by Kimber White
“Gentlemen,” Foster said in a bright, booming voice. Though he smiled wide, I knew it was all for show. Bas had taken the upper hand by making him wait. I turned, trying to keep my posture as casual as possible even though my nerve endings felt shredded.
Bas leaned across the table, just inches from me, and shook the congressman’s hand. His eyes flicked to mine, and I watched his pupils narrow to pinpoints. As much as I was trying to control my physical reaction to being this close to him, it seemed equally difficult for Bas. Except he had the advantage of preparing for it.
“You remember my associates, Mr. Brogan and Mr. Martel?”
“Of course,” Foster said. “Good to see you again. Have a seat. My girl brought in some coffee.”
I bristled in indignation for Grace. Foster at least at the decency to turn a little white when he remembered I was in the room. He cleared his throat then plastered his smile back in place. Then, Bas took the seat next to mine. The world became the few inches of space between us. I was drawn to him like a magnet and had to sit on my hands to keep from reaching out to touch him.
Mr. Brogan sat next to Dale, and Mr. Martel opposite Bas. Brogan looked at me, and I couldn’t help my escaping smile. He gave me a lightning quick wink, and I recognized him immediately. This was Eli from the other night. His golden wolf eyes had settled to a warm amber, and he brushed an errant lock of dark brown hair away from his face. A hint of silver colored his temples.
Martel was simply breathtaking. Nearly as big as Bas, he had jet black hair with a shock of white at the crown. He fixed his cold, blue eyes on me and I shuddered at the intensity with which he stared. There was something different about him, more feral than Eli. He was more like Bas. He adjusted his silk tie and seemed to bristle and chafe at the fabric, as though his wolf strained to get out. My blood simmered as he reached across the table and shook my hand, holding it a beat longer than I would have.
Bas made a low noise. To anyone else, it may have sounded like throat clearing. But, it was a sharp command. Alec went instantly still, let go of my hand, and sat. He folded his hands together on the tabletop.
“I appreciate your coming on such short notice. I’ve just gotten back from the Hill and have to leave again in a few hours. I’ll cut right to it.”
On cue, Grace came back into the room bearing a stack of blue portfolios. She placed one in front of each of us, then left again. I didn’t wait for the others to open mine. Partly because I was apparently the least informed about what the hell we were doing here. Also, I needed something to occupy my mind and hands with Bas so close to me.
My eyes blurred and the words ran together. I squeezed my lids tight and tried to shake off the buzzing in my ears. Bas took a breath. When he let it out, it tickled the tiny hairs on my wrist. Then, his foot slid under the table. I coughed to muffle the involuntary gasp I made when he touched his toe to mine.
Bas and the others flipped through the portfolio. It was the same language from the conservation bill Thorp had me bring to Bas a few weeks ago. As far as I could tell, none of the changes Bas had asked for had made it into this draft. He slammed his shut and slid it a few inches away from him.
“Sebastian, hear me out before you lose your shit,” Foster said. “This is a good bill. It has the best chance of passing in this form, and we need it. You need it.”
“What I need is for you to give up the idea that any part of Wild Lake is yours to do anything about. There is no federal interest here. These are state lands and private property. I don’t need another layer of bureaucratic bullshit in my backyard.”
Foster slammed his fist against the table. Dale sat back and threaded his fingers behind his head.
“Bas, let’s be real,” Dale said. “Do I need to remind you what the congressman had to go through to get the last bill passed that you wanted? Your wolves would have lost federal protection if it weren’t for Landon.”
Foster choked on his coffee. He looked from Dale to me and back again. “Do you really want to discuss that right now?” Foster didn’t seem to want to let the cat, er, the wolf out of the bag. He thought I was in the dark about who Dale and Bas really were.
Dale shot me a sinister smile. “Oh. This isn’t mixed company, Congressman. Miss Winslow has lived in Wild Lake most of her life. She is well aware of what’s at stake. Aren’t you, Abby?”
