by J C Gordon
Her smile slipped a little as her thoughts invariably turned to Caleb. It was hard not to think of him as she drove along this road. He’d taken her home that night and waited until she was safely inside before driving away. She hadn’t heard a word from him since and she felt a mixture of relief with a deep longing to see him again.
She knew it was for the best. She couldn’t seem to think straight when the man was around her. His overt sexuality overwhelmed her at times. She found herself giving in to him with little or no fight at all. The man was also a mass of contradictions. He could be loving and kind at times but terribly frightening at others. So many things about him scared her witless, and yet, she still longed to see him again.
She smiled ruefully and rolled her eyes. He probably hadn’t given her a passing thought since he’d dropped her at home. He had most probably moved on to someone who was a lot less high maintenance than she was. Noting her surroundings, Rhianna slowed the car on impulse when she recognised the area they’d hit the wolf. She pulled over and climbed out of the car, peering into the dark at the tree line. She couldn’t really see that far into the trees but she still peered intently looking for any sign of movement.
“Wolfie?” she called quietly, holding her breath to see if she could detect any sign of movement. “Are you there, Wolfie?” She was conscious of just how incredibly stupid and possibly dangerous it was to stop in the middle of the forest at night and look for a wild wolf. Caleb would be pitching a fit if he could see her right now, but she felt pulled toward the wolf in a way she just couldn’t explain. She had even dreamed about Wolfie a couple of times in the past week.
The strange connection she felt towards the animal was confusing. She liked animals well enough, and had even had a dog when she was younger, but she wasn’t as fond of them as Rafe had been. He had been the true animal lover in the family. So why did she feel this need to stop and see if Wolfie was around?
Rafe watched Annie from the shelter of the trees. He’d come here every night over the last week hoping to catch one more glimpse of his little sister. He thought he’d seen her car passing by a couple of times, but she’d never stopped before. He ached to break the cover of the trees and let her know he was there.
He knew Jared would be on him like a ton of bricks if he did. Even now he could feel his Alpha approaching as if he could somehow sense his beta was up to no good. He broke cover of the trees just long enough for his beloved Annie to catch sight of him for a brief moment. He whined softly once and then turned and slunk back into the trees.
Rhianna was sure it was Wolfie she’d just seen. He had only been there for a short moment before disappearing again, but she was sure it was her wolf. She stood silently hoping he would come back but he didn’t. The chill in the night air sent a shiver down her spine and she got back in her car and carried on home.
Millie was in a stinking mood when she arrived. Her usually even-tempered best friend was banging noisily in the kitchen as she muttered dark threats under her breath.
“What’s wrong, Mills?”
“What’s wrong?” her friend practically shrieked. “Jared bloody Hanlon is what’s wrong! That man had the barefaced nerve to call me at work today. Work of all places. He knew damned well I would have to hold my tongue because I was in the office.”
Rhianna smothered a smile. Jared called Millie daily, much to her friend’s disgust. She managed to avoid most of the calls; and the few that did reach her, she would bluntly tell him where to get off before hanging up. Rhianna liked the big man. He had been very kind to her after Rafe’s death. She couldn’t understand why Millie was so upset by such a gorgeous specimen of a man being interested in her. It wasn’t as if she was still dating that guy from her work she’d been seeing briefly when Rafe died.
“Why don’t you go out with him?” she asked her friend, and then ducked quickly when a saucepan sailed in her direction. “I was only asking, Mills. If you went out with him once, then maybe he’d stop calling you.” Her eyes lit up with amusement.
“You could make yourself out to be the world’s worst date like that movie we watched the other night. The one were guys paid a man to date their exes and be such an ass to them they ran back to their old boyfriends.” She couldn’t remember the movie’s name but it had been kind of funny in a cringe-worthy way.
Millie blinked at her for a long moment and then slowly smiled. “Maybe that would work,” she said, brushing her black curls out of her face. “Annie, you could be a borderline genius.”
Rhianna laughed and picked up the saucepan, which had landed on the sofa. “Only could be?”
