Piper grinned in return. “You remember that. Yes, well I was running late at the time.” God, he smells amazing.
His nostrils flared, and a strange light entered his eyes. But it was gone so fast that Piper figured she’d imagined it.
“Of course I remember. How could I forget you, Piper Hollister?”
Piper blushed, certain that he was teasing her. Or was he? “So, why is it that you asked me here, Mr. Seaborn?”
“Ethan,” he corrected before taking a sip of his wine. “I’m interested in your clothing line.”
“You mentioned that before.” Piper took a sip of her own white wine. “As I said on the phone, I’ve been offered a contract with Calibri’s. I’m meeting with them on Friday to discuss the terms.”
Ethan leaned back in his chair. “I’ll double their offer.”
“You don’t even know what the offer is,” Piper blurted, stunned that he’d make such a bold statement.
That strange light flashed in his eyes once more. Piper figured it to be a reflection from the candle resting in the center of the table.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll give you double what they offer you.”
Swallowing hard, Piper took another sip of wine to calm her rapidly beating heart. “Why would you do such a thing without even seeing the designs?”
He shrugged a large shoulder. “I saw enough. Besides, I’ve done my homework. I believe it’s a fair deal for the both of us.”
More than fair, Piper thought in awe.
Keeping her expression calm, she met his piercing gaze. “What are the terms if I agree to this?”
“Seventy-thirty.”
Another shock. Thirty percent was more than what Piper expected to receive from Calibri’s. “Thirty percent is very generous of you, Mr. Seaborn.”
“It’s Ethan. And the thirty percent goes to me.”
Piper nearly swallowed her tongue. “I’m sorry, what?”
Leaning toward her, he rested his elbows on the table and pinned her with a serious look. “One million up front for expenses, and you retain seventy percent of the profits.”
Certain that she hadn’t heard him right, Piper gaped at him. “But it could take me years to repay your investment. Especially with you only taking thirty percent of the profits.”
“I don’t think so, Piper. I have ways of moving the clothes at a rapid pace. Worldwide, in fact. The debt would be repaid in less than a year, you’ll retain seventy percent ownership, and I’ll reap good benefits as well.”
Piper couldn’t seem to wrap her mind around his offer. “Why would you do such a thing when you could have easily asked for seventy percent for yourself?”
“I have my reasons.”
Chapter Seven
Ethan’s shifter-sensitive ears could hear Piper’s heart pounding from across the table.
He leaned back in his chair once more, throwing his face in shadow and lowering his gaze to her scooped neckline.
The pulse thumping rapidly in her throat quickly told him two things: his contract offer had excited her, and she was more nervous than she let on.
Ethan loved that she showed strength in the face of her uncertainty. She had no clue what he was about, yet she held her shoulders stiff and her chin high, hiding her insecurity behind a mask of confidence. “Can I get back with you on it after I meet with Calibri’s?”
“Of course,” he responded, inwardly smiling. She’d just assured him that he’d see her again.
Truth was, Ethan didn’t care about the money or the clothing line for that matter. He wanted Piper Hollister in his bed, and he would do whatever it took to have her there.
Ethan had known Piper would be his the moment she’d stumbled into him outside the Hilton. His wolf had sensed it even before she’d blasted him with those pale green eyes of hers.
Now, here she sat, looking for all the world like a beautiful goddess, and smelling good enough to drape her across the table in front of him.
Yeah, her scent drove him mad with lust, if his throbbing erection were any indication.
Shifting to a more comfortable position, Ethan willed his wolf to settle and flagged the waitress over. “I’ll have a steak, rare, and the artichoke soup with black truffle.”
“Very good, sir. And the lady?” The waitress turned her attention to Piper.
“I’ll have the same.”
Ethan’s cock twitched again. Piper had ordered a rare steak. Surely to God, he had to be in heaven.
He loved that she wasn’t afraid to order what she wanted. Most dates he’d been on consisted of his date ordering a salad and maybe a dessert. Which they would rarely finish.
But not Piper. No, she exuded confidence, which made her even more appealing to him. If that were possible.
Once the waitress refilled their wineglasses and meandered away, Ethan took a healthy drink and studied Piper’s exotic features. “Tell me a little about yourself.”
“There’s not a lot to tell,” Piper murmured after taking a sip of her own wine and dabbing at the corner of her mouth with the white linen napkin. “I grew up here in Orlando, did some modeling for a few years, and I’ve been designing clothes ever since. Nothing exciting, you realize. But it pays the bills.”
No coy remarks, he noticed. She didn’t vamp up her story to make herself more appealing. She simply leveled the field and told it like it was.
“What about you?”
Caught off guard by her quick spotlight shift, Ethan rolled the stem of his wineglass around in his fingers, watching as the candlelight reflected off the golden liquid inside. “I moved here in my late teens.”
“Moved from where?” she interjected, watching him intently.
Ethan had never been more attracted to a woman than he was in that moment. Her no-bullshit, straight-up attitude stirred his beast to life and ramped up his desire to dominate her.
“Texas,” he rumbled, heat forming behind his eyes.
