“I figured this way you could try more. Whatever is left over we can take back to your room. I’m sure it will get eaten over the next few days,” he said with that adorable grin.
For some reason, those words settled me. This was all still new to me, and we had only known each other for two days. Maybe I just had a hard time trusting men in general. I definitely did not have a great track record where men were concerned.
Zeke took one of the two empty plates that the waitress had left on the table and put a little bit of everything on it. Then he set the plate in front of me and began filling the second plate. I took a bite of the pasta and garlic cream sauce and savored the flavor in my mouth.
“You weren’t kidding. This is excellent,” I told him. I could not wait to try all of it, although, there was so much on my plate that I doubted I would be able to eat it all. However, I was definitely going to give it a shot.
Zeke told me more about his friends who worked with him and what all their company did. It seemed like being a bodyguard to famous people was how they made most of their money, but they also did surveillance and threat assessments. They were frequently hired as a government contractor.
When I had eaten all that I could, I leaned back in my chair and looked out the window. I would never tire of looking at this view. Zeke broke into my thoughts a few moments later.
“What are you thinking about that turned you so serious?” he asked softly, and I turned my attention back to him.
“Not serious, per se. More contemplative. It’s just this place. Not the restaurant, but Tucson. I mean, I know I’m a tourist so I’m not exactly living like the locals. I don’t have to work, and I’m staying in a fancy resort, but I could easily live here. I could look at that view every day,” I told him, pointing towards the mountains.
“Well, if you’d like to meet some locals, how would you like to join me for a party this evening. I was intending to ask you, but you kind of just opened that door for me,” he said with a charming smile.
“You met Brady at my house. He and his girlfriend, Emily, are throwing a Christmas party at their house. It will probably be about twenty or so people, but everyone invited is good friends of Brady and me. I’d like you to come and meet them, and Brady also asked me to invite you,” he continued.
I didn’t even have to think about it. There was no hesitation before I replied.
“I’d like that. It sounds like a lot of fun,” I told him honestly.
“Well, with that question down, I have another question for you. And feel free to take your time in answering this one,” he said gently, but his eyes were intense as he watched me closely. I swallowed a lump in my throat as I waited for him to ask his question. His mood had suddenly turned serious.
“After the party, will you come home with me? It will probably be late. You can either share my bedroom or take one of the other bedrooms. I don’t want to pressure you in any way, but if you come home with me, then I can cook breakfast for you in the morning, and we can start our day sooner tomorrow,” he said casually.
He was giving me an out. He was letting me know that he wanted me, but he would not push me to do anything that I was not comfortable with or didn’t want to do. There was only one bed in my resort room, and with the extra bedrooms at his place, he wanted me to not feel pressured. In that moment, he earned my respect.
“I think that I would be okay with that as well,” I finally replied. A smile spread across his face and I saw him visibly relax.
“In that case, let’s get this food packed and to your room. Then you can pack a bag. Do you have a dress for the party?” he asked next. “It’s usually a dress up thing.”
I assured him that would not be a problem. There were several appropriate dresses hanging in the closet in my room. I had packed for every possible situation. With the food packed in two large bags, we made our way back out to the car.
When we got to my villa, we parked and headed to my door. Once inside, Zeke headed into the kitchen to put the food in the fridge, and I headed into the bedroom to pack an overnight bag.
When I had everything that I needed in my backpack, I made my way to the closet and opened the door. When I looked towards the open doorway of the bedroom, Zeke was leaning against the door frame watching me.
“Why don’t you come help me decide. I have three to choose from, but you would better know what’s more appropriate,” I told him. I stepped back and let him examine the dresses.
One was a red knee length dress with a lace overlay. It had short ruffles that fell over the shoulders and was slightly revealing in the bodice. It had a high waist and a full skirt that would flow over my hips and down my legs. It was one of my favorites.
The second was navy blue, and it was a long, mermaid-style dress. It had half-sleeves and the fabric hugged my hips and thighs before falling loose around my legs. The neckline was high, but the back plunged almost to my waist.
The third dress was all black and it was very form-fitting. It was off the shoulders, and it had thin pieces of fabric that would cling to my arms just below the shoulders. It came several inches above my knees, and the neckline would definitely show some cleavage. Of course, that was the one he chose, and I felt my eyebrow rise in amusement. He just grinned.
“I bet you will look hot in this one. I’ll even help you with the zipper,” he said, and a laugh poured out of me. He was definitely all male.
Chapter 10
Ezekiel
The day was only half over, but it was already the best day of my life. I thought Chelsea was going to panic on the helicopter, but she had done well. The thrill on her face was not something that I would ever forget.
What good was having all this money if I couldn’t do something like that for her. Besides, Matthew was a part of our pack. He would probably be at Brady’s tonight as well. Everyone who would be there was a part of our pack, and I could not wait to introduce Chelsea to them.
