“I’m a Sagittarius.” She took another drink, emptying her second Lemon Drop of the night. “You know I’m a perfect fit for a Leo. Horoscopically speaking.” She frowned. “Horo—Horiscopically?”
“Do you mean astrologically?”
She laughed so hard at her mistake, she held on to the edge of the table to keep from bowling over. “That’s it. Horoscopically.” She shook her head and then snorted, covering her hand over her mouth. “You’d think I’d have a better way with words, seeing as how it’s my job…”
“I’ve never read your column, so I can’t attest to your way with words…” He rested his arm the back of her chair. “But I can definitely say you have a way with your mouth.”
The air ripped from her lungs. He was a player, toying with her emotions. But if she wasn’t mistaken, he’d also brought over her drink, pulled out her chair, and had kindly introduced her to just about everyone at the event.
She didn’t have a calendar full of dates to compare this one against, but he’d been a complete gentleman. A surprise.
“I’ve never bought much into horoscopes before, but I’m interested,” he whispered, scooting closer. “What do they say about us?”
Us.
Fireworks of tension and desire soared through Melina’s limbs, and then exploded, leaving her tingly and warm.
“They’re—we’re—both fire signs,” she said, as he completely turned her way. “So a relationship between the two—between us—is supposed to be fiercely passionate.” Like fireworks. She willed the blush in her cheeks to return to their natural color before continuing on. “We’re loyal, powerhouses, full of energy, and work perfectly as a team.”
“Very interesting.” He eyed her intently. “Perfect together, huh?”
Heat radiated through the space between them, nailing her in place. Her breath came out in pants as his gaze raked over her face, her neck, down to her breasts. Desire licked up and down her body as if it were his tongue. She trembled, sensing the need building inside him.
She’d never been more in tune with a man in all her life.
This had to be an expertly-timed facade.
Hayden couldn’t be the kind of man she’d witnessed this week, could he?
Had she been wrong about everything?
“What do you say we get out of here? This tux is strangling me,” he said, loosening his tie, “and I’ve been to a thousand of these before. I already bought the seats, which means I’ve already made my donation.”
And she’d already witnessed how Hayden networked, which would absolutely go into her article.
“Ladies and gentleman,” Laurie announced near the coral reef tank. “If you’d take your seats, we’d like to thank our gracious sponsors for their warm hearts…and deep pockets.”
Laughter spread through the room as the last of the guests took their seats.
“What about dinner?” Melina asked, heart drumming overtime.
“If you’re hungry, I know a place not far from here that serves amazing seafood.” He took out his phone and tapped a text. “If you’re worried about wasting the food here, I’ll have the plates served to empty seats sent to homeless shelters.”
There it was. Another glimpse into the hidden part of Hayden’s soul. She could put this in the article. Multi-millionaire donates money to aquarium, extra food to shelters for hungry and homeless. She didn’t have to change a thing.
He truly was generous, wasn’t he?
In the dark, Hayden’s features shifted. His grin wasn’t sly, and not one ulterior motive burned behind his sultry eyes.
“Honestly,” he whispered, “I feel like there are thousands of eyes on us in this place. After all the schmoozing we just did, I’m craving some peace and quiet. What do you think?”
“Okay.” Something inside her cracked like a twig. “Let’s go.”
If this was the real Hayden Dean, she wanted more of it.
As Hayden pulled out her chair, the way a gentleman would, and led her across the floor, Laurie thanked the sponsors by name. The guests clapped wildly for each one. When they got to the platinum sponsor, the one person responsible for donating more than five million dollars each year to the growth of the program, Hayden pushed open the outside door and escorted her through. But not before Laurie announced his name.
The aquarium went wild with applause and cheers.
Hayden didn’t even flinch as he grabbed Melina by the hand and escorted her out the doors to his sports car parked at the curb.
Chapter Thirteen
After seeing Merrick and his groupies at the aquarium benefit, Hayden knew he and Melina couldn’t stay. Those guys weren’t rogues—they hadn’t made their loyalty known yet—but they weren’t happy with the change of leadership in the pack.
And they’d taken a keen interest in Melina.
They had to get out of there.
He was just happy she’d gone along with him. Since they were dressed up and starving, he didn’t want to drop her off at home, and the only thing waiting for him at his place was a microwave meal. He could’ve called up for food, but why bother the staff?
No, a quaint, quiet restaurant on the end of Pier 39 would do fine.
It’d started raining shortly after they arrived, driving away most of the tourists.
They were alone.
“I have to admit, I’ve lived in San Francisco my entire life, and I’ve never eaten here.” Melina popped a piece of calamari into her mouth, and then worked on emptying her second glass of Chardonnay. “I thought tourism would’ve made this place go straight to the dogs. I’m happy to say I was wrong.”
To the dogs. Hayden laughed mid-drink and snorted wine through his nostrils. Tannins burned like a son of a bitch.
He toasted her glass. “Being wrong isn’t something every woman will admit.”
“Well I’m not like every woman,” she rebutted, grinning.
She was absolutely right. She was unlike any other woman Hayden had ever met. The women who crossed his path were usually offering themselves on silver platters by now.
