“At least someone is taking their work seriously,” Catherine said, nodding toward the middle of the ballroom.
Petros followed her gaze, then frowned with disapproval as he saw who she was referring to. Agatha was standing among a small group, laughing and chatting as she held a drink in her hand. Christina had assigned some of them to mingle amongst the guests, but this was not exactly what she had in mind.
Christina placed her glass of wine on top of the bar. “I’ll go and relieve her of her duty.”
“No,” he said, raising a hand. “Apologies; this is my responsibility.” If he hadn’t been so distracted the entire week, he would have realized this was the worst place for the young agent. She was becoming entirely way too comfortable in Blackstone. “I’ll take care of this. Please, enjoy the celebration.”
With a final nod to the foursome, he turned on his heel and strode toward Agatha. He clenched his jaw, trying to tamp down the anger building inside him. There was a real threat out there, and here she was risking their lives so she could socialize with Blackstone’s elite.
“Explain yourself,” Petros said as he came up behind Agatha. Discretely, he took her elbow and tugged her away from the circle of people. He dragged her to the nearest empty alcove.
“What the f—oh!” Her face went as red as the scandalously low cut dress she was wearing. “Petros! I was only doing my duty.”
“Your duty is to protect the people here, not to act like some society heiress,” he ground out.
Agatha pouted. “You said we had to blend in,” she purred, rubbing a hand down his chest. “And so I followed your orders.” Something in her expression changed, and, looking back, he should have known better. “Oh Petros,” she said, her voice pitching higher. “Yes, please!” She threw herself at him so fast, he didn’t have time to evade her. “Now that you’re done with her, we can finally be together.”
What the hell? Petros tried to pry Agatha’s limbs off him, but she was using her shifter strength to hold on to him.
“You. Asshole.”
Kate’s voice cut right into him, and he knew there was going to be trouble. He used all his might to remove Agatha’s arms from him and pushed her away. He prayed it wasn’t too late and turned to face his mate.
Kate’s face was scarlet, all the way to the tips of her ears. She stood there, chest heaving as she turned her hate-filled gaze from Agatha to him.
“Kate-mine—”
“Shut up!” She held up a hand. “So, that’s it, huh? That’s why you left this morning after screwing me last night?”
“What?” Shock and anger coursed through his system.
“Petros,” Agatha purred. “Tell her the truth. That you’ve been toying with her as a joke—”
“She is my mate!” he growled. His wolf was furious at the other woman. It didn’t care that Agatha was female; it wanted blood for the insult.
“I am not his mate,” Kate said. “You want him? You can have him!”
“Kate!” He tried to grab her, but she evaded him easily and ran across the room. He wanted to go after her and knock some sense into her, but the people in the room were already beginning to stop and stare at them. Christina was going to be livid if he ruined her brother-in-law’s wedding.
“Agatha Agrippina,” he said, turning to her. “You are relieved of your duty. Pack your things and take the first flight back to Lykos.”
“What!” she screeched. “You can’t do that! I’m going to complain—”
“To whom?” he asked. “To the Alpha? He’s right over there. Go ahead.”
Ari Stavros was standing in the far corner with Hank and Riva Lennox, his sharp eyes trained at them, a look of disapproval on his face.
Petros nodded to one of the agents and signaled for them to come over. “Escort Miss Agrippina back to her hotel room and assist her in packing her things.”
He didn’t bother staying. There may be some fallout, but he could deal with that later. Right now, he had to find his mate.
He walked in the direction she had stormed off to and saw a flash of pink hair by the door and turn a corner.
“Kate!” he called as he saw her running down the corridor. That only seemed to fuel her, and she ran faster. Gritting his teeth, he chased after her, nearly bumping into a petite figure wearing white. It was a good thing Luke Lennox had fast reflexes and was able to pull his bride away.
Kate stopped and then shrieked. “I said stay away from me!”
“How could you say those words to me?” he said. “After last night? You could think I would even look at another woman?”
“I don’t care what you do! Just leave me alone from now on.”
“You can’t mean that, Kate-mine,” he said, stalking toward her slowly. He was scared she would run again.
“And what are you going to do about it?” she challenged, even as he backed her against the wall. “I—EEEKK!”
The damn woman wouldn’t listen again, so he did what he had to do—pick her up and take her away from here.
“You, you—troglodyte! Put me down this instant!” She kicked her legs violently.
Petros turned to look back at Luke and Georgina, who was standing there, stunned. “Congratulations,” he said. “And apologies. We’ll be leaving now so as not to cause any more disruptions to your wedding.”
“Uh, thanks?” Georgina said.
Petros ignored Kate’s protests and instead hurried his pace as he spotted the door at the end of the hallway. He set Kate down and locked the door behind him.
“How dare you?” she said, running to the other end of the small room and pressing herself against the dresser propped up against the wall. “I can’t believe you did that again!”
“It’s because you won’t listen, you infuriating woman!” After all this, surely his anger was justified. “I would have thought last night meant something to you.”
“Of course it did!” she said. “But you left this morning! Without saying goodbye.”
