by Cara Adams
“Why are you asking?”
Dammit, why did women always answer a question with a question? “Um, because I thought, maybe if Harry understood your Alpha had placed you here for a reason, he’d stop being an asshole.”
“An asshole. Yeah, that about sums him up. Is he always this grumpy, or does he just dislike me?”
“He’s usually an amazing person to work with. Really helpful and supportive.”
“Well neither of those adjectives fit him as well as asshole does right now. I guess that means he doesn’t like me.”
“This is a big job. There’s a lot of pressure on him.” Jayden felt someone ought to stand up for Harry even though he had totally done the wrong thing in ripping her shirt. And in screaming at her for the food she’d bought when he hadn’t given her a shopping list or anything. If he’d wanted specific foods, he needed to tell her that.
“He needs to lighten up. If he keeps manhandling me I can’t promise not to hurt him. I’m trained in self-defense and sometimes my training kicks in before I have time to think. That’s necessary in this job, and I won’t jeopardize years of training on the off-chance it’s Harry touching me, not some bad guy.”
That made sense. He was the same. That’s what training was all about. Teaching people to respond instinctively to danger instead of sitting on their hands until it was too late.
“So, are you a wolf? I reckon you already know I’m human.”
“Yes, I’m a wolf, and yes the Alpha specifically asked me to take this job. I don’t talk about it though. I do a lot of protective work for humans, and they like to think I’m just a woman with a few martial arts skills to hang on their arm and smile at them while they’re at some boring society event.”
“Have you ever had to save one of them?”
Jayden had never worked one-on-one in protection. He’d always been part of a security detail. There were usually three or four of them, all big men to block any potential sniper from getting a direct shot at the person they were guarding. Although he had noticed more recently some of the middle-aged men seemed to like to have a glamour girl on their arm. Jayden had just assumed she was some sort of escort. But it was interesting to know that maybe some of the women were security guards, like Tegan.
“There’ve been a couple of times when I’ve dragged the client into a doorway out of the line of trouble, and once when I draped myself over him, pretending we were making out, but mostly I just stand there all night on six-inch heels and look decorative.”
Jayden glanced up her body. She was reasonably tall for a woman, maybe five nine. Six-inch heels would have her taller than most of the men he guarded. He saw her nodding at him.
“Exactly. That gives me the reach to cover a client’s body. I’d be useless if my head was somewhere around the level of his belt, wouldn’t I?”
Jayden nodded. “I’d never even thought of that.”
There was silence as Tegan looked down at her laptop. Sighing mentally, he picked up his bowl and plate and took them over to the sink. Tegan’s bowl and glass were washed and standing upside down to drain. He washed the things he’d used and left them standing there, too, then went and got his laptop. Time to start work, he supposed. Likely Harry would expect a report on their progress when the shift changed again, at four.
But he found himself thinking about Tegan. He liked her, genuinely liked her. She was strong in body, mind, and spirit. He much preferred people with opinions and ideas to those who just agreed with him all the time. Already he could tell being around Tegan would stretch his mind as much as his muscles. She was also very easy on the eyes with her salt-blonde hair, green eyes, and those pert breasts he’d seen when Harry had ripped her shirt. Not to mention her ass. Her tight little ass was absolutely perfect. He’d had to stop himself drooling watching her walk away from the gatehouse.
Jayden smiled. I wonder how long it took Harry to pick up all the bits of the shirt he ripped off her. And where he put them. Dropping them in the trash would sure have people thinking about what he’d been doing while on guard duty.
* * * *
Harry stared after Jayden. He almost punched himself in the head. What was I thinking? No, he knew the answer to that. He wasn’t thinking. That was the problem. He had no idea how it’d happened, but Tegan had gotten under his skin, and he did and said the most insane things ever. He was a fucking bear for fuck’s sake. He’d never laid a hand on anyone in anger in his life. He was so big he could intimidate just about anyone with a look. But not this woman. She’d dug her elbow so deep into his throat he’d expected it to pop out the back of his neck. And she’d kneed his balls so hard he’d be singing soprano for a week. Also, he was certain he wouldn’t be able to walk without pain for hours yet. Add to that the fact he was convinced his ass was bruised, and he was no poster child for a security guard, that was for sure. She’d nailed him coming and going without breaking a sweat.
