“Wait. You can’t just do this.”
“It’s for the best. Goodbye, Doug.” Then she disconnected the call. When he immediately called back, she didn’t answer. She did, however, listen to the message he left.
Emma, is it that time of the month?
Yep, he was a dweeb.
Aidan and his team had spent several hours on the email trace and then he had managed to grab some sleep at home. Now he was headed back to the Wallace building in Lower Manhattan to report his findings to his father. Ralph picked him up, as usual.
Technically Aidan should be exhausted, but the challenge of this case and his concern for Emma kept his adrenaline pumping. A good run always helped, too. His recreational romp through Central Park had been without incident.
Few people with any sense wandered around in there late at night, anyway. Anyone at the park at that hour likely wouldn’t be the kind of person who ran to the police for any reason, let alone because they’d seen a large brown and silver wolf loping through the trees.
Still, it had been a risk. Anything that called attention to the pack constituted a risk. Yet he’d been forced to do something that would allow him to work off his sexual tension so he could shift back into human form. Once he’d felt that beginning to happen, he’d bounded back to the Town Car so that he could use the privacy of the back seat to shift and then dress in the clothes he’d left there.
The sun was shining brightly the next morning when Ralph pulled up in front of the fifty-story building that housed Wallace Enterprises on the top two floors. “Want me to wait for you?”
“That’s okay. I’m thinking you could use some time off. If I need a ride anywhere, I’ll get one of Dad’s drivers.”
Ralph smiled. “Thanks. I’ll take you up on that. Maybe Fran and I will have lunch uptown and go to a matinee.”
“Good idea. Have fun. I’ll be in touch tomorrow.” As Aidan entered the tall building and headed for the bank of elevators, he realized he envied his driver, who’d been married to Fran for almost thirty years. They still loved each other, still enjoyed simple things like lunch and a movie. Aside from the fact they were both werewolves, they lived a fairly middle-class life.
Most of the time Aidan was happy about his privileged position in the Wallace empire. But a less privileged position would mean he’d be free to mate for love and not political expedience. He might look forward to a marriage like Ralph and Fran’s.
He still wouldn’t be able to choose a human like Emma, though. Sex with humans was common, but marriages were almost unheard of. A Were would never be able to keep his or her wolf status a secret from a spouse, so the spouse had to be trusted with the sensitive knowledge that a werewolf community existed. Understandably, that made the rest of the pack extremely nervous.
Because of Aidan’s strong attraction to Emma, one that was mate-worthy, he’d have to steer clear of her, and he would, right after he fixed the current problem. Stepping out of the elevator, he walked across thick green and brown patterned carpet. Weres preferred something that reminded them of grass and the spongy texture of the forest floor.
Plants abounded here in the lobby, and Aidan glanced at the giant flat-screen running videos similar to his that featured trees and waterfalls. Visitors thought the Wallaces were eco-conscious, and they certainly were that. But the décor was a matter of personal sanity more than a statement about conservation. Being surrounded by images of nature soothed his father and any other members of the pack who felt overwhelmed by the noise and odors of the city.
From the lobby Aidan moved through the open double doors leading to the receptionist’s office.
Gabrielle, a thirty-five-year-old Were who’d moved to New York from the San Francisco pack, looked up from her computer as he arrived. A redhead in human form, she transformed into a russet she-wolf. She was stunning either way, and had caught the eye of several members of the Wallace pack. But she’d recently ended a relationship in San Francisco and wasn’t interested.
“He’s expecting you, Aidan. Go on in.”
“Thanks.” In a detached sort of way, he noticed that he wasn’t interested in flirting with her. When she’d taken the job he’d thought they might enjoy a no-strings-attached affair, but she hadn’t been ready for that. He’d continued to be friendly in hopes that she’d change her mind. But after an evening with Emma, he realized he didn’t care if Gabrielle changed her mind or not. At some point he’d have to rid himself of what was becoming an obsession with the lovely Ms. Gavin, but he couldn’t expect to do it until he’d finished the business at hand.
