“You ready to go guys and gals?” Donte asked, walking in as if he hadn’t been listening outside his brother’s front door. Max took a calming breath, before nodding once. Donte had always pushed the limit on everything, especially Max’s patience, but he was a damn good Beta. Everyone in the pack loved him, especially the women. He was five years younger than Max though so everyone focused on him settling down instead of his brother.
“Looking sharp bro. What part of town does your date live so I can tell the driver?”
“He’s not taking anyone,” Cindy offered, too much amusement in her voice for Max’s comfort.
“Let’s go,” he clipped, brushing past his brother towards the limo outside.
Donte laughed. “This ought to be interesting.”
“Oh leave your poor brother alone,” his mother scolded, though the firmness wasn’t there.
Chapter 5
“I need a shot of liquid courage ASAP,” Lucy said, yanking down the hem of her dress before pulling the plunging neckline together at her breasts. She couldn’t believe she let Gretta talk her into buying the dress. Sure it was flattering; the A-line style whittled her upper waist while skimming over her hips and down to the top of her knee. She couldn’t help but feel self-conscious of her thunder thighs though as the dress rode up in the rear thanks to her large asset while her heavy breasts weighed down the top half despite her bra beneath helping bear her load.
“Stop,” Gretta fussed. “You look great. If I swung that way, even I’d do you tonight.”
“Thanks. You look great too,” Lucy smiled, grabbing two glasses of champagne off the trey as the cute, young blonde waiter passed by her. She handed one to Gretta, reassessing her dress. Gretta had gone with a sparkling, navy blue dress several inches shorter than Lucy’s. It hugged her all around, gathering in one spot just below the center of her chest, a flowing tail dangling perfectly in the front to disguise her pudgy stomach.
“Thanks. Now let’s get down to business. There’s an awful lot of eye candy to sort through tonight. Let’s shuffle around the room and take it all in.”
***
Max nearly choked on his drink, which he inadvertently downed at the sight of Lucy. His eyes widened as he traveled the length of her, his inner wolf stirring within. He gripped his glass, unaware of the strength he was exuding not to whisk her into his arms and escape with her until the glass shattered within his palm, cutting him.
All the wolves in the room turned to their Alpha. They were acutely aware of him and his needs. It was his job to take care of them as much as it was their job to care for him. He knew their eyes were following his to beautiful Lucy, laughing with her best friend as they grabbed a couple glasses of champagne.
Donte slapped his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’ll take her friend home if you want to make your move,” he smiled knowingly.
Max rolled his shoulders, dismissing his brother as he took a calming breath. The problem? He couldn’t calm down. He’d never seen Lucy be so daring in her attire, be so bold in her seduction of him. Even her perfectly pedicured red nails were alluring, peeping out of her four-inch black heels. His heart thudded loudly in his head; he couldn’t even focus on his mother cleaning his hand or the server quickly discarding the broken glass. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
He watched the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed; he longed to breathe her in, to run his hands through her silky strands, to kiss the divot between her breasts; boobs he wanted to man-handle.
“Son!” His mother’s sharp whisper drew him from his agonizing assessment. “Either go to her or get yourself under control. Your eyes are starting to darken and glow.”
“Shit,” he bit out, averting his gaze to the ugly, hotel carpet. This wasn’t good; he couldn’t lose control in front of his entire staff and pack like this.
“Told you you wouldn’t be able to hold off forever,” Donte chuckled. He narrowed his eyes at his brother, growling a low warning. That only sent him further into a fit of laughter.
“I’m going for a walk,” he stated, storming off. He had almost walked out, but abruptly stopped at the subject of Lucy and Gretta’s conversation.
“The mailroom boy is cute,” Gretta said, a bit of amusement in her tone.
“Egh. If I’m going to take a man home tonight, I want someone with more experience than a few frat orgies. There’s not one woman alive who’s left one of those satisfied,” Lucy replied.
