by Vivian Arend
Tyler watched her take another drink, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she offered him the bottle again.
“Bears are worse.”
Her snort of disbelief only made his bear more agitated.
“I’m serious. You mention getting physical as a first option. Bears do that, step in and fight before trying to talk things through. But there’s a violence built into us beyond protecting or wanting to win. Most bears don’t give a damn if they get hurt during the power exchange, as long as their opponent ends up hurting harder.”
She was thinking it through. “What does this have to do with you almost shifting?”
“My bear admires you.”
Her eyes widened. “You guys don’t do the mate thing, though, right? Like you’re not telling me that—”
If only it were that simple. “No. Bears don’t have fated mates, but my bear likes you. Not only physically, but your knowledge and your bravery. On an animal level he somehow senses you’d be good for me.”
She slouched on the bench, staring out over the water. “Well, isn’t that sweet. I’d be good for you. This day gets better and better.”
Tyler considered his options, discarding them as rapidly as they popped to mind. Perhaps downplaying the physical attraction between the two of them was best, and he should appeal to her human side.
“Good for me as in politically. It’s vital I end up on top by the end of the voting. Not because I crave the power, but because there are a few territories that need to be straightened out, and my main opponents are the ones who got them into trouble. If it were a matter of a cage fight, or leadership ripping out each other’s throats, it would be different. These men aren’t reasonable, though. We’re talking communities of people—innocent women and children—who will be hurt if the wrong people come into power.”
She rose to her feet, pacing in front of the bench. “I still don’t see where I fit into this. Win the vote, then. Takhini pack will support you as much as we can, but that should mainly involve us doing a better job of keeping our hotheads out of fisticuffs with bears at large.”
“Takhini’s help guarding the peace is a start. There are also a few events in the next week where I’d be grateful if you’d act as my assistant.”
“Oh boy.” She crossed her arms and stared into space. “Well, that might be possible, but we have to talk to Evan, because he’s usually got my schedule wrapped up.”
“I’ll speak to him first thing in the morning, then.”
“Email is the quickest way to get hold of him.”
She rubbed the back of her neck, and he remembered her fall. “You must be exhausted. Did you see a doctor?”
“Don’t baby me. I’m fine, but I am ready for this day to be over.” She smiled tentatively. “I must seem very unorthodox to you. Believe me, this day has been weird even by my standards.”
He didn’t care. His need to protect her and care for her was buzzing as his bear gloated over her somewhat agreement to act as his assistant.
Assistant sounded more professional than date, but at this point, whatever got him what he needed was fine by him. “Allow me to take you home.”
“It’s only a couple of… Oh, why the hell am I even trying? You’ll probably pick me up and carry me if I protest.” She turned and whistled at Justin who jerked in surprise as she gestured him closer. “We’re done. You got wheels waiting somewhere?”
Justin glanced his direction, an unspoken question on his face. Tyler leapt to his feet and spoke before Justin could blurt out anything dire. “We’re driving Caroline home. The rest of the details will be dealt with tomorrow.”
Justin nodded and pulled out his phone.
Tyler offered his arm to her. “Walk with me?”
Her fingers curled around his biceps, and he slammed his lips together to stop a rumble of satisfaction from escaping. His desire to roll over her life and simply take control had to be fought. At least for now.
If she’d meet him in the middle, he could concentrate on his job and ease the beast within.
The ride to her apartment passed in silence as she stared out the window and Justin, fortunately, held his tongue. When they stopped, Tyler followed her out of the vehicle, motioning Justin back. His guard rolled his eyes but remained on the sidewalk.
She tapped in the security code at the front doors. “You don’t need to walk me up.”
“Humour me.”
“I hope you realize if I weren’t so exhausted, my answer would be hell no.” She waited for him to push the doors open then led him to the elevator. “I’m capable of taking care of myself. Remember that, and we’ll get along much better.”
Tyler held his peace until they hit her floor and she had the deadbolt unlocked.
She turned in the doorway. “There we go. Safely home. Thanks for the lovely evening, and we’ll be in—”
He twisted her to the side and pinned her to the wall. Frustration, hunger—it all came together in one moment of need that had to be answered.
“Maybe it’s the fact you can take care of yourself that makes you so damn attractive.”
He wrapped one hand around the back of her head, the other at her hip as he kept her completely under his control. He caught her with her mouth open as he kissed her. A rush of excitement roared through him at her taste, and his bear finally settled in satisfaction.
She hesitated, and he wondered if his balls were in danger, then she thrust her fingers into his hair and dove wholeheartedly into the kiss. Tongues tangling, bodies pressed tightly together. She wrapped a leg around his thigh, opening her body to him. He used both hands to lift her, lining up their mouths better while easing his erection between her thighs.
Caroline groaned as his lips left hers, kissing his way along her jaw to her neck. The sound fluttered as he took hold of her earlobe and sucked lightly.
“How hard did I hit my damn head this morning?” Her muttered complaint was negated by the fisted grasp she maintained on his hair, holding him to her throat. She was nearly purring with satisfaction as he tasted her skin.