I didn’t like the attention one bit. I didn’t care that Foster knew I knew about the wolves, but Dale certainly seemed to think I should. Foster leaned back, his lips parted slightly as he looked from Bas to me and back again. A slow blush crept up his neck that horrified me. His look turned lecherous, and Dale’s smile widened. I sat back hard in my chair and slammed my own portfolio shut.
Bas put his hand on my knee. It had the unsettling effect of both calming me and stirring my blood all at once. But, Dale was trying to bait me, and no matter what else I knew, this was a fight between them.
“I don’t know why the hell you called us out here. If you try passing that bill you’re going to lose my support. I don’t know how much clearer I can make my position. If you think you can survive the next election cycle without me, go ahead and try. Wild Lake Outfitters pretty much provides the tax base at the local level here. You can’t hold the district if I choose to throw in with someone else, Landon.”
“Sebastian, you have to compromise. You know I have to serve other interests besides yours. And this is a good bill. Surely you don’t want to risk coming out against conservation so close to home. Going against me on this is going to cause you more of a backlash than it will me. Surely you can see that.”
“You let me worry about my own backyard. This isn’t about saving wetlands or spotted owls or anything else. This is you trying to control my home. You know it and I know it. And don’t you dare try to throw the endangered list at me. I’m well aware of your efforts in that regard. And you aren’t the one who made it happen. We’ve got sensible judges on the bench I can thank for that. But, make no mistake, when it comes down to it, I can and will protect my own. You keep thinking you are in some position to get in the way of that. There is no amount of legislation or paperwork that is going to matter to me if you come after me, Landon. My people have been here since long before you got here, and we’ll be here long after you’re gone. How soon that happens is up to you.”
Bas rose and jerked his chin toward Brogan and Martel. As they rose, so did I. I couldn’t help it; whatever unspoken command he gave to the others seemed to transmit to me too. Dale’s eyes turned to cold steel, but I didn’t move. Bas hesitated. His pinky finger brushed the side of my hand, and just that slight touch set off a starburst behind my chest. I gripped the edge of the table and swallowed hard. Then, Bas turned and walked out of the room with his pack members close behind.
Dale slammed his portfolio shut and rubbed his hand hard across his mouth. “He’s bluffing,” he shouted as soon as the conference room door shut. He took a breath, about to launch into a tirade, but Foster put up a hand to stop him.
“Not another word, Dale. You have grossly mismanaged this entire negotiation. Grace could have done a better job handling Lanier.”
“Landon, you have to trust me.” Color drained from Dale’s face. He tugged at his tie and leaned forward, slumping at the shoulders. “This isn’t over with him. Just give me a few days and I’ll put something together.”
“Enough. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. You though.” Foster pointed a finger at me. “I’m beginning to think I’m going at this guy all wrong. From now on, I want Abby involved with every meeting and discussion we have on this project. If you’re incapable of handling Lanier, let’s see what she can do.”
The air in my lungs seemed to have physical weight and dropped straight down. Dale’s wolf eyes flashed and a corded muscle in his neck jumped. I read danger all over him again and had to keep my fingers curled around the table edge to fight off the urge to run. That same sick feeling settled in my bones as if Dale were g
iving off some kind of toxic signal. I knew now it had everything to do with Bas and whatever growing connection we shared. Dale meant danger. Bas meant safety.
“I’ll look over the bill language again,” I said. “See if there’s some common ground we’ve missed.”
Foster seemed placated for the moment, and I gathered my things and left the conference room. Dale gritted his teeth. I knew he didn’t want to leave it at that, but I wasn’t about to stick around long enough to let him get me alone again.
I blew past Grace’s desk and headed straight for the elevators. “I’m going to down to the library,” I said, waving the portfolio. Grace gave me a nod as the doors closed. As I got distance from Dale with each passing floor, my heart started to ease. Until finally, I almost felt normal again as I stepped off the elevator and headed into the parking lot. I didn’t really need to go to the law library. I could have done my research at my desk. But, I couldn’t fathom spending another second near Dale.
