Resisting Velocity

by Trinity Evans; Xoe Xanders

  If possible, his eyes grew even more intense, staring her down and showing the true alpha inside. His scent filled her, overwhelming her senses as he walked her back into a wall. She watched him with a mix of excitement and fear as she found herself trapped. His thighs caged her hips and his forearms pressed against the wall on either side of her head, the picture of dominance.

  “You’re the one having a hard time with the whole acceptance thing, though we’re making progress since you aren’t screaming at me like a shrew.” He paused, looked right into her eyes, his own swirling with emotion. “You’re. Mine. Deal with it.”

  Charlie didn’t realize she had been holding her breath until he slowly backed away and gave her the space she needed to be able to draw in a gasping breath of air.

  Dear lord, she had awakened his beast and it was the equivalent of hell breaking loose. Since she had the sinking feeling that he would grow bored of her sooner rather than later, she decided maybe she should let him win. Or rather, let him think that he’d won. Keeping her eyes on him, knowing she was the prey and being careful not to entice her captor, she raised a hand, hoping it resembled a sign of cease fire.

  “Friends with benefits. Take it or leave it. If you’re so sure that I’m the one you’re going to lay claim to, we might as well start there. I’m not going to let you put your mark on me and then have to deal with the aftermath when I’m correct and you grow bored of me.”

  She saw the fire flash through those molten eyes and hastily continued before he could open his mouth. “Prove me wrong. Put your money where your mouth is.”

  “You have no idea what you’ve just asked for.”

  “I think I do.”

  “Fine, but just so we’re clear on the terms, there are none. All’s fair in love and war, right, baby?”

  Figuring that more than enough had been said between the two of them, Charlie only nodded.

  “Then I’m going to spend some time with the guys, because I’m about to catch a whole lot of shit. Stay here and do us both a favor and be naked when I get back?” There was a touch of humor laced with the low tone that told her not to question him in this mood.

  A raised eyebrow was all the answer that Charlie gave and she turned and made a quick retreat into the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her. She sagged against the wood, sucking in a deep breath.

  What sort of mess had she just made for herself?

  ***

  He leaned against the wall adjacent to the bathroom as the shower cranked on and pouring water filled his ears. It did little to sooth the temper burning brightly within him, embers glowing red in his heart while Charlie’s words spun through his head, a mix tape on repeat.

  She was running scared…and it wasn’t something he’d ever had to deal with before. Most of the women that he’d bedded had always yearned for more than just a pleasure-filled night, whether it was more passion, his fortune, or even marriage—or all of the above. And quite frankly, it stumped him.

  He’d finally showed her how he felt—with his hands, with his mouth, with his love—and she responded by backing away with her tail tucked between her legs? Saying what they had wasn’t professional? Fuck that shit. He didn’t care if she spent the rest of her days as his personal guard buck naked, as long as she kept coming back to him.

  She had to have felt that insane connection, that click of their souls merging together, their wolves happy, and yet she felt he’d grow bored of her? Not in a million years, sweetheart. Zane shook his head, running both hands over his face and through his hair as he listened to her shower. He wanted, so badly, to bust through the door and join her, but he knew better.

  Put your money where your mouth is. Damn straight. He’d prove himself to her, one way or another. Feeling the urgency in his heart settle, Zane shoved off from the wall and strode into the kitchen, swinging the refrigerator door wide open long enough to snag an energy drink off the second shelf. Popping the tab, he chugged it, tossed the can in the trash, and headed for his bedroom.

  Last night was perfect, better than he’d ever imagined through all those years of hopeless fantasies. Maybe it was immature, but he’d wanted her for so long, it just felt right. What they’d shared was pure magic and he refused to regret it, even if she seemed to. He’d just prove her wrong: She was his. She just needed a little time to come to terms with it.

  He dressed casual, then bounded out the door and down the stairs before Charlie could finish with her shower. He passed the guard on duty, who looked at him with a solemn expression, and when the man moved to follow him, Zane waved him off. “I’ll be in sight.”

