by E A Price
Harold grabbed one of her hands. “No. Stay. Please.”
He wasn’t sure if she meant she should leave his office, or leave him altogether. He did not like either option.
“You don’t need me here.”
“I’m in pain.”
Christine slanted a look at him.
“I was shot, you know.”
“Yes, I recall,” she replied in a sour voice.
“Stay,” he urged.
“Your father won’t be happy.”
“Your father can’t even stand to be in the same room as me.”
Christine pressed her lips together to stop a laugh escaping. “Yeah.”
“Stay.”
“Okay.”
He almost sagged in relief. He didn’t want her alone; he wanted her where he could see her until his beast could calm down. He wanted her near, to make up for the last few weeks. Actually, he just wanted her near to him at all times – he didn’t need a reason. Just… because.
*
Harold pulled on his jacket. He must have winced because Christine hurried over to help him with the buttons. He didn’t need any help, but he liked having her help him.
“Do you have a meeting?” she asked.
“Yes, but only in here.”
“Do you want me to go?”
“No.” Anything that was about to be said was for Christine’s ears too.
There was a knock on the door and Harold called out, “Come in.”
Christine’s expression dimmed a little as Sabrina entered. The female was far removed from her usual, confident self. She was even shaking and appeared to be wearing two different shoes.
“Sabrina.”
“How are you?” she asked, looking at both of them, rather than avoiding looking in Christine’s direction as usual.
“There’s something you wish to tell me,” Harold informed her.
Christine looked between the two of them, completely baffled.
Sabrina licked her lips. She was considering lying, and he growled at her. It was enough to make her break. Christine flinched and clutched Harold’s arm as Sabrina let out a wail.
“I’m sorry!” sobbed Sabrina. “It’s all my fault; this is all my fault!”
“What is?” whispered Christine, completely lost.
Harold grunted. “Sabrina told… that male,” Roark’s name was a dirty word to him, “how to get into the compound. She told him how to get past security in order to get to our house.”
“Oh.” Christine chewed on her lip before rage flashed in her eyes. “Oh!”
“I am sorry,” spluttered Sabrina. “I just thought… He said Christine was still in love with him; I thought he would just persuade her to run away with him. He was charming and seemed so normal…”
Christine could surely attest to that – no doubt when he wanted to he could act like a perfectly nice guy. But he definitely wasn’t.
“I honestly didn’t think he would hurt you – either of you. Please, I’m so sorry.” She dropped to her knees in submission.
Harold let out a low rumble. “I should throw you out of the pack. Should mark you as a traitor.”
Sabrina sniffled. It was an old tradition that a traitor’s face would be clawed by the alpha, as a permanent sign that they were dishonorable and had been thrown out of their pack. Though, it wasn’t a tradition that his father had ever had to enforce. He wasn’t sure about his grandfather – it seemed like the kind of thing his grandmother would revel in.
He turned to his wife. “Christine, what would you have me do?”
Christine blinked up at him, surprise on her face. Alphas rarely deferred to anyone in matters like this, but he was not an alpha yet, and really, the offense Sabrina committed was against Christine. He wanted to know what she would have him do as punishment.
She looked at Sabrina still hunched on the floor, crying silently, and he knew what his sweet wife’s answer would be. He imagined if the roles were reversed, Sabrina would show no mercy, but Christine’s kindness knew no bounds.
“I don’t think you should throw her out, and I never believe that marking is an answer. She made a foolish mistake, but she was manipulated into it – and I know from experience just how manipulative R… that particular male can be.”
Harold nodded and smiled slightly at her before turning a cold look on Sabrina.
“You will not be thrown out of the pack, but you are to leave town for the next two, no, three months and stay with your sister in her pack. You are not to tell anyone of this, and when you return, we will say no more about it.”
“Thank you,” murmured Sabrina.
“Get out,” he hissed, and she did as quickly as possible.
Christine leaned up on her toes and wordlessly kissed him.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“What are all these books anyway?” asked Christine before letting out a delicate sneeze.
She had insisted on dusting his bookshelves. It had been a while since they had been done. Harold worked such long hours that cleaners rarely had the chance to get into his office – and he found them too distracting while he was there.
Though, not half as distracting as Christine. She had kicked off her shoes and was standing on a chair to get to the top shelf. Her skirt rode up her shapely legs in the most delicious way. Work had been very slow that day.
She turned and looked at him, and Harold forced his eyes away from her legs. Her giggle suggested she knew what he had been doing, but he wasn’t ashamed or embarrassed. He defied any man not to be entranced by her legs. Though he may have to hurt any other man who was…
“Oh, ah, journals of former pack alphas.”
“Huh.” Christine turned over a book in her hands. “Any good?”
“No. They’re all about deals and contracts – nothing of any relevance or personal interest.”
“I suppose they do make it seem more office-y.”
She had been coming to work with him for over a week, long after the pain of his shoulder left him. She didn’t always stay the whole day, a few times she left to go home and check out what the decorators were doing – Esther was supervising, but Christine wanted to check her color schemes were working.
