by Nina Croft
She shook her head. “Actually, the champagne is for you. I’m not drinking.”
“You’re not?”
Lissa licked her lips and glanced away. “I’m pregnant.”
A whole load of conflicting emotions raced through her in a flash. Julia forced them all down. This was about Lissa, not her. She put her glass on the table and hugged her best friend.
“I’m so happy for you,” she said stepping back. And she was, really she was. She was also jealous and hurt and in pain…
Daniel had wanted to change Lissa, turn her into a werewolf so she’d live longer, never get ill, be stronger… But Lissa had put him off, saying she’d consider it later. Because first she wanted babies.
Werewolves couldn’t have children. The pregnant mothers invariably shifted at full moon and miscarried. Which meant now Julia could never get pregnant. Or rather, if she got pregnant she would never carry the baby to full term, which was perhaps even worse. Of course, she would never try, never allow herself to risk it. And in fact, snuggled in her bedside cabinet, next to her vibrator, was a brand-new, as-yet-unopened box of condoms. Just in case.
She picked up her champagne and gulped it down.
“I’m sorry,” Lissa said. “I wasn’t sure whether I should tell you.”
“Don’t ever be sorry,” she said fiercely. “I’m glad for you and Daniel. Really I am.”
“It’s just that life’s not fair and it sucks and…”
“And I’ll probably never have babies. But that’s okay, because I’ve never met a man I wanted kids with. And having babies makes you fat and blotchy and… Yuck. Who’d want it? You’re going to be so ugly.”
Lissa smiled. “Things will work out.”
Actually, Julia had never thought about babies until she couldn’t have them. She’d just presumed that one day, she’d find the right man, and they’d have a whole load.
Never going to happen.
She forced the thought aside. This was Lissa’s time. “Do you know how long?”
“I’m about three months. I thought I might be but didn’t want to say anything until I was sure, and I kept putting it off. Truth was, I was scared.
Julia grinned. “Bet you thought there might be a pack of puppies in there.”
Lissa shuddered. “Something like that. But the doctor says they’re perfect.”
“They?”
“It’s twins.”
“Wow. I’m going to be an aunt. Twice.”
“You’ll make a great aunt.” She refilled Julia’s glass and perched on the sofa arm.
“How’s Daniel taking it?” Julia asked.
“Terrified…delirious…terrified.”
“Mr. Big Bad Werewolf, leader of the pack is scared?”
“Oh yeah.”
The doorbell rang, and she glanced at her watch. “That’s Bastian. Stay here—I’ll go let him in.”
“You want me to scurry out the back door? Please don’t say yes. I so want to meet him.”
“No, stay and say hi. I’ll only be a second.”
As she opened the door, Bastian stared at her, and she glanced down. She was still in her fuchsia robe with a half-empty glass of champagne in her hand.
“Am I early…or interrupting something?”
“No. I have an unexpected visitor. Come in and say hello.”
He raised an eyebrow but followed her into the sitting room.
“This is my friend, Lissa,” Julia said.
Lissa gaped. Clearing her throat, she came forward holding out her hand. “Hi.”
Bastian took it, and Julia watched him closely. Lissa wasn’t beautiful, but she was stunning in an unusual way. With her short, spiky black hair and strange golden eyes, most men found her worth a second glance. But there was nothing in Bastian’s expression except an open friendliness. “Nice to meet you. Are you joining us for dinner?”
“No. I just popped in to give Julia some news.”
His glance went to the open bottle of champagne. “Good news, obviously.”
“Yes, but now I should get back home.”
“Actually, you can come and help me with something first.” She grabbed Lissa’s arm, then thrust her glass at Bastian. “You finish that.” And she hustled Lissa from the room and up the stairs.
“Holy shit, he is hot,” Lissa murmured as the bedroom door shut behind them. “I mean really, really smoking hot.”
“Watch what you’re saying, or I’ll tell Daniel.”
“Yeah, but…wow.” She eyed Julia. “And he just wants to be friends?”