  He didn’t wait for a reply—he just knocked once on Micah’s trailer door and let himself in. He was hit with the scent of roasted coffee beans and he saw Benji and Micah at the kitchen table, talking over the tops of their mugs. They glanced up at Zane, then shared a look that he could only rectify as guilty conscience.

  He slid a chair out, swung it around, and sat down on it backwards. From the glance the two guys gave each other, Zane was gonna guess they were talking about him. Or rather, him and Charlie. “Spill,” he said, his fingers drumming on the table in a one-two beat.

  Benji bit his lip and stood up so quickly that his coffee sloshed over the side of his cup and pooled on the table. “I was just leaving.” His voice was hollow and when he spun to escape, Zane snaked a hand out and snagged his wrist, swinging him back around. Benji’s green eyes clouded over, a fierce look twisting his features.

  “Charlie’s not a toy, Zane.” He yanked his hand from Zane’s grasp.

  Zane blinked, shocked by the anger in Benji’s voice. What the hell?

  Micah cleared his throat. “Coffee? Yes? Good.” He busied himself with filling a cup.

  Zane could only stare at Benji, feeling his temper from earlier flare back to the surface. “I never claimed she was,” he said, his voice cooler than he would’ve expected it to be.

  “I just…know how you tend to be.”

  “And how, exactly, do I tend to be?”

  “Honestly? A whore.”

  Micah stepped in quickly, thrusting a steaming mug into Zane’s hands. “Coffee. Sit before you spill it on my carpet. Benji, go cool down.”

  When Benji gave an audible snarl, it was so unlike the younger werewolf that Zane forgot who he was dealing with. He moved to stand back up and deal with the other man’s accusation himself, but Micah shoved him back down into the chair. “Damn it. Go.” He pointed to the door and Benji slammed it on his way out.

  “What the hell?” Zane’s eyes locked on Micah.

  The drummer sat down, stretched his legs out, and tapped his fingers on the side of his now empty mug. He was quiet for a few minutes, perhaps letting Zane stew before saying, “Seems Benji got a front row seat to your little…endeavor last night. Speaking of, what possessed you to walk off stage in the middle of a fucking concert? Beyond needing an itch scratched.” He wasn’t pissed or even remotely angry, just matter of fact.

  Zane shook his head. “I…don’t know. I just had to. Finishing the concert would’ve put me six feet under.”

  Micah whistled. “It’s official. You’ve been bitten by the love bug. Or at least the lust bug.”

  “Oh, there was plenty of lust.”

  “Believe me, I heard just as much as Benji. Trailer walls aren’t soundproof.”

  “Still doesn’t tell me why Benji’s all pissed off.”

  “Are you blind, Alexander?”

  Zane glanced up from his coffee, startled.

  Micah rolled his eyes. “Benji’s had the hots for Charlie for awhile. I think he figured the boy-next-door routine would work on a girl like her. Then you come swooping in with dramatics, oozing sex appeal and steal the show. Quite literally. So yeah, Benji’s pissy. You got the girl.”

  “For now.” He was in the middle of telling Micah what had happened between him and Charlie, explaining this morning’s conversation, when Parker busted the door open and it slammed back ag
ainst the wall.

  “What the hell, Zane? Skip the end of the concert just to get your rocks off? Damn, boy.”

  Not in the mood to deal with the young wolf’s temper, Zane flipped him the bird.

  “Coffee?”

  Parker laughed. “Way ahead of you there. Already had two pots.”

  “It’s obvious. You’re practically vibrating,” Zane said dryly, and it was true. Catching the swagger in Parker’s step, the man was buzzing with energy.

  “But really, man. Ditch the band, ditch the fucking crowd, just for a piece of ass?”

  Zane stiffened, then pinned the younger wolf with a glare. “Want that nose re-broken, Wilde? It was personal.”

  When he said nothing more, Micah summarized: “Zane’s gaga for Charlie, Charlie’s got cold feet. They agreed to friends with benefits.”