Since the shooting, she decided their bedroom was the next thing that needed redecorating. The carpet certainly needed replacing, but he got the feeling Christine didn’t want to go back in there until she was comfortable again – which meant a makeover to make it near unrecognizable.
They were currently staying in the guest room and in spite of her worry over his injury, had resumed their intimacies.
The incident had knocked some sense into him. Pushing Christine away was not making Christine happy, it was making him downright miserable, and his dad and grandmother were never happy anyway – so why was he bothering?
He was enjoying as much time with his wife as he could manage, and thankfully she wasn’t peeved at him for giving her the cold shoulder. The shooting hurt like hell but had been somewhat cathartic for them.
She was also visiting the care home; she enjoyed going there – he could tell. She liked getting to know his pack mates, and she hinted they were the only ones who had time for her. He could argue that she could spend time with his mother at the club, but with rampant horny tennis instructors haunting that place, he personally preferred her at the care home.
She seemed to enjoy being at work with him, even if she was sometimes at a loss over what to do. Though, he did hope to change that.
“I ah, actually have some news for you.”
Christine glanced over her shoulder. “Oh?”
“There’s a position available to you working for the pack, if you want it. You would liaise with and oversee the design companies hired for our various projects.”
She pouted slightly. “You made this position up.”
“Yes,” he admitted slightly reluctantly, “because I want someone I trust to oversee them – usually Linda would be lumbered with this role, but she a
lready does enough.”
“You’re pandering to me.”
“As I say, I want someone I trust, and besides, there’ll be no paycheck, you’ll just be a volunteer.” Plus her office would only be a couple of floors away from his – he could just pop down and see her whenever he wanted.
Christine placed the books back on the shelf and slowly walked over to his desk. Was it his imagination or was there an extra wiggle in her walk?
“Do you want me to interview for the position?”
“I hardly think…”
“What would my big bad boss have me do to give me the job?” She perched on his desk and crossed her curvy legs.
Harold gaped at her, his heart racing and his desire soaring. “I ah… let’s go home.”
Christine snickered. “Right now?”
“Yes, right now.” He ran his hand up her leg, and she shivered.
“Harold, it’s 12.15.”
“I doubt I can wait until six… I’m not sure I can wait until we make it home.”
“I could lock your door…”
He frowned, imagining his less than pleasant reaction if he caught any of his employees having sex in the office. “That wouldn’t be very professional; I’m not sure…”
Christine gave him an impish grin. “Let’s be naughty.”
She skipped out of his grasp and locked the door. This was a bad idea. He should not…
Christine pushed his chair back and dropped to the floor in front of him, her eyes burning with intense passion.
“Christine…” he started in a warning voice.
“Uh-uh, I think you deserve this after the week you’ve had.”
Her small hands attacked his belt, delving inside his pants and grasping his rock-hard erection. She gave him a knowing look as she massaged his manhood. Obviously, that part of him was all for what she wanted to do. That part of him had no decency whatsoever.
A growl tore from his lips as Christine wrapped her lips around the head. He gripped the arms of his chair as she twirled her tongue over his sensitive flesh. She took him deeply into her mouth, tightening her lips around him as she bobbed up and down his length.
“Christine.” Her name wrenched from his lips as a plea, but definitely not a plea for her to stop, and the twinkle in her vibrant eyes told him she knew that.
He stared down at her in wonder, riveted by the sight of this beautiful female determined to give him such pleasure. In all his imaginings, he had never thought he would ever mate with such an enchanting creature. Nor could he imagine why she would care for someone as cold and difficult as him, but she did, and knowing that she did was incredible.
She slid up and down his shaft, taking him even deeper and getting faster as his hips started moving in time with her. He forgot where he was and focused on her – his mate, his wife. His. Mine. His movements became more and more demanding until he growled in release, spilling himself into her mouth.
Christine kept her mouth on him, taking every drop, her tongue teasing him until he had no more to give. He damn near collapsed in his chair, panting as she carefully closed his pants and buckled his belt.
She climbed up his body, settling herself on his lap with a supremely smug expression on her face.
“I’m sorry,” she purred, “I interrupted you. What were you saying?”
“Teacher’s pet, my eye! My father’s right, you are a bad influence,” he muttered, though without any heat.
“You have no idea,” she cooed.
The door handle jiggled. “Is everything okay in there?” called Linda.
“One moment,” he growled, and Christine giggled into his shirt, muffling the sound.
He felt suddenly embarrassed and somewhat irritated – Linda must know what they were doing. It was so… unseemly. He was such a fool for giving into his baser desires. But as Christine kissed him and grinned up at him, he could care less if the whole building had known what they were up to. With a lovely wife like Christine, perhaps they assumed he was doing that anyway.
Harold kissed her back and allowed his embarrassment to pass. Why shouldn’t he have a little fun now and again?