Opening the hand-carved door into his father’s office, he allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light. Howard Wallace didn’t appreciate the floor-to-ceiling windows that graced nearly every Manhattan office of any size and importance, including this one. He didn’t give a damn about the skyline, but he liked being up here, away from the traffic noise.
The office was scented with evergreens and peat moss because they were here in abundance in various planters around the room. Foliage covered the windows so that only a few rays of sunlight penetrated through the dense array of greenery. Aidan loved the feel of his dad’s office and had used many of the design elements in his own apartment.
His office was on the floor below this one, but his team used it more than he did. His job kept him on the move, which he happened to like.
Howard rose from his massive, yet rustic looking desk and came around it to embrace his son. A barrel-chested man in his late fifties, Howard still had all his hair, although it was snow-white. The pack alpha was a sight to behold when he transformed into a magnificent creature with snow-white fur. His striking appearance was legendary in the Were community.
Howard stood back to look at his son with obvious fondness. “What do you have for me, Aidan?”
Aidan knew that benevolence could change to stern censure under certain conditions. He hoped that wouldn’t happen today. “A delicate situation, I’m afraid.”
“Let’s sit.” Howard gestured toward a group of black leather chairs circling a low table in the corner of his office. “Do you want something to drink? Anything to eat?”
Aidan tried to remember when he’d done either. The few sips of a coffee martini might be the extent of it since an early dinner the night before. But he knew that his father’s two-floor suite of offices included a kitchen and a world-class chef. And at the mention of food, Aidan discovered he was starving. “A roast beef sandwich would hit the spot.”
“Say no more.” Howard crossed to his desk and picked up the phone. Moments later he returned to the circle of chairs and took a seat next to Aidan. “Gabrielle will see to it.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Now that Aidan had admitted to his hunger, he felt the contractions of his very empty stomach.
Howard shook his head. “I notice you’re still in the habit of working straight through without eating. I admire the single-mindedness, but it’s not good for your health. Your mother would raise a bigger ruckus than I’m doing, so be glad it’s me who’s telling you this.”
“I’ll try to do better.”
“Good. If you pass out in the middle of an assignment, you won’t be doing anyone any favors.” Howard settled back in his chair. “Now tell me about Emma Gavin.”
For one unsettling moment Aidan thought his father had guessed Aidan’s secret yearning for the talented Ms. Gavin. He took a deep breath and told himself that was crazy. Roarke wouldn’t have said anything, and nobody else knew besides Sylvester. Sylvester wasn’t a snitch, either.
“Our initial suspicions were wrong,” Aidan said. “She not only has no inside source, she doesn’t believe that werewolves exist.”
Howard’s grey eyes narrowed. “Are you absolutely sure of this?”
“Yes.” He’d thought about it some more, and if Emma had any idea that werewolves were real, she would have sensed the changes happening to him last night in the back seat of the Town Car. When a human believed that werewolves
were a reality, it was as if they’d broken a secret code. If she’d known that code, she could have identified him easily.
“So we don’t have a problem, after all.”
“Not quite true.”
Someone knocked on the office door and Howard invited them in. Gabrielle brought a tray containing a fragrant sandwich and a bottle of his favorite mineral water. He was touched that she’d noticed such a small thing.
As she set the tray on the circular coffee table, she leaned down far enough to provide a glimpse of cleavage while glancing at Aidan from under her lashes. Damn, now she was ready to flirt with him, when his hormonal urges were all focused on a certain author of werewolf fiction.
“Thanks so much, Gabrielle.” He smiled at her.
“Anytime.” Her voice held that low, throaty quality that telegraphed sexual interest. “Anything else, Mr. Wallace?”
Howard looked at Aidan. “Anything missing, son?”
“Nope.” Aidan unfolded the cloth napkin and laid it over his lap. “This is great.”
“Then I guess we’re good, Gabrielle. Hold my calls until Aidan leaves, okay?”