Every muscle in Max’s already tense body nearly surrendered to the shift. Over his dead body would she be with another man tonight. His body spun around of its own accord. That was it. She’d broken his long prided control.
He marched straight up to her, the shock on her face priceless as he glared down at her. She visibly swallowed as he yanked the glass of champagne from her shaking hand, passing it to her friend before he pulled her soft body against his hard, capturing her lips with a brutal, long-over-do kiss that was intense enough to have caused the Wall of China to crumble.
Chapter 6
Lucy’s heart threatened to break through her chest. Every part of her was aware of him; aware of his strong hands gripping her stuffing with enthusiasm. Her mind reeled as she reveled in the way his lips, both soft and hard, pressed firmly to hers; his tongue dipping to taste her, leaving his heady flavor behind. She wanted to be pinched, but then she would be woken from her dream. Certainly this was a dream. Her crush couldn’t really be attracted her.
Max finally pulled back. His eyes locked on hers and remained there, even as everyone clapped and cheered around them. She glanced around, blushing profusely. She’d been craving this moment since the second she laid eyes on Max two years ago, but never imagined it in front of an audience, a crowd of Hollywood look-alikes that made her look like a Ford Bronco in a room of sleek Mini Coopers.
Her skin was on fire as hands continued their caress. Lucy looked at her friend, who was grinning so wide she was surprised she didn’t have Asian eyes. Gretta looked ready to squeal as she broke out into the chicken dance.
“Come with me,” Max ordered rather than asked.
Lucy nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She was a jittery ball of anxious nerves that would certainly make herself look like a bigger bumbling fool than she already felt like.
“Hello snookums,” Donte flirted with Gretta, subtly assuring Lucy that he’d see her friend home.
***
Max led Lucy out of the ballroom, ignoring the smug looks from his pack mates. He’d deal with whatever heat they gave him after he finally claimed his mate. He tried to reign himself in. He was a testosterone bomb ready to go off at any second. His wolf was damn near purring at the thought of her beneath him; which was a damn shame considering dogs weren’t supposed to purr.
He glanced sideways at Lucy as he stalked to the front desk of the posh hotel. He threw down his black card. “Book me the best suite you have available for the rest of the weekend,” he ordered. He grinned devilishly at his mate, her brown eyes wide with both fear and excitement. He raised a brow at her; it was the ‘speak now or forever hold your peace’ offer. She didn’t move; didn’t make any indication that this wasn’t what she wanted.
“Here you are Mr. Banks. I’ve booked the penthouse suite for you through Monday. Please call us should you need anything at all sir,” the front desk clerk smiled, emphasizing the word ‘anything’ as she took in Lucy with a polite, yet disbelieving stare.
“Sure,” he replied curtly, grabbing the items off the granite counter.
He nearly dragged Lucy to the elevators, her heels slowing her down. Without notice, he whisked her up into his arms.
“Oh my god!” she exclaimed, wrapping her hands tightly around his neck. “Are you crazy? I’ll break you! Put me down!” She was horrified and mortified, her cheeks red with color, her eyes fearing the inevitable give-out of his arms that wouldn’t come.
“I’m not even breaking a sweat,” he chuckled, thankful for his were strengt
h.
She pulled back warily, studying his face for any indication of strain. “Are you juicing?” she asked. He nearly choked on the air.
“What makes you say that?” he pressed, a frown on his face.
“I’m not exactly a size two; more like the minimum weight limit to bench press for the Heavy Hitters He-man contest.”
The creases in his brow deepened. “If I ever hear you talk about yourself like that again, I will spank you, right after I make you strip in front of the mirror and watch me kiss every inch of you,” he warned, leaning in close as he delivered his stern warning. Her breath caught; her pulse skipped a beat. Her heart thundered, sprinting down the race track; he could tell she was envisioning his words.
The ding of the elevator brought them back to reality.