“So he says.”
“That is so not right. How can you look at that and not think sex.”
“Hey, you’re a respectable married woman and the mother of my brother’s babies.”
“Yeah, but…wow. You have so got to get into his pants.”
Julia giggled. “So what do I wear to make that happen? I want to look like I’m not making an effort but totally sexy at the same time.”
Lissa went to the wardrobe and rifled through the contents. “Definitely not jeans,” she muttered to herself. “A skirt, I think, where’s that black leather one…”
It was weird; six months ago, it would never have occurred to her to ask for fashion advice from Lissa. But her friend had blossomed in the months since she’d married Daniel—while Julia had regressed—but then there was nothing like turning into a hairy monster once a month to knock your confidence.
Lissa pulled out a skirt and tossed it to Julia. “Wear it with your knee-length boots and stockings so you feel sexy even if Mr. Hottie doesn’t know.” She followed it with a pale pink cardigan.
Julia was already wearing matching fuchsia underwear, so now she pulled on a pair of thigh highs, followed by the miniskirt that came to just above the knee and finally the cardigan on top. Lissa came across and undid the top two buttons, revealing more than a hint of cleavage. “Perfect. Casual but sex-kittenish. He won’t be able to resist you, especially if you lean over the table a lot and maybe flash a bit of thigh by accident.
“Sounds like a plan,” Julia said, pulling on her boots and admiring herself in the mirror. She’d always wanted to be tall and skinny like Lissa, but had learned to make the most of her assets and she could admit she looked good.
How could he resist her? Maybe she’d invite him back here afterward and…she exhaled loudly. “Can I ask you something?”
Lissa frowned. “You’ve never worried about it before.”
“Well, this is kind of…personal. About you and Daniel.”
“Uh-huh…”
She took a deep breath. “Does he like doggy sex? I mean more than other stuff…?”
Lissa’s lips tightened as though she was trying not to smile. “I’ll answer if you tell me why you want to know.”
“Meanie.” Another deep breath. “I keep having this fantasy about Bastian and me and we’re doing it and I’m on all fours and… Okay, that’s enough detail. Your turn.”
A pink flush washed over Lissa’s cheeks. “Well, I’m not sure what’s normal, but he does seem to like the position. And he sort of does this thing with his teeth and…”
Julia held up her hand. “Thank you, but that’s more than enough sharing. And definitely more than I need to know about my brother.” But at least that image dispelled the other one and her wayward libido calmed down.
She sprayed on some Chanel and was ready to go.
At the bottom of the stairs, Lissa turned and gave her a hug. “Thanks for being the best friend ever,” she murmured. “I know this must be hard, but I had to tell you.”
“Of course you did. And I’m glad.”
Someone cleared their throat behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Bastian standing in the doorway to the sitting room.
“Is everything all right? Do you want to cancel tonight…be with your friend?”
“No,” they said in unison. Damn. He was nice and considerate as well as hot. It occurred to her briefly that maybe
he was too perfect, but she brushed the thought aside. Anyway, it wasn’t as though she was wanting to fall in love, or anything long term. Just some hot sex to take her mind off her little—okay huge—problems.
“I have to go,” Lissa said. “But lovely to meet you.” She thought for a second and a glint came in her eyes, her lips curving in a small smile. “I’m thinking of inviting Debs and Marcia and their partners over for lunch on Sunday. Tell them the news. Why don’t you and Bastian come over? It will be fun.”
“Debs and Marcia are my sisters,” she informed Bastian. Julia thought the fun bit was doubtful. It was generally considered that the Melville sisters en masse was a terrifying prospect. And she couldn’t help but wonder how Bastian would cope.
Bastian still hadn’t answered.
“Well, you did want to meet more people,” she said. “And this is a good opportunity.”
“But it’s a family affair.”
“They won’t mind. They’d love to meet any friend of Julia’s,” Lissa said.
“Okay. In that case, I’d love to come.”
