by Haley Weir
“It’s too soon,” she whispered. “You couldn’t possibly.”
He sighed into her. “I think I knew from the moment you first touched me. You saw more than just a beast. You saw me.”
Her body moved, turning until she faced him and he picked her up, securing her legs around him. Her butt perched on the top of the couch so that he could wrap his arms around her. One hand reached up and caressed her face. Her face was familiar and beautiful. He repeated the words. “I love you, Elli. Marry me.”
Her mouth formed a perfect “O”. “Keaton…”
He dropped a kiss on her mouth. “You can think about that last part. But I want you to know that I love you. And I’ve never said those words before…to anyone. Just you. Always just you.”
She breathed in and out, and their eyes locked. “Oh god, I know it’s crazy. But I think I’m I love with you too.”
His heart beat twice as fast. He’d known that she did, but he wanted to hear the words; he needed to. “And?”
She grinned. “And yes, I’ll marry you, Sir. I’m pretty sure I’d have to based on the amount of times you just came inside me.”
He let out a bark of laughter, then picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.
“But I made breakfast,” she whined, straining to look at the kitchen.
“We’ll reheat it. Right now, I’m still hungry for something else.”
She shivered. “You really are a big beast, you know that?”
“Seems like doggy style is in order then, eh?”
She laughed, the sound loud and pure. “I suppose. You’re lucky I love you.”
He dropped her onto the bed, looking at her with a serious face. “Yeah, I am.”
THE END
Tate’s Mission: Moonlight Alpha’s III
“…And you will be on your way in no time, Senior Fluffkins,” Dr. Brisa Weber murmured to the large white husky on her lab table. The name was ridiculous, but apparently the dog’s six-year-old owner was thrilled when she came up with it, and far be it from Brisa to change the name of a dog on her watch. She rubbed the head of the big dog and let her mind wander.
This dog reminded her of a different big white canine that she treated as the only veterinarian at the Sweeting Animal Hospital. The animal was beautiful, and truly magnificent in its size and color. But it hadn’t been a husky. It was a white wolf, the only one she’d ever seen. Ironically, she’d actually treated a black wolf not long ago, but he had run off. His need for freedom was too powerful to be contained. But she’d never seen a white wolf in person.
The wolf was amazingly docile, not needing the sedative she’d been trying to administer before getting frustrated. The animal was large and wild, but was his eyes had stayed with her. His beautiful pale blue eyes seemed almost human. She dreamed about those eyes for weeks afterward. By the time the wolf disappeared back into the woods, Brisa had been more nervous about its intelligence than its wild spirit.
The hair on the back of her neck stood up a moment before she heard a throat clearing behind her. She instantly knew who it was and rolled her eyes. “What, Tate?”
“Always a pleasure, Dr. Weber,” teased the masculine voice. Tate Little was the real estate mogul that had acquired almost all of the major property in the area, including the animal clinic, which he’d insisted on investing in when he bought the building. She couldn’t stand him; his confidence, arrogance, or the way he made her feel off-kilter.
“What do you want? I have work to do, which I know is something that you don’t understand. But some of us have real jobs because we actually grew up.” She finished writing in Senior Fluffkins file and then made a move to lift him off the table. Instead, she felt a large body sidle up behind her and inhaled, recognizing that scent as pure Tate Little. The man was a menace, a pure and unadulterated distraction.
He was big, almost intimidatingly so. She could also begrudgingly admit that he was pretty damn hot. He had big shoulders that could make a girl feel small and protected, even with Brisa’s 5’9” frame. He was built like a linebacker, with a strong jaw, chiseled features, and piercing blue eyes that made her feel like she could drown if she wasn’t careful. His looping tribal tattoos made her mouth water every time she caught a glimpse of them underneath his suit and dress shirt.