He knew that had been a mistake. But how to tell her? “Kate-mine.” He approached her carefully. “Remember what I said? Once we make love, there would be no going back.” There was a tightness in his chest, and he feared he would burst from all the emotions he was feeling. “After last night, I couldn’t … I had to protect you. And my first instinct was to run. To ensure that Milos would never be near you again.”
“Petros ….”
He had failed her. He knew this. “When I saw you with Milos, it tore me up inside. I should be the one protecting you. Fighting for you.”
“That’s bullshit,” she said. “Mates protect each other.”
He gave her a weak smile. “It was my mistake thinking leaving you was for your own good. I also realized, well, all this time I’d been single-minded in my pursuit of you. I thought it was fate that led me here and to you, and things would just fall into place. But that was selfish of me. After all, what place did I have in your life? I have nothing to offer you, nor am I worthy of you—”
“Stop! You stupid man!” She lunged at him, pressing her lips to his. “Please stop talking like that.”
“What would you have me say then, Kate-mine?” He was already lifting her up and placing her on top of the dresser.
“I—Oh God! Please!” His fingers were already between her thighs, pressing up against her heat. The front of her panties dampened instantly with her desire, and her sweet scent wrapped around him. “More.”
He slipped a hand under her panties, thrusting his fingers inside her. “I can’t wait,” he said, using his other hand to unbuckle his belt.
“Then don’t,” she replied as her hand grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down for a kiss.
He groaned against her lips and then yanked her panties aside and thrust his already engorged cock into her in one move. She threw her head back and yelped as her pussy clasped around him, sheathing him in her tight, wet warmth. Her arms wound around him, and she pressed her face against his neck,
whimpering from pleasure as he moved inside her.
“Kate … Kate ….” He said her name over and over again, in rhythm with his thrusting. His mind was filled with just her. Nothing else mattered in this moment, only his mate. He bit his lip as he felt her body tense and clamp around him even harder. He held on as long as he could, waiting for her orgasm to course through her. As she was shuddering, he let go, crying her name out one last time as he spurted his seed into her. Her legs tightened around him, pushing him deeper inside her.
His heartbeat slowed down somewhat, but the blood pumping through his veins was still racing through his body. Slowly, he backed away and pulled his softening cock out of her. Seeing her like this, her dress hiked to her waist, his cum on her thighs, and a look of pure satisfaction plastered on her face was enough to make his heart pound again.
“Wow,” she said. “I think make-up sex is the best.”
“Don’t think we will be fighting all the time,” he warned her.
Kate pulled her dress down and hopped off the dresser. “I told you I’m not some meek mouse who’s going to agree with you all the time.”
“Oh no.” He pulled her to him, inhaling her scent. “I would never mistake you for meek.”
She sank against him. “Can you get out of here? If not now, then before the reception ends?”
“I think that can be arranged.”
Chapter Twelve
“I … how much … time ….”
“Fifteen minutes,” Petros groaned, pressing his forehead to hers.
“Okay, why are you stopping then?” Kate said, giving him a saucy grin.
Petros growled and lifted her up from the table in one swoop.
“Wait, what are you … oh! Fuck!” Petros pushed her up against the wall. The fucking glass wall of his cold-ass office, which meant her ass was squished up against the cold window facing the main room. It was a good thing the staff was on their dinner break, but Kate supposed it was entirely her teasing Petros by flashing him her new black lace underwear.
“Oh!” A particularly hard thrust positioned just the right way made her shiver uncontrollably. He bent his head, popped her tit out of her bra, and took a nipple into his mouth, giving her a gentle enough bite that sent her spiraling over the edge. She hoped this wall was strong enough to hold them, otherwise, when the rest of the overnight staff came back, they would be in for a very big surprise.
“Fuck!” She clung onto Petros’ shoulders as he moved her back to the table. Flipping her over, he positioned her on her knees, then quickly thrust deep inside her from behind.
“Goddamn!” His fingers dug into her scalp, tugging at it with just the right amount of force that had her moaning. He pulled her back up, all the while thrusting into her like a madman. Fuck, her knees were going to regret this in the morning, but it was just too good.
His hold tightened around her. “Just one more, Kate-mine,” he said. “Be a good girl and come for me one more time.”
Fucking hell. She hoped there was no such thing as death from too much sex because it would be an embarrassing way to go. But, decidedly not the worst.
His teeth sank into her shoulder, a move that sent her howling. He covered her mouth to muffle her screams, and as her body convulsed into one last powerful orgasm, she swore she saw stars. Petros let out a guttural cry as he came, his cock pulsing inside her.
When her vision finally returned, she looked up at the clock behind Petros’ desk. “Five minutes to spare,” she said as she scrambled off the table. Petros was already zipping up his pants as she pulled her panties up and smoothed her dress down. “Thanks for dinner, babe,” she said, kissing him on the cheek.
“We did not even get to eat it,” he said, glancing at the brown paper bag on the floor.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m very … satisfied.”
Petros laughed. “I’m sure you are.” He pulled her close to him. “I wish I did not have to stay. I do not like being away from you.”
“Me neither,” she said. “But these overnight shifts are part of the job, right?”
He placed his chin on top of her head. “I’m afraid so.”