He licked, once, and her full-body shiver made the hair on his arms stand on end with the desire to take more.
To hell with restraint, he wanted to take it all.
Control fled as he latched his mouth onto her neck and sucked. He played her with his tongue, tormenting them both as he rocked against her, taking the final liberty he’d allow himself this night.
She swore and jerked his hair, tugging hard enough to break the seal between them, but not soon enough to stop him from leaving a mark on her pale skin.
His bear gloated, then retreated like a coward leaving him to face her alone.
They stared at each other, still breathing heavily, still smashed together in the open doorway of her apartment.
She tried to settle her gasps. “I should be pissed.”
“Don’t kid yourself. We both needed this.”
“That’s what makes me upset.” She loosened her death grip, lowering her leg toward the ground. “I know better than to act without thinking.”
He slipped her down the front of his body, the tight run against his cock driving him wild while strangely filling him with peace. Somewhere, not too far down the road, they would answer the physical craving between them. Even knowing that made it easier to wait.
“Instincts are rarely wrong.” He stepped back and dipped his head politely. “I look forward to exploring that concept with you.”
He waited until she’d closed the door and the deadbolt had turned before making his way back to the limo.
Justin held the door for him. “You smell like the human. I take it she agreed to be your date for the galas?”
Tyler settled into the seat and wondered at it. “I have no idea what she’ll do next, and somehow that amuses me far more than it should.”
Not even Justin’s expression of dismay could bring him down from his high. The next round of voting would begin the following afternoon. He s
hould be obsessing over numbers and finding new ways to gain allies.
Yet all his gut instincts were wrapped up in one fiery-tempered blonde with a penchant for speaking her mind. Who kissed like she could suck his soul from his body.
He was one out-of-control bear, and he liked it.
Chapter Seven
Evan paced his office three times, pausing at the window to examine the parking lot for her car before repeating the motion. Every time the computer announced there was another email, he slipped over to read what was fast becoming a joke of cosmic proportions.
A yawn escaped him, and he scratched his jaw, wondering if he needed a second shower to knock the cobwebs from his brain today.
Sleep had eluded him for most of the night. While he’d been honest with Caroline about his need to start a new direction between them, he’d missed her, damn it. Missed having her complain about the pack. Missed seeing her walk naked from the tub into his bed. Missed how she hogged the covers and then cursed when he tugged them free.
If his mate had already been on the scene, he would have been distracted, but all Caroline’s absence did was showcase even more what was missing in his life.
He wanted his mate, for fuck’s sake. Wanted her to be the one wandering his apartment naked, jumping into bed with him, leaving him breathless and satisfied. What he and Caroline shared had been incredible, but only a shadow of what his life would be.
Lost in limbo between what he’d had and what he had to find was a fucking unhappy place.
He peeked out the window again. Where the hell was she? Caroline was never late for work. Maybe he should phone her. He glanced at his watch and growled in frustration. Only seven thirty. He couldn’t expect her for at least thirty minutes.
Another email pinged, and he swore. He had to do something to pass the time.
Cueing up the security tapes simply aggravated him further. Not only did it take him four tries—he fucking hated computers—but when he did luck out and open the right program it remained a dead end. Lots of little details like his mate wore her nails neatly trimmed, and she had a freckle on the back of one hand. And she was short. That much they could get from the tapes, but nothing else.
The office door swung open at eight and he snapped to his feet. Caroline walked in and this familiar aroma wafted in with her. Familiar, but unexpected.
She clicked her tongue sadly. “Still looking for clues? I wonder if we contacted a few of our neighbors and asked to see—”
Evan moved in closer. “What the hell have you been up to?”
She paused in the middle of putting her purse away. “Hello?”
There was that scent again. “Bears.”
She did exasperated well. “Oh, God, you would not believe the trouble those creatures are.”
“I bet I would.”
She dropped into her computer chair, misery written all over her, and his gut did a triple backflip.
“Caro?”
She paused, gaze fixed on the empty screen. Then she lowered her hands into her lap and twisted to face him. Confusion painted her features. “Never mind me, I had a rough evening.”
“Me too.” Plus, he missed kissing her good morning. “Fuck it all, come here.”
He held his arms open and willed the part of himself to the surface that was pack, and nothing else. The care-for-everyone-and-make-them-happy part.
She curled against him, and he held her tight, her warmth settling on his chest like a cuddly kitten, without the sneeze-inducing allergies. Having her there only increased his confusion, though, as he fought the urge to blurt out the questions flooding his brain.
Instead, he soaked in the companionship she offered, the deep comfort of holding someone who cared for him, who was part of his family. Turning it into a pack issue saved his butt and put things into perspective. He could ache for her without the feelings turning sexual.
Which made it easier to cradle her until she finally sighed, far more relaxed than when she’d basically thrown herself into his arms.
“Better?” he asked.
“Yes.” She leaned back and smiled. “Oh, what a tangled mess I’ve gotten myself into.”