He didn’t sound over the moon about the idea though. Maybe meeting the family wasn’t part of the “friends” thing. Though it was hardly meeting her mum and dad. They now lived in Spain and had since her father’s retirement.
“Good. Now I’ll leave you to your date.”
Julia grabbed her leather jacket, and they walked out with her. A tall man in a dark suit stood by a car.
“My bodyguard,” Lissa said, sounding a little defensive. Julia gave him a quick glance. He was one of the pack, but not one she had ever spoken to. He nodded to her, interest flaring in his eyes—she was the new Alpha’s sister—but he didn’t speak.
They waited until the two had driven away, before heading off down the street. The buildings were decorated with strings of colored lights and she realized it was only a few weeks until Christmas. She usually loved the festive season; this year her mind had been on other things. Bastian strolled beside her, his hands thrust into his pockets, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Was Lissa your…girlfriend?”
It took her a moment to realize what he was asking. He thought Lissa was her ex-lover. She shuddered at the thought, and a grin twitched at her lips. “Actually, I may have…exaggerated the ‘girlfriend’ thing. You caught me at a bad time and I sort of panicked.”
“My fault for coming on too strong. So you’re not into girls?”
“No. I’m definitely into men.” Best to get that clear right away. “Lissa is my best friend—a completely different thing. But she’s also my sister-in-law. She married my brother four months ago.”
“And why does your sister-in-law need a bodyguard.”
Actually, she wasn’t sure. The bodyguard thing was new, but she would definitely find out on Sunday. She hoped there was no weird shit going on with the pack. She’d avoided talking about pack stuff with anyone. She hadn’t wanted to know. Hoped it was all temporary, and she could forget all about it when she was back to normal.
Except she was beginning to believe that had been wishful thinking. She suspected normal was gone forever.
“I’m not sure,” she said. “But Daniel’s a very rich man, maybe it’s just a precaution.”
“But a new precaution?”
“Yeah. I’ll get it out of him on Sunday.”
“What does your brother do?”
He’s leader of a pack of werewolves.
Yeah, like she was going to say that. He’d think she was a nutter. “He’s a scientist, specializing in genetics, but he also runs a biotech company. A very successful one.”
…
Bastian cast her a sideways glance. She appeared a little preoccupied. She’d said her sister-in-law had come with good news, but it obviously wasn’t entirely welcome if Julia’s expression was anything to go by. She was chewing on her lip, her brows drawn together.
He knew how she felt. Tonight, he was struggling with his own internal issues. Dante was awake and trying to barge in on his consciousness. In the past, it had taken little effort to lock him away when he wasn’t wanted. They’d sort of come to an unspoken agreement: Dante stayed out of the way the majority of the time and in return, Bastian wouldn’t try and block him out when anything he might be interested in was happening. And only two things interested Dante: sex and violence. The sex usually involved the likes of Melanie, a few chains, and the odd whip or two. He was also quite fond of illegal cage fighting and was happiest when Bastian was doing the fighting. Bastian was happy to oblige and often took part in underground fights. He found the release of violence almost relaxing, satisfying a craving deep inside him, and he had quite a reputation in certain circles.
Maybe that’s what he needed. Sex was out; somehow, he couldn’t face the idea of Melanie or her like while he was in this thing with Julia. But perhaps a good fight, some blood and sweat. Maybe that would pacify the demon, and he would leave him alone for a while.
He’d phone when he got home tonight. Set something up.
They arrived at the restaurant, and he held the door while Julia passed through. She smelled sharp and sweet, and he breathed in deeply, then walked behind her between the tables. Tonight, she was dressed in a black leather miniskirt, black tights, and her knee-length boots. The high heels made her hips sway. He had a mental picture of her bent over, the skirt rucked up to her waist. She’d be all pink and white with dimples at the bottom of her spine and…
I like it. Dante murmured in his head. But maybe it needs something a little more… Suddenly his vision changed, and he held a multi stranded flogger in his hand; it was raised above his head and…
“Piss off,” he muttered.
