“Uhm, yeah,” she murmured, standing up.
“He’s huge! What kind of dog is he?” Jade asked cautiously.
“Well, we’re not really sure,” Liam began. “I wanted to adopt a dog, and when I saw him at the shelter, he was just a little thing. They didn’t know what he was either, since they rescued him. I thought he might have been a mixed Boxer breed, but now I’m thinking he’s more a Mastiff mix.”
“He’s sweet,” Lara observed as Hugo continued to lick her hand, as if begging for more affection. The redhead obliged, reaching down to scratch him behind the ear, much to the dog’s delight.
The sound of an engine pulling up to the driveway made the butler clear his throat. “I believe that should be Mr. and Mrs. Matsumoto, Master Liam. Perhaps we should head into the dining room? Mrs. Henney should already be waiting for you.”
“Can you take Hugo to the back yard please, Gregory?” Liam instructed the butler. “I’ll show our guests to the dining room.”
Hugo let out another whine and Gregory led him away. “Will he be OK?” Lara asked, frowning.
“Don’t worry, he’s got a big backyard where he can play,” Liam chuckled. “I’ll let him back in the house after dinner.”
Lara waved to Hugo. “I’ll see you later, buddy!”
***
“How do you like San Francisco?” Akiko Henney asked, her dark eyes keen and hawk-like. Liam’s mother greeted them as soon as they entered the dining room, her smile polite, but her manner cool. Lara couldn’t guess her age, as her alabaster skin was smooth and only showed small signs of wrinkles. Her midnight black hair was still thick and full, pulled up into an elegant bun.
“Er, we haven’t had a chance to do much except work, Lupa,” Jade replied as she took a sip of her wine. “But it’s a beautiful city, right Lara?”
“Uhm, yeah, sure. I mean, yes, it’s a lovely city,” Lara murmured.
“I had my reservations when I first came to live here, but it’s grown on me. In fact, I was just…”
As Akiko droned on, Lara did a mental eye roll. Although Liam’s mother had been polite and cordial towards her, it was obvious she thought of Lara as an outsider. Liam sat at the head of the table, with Takeda on his right side and his wife, Kimiko, beside him. Akiko, as Lupa or female head of the clan, was on his left. Jade was seated next to her, and Lara at the end. Whenever Akiko asked a question or made a comment, she looked towards both women, but her eyes never even landed on Lara.
Her friend seemed uncomfortable with the attention and did her best to include her in the conversation, but it was no use. She was practically invisible to the Lycans. All except Liam, of course. Though he never talked to her directly, Lara could feel his electric blue eyes on her, and she felt like prey being stalked. Once, she mustered enough strength to look back at him, and when their eyes clashed, she felt the blush creep up her cheeks and she quickly looked down at her pumpkin soup.
“By the way,” Akiko began. “I saw your mother and her husband last summer in Glyndenbourne. How is the Baroness?”
“She’s doing well…er…I suppose,” Jade fumbled. “I haven’t seen her in a few months, actually.”
“That’s a shame, she’s a lovely lady,” Akiko said. “I asked her if you were seeing anyone, and she said you weren’t. I was so happy to hear that you were coming to San Francisco. I’ve been wanting you to meet Liam for a while now. And the Baroness felt the same way, when I told her about you. I’m sure she’ll be pleased to know you and my son are getting to know each other very well.”
“Mother!” Liam admonished.
The older lady gave him an innocent smile. “As colleagues…for now.”
Meanwhile, Jade’s eyes bulged and she started coughing, her face going red.
“Jesus, Jade, are you OK?” Lara leaned over and soothed her, rubbing her back. Jade heaved and let out a hacking sound, waving Lara away with her hand. Unfortunately, she also knocked down her wine glass, sending the red liquid splashing all over the front of Lara’s dress.
Not minding her ruined dress, she gave Jade one last hard slap on the back, and a piece of chewed-up steak landed on the pristine white tablecloth.
The Lycan’s light green eyes widened from behind her glasses when she saw the front of Lara’s dress, now covered in a dark red stain. “I’m so sorry, Lara!”