Nodding for him to continue, Piper took another sip of wine.
Ethan took a calming breath, forcing the wolf inside him to heel. “I was raised by a single mom. Life wasn’t a bed of roses growing up, but she did the best she could. She passed away right after I got out of high school. I stayed in Texas for a little while before striking out for Florida. I’ve since made this my home.”
Something flickered in her beautiful eyes. “And your father? Where is he?”
Ethan shrugged. “Never met him. And mom never talked about him. He died before I was born.”
He purposely left out that his father, Darren Foster had been killed by the Seaborns, and that the two families had been enemies ever since. He also neglected to mention that his mother gave Ethan her last name after his father’s death.
“I’m sorry.”
The last thing Ethan wanted was her pity. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. I turned out all right.”
Piper grew quiet for a moment before she asked, “Is there a Mrs. Seaborn?”
Ethan’s stomach tightened with a warm energy. Piper had just asked if he was married. “No wife. What about you? Have you ever been married?”
But he already knew the answer to that. He’d done his homework, had learned just about everything there was to know about the exotic beauty sitting before him now.
Her gaze lowered to her drink before lifting once more. “I’ve never had a desire to marry. I think I’ve always been independent. I love that I’ve made it this far in life on my own. If I ever do decide to share myself with someone, it’ll be out of want and not necessity.”
Ethan’s wolf stirred once more. The self-assured, almost defiant way she spoke of sharing herself was a challenge he couldn’t back away from. He would have her, no matter what he had to do to make that happen.
They continued talking for long moments until the food began to arrive.
Piper ate like she did everything else, with poise and grace. She didn’t pick at her food or nibble on her salad. No, she was far too confident for
that.
After the meal was over, they continued to talk, finishing off the bottle of wine and ordering another.
Ethan couldn’t recall ever having enjoyed the company of anyone as much as he did Piper Hollister.
“So, we’ve established that you’ve never been married,” Piper casually remarked. “What about kids?”
Her question caught Ethan off guard. “I have no children.”
“You don’t want kids of your own someday?” She relaxed back against her seat and crossed her shapely legs.
Ethan shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant. He couldn’t tell her that any children he sired ran the risk of being caught in the crosshairs of the Fosters.
Though Darren Foster had been dead more than thirty years now, Darren’s father, Isaac Foster, alpha of the Kenwood pack was still very much alive.
To say that Isaac Foster blamed the Seaborns for Darren’s untimely death would be an understatement. And it positively roasted the old man’s ass that Ethan had moved to Florida to take his rightful place as alpha of the Sorrento pack once Wallace Seaborn stepped down.
Ethan had alpha blood flowing through his veins from both sides of his family. Although, he didn’t consider the Fosters to be family.
Looking Piper square in the eyes, Ethan lied. “No. I’ve never desired to have children.”
She didn’t respond, simply sat there, watching him as if she could see into his very soul.
The waitress picked that moment to return. She discreetly deposited the bill next to Ethan’s elbow and scurried away.
Ethan pulled out a credit card, tucked it inside the black leather sleeve, and then laid his napkin on the table. “Wanna go somewhere else?”
“Sure. How about the Blue Sapphire?”
Damn, he loved her straightforwardness. “Would you like to ride with me?”
Piper uncrossed her legs and stood. “I’ll meet you there.”
She turned on her heel and left before the waitress could return to take his credit card.
Ethan inwardly smiled.
Chapter Eight
Piper strode from the restaurant without looking back. Her face felt flushed, and her body tingled with awareness.
She’d never been more attracted to a man in all her life.
Warning bells had been going off in her head all evening. She knew better than to mix business with pleasure. The two were definitely not a good combo.
Hell, she was almost willing to turn down his generous business offer and keep their new relationship strictly on a personal level.
The truth was, she’d never felt more herself around anyone the way she had tonight with Ethan.
There were no nervous ramblings, no uncomfortable moments of silence, no holy shit, Lord please get me out of here feelings. No, Piper Hollister had enjoyed every second of his company.
She’d caught herself leaning forward on more than one occasion, hoping he’d kiss her, silently praying he would at least touch her somehow. But he’d been a perfect gentleman.
Piper drove with the air conditioning on to cool her overheated face. What was it about the man that turned her insides to mush?
Arriving at the Blue Sapphire, she switched off her car, opened the door, and climbed out.
A gasp lodged in her throat as she stepped into the powerful chest of Ethan Seaborn. How had he gotten there ahead of her?
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he rumbled, his lips slowly lowering to hers. “But I’ve been wanting to do this all evening.”
Piper couldn’t breathe. She stared at his descending mouth in a daze of hunger.
His lips brushed softly against hers. A whisper of a moan, feathery breath.
Piper’s purse slipped from numb fingers. Her palms coasted up his chest, over his powerful shoulders. She opened for him, allowing his tongue to slip inside, devouring, learning, demanding.
Her eyes slid shut in ecstasy. His incredible scent filtered through her, caressing her senses.
The feel of his arms closing around her triggered an onslaught of desire she was powerless to stop. Not that she wanted to. God, no. Being in Ethan Seaborn’s embrace felt magical and…right.