  A grin spread across Parker’s face. “Love bug?” Micah nodded sagely and Parker looked right at Zane. “Next time you decide to have wild wolfy sex, do your friends a favor and rent a hotel room.”

  “Why? You don’t.”

  “I’m also not a screamer. ‘Oh, Zane! Zane, yes!’”

  Zane quirked a brow and smirked. “Jealous?”

  “Just saying. And it sounded like exceptional lovemaking.”

  “It was. And I think it’s about time for round two.” He’d just have to see if Charlie took his parting words seriously, if she’d be waiting for him in only her skin, still damp from her shower. He could practically taste her…

  Parker and Micah both groaned. “Great. Round two.”

  Zane drained the last of his coffee and stood up. “See you later, guys.”

  Chapter Ten

  Fresh from her shower and wrapped comfortably in a fluffy robe that had definitely seen better days, Charlie bemusedly watched the steam rise and swirl around her. She honestly had no idea what was going on with her life right now, but the last week had certainly been the most exhilarating in her entire twenty-seven years. A taste of freedom and fun and now it felt like she had the chance to grab for the biggest brass ring of them all…but would she take that chance?

  A tentative knock at the front door startled Charlie from her thoughts, making her knock bottles of hair products on the floor. Zane couldn’t be back already—it had hardly been more than a few minutes since she was able to end yet another of their famous showdowns. Damn, the two of them fought like cats and dogs, yet none of their arguments had ever led to true hurt. Charlie shook her head and scurried to pick up the fallen bottles.

  Knowing that she’d taken longer than socially acceptable to answer the door, she turned the knob and swung it open, fully expecting Zane. Instead she found Benji leaning against the doorjamb and it jolted her back to reality.

  “Benji…” The words died in her throat at the sight of her friend’s frown. They really hadn’t had a conversation since he’d blown up on her for acting trashy at the concert before. Maybe she’d been avoiding him a little bit, but hell, they’d probably avoided each other.

  “You too busy to talk?”

  “What? Oh, no. No! Do you want to come in?”

  “Could we go for a walk or something? I’m in the mood to move.”

  “Sure, let me get dressed and I’ll be right out.” She hesitated. “Do you want to wait inside, or?”

  “Here’s fine,” he said around a ghost of a smile. “I’ll wait here.”

  With a sharp nod, Charlie disappeared into her bedroom and rummaged through her suitcase, grabbing the first outfit she found. A few minutes later, minus the robe and dressed in all black, she ushered Benji out the door and bounced down the steps. Despite the twinge of regret for last night that seemed to slip away by the second, Charlie felt good. She was actually looking forward to seeing what life threw at her next.

  Stopping beside Benji, she looked him over, trying to gauge his mood. Last night had been a very…public display of affection and she really doubted that this was just a friendly visit. No, Benji had stuff on his mind.

  “Lead the way?”

  Charlie lengthened her stride to match the quick pace that Benji set. They walked in silence for a few minutes, making their way to the outskirts of the mini-town the band’s touring always created. Not many people were around tonight though, and Charlie thanked God for the privacy.

  Unable to bear the silence any longer, she plunged headfirst into what would possibly be a very uncomfortable conversation. “What’s on your mind?”

  The quiet that followed made Charlie itch and the feeling of walking across a landmine field added a touch of queasiness. The harsh expel of air, followed by an abrupt stop, had Charlie swinging to face the younger wolf. Sad was the only word she could use to describe the feeling she got from him and she’d never seen him look so down before. Whatever was going on inside that mind of his, he was taking his time to gather his wits.

  “Just, why? You’ve known him almost as long as I have, so why?”

  She frowned. She and Benji had been friends for a long time; he’d been the first person in the pack to treat her like family, back when she was still an outsider. He’d been the one to urge her to join High Velocity as crew, to tour the world with them. He’d always seemed at ease around her and deep down she’d often wondered if there had been more than just friendship from his side. She’d been unwilling to risk her job asking about something on a whim, so she’d shrugged away the questions as silliness. Upon hindsight, it appeared she had been spot on.