I made it half a block toward the bus stop before a black SUV pulled up alongside me. As the dark window rolled down, my heart raced again.
“We need to talk,” Bas said, his eyes flashing both fire and ice.
Chapter Fifteen
I pulled the seatbelt across my lap just as Bas’s tires squealed and I was rocketed back into my seat when he drove away from the curb.
“Are you all right?” he asked, nostrils flaring as he tore down the street, taking turns fast and hard.
I didn’t know how to feel. My body thrilled at the nearness of him. I couldn’t stand not touching him. And yet, I also felt like throttling him. He’d gone AWOL for nearly two weeks after everything that had happened. I could be indignant. Maybe I should have told him to drop me off at the nearest corner and keep right on driving. Except, I couldn’t. No matter what happened, there was no point trying to hide what was happening inside of me. By the looks of his white-knuckled grip and the furious pulse beat in his temple, he couldn’t hide what was going on inside of him either.
“I needed you.” There it was. A strange thing to say maybe, but it was the truest thing I could think of.
He squeezed his eyes shut tight for an instant then stared back hard at the road. “I’m sorry. I had to take the pack north for a little while. We’ve had some . . . trouble. I wasn’t really in a position to carry a cell phone. And I swear to God I didn’t think it was going to take as long as it did. Plus, I don’t know. I thought maybe you needed some space.”
I don’t know why, but I barked out a laugh. He didn’t have to explain for me to understand what he meant. Whatever pack trouble kept him away, Bas had stayed in his wolf for most of it. It also explained the intensity of his stare. He seemed more animal than man right now, and I can’t deny how it thrilled me. Still, I had questions. Lots of them. And there was something else. I’d kept myself under control for as long as I could up in the conference room. Now that it was just the two of us alone in that car, I had to touch him. I reached across the console and laid a hand on his thigh. A frisson went through me, making my heart jump. A tremor went through Bas’s right hand as he gripped the wheel.
I don’t know where he intended to take me, but he made a sharp, screeching turn and parked behind an abandoned gas station beneath a highway overpass. He jammed the car in park then turned to face me, his eyes flashing fire.
“God. You don’t know how badly I’ve wanted to be with you. I am sorry. I would have gotten word to you, but everyone I trusted was with me.”
“Is everything all right? With the pack, I mean?” I kept my hand on his thigh. I tried to focus on his face, his words, but desire coursed through me. It was as if I’d been starving and Bas was some sort of buffet. I could pretend the things we said to each other mattered, but the simple truth was, I craved his touch more than anything.
Bas searched my face. He reached out and slid his palm along my jaw. I closed my eyes and turned into it. He was flame and light, heat and life. I brought my hand up and placed it over his.
“It’s fine for now. But, I’m going to have to leave again sooner than I want. Abby, I don’t want you here by yourself. Dale is dangerous. More than I realized.”
“He hasn’t done anything to me. If that’s what you’re asking. I mean, he’s made some threats.”
“Tell me,” Bas’s voice dropped an octave. This was a command, not a question. Some primal part of me flared to life and went to war with the ethics of my situation. Bas was Bas, but I worked for the congressman. I’d signed a confidentiality agreement as part of my internship contract with him. Although I hadn’t pieced together the specifics, I knew Dale wanted to make trouble for Bas and interfere with Wild Lake. I could see Bas’s point on the conservation bill. It looked good in theory, but it would put large swaths of Wild Lake’s natural forest under federal control. I also knew he had an even more drastic plan if the bill fell through. Dale hadn’t come right out and said it, but he had me researching grounds for a federal takeover through eminent domain. So far, my research had turned up nothing. No compelling government interests that could circumvent private property ownership.
“Don’t,” I said. “Don’t put me in the middle of the two of you. I need this job, Bas. It’s important. My career matters. I can’t tell you everything. Just know that, for right now, I don’t think any of the congressman’s plans pose an actual threat to you.”
