A week passed since the conference room blow-up, and a noticeable shift occurred in their relationship. The hostility cloud that had been hovering over them dissipated. They settled into a comfortable working relationship. And several coworkers even commented on their newfound chemistry.
Jayla found it exciting to finally be working with Brad instead of against him. The project Mr. Graybar had appointed them to work on together turned out to be a success. They worked as partners, neither taking the lead, each contributing their fair share and bringing their individual talents to the table.
They still enjoyed occasional trysts in the office. Jayla found herself looking forward to them. After every mind-blowing encounter with Brad, she still shook her head at the risk they were taking. Her need for him heightened as she accepted the true nature of her feelings for him. She was nowhere near ready to use the “L” word, but she could concede she cared for him. At least, her wolf cared for his wolf. She took a small amount of solace in hoping maybe the “change” coming over him and his wolf mirrored her profound metamorphosis.
She was grateful they didn’t discuss the “change.” Instead they just skirted the issue and moved on. Brad became more accepting of her in his world. A most significant transformation manifested at work. The first time he came to her, asking her advice, she almost swallowed her tongue. Their newfound work relationship made her feel like she finally belonged at the Albuquerque office.
Then there was their lovemaking. At work, when they gave in to their desire, the rendezvous were fun, sexy, and hot. They stopped pretending they made love because of some sort of unworldly desire. They fucked because they wanted to. And every night they would meet at one of their houses and Jayla would experience the best sex of her life all over again. They stayed for the most part at her apartment, and she didn’t mind. Brad seemed to like spending time there. With her stocked cupboards and arsenal of cookware, she cooked for him, which he loved.
They made room for each other in their lives; at the same time, there were certain lines that were never crossed. For some unknown reason, they never slept through the entire night together. Sure, they’d fallen asleep together, exhausted after one of their marathon sex sessions. But the unwritten rule was the guest never stayed asleep in the host’s bed. Often Jayla spent the evening in Brad’s arms while he pounded her body into a state of oblivion. But she’d never spent the night sleeping in those same strong arms.
One morning upon waking, Jayla sat up on Brad’s sofa, rubbing her aching back. Her eyes scanned his living room. Brad was an early bird, so the fact she woke up before him brought a smile to her face. She wore him out last night. It was about time she returned the favor.
She took the opportunity to really study his home. Letting her gaze roam, she assessed his surroundings. There was always something about his home that seemed a bit off, but she’d never pondered it too deeply. It finally occurred to her there were no pictures, trinkets, plants, or any items that brought personality to a house. His house looked more like a showroom in a furniture store than a home. Sure, his furniture was beautiful and modern, with clean lines and neutral colors. But his house felt lonely.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn’t help perusing his living room. A few men’s fitness magazines were strewn across the coffee table. They didn’t look like he’d ever opened them. No smudges on the glass top where the remote sat. Jayla suspected it wasn’t due to his tidiness. She doubted Brad watched a lot of television, if any. Venturing into his kitchen, she noticed the counters were bare except for a very expensive-looking coffee maker. No toaster, microwave, blender, or any type of appliances. She peeked in his fridge. Water and a few takeout containers lined the shelves.
Walking out of the kitchen, she went to the room leading off to the right of his bedroom. Poking her head in, her hand fumbled to find the light switch. She turned it on, and the room became bathed in light. She’d stumbled upon his home office, and she smiled when she saw the lived-in mess. His office wasn’t impersonal like the rest of his home. You could see how much Brad immersed himself in his career. His computer chair looked worn from overuse. Papers and files were stacked neatly. Although there were no pictures, some of his awards adorned the walls. From all she knew of his work life, the awards on his wall weren’t even a fraction of what he’d earned during his career. So she assumed these were his most cherished accomplishments.
It pleased her he made a place in his home personal, although she didn’t understand why it mattered at all to her. Turning off the light, she backed out of the room and turned toward his living room once again. She debated going back to sleep, but then she heard the distinct sound of his sheets rustling. Suspecting he may be waking up soon, Jayla went into the bathroom to freshen up.
Heading back into his kitchen, she made coffee. Maybe the aroma enticed him from bed, because soon after the coffee brewed, Brad staggered out of his room.
“Morning.” Holding two cups of coffee, she watched him as he made his way to the living room. He grumbled something to her as he did a Frankenstein-type walk to his sofa. Even waking from a dead sleep, the man looked hot. The beginnings of scruff on his face and his ruffled hair were damned sexy on him.
Joining him, she sat down, handing him a cup of hot java. He held it for a few minutes before he sniffed it, still refusing to drink.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, Brad.” Leaning over she took a cautious sip from his steaming cup. “I didn’t poison it.”
“Wouldn’t put it past you.” He cringed as if waiting for her fist to come his way.
“I’m not violent in the morning. You’re lucky.”
Smiling, he took a sip of the coffee.
“How’d you sleep?”
“Horrible. Your couch is lousy for sleeping on.”
“Oh… I’m sorry. I…”
“It was a blessing in disguise.”
“Why?”
“It gave me plenty of time to do some thinking.”
