by Vivian Arend
“Balderdash! Pretty, I’ll give you that, but a cold fish. Smart mind—good with security, obviously—but nothing there to heat up a man and keep him happy.” His grandfather paused, understanding brightening his face as he nodded decisively. “Oh, I get it. You’re obviously doing your duty for the company. Brilliant idea. I appreciate it. Painful you have to put up with her, though. Don’t go overboard. Makes you look silly, fawning over someone so clearly unsuitable.”
Sheer anger shot through Alex. First, he didn’t look silly, and second…what the hell was wrong with his grandfather’s eyesight? Was he going blind as well as senile?
Cold fish? Lara?
His response came out far icier than he’d typically use with the family patriarch. “How about you take care of your wife and I’ll do as I damn well please?”
“Watch your manners, boy,” Grandfather Giles scolded him sharply.
Alex bowed slightly. “Of course. If you don’t mind?”
Before the old man could protest, Alex added the wine glasses he held to the tray Grandfather Giles was balancing. Then he turned on his heel and marched double time back to the table, leaving his elder to move more cautiously as he struggled to keep everything vertical.
He leaned in to press a kiss to his grandmother’s cheek. “Have you been taking good care of my Lara?”
Grandmother Laureen blinked at his casual claiming, but less than a second later her smile widened to include Lara as well. “It’s been lovely. Did you know she went to my alma mater for college?”
“I did not know that.” Alex caught Lara by the hand and tugged her to her feet just as Gramps arrived rather red-faced and puffing from having to dodge others to get to their table. “Excuse us. I need to speak with Lara privately.”
“It was nice to meet you.” Lara had to toss the comment over her shoulder as Alex kept a firm grip on her wrist and all but dragged her toward the side of the room. “Alex. Slow down.”
They were drawing attention, which was pretty much what he wanted. “I need your help,” he told her bluntly. “Play along.”
Maybe the repeat of her order from earlier in the evening helped. Her demeanor changed instantly. Instead of fighting him, she flowed at his side, strong and delicious, like honey-scented danger.
“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly, scoping out the area like the trained security expert she was.
There. A few feet before them was the storage room the extra chairs had been brought out from earlier.
Alex twirled Lara then used his body to press her backward until she was pinned by him to the solid wood surface. Gloriously soft curves and heavy breasts meshed against his torso while lust shot through his system.
“Don’t hit me,” Alex ordered. “And don’t wiggle. I need you to kiss me. Right now.”
Her gaze darted over his shoulder, and for one split second he wondered if she would call his bluff.
Then she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. Her hands wrapped around his shoulders, fingernails digging into his muscles. Enthusiasm and fire burned in her kiss as if she’d been waiting her entire life for this opportunity.
The desire to tease his gramps changed to driving need.
Alex cupped the back of her neck with his right hand and dove in one hundred percent. Her taste rushed him, her torso shifting slightly against his in a way that made it impossible for her to miss the two-by-four rising beneath the front of his dress slacks.
Behind them, muted conversations continued as most of the room carried on devouring the delicious tidbits. But his gramps was watching; Alex was sure of it.
Good. Cold fish, indeed.
He twisted the door handle, catching Lara before she fell then following her into the darkness.
“What—?”
The door clicked shut, and her question was swallowed by his mouth as he went back for more. He’d unleashed the beast, and while they wouldn’t go too far, stopping now…?
No way. Not unless she called him off.
Thank fuck Lara seemed to have no intention of making that call. She was the aggressor, and even with her wolf claws in, she still scratched his shoulders hard enough to leave stinging lines of pain as their tongues tangled and hungrily fought for more.
She rubbed against him, moaning in frustration.
Alex slid a hand down to tug her dress high enough he could catch hold of one leg and hitch it over his hip. The heat of her core pressed to his groin, and only the knowledge that there were people, including family, outside the unlocked door stopped him from shoving open his zipper and taking her right there.
“Yes.” Her enthusiastic moan rippled over his skin in a wave.
Her head dropped back, and he pressed his mouth against her neck, suckling hard enough to leave a mark. This was madness, it was impossible, but as he rocked, fire building up his spine, the coming explosion was inevitable.
He twisted his hips, adjusting enough to make perfect contact with the heat of her core. Slowing now, he moved deliberately. Rubbing them together in a steady, demanding rhythm that left her quivering under his grasp.
“I… Oh, my—”
“Say my name,” Alex demanded. He caught hold of her earlobe with his teeth before sucking it into his mouth. A low keen escaped her lips. “Say it.”
How she’d understood him, he didn’t know. His words had been nothing more than a guttural growl, but the next thing he knew she’d shoved one hand into his hair and pulled his head back far enough to look him in the eye as she breathed out his name in about twenty-seven syllables.
“Allleeeeeeeexxxxxxx.”
He crushed her mouth under his, drove his hips faster, and as she broke apart in his arms, he captured her cry with his lips then joined her in release. Pleasure streaked through his system hard enough his legs were on the verge of collapse.