“Bummer.” She sighed. “Well, I guess I’ll head home then.”
“I’ll bring you some breakfast,” he promised, kissing her forehead.
“You better,” Kate retorted. “And then some morning sex?”
“You’re insatiable,” he chuckled.
“Excuse me,” she said. “But I still have rug burns on top of my rug burns.” Since the wedding, almost every spare second they had were spent wrapped around each other in bed. Or the shower. Or the kitchen. And then there was the janitor’s closet yesterday….
“I can’t help it,” he said in a low, raspy voice. “I just need to be inside you all the time.” His fingers slid down to her ass.
“Hmm.” It was like his mere touch could send her pussy gushing with wetness. “Petros—”
The sound of the door opening made them jump apart. The staff was back, which meant they had to look professional. Of course everyone already knew they were sleeping together, so it didn’t really matter, but Kate knew it was important for Petros to command the respect of his people.
“I really should go. It’s been a long day, and I’m interviewing with a new client tomorrow.”
“You are?” he asked.
“Yeah. I’ve been following up for months but looks like they’re ready to deal,” she said.
His face lit up. “Excellent. I’m happy for you.”
“Petros, it’s only an initial chat,” she said.
“But still, I’m proud of you,” he said, smiling at her warmly.
Her heart melted into a puddle. When was the last time a guy told her that or was even interested in her work? Uh, probably … never.
“Thank you.” She grabbed her purse and laptop bag from the chair in front of his desk. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I—” He cursed softly when the sound of a call came in from his computer. “That’s the Alpha. I forgot we had a video conference scheduled for now. Can you wait for me or should I have Adriano escort you to your car?”
“Don’t worry about me,” she said. “I’m a big girl.” Besides, since the attack on Blackstone, Lennox had secured their headquarters even more.
“But—”
“Go.” She nodded to the computer. The ringing had become insistent. “I’ll be fine.”
He seemed conflicted but nodded and walked over to his chair and put his headphones in. Kate waved goodbye as she left his office.
As soon as she got to her parking spot, Kate got into the Mustang and drove out of the lot, then headed south. Tonight would be the first night since last week that she wouldn’t be sleeping next to Petros. It seemed strange, seeing as she’d been sleeping alone most of her life, but she knew the bed would feel cold and empty without him. Still, he’d be bringing her breakfast in the morning, and then they’d have some nookie. Or maybe sex first, depending on her mood. Sounds like someone’s going to have an awesome morning.
Kate was so distracted she didn’t see the figure in the middle of the road until it was too late. It was some kind of animal, at least from what she saw before it went flying, bouncing off the hood of the car and ending up behind her.
She screamed in fright. Slamming down hard on the brakes, she swerved the Mustang to the shoulder. The vehicle jerked to a stop, and she jerked against the seatbelt. Her brain was scrambled in her skull, and it took her a couple of seconds to realize what she had done. What if it was a shifter? She immediately got out of the car.
“Hello?” she called. “Are you okay? Do you need help?”
The sound of a gun cocking and the press of something cold and metal to the back of her head made her freeze.
“Don’t move, she-wolf,” the voice was rough and the accent heavy, “or I will blow your brains out.”
She went still. A direct bullet to the brain was something her enhanced healing c
ould never recover from.
The barrel of the gun moved across the circumference of her head until it landed between her eyes. Kate gasped as her shifter vision adjusted to the darkness, and she saw the man in front of her.
He was tall and well-built, his massive arms like tree trunks. He had dark hair and a scraggly beard. His face could have been called handsome, but he was missing his left eye, which was covered in healed scar tissue. When she drew in a breath, she got a whiff of his scent, and she immediately knew who it was.
“So, you’re Petros’ bitch.”
She gritted her teeth. “You’re Milos,” she said. “His best friend.”
“Was,” he said. “I was Milos Vasilakis.”
“Was?”
“I don’t know what I am now,” he growled. “But I’m quite certain I’m not his friend.”
“What do you want?” she asked.
“What do I want?” He pressed the gun harder against her skull. “I want him to suffer! The way I did!”
“Please,” she said, her voice trembling. “I can help. We can find you some help.”
“Oh, you’ll be helping me all right, bitch,” he spat. “Helping me get my revenge.”
Real fear gripped her entire body. “Revenge? What for? He wasn’t the one who hurt you.”
“But he was the one who left me behind!” he screamed.
“No! You—”
“No more talking!” He grabbed her arm and dragged her along the shoulder of the road. A few feet away was a rusty old truck. Milos shoved her toward the driver’s side. “Get in,” he ordered.
With shaky hands, she opened the door and hopped inside. Milos kept his gun trained at her as he crossed over to the passenger side. When he got in, he handed her the keys and pressed the gun to her head. “Drive.”
“To where?”
“Just drive, bitch! I’ll tell you where to go."
She bit her lip, trying not to cry out in pain as the gun dug deep into her temple. She slipped the key into the ignition. The truck’s engine sputtered, then roared to life. Putting the truck in gear, she moved onto the road.
“Milos,” she said. “I—”
The Blackstone She-Wolf: Blackstone Mountain 6 Page 11