Jamieson Edward Millington liked things orderly. He insisted on his house being neat, his vehicles clean, and his desk uncluttered.

Today, his desk looked as if an office supply warehouse had exploded on top of it.

Jay threw his pen on top of a tall stack of papers and blew out a sharp puff of breath. His cousin and Vice President of Development at JEMATAR had gone on vacation ten days ago and left Jay with several possibilities for investment property acquisitions. Jay trusted his cousin's instincts implicitly. If Troy recommended something to purchase, it would be profitable in the long run.

With all the work he already had to do on the upcoming release of JEMATAR's latest computer and new operating system, Jay had no room to add anything else to his list. He wished Troy had had the time to finish his investigations before he left for vacation. It hadn't been the best of times, business-wise, for Troy to leave, but he'd made his vacation plans months ago. He couldn't change them without paying penalties and extra fees. Besides, there wasn't ever a good time for Troy to leave. If there were forty-eight hours in a day, both Jay and Troy would stay busy constantly.

Shaking his head, Jay tried to marshal his thoughts back to the ream of paper on his desk. He knew he had only a short amount of time to act before the San Francisco properties were snatched up by someone else. Picking up his pen once more, he tackled the next pile of spreadsheets and copies of website pages on his desk.

The more he looked, the less he liked what he saw. Jay wondered if he should check property outside of San Francisco. There were definitely places in the U.S. that would be cheaper than the Bay Area.

Jay called up his Web browser and began checking real estate sites in the Midwest. He had no idea how much time passed before a property south of Dallas caught his attention. Good location, reasonable price, low taxes. As much as that area was growing, it would be a great investment for the future.

His attention still focused on his computer screen, Jay picked up the telephone receiver and punched in the number for the real estate company.

"Hello?" a soft feminine voice said.

Instant erection. One word from the woman on the other end of the line and his cock hardened. That had never happened to him. The wolf inside him snapped to attention. "Uh, hello. Have I reached Big D Properties?"

"I'm sorry, you have the wrong number."

If possible, his cock grew even harder. He tugged on the fly of his pants, trying to give his shaft more room. Her voice sounded so sexy, with a hint of a Texas drawl that made his heartbeat speed up and his inner wolf pace in impatience. It wanted her now. "Isn't this 972-555-9443?"

"No, it's not."

He glanced at the phone's display to verify the number, not remembering until that moment that his telephone had died yesterday. This phone, a substitute until his could be replaced, didn't have a display window. "Then what number did I dial?"

She remained silent for several seconds. When she spoke again, he thought he heard amusement in her voice. "My mother always told me never to give out my phone number to someone I don't know."

Jay leaned back in his chair and smiled. He liked this game, despite his aching cock. "Oh, come on. I'm a nice guy, I swear."

"Isn't that what Ted Bundy said?"

Not only did she have a beautiful voice, she had a sense of humor too. His wolf panted. "Okay, don't give me your number. But if this isn't Big D Properties, who is this?"

"Uh-uh, that won't work either."

"Are you always this suspicious?"

"Do you always flirt with strange women on the telephone?"

Good question, and one he had no problem answering honestly. "Only when they have an incredible voice."

"So do you," she said softly.

Her compliment sent a shaft of desire straight to his dick. He groaned, his wolf howled. Just listening to this woman's voice on the telephone made him feel like a randy teenager.

He couldn't let her go.

"If you won't tell me your name or number, how am I supposed to call you again?"

"You aren't. This was a wrong number, remember?"

"I don't think so. I think it was very much the right number."

She turned silent, but Jay sensed she wanted to keep talking. "Tell me about yourself."

"I can't. I have to go. I have an appointment."

He didn't want to let her go. Jay knew it was crazy, but he didn't want to sever the connection between them. He had no idea with whom he spoke, only that she was somewhere in the Dallas area, almost two thousand miles away from him. The distance didn't matter. He'd reached her.

His mate.

"I understand the importance of appointments. Please give me your number so I can call you later."

"I don't think so. Goodbye."

"No, wait!"

The soft click over the line told Jay she'd hung up. "Damn it," he muttered. He clutched the receiver, debating whether or not to press the "redial" button. At least the older phone had one of those.

She said she had an appointment, but perhaps she hadn't left yet.

He replaced the receiver in its cradle and tugged on the fly of his pants again. The part of his anatomy with a mind of its own wasn't relaxing one bit. Nor did he think it would until he found her.