“You’d need to sort out your own love life before you could definitely be a genius,” Millie laughed, flushing sheepishly as she accepted the saucepan back. “Sorry about that.”
“I don’t know why you’re so angry at Jared.” Rhianna sat down at the breakfast table and slipped off her shoes. “The man is tall, dark, and gorgeous. He has the body of a Greek god and he’s charming to boot. What isn’t there to like about him?”
Millie groaned and sat down next to her. “I don’t know, Annie. There’s something about the man that sets me on edge. He’s so cocky and sure of himself. It’s almost as if he thinks all he has to do is crook his little finger and I’ll melt into his arms and do whatever he tells me. I’m not that kind of woman, Annie. I don’t submit to that macho male crap.”
Rhianna smiled and shook her head. She could kind of understand where Millie was coming from. She had practically run from Caleb when he’d tried his macho crap on her, only she had been with Caleb and knew just what she was missing by running from him. Millie was running and she hadn’t even had the chance to sample the delights of Jared Hanlon.
She found herself trying to imagine what Jared would be like as a lover. He oozed the very same sexual confidence that Caleb did. He was probably just as skilled as Caleb in the bedroom; and yet, despite all the things going for Jared, he did not spark one single bit of interest in her. He was just a very handsome, charming man to Rhianna. A friend and nothing more.
“What are you thinking about?” Millie asked curiously.
“I was trying to imagine Jared as a lover.” Rhianna smiled, her smile broadening at the unconscious look of displeasure that crossed her friend’s face and the slight tensing of her body. So, Millie wasn’t interested in Jared? Yeah, right!
“I couldn’t imagine it though,” she continued, as if she hadn’t noticed her friend’s reaction. “I keep thinking of Caleb instead.”
“You really liked him, didn’t you?” Millie asked, shooting her a sympathetic smile. She didn’t know why her friend had stopped seeing the gorgeous man. Rhianna had been very tight lipped about their short-lived date the previous week.
Rhianna’s thoughtful expression was broken by a smile. “I still do. He was just exhibiting some of the macho male crap you so disapprove of, and I needed a bit of time to decide if it was something I could put up with or not.”
“And?”
“And I’m going to go and see him tonight,” Rhianna announced slowly, as if she had only just made the decision.
Millie was surprised at her announcement and also pleased. Her friend had no idea just how animated she became when she talked about Caleb. He seemed to be one of the few people who could make Rhianna smile these days. He seemed to be good at pissing her off too, but that was healthy. Laughing and temper tantrums were all part of living and finally Rhianna was starting to live again.
“Maybe you should give Jared a chance too, Mills. You never know, you may be pleasantly surprised.” Rhianna couldn’t help smiling as indignation crossed her friend’s face, along with a healthy dose of doubt. She decided not to push it any further and rose from her chair to head towards her bedroom. “Oh, have a look in my bag, Mills. I’ve been working on an idea and I’ve done up a business plan. Let me know what you think.”
Millie had a big smile on her face as she read Rhianna’s business plan for her bookshop.
She pouted her lips at the name ‘Armand’s Bookshop’. It felt impersonal, lacking the intimacy of the proposed type of bookstore her friend was envisioning.
Bookstore was definitely better than Bookshop. She pondered it some more and then slowly smiled. Hunting for a pen, she scrolled across the top of the first page of the business plan. ‘Create Your Own Happiness Bookstore’.
It sounded a bit clichéd, but it had been one of Rafe’s favourite sayings whenever they were sad about something. He would sit them down and gently tell them that they created their own happiness. It had always made them feel better. She wondered if Rhianna would like it.
Her friend appeared out of her room ten minutes later. Millie’s smile widened as she took in the little black skirt and purple halter neck top Rhianna was wearing.
“Smoking hot, girl,” she laughed, and made her best leer face.
Rhianna threw her head back and burst out laughing, her long auburn curls swaying around her as she did. “Let’s hope Caleb thinks so too,” she smiled, as she sat down at the table beside her friend.