Because he was stupid. What he needed to do was ask Oscar why he’d chosen Tegan for this security detail. If it was because someone had recommended her to him, that could mean she was under the influence of George or one of his minions. It could also give him, Harry, another lead to check. Another way of finding out more about George. Why didn’t I think about that before? There’s a nice, easy lead waiting for me to look at it.
The morning was busy with a steady stream of people in and out. Harry refused to trust anyone about anything, and every time he phoned Ambrielle to check, patients and visitors were expected and legitimate. He also demanded photo ID of everyone just in case George had bribed a genuine visitor to swap places with one of his gang. Of course, with a bit of luck his gang would all be in jail right now, but Harry didn’t have that much faith in the legal system, especially as it related to baby-faced, innocent-looking offenders.
Keeping busy meant he hadn’t gotten any further in his own search for leads, except for the idea of talking to Oscar. By midday his stomach was rumbling and his thoughts once again turned to Tegan. Why hadn’t the fucking woman bought them some decent food? Didn’t she know a man needed good red meat? What was she thinking of buying watermelon? Sure, at a cookout he’d eat a couple slices of watermelon, but only after he’d had a steak or two to take the edge off his hunger.
Jayden was coming down the driveway toward him, a brown bag in his hand. Now what?
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I brought you some lunch. Tegan said likely you’d throw it at me, but that’s okay. I was concerned you were hungry.”
Harry felt a stab of shame. Jayden had been concerned about him and had made him lunch and brought it down to the gate. He really should be more thoughtful of the other man.
“Thanks. I’m so hungry there’s no chance I’ll throw it at you.”
“Fair enough. I’ll be back at four to take over from you.”
Harry opened the bag, prepared to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich he was so hungry. Instead he found a microwave burger, wrapped in foil and still warm. So she’d told the truth when she said she’d bought microwave meals. And not only that, this was a meal he was happy to eat.
Once again shame flamed through him. He really had been much too hard on her. He needed to loosen up a little. And he would. Right after he’d checked her credentials with Oscar.
As he ate he couldn’t stop thinking about Tegan. What was it about her that got under his skin? She was like a thorn in his flesh, sending him crazy every time he saw her. She’d found the nest of spiders and the stolen car. Neither of which was particularly difficult, but the facts were that she was the one who did it. Not him, not anyone else.
She’d shown no fear of the spiders, just common sense, and no fear of him when he’d touched her either. If he’d been a normal bad guy the force she’d used on him was adequate to incapacitate him long enough for her to escape from danger. So she’d gotten that exactly right, too. She’d hit hard enough to escape, but not hard enough to permanently maim. Added to that he hadn’t
given her any guidelines about what food to buy, so really he was the only person to blame if he didn’t like what she’d bought. Although, if the other microwave meals were as tasty as the burger he’d just finished, he really had no complaints.
So why was he being so hard on her? Far harder than he was on Jayden. What was it about her that seemed to set him on fire. On fire. Was that it? She was a mighty fine looking woman in those painted-on jeans and her breasts in that tiny bra had been the perfect size to fit in his hands and mouth. Was he lusting after her? Was that it? Could it be that he desired her? No, that couldn’t be right. He couldn’t possibly care about a woman he’d known only for a day. Besides, no woman would ever upset his iron control over his emotions.
So…Harry guessed it was time to man up and apologize. But only if Oscar said she was one of the good guys. He still wasn’t convinced about that.
* * * *
Tegan had enjoyed the afternoon spent with Jayden. They’d both worked hard at their various searches, but there’d also been an atmosphere of companionship as they’d commented on what they were looking for and what they found. She decided he was a good person, smart, and interesting, as well as nice to look at, and she was happy to call him her friend.