*
Christine smiled at the men currently staring at her. They were business associates of Harold Sr.’s from Canada. The two older men spoke in rapid French and had an interpreter from their own pack with them, but Christine suspected they understood English just fine.
It was the first time Harold had requested her presence at a business dinner, and she was a little unsure why he wanted her there. Given the hostile look on Harold Sr. and the pack beta’s faces, they didn’t know either.
There were three men, all wolf shifters. An alpha, alpha’s son and a beta. Much like Harold Sr., Harold, and Duncan from their pack. She wasn’t sure what business was happening between the two packs, but nobody looked particularly happy at that table. Apart from the interpreter – the pretty young woman was a member of their pack and looked like she was having a great time.
“So, Christy,” said the young male. “What do you do?” He was a handsome young man and given the smugness of his expression, he damn well knew it.
Harold glared at him as if he had done something unforgivable like asking her the color of her underwear.
“Christy is Harold’s wife,” said Harold Sr. – as if that explained everything.
Christine smiled politely. “I work part-time for the pack.”
“Then perhaps you have time to show me around the city.” He waggled his eyebrows a shade too suggestively for her liking. “I’m sure the two of us could find lots to occupy our – ugh!”
“Harold!” exclaimed Christine as her husband all but leaped on the other male.
There were lots of growls and punches thrown as they pulled Harold off him. On finally getting the furious Harold back in his seat, Christine soothed him and tried to ignore the glowers her father-in-law was sending her. Naturally, he decided she was to blame for this. The nervous-looking waiter started tidying up the mess caused by Harold trying to physically get over the table.
“I apologize for my son,” snarled Harold Sr.
Harold looked anything but sorry.
The other alpha pursed his lips before chuckling and speaking in perfect English. “Nonsense, my son should know better than to flirt with another’s mate.”
His son muttered and scowled, but he didn’t argue in the face of his father and alpha. Ignoring their unruly offspring, the two alphas started discussing business matters, and Christine excused herself to go to the bathroom and try and rinse out the wine stain on her dress caused when Harold decided to jump over the table.
“Your mate has quite a temper,” commented the interpreter, walking up behind her.
Christine shrugged. “Not usually.”
“But then, my pack mate should not have said that to you.”
“No,” she muttered in agreement. What he said wasn’t that bad, it was mostly the way he said it.
The female gave her an interested look. “I think he was just intrigued by you.”
Christine stared at her doubtfully. “Oh, please.”
“No, it’s true. Your pack practically falls over themselves to accommodate my alpha whenever he comes to town. They take him wherever he wants to eat, they put him up in the nicest hotel and even procure several females to keep him company for the night.”
Nice.
“But this time, rather than the restaurant we always go to, we got a call a couple of hours ago to say we were coming here – no argument.”
Christine shrugged. What was wrong with it? They were at the steakhouse she liked – the one Harold had brought her to on their first actual date. She loved this place…
“Well, ah…”
“We usually go to Blue.”
Christine scrunched her nose. “That seafood restaurant?” It was incredibly exclusive and sold all sorts of fancy, rare fish. “Oh, I don’t like seafood.”
The female smirked. “Your pack usually pan
ders to my alpha – he adores Blue. It’s just interesting to meet the female more important than that.”
Christine blushed, and when she made her way back to their table, she kissed Harold on the cheek and ordered an enormous steak.
Chapter Thirty
Christine loved her new position within the pack, and Harold liked having her there.
He couldn’t make lunch with her every day, and she didn’t keep his lengthy hours, but he liked knowing she was so close. He even found himself traveling down two floors to see her on a regular basis – he became more interested in the details of the pack projects than he ever had before.
Everyone who worked on her floor was shocked to see him – he hadn’t been down there since the first day he started in that job. It made them all nervous, thinking he was checking up on them, but honestly, he would just take any excuse he could to visit and spend time with Christine.
His phone rang and thinking it to be Christine, Harold snatched it up. Yep, when he couldn’t get down to her floor, he called her. Jeez, he was like a lovesick teenager.
“How dare you keep my daughter from me?”
No, it wasn’t the gentle twang of his wife, it was the raging fury of his father-in-law, Cole.
“What are you talking about?” rumbled Harold, in no mood for the other male’s nonsense.
“You won’t even allow Christy to speak to her family!” exploded Cole and Harold had to hold the receiver away from his ear, lest he suffer a burst eardrum. “She won’t even talk to us on the phone anymore because of you.”
Harold raised an eyebrow. His wolf was snarling, but he was actually a mite surprised by this news. He had thought Christine called her family every day. He had no problem with that – their vitriolic rants about him didn’t seem to affect her opinion of him.
“You won’t get away with this!” howled Cole before hanging up.
Harold huffed and replaced the receiver, staring at it in wonder. He really should screen his calls. That was surely something that could be passed along to him in a message.
Christine knocked and came into his office, beaming. She was wearing a fairly tight, knitted dress that highlighted her sexy curves, and her abundant hair was flowing free.