by Haley Weir
Destiny walked slowly up the stairs. Red stockings ran from her feet to the tops of her thighs where they met a matching red lace garter belt and thong. Brock’s mouth water with anticipation as he followed his wife up the staircase. Each sway of her hips summoned another groan from his lips. He wanted to tear the corset in half for concealing her lush curves, but it looked expensive.
“Don’t you dare,” she tossed out, knowing exactly what he had been thinking. “If you break this, you’ll have to buy me another one.”
“You don’t need it. Get rid of it, but keep the rest.”
When they reached the bedroom, she climbed onto the bed and asked. “Don’t you think it’s sexy? I thought most guys liked it.”
“Most guys aren’t blessed with a mate that has the curves of a goddess. You deserve to be worshiped, Dezzy. Worshiped with my hands, my body, my mouth...you shouldn’t cover up the things I love about you,” he stated. “If I had my own way, you would never wear clothes again.”
Epilogue
Tilly attempted to juggle three boxes of craft supplies out to her car while the wind blew strands of hair into her mouth. She propped her foot up on the bumper to use her knee as a temporary shelf for one of the boxes as she dug around in her purse for her keys. Someone shouted her name from across the parking lot, so she stopped what she was doing to wave at them even though she would more than likely see them the following morning. Tilly’s fingers brushed her keys just as one of the boxes slipped.
A cloud of pink glitter shot up into the air and covered her in tiny metallic sparkles. No matter how many times she washed her laundry, there would be pink glitter until the end of time. Tilly conceded defeat and tossed the remaining boxes into the truck before slamming it. She brushed off her pants as best as she could before climbing into the car and driving to the one place she didn’t want to be.
Her car sputtered to a stop just outside of Kodiak Dating Agency where all of her friends seemed to find true love in the shape of a burly man-bear. Tilly always felt like she was so far out of the loop that she was a square sitting on the side lines. She snorted at her own shape-oriented joke and entered the only modern building in the entire town. “Pretentious,” Tilly muttered aloud to no one in particular.
There was no map to tell her where to go for her meeting, so she pressed the elevator button and then hit all of the ones with numbers, figuring she’d stop on every floor to see if someone recognized her. It wasn’t the most time effective method, but wasn’t really into texting and that seemed to be the agency’s preferred method of contact. Technology was not her strong suit.
After riding up seventeen floors, she finally arrived at the very top. Tilly stepped out of the elevator and into the cavernous office with marble walls and floors with an enormous window behind an oversized desk. She screwed up her nose in distaste as she took an uninvited seat in one of the chairs.
“You’re late,” someone observed.
Tilly stood up and cringed when a trail of glitter slid off of her clothes. Her embarrassment wasn’t helped when the most gorgeous man in existence stood less than three feet away judging her. “You weren’t too specific in your emails. I’m just here representing the school for a charity fundraiser coming up. I was hoping to speak with Mr. Adair, if he’s available.”
The man flashed a million dollar smile and straightened the panels on what looked to be an equally expensive jacket. “I’m sure I can find time to hear your pitch.”
“Pitch?”
“Your fundraiser proposal,” he replied condescendingly.
She gave him an equally disrespectful look. “It’s an elementary school fundraiser, which means it’ll most likely be a pizza party with too much soda, a bouncy house, and a lot of finger painting. Nothing too special, but it would mean a lot to the kids.”
“How much are you looking to get from sponsors?”
“The school had to cut its budget twice last year, so they’re looking for five thousand per sponsor to get the classrooms the materials they need.”
“They wouldn’t need new materials if their teachers wouldn’t wear them home.”
“The glitter was an accident—” Tilly cut herself off. “You know what? Never mind.”
She shoved her hands in her jean pockets and stormed toward the elevator. The door dinged instantly and she pressed the button for the ground floor. Before the doors could shut, a hand slipped in and forced them open again. Tilly gasped, jumping out of the way in fear he had been injured. “Are you insane?”
Michael Adair stepped into the elevator and with the way it lurched, she half expected the weight capacity light to turn on. He crowded her space until she her back was pressed against the wall as he hit the emergency stop button. This close, there was no mistaking how big he was. And his scent was a mixture between crisp linens, expensive cologne, and citrus.
Tilly tried to move away, but her body wouldn’t obey her mind. She gripped the lapels of his jacket and tugged his bottom lip with her teeth. He growled. Actually growled as he kissed her in a way that felt too violent to be considered anything other than a claiming. His large hands palmed her head and she felt his power. Michael tilted her to the perfect angle and her hands explored his chest. He wasn’t as gargantuan as his brother, so she was able to reach most of him.
The unchecked yearning that pooled in her gut felt dark and dangerous. Tilly pulled away and shoved him out of the elevator. She disengaged the stop button. Michael revealed a cunning smile. “Is this how you get all of your sponsors to fork up a little extra cash?”
This time, she made a move before the doors could close. She grabbed his shoulders like she was going in for another kiss, but kneed him between the legs and smeared the last of her lipstick on his cheek. “Good luck washing the glitter off of that suit,” she sneered, moving back to press the button again. He knelt on the ground, clutching his manly bits as she smiled down at him. “There, now you look like you had a good time with my services. If you’re going to slander my name by insinuating that I’m a prostitute, I’ll take you down with me.”