“About?” Brad put his coffee down, his curiosity apparently piqued.
“About us.”
“Okay…”
“We have to pretend to be dating.”
Brad snorted. “What? Why?”
“Because it makes sense.”
“No. It makes no sense. What a terrible idea. Why the hell would we want to pretend to date?”
“Look, Brad, every time we give in to our attraction at work, we’re risking everything. And I’m not just talking about the sex. Sooner or later people are going to catch on that something has changed between us. I can’t be in a casual sexual fling with a colleague. I’ve worked too hard to build a name for myself. It looks sleazy for both of us.”
“I have no idea what you’re getting at, Jayla. But as far as us pretending to date, I don’t think so.”
“Just hear me out. It’s not against corporate policy to date another employee. Unless, of course, you’re one of the executives; then it’s considered a no-no. We go to Mr. Graybar, and we tell him we’ve been in a relationship for over a year now. We tell him we never indulged our personal connection because we never felt a need to. It was one of the secrets of our long-distance relationship success. We kept our work life and personal life separate. But we feel that since I’ve transferred to this office, we want to make sure we’re all on the same page and the account is handled with integrity.”
“You have put a lot of thought into this.”
“Yeah… Well…”
“For one, no one is going to buy it. You and I dating is laughable. We don’t like each other, and everyone knows it.”
“As far as everyone knows, it’s the Maldonado account that had us butting heads. Besides, word on the work grapevine is you and I have amazing chemistry.”
“Really… You’ve heard this?”
“And you haven’t?”
“I mean, I’ve heard little rumblings here and there, but I didn’t pay attention.”
“We have to go to Mr. Graybar.
We make it seem like we’re coming clean about our relationship.”
“Jayla… I don’t think this will work or is necessary.”
“Hold on… I don’t mean we’re going to pretend to be dating in the office.”
“Wait. You just said you wanted to pretend-date.”
“Look. I just mean we’re not going to come in everyday holding hands. We’re still going to try damn hard to hide our relationship, but we need to have a countermeasure in place.”
Jayla watched Brad studying her, and she began nervously chewing on her lip.
“Brad, if we go to Mr. Graybar first, we can control how things will be portrayed. I can’t have another scandal attached to my name, and trust me, you don’t want one attached to yours. We’re pushing it. And as far as our coworkers, I think we could convince them our hostility toward each other was blown out of proportion.”
“Yeah. I guess it works. Although I think there’s another way.”
“Okay. Let’s hear it.”
“We stop having sex at work and commit to only having sex outside the office.”
“Very funny. You and I both know it’s more than that. It’s the way we interact with each other. Someone is going to eventually suspect.”
“Stop seducing me at work…”
“You are still in full denial, aren’t you? It’s not my fault.”
“I know. I just like blaming you. It’s convenient.”
This time her fist found Brad’s arm. Brad chuckled.
“So?”
“I don’t know, Jayla.”
“Well. Problem number two should be the clincher for you.”
Brad leaned back in his seat, rubbing his stomach. “Problem two?”
“There’s something you’re not considering.”
“What now?”
“Our families.”
Jayla didn’t understand the look that flashed across his handsome features when she mentioned their families.
“What about them?”
“Very funny, Brad. You and I both know sooner or later we’re going to run into someone from one of our packs. I don’t know about your pack, but in my pack gossip spreads at speeds that haven’t been discovered by scientists yet.”
“And?”
“And… My family cannot find out you’re my mate. If my grandma even suspects, she’ll have us married by the end of the week. And since we can’t seem to stay away from each other, the only way to throw them off is to pretend-date. It solves everything. At least at work we won’t look like we’re sleeping around. And our families will just think we’re dating.”
“Jayla…”
“If they realize we’re mates, I’m telling you calamity will ensue. I don’t think we’d survive.”
Brad chuckled.
“I’m serious.” She laughed with him.
“I’m still not convinced.”
“Brad. When I saw my sister, Jasmine, a week ago, she smelled you instantly. She told me I reek of wolf and…”
“I told you, you reek—” Brad started smiling before he finished his sentence.
He intercepted Jayla’s fist as she tried to punch him again. She giggled with him.
“She smelled your scent. She started asking so many questions. If my family smells you on me again without some type of explanation, all hell is going to break loose.”
“Jayla, you’re a grown woman. Why do you have to explain anything to them?”
Her hand slowly smoothed her hair. “Because I don’t… I don’t date wolves. They’re already curious about you. Curious about us. Brad, we have to be the ones to present the answer to the question on their minds, or they’ll keep digging until they figure it out.”
“And what question is that?”
“Why am I hiding you from my family? If we pretend to be dating, it will offer them a good reason why I’ve been so hesitant to bring you around. I can convince them I want to take things slow with you because you’re a wolf.”
“They’re like a pack of wolf detectives.”
“You have no idea.”
“So we pretend to be together to keep them off our trail, so to speak.”
“Yes. Exactly. Trying to hide our mutual attraction is not going to work. We gotta pretend to be dating to make it seem logical why we can’t keep our hands off each other.”
