Protecting Their Home (To Love And Defend Book 4)

by Daniella Starre

  Grayson was a boxer guy, and his rock-hard cock was poking her ass. He only had to shift slightly, and the top of his penis entered her slick opening. Just his shirt and nothing else, no bra, no panties. Man, was that fucking hot.

  “So fucking tight,” he murmured in her ear.

  “Funny. I was just about to say so fucking hard.” She nuzzled against his neck before biting the tender flesh there.

  Grayson’s cock jumped. He couldn’t handle this, handle her. He needed her right now.

  He sped up his thrusts, and she shrieked clinging to him with her arms, her legs, and her walls.

  “Fuck, yeah,” he groaned. “You like that?”

  “I do. I—ah!”

  Her walls clenched him so tightly he nearly gave in, almost came too, but not yet. He needed to feel her longer.

  The scent of burning waffle had Olivia tightening up but not in a sexual way.

  Grayson did not stop pumping.

  “Grayson.”

  He kept going. From the way she was biting her lower lip, she was almost there again.

  “Grayson!”

  “That’s it. Scream my name!”

  “The waffle!”

  It was burning. Badly. Smoke filled the room so much he could hardly see her. How did that happen so quickly?

  Olivia lowered her legs and detached from him with a groan. In seconds, she dealt with the mess.

  Grayson couldn’t help stroking himself. He needed to finish. His balls were aching.

  Olivia turned to him. The smoke was clearing away, and he loved the sexy look she was giving him.

  Before either could do anything, Grayson’s cell rang.

  “Ignore,” Olivia said, reaching to replace his hand with hers.

  But he was alpha. He couldn’t. Ah. It was Carlos Martin.

  “I have to take this,” he said.

  Grayson walked away, hating how sad and confused Olivia appeared.

  Don’t worry, my wolf. You’ll love what I have in store for you.

  Chapter 2

  Olivia Earle couldn’t get the stench of burnt waffles out of her nose no matter what she did. The smell was so disgusting that she couldn’t bring herself to eat the perfect ones. Maybe Grayson was done with his call so they could finish their morning delight, and then they could go out for breakfast. Or brunch. Or dinner. All depending on when they left the bedroom.

  Just as she was leaving the kitchen, Grayson stood before her, completely dressed.

  He kissed her forehead and said, “I have to go. Dinner tonight?”

  And he walked away. That was it.

  Seriously?

  Feeling miffed, Olivia scowled. She loved Grayson. He was a great alpha now that depression wasn’t ruling his life.

  But she felt ignored, and she hated that she did. Because she loved Grayson for being willing to do anything and everything for his pack. That was how they had ended up together in the first place. She loved him for being him, and that included him being an alpha. Which meant he would have to rush off to help others.

  Olivia rubbed the back of her neck and blinked some. The smoke remnants still bothered her eyes. She had wanted to move out here to Detroit temporarily to find herself. Instead, she had found love. She still needed to figure out who exactly she was.

  Considering she no longer had to spend money on rent because she had naturally moved in with her husband, she could maybe start to seriously save up and make her dream of starting her own fashion line a reality.

  Excited now and not feeling sorry for herself anymore, Olivia grabbed both a notepad and a drawing pad. In between working on a list of all the things she would need, she began to doodle more designs for dresses and skirts. A few minutes later, she was humming. Designing always soothed her, but she was going to have to take this a step further than ever before if she truly wanted to make this a business. How exactly did she want to go about doing this? Open her own store to sell her designs? She wouldn’t be able to mass produce, at least not at first. Or should she try to go mainstream from the beginning?

  So many options. Olivia got lost in her work and didn’t come up for breath until hours later when her stomach demanded sustenance. It was well past lunchtime.

  And Grayson still wasn’t home.

  Well, he had said dinner.

  But some of her happiness at working on her fashion had vanished. She would love to pick his brain about setting up a business here in the city considering that he had done that himself, but that would have to wait until he come home.

  Whenever that will be.

  Chapter 3

  Grayson spent the entire day with Carlos. After the betrayal of his beta, Edward Creek, Grayson needed a new beta, and so far, Carlos definitely seemed to fit the bill. He was eager and willing to help out, and Grayson needed that right now. No way could he plan a huge bash to celebrate Olivia all by himself.

  Once upon a time, before his first wife had died, Grayson used to host monthly parties. After she died, he stopped. He lost himself to his grief, a grief that endangered his pack. It wasn’t until he realized that another pack was threatening his wolves that he had been able to crawl his way from the darkness to be the alpha he should have been all along.

  Olivia had helped him. She had been willing to marry him if that was what it meant for his pack to be safe. That other pack contained plenty of assholes, including some who had threatened her.

  She had saved him in more ways than one. He knew she had come here to try to find herself, but she had helped him to do just that. He would be forever grateful for that.

  Carlos had called because he had secured them a venue for the party. Normally, Grayson hosted a lot within his home, but he wanted to give everyone and anyone a chance to come and celebrate their new alpha female. They needed to select a date, but Grayson wasn’t sure when just yet.

  For the rest of the day, they worked on determining who would cater the event, what the menu should be, and more. Before Grayson returned home, he spent hours going from store to store.