“So, what did you think of the bookshop?” She grabbed an apple out the fruit bowl and bit into it.
Millie’s cobalt blue eyes shone as she smiled her approval of the idea. “I thought the name was a bit impersonal, but apart from that it sounds really fantastic, Annie. I’d be up for offering my services as a storyteller at the weekends.” She passed the plan over to Rhianna and watched her friend’s face intently as she read her scrawled writing across the top of the page.
Rhianna looked up at Millie and her lavender eyes gleamed wetly even as her smile was radiant across her face. “It’s perfect, Mills,” she whispered. “It’s all of us together forever.”
Millie returned her smile and squeezed her friend’s hand gently “That’s what I thought when I wrote it.”
“Crack open that bottle of red, Mills,” Rhianna said with a big smile. “Let’s have a toast.”
Her friend jumped up and opened the red wine, pouring out two very generous glasses and handing her one.
“To new beginnings and creating your own happiness.” Rhianna smiled.
“Amen to that, Annie!” Millie laughed, as they clinked glasses together.
Rhianna finished her wine, then grabbed her wrap and purse and headed for the door.
“Call Jared, Millie,” she called over her shoulder. “Take a leap of faith!”
Millie grunted, but laughed as the door closed behind her friend. Maybe Annie was right. Maybe she should take a chance. She considered it briefly and then frowned. She was not ready to give in to Jared Hanlon. Not yet.
Rhianna took a cab. She had two choices of where to head, either Caleb’s mansion or Karpathia’s. She opted to try Karpathia’s first. It was Friday night and most people went out to wind down after a long, hard week at work. She gave the cab driver the address and sat back for the short ride to the club.
She tried to calm down her heart, which had suddenly started beating loudly. What if Caleb wasn’t interested anymore? What if she got to the club and found him wrapped in some other woman’s arms? Well, it would be her own damned fault if that was the case, but she wouldn’t know if he’d moved on if she didn’t at least try to find him.
~~~~~
Caleb was lounging in the shadows. His bored gaze ran across the crowded room as he wished he’d ignored Demetri’s incessant bullying to come out tonight. He was tired and cranky and he just wanted to go home and put his feet up.
He’d tried to slip out a couple of times but Demetri had appeared at his side, halting his escape with a deep frown and a long lecture about how it was time for him to give up on Rhianna and get back into the swing of things. Caleb caved in both times just to shut his friend up. His constant nagging was driving him insane.
He was just about to make his third bid for freedom. Demetri was sitting in a booth with a lithe little brunette tucked up in his lap, so the chances of Caleb getting out this time were more encouraging than the last two attempts. He watched Demetri move in for another long, lusty kiss with the brunette, and took a deep breath, getting ready to move. He froze where he stood.
Lavender and jasmine assaulted his nostrils and his eyes widened as he slowly turned his head towards the club door. He blinked slowly as Rhianna walked in, her gaze quickly sweeping around the room.
God, she was so stunningly beautiful she astounded him. His greedy gaze ran over her body, and he smothered a groan at the sexy outfit she was wearing. The material clung to her body like a fitted glove, showing off all her wonderful assets and making his body harden instantly.
He knew she couldn’t see him in the shadows. It was one of the reasons they kept this part of the club so dimly lit. They could hide within the shadows and survey the entire room unobserved. Rhianna was definitely looking for someone. Was she looking for him? He didn’t dare hope she was but he did remember telling her he was a silent partner in the club. Surely she must be looking for him? She wouldn’t be so cruel as to arrange a date with another man in the very place she knew he would most likely be?
~~~~~
Rhianna couldn’t see Caleb and she struggled to hide her disappointment. She would have to try his mansion then. If he wasn’t there, then she’d just go home. At least she would have tried to catch up with him. She was just about to turn to leave when something drew her eyes to a couple in the booth across from her and something about the man caught her eye.