Physically, he was her weakness, but she would never let him know that. She refused to let him see how much he affected her. After all, it was just his body. His mind was something else entirely. Tate was witty, charming, and had entirely too much fun teasing her in the workplace. He also spent too much time sticking his nose into her business decisions, which frustrated her to no end. She did not need a man coming into her animal hospital to second-guess her choices.
Without asking, he lifted the ninety-pound dog like it was nothing, and then patted the husky on his head. The dog whimpered when he removed his hand. Tate muttered, “Yeah, I know, man. I’d like her hands on me too.”
Brisa’s breath caught in her throat. She was sure he didn’t mean it that way…had he? Shaking off his comment, she pursed her lips and glared at him. “What do you want?” She slid a slip leash over Senior Fluffkins’s head and led him toward the front of the building. Tate followed the pair through the halls, admiring the two-legged one’s assets.
“Just checking in. Did the supplier drop off the new equipment yet?”
She frowned at him. “No, not yet. And the old supplier was never late. Which is why I used him, exclusively. Until approximately one fucking day ago when you decided, without consulting me, that you wanted to use someone else.”
He grinned, seemingly unfazed by her frosty tone. “Well, it’s a better deal, and this supplier happens to be a buddy of mine. One of the perks of owning the place is that you get to help out your friends, right?”
She grunted, which was neither a yes nor a no. As if on cue, the back shipping desk buzzer rang, indicating there was a delivery van waiting to drop off the new shipment. She let out a deep sigh. Dammit. She’d really been hoping to hold it over Tate when the delivery didn’t come. “I’ll get that.”
Tate stepped in front of her. “Yeah, I don’t think so. Those boxes weigh almost a hundred pounds each. You’re crazy if you think I’m going to let you break your back over those.”
She bit back a sharp retort. She knew that if she grew defensive, he would make sure she didn’t unload anything at all. He was weirdly protective when she tried to do things like this. Despite his attitude about everything else, he had a bit of a gentlemanly streak when it came to performing tasks like letting her close the clinic by herself, walk to her car alone, lift heavy boxes, or meet with a new supplier without him being there.
After she waited for him to go out the back door, she took the husky back to his owner, and made her way back to the loading dock. She saw a lanky driver with blonde hair and a barbed wire tattoo across his bicep opening the large door on the back of the truck. She put on a big grin when he caught her eye. “Hey there.”
Tate watched as the poor driver almost dropped his clipboard. He supposed the guy hadn’t been prepared for Dr. Brisa Weber, veterinarian. She wasn’t just intelligent or kind. She was witty, sarcastic, playful, and entirely too damn hot to be a veterinarian. She was built like a porn star with a curvy hourglass figure, an amazing chest, and rounded bubble butt. It was the first thing he’d noticed about her, but did not end up being the reason he was so captivated by her.
He didn’t know what his obsession with her was exactly. She was downright rude most days, but was currently charming the pants off the delivery driver with such ease that he was beginning to feel like it was only him that she was cold to. An ache started in his chest at that thought, and he rubbed at it as he watched the scene unfolding in front of him.
The driver’s mouth curled up into an appreciative smile. “You must be the doc,” he said, holding out the clipboard. His eyes travelled up and down her body as he said, “I need you to sign for these.” Brisa reached for the clipb
oard, but Tate stepped forward and practically snatched it out of her hands.
“Hey!” she said, annoyed.
“I just wanted to make sure that you got everything you ordered,” Tate said, scowling.
“I managed to run this place just fine before you shoved your way in,” she hissed. “You need to back off and let the doctor take care of the clinic.” She turned to the driver and shot him an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry about him,” she said sweetly. “He thinks he’s in charge of the world because he owns half the properties in town.”
Tate’s jaw dropped at her rapid transformation from beast to sweetheart. He was more than a little turned on. He shifted his stance to hide it.
“No problem, sugar,” the driver replied. “I’ll bring these boxes in if you can show me where you want them.”
“You can just leave them inside the door,” Tate said tersely. “I’ll put them away. I wouldn’t want you to get off schedule with the rest of your deliveries!”