The sheer satisfaction that came over her in the elevator made her feel giddy with excitement. Tilly even skipped all the way out to her car. It didn’t matter that she, once again, failed to get his name on the sponsor list. What mattered was that she left with her dignity in tact. Well, partially. She grimaced as she caught sight of her appearance in the reflection of her car window.
***
The last thing Michael Adair expected when the glitter-covered schoolmarm walked into his office was her spirit. He would bet with some motivation she would argue him under the table...or do other things to him under the table. A lustful smile slithered upon his lips...God, those lips. He could still taste her on his tongue and he wanted more.
Part of him was tired of his usual bed partner; meaningless rolls in the sheets without so much as a favorite movie in common. The other part knew relationships were dangerous. He understood women on a marketing level. They were his biggest demographic, but outside of work he had to witness the absolute ridiculousness that his friends put up with.
He desperately wanted to get his hands beneath her teal cardigan and peel off the jeans that fit her like a second skin. Michael wanted to remove everything except her glasses. There was something about her in glasses that made the color of her eyes stand out. He licked his lips and wondered how far she would have taken it. Would she have let him do the things he wanted?
But there were more pressing matters to address. Corey Reed-Collier being one of the many. Michael had his plate full, he couldn’t afford to get distracted by the likes of her. He hadn’t even gotten her name, and yet, he wanted to pin her hips to his desk and make her scream for mercy.
That wasn’t all, though, was it? No, something else had crept up in his mind. He felt it as clear as he felt the change. But it was impossible for him to have a mate. Right? Michael didn’t know what having a mate felt like because he had no interest in romance. Love was
an enterprise, a market to capitalize on and nothing more. That was what he told himself when he sat in his office all night, busying himself with pointless paperwork and tireless investigations into Hydra.
Hydra, he thought. That was a name to twist his guts. Everything about the covert collector of so-called abominations made him sick. However, a fascinating tidbit that Corey let slip had been consuming his mind lately. Michael sat at his desk, eager to clear his thoughts of the schoolteacher, and flipped open the file that contained Dorian’s report of the incident in the forest.
“Harken Maverick, Victor Neese, Logan Vetti, and Dominic Salvator. “They’re contract hunters and mercenaries more than anything. Not long before Hydra dispatched my crew and I to Haden Springs, he started to breed different species of his own creation. So far, the only thing to come from it was a freakish Frankenstein’s Monster sort of werewolf and bear shifter hybrid. These men were part of a different team, ordered to round up shapeshifters.”
He needed to learn more about the freakish hybrid that seemed to make the former commander nervous. Michael packed up his things to head to the loft. It wasn’t unusual for him to work from home when the office was slow in the afternoon, so he walked down to the parking lot. Right beside his nineteen-seventy Dodge Charger was the troublesome school teacher.
She had one foot braced on the door of her car while the other was planted firmly on the ground. Michael watched as she yanked back on the handle as far as it could go and then shook her entire body to give it a jiggle without releasing the tension. He took the opportunity to admire her figure. It worked until he was rudely interrupted by the sound of her grating voice. “Hey! Don’t just stand there, help me. Please.”
Michael rolled his eyes with an ungentlemanly scuff. He assisted her as best he could without wrinkling his suit, but it was impossible. Actually, he could have torn the handle off entirely if he wanted. Though seeing her struggle was fun, that was before she insisted he give her a ride home as repayment for his earlier insults.
“What’s your name so I can bill you for the gas and inconvenience?”
“People call me Tilly and that’s all you’re getting,” she snapped.
The trunk opened, but the sight of rainbow-colored pipe cleaners, confetti, noodle art, and even more glitter made him want to call the whole thing off. Tilly ignored his protests and shoved the boxes into his trunk space. She even wiped something sticky on his hand. “Don’t be such a drama queen.”
“Excuse me?!”
“Look, I get it Mr. Scrooge. You don’t want to share your money. Thank you for the ride home and all, but you act like you’ve never seen arts and craft supplies.”
Michael slid in behind the wheel. When she buckled her seatbelt, he tore out of the parking lot with squealing tires and cloud of exhaust. “So, Tilly, have you ever used my agency?” he asked nonchalantly.
“Is this your way of asking if I’m single?”
“No!” Michael exclaimed. “Of course not.”
“Calm down, I was joking. But no, I don’t use your agency. I’m subscribed, but I haven’t gone in for orientation.”
“Why?”
“I just don’t have time. My schedule is pretty much full with all of the things I do at the school.”
“How about this,” Michael began. “You use my agency for three weeks and I’ll donate fifteen thousand dollars to the fundraiser.”
She didn’t answer right away, but Tilly gave him directions to her house. “I promise to go back and get my car. Only Dorian Chandler seems to know how to fix it for longer than a week.”
“What about my offer?”
