee. I should switch to decaf. Orange juice?” He offered his glass and her expression smoothed again.

Somehow he had to convince her there was another way to finish her project without subjecting her to full-out wilderness in her first days up north. It really would be better for them all if she decided to cancel the trip. He didn’t need her to get so discouraged she turned and ran south before she’d had time to truly fall in love.

With both him and the land.

Gem made sure the breakfast conversation stuck to light, non- them related issues. They might have far too many details to figure out, but based on how fabulous their earlier discussion had gone, she didn’t want to be fighting indigestion as well as anger for the rest of the day.

Instead she played the ultimate diplomat. If there was one thing her years acting as her father’s hostess had taught her, it was how to talk about absolutely anything, with anyone, and say nothing.

If only she didn’t keep losing her concentration every time their elbows bumped. Or when their fingers touched as he passed her the salt. When he’d offered her a taste of his fresh-squeezed orange juice, she’d nearly had heart palpitations. Even sharing a glass with him was far too intimate.

Finally, Shaun stared at her over his empty plate. “Had enough?”

She dabbed her mouth with her napkin and nodded. “That was delicious, thank you.”

He led her back toward their rooms. She paused in the foyer. “I know the official sightseeing wasn’t suppose to begin until we leave Whitehorse, but would you be interested in showing me around?”

His grin was mesmerizing. “I would love to be your guide. Put yourself entirely into my hands.”

Into his hands. The coals in her belly fanned to high heat, and she forced herself to ignore them. Not now. They had already established they could have sex. Hot sex. Melt-the-sheets sex.

Could they go for a walk without starting another argument?

“I’d like that.” She paused again. “I should change.”

He eyed her, admiration clear. “I don’t want you to change a thing.”

That wasn’t what it had sounded like before, but she’d take the statement at face value. “Thank you.”

Shaun offered his hand and she accepted it, her fingers tingling where they made contact. He led her out the front doors to where the sun was already high overhead. A lingering coolness hung in the air as the breeze flowed over the river.