Lara stood up, her chair scraping the hardwood floors. “I’ll go get cleaned up,” she murmured quietly, walking out of the dining room.
As soon as she closed the door behind her, she realized that she didn’t even know where the bathroom was. Shit. The wine was making the front of her dress stick to her chest, and she pulled at it, not that it helped. The dress was completely ruined. With a sigh, she turned right, hoping she’d find a bathroom.
As she walked through the enormous house, her thoughts turned to the disastrous dinner. Liam and Jade. Of course it made sense. He was an Alpha, and Jade was apparently going to be a Baroness someday, a fact her supposed best friend forgot to mention. They’d be perfect together, of course, and they’d have perfect little Lycan babies with Jade’s brains and Liam’s good looks. The thought made her want to push Jade’s pretty face into her mashed potatoes. No, scratch that, Jade was her friend. She wanted to put Akiko’s upturned nose into the gravy boat instead.
“Fuck!” she cursed when a door she opened turned out to be a closet.
“The bathroom’s this way.”
Liam’s voice made her jump. “Goddammit, someone needs to put a fucking bell on you Lycans!”
He let out a laugh, then took her hand, the touch sending little currents of electricity up her arm. Unable to protest or pull away, she let him lead her down the opposite way.
“You can get cleaned up in there. I’ll get you something to wear.”
“Sure,” she said, turning away from him. His hand on her upper arm stopped her. She looked back at him. “I need to get out of this dress.” His eyes blazed with desire at her words, and her eyes widened. “That’s not what I meant!”
Liam gave her a feral smile, but the heat in his gaze was unmistakable. “What did you mean?” He leaned closer, his lips mere millimeters away from her ear and his breath tickling her delicate skin. Warmth spread through her body, and she could feel the desire pooling in her belly, the rush of wetness between her legs unmistakable.
“I mean…you should get me out of this dress…fuck, that’s not what I meant either!” Damn her traitorous mouth and body.
Liam pushed her against the door of the bathroom. Moving her hair to one side, his fingers played with the zipper on her dress. “Are you sure?” he teased, his other hand tracing circles down her arm.
“Liam…” she breathed, closing her eyes. His body was so close to hers, she could feel the warmth radiating from him.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” he whispered, his lips grazing the shell of her ear.
“Liam, you can’t…” she protested weakly. It took all of her willpower, but she turned around and pushed him away. “This isn’t what you think…”
He seemed undeterred, his eyes never leaving hers. “Tell me what this is about then? Why I can’t stop thinking of you?”
“You don’t want me…I mean, it’s Grant’s fault!”
He frowned. “I don’t understand what he has to do with this.”
Lara sighed. “You don’t just go around making out with random girls for no reason, right? That day in the elevator, Grant and Frankie were getting their freak on in his office and their Alpha pheromones set off everyone on the floor…including you.” She took a deep breath. “So you see? It’s not you…it was your Lycan instincts.”
“That’s not--” He stopped all of a sudden, shaking his head, his face a mask of confusion.
“Lara!” Jade’s voice rang down the hallway. “Where have you been? Are you sure you’re OK?”
Lara quickly stepped away from Liam. “I’m here…I’m fine…I got lost, and the Alpha helped me find the bathroom.”
“I’m going to get her something to wear,” Liam said quickly, ducking away from the two women.
Jade shook her head when she saw Lara’s dress. “I’m such a klutz! I’ll replace the dress, I promise.” She opened the door to the bathroom and tugged the other woman in. Searching the room, she found a towel and started wiping it down the front of Lara’s ruined outfit.
“Really…Jade, don’t worry about it…I’m fine!” she snapped, snatching the towel from Jade. The look of surprise on the Lycan’s face sent a feeling of guilt to the pit of her stomach. “I mean…it’s just a dress,” she said reassuringly.
“I just…” Jade looked at her feet. “That was a big surprise. I mean, I didn’t know our mothers had met and…well, I didn’t know anything about this…just to let you know.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lara said flippantly, turning the tap on to wash her hands.
