Page 2 of Mated By Moonlight

She tugged on her lower lip. The move was tinged with annoyance, but it rang in Gideon's head like a seductive bell. He felt the reverb down in his pants.

“I'm Maize Mercer. You're Mr. Stone?"

"No."

Maize sighed with relief. "Good. I thought I was going to have to deal with a misogynist on this project."

"You will. I mean—you'll have to deal with me. I'm Gideon. Blackwood. I'm the foreman."

Maize inhaled, giving him another once-over. "Do you have a problem with women in charge, Mr. Blackwood?"

That was a loaded question. This woman was already in charge of him. He would lay down his life for her. But just as he suspected, she was frowning at him. She would likely reject him. Humans could do that. Especially if a wolf couldn't get them to bond before the full moon phase was over.

"Actually, Mr. Blackwood, it doesn't matter. Just keep your sexist BS to yourself, and we'll be fine. I'm here to do a job."

Great. He'd met his fated mate, and she thought he was a chauvinist. Could this day get any worse?

2

"I’ve broughtthe designs for the new homes. I think you’ll find them quite suitable."

Maize watched as Mr. Blackwood's eyes examined her instead of her meticulous drawings. The weight of his dark gaze unsettled her.

He wasn't leering at her. Maize had been leered at before. It was her number one red flag when going out with her friends. During her college years, most night clubs resembled a NASCAR race. In those races, a red flag meant the race was over or a serious accident had occurred on the dance floor. By the second time Maize had gotten her emotions bruised by ignoring those red flags, she had stopped going to clubs. Too many speed demons on those sticky floors.

She'd thought her time was better spent getting ahead in her career. Unfortunately, the offices of builders and architects were just filled with guys in slower cars waving even more flags. This time, those flags kept her out of boardrooms and corner offices.

Having quit both the dating scene and those corporate rooms, Maize hadn't been leered at a lot. Yet she stillremembered what it felt like. And Mr. Blackwood's gaze wasn't it.

There was interest there, to be sure. But his gaze was more carnal, like he was sizing up which part of her he'd take a bite out of first. He was a werewolf, after all. She knew she couldn't show a shifter any sign of fear.

So ignoring the discomfort, she spread the blueprints across the table. Her fingers brushed over the crisp lines and detailed annotations she had spent countless hours perfecting. "These are the layouts for the new housing development. Each home is designed to blend seamlessly with the natural landscape, providing security and privacy for the pack while maintaining aesthetic appeal."

Mr. Blackwood leaned in, examining the blueprints. His expression was unreadable, which only fueled Maize’s anxiety. He wasn’t saying anything, just staring at the plans—and occasionally at her. His nostrils were flaring, like… like he was smelling her.

His posture was tense, his muscles coiled like a spring ready to snap. His nostrils flared again, inhaling deeply, and his head cocked in a way that was entirely animalistic. Maize watched him, holding entirely still. She felt as smart as a cockroach on the wall; if she didn't move, he couldn't see her.

He stepped closer, his gaze intense on her forearm, which was covered by a blouse and a jacket. Without a word, he dipped his head and nuzzled her forearm, right where the bruise was. Before the tip of his nose could meet the fabric of her jacket, Maize gasped and jerked away. But the almost-contact had already sent a shiver down her spine.

Gideon's eyes darkening with fury. "Who hurt you?"

It was a growl. His voice was a low rumble that vibrated through the air. It unfurled something in Maize's belly.

She immediately clamped down on it. She looked down at her arm. The skin there hadn't been broken. She had no idea how he'd… Oh, right. He was a wolf. He could probably smell the bruise.

"I bumped into a wall."

Gideon straightened up, his eyes narrowing slightly. The look on his face told her that he was on to her misdirection. She got the sense he was letting it slide, but only for now.

"If you’re not happy with my work, say so. I can leave, but I expect to be paid for the designs I’ve already completed."

"Your work is impressive, Ms. Mercer. I’m just… surprised."

Maize folded her arms over her chest, her brows furrowing. "Surprised because I’m a woman?"

"No, I’m surprised because you’re human."

She had expected sexism, not species-ism. "I assure you, my being human doesn’t affect my capability as an architect."