“Of course.” With one last sultry glance in Aidan’s direction, she left the office.
Howard blew out a breath. “I think she’s coming out of hibernation. Just for the record, I don’t care what happens between you two so long as it doesn’t disrupt her work. And it goes without saying that she’s not an acceptable mate for you, so it would have to be a temporary thing.”
“I know that.”
“Still, I can’t expect you to be celibate, for God’s sake, so go ahead, but don’t mess up my office routine, please. Gabrielle’s been reliable so far, and I’d hate for that to change.”
“Dad, I’m not interested in Gabrielle.” Aidan picked up half of the sandwich. “Right now I have work to do. My team pulled an all-nighter and we found out a lot. Someone from the Chicago pack has contacted Emma and wants to show her what a real werewolf is like.”
Howard nearly came out of his chair. “The hell you say! Leland’s bunch? I’ll call him right now.”
“I wouldn’t do that, Dad. It’s Leland’s son, Theo.”
“Oh, dear God.” Howard scrubbed a hand over his face. “That changes everything.”
“I figured it would.”
“Theo Henderson has delivered trouble to Leland’s doorstep for all of his nineteen years. Everyone sees it but Leland. He insists Theo’s high-strung and he’ll grow out of it. Leland never did believe that Theo was the one who broke into the zoo, drugged a couple of wolves and dressed them in Armani.”
“I didn’t hear about that.” Aidan put down his sandwich, no longer hungry. Once every hundred years or so a Were came along who chafed against the rule of concealment. These militant Weres advocated full disclosure followed by complete domination of all humans. “Do you think Theo has visions of a werewolf revolution of some kind?”
“I hope for all our sakes he’s just a mixed up kid. How Leland could have raised two such different Weres is beyond me. Nadia’s a credit to the community, but Theo seems determined to make problems.”
“Has he done anything else I should know about?”
“At Halloween he always insisted on dressing as a werewolf, and he’s mouthed off a few times about how he resents not being able to shift whenever he feels like it. He’s risked getting caught more than once.”
Aidan couldn’t fault Theo on that score after his inappropriate shift last night. But if Theo was doing it intentionally, that put him in a different category. “This isn’t sounding good.”
“No, but Leland wouldn’t believe Theo’s headed down revolutionary road, and I don’t want to be the one to suggest it to him, considering that I have high hopes that Nadia will become your mate someday. You’d make a stunning pair.”
Aidan ignored the weight of responsibility that settled over him with that statement. He recognized that Nadia was attractive. In her human form, she was tall with long dark hair that reached halfway down her back. In wolf form she was glossy black with grey eyes. At the moment the only eyes he cared to gaze into were blue.
“So I’m hoping you have some ideas for dealing with this Henderson pup,” Howard said. “Ideas that don’t involve confronting Leland. I see that as a last resort.”
Aidan took a deep breath. “All right. I need you to contact Roger Claymore and have me assigned to travel with Emma as far as Chicago.”
“I’ll do that. Good plan.”
“If you give the okay, I’ll let her publisher know that the possible stalker is from there. I’ll monitor the Chicago gig and intercept Theo if he should show up. I’ll gently remind him that he’s putting the entire werewolf community at risk and send him back home. I think I’ll be very convincing.”
Howard nodded. “I’m sure you will be.” He stood. “Let me call Roger right now. When does Emma leave on tour?”
“Friday morning. She’ll spend Friday night, all day Saturday, and Saturday night in Chicago. When she leaves there, I’ll have neutralized the threat. I’ll come home, and she can continue on to Denver for the rest of her tour.”
“Excellent. I know you’ll keep this on the down-low, as they say these days. It goes without saying that the less Emma knows about the Henderson-Wallace connection, the better.”
“Right.”
“I feel good knowing you’ll be handling this, son.”
Aidan squashed any feelings of uneasiness. He was the logical person for the assignment because as the first-born of the alpha, he carried the authority of the entire Wallace pack. He would be the most effective in shutting down Theo Henderson. Roarke might not approve of this trip, but Aidan could control himself. It was only two days. And two nights.