His weight against her was the only thing keeping her vertical, and their rapid breathing echoed in the small room.
Satisfaction, yes, followed instantly by the desire for more, and there in the darkness, Alex laughed softly.
Lara stiffened under him. He murmured soothingly as he offered a soft nudge with his nose along the smooth side of her neck. “Not laughing at you, sugar. Just thinking my brothers told me to be on my best behavior tonight. I’m trying to decide if they would rate this a plus or minus, because I sure the hell tried my best, considering the circumstances.”
She snorted before coughing daintily. “My sister told me to make friends. I don’t think she meant friends with benefits.”
He chuckled again. “Who knew that the two of us could be so cooperative?”
Truth.
They pulled things together and straightened themselves up in the darkness. Alex was thankful for his bear-sized pocket handkerchief to deal with the mess, but he couldn’t stop grinning. It was clear that some of the tension between them had faded. He still didn’t trust her—not completely. But he was more willing to take a chance and see exactly what she was up to before judging her dangerous.
Because one thing was certain—there needed to be more of this headed into the future.
8
Lara rubbed her temples, willing the ache to subside. Her entire body was on pins and needles, and her wolf was ready to go feral.
It had been five days, twelve hours, and fifty-seven minutes since she last saw Alex—in passing, at the grocery store. And she’d come this close to tackling him to the ground and stripping him right then and there.
Five days, twelve hours, and fifty-eight minutes.
Yes, she’d been keeping count and wasn’t embarrassed in the least by that fact. Timing it gave her something solid to think about, and that meant she wasn’t slipping outside to shift to her wolf so she could track his ass down to get what she really wanted.
That sexual experience in the dark a week earlier had opened a door better left closed, and now the cravings were getting worse.
The only way to get through this impossible situation was distracti
on and routine. She picked up the mail she’d grabbed from the pack’s post office box, stacking the pile neatly on the left side of her desk.
Letter opener in hand, she slit open the first envelope, working hard to not imagine running that blade along the front of a certain Alex Borealis’s shirt. With her mind working overtime, she pictured buttons flying everywhere before the freshly pressed material parted to reveal his lickable chest—
The letter opener slipped, jabbing her ring finger. Lara cursed, and shoved the punctured digit in her mouth to soothe the pain.
Great. Fantastic. Peachy keen, and awesome.
Now she was not only hurting because she wasn’t allowed to touch the man, she was hurting herself while thinking about touching the man.
For the next fifteen minutes, she willed her wolf to behave so she could concentrate enough to keep at her task. Bills in one pile, correspondence for Midnight Inc. in another. Junk mail to be recycled in the third.
She was nearly done when a gold envelope revealed a simple three-by-four-inch cardboard voucher.
Congratulations!
You’re this month’s recipient of an all-inclusive, three-night stay at
* * *
Shimmering Delights
* * *
Our world-class spa and retreat centre is delighted to welcome you. Prepare to be immersed in pleasure.
Please contact us to arrange your date of arrival and the bonus relaxation packages that suit you best. We look forward to hosting the most memorable weekend of your life.
Lara stared at the card. She read it again.
She picked up the envelope—addressed to Ms. Lazuli of Midnight Inc. The only other details were on the back of the card. The usual fine print disclaimers regarding no cash equivalent, the prize must be taken as presented, yada, yada, yada.
She typed Shimmering Delights into a search engine. Two minutes into perusing the website, she was drooling. It was not only a real place; it was the closest thing to heaven on earth imaginable.
Only…
Was the certificate for Crystal or for her? Why was this in the Orion pack mailbox without a specific name? More importantly, was the spa really a spa, or a front for something more nefarious? Money laundering. Smuggling.
Suspicions rising, Lara phoned the number on the card.
“Shimmering Delights. This is Vanessa, how can I make your day more enchanting?”
Lara jammed her lips together to stop from snickering. Okay, they were right on brand but still… “I’m trying to track down if this is a real gift certificate or fake.”
“I can definitely help you with that,” Vanessa said, reassurance and soothing calmness in her tone. “If you could check on the back side of your card, upper left corner, there will be a six-digit alphanumeric code.”
Lara flipped the card over, astonished to discover a code exactly where Vanessa described. She read it out loud.
“One moment as my system brings up the information.”
Waiting patiently was not Lara’s strong suit. Not with her entire system buzzing with need.
Thankfully, Vanessa reconnected a second later. “Do I have the pleasure of speaking with Ms. Lara Lazuli?”
Aaaand Lara was back to being suspicious. “How do you know that?”
“The information I have on file for that code says you are the recipient of a Weekend Indulgence package. Data also tells me you entered for a chance to win six months ago while attending an open house in Toronto. The Futures in Tourism event.”
Wow. This was legit. Lara clearly remembered wandering that fair and stuffing her name and contact information—via Midnight Inc. for security purposes—into every prize box possible.
She blinked a few more times then allowed happiness to grow. “Well, I guess that’s actually me. Go figure, I won something other than a stuffed bear at the country fair.”