Chapter 7
Lucy struggled to believe this was really happening, especially after watching Max date all those Barbies. She had just about reached the fuck-it point, the point where she would throw caution to the wind and let him do whatever he wanted to her for as long as he pleased, when he delivered her insecurities to her on a silver platter. She could never let him see her naked, not after the string of supermodels he’d had in his bed. She would never compare physically to them. She had more; a lot more of everything on her, and it wasn’t exactly pretty to look at in the light.
Max carried her over the threshold, crushing her lips to his the second he kicked the door shut behind them. A moment later she felt herself being settled against sheets softer than a baby’s bottom; he cradled the back of her head gently before laying it on the pillows. Everything about him was rough and his moves were urgent, yet that single move made her feel like maybe she was more than just a fuck for him.
Abruptly he broke away from her, leaping off the bed and going to stand by the door. He ran his hand through his black hair, yanking on the overgrown locks as he cursed under his breath. His movements were jerky as he took off his suit jacket, tossing it on a chair by the window. Lucy remained exactly where he’d left her, afraid to move; she braced herself for the impending, “I’m sorry, but this was a mistake,” but it didn’t come. He paced the room, sending her nerves to hell and back several times. He was anxious; every time he looked at her, a small groan or sigh escaped him.
“Shit. This isn’t how I wanted to do things,” he started, officially avoiding eye contact with her.
Lucy sat up, certain this was the opening line of her prediction. She swallowed the lump in her throat, fighting the tears that threatened to prick her eyes. She knew it was too good to be true; no fat girl ever landed the hot guy in the real world. Hell, even romance novels reinforced that. The heroine was always fit and fantastic; the opposite of her fat and fluffy.
She tried to distance herself emotionally from the situation as he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I will not cry in front of him. I will not give him the satisfaction of knowing he’s gotten to me in any way,” Lucy thought to herself.
***
“I, uh, need to tell you something before we take things any further,” Max stated. He looked everywhere but at her. He didn’t want to see her reaction when he told her the truth. He didn’t know what he’d do if she did actually go running for the hills.
He heard her take a deep, steadying breath. He gathered the last of his resolve, trying to control his wolf for a little longer to at least tell her what she’d be sleeping with. “I’m a werewolf,” he blurted.
When the silence became too much for him, he chanced a peek at her. A delicate brow was raised, her face lighting up with amusement as she tried to hold back a laugh. “You seriously brought me up here to tell me you’re a werewolf?”
“Well, no. I mean yes. I mean- Shit.” Damn she wound him up and tangled his stomach.
“Are you going to tell me Edward’s real too?” she smirked, her eyes sparkling as they took him in confidently. At least she was back to the Lucy he knew every day at work: smart, sassy and sexy. She pursed her plump lips. He gripped the door frame, cracking the wood to keep himself firmly in place across the room. He groaned as he pictured her lips sucking his cock.
“I’m being serious.”
“Uh huh. Well, that’s about the worst cock-a-mammy story I’ve ever heard a man tell to get rid of a girl. If you only wanted to kiss me, you could have stopped there. All this was really unnecessary.” She threw her arms out suggestively at the room as she slid off the bed. She nearly stumbled as her footing waivered. He was at her side in an instant to catch her. His hands flew out to her waist, stabilizing her. “I’m fine,” she grumbled. “You can let go of me. It’s these stupid heels. I swear designers never take into consideration that the average woman is a size fourteen when they make these slinky shoes for a size two.” She bent over, using the bed as leverage, and yanked off the offending shoes. His cock jerked at the show her revealing dress gave of her breasts when she leaned forward. He groaned, barely holding back the dog within him that wanted to rub his nose between them.
She looked up at him, a frown firmly in place. He knew the second her confidence began to slip again. His heart nearly broke at the vulnerability in her stare. She reminded him of a wounded animal; a wounded wolf. “I’ll just be going,” she resigned. “Consider this my notice that I’ll be out sick on Monday too.”