“So, uh, would they, umm, you know…have a hard time with…you know?”
Cocking her head to the side, Jayla stared at Brad. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Clearing his throat, he shifted his posture.
“I just mean, will your family—your pack—have a problem I’m…white?”
“Ohhhhh. No.” Jayla’s hand flitted in the air. “Not at all. I mean, I don’t think so. I’ve never brought a, umm, you know, a you home to Mom and Dad before.”
“And by you, you mean a white guy.”
“No. No white guys.”
“Oh.”
“But my parents have always been very accepting of people. I would be shocked if they had a problem with it.”
“Well…good to know. I’m glad they’re open-minded, unlike you.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“You’ve never brought a white guy home; you must be pretty closed-minded.” The teasing gleam in his eye didn’t go unnoticed by Jayla.
“For your information, I’ve dated all types of people. I’ve just never brought anyone home before.”
BRAD IGNORED THE possessive caveman in him wanting to do a fist pump at her admission. He filed that bit of information away to chew on at a later date.
“What about your family? Are they going to have a problem with me?”
“No, not at all, Jayla.”
“How many black women have you dated?”
“Dated? None.”
“But I thought you said…”
“I’ve gone out with lots of women. All different types of women. But I’m not a dater.”
“Sooo… You’re a man whore?”
JAYLA WATCHED AS a hearty laugh tore from the pit of Brad’s belly. His wide grin spread across his face, lighting up and accentuating his handsome features. It made her yearn to see him laugh and smile more.
Her buzzing phone distracted her, and with a feeling of foreboding, she checked it. Her face fell when she read the text message.
Her smile slipped from her face so fast, Brad’s laughter ceased. “What’s wrong?”
She handed him her phone, and he read the text.
Time’s up, Jayla. We’ll see you and Sherlock Holmes in a few hours one way or another.
Frowning, Brad handed her back her phone. “Is someone threatening you? And who’s Sherlock Holmes?”
Jayla sighed. “Yes. It’s a threat. But it’s not what you think. And you’re Sherlock Holmes.”
“I’m Sherlock Holmes?”
“I’ve been avoiding my family. And you know how well that goes over in a pack. So now I’m on the clock. Either I bring you to them, or they’ll find us.”
“Wow.”
“I’m surprised they gave me this long.”
“So if we don’t go over there, they’re going to track you down.”
“Not me, Brad. You. Jasmine has your scent. Her husband, Danny, also has your scent, and he’s a very talented tracker.”
“Jesus.”
“I told you. Because you’re a wolf, it’s a big deal.”
“Okay. Well, I guess we have plans for later.”
Standing up, Brad looked around his apartment as if searching for something.
“I’m sorry about this. You know how it is in a pack.”
Nodding, Brad ran his hands through his hair, looking a bit perplexed. “Right… So you haven’t explained why I’m Sherlock Holmes.”
Clearing her throat, she turned away from him. “It’s not important.”
Chuckling, he appeared to have decided to cut Jayla some slack for now. “Okay. Not important. Got it.”
&
nbsp; “Brad, this is serious. I don’t think you understand what’s about to happen. There’s no turning back after this.”
* * * *
Later that afternoon, Jayla and Brad pulled up next to her sister’s large home. It struck Jayla as odd how just a few short days ago when she visited Jasmine, she’d been so relieved to see her sister. The house offered her a small break from the chaos in her life, but now coming here had her stomach in knots.
BRAD TURNED OFF the ignition and began to feel small tremors of nervousness in the pit of his belly for the first time. Although he tried to play it cool for Jayla’s sake, he wasn’t as confident as he appeared to be. Jayla’s anxiety was contagious.
Sitting back in the passenger seat, Jayla buried her face in her hands. “If they even suspect you’re my mate…”
“Jayla, they’re not going to suspect anything. I guarantee we’re the only mates in history doing something this stupid. They won’t know.”
“I…”
“I’ve been giving a lot of thought to your crazy plan on the drive over here, and I’ve realized something important. Look, we lose control when we fight our attraction to each other. When I try to stay away from you, my wolf goes haywire. It’s like it’s resisting my resisting.”
JAYLA THOUGHT HARD about what he said, and she agreed with his assessment. Every time she avoided Brad, her inner animal would act out. The more they kept apart and denied their wolves the intimacy they craved, the more their wolves misbehaved.
Brad continued, “If this is going to work, we can’t just pretend we’re dating. For tonight we need to be dating, or we’re not going to be able to fool your family. You said yourself they’re like a pack of detectives. If we pretend, we’re going to mess up. But if we just let our wolves be our guides, I think we can pull it off.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying if we don’t want to get caught, if we want to fool your family, then you’ve just officially become my girlfriend for the evening.”
The blinds of the house moved, and Jayla and Brad both caught the movement. Jayla began to panic, and she wrung her hands together in nervous agitation. Hopping out of the truck, Brad walked around and opened her door. Reaching in, he grabbed her hands. His thumbs caressed her knuckles; he brought them to his mouth and kissed them softly.
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