“For the kids? I’d do anything,” Tilly stated firmly. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
*****
Michael’s Secret
CHAPTER ONE
Haden Springs
Wyoming
The bell rang and the students ran from the class without sparing a second glance at their teacher. When the room was finally quiet, Tilly Riker shut her eyes for a moment and sighed. Four weeks until Spring Break, she reminded herself. It wasn't that she didn't like her job—in fact, she loved it—but all she wanted was to sit down in front of the fire with a glass of wine and get through the plans for the fundraiser. Tilly stood up from her desk and took a stroll around the classroom.
Globs of sticky glue speckled the surface of the worktables, scraps of paper littered the floor, and glitter twinkled in the fluorescent lights. Tilly grabbed a broom and swept up as much of the mess as she could before using the vacuum. She scrubbed, scraped, and picked at every bit of the mess. After the desks were washed and the bag in the trash bin had been tied, Tilly collapsed back into her chair and glanced out the window. Warm hues of orange and pink streaked across the sky.
She looked at her phone and grimaced. She had six missed calls from Sapphire and four unread texts from Jenny. Tilly dialed Sapphire first, just to get the less-than-gentle scolding over with. “Where have you been?!” her friend screeched.
“I’m still at the school. The kids had an art project today. We’re visiting the senior center tomorrow and I wanted them to have something to bring with.”
“That doesn’t explain why you didn’t answer your phone after class?”
Tilly pinched the bridge of her nose. “I was cleaning. There was a mess everywhere and I would rather have done it tonight then tomorrow morning.”
“Fine. It’s a valid excuse...for now.”
“Why?” she asked. “What was so important that you had to call me six times?”
“You missed the meeting with the book club.”
“We hardly ever talk about books anymore.” Tilly stood up and gathered her things, balancing the phone between her ear and her shoulder. “All we talk about is relationships and hunters and bear shifters...and isn’t there a jaguar now as well?”
“Destiny’s brother, Corey.”
“Right,” Tilly uttered. “Whatever that’s about.” She locked up her classroom and stepped into the hall. Lights illuminated the empty corridor as she walked through the school, taking care to lock up behind herself as she exited the building. Her little rust-bucket of a car was the only one left in the parking lot. Tilly screwed her nose up in a weird expression as Sapphire ranted about her bear shifter husband’s feet stinking up the house. “He’s a firefighter, Saph. He works long hours and runs into burning buildings for a living. Give the guy a break.”
“I thought bears weren’t supposed to sweat!”
“That doesn’t mean they can’t get a little ripe,” she chuckled, balancing two bags and a giant box. “Look, I have to leave early after we visit the senior center for orientation at the agency. After I’m done there, I’ll stop by the bookshop and see you. We can talk then, but I’m sort of lacking the extra arms necessary to maintain this conversation and get home in one piece.”
“You’re actually going through with it?”
“I made a deal with the devil that says I have to. Michael wouldn’t agree to sponsor the fundraiser unless I made a deal with him that I’ll using his dating agency.” Tilly set the box down beside the trunk. “I’ll do anything for these kids. You know that.”
“We could always hold him down and beat him until he agrees. ”
Tilly flinched involuntarily. Too much torture had been going on lately and hearing Sapphire joke about it made her feel a little nauseous. Her friend gasped on the other end and made a quick apology. Though Tilly didn’t know everything about what had happened to Brock and Anders in the hands of their enemy, she knew enough. “I’ll call you later. I really need to eat something.”
“See? This is why I’m fat! My friends always talk about food.”
“You’re fat because you’re pregnant,” Tilly argued. “Besides, I think we could all stand to lose a few pounds of our extra fluff.”
“Nah, Anders likes me fluffy. He says most bears prefer their women plus sized because they can handle more…” Sapphire began imitating cheesy porn
ographic noises and Tilly let out an amused snort. She hung up a second later and reached for the handle of her trunk. It wouldn’t budge. Tilly cursed under her breath and jiggled the locking mechanism before trying to yank it open. Nothing worked. She tried the doors, but those were stuck too. It left her with only one choice…calling someone for a ride home.
The last time her car messed up this bad was when she visited the Kodiak Dating Agency to petition Michael for his help with the fundraiser. She scoffed bitterly, remembering how her embarrassing meeting had ended. He had given her a ride home, but insisted on striking a deal as though his playboy billionaire reputation couldn’t handle the impact of helping out children in need. But what had Tilly flustered was the memory of what happened before her ride home.
Michael Adair stepped into the elevator and with the way it lurched; she half expected the weight capacity light to turn on. He crowded her space until she her back was pressed against the wall as he hit the emergency stop button. This close, there was no mistaking how big he was. And his scent was a mixture between crisp linens, expensive cologne, and citrus.
If she closed her eyes, she could still smell him. Tilly’s cheeks reddened further as she flipped open her phone to scroll through her contacts. Her thumb hovered over his name, but she was too much of a coward to call him.
Tilly tried to move away, but her body wouldn’t obey her mind. She gripped the lapels of his jacket and tugged his bottom lip with her teeth. He growled. Actually growled as he claimed her mouth in kiss that felt too violent to be considered anything other than a claiming. His large hands palmed her head and she felt his power. Michael tilted her to the perfect angle and her hands explored his chest. He wasn’t as gargantuan as his brother, so she was able to reach most of him.