I expected him to get angry. He didn’t. Bas let out a sigh and dropped his hand. “God, I’m sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was make things impossible for you like this. Dammit. The thing I hate the most is how all of this played right into Dale’s hands.”
“What do you mean?”
“He knew. That first time I saw you when I stormed in there with that leg trap.”
“He knew what?”
Bas’s smile churned my insides. It was full of sex and secrets. A wave of heat bled through me and settled in my core. God, all it took was that one look and he had me panting for his touch again. And touch was simple. So much easier than trying to grapple with ethical dilemmas or all the reasons I had to walk away.
I moved first. I couldn’t stand it another second. I leaned across the center console and slid my hands up Bas’s solid biceps. I tugged at his cobalt blue tie and pulled him down to kiss me. His groan melted me, and he pressed his lips to mine. I meant to leave it at that. Just a kiss. It was stupid of me to think that would be enough. The instant we touched, my senses flared to life. He tasted of sin, spice, and everything male. He tasted like mine.
“Fuck, Abby.”
Yes. Fuck.
Bas slid out of his suit coat and pulled at the buttons of my blouse with deft fingers. He spread the thin silk, exposing my lace bra. My lips locked with his, I shifted, climbing over the console until I straddled his lap, his tie still clutched in my hand. He slid my skirt up over my thighs and hooked one finger through the thin cotton crotch of my panties. He tore them away as if they were made of tissue paper. I felt his hardness against my sensitive flesh.
Where I became wild and reckless, Bas was still in command. He reached down and pressed the button on the side of his captain’s chair, reclining it and shifting it backward. He kept a strong hand on my waist, holding me steady as we sank down together.
I unfastened his belt buckle and slid it out of the way. Then, I undid the button of his trousers and felt the hard outline of his erection, straining beneath the wool. Carefully, I slid his zipper down, and all the while he devoured me with kisses.
He pushed my skirt even farther up so it bunched around my waist and raised his hips to let me slide his pants out of the way. There was nothing between us now. I brought myself up on my knees and gripped the solid shaft of him. Bas’s eyes flashed silver as I hovered over him. God, he owned me. Even now. But he let me take control.
My sex throbbed with anticipation as I stroked him. He was solid heat between my fingers. There might be time later to take it slow, but not now. Now, my body cried out for his. I never
wanted to wait so long to feel him ever again. I rose up and guided him between my legs. He held me with one hand on my waist, the other at the nape of my neck as he nipped my earlobe.
Then, I couldn’t stand it another second. With one, quick, downward thrust, I impaled myself on the length of him. He filled me, his cock throbbing inside of me as I started to ride him. I took him deep and hard, and he tore at my bra to free my breasts.
We were out in the open. Although the gas station was abandoned, a dozen cars whizzed by on the overpass. All anyone had to do was look down and they’d see me bucking and writhing as I fucked Bas with abandon. I didn’t care. None of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was the feel of him deep inside me. I wanted more. Though he grasped my bare nipple between his fingers, we had too many clothes between us.
My whole world became the feel of him stabbing into me, filling me completely, the rise and fall of my hips as I tried to take him even deeper. This wasn’t lovemaking. This was raw, primal need. I didn’t care if he took me in the middle of a busy downtown street, bent over a park bench. I would have let him. The wanting consumed me and drove out all reason.
My hair fell around us like a blonde curtain. I arched my back and let the surge take hold of me. The first edges of a rising orgasm took hold. Bas felt it too as my walls gripped him tight. Again, I felt that burning ache at the back of my neck and wished I had room to turn. I wanted him from behind. I wanted his teeth. The instant I thought it, he hissed and I saw his front canines lengthen a fraction of an inch. It only made my juices flow more.
This. All of it. I wanted the wolf. I wanted the man. I wanted that wild heat that rose within me and called out for him to claim me. I felt made for it. Born for him. Again, though, Bas held back. Even when I gathered my hair to the side and turned my head far to the right, exposing my neck to him. I didn’t fully understand the need, only that I wanted more of him so desperately.