As soon as she returned from the brief meeting at the shift changeover at four, she went to bed. Harry had muttered something about needing to talk to Oscar, so she reminded him she would set her cell phone alarm for her shift, and then slept soundly until just before midnight. She didn’t take her laptop with her this time, but she did shove a notepad and pen in her back pocket in case she thought of some new lead while she was on duty. Not that she expected to. She found using different muscle groups helped her stay awake and alert, which was why she’d climbed the tree a couple times last night, but she wasn’t hopeful about coming up with any new leads to link George in with the trouble at the clinic. What they needed to know was his motive. Why he wanted the clinic, or perhaps just the land. If they knew that, solving the rest of the conundrum would follow easily enough.
Harry wasn’t in the room when she woke up, which meant she was able to change her clothes without having to hide in the bathroom. It only took her a few minutes to change from her T-shirt to a thicker, long-sleeved black shirt, then she pulled on her boots and headed out to the gatehouse, walking as silently as possible as she had the night before. She loved her boots. They were really comfortable on her feet, and she could run in them as well as fight and kick if she needed to.
Tegan didn’t understand Harry. Jayden, she was coming to know, and everything about him she liked. Harry…well, Harry was different. What other people said about him wasn’t matching up to the way he behaved to her. It was obvious he was very good at his job. All the evidence showed he cared about people. Yet he treated her like trash, like the dirt beneath his feet. That didn’t make sense at all. If Oscar hadn’t specifically requested her from her Alpha, she might be asking to be redeployed elsewhere. But Oscar must think she had the skills for this job, so for now, she’d do her best.
After Harry’d ripped her shirt off, she’d spent some time wondering if his bad temper was because he was attracted to her and trying to hide it or deny it. That would make sense, because such a vehement denial pointed to an equally strong attraction. Everyone else wouldn’t appreciate him so much if he was truly a misogynist or as grumpy as he’d seemed lately. But if he was fighting an attraction to her, acting in the diametrically opposite way was believable.
Physically he was a damn handsome man, with sparkling black eyes and shaggy black hair. She just knew he’d have body hair, too, and she liked running her fingers through body hair when she fucked. Well, fucking wasn’t going to be on the menu for her for the foreseeable future.
Jayden was just as enticing a man, with fair hair and brown eyes that reminded her of ridiculously expensive chocolate. She wouldn’t mind eating him up, either, but that was another thing that wasn’t going to happen.
It was a damn shame really. Here she was living twenty-four-seven with two dramatically delicious men and both of them were out of bounds. Just her pathetic luck!
Jayden was leaning against the wall of the guard house as she approached. It seemed to be his favorite position. She didn’t think she had a favorite position herself. She liked to move around. But the spot Jayden occupied was a good one in that no one could sneak up behind him and he could see the clinic driveway as well as both ways along the wall without having to turn his head much.
“Do you think we should do a patrol outside along the wall as well?” Jayden asked as she approached.
“I hadn’t thought about that, but it does make sense.”
“Here comes Harry. I’ll suggest it to him, shall I?”
“Yes, do. I think it’s a good idea.”
Harry marched faster toward them, stopping only inches away from Tegan. “What do you think you’re doing, flaunting your body at Jayden, distracting him when he’s on duty?”
“Flaunting? What the fuck do you mean? I’m fully dressed with no exposed skin and we were talking about the job.”
“Distracting me? She’s not distracting me. We’re talking about patrolling—”
“Don’t lie to me. Everything about you is a distraction. Jeans so tight I can see every movement of your ass. Legs long enough to drive a man crazy with dreams of them wrapped around his waist. Pert little breasts pushing out the front of your shirt demanding to be sucked, licked.”