But not Melina.
She challenged him in every way, and it was incredibly refreshing. Not only was she irritatingly stubborn, but he couldn’t seem to keep his distance from her. He wanted to pick her brain, ask her what she thought about the pack and the problems he’d been having there. She left out the bullshit because she wasn’t intimidated by him.
Given all that, she was surprisingly tender. And soft. When she smiled, it illuminated something inside him. Happiness bloomed through his chest when she laughed, and he couldn’t help but laugh with her.
She was quite possibly the most perfect person in the world for him.
She stole another piece of calamari and leveled him with a curious stare. “What drew you to donate to the aquarium? Five million a year is really generous.”
“I tried to get you out of there before you heard that.”
“You don’t have to hide,” she said. “I still don’t understand why you do.”
Letting people in meant people were closer to the truth. He was a wolf. Future Alpha of one of the strongest packs in the country. He’d learned to survive by closing out the world and letting them think what they wanted to think. As long as he did right by his family, friends, and the pack, he was solid.
As he chewed over how to answer her question, the rain ceased and the clouds parted, offering a glimpse of the full moon. Its shifting energy pierced through the window, and hummed through Hayden’s gut.
As a turned wolf, he could only shift during the full moon. Controlling the urge was difficult, but he’d learned to manage it. That didn’t mean he didn’t ache to blow through this form and embrace the power of his other.
He took a bite of lemon-crusted salmon before saying, “My mother was a fan of the arts. She worked closely with Serephina Vanguard—one of the city’s brightest visionaries—to keep the arts protected and treasured. While Serephina preferred the museums and opera hous
es, my mother loved animals. The aquarium was her favorite. She liked the rays, especially.”
“That explains a lot.” Melina stared through him, her gaze burning deep. “Does your mother still live in the city?”
“No, she’s long gone now.” His biological mother had been a non-shifter, though he wasn’t about to tell Melina that. And there’d be no record of Cara Dean, Angus’s late wife, if Melina wanted to go searching. “She died when I was thirteen.”
“I’m so sorry.” She averted her eyes to the street behind him, and her shoulders rolled forward. “That’s terrible. You were at such an impressionable age.”
He nodded, the memories of her death slicing through him. “She was killed in a car accident.”
Unable to finish the thought, Hayden drank to soothe the ache in his chest. It didn’t work. If Hayden hadn’t been attacked and left for dead on the streets…if Angus hadn’t found him and finished the transition himself, Hayden would’ve died. Angus had a heart of gold, a soft spot for helping wolves in trouble.
“It’s a blessing you had your father. Angus worked hard to build an empire for you.”
“His whole life was dedicated to it.” He chased a bite of salmon with a gulp of wine. “But I’d rather not talk anymore about my family, if that’s all right with you.”
She shook her head slowly, taking him in with those mesmerizingly beautiful eyes.
“You’re so different than you were before.” She leaned over the table, clasping her hands in front of her. “Can I ask you something before you close off completely?”
“What makes you think I’ll do that?”
She tsk’d her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Come on. I think I know your games by now.”
“All right, then.” He pushed his hips out and leaned back in the chair. “Go on.”
“Who’s the real Hayden Dean?” Her voice was soft. Hesitant. “The one from the shelter, and the aquarium…the one sitting in front of me right now? Or are you the Hayden Dean on the covers of the magazines?”
“You want to know the real me? Ask away.” He swiped the napkin over his mouth. “But is this for you, or the article?”
“This is for me. Off the record.”
He wasn’t sure, and something told him she wasn’t either.
Better to give her a boundary.
“Five questions,” he said. “But the trade-off is I don’t want you following me to the office anymore.”
“Why?”
Too risky. She’d already been seen there once. It’d be safer if they didn’t make their behavior a pattern. If the rogue wolves caught on to the fact that Hayden had taken a liking to Melina, she’d have a huge target pinned to her back.
“I have my reasons,” he said. “That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.”
“Fine.” She motioned for the waitress to refill her wine glass. “I’ve already seen all I need to see there, anyway. Don’t you ever feel the need to get a law degree to join the ranks of the others in the building?”
“Already have one.” He finished off his salmon. “Stanford Law. That’s one down.”
“No, wait.” She pointed across the table. “That wasn’t one of my questions.”
“It was phrased as one. You’ve got four left. I’d suggest making them count.”
She fumed, her eyes narrowing.
Damn, she was cute.
“Why bother getting a degree,” she said, each word deliberate, “if you don’t have plans to practice law?”
“Because once upon a time, my father had hopes I’d take over every part of his empire.” He sighed, resting his fork on the edge of his plate. “My family tried hard to push me into the courtroom for years, but it’s not my thing. I’m much more interested in…organizing movement within the company, I guess you could say.” The movement of the werewolf guards in the city, to be specific. “I make my own hours, and take on projects as they come to me.”
“And you feel like that’s enough? You don’t have any desire to be a lawyer? To follow in your father’s footsteps?”
“I’ll take that as one really long question.” He smirked as she shot daggers from her eyes. “I don’t have to shadow my father’s path in life to honor him in death.” It was the simplest way to put it. Hayden wanted to rule the wolf pack, but law wasn’t for him. Never had been. “I will work closely with certain groups within his business structure. That satisfies my needs. For now.”