“Well, at the police station, you and Liam seemed…”
“Seemed what?”
“Seemed…close,” Jade finished.
“I was feeling sick, and he was there to help me,” Lara explained. “Nothing else.”
Jade’s eyes narrowed at her friend. “Uh-huh.”
“Yes. I swear.”
A knock interrupted them.
“Come in!” they said at the same time.
The knob turned, and Liam’s head popped in. “I couldn’t find anything that would fit you, Lara, I thought maybe you could cover up with this.” He handed her a black button down shirt.
“Thank you.” Lara nodded as she took it.
“I’ll head back to the dining room,” Liam said as he left them.
Lara unfolded the shirt, and from the size, she guessed it was Liam’s. The citrusy scent that clung to the fabric was unmistakable. With a long sigh, she put it on, folded up the sleeves and tied the bottom around her waist. It would have to do.
“Er, that’s not too bad,” Jade glanced at her cover up. “And besides, we’re just heading back to the hotel after this. At least the staff won’t think you came from a murder scene.”
Lara laughed. “Right. OK, well, I suppose the night can’t get any worse.”
“Yeah. At least you didn’t spit out Grade-A Wagyu beef onto the San Francisco Lupa’s finest white tablecloth.”
***
“Well, that was a lovely dinner,” Akiko remarked as they watched the limo pull out of the driveway. “Ms. Cross is a lovely woman.”
Liam shook head. His mother did not waste time. “She’s a nice girl.”
“And from a good Lycan family.” Akiko gave a slight emphasis to the Lycan part, of course.
“I’m sure they’re from good stock, mother,” he said wryly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I have some work to do, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Liam, dear.” She reached over and touched his cheek. “You know, I only want what’s best for you.”
“I know, Mother.”
“And well…it’s been over a year since your father died. I think it’s time you finished mourning and moved on.”
“And you?” he asked, his eyes concerned. “Have you moved on?”
“I probably never will.” She shook her head. “I loved your father, and I always will. But I’m tired. I would like to pass on the mantle to another. Your wife should be rightful Lupa to our clan.”
“I thought you enjoyed being Lupa?” he teased. “Most mothers wouldn’t want to be replaced by newer, and younger woman.”
“Ha! No one could replace me as your mother,” she laughed. “But still, I’ve seen how being Alpha has taken its toll on you. A wife would help ease that burden. You would have someone to share your troubles, and your life. And maybe have a pup or two.”
“Oh, so that’s really what this is?” he asked in a lighthearted tone. “You’re angling for some grandchildren.”
“Naturally, I would want our line to be continued. But yes, a child to hold and spoil would be nice.” She looked up at him hopefully.
“I want that, too, Mother,” he confessed. “I would like to at least have what you and dad had.”
Akiko’s eyes softened and teared slightly. “Your father was a rare man. He claims he fell in love with me at first sight, even though it was our parents pushing us to get together. I didn’t believe him at first and thought his American ways too brash and forward.”
“But he won you over.”
“He did. Eventually.” She smiled. “He was kind and had a good heart. Like you.”
Liam paused. “I miss him. A lot.”
“Me too,” Akiko embraced her son. “Every day.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You should get some rest, it’s been a long day.”
Akiko nodded and stepped back. “I do hope you think about what I said. Not just about Ms. Cross, who’s a lovely lady and would suit you well. A nice Lycan girl whom you can share your life with could be just what you need.”
As his mother walked away, her words rang in his head. Of course, any Lycan mother would want a Lycan mate for her son. After all, only two Lycans could produce a Lycan pup, and even that was rare. Most Lycan couples couldn’t produce children, and the few that did rarely had more than one child. The exception of course, was the True Mate paring, but that was even rarer. Three pairs in existence, a minuscule fraction of the entire worldwide population of their kind. As Alpha, it was his duty to produce the next heir. And he could only do that with another Lycan.