Harry pulled Tegan into his arms so tightly she couldn’t breathe then kissed her. It was a hell of a kiss. He sucked all the air out of her body until her head was so light she had no hope of thinking, far less resisting him. His lips were hot, hard, wet, forcing her to obey him, insisting she cease resisting him and kiss him back. As all the oxygen left her body, Tegan relaxed against Harry, enjoying his passionate kisses, kissing him back. His arms remained iron bands chaining her body to his, but his lips became gentle, teasing her, demanding more of a response, coercing her to open her mouth and let his tongue in.
His tongue set a driving rhythm in and out of her mouth, while his head tilted farther to the side as he kissed her, giving him even more control over their kisses.
Finally she managed to regain the tiniest bit of brain and shoved against him, pushing away from him.
Harry grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled, ripping it off her. For the second time, buttons went flying and bits of fabric fluttered to the ground. As their lips parted and Tegan sucked air into her lungs, Harry’s head descended. One big hand pushed her bra up, and he sucked her entire nipple and areola into his mouth, dragging it hard and deep, making her cunt clench with need for more than just kisses, even kisses as potent as Harry’s.
Just as he’d reduced her body to mush when he’d kissed her lips, his attention to her breast was keeping her in his control. Tegan forced her eyes open and saw Jayden standing there, his mouth open wide, his legs apart, and his cock making a huge bulge in his pants. Without thinking, she gestured for him to come closer and grabbed his head, pulling his lips down to hers, even while Harry kept sucking her breast.
Tegan’s legs were folding under her with lust. She wouldn’t be able to stand up much longer, but she knew, absolutely knew, that she wanted to be fucked.
The last vestiges of sanity were trying to call out to her mind, but her hormones were in control. She let go of Jayden’s head and fumbled for his belt, unbuckling it with one hand.
Harry pushed her into Jayden’s arms and pulled her jeans down, leaving them in a puddle around her ankles. His fingers were on her cunt briefly, and she clenched on them. “I’m ready. I need you,” she gasped.
Then his cock was pushing into her pussy from behind, his hands were on her hips, and he was slamming her into Jayden’s chest, with the driving force of his cock’s entry into her cunt.
Harry drove deep into her pussy, withdrew fast, and rammed into her again. His cock stretched her channel wide, but her pussy muscles clenched on his shaf
t, wanting more of him.
Tegan dug her fingers into Jayden’s shoulders, and leaned against him, her body completely out of her control.
She lifted her head and Jayden kissed her. His kisses were very different from Harry’s. They were just as demanding, but gentle, sweet, drawing a response from her, enticing her to give him more of herself.
Jayden’s cock was pressing into her belly, hot and hard, a rigid line, but Tegan had no strength or coordination to touch him. Her body was in flames, burning up with lust and desire, as Harry pounded into her cunt and Jayden kept kissing her, his hands gently petting her arms and sides.
She was so overwhelmed with desire, her orgasm wasn’t long coming. She exploded right there in both men’s arms, only a few feet from the gate of the clinic, in full view of anyone coming to the clinic or leaving via the driveway.
The wet head of Jayden’s cock pressing against her stomach made her remember his kisses. As Harry withdrew from her, she bent down and took Jayden’s cock into her mouth, sucking him hard, then scraping her teeth over his cockhead as she rolled his balls in her hands.
Harry stayed close behind her, his fingers teasing both her nipples, cupping her breasts, and playing with her sensitive flesh as his mouth traced kisses along the back of her neck.
Tegan took a deep breath, hollowed her cheeks, and sucked Jayden again.
He thrust his hips up, causing his cock to fuck her mouth, then cum exploded against the back of her throat. She let him out enough so she could swallow his seed as he pumped into her mouth a few more times. Behind her, Harry had replaced her bra and was pressing soft kisses on her shoulders now.
Tegan straightened up and took a deep breath.
As her lungs filled with oxygen her brain started functioning again. Fucking hell. What did I just do? I must be insane. The man hates me.
But the endorphins racing through her bloodstream weren’t listening. Her body felt mighty fine, and a tiny voice in the back of her brain whispered, “He doesn’t hate you. He hates the fact that he wants you.”