He had to find her.

A soft rap on his open office door made Jay look up. Troy sauntered into the room as Jay's phone rang.

His cousin's arrival destroyed his chance to use the redial button.

Jay answered his call while Troy crossed the floor. His cousin stood six feet tall with a slim, athletic build. His icy green eyes and dark good looks turned women's heads and made lust light up their eyes. Today, he looked like hell. His long brown hair lay tousled about his head. His face bore a three-day stubble. A wrinkled white T-shirt and baggy jeans covered his frame.

Anyone who saw him now would never believe the high level of intelligence that existed behind those bloodshot eyes.

"Hey, cuz," Troy said after Jay hung up.

"Hey, yourself. When did you get back?"

"About fifteen minutes ago." Troy flopped down in one of the three leather chairs before Jay's mahogany desk. "I just wanted to check in before I go home and crash."

"I gather by your...casual appearance that you had a good time."

A wicked smile crossed Troy's lips. "Oh, yeah. You should've gone with me, man. Sun, surf, booze, and babes. I fucked until I thought my dick would fall off. I won't be able to walk upright for at least a week." His smile widened. "It was worth every second of misery."

Jay chuckled. "I'm glad you had a good time. Have you seen your mom yet?"

Troy winced. "I need a long, hot shower to wash off the evidence before I face my mother."

"Then I suggest you leave pretty quick 'cause she's due back in about fifteen minutes."

"I'm outta here." Troy jumped up from his chair. "I'll be in early tomorrow," he said while striding toward the door. "I know you have a dozen questions for me."

"Make that two dozen. Plus I have something to tell you."

His cousin stopped at the door and looked at Jay over his shoulder. "Something important?"

"Yeah."

Troy closed Jay's office door, wandered back over to the chair where he sat earlier and flopped down again. "Talk."

Jay wasn't sure where to start. His cousin would probably think he was crazy if he said he believed he'd found his mate over the telephone. "I've been researching the property descriptions you left for me."

"Anything you like?"

"Yeah there are some possibilities. But after I researched a few of the local ones, I thought about checking property outside the Bay Area."

Troy frowned. "Why?"

"Maybe it would be a good idea to invest in a different state, maybe someplace in the middle of the country, like...Dallas."

"Why Dallas?" Troy asked, his frown deepening.

"Because it's a perfect location. It's right in the middle of the country with a large interstate system. Plus there are still some great deals there."

"And it has bugs big enough to carry you off. Don't forget that little fact. Not to mention the heat and humidity in the summer. I went there for a convention in July a couple of years ago, remember? Thought I was gonna melt." He rested one ankle on the opposite knee. "What's going on, cuz? What's the real reason you're thinking of Dallas?"

Jay should've known he couldn't fool Troy for one second. His cousin knew him too well. "My mate is there."

Troy arched one dark eyebrow. "Your mate is there. And you know this...how?"

"I spoke with her on the phone a few minutes ago."

"I think you'd better start at the beginning."

The skepticism in Troy's eyes didn't surprise Jay. Jay had trouble believing what had happened and he had experienced it. "I called Big D Properties in Dallas to check on a listing. Except I misdialed and got her instead of the broker. As soon as I heard her voice, I knew. She's my mate. I have no doubt about that."

When his cousin still looked skeptical, Jay huffed out a sigh. "My wolf reacted, Troy. Immediately. I'm talking instant hard-on."

"You think just because you got a hard-on, this gal is your mate? Hell, I walked around with a hard-on all the time on vacation."

"Wolves are sexual creatures. We both know that. We crave sex almost constantly. But this was different, Troy. I've never felt this way in my life."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to find her."

"How? You said you dialed a wrong number. You don't even know for sure you called Dallas."

"I dialed area code 972. That's Dallas."

"You might've dialed 971 or 973, or even an area code that starts with an eight."

"She had a Texas accent. She's in Dallas."

Leaning forward, Troy braced his elbows on his knees. "I don't like this. You know we've had a problem with hackers trying to break through our firewall over the past several months. She could be one of those hackers and flirted with you on the telephone to get past your guard."

"How the hell could she have done that? I called her, remember?"

"Maybe she got into our phone system so any number you dialed would go straight to her."

Jay thought Troy had been watching too many sci-fi shows. "That's ridiculous. How would she get into our phone system?"