“That’s really not necessary,” Brisa said with a glare.
The driver looked back and forth between them as they argued. Seeing Tate as the bigger threat, the guy shrugged. “I’ll leave these and you two can figure out where they go.”
Tate handed Brisa the clipboard to sign and then stood, arms crossed, watching the driver push the loaded dolly through the door and slide it out from under the boxes. He put the dolly back into the truck and pulled the door down, then went to retrieve the clipboard from Brisa. “See you next time, gorgeous,” the driver said, winking.
Tate stepped forward with a growl, and the man hurried back to his truck. At the last minute, he threw a quick grin over his shoulder at Brisa before climbing in. Tate muttered something about his friend needing to get a new driver as the van pulled away. Brisa pushed past Tate furiously. He watched her ass as she stormed into the building, hurrying after her when he realized where she was headed. He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on a chair, then unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves as he came up behind her.
Brisa gasped when she felt his hands grip her waist. He pulled her back against him. His enormous frame was just as taut with muscle as she’d imagined it would be. She gulped as he dropped his head and whispered in her ear, “I said I’d take care of the boxes.” Her eyes fluttered at the feeling of his lips brushing against her ear, but they flew open when his warmth was suddenly gone.
“Get back to work, doc,” he said gruffly, lifting a box easily. “You standing around isn’t going to make either of us any money.”
She stormed off into her office, slamming the door shut behind her. She stood, breathing heavily for a minute before sitting at her desk to update the files from this morning’s clients. At least with the door shut, she wouldn’t be able to watch Tate unload the boxes, or stare at the sexy tattoos on his forearms - no matter how tempted she was to do just that.
“All right, Penny,” Brisa said to the copper-colored Labradoodle as she led the dog back out to reception. “This is the last time I want to see you this year!” She chuckled as Penny gave a dainty woof in agreement. She handed the leash to Mrs. Claypool, who walked up to the counter to pay. “Have you called the trainer I told you about?” Brisa asked the elderly woman.
“No, I haven’t had time,” Mrs. Claypool admitted.
“You need to get Penny trained so that she will stop eating your socks,” Brisa said. “This is the fourth time you’ve been in this year, and that’s not good for her or your bank account.”
“Yes, I know. But I’m afraid the trainer will be mean to her. She’s so sweet, and doesn’t mean any harm. She just gets carried away when she gets ahold of a sock because she knows she’s not supposed to have it. She’s really a good girl.” The woman’s eyes filled with tears.
“I know the trainer personally. I promise that he’ll help Penny learn more appropriate ways to play. He’s a great trainer, and I’ve never heard any complaints about his methods. I won’t charge you for today. Only if you promise to get that trainer in.”
Of course, the moment the words came out of her mouth, Tate walked in. What was he doing here again?
“Oh, thank you, Dr. Weber!” the old woman said, smiling widely. “I promise, I’ll call the trainer as soon as we get home. You really are a sweet girl.” She collected her belongings and led Penny out the door.
Brisa turned and walked back toward her office, ignoring the enormous, fuming man stalking behind her. She tried to close the door without paying any mind to him at all, but Tate’s massive hand stopped her. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked angrily.
“Working.” She sat at her desk and started updating Penny’s file. He slammed his hand down on the file, and she finally looked up at him. For a second, his blue eyes almost reminded her of the white wolf, but the intense anger shining from them changed her mind. While both creatures had a dangerous edge, the wolf was kind and gentle. The man was something else entirely.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it!” He was almost shouting, and she stared at him in disbelief. He lowered his voice and continued. “You can’t be giving away services for free. That’s not how you make a business profitable.”
“I don’t tell you how to run your business,” Brisa said calmly, impressed at her ability to control her anger while she looked Tate in the face. “Don’t tell me how to run mine.”