He suddenly broke off the kiss, his forehead coming to rest against hers, his uneven breathing mirroring her own. “We’re being watched.”
It took a moment for Piper to comprehend his words through the desire devouring her insides. “What?”
Taking hold of her hand, Ethan gave it a gentle squeeze and took a step back. “Let’s go inside.”
Piper quickly retrieved her purse and allowed him to lead her to the doors. The stiff set of his shoulders and the hardening of his jaw had her glancing behind them.
“What’s going on? What do you mean we were being watched? I didn’t see anyone.”
Ethan guided her through the crowd and straight to the back to a table in the corner.
After helping her sit, he took a seat next to her with his back against the wall. “I thought I saw something is all. What would you like to drink?”
Piper narrowed her eyes. She was no fool. Ethan’s body language told a different story than his lips. “I’ll stick with wine. Mixing alcohol always gives me a hell of a hangover.”
“We wouldn’t want that.” Ethan’s eyes seemed to devour her.
The waitress appeared, breaking the spell spinning between them. “What can I get you?”
Ethan ordered two glasses of wine and handed the waitress a folded-up fifty to change the music currently playing.
The cute little server beamed, sent him a wink, and strode off.
A minute later, the soulful sound of “Unchained Melody” began to spill from the speakers.
Ethan stood and held out his hand. “Will you dance with me, Piper Hollister?”
Butterflies took flight in Piper’s stomach. She slid her palm against his and rose to her feet.
He led her to the small dance floor, pulled her in close, and wrapped her in his arms.
Piper laid her head against his chest, letting him lead her, his body moving against hers in a slow, sensual slide.
Ethan’s scent surrounded her, intoxicating her, and chipping away at her inhibitions.
He pulled her closer, if that were possible, swaying to the melodic tune of one of the most romantic songs ever written.
The room faded around her, leaving nothing but the two of them, body to body, moving as one.
Piper relaxed in his arms, closing off her mind to the possible repercussions of her actions.
Chapter Nine
Ethan’s wolf clawed at the surface, howling inside him, demanding to be freed. He wanted Piper Hollister with a hunger that floored him.
Her soft, subtle body pressing tightly against him was driving him insane with need.
The strange odor he’d picked up on in the parking lot suddenly filtered through the room and slid up Ethan’s nose. The scent was definitely not human, nor did it belong to anyone in Ethan’s pack.
He had no doubt that he’d been followed from the restaurant.
Ethan pulled Piper’s body tighter against him, his protective instincts kicking into overdrive.
He’d been seen kissing her, which could have inadvertently put her in danger.
There was only one thing Ethan could do to ensure Piper’s safety. Take out the threat.
The song came to an end, and Ethan stepped back, blanking his face of emotion. “Will you excuse me for a moment? I have an important call I need to make before it grows too late.”
“Of course,” she murmured, a small smile on her sexy lips. She returned to the table and picked up her glass of wine.
Ethan’s senses were on high alert. He turned slowly, his gaze touching on every person in the room, but found it empty of the supernatural.
The glass entrance door eased shut, signaling the exit of someone Ethan hadn’t seen.
He strode across the room, careful to keep his gait relaxed and nonthreatening, and then left through the same door.
The overpowering scent of wolf became stronger as Ethan stepped outside and sauntered toward the side of the building, removing his clothes as he went. Luckily there were no patrons milling about.
He unlocked his car, opened the door, and deposited his jacket, shoes, and pants onto the passenger seat, all the while keeping his gaze glued to the darkened woods behind the establishment.
The sheer willpower it took to keep from shifting in the open wrenched a deep growl from Ethan’s throat.
A barely audible sound echoed from the trees, and another scent burned through Ethan’s nostrils. The unknown shifter wasn’t alone.
Ethan ran toward the darkness, his wolf emerging before he cleared the tree line. He felt ripped apart, invigorated, and furious all at once.
The sounds coming from in front of him told Ethan the wolves had scattered in different directions: one to the east and one to the west. Ethan ran east.
A howl burst from Ethan’s chest, signaling to any of his members in the area about the westbound enemy in their midst.
Answering howls ricocheted through the night, letting Ethan know his call had been heard.
Ethan concentered on the wolf in front of him, pounding through the trees like the devil himself were following. And in a sense, he was.
It didn’t take Ethan long to catch up to the fleeing wolf, as no other could match Ethan in speed or strength.
With a mighty heave, Ethan sprang through the air, slamming into the wolf with the force of a truck.
They rolled for several yards before Ethan found his footing and drove into the stranger once more.
Snarls rent the air as the two of them came together in a mass of teeth and claws.
Ethan couldn’t recall the last time he’d fought with such rage fueling him. Then again, he’d never felt threatened in the way he had tonight.
If it had been only him, he would have left the bar, taunting them to follow. But Piper had been with him, and he couldn’t risk her being harmed by one of them, or at the very least landing on Foster’s radar.
Crushing the shifter’s throat with his powerful jaws, Ethan reared back and opened his senses.
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