"There's a way to do anything if someone wants it badly enough." He leaned back in his chair again. "She might even be from a rival pack. Have Mom check your outgoing calls and find out exactly which number you dialed."

Jay hadn't thought of that. His assistant and aunt, April, would hunt down the number he had accidentally called. She wouldn't give up until she found it. "That's a great idea. I'll have her do that when she gets back from lunch."

Troy rose and headed for the door again. "As soon as she finds out who you called, I'll start my investigation of your mysterious caller."

"You won't find anything bad," Jay called out to Troy's retreating back.

Once his cousin left, Jay swiveled his chair around to look out the window. The last wisps of fog were slowly dissipating from the San Francisco Bay. He loved this area, he truly did. He'd love it more with his mate by his side.

Jay was a year older than Troy, but Troy had always been overprotective and taken care of Jay. He assumed the same thing applied here with wanting to check out the woman Jay had accidentally called. If it made Troy feel better, Jay wouldn't interfere with any investigation. After all, he was confident his mate had nothing to hide.

* * * * *

Unavailable.

Veronica St. James stared at that word in the call list on her cell phone. It had come up in her phone's display yesterday afternoon when he called. Since she refused to answer a call from someone who hid their number, she'd almost ignored it. Something inside told her to answer it, that it was important.

That feeling had been right.

The moment she heard his voice, her wolf had come to life. Even now, just thinking about that sexy voice over her phone made her wolf whimper to be let free, to run and find its mate...to lie with him, spread her legs, and take his cock deep inside her pussy.

She couldn't do that when she had no idea where he lived.

Her brother could find out. As head of St. James Security, Clint could find ways into computers or anything to do with electronics. Her youngest brother, Dean, was only nineteen, but already knew almost as much as Clint.

Roni was still trying to decide whether or not to ask Clint to help her as she stepped inside the twelve-story office building that housed St. James Security. What started out as Clint's idea had exploded into one of the most successful computer security firms in the United States. Clint, Dean, and their other brother, Vince, did most of the work in the office. Roni and her two sisters, Mackenzie and Samantha, flew all over the country, selling their service to businesses. It gave her the chance to travel and meet some very interesting people.

She followed the latest hit from Maroon 5 to Dean's work area. He looked up long enough to smile and wave before he turned his attention back to his computer screen. She gave his shoulder a loving squeeze as she passed him on the way to Clint's office.

Her brother was on the phone, as usual. Roni crossed the floor to the small kitchenette and took a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. Sinking into the chair by Clint's desk, she removed her phone from her pocket. The word Unavailable in her call list jumped out at her again. So close, yet unable to touch him.

"You okay, sis?"

Completely absorbed in thinking about the man on the other end of this phone number, she hadn't heard Clint end his conversation. Roni pressed the home button to clear the call list. "Sure. I'm great." She motioned toward the multi-button phone on his desk. "Someone important?"

"Maybe a new client. Parks Bank."

Clint had been trying to get the contract for Parks Bank's security for months. His persistence apparently paid off. The company had banks up and down the West Coast. Rumors flew around that they would soon expand into the Midwest and the East Coast. Their contract would be huge for St. James Security. Roni smiled. "That's great."

"I'm still trying to set up an appointment for you, Mac or Sam to fly out to Oakland to talk to the head honcho. That's where their main office is located. It would probably be sometime next week."

"Sam's going to Miami next week, remember?"

"Yeah, that's right. Okay, so you and Mac can flip for it."

"I'll tell Mac I'll take it."

"Deal." Clint pointed to the cell phone in her hand. "Expecting a call?"

"No. Why?"

"You've been caressing your phone ever since you got here."

Her brother was much too observant. Roni frowned to cover her embarrassment. "I'm not 'caressing' my phone. I'm just holding it."

"Uh-huh." He picked up a file folder from his desk and handed it to her. "Your itinerary for the day. All the appointments are in Fort Worth."

"Thanks. I'll check in with you later."

Once back in her car, Roni opened the folder and checked the itinerary. It would be a full day...much too full to hang around here while her brother tried to find out the identity of Unavailable.

She unlocked her phone and looked at the call list again. She'd been so shocked by her intense feelings yesterday that she'd gotten off the phone as quickly as possible. As soon as she'd disconnected the call, she wished she hadn't. Her wolf knew he was the one.

Now if she could only find him.

a