“When the success of your business directly impacts mine, I make it my business,” Tate growled.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. My business is profitable. Besides, I’m not in it for the money. I’m in it for the animals.” She leaned back and crossed her arms, pushing her breasts together. His eyes darted down to the sliver of cleavage, but he only let himself be distracted for a moment.
“Even if you are currently profitable, some of your practices prevent the practice from being as successful as it could be,” he pointed out.
“Such as…”
“Such as giving away services for free and ordering from suppliers who inflate their prices,” he said, crossing his arms triumphantly.
“Mrs. Claypool has been in several times already this year,” Brisa explained. “I let her go without paying today because she really needs to get that dog trained…before it eats something I can’t fix. She’s not a wealthy woman, and I was worried that money was keeping her from getting Penny trained. If treating Penny for free today helps Mrs. Claypool afford a trainer, that’s what I’m going to do. Part of my job is to give my patients the best quality of life possible, and that dog needs training.”
“It makes no sense!” Tate said, exasperated. “If that dog keeps getting sick, he keeps coming in, and his owner keeps paying for treatment. That’s how businesses work!”
“That’s how your businesses work,” she said. “But that’s not how mine does.” They glared at each other for a moment. “Did you come in here today just to yell at me?”
Tate dropped his arms, confused for a moment before dropping into a chair. “Of course not,” he said. “I was checking to make sure you got all the supplies you ordered.”
“Why do you care? How is that your business?” she asked, lowering her gaze back to Penny’s file. She started writing, clearly no longer interested in his response, or their conversation in general.
“But you were worried about the new supplier, so I wanted to make sure it was all okay. Since…”
Her eyes flicked back up at him, shooting daggers. “Since you changed suppliers without asking me?”
He at least had the grace to look sheepish.
She sighed. “It’s fine. Everything was there.”
“Good,” he said, then stood. She felt herself looking at his muscular arms. She wasn’t sure how they fit into his suit jacket, but it had to be uncomfortable. They made eye contact and he was smirking at her, clearly enjoying the fact he caught her checking him out. She felt her cheeks flush. “I’ll let you get back to work, then,” he said, pulling the door
open. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I hope not,” she called after him, realizing as she said it that it wasn’t true.
Tate got in his car and sped away, his heart racing in a mix of anger and excitement. Brisa twisted him up inside, but he couldn’t get enough of her. He always made visits to the clinic during his off hours so that he had time to run off his frustration after their encounters. He pulled onto a small, dirt road in the woods, drove a couple of miles in, and parked in an area he had leveled off himself.
He quickly stripped; neatly placing his suit on the hanger he kept in the backseat of his car. He got out of the car and locked it. Then he shifted into his wolf form, shaking the kinks out of his muscles before taking off. He ran full speed through the woods, making his way up the mountain. He finally emerged onto a flat, treeless ledge where he stretched out in the sun, panting. He closed his eyes and thought about Brisa. He ached with the need to possess her fully, but was determined to keep their relationship professional. He needed her business to do well so that the town would see that he wasn’t just a money-hungry businessman. He helped businesses like the clinic become more successful, too.
Once they saw that he only wanted what was best for Sweeting, they would approve his plans for the commercial center. Then he would be free to pursue Brisa. Until then, he would have to go out of town and spend a night in another woman’s bed. The idea was much less appealing than usual. Tate cocked his canine head in thought.
As he pushed up and stretched his legs, a thought occurred to him. What if he was going about this wrong, and the way to convince the town council that he’d changed was to make Brisa his now? If she could see the good in him and was willing to be seen on his arm, surely that would be enough to convince the council…right?
Tate howled triumphantly. The solution was right in front of him. He could have the commercial center and Brisa, too. He’d get her to go with him to the Fourth of July Ball next weekend, and everything would fall into place. Giving a wolfish grin, Tate trotted back to his car at a much more leisurely pace. Everything seemed so simple, so obvious. He’d felt her reaction to him when he touched her yesterday. There was no way she would refuse to go with him, right?