  And now she’d hurt him.

  “I can’t explain it.” When he cut her a look, she shook her head. “I mean it. I’m torn, Benji.” Deep down, a part of her liked Zane—had always liked Zane, had always wanted more from him than just friendship—and that part was becoming bigger by the second, fueled by the words Zane had sworn earlier. You’re mine. She clung on to that sliver of doubt that he truly liked her, afraid of getting her hopes up, but deep down, this was what she’d always wanted. Personal time with Zane. “I like him.”

  “He’ll hurt you.”

  “I really don’t believe that.” She kept her voice soft. Zane’s words had been spoken passionately, but how did she really know? She could still end up holding pieces of her heart in her hands. She knew he dropped women when commitment came around—what made her think she’d be any different?

  Because he said so… The fickle part of her wanted to believe.

  Benji’s eyes flicked up to her and he voiced her question. “How can you be so sure? How can you think you’re playing this safe?”

  “Because we both know the score. How can I get hurt if I know exactly what’s going on?”

  “Do you? Do you really know how Zane’s going to act?”

  “No, but I know myself.”

  “I guess so.”

  “Benji, what can I say to make things better?”

  The bitter laugh that escaped him, paired with the lack of expression on his face, left a pang in her heart. “Nothing. Let’s just drop it.” He shook his head and held out a hand. “Still friends?”

  “Always, Benji. So what now?”

  “Dunno. I’m feeling a little better, even if I think this whole damn situation is beyond stupid.”

  She blew out a breath, feeling like she should agree with him, but like she said before, she was torn. So she changed the subject instead. “Wanna go for a run?”

  “Are you nuts? In broad daylight?”

  “Maybe I have gone a little crazy, but I want to run. My wolf needs it.”

  “All right.” His quick agreement relieved her, relaxed her. “Let’s do this.”

  Charlie stepped forward and called on the shift, the danger of being caught mixed with the decadence of running in the daylight had her beast clamoring to go, go, go! She couldn’t believe she was actually doing this, even though security always picked a private area with surrounding woods for situations just like this.

  She finished with her change and turned, only to feel a nudge against her shoulder. She shot Benji a wolfy
grin and took off, headed towards the wooded lot at a dead run. Hearing Benji behind her, hot on her heels, Charlie dug in to pick up speed and together they ran, two friends enjoying the simplest of pleasures and the bond of pack.

  ***

  With sex on his mind, Zane prowled back to his trailer. He imagined her sprawled out on his bed, one hand between her thighs, her fingers playing among the moist curls. His stomach clenched at the thought—he could nearly smell her, nearly taste her, sweet nectar on his tongue—and wound down the hall. The bathroom smelled fresh and moisture clung to the mirror.

  He found himself excited, aroused, at the thought of having her again. Yeah, maybe Micah was right: Definitely the love bug. He’d never had the whim to screw the same woman more than a handful of times, but with Charlie it was different. He couldn’t explain it.

  The bedroom was dark beyond the sunlight filtering in through the blinds. Pushing the door open, he couldn’t bite back the groan that escaped him as he flicked on the light.

  And found nothing. The bedroom was empty and when he searched the trailer, he found it void of Charlie’s presence and despite knowing that the stalker, the explosion, the graffiti were only a figment of his creativity, he found himself pushing the panic button as he sought her out and came up empty handed.

  “Charlie?”

  Shit, she wouldn’t have left without a note. Spinning, he slammed through the door and down the steps. He turned to the tall guard on duty, a string-bean sort of guy with a buzz cut. “Have you seen Charlie Banks anywhere?”

  The man looked at him, almost bored, as if he couldn’t be bothered to do his job. “Maybe?” he drawled out. “She might’ve passed by here. Yeah, that’s right; I think she went for a run.”

  “But you can’t be sure?” When the guard only blinked at him, Zane scowled. “What’s your name, anyway?”

  “Bud Hopkins.” He said it in a “What you gonna do about it?” tone that pissed Zane off.