A strange feeling pulled at his chest, and Lara’s name drifted into his mind, as it often did these days. He couldn’t stop thinking about what she said, about what happened in the elevator. Perhaps she was right, it was all instincts and pheromones. It would be best, for everyone, if he just forgot about Lara Chatraine.
Chapter Nine
A loud crack of thunder made Lara open her eyes from her already shallow sleep. She just barely drifted off when the sound woke her up. Outside, rain pelted the windows as a seemingly freak rain storm hit.
She padded over to the window, watching the lights of the city as the rain and fog made them blurry. Shivering slightly, she pulled the shirt tighter around her, breathing in the delicious scent. Ugh, why did I wear his damn shirt to bed? As soon as she got into her room, she tossed it aside, and realizing that she now smelled like him, hopped into the shower to wash the scent away. However, she was drawn to the shirt. She couldn’t stop herself from smelling it and breathing Liam’s scent like some lunatic stalker. Whatever possessed her to wear it to bed, she didn’t know.
Pressing her head against the cold window, she took another deep breath. A jolt of arousal shot through her, sending heat and wetness between her legs. She swallowed a gulp, her fingers playing with the hem of the shirt. Did she dare? Her hand didn’t wait for an answer as it slipped between her legs. Tracing the seam of her pussy through her panties, she gasped, surprised at how damp she was. She pushed the fabric aside, exposing her cunt to her fingers.
She moaned his name as her finger teased her wet lips. She imagined his hand down there, circling her clit and slipping inside. She continued to touch herself, when suddenly the hairs at the back of her neck prickled and she sensed someone outside her door. She went on full alert, hands at the ready to blow away any attacker. Slowly, she approached the door and peeked out of the keyhole.
Standing outside her door was Liam Henney. Well, at least he had been standing outside her door for half a second but quickly turned and walked away. He suddenly stopped, turned back and stood in front of her door, raising his hand as if to knock, then froze. His brow wrinkled and he put down his hand, then ran it through his hair in a frustrated manner. He turned around again and began to walk away.
Lara wasn’t sure what got into her, but she quickly unlocked the door and opened it. “Liam,” she called to his retreating back.
Slowly, he turned around. His eyes raked over her, as if he couldn’t believe what
he was seeing.
“What are you doing here?” she asked shyly, suddenly feeling the heat of his gaze.
“I was taking a walk. I do it to clear my head sometimes.” He walked back towards her. “And I suddenly found myself outside your hotel. And then outside your door and I couldn’t help myself.”
“You’re wet,” she realized. His hair was mussed, both from the rain and his hands, and his clothes were damp.
“And you’re wearing my shirt,” he said with a cheeky grin.
Her mouth dropped open. “It’s not what you think,” she crossed her arms.
“You keep saying that, but for some reason it’s always what I think,” he said in a low voice.
Lara’s face twisted in anger. “It’s late, you should go.” She was about to shut the door, when his hand slammed on the wood, bracing against it.
“Did you want to be close to me as you sleep? Have my scent all over you?” he whispered. “Because your scent mixed with mine is delicious.”
His words shocked her, sending a jolt of arousal through her. “Please, Liam.” She pushed the door harder, but it didn’t budge. “It’s getting late, and I should get some sleep.”
“Lara, I…” His eyes glazed over, then his pupils dilated into pinpoints. “Jesus, you smell like…” A deep growl rumbled from his chest. “Have you been touching yourself?”
Her eyes grew wide and she tried to shut the door even harder, but he pushed against it. He barged into her room, and as the door closed with a loud thud, she jumped back with a jolt. Electric blue eyes glowed eerily in the darkness of her room, and he moved towards her. She backed up slowly, scared to give him her back, until she hit the wooden dresser. Liam braced his hands on either side of her, trapping her.
“Don’t, Liam,” she begged. But he didn’t seem to hear her. His warm hand gripped her wrist and raised up to his face. His nose sniffed at her fingers, then his warm tongue slipped from his mouth, licking at her digits. Heat pooled in her belly as the rough pad of his tongue made contact with her skin.
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