He had other needs, though, and they wouldn’t be appeased as easily. Being close to Melina this way, alone in the corner of the restaurant, made him wild with want. Tension coiled through his body, hardening his muscles to the point of pain. Restricting himself was becoming an impossible feat. How much longer would he be able to go without touching her, kissing her?
What he wouldn’t give for one taste of her succulent flesh…
He’d heard the Luminary bond was undeniable and maddening, but this—this feeling never eased. He was ravenous. Hungry to taste her, feel her heart beat against him as he held her close.
“Hayden?” She placed her hand over his and shook. “Are you okay?”
Her touch awakened something inside him. The lust clouding his brain cleared. Melina stared, her eyebrows raised and her forehead crinkled.
“I will be.” He had to claim Melina as his own and drive deep into her warmth, or get the hell away from her before he combusted. “That’s another question by the way.” He laughed when she growled in frustration. “You’ve got one left.”
As the waitress arrived at their table, Melina ordered the chocolate mousse cake. Rather than disappear to the back to retrieve desert, the waitress hesitated, her gaze bouncing between them.
“I have to ask…” The waitress fiddled with her pen. “…is this your first date? The staff has bets going.”
“No,” Hayden blurted, reciting the lines he’d said a hundred times over. “We’re here on business. She’s writing an article on me for Celeb Crush.”
The waitress smiled, cocking her hip to the side. “That’s what I thought,” she talked so quietly, she nearly purred. “I’ll be right back with that cake.”
As Hayden brought his attention back to Melina, she smiled tightly.
“If what’s happening here is only business,” she said, swiping her finger round and round her empty wine glass, “then why’d you kiss me in your office?”
She sensed their connection.
The blood drained from his face. “I think you’ve fired off enough rounds of questions.”
“Oh, no, no, no, Mr. I’m-Going-To-Count-Every-Damn-Question.” She pointed a finger at his chest. “I’ve used four. I have one left.”
As Hayden fought to find the words, his mouth dried. He licked his lips to return the moisture, but it didn’t work. Suppressing the desire to kiss her again, to show her how much he wanted her, Hayden folded his arms over his chest.
The waitress brought the cake, set it between them, and hovered longer than usual. If she said something to either of them, he didn’t hear it over the buzzing in his ears. When she left them alone once more, Hayden picked up the fork and slid it through the center of the cake. As he lifted it to his mouth, he realized there was more than one way to answer her final question.
“If this was the most delicious cake in the world, smelling like heaven and tasting like ecstasy, and you knew one taste would ruin every other cake in the world for you, would you sample it?”
Her lips fell apart, and he could hear her heart begin to race.
She bit her lower lip. “Are you asking me if I want some?”
“No, I’m answering your final question.” He shoved the cake in his mouth and savored the rich chocolate tang as it hit his tongue. “I couldn’t resist sampling you.” He set the fork on the edge of the plate and licked the flavors from his lips. Her gaze landed on his tongue and her breathing quickened. “As much as I enjoyed it, kissing you was a mistake. One forbidden bite, one luscious taste, will have to be enough.”
>
As the words hit him as truth, a pang of regret jolted him like a thunderbolt. He felt sick. Either the cake was bad, or Melina had gotten under his skin. He couldn’t breathe without picking up her scent. Couldn’t think without seeing her face in his mind. If he sat across from her much longer, he was liable to haul her against him. The waitress wouldn’t believe their relationship was strictly business once Hayden’s face was buried in Melina’s neck.
“Excuse me.” He pushed back from the table and stood before she could answer. “I need some air.”
He paid for the bill before pushing out the doors and striding down the street. The air was cool and crisp, smelling of salty sea spray and seafood from the restaurants on the pier. He didn’t look back to see if Melina had followed, but when a draft of cool air whipped through the pier and smacked into him, hints of her aroma were carried with it.
“Damn it.” He spun, and watched her charge at him. He blew out a breath and lifted his arms from his sides. “Go back inside.”
“I don’t know why you haven’t received the memo by now, but I don’t take orders from anyone.” She stood her ground, inches from him. “Why does it feel like you are constantly fighting a battle between who you are and who you want to be?”
“What do you want from me, Melina?”
“You.” Her eyes went wide, as if she hadn’t meant to say it. “I mean, I want to know what motivates you to act the way you do. I want to know what you want. Truly, deep down inside. Is it fame? Money? Prestige? Women falling all over you?”
“Not all women.” He closed the space between them. “Just one.”
As waves of desire flashed through him, he gripped the back of her neck and smashed his mouth to hers. She whimpered, throwing her arms around him. Blinding heat exploded through his body as she thrust her tongue into his mouth. The tantalizing scent of her arousal hit him hard, nearly buckling his knees. He hauled her against him, lifted her off her feet, and swallowed her whimpers of delight. Nothing existed but her taste, her smell, her lips, and warm, cavernous mouth.
The Werewolf Wears Prada (Entangled Covet) (San Francisco Wolf Pack) Page 10