“Stop,” he threw out his arm, catching her around her waist. “I know I’ve totally fucked this up, but I’m being serious.” He threw his eyes to the ceiling, racking his brain for another idea, but couldn’t come up with one. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this,” he grated under his breath. He locked eyes with her, his heart again leaping at the defenselessness he saw. “Promise me you won’t run. In fact, promise me you won’t move at all. My wolf is really attracted to you and I’m barely maintaining control right now.”
***
Lucy bit her lower lip, unsure of whether or not to indulge him. Finally she nodded her head once. Max took a deep breath once she did, almost as if he hadn’t been breathing before.
“Good. Now sit on the bed, in the middle, and don’t move,” he ordered. She gave him a small smile, chuckling to herself, but obeyed nonetheless. He beamed his approval.
Lucy settled herself in the middle of the bed, unsure of what to expect. Her heart landed in her throat when he began stripping off his clothes. His muscles bulged and twitched with every move; he was in a rush, his hands shaking as he peeled away the layers. When all that was left were his boxer-briefs, she held her breath. She could tell he was aroused, his manhood straining against the cotton. With one quick pulled they were off and landed in the pile of clothes on the floor nearby.
Lucy thought she lost her pulse before it returned with a vengeance. Her mouth watered at the sight of his large member, standing erect, curving up towards his carved abs; heat warmed her sex at the thought of him sliding it inside her.
Lucy shivered as her gaze raked upwards to a very predatory glare. Max’s hands shook, his biceps vibrating, as he equally devoured her. “Stay still,” he ordered. Lucy licked her lips and nodded, no plans to argue with the golden god formulating.
Chapter 8
Lucy winced, nearly falling over when Max twisted and jerked before her, the crack of his bones echoing through the air. Within thirty seconds, a large, black wolf with honey brown eyes stood at the foot of the bed. “Holy fur fucker,” she gulped, unable to rip her eyes from the animal. She couldn’t think, couldn’t even begin to process what had just happened. Max didn’t move, merely maintained his ground.
She knew she should have been scared shitless, but she wasn’t. Like every brave blonde in the horror movies, she decided to be brave and investigate. Somehow, deep down, Lucy knew he wouldn’t hurt her. She grabbed hold of that fact and slowly inched her way off the bed. The second her bare feet hit the padded floor, Max crouched down. Knowing he probably was just unsure of what she was planning to do, she slowly extended her hand as she stalked towards him.
“I’m not going
to hurt you Max. I just want to touch your fur,” she prefaced her move. He remained down, staring up at her through half-veiled eyes that seemed to glow. She briefly wondered if he was seeing her in black and white or color.
Lucy slowly bent at her waist, reaching her hand down and gently petting his head. She ran her fingers through his fur, amazed at the feeling. His fur was soft and thick; it felt like a luxurious chenille blanket she wished she could wrap around her body and snuggle into. Max leaned into her touch. Lucy knelt down on the floor beside him, never relenting in her rub down.
“Holy guacamole. I can’t believe I’m actually petting a wolf, and not just any wolf, my freaking boss. My boss is a wolf; now that’s a World News headline,” she laughed.
One minute she was petting Max, the next he’d pinned her to the floor as a wolf before shifting in a split second. He hovered over her, his eyes drinking her in; his jaw grinding. “I’m sorry Lucy, but I can’t wait any more.”
“What are you-“ she started before releasing a shocked scream when Max lifted her dress and ripped her new lace panties off with his teeth. She quickly tried to close her legs and cover herself to no avail, but he was ruthless. Her eyes shot open, her arms stopping in mid-air in surprise when he leaned down and inhaled her sex.
“Oh, you are definitely my mate,” he grinned wolfishly.
“Huh? Come again?” She had to have heard him wrong.
Max slowly began to trail his lips up her skin as he lifted her dress over her head. She yelped when he ripped her bra in the front center, her hands flying to hold it together, to keep some part of herself covered. She was feeling very exposed. It didn’t help that he had the overhead light on.
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