by C. D. Gorri
She deserved a proper wooing. He nodded to himself as he walked into the hallway off his state-of-the-art kitchen through the closed garage.
His house was large and expensive, he’d spent a lot of money upgrading and renovating over the past three years, but he frowned at how it just sat there all day long. Alone, dark, and gloomy.
He’d bought it with the hopes of raising a family someday, but he’d pushed that aside in pursuit of his career. He was a damn good doctor and his supervisory skills made him perfect for the position of Chief of Macconwood Memorial’s Emergency Department.
The need for a family was forgotten in his long hours on the job. He frowned as it suddenly came rushing back. David dropped his keys in the glass bowl on the counter and reached the fridge for some bottled spring water. Fuck it. He grabbed a beer instead.
The house felt empty. Sure, everything was neat and clean. He paid a service to come in twice a week to see to the laundry, and even the grocery shopping, but it was all so impersonal. Maybe he should get a Christmas tree? Maybe Cassie could help him decorate it?
He wanted to call her, ask her if she’d come to his house tomorrow night to help him, but he’d already phoned her once that evening. It’s too late, buddy, he told his Wolf who was growling with the need to hear her sweet voice again. He checked the green numbers glowing from his mounted microwave.
Yeah, it is way too late for phone calls. It was past midnight. He didn’t want her to think he was completely crazy. No, he needed to give her some space.
Maybe he could prolong their planned lunch into a dinner date, do a little Christmas tree shopping, have her over for some eggnog and cookies. He could get some delivered, couldn’t he?
He thought about it as he showered and got ready for bed. He knew instinctively that she enjoyed the holidays. So, yeah, she’d definitely like what he had planned.
He grabbed his cell and sent a few emails off before turning down his comforter and settling into his massive king-sized bed. There were only five more hours until he was due back at the hospital. Shit.
He needed to sleep. He closed his eyes and tried to force himself into slumber, but visions of cinnamon hair and smiling lips kept crowding his mind.
They planned to meet at the hospital after her interview. She didn’t know how long it would last, but he assured her that he could pretty much take lunch whenever he wanted. She’d laughed and called him ‘boss’, teased him until he was blushing a beet red.
No one ever did that. Just goofed off with him. He loved that she was comfortable enough to do so. That had to mean something, right?
Tomorrow. We will see tomorrow.
CHAPTER 10
“I’m hired?”
“Yes, Ms. DeMarco, you are hired,” the striking blonde woman said as she stood up from behind a massive wooden desk piled high with papers and an open laptop.
The place was certainly unconventional, but from what she’d read about it online, they did great work. Cassie squeaked and jumped up out of her chair eager to shake hands with her new boss.
She’d never been one to contain her emotions, part of why she’d always loved music. Singing and acting had been her solace in high school and college, especially when that little sixth sense of hers went a little bit nuts.
Magic and the unexplainable were certainly everywhere. Cassie knew this even as she shook hands with the gorgeous she-Wolf. She was glad she’d learned to control or at least, hide that part of herself. Supernaturals had rules about who was permitted to know of their existence.
“You seem familiar to me, Cassie, I read your resume last night and you’ve been in a few shows on and off Broadway, is that correct?” Cat said as she strolled with her through the hallways to show her the music/drama room.
“Oh, well, yes, but no major roles or anything,” she said with more than a little embarrassment.
Cassie had wanted so badly to succeed on Broadway. She understood now that that kind of lightning struck rarely, and she simply wasn’t one of those few destined for stardom.
Still, she was happy for her experiences there, and that ache that she’d had a few days ago was lessened somehow. She was exactly where she was supposed to be now. She fully believed that.
She smiled at Cat as she told her a few of the shows she’d been involved in and shared some of her experiences in New York. She couldn’t believe how light she felt talking about what had almost broken her heart days ago!
She knew now that it simply wasn’t meant to be. Maybe the Fates had something else in store for her. Something involving a certain wolfy doctor…
For a second, she wondered why it had taken her so long to realize the truth. New York wasn’t for her. Perhaps if she hadn’t also been involved with Mark, the director of the last couple of shows she’d been involved in, she’d have seen it sooner.
Never one to quit, she had allowed herself to grow complacent. She was fine with him stringing her along, feeding his own ego, until he’d moved on to greener pastures.
But it didn’t hurt so much now. In fact, she was almost glad for it. She nodded and listened while Cat continued to escort her through the rather large, multi-level building where the Macconwood-Nighthawk Teen Outreach Center was situated.
“Here we are,” Cat said with a flourish and opened the doors to an auditorium complete with curtained stage, spotlights, stadium seating, and a band section.
“Wow! This is amazing! I can still smell the paint!”
“Yes, we received a rather large donation from a local benefactor to build this space for our more artistically inclined members. I can’t tell you how excited we are to have you on staff here, Ms. DeMarco.”
“Cassie, please, and I am the one who is thrilled!”
Cassie spent the next couple of hours getting situated and making introductions. She finalized her work week schedule with the HR director and snorted at the title. Human resources indeed, the entire staff except for three or four, were supernaturals.