  Olivia was huge into fashion. She loved to wear jewelry or scarves or other items to draw an outfit together. She liked to play with her makeup too. When she did that cat eye thing, her eyes really popped. He wanted to complete the affair for her by finding her an outfit for her to wear to the party.

  His wife loved fashion so much, she was a fashion blogger. Maybe he could figure out a way to incorporate that love into the bash. Hmm.

  Instead of returning home, Grayson grabbed his phone. It was time to call Carlos back up. Maybe there was a way for her to display her love while everyone else showered her with love too.

  <<<>>>

  It was now eight at night, and Grayson still hadn’t returned home yet. He had called Olivia to apologize and to say that she should go ahead and eat without him. Oh, and not to worry. Everything was fine.

  Just then, a hand clamped down on Grayson’s shoulder. He had just left another clothing store emptyhanded and was walking back toward his car.

  He glanced over at Jasper Romero and chuckled. The man had been a member of Grayson’s pack until he had married a werewolf who had a lot of issues with her own pack. She couldn’t trust others easily. Both Grayson and his first wife Patty had enjoyed Alexis when they had met her, and the decision to allow them to splinter off into their own pack had been easy. Generally speaking, packs didn’t tend to live so close together, but Jasper’s pack consisted of himself, his wife, and their daughter. Why not allow them happiness?

  “How are you doing?” Jasper asked.

  “Are you asking me alpha to alpha or as a friend?”

  “Either.” Jasper shrugged. “I’ve been worried about you.”

  “Why? Everything is fine with the other pack, considering their alpha is dead.”

  Jasper nodded slowly and then said, “I mean more about you marrying Olivia.”

  Grayson furrowed his brows. “Everything is wonderful between us. Why do you ask?”

  “Oh, just b
ecause Alexis is worried. I guess I’m worried by proxy. But she’s hardly seen Olivia since you two married, and…” Jasper shrugged again.

  Olivia had several close female friends, almost like a pack of friends. Alexis was one of them.

  Grayson frowned. He hadn’t even realized that Olivia had stopped spending time with Alexis.

  “I’ll tell her to reach out,” Grayson said.

  “Good. Alexis has been a bit sensitive lately.” Jasper, for some perplexing reason, seemed to be all confident about this. He was grinning from ear to ear.

  “Why does that have you so happy?” Grayson asked, confused.

  “Because she was like this a little before.”

  “When?”

  “When she had been pregnant.”

  A pang shot through Grayson. He and Patty never had a pup. Would Olivia give him one? Make him a father? He did need an heir, although he could always appoint someone to be his in the meantime.

  “Congratulations,” Grayson said.

  “I don’t know for certain that she is,” Jasper said, “but I have a good feeling about this.”

  “That’s wonderful. I’m truly happy for you.”

  Jasper clasped Grayson’s shoulder. “It’s not always easy, finding a balance between everything and keeping the wife happy. I’m not even an alpha of a full pack, and I struggle at times. Let the friends get together. Invite Mandy and Claire over if they can get away. They share a bond just like we do with Alexis and with Olivia.”

  Grayson nodded. “Of course,” he murmured.

  Already, Grayson had planned on inviting all of Olivia’s closest friends, but maybe he should be the one getting together with them first. Who else would be better to help him determine what exactly Olivia would want for the bash? Every last detail.

  The two alphas parted ways shortly thereafter, and Grayson was positively thrilled. Olivia was going to love this. It would be perfect.

  Chapter 4

  Olivia woke the next day to find a message from Grayson. He had to help a few more people today, but he had made them dinner reservations. “Wear something nice like you always do,” he had written at the bottom. “I adore you.”

  She beamed and murmured, “I love you.”

  Today, it didn’t bother her that Grayson didn’t think he would be around much. She had so much to do. First, she wanted to buy some fabric and actually start to create her clothes. As much as she had pages and pages of ideas for dresses, she had only ever brought very few of them to life.

  Plus, she needed to start to get a move on her to-do list for proceeding with her fashion show. How quickly could she pull this off? Hmm. That would depend on how many dresses and items she wished to show off in the show.

  Keeping that in mind, Olivia decided that she would need to make at least one dress first to determine a feasible, reasonable date for the fashion show. Without a date in mind, she couldn’t book a venue. Should she have some food available? Hors d'oeuvres? Wine? How fancy did she want this to be? Or should her first fashion show be more laid back. Hmm.

  Too many options.

  She flipped through the designs she had hastily drawn yesterday. One dress in particular jumped out at her. The design was relatively simple, a slick silver gown with a high slit, but the collar that should be lifted behind the woman’s head was what made it a stellar piece in her mind. It was a dress meant to be inspired by the light of the full moon, something all werewolves adored.

  Yes. Olivia’s line could be worn by humans, but for the most part, her designs were going to be constructed with werewolves in mind. For the shirts and skirts, she planned on trying to figure out ways to make the clothes have tear away options to hopefully prevent tearing if a female had to quickly shift into her wolf for whatever reason.