“Really.” Evan considered the dozen emails sitting on the computer and wondered if she already knew, or if they were in addition to her troubles. One thing he had to ask. “Does the tangle involve bears? I mean, at least one male bear?”
She laughed, backing out of his arms. “I had a shower last night, and this morning. I used shampoo, conditioner and body wash, and you can still smell him?”
“That’s not an answer. An answer would involve name and clan affiliation. And a detailed list of why you smell like him after the scrub down. Or don’t I want to know?” He leered.
Damn if she didn’t flush. “Nothing happened.”
“Oh, really?” He brushed a fingertip over what he would have sworn was a hickey on her neck.
“Nothing much, at least.” Caroline collapsed back into her computer chair and stared at the ceiling. “I swear you guys are so damn complicated. I’m doing a Google search for a part of the world where there are no shifters and holidaying there, first chance I get.”
“New York City is shifter free.”
She snapped halfway upright. “You’re shitting me.”
He grinned. “Yeah, I am. Sorry, Caro, you’re stuck as one of the most shifter-educated humans in the world. You get to enjoy our glory no matter where you go.”
“Bastard.”
He pulled a chair up beside her. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“I think we should.”
She stared him down. “Did you get an email this morning naming you master of the universe concerning my life?”
“You were expecting emails?” Because if she was expecting them, that changed everything.
Only she frowned. “Emails—no, one email. From…” She spun toward the computer and shifted the mouse to wake the screen. “Holy shit, what are all those?”
“Emails to the hotel-slash-Takhini pack with the subject line Regarding Caroline Bradley and Urgent request for C. Bradley and my personal fav…” He leaned over and clicked open one of the messages.
Caroline leapt back as a GIF flashed across the screen showing a nearly naked male, hips pulsing in what he must consider a sexy move with the words make my day, baby pasted across the bottom of the picture.
“That one is from Clan Miette. Classy.”
“Oh my God, what is going on, Evan?”
“You seem to have done something last night that impressed or freaked out, I’m not sure which, all of the visiting bear clans. You’ve now been asked to join…” Evan slid his finger down the computer face and counted, “…wow, it’s up to fourteen different clans as an ‘interested party to the proceedings’. You want to tell me what this tangled mess you mentioned involves? Because it looks as if you’ve hauled the Takhini pack full force into the bear conclave, whether that was your intention or not.”
“I didn’t do anything…” he gave her a look, “…out of the ordinary. Stop that. You know I don’t make trouble for trouble’s sake. That’s Shaun’s job.”
“True.” He moved toward the coffee machine.
“I interrupted a rumble during dinner. Lance and Toby are on the shitlist, by the way.”
“That’s not unusual news either. I take it the fight involved bears?”
“Yes. I was out with Frank at the time.”
His hands jerked, and Evan slopped coffee over the edge of the cup. “Whoa. Really? You and Frank?”
He didn’t want to picture it. Not the big, rustic, half-wild visitor.
She snatched the cup from him and gave him a glare. “No, you dirty-minded shifter. I was not fooling around with Frank. Good grief.”
“Well, that makes it so much better. Which bear were you fooling around with?” Not that he was jealous or anything.
Much.
She sighed. “Frank’s brother kissed me
. He’s rather exasperating, in this sexy, overbearing, luggish way.”
“You do like them luggish.”
“Ha!” She lost her pout. “You should know. Neanderthal.”
He nodded slowly. “Okay, this makes more sense. You did something hugely unexpected and out of character for a human, followed by showing a marked interest in one of the powerhouses involved in conclave. Now all the clans are taking a shot at you in the hopes of neutralizing whatever advantage you bring forward, if nothing else.”
She stared at him. “You’re joking. It was a public dinner with Tyler, his bodyguard and his brother, and one bloody kiss—that no one saw, I might add.”
“I’m not so sure. Check the fifth email.”
She scrambled for the mouse, swearing as that particular email turned out to have an attachment link to a newsletter. Be Bear Aware. “This is some kind of joke.”
“Well, they don’t have great skills as paparazzi, but I think that grainy JPEG is you and him sharing a memorable first date on the park bench. Once again—classy. You should have told me I needed to wine and dine you more.”
“Asshole.” She pointed at the screen. “We weren’t doing anything but sitting. The kiss happened…elsewhere.”
“Doesn’t matter where, it happened and word got out. So the question becomes, what are you going to do about it?”
So much for her nice, simple life. Every hour that passed seemed to bring more twists to the program instead of less. “I need to brainstorm with you. I need your perspective, okay?”
Evan lowered himself into his favourite leather chair, draping a leg over the arm. “Storm away.”
“I could say no to them all. Remain neutral.” She pressed back into her computer chair, rocking it slowly. “That’s one solution.”
“Remaining out of the picture is one choice.” He eyed her. “Is that really an option, though?”
“What do you mean?”
He took a long obvious sniff.
She wished baring her teeth and growling would make an impact on his stupid ass. Instead she threw a pen at him. “Stop that. Yes, even though one of the clan leaders kissed me, we’re not handfasted or something. I could delete all the messages or politely tell them I’m otherwise occupied.”