He was gorgeous and had long flowing black hair which obscured his face slightly. Even so, there was something about him that convinced her she knew him from somewhere. She stepped a little further into the room just as the woman on the man’s lap brushed his hair back from his face and she got a better view.
He was the man who had come out with the Volvo when Caleb’s car was struck by the wolf. He was a friend of Caleb’s, she was sure of that, though she didn’t know his name. He would probably know where Caleb was, but he appeared to be a little busy at the moment.
Rhianna’s eyes went wide as she saw the man run a hand up the woman’s thigh and slide it under her short skirt. Was he really touching her intimately in the middle of a club? Her cheeks flushed scarlet, and she looked away and nervously clutched at her stomach. She couldn’t very well walk over there now and ask where Caleb was, and yet, if she didn’t she may lose her nerve and never try to find him again.
Squaring her shoulders, she walked determinedly over to the booth. The man and woman ignored her, continuing to kiss as if they were somewhere private. Rhianna felt her embarrassment mount. She timidly cleared her throat whilst trying to look anywhere but at the couple.
Demetri growled low in his throat as the human woman’s scent washed over him and her little throat noise interrupted his very pleasant moment with the woman in his arm. “I’m busy,” he grunted, not even bothering to look up. “Come back later if you want some action.”
Rhianna gasped at his abrupt tone, and his automatic assumption that she wanted in on the ‘action’. She felt her temper spark, and though her embarrassment deepened, she couldn’t stop her tart response. “Oh, please! I have much better taste than you!”
Her tone literally dripped with derision and Caleb found himself smiling from his spot in the corner as she knocked Demetri down a peg or two.
Demetri stopped kissing the brunette, and looked up with a hint of surprise in his cool, green eyes. He scrutinised the woman before him, and then he slowly smiled.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the little redhead,” he drawled, pushing the woman from his lap as he sat up straight. “Give me a moment, darling.” He shooed her away with a hand, his full concentration on Rhianna.
“So, what can I do for you, Rhianna?” he asked with a mocking smile. “I suppose you’re looking for Caleb? Feel the need to do a little more emasculating of my friend?”
His words were nasty, cutting, and totally undeserved. She stared down at him and felt an itch in her palm. She clenched her hand so she didn’t s
mack his smug face the way she wanted to.
“What goes on between Caleb and I is none of your business,” she answered frostily, squaring her shoulders against his glacial green gaze. “You’re hardly one to talk about what’s appropriate anyway. Not after what I’ve just witnessed. You do know there are public indecency laws? This is a public place and what you were doing to that poor woman just now was outrageous.”
She knew she sounded stuffy and prudish, but something about the man rubbed her up the wrong way. It didn’t help she was embarrassed and nervous about seeing Caleb again, too. The combination of emotions was making her lash out, though he didn’t seem the least annoyed about it judging from his expression.
Demetri threw back his head and laughed loudly. “Who the fuck are you, Martha Stewart? Believe me, darling, that little filly was most definitely not complaining about what I was ‘doing’ to her. On the contrary, she loved every single second of it.”
Rhianna felt her face flushing scarlet again, but she held her ground. The man may be gorgeous to look at, but he had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. “Fine, I’m not going to argue with you,” she snapped. “I just want to know where Caleb is. Is he here tonight?”
Demetri glanced in the corner and saw Caleb glaring at him with a murderous expression on his face. He knew his friend could hear every word being said, and was not at all pleased with what he’d heard so far. He sighed deeply and looked back at the redhead. If he didn’t apologise to the girl, his friend would most probably try to rearrange his face for him. He sighed deeply again.
“My apologies, Rhianna. You caught me at an inopportune moment and my manners were severely lacking. Yes, Caleb is here tonight. Do you wish me to tell him you’re looking for him?”
She was taken aback by the complete change in the man and she looked around quickly to see if she could spot Caleb anywhere near them. She didn’t see him and turned back to the booth.
“I’m sorry too,” she said thawing slightly. “You have me at a disadvantage. You appear to know who I am, but I have no idea who you are other than you brought the replacement car out to Old Forest Road last week.”