“Wonderful. Then shall we select a date for your trip to Shimmering Delights?” Vanessa returned smoothly. “We’re booking right now for next March.”
Oh my God, no. That was seven months away. No way would she last now that the possibility of massage and hot tubs had been offered.
Before Lara could speak, though, Vanessa perked up.
“Hang on. I see there’s been a cancellation for this weekend, starting tomorrow. It’s for the Grand Salon. I can’t imagine anyone else will book on such short notice. I can offer an upgrade if you’re interested. No charge, of course. Does that work?”
Lara would make it work. She dashed the date across the bottom of the card followed by a series of exclamation marks. “I’ll be there with bells on.”
A soft chuckle carried over the line. “If that makes your weekend plans better, I encourage you to do so. I’ll email the information you need. We look forward to seeing you for the best weekend of your entire life.”
The bloom of happy energy inside was impossible to contain. Lara hung up and hit her feet. She did a victory dance, bouncing around the room and letting her tensions ease away. She still didn’t have a clue of how to deal with her craving for her mate, but a weekend of massages and indulgence would go a long way to temporarily easing her pain.
Jeez, her cravings for the man were so bad she could swear she scented him on the air. His rich masculine aroma was doing terrible things to her insides and the space between her legs.
Why is he here? her wolf demanded. Want him.
It’s our imagination, Lara assured her.
Oh, please. Which of us has the better sniffer?
Good point. If it wasn’t her overactive imagination, then Alex was not where he should be—she couldn’t imagine any of the Orion wolves allowing him to take a tour of the pack house.
She flew across the floor to the door as if shot from a bow. Slowly, slowly, she poked her head around the corner in the hopes of catching him in the act of trespassing.
The hallway was empty except for that addictive scent.
Ten feet away near where another hallway joined to this one, a faint shadow that seemed out of place stretched across the floor. Lara eased forward, ready to leap on whatever lay just out of sight—
Behind her, a loud clatter split the air, as if something heavy and metallic had hit the floor. Lara’s attention instantly shifted to the south.
“Dammit, help. Lara. Crystal. Anybody.” Auntie Amethyst cursed again then fell silent.
Lara headed at a full run to rescue her aunt, the tantalizing mystery regarding Alex temporarily pushed aside.
9
Breaking and entering was such a strong label, with such negative connotations, for what could be considered simple information gathering. Besides, as Alex continued his rapid mental justification, he hadn’t broken in. He’d walked into the pack house—
Okay, he’d climbed a back wall, crossed the roof, and slid into the ventilation system before ending up in the remote hallway he’d then walked down to get to this point.
See? No breakage. A simple stroll, really.
Technically, sneaking wasn’t even illegal if you were doing an “I’m here to check out your security systems for a friend” kind of thing. Of course, that sort of arrangement was usually set up in advance between two parties, but checking with Lara to see if she was interested in his expertise seemed a moot point.
She had admired his large, impressive Trojan before, after all. She had to approve of his checking out her…systems.
His bear snickered in anticipation. May I make a joke?
That it’s large and impressive?
Oh, please. I’m large and impressive. I meant your supposed expertise. If you’re talking about sex, don’t you have to actually practice to stay at the top of your game?
Shut up, Alex responded out of reflex, but he was mostly amused. It had been a dry spell lately.
Just saying…
Alex grinned. He slipped farther down the hall then slid through the open door leading into the Orion pack office. It was too easy—made easier by that call for help he’d
heard.
For a second he’d braced himself to respond, the fact he was in the pack house illegally totally irrelevant, when the sound of laughter followed immediately from the same direction. Obviously the issue had been easily dealt with.
He eased the door shut, noting there was no lock. Pretty much as he’d suspected. No wolf in their right mind would dream of entering the Alpha’s domain unasked.
But Alex wasn’t a wolf. He was a growly polar bear who was fed up with his lack of information. His searches were getting him nowhere, and other than the occasional glimpse of the woman, Lara wasn’t cooperating by hanging out where he could stalk—track her easily.
Something was up, and he needed proof. Breaking into—wait, he was calling this a security run, not a B&E—checking out the pack house was strictly a matter of information gathering.
He needed to know more, and nothing else was working. Time to take his destiny into his own hands and all that stuff.
An unexpected rush of heat swamped him, and Alex wrapped his fingers around the edges of the desk to catch his balance. Lara’s sweet scent grew stronger. He closed his eyes and all but groaned as lust roared through him.
Lust and aching physical need.
Want. Want now.
All the joking from a few moments earlier was gone from the beast’s tone, leaving nothing but pure animal need. Which was…
Unusual.
Alex pressed his palms to the solid wood surface and quickly considered the facts. His bear was usually vocal, but in an annoying-but-you-know-I’m-a-beast kind of way. The only time that changed was—
Oh shit.
Want sexy woman. Want wolf. Need wolf.
Alex scrubbed a hand over his face. The only time his bear got like this was—
He nudged his inner beast. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?
A low growl of demand was the only response. Which was typical headed into this situation.
Great. Number one reason for this kind of behavior: mating fever was closing in.