Before I had joined Chelsea in the bedroom, I had called Brady and let him know that Chelsea would be coming. He already knew what my suspicions were, and hopefully, he would have some answers for me soon. Until then, I could not wait to see Chelsea in that dress. Just thinking about it had my cock going instantly hard.
We spent a couple hours out on the patio just talking. I had never spent so much time just talking with someone before, but I was loving this time of getting to know Chelsea better. She talked some more about her parents, and I was understanding even more how tenderhearted she was.
She loved her parents, and for that reason, she put up with their quirks. But from how she talked about them, I knew she had grown up happy. Other than being adopted, she had not had a traumatic childhood. Her parents had loved her and doted on her, even if they were overly protective.
When she finally made her way into the bedroom to shower and change, she left the door open a crack so I could hear if she needed any help. Then I pulled out my phone and checked my email. I had not done any work since Chelsea had entered my life so unexpectedly, and I knew that I needed to at least reply to my email.
“Hey, Zeke,” Chelsea called a while later from the bedroom. “Can you help me?” she asked.
I quickly stood from the couch and walked towards the bedroom door. Pushing it open, I saw Chelsea leaning against the dresser so that she was only standing on her good leg. Her hands were on the dresser for support, and her back was towards me. She had on the little black dress, but she needed me to zip it up for her.
I slowly crossed the room, taking in her long legs, most of which were showing under the dress. The fabric clung to every curve, making me want to reach out and run my hands over her ass and hips. Not only were her shoulders bare, but her creamy skin was exposed all the way to her lower back.
When I was standing behind her, I reached out and ran my hands down her neck, over her shoulders, and down her back. She shivered under my touch, and my cock was instantly hard once again.
Then I slid my hands down
to her waist and pulled her back against me, rubbing my cock against her ass. A soft whimper escaped her lips, and I smiled as I reached for the zipper and drew it up.
I grabbed her crutches and she turned and looked up at me with a heated look in her eyes. Her breath was ragged, and heat filled her cheeks. She looked so damn sexy. If I didn’t need to talk to Brady so badly, I’d probably have sent him a text to cancel and then had Chelsea naked and on her back on the bed again.
“You look beautiful,” I said on a husky voice. I couldn’t help it. She took my breath away. Her cheeks flushed with color again, and I determined then to tell her more often how beautiful she was.
From the resort, we headed back to my house so that I could shower and change. Once Chelsea was comfortable in the living room, I headed to my bedroom. When I had showered and was dressed, I stepped out of my bedroom and walked into the kitchen. I could hear Chelsea’s voice. She must be on the phone with her parents.
“Trust me, Jessica. “Hot” doesn’t even come close to describing him…No, I’m not giving you any details, but I will say that I took your advice…Well, honestly, if I didn’t have a life in Kansas City, I would move here so quickly. This place is amazing…I wouldn’t say that exactly. I don’t know if you can fall for someone in just two days, but if it were possible, then yes…Well, hey, I’ve got to call mom and dad before they worry. You know how they get. I’ll call you later.”
I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. She was falling for me. That was a good thing since I was already completely head over heels for her. I waited before she started talking to her parents before making my way from the kitchen into the living room.
“I went on a helicopter tour today. It was absolutely amazing, and it was so much fun,” she said as she looked up and saw me watching her. A beautiful smile spread across her face.
“I never thought that I would enjoy something like that either…I’m getting ready to hang out with some new friends that I met…No, it’s a Christmas party…Mom, please don’t worry…Okay, I promise to call when I get back here after the party, but I’m not sure how late it will be…I promise. Love you both too.”
I could hear the tension in her voice. When she disconnected the call, she dropped the phone in her lap and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the couch. I sat down beside her and took her hand in mine.
“I’m sorry, Chelsea. I wish I could help in some way,” I told her softly. The corners of her lips turned up in a partial smile that I knew she did not truly feel. It definitely did not reach her eyes.
“It’s okay,” she said softly, leaning up her head and looking at me. “You would think after all these years that I would be used to it, but it kind of stresses me out. I don’t know if I’m being an enabler or if they need this from me. I just don’t know what to do,” she continued.
“Well, for at least the next few hours, you don’t need to worry about it. Let me take your mind off this for a while,” I told her, and that brought a genuine smile to her lips. I brought her hand to my lips and kissed the tips of her fingers.
“Did I tell you how beautiful you look this evening?” I asked her, and her smile grew even wider.
“I think you might have mentioned that already this evening. You clean up rather good too,” she replied, skimming her eyes over my suit. “I definitely like what I see,” she continued when her eyes rested on mine once again.
I helped her from the couch and handed her the crutches. I had already noticed that the bruising was completely gone from her ankle. The bruises on her ribs were also gone. The scratches that had covered her arms and legs were mostly healed, and only faint lines remained as evidence of her fall.
Once she was seated in the car with the crutches beside her, I tossed a blanket into the back. I knew it would be colder later, and the dress Chelsea was wearing did not cover much. It definitely would not keep her warm.