A soft laughter echoed in his head and was gone.
Up ahead, Julia stopped at what was obviously their table and glanced over her shoulder. “Did you say something?”
“Nothing.”
He sat down opposite her, ordered a bottle of red wine from the waiter, and sat back to examine her. When he’d first seen her picture, he’d considered her pretty. Now, with the real thing before him, he could see she was seriously beautiful, sort of angelic with her big blue eyes and golden curls. He felt an internal snort from Dante at the thought.
She still appeared a little distracted, her blue eyes clouded with some internal thoughts that weren’t making her happy. Maybe he should ask what was wrong. Isn’t that what friends did? “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
“Your friend said she had good news, but you look sad.”
“Not really.” Then she gave a shrug. “Maybe a little.” She took a deep breath. “Lissa came to tell me she’s having a baby. Two babies actually. And I’m really happy for her—it’s what they want. But…”
“But?”
Another deep breath. “I found out recently that I can’t have children. And it’s strange, because I never thought about them before and now…”
He reached out and took her hand. “And now?”
“Now I can’t seem to stop thinking about them and that’s so stupid. I’m not even in a relationship. Underneath, I’d always presumed I’d eventually meet someone and have a bunch. I loved growing up with a big family.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing you can do?”
She bit her lip. “Pretty sure. Anyway, enough of that—it’s history. I’ve come to terms with it. But Lissa’s news brought everything back. Now let’s have a nice time. You can take my mind off it with funny stories about being an accountant.” She gave him a big smile that showed off her dimples as she shrugged out of her jacket.
She was wearing pink again. She really seemed to like the color. A soft pink sweater that buttoned down the front, molding her full breasts and revealing at least two inches of cleavage. She leaned across to pick up the menu, and his dick jerked in his pants.
“There are no funny stories about being an accountant,” he said. “Maybe you should tell me about being a journalist instea
d.”
They both ordered pizza—hers a vegetarian. Julia chatted about her work as she ate hers with her fingers. The whole thing. Then she eyed up the remains of his meat feast.
“Go ahead,” he said. He had no appetite, not for food anyway.
She grinned, licking tomato sauce off her fingers and taking a swig of red wine. “This condition. It has one good side effect—my metabolism has gone crazy.” She waved a hand down her body, reached across, and picked up a slice of his pizza. “I’ve always had to watch what I eat, but now I can eat anything and I burn it off.”
He considered asking what exactly was wrong with her, but she seemed to have gotten over her earlier blues and he didn’t want to bring them back. He liked seeing her smile.
Somewhere during the meal, she’d slipped open another button on her sweater, so now he was staring at three inches of very impressive cleavage, and however hard he tried to avoid the view, his gaze kept slipping downward.
She finished his pizza and excused herself to go wash her hands. He watched her ass as she sashayed across the room.
You are one sad case.
He ignored the comment.
You can’t touch her. The moment you do, she’ll realize you’re not the nice guy you’ve been pretending to be.
He gritted his teeth.
You can’t hide it from me. I know what you want, what you like, and it’s not nice vanilla sex with a nice girl.
“Fuck off,” he growled and got an odd glance from the waiter.
But Dante was right. With the demon this close to the surface, he couldn’t risk losing control.
“Are you okay?” Julia was back. “You were frowning,” she said.
“I’m fine.” He forced a smile.
As she took her seat, she tugged up her skirt and crossed her legs, and he couldn’t miss the flash of pale skin. She was wearing stockings, and his dick jerked again. So much for good intentions. He was hot and hard and uncomfortable.
“Are you really okay?” she asked, reaching across the table and resting her hand on his forearm. A tingle ran up his arm, down his body, to settle in his gut. He couldn’t believe it. Melanie in a red corset and stilettos had never had this effect on him. Maybe he needed to end the evening before he lost the ability to control himself. If that happened, his control on Dante would also slip, and that was precarious anyway tonight.