Chapter Five
“Jenny, it’s ludicrous and unnecessary.” Wearing grey sweats and a black wool sweater, Emma paced the hardwood floor of her loft as she clutched her phone to her ear. “You’re telling me he’s only nineteen, which means this is probably just a kid with a crush. I don’t need a high-powered security expert like Aidan Wallace to fix this.”
“I’ve lost control of the situation,” Jenny said. “Howard Wallace has convinced Roger that Aidan needs to go. Because of Howard and Roger’s long friendship, Wallace Enterprises is cutting Aidan’s usual fee in half, and you know Roger can’t pass up a bargain.”
“Jenny…” Emma sighed in frustration. “How am I supposed to explain him to the bookstore folks? Won’t they freak out if they think I’m in enough danger to need a bodyguard? Which I’m not, but having Mr. Muscles there will make it seem as if I could be kidnapped at any moment.”
“Mr. Muscles.” Jenny laughed. “That’s good. Anyway, no worries about the explanation. I’ve cancelled your media escort for Chicago. Aidan has your itinerary and he’ll become your escort for the Chicago gig. It’s only two days, Em. You’ll make my life a lot easier if you’ll go along with this.”
But what about my life? Emma couldn’t imagine how she’d make it through two solid days with Aidan in tow. Last night had been embarrassing enough. She’d kissed him for Christ’s sake. She’d based that impulse on her firm belief that she wouldn’t see him until the next book signing, and by then she’d have a sexy boyfriend to call her own, somebody who would stack up very well against Aidan Wallace, poster boy for Bowflex.
“Please, Em,” Jenny said. “Howard’s put the fear of God into Roger and he’s acting like a mother hen over here. Next thing you know he’ll decide to go along and monitor your Chicago appearances.”
Emma closed her eyes in resignation. “Okay.” So she’d have to be humiliated. She could only imagine what Aidan thought about this, being told to keep a grown woman safe from a love-struck teenager.
Damn, she’d made such a fool of herself last night, too. She’d practically begged him to come upstairs with her, and he’d turned her down. Twice. But had she attempted to retain her dignity in the face of his double rejection? Nope. She’d planted one
on him, just so he’d know for sure that she craved his body.
Ayiyiyi. How could she face him at JFK on Friday morning? She only had one option—to play the cool professional who considered this whole exercise ridiculous. She did think it was ridiculous, but playing the cool professional in the presence of his hot body would take some doing.
Aidan arrived at the gate early on Friday morning. He hadn’t seen Emma in the line going through security, and she wasn’t in the gate area, either. He hoped to hell she wouldn’t show up at the last minute, or worse yet, miss the plane. She had a tendency to run late, something he knew from those months of watching her.
He bought coffee and sipped it as he paced the gate area and cast frequent glances down the concourse. Nothing. He should have followed his first impulse and insisted on picking her up in the Town Car to guarantee she’d be on time.
They’d exchanged a couple of brief emails in which he’d suggested exactly that, and she’d refused the offer. Not surprising, considering the way he’d rejected her invitation on Wednesday night. She’d want to keep her distance, and that was all to the good, especially considering the plan he’d devised to make sure Theo backed off.
Posing as her media escort wouldn’t be enough. Aidan had decided to present himself as her fiancé, but he had to make sure the masquerade didn’t tempt him to get too chummy with her. If she remained aloof, that would help.
When the gate attendant announced boarding for first class passengers, he pulled out his phone and called her. No answer. Damn it, this was not a good way to start out.
He caught her scent before he saw her, but then, there she was, striding toward the gate in three-inch black heels and pulling a wheeled computer case. Her blonde hair bounced around her shoulders and her black trench coat was unbuttoned. It flapped back to reveal a turquoise suit that hugged her curves in a way that made his mouth go dry. She wore a white lace camisole under the jacket, and the shadow of her cleavage was visible through the delicate lace. This would be a very long two days.
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