When we got to Brady’s house, Chelsea took in the stone exterior. His house was almost as big as mine. Her expression was one of awe, and I put my hand on her back as we made our way slowly up the front walk.
There were already several cars in the driveway, and I knew that this evening would be fun. I hoped that Chelsea would not feel uncomfortable around all these strangers, but I knew that they were all good people, and she had trusted me enough to come with me. That spoke volumes to me.
I didn’t bother knocking but opened the front door and stepped inside as I usually did. I held the door open for Chelsea to make her way inside. Brady had a key to my house, and I had one to his, but we always tried to give each other a heads up when we were headed to the other’s house, just in case.
I had walked in on a scene that would be forever cemented in my head, even though I wished I could forget it. It was just after Brady and Emily had found each other. Him getting a blowjob in the kitchen was not exactly on my list of things that I wanted to see.
Needless to say, after that incident, we always try to tell the other when we were coming over. I definitely did not want a repeat of that experience. I held the door open for Chelsea and she stepped inside.
I led Chelsea through the entry hall and into the living room. Emily ran towards us. She threw her arms around me and I returned her hug, then she turned towards Chelsea expectantly.
“Emily, meet Chelsea. Chelsea, this is Brady’s girlfriend, Emily,” I said, introducing the two women.
Emily did not hesitate but threw her arms around Chelsea and hugged her tightly. Emily loved everyone, especially if they had already been vetted by one of the members of the pack. The fact that she had arrived with me meant that Emily loved her already.
“Follow me, Chelsea. The women are all hanging out in the kitchen and getting the food ready. I’ll introduce you,” Emily told her. If Chelsea had not been on crutches, I think Emily would have dragged her behind her. Chelsea looked up at me, and I grinned at her, then she followed Emily towards the kitchen.
I stepped into the living room and shook hands with the men there. Brady walked towards me and leaned towards me to whisper in my ear.
“You mated her?” he asked softly.
I was not really sure why he was whispering. The women were too far away to hear our conversation. Once I had claimed Chelsea, she now carried my scent. Any shifter would know that she was my mate, and that meant she was completely off limits. Anyone who hurt her would have to answer to me.
“She’s a shifter, Brady. I know she is. Or at least half. She was adopted by humans and I don’t think she has any idea what she is. I think her wolf has been suppressed for so long that she doesn’t feel the connection. Have you found anything on her biological mother yet?” I asked him.
“We found her death certificate, and after searching farther, I found a coroner’s report from her autopsy. She was shot twice in the chest just a few weeks after Chelsea was adopted. I think I might have another lead, but I’ll let you know when I hear anything back. I haven’t found anything on her father yet,” he told me. I turned and looked into the kitchen.
Chelsea had a beautiful smile on her face, and the handful of women were all deep in conversation and laughter. I knew that Chelsea would have no problem making friends here. She had a wonderful personality and was extremely outgoing. It helped that Emily had already taken her under her wing.
I couldn’t help the feelings that were flowing through me as I thought about what Brady had just told me. Her mother had been murdered. I knew that Chelsea didn’t know this, but it made me wonder what had really happened to her mother.
She had been murdered shortly after Chelsea had been adopted by human parents. There were definitely a lot of unanswered questions, and I needed some answers. If there were answers to be found, Brady would find them.
It was about a half hour later, and a house full of people, that the food tables were ready. I was at Chelsea’s side with two plates in my hands as we moved down the line. I filled both plates and led her into the large family room where severa
l extra tables had been set up.
I set the plates down and pulled out a chair for Chelsea. When she was seated, I set her crutches aside. Then we both joined in the conversation around the table. I slipped my hand over her thigh under the table, and she glanced up at me and shot me a dazzling smile. That smile took my breath away.
About an hour later, the tables had all been cleared away and the living room was full of people. Some of the extra chairs remained, but some people were still left standing. It was time for the annual Christmas present exchange.
“I didn’t bring anything. I didn’t know we were supposed to,” Chelsea whispered anxiously in my ear.
“That’s okay. I brought two,” I whispered back, and she visibly relaxed. The moment Brady had asked me to bring her, I’d arranged for a second present for the party. It was not something that she needed to worry about.
Several hours later, I finally led Chelsea back to my car. She had a radiant smile on her face and had given hugs to all the women present before we left. She held the wooden Christmas ornament that she had received in her hands.
It was a handcrafted ornament made by one of the members of our pack. That had been the present she received in our gift exchange. The smile was still on her face when we got in the car. I shut her door and walked around and got in.
It was a cool night, and I knew that she had to be freezing in that dress. She had more skin showing than was covered. I tossed her the blanket that I had thrown in the back, and she quickly covered herself with it and flashed me another brilliant smile. It would be a few minutes before the car warmed up and provided enough heat to fill the car and keep her warm.
“Did you have fun tonight?” I asked her once I turned the car onto the main road and was headed back to my house.
“I did. Your friends are wonderful. They treated me like family from the moment I walked in,” she answered with admiration in her voice.
His to Protect: Book 1 in the Bound to Him Series Page 8