She’d sensed Werewolves, Bear Shifters, Lion Shifters, and even a Dragon! It was going to be incredible working with these amazing people provided she kept her secret to herself.
She didn’t want them to know she could sense what they were, after all she might be breaking some shifter law or something. Not that she could help it.
She glanced down at her phone as she headed towards her car. With her schedule settled, she was able to leave for her lunch date. Nervousness had her biting her nails.
Cassie was slated to start work after the holidays, but she was invited to join the staff and some of the student members for a Christmas Eve party hosted at the local Castle Falk. She smiled warmly at the plus one that was engraved on the invitation.
It was two in the afternoon, but David had assured her that he would wait for her to join him. She sent him a text that she was on her way and drove her little, beat-up Volkswagen to the hospital.
She entered from the side door and waved to a passing nurse. She walked to David’s office and slipped inside. He’d already texted her to meet him there.
“Crap,” she frowned at the sight of the empty desk and sat down to retrieve her cell from her bag. She must’ve missed another text while she’d been driving.
Hey beautiful,
I’ve been called to a quick meeting, but should be done in fifteen minutes, please wait for me in my office. I have a surprise for you.
See you soon,
David
Cassie smiled, heat pooling in her middle at the sweet and simple text. A surprise? For her?
She sat back on the chair and continued to scroll through her work schedule. They had an amazing app for staffers that allowed them easy access to their schedules and the events calendar.
As the head, music teacher, she would be responsible for over forty students of mixed age and skill level. Some danced, others sang, and a precious few played instruments.
She’d met one sweet, shy teen that morning. The girl had wide set brown eyes and
long wavy hair. She was a singer, she’d said, and Cassie could sense the Wolf inside of her bristling to come out. Shy and not terribly confident, Cat assured her the teen was a phenomenal singer.
Cassie had smiled and told the girl, whose name was Joanna, that she couldn’t wait to have her in her class that winter. What was amazing to Cassie, was that she’d been telling the absolute truth.
She would love working with these kids, she just knew it. She couldn’t wait to share the news with David. Hmm. That was interesting. A noise caught her attention. Cassie turned to the door with a full smile on her face.
The smile eclipsed when instead of David, a certain unfriendly she-Wolf stomped inside the room. Her entire lithe body vibrated with anger and hostility. The hairs on the back of Cassie’s neck stood on end. She didn’t need the reminder that this woman was dangerous.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the fat little nobody who failed to make it in the big city. I told you before to stay away from, David,” the woman’s cruel words were like a slap to the face, but Cassie had heard worse in her time.
“You know, you should try some perfume or something to cover up that eau du desperation. It’s a bit hard on the senses,” Cassie said narrowing her eyes.
“You bitch!” Madison lunged forward, but stopped short, head perked to the side. She plastered a bright smile on her face and laughed in Cassie’s direction as if they’d been sharing a joke.
What the fuck was going on? Her question was answered two minutes later as David walked into his office. Surprise registered on his handsome face as he took in the two women.
“I’ll look into that, thank you, Cassie for the info! Oh, hello Dr. Evangelos, nice to see you again. Well, I’ll be going now, you have a good day,” she said and managed to brush up against him as she walked out of the room.
David shifted away from the woman. His eyes on Cassie’s. All her thoughts about him and other women were forgotten. He hadn’t even looked at her.
No, his gaze was riveted to Cassie alone. She shivered with the knowledge.
“Hi,” he walked straight to her and dipped his head down, stealing a kiss before she could reply.
CHAPTER 11
She was even more beautiful than he’d remembered. And she tasted even better. He forced himself to step back and take her hand.
Her cinnamon locks hung down her back in a loose braid, soft tendrils curled around her heart-shaped face. Her big hazel eyes blinked slowly as she smiled up at him. The entire world tilted on its axis and David forgot to breathe.
“Hi,” she said in her husky voice that sent waves of desire through his entire body.
His Wolf perked up, wrestling him for dominance. He closed his eyes. He knew they’d be glowing a bright gold. Fuck. David needed to exercise some control.
“David?”
“Uh, yeah, sorry, I, uh, is it warm in here,” he murmured and opened the door behind him.
“Nope,” she looked around and then back to him, “so, what’s the surprise?”
“Not yet, first things first, you hungry?”
“Yeah, I could eat,” she replied with that gorgeous little smile on her oh-so-kissable lips.
“Good, come on, let me feed you,” he grabbed his jacket and keys and took her by the hand.
“But my car?”
“We can pick it up later,” he smiled and tugged her along.
“Wow, this is an awesome car,” she said as he opened the passenger side door to his sleek, black Mercedes S65.
“Thank you,” he replied.
He never thought about it, but he guessed the luxury sports car was awesome. He’d certainly spared no expense when he had it specially ordered, but it probably seemed a little ostentatious. Fuck, if she didn’t like his car he’d trade the damn thing. He didn’t want her uncomfortable even for a second.
“So, what were you thinking for lunch?” her sweet voice interrupted his thoughts.
“You’ll see,” he smiled as he took off out of the hospital’s parking lot and headed for the east side of town.
“Tell me about your interview, did you get the job?” David asked. He was more than happy when she jumped right in and told him all about her day.