  The longest part to make that silver dress? Locating the actual material to use because she did not want to skimp. This had to be perfect. Plus, she had to buy some mannequins and busts for the designs. She had some back in Toledo, where she had lived, but she didn’t feel like making the drive today to go fetch them. Besides, if she wanted to turn this into a true business, she would need more mannequins and busts anyhow. A few of the dresses might need headpieces.

  Again, Olivia got lost in her work. The dress itself was simple to make, so simple she finished that in less than two hours. The collar, though, proved a bit more challenging. She had just finished it and tucked the gown into her closet when an engine pulled up. Whoops. Grayson was here to pick her up for her date, and she wasn’t wearing anything elaborate.

  Swiftly, she changed into a simple wraparound dress and brushed her long, black hair. A touch of lipstick and… no. She needed to do cat eyes. Olivia had enough practice making them that she could be done in about five minutes.

  She set to work, standing before the mirror in the bathroom. From the corner of her eye, she spied Grayson. He leaned on the doorway, watching her without a word. There was something so settling and peaceful about the way he was looking at her. He really did adore her, and she wasn’t going to lose sight of that.

  As she worked on her second eye, she figured that, if everything went well, she would need two weeks. Two weeks was the earliest she could have the fashion show up. It would be crazy because she needed to make at least nine more pieces, but if she could make one a day, she should be golden. She might need to recruit Alexis to help with getting a place ready. Her first choice was the convention center. She wanted as many people as possible to show up. Claire Drake was a teacher. She knew how to motivate people and organize events. She could help to spread the word. Mandy could help too, with phone calls.

  Yes, two weeks. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

  “You seem happy,” Grayson remarked as he took her arm and guided her out of their mansion and to his car.

  “I am happy.” She beamed. “Say, can you do me a favor? Can you keep two weeks open for me?”

  Grayson was reaching to open her car door. He hesitated and then glanced at her. “I’m actually busy that day.”

  “You are?” She slumped her shoulders. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to know the convention center’s availability off the top of your head, do you?”

  “It’s booked up most weekends.”

  “Oh, right, of course.” Olivia bit her lower lip.

  “Don’t worry, love. Don’t lose your happiness.”

  She forced a smile. “I’m happy. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Three weeks. Maybe longer. And there was no guarantee that Grayson would be able to be there if he were to be called away again. Olivia sighed. This was starting to become a headache.

  Chapter 5

  Grayson grimaced as he drove them over to the restaurant. Keeping the bash a secret from Olivia wasn’t easy, and he hated to disappoint her. It would be an amazing tradeoff in the long run, but for now, he did not want her to be upset.

  They arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later, and when she excused herself to the bathroom, Grayson grabbed his phone. He had all of her friends’ numbers programmed into his cell, and he pulled up Alexis’s.

  Hey, I’m planning a surprise for Olivia. I don’t want her to find out about it, but I don’t want her to be worried. Can you maybe spend more time with her? he texted her.

  Honestly, this was perfect, having her friends cover for him. She would still feel loved and could enjoy her friends, leaving him freed up to finish the planning. That she was asking about the convention center in two weeks was comical. That was the exact location and date he had picked. He had wanted it to be earlier, but that was the first opening the convention center had. Even as alpha, he couldn’t control the entire world within Detroit.

  Of course, Alexis responded. I’ve missed her.

  Why haven’t you two been hanging out more since she moved out here?

  She’s been busy.

  Not too busy.

  There was a pause. Finally, Alexis texted, She told me once that you two didn’t leave your bed for twelve hours and it wa
sn’t because of resting.

  Ah, yes. A good time. A very good time. Grayson’s cock stiffened at the memory. Olivia had ridden him all night long. They had planned on having a huge sex romp, so they had all kinds of finger food on a bedside table for them to enjoy as well as two bottles of wine. A truly magical night that he would never ever forget.

  I just don’t want her to be upset with me if I’m a little busy planning everything. I want it to be perfect, he texted.

  Sure thing. Not a problem. Just…

  What?

  Olivia doesn’t tend to like surprises.

  Trust me. She’ll like this one.

  There wasn’t an immediate response, so Grayson figured they were done texting. He laid his cell on the table as Olivia came back.

  “I’m starving,” Olivia said. “I’ve been so busy lately that I forgot to eat lunch.”

  “That’s not healthy.”

  “I know. This dinner will make up for it.”

  “Definitely. You’re in for a treat. The food here is—”

  His phone vibrated.

  “—excellent,” he finished.

  Olivia glared at his phone. “Do you need to check that?”

  “What? No.” He waved his hand, but then his phone buzzed again.

  His wife sighed. “Go ahead.”

  He picked it up. Instead of a text from Alexis, he had a few from Carlos. He needed to know how Grayson planned to invite everyone to the bash without letting Olivia know about it.

  It’s as if he’s never been involved in a surprise party before.

  Grayson began to text Carlos a lengthy response when he realized their waiter had returned with their drinks and was waiting for his order. He quickly went with his old standby instead of trying something new as he originally intended and returned to texting. By the time he finished, his wedge salad had already been brought out.

  Olivia was frowning when he put his phone away.

  “It’s turned off,” he assured her.