He’d called Cat to check on how Cassie’s interview went and was greeted with a barrage of questions. Most of which he answered, not wanting to piss-off his Alpha’s little sister.
Cat had gushed about Cassie and her experience. She would make a great addition to the center, Cat had told him. David had exhaled after that, feeling a mountain of tension he didn’t even know he was harboring lift off him. Now that she had employment, she’d stay. That was tantamount to his future.
David drove them to an out of the way little restaurant that sat a block away from the dark and stormy Atlantic Ocean. Pretty average for a December day on the Jersey Shore.
The lot for ‘Iamo Bella was packed for lunch. That didn’t deter David. He pulled up next to the valet and tossed his keys to the smiling young man with practiced ease.
“I’m eating in today, Tony. Park her for me, will you?” David reached the passenger door before either she or Tony touched the handle. No one, but he would help her out of the vehicle.
“Sure thing, doc,” the young man said grinning and nodding his head at Cassie.
“Her?” Cassie asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, yeah,” he laughed, “She’s a lady, all the best cars are,” he couldn’t help but grin at her raised eyebrow. He ducked down and stole another quick kiss.
Her lips were so soft and pliable, he wished they were alone, so he could explore them. Later.
“Mm, you’re delicious, asteri mu,” David smiled and tugged Cassie along with one hand on the small of her back and the other on her elbow.
She seemed shocked by his sudden affection. But she didn’t resist. Thank God. He stole a look or two as they entered the restaurant. She seemed to like the looks of the restaurant. David released yet another breath, the need to please her was almost overwhelming.
“Signore, dottore! You are here and with such a bellisma young lady, come I have your table ready,” the restaurant owner greeted him at the door.
Cassie was blushing prettily as Giovanni showed them to his usual table. David chatted with Gio while taking in Cassie’s reaction. When he’d called Giovanni for a table at the always crowded restaurant, his intention was to get Cassie an amazing meal, not impress her.
Still, he felt good when she looked at him with her wide doe eyes, eyebrows slightly raised as he beat Giovanni to her chair before the older man could move it for her. She blushed again and murmured her thanks, as if she was unused to such attention. Shit. He’d fix that. Nothing was too good for her.
“Now, dottore, you leave everything to me,” Giovanni said in his lightly accented voice, “I have a very special menu prepared for you and your lovely woman,” he smiled and walked away throwing out orders in Italian to one of his waitstaff.
“You do like Italian?” David should have asked that before he brought her there, but who didn’t like Italian food?
“Of course, my last name is DeMarco, my father’s family has roots in southern Italy on the Amalfi coast.”
“Perfect! No allergies then?”
“No, I’m healthy as a horse,” she blushed again.
“Well, no worries there, I am a doctor you know,” she laughed and relaxed visibly at his teasing. Good. He wanted her to feel at home with him. That was very important.
“So, tell me more about your day,” he was curious.
How many times had she blushed and laughed while he was at work? How many teasing smiles had he missed? His Wolf growled at the idea of anyone but him being on the receiving end of said smiles. Mine.
Cassie was both eloquent and charming as she told him of her interview. Her soft voice grew animated as she described meeting one of her new students. He knew Cat and Tate ran an excellent program.
It served to help many Wolves and Shifters, as well as,
the occasional normal. With extracurricular programs like art, drama, and music being cancelled in many of the region’s public schools, as they could no longer afford to keep on their curriculum, the outreach center offered these and more to help broaden the minds of many of the young people in town. It was also excellent therapy. Music and art were great outlets for emotions and for soothing a young Shifter’s beast.
“It’s great to get teens involved in something other than snap-a-gram or whatever the heck they’re using on their cell phones. You know what I mean, anyway, I was devastated when I became a senior and Maccon City High cut out the drama program, with theatre being my major and all. This is a truly great opportunity to do something I love and give back to my hometown,” she sipped from her sparkling water and looked at David expectantly.
“I know you’ll be just perfect,” he smiled and sat back as a waiter brought them a large platter of hot and cold antipasto.
“This looks great! I am starved!”
She dug in with gusto and David exhaled, relieved again to see she ate like a real person. He’d dated far too many women, she-Wolves included, who thought they needed to eat like rabbits in front of him. He preferred her healthy appetite and voluptuous figure to any of those waifs.
“Mmm, I’m sorry, I skipped breakfast because I was nervous,” she said then moaned as she bit into a perfectly fried piece of eggplant.
“Here, have mine,” he said and put his bite to her lips. Feeding her off his fork proved to be deadly in the middle of a crowded restaurant.
The way her plump, pink lips wrapped around the piece of metal made him think about how good they’d look wrapped around his long, hard length. Fuuuckkk. And the way she moaned in pleasure when she swallowed! He damn near came in his pants.
They chatted and ate plate after plate of ‘Iamo Bella’s phenomenal food until David thought he’d die of permanent hard-on-itis. How a woman could look so fuckable when eating pasta was beyond him, but every lick of sauce off the corner of her mouth had him gritting his teeth.
When she declined dessert, confessing to not being able to eat another bite, David rose from the table, leaving two hundred-dollar bills and hurried her outside with a wave to Giovanni.