Unmasking the Wolf

by Gissendaner, Christy

  “Thank you, by the way. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  Dominic appeared uncomfortable with her gratitude. “I couldn’t let you wander off into the world by yourself. God knows what sort of trouble you would get into.”

  “I know it wasn’t easy to stand up to my father. He wanted you to refuse to let me stay here, didn’t he?”

  Dominic’s dark eyes reflected his concern even though he refused to give voice to it. “You let me worry about Uncle Tony. Just be concerned about yourself.”

  Damn the men in her family. Always seeming to think they knew what was best for her. She was the daughter of an alpha, not some weak female who couldn’t think for herself. She tried to take her suitcase away from Dominic, but he wheeled it out of her reach. Sighing, she followed him down the short sidewalk and up the stairs to the entrance.

  He entered a code into the panel on the wall, and a buzzer sounded as he opened the door. “Remind me to write the code down for you.”

  Gina was momentarily thrown off balance. Wow, everything is so different from home. Half the time, they didn’t even lock their front door. She crept close to Dominic and stood on her tiptoes to whisper sotto voice. “Is there a lot of crime in this neighborhood?”

  He glanced over his shoulder and lifted a slim black brow. “Seriously?”

  She rocked back on her heels. “What? It’s a relevant question.”

  He resumed walking to a set of stairs against the right side of the wall. “You’ll be safe here. I live in a good neighborhood. What are you worried about anyway? Weren’t you the girl just saying you could take care of yourself?”

  She rolled her eyes at his back. “I can protect myself. I’m more worried about theft and such.”

  “You’re so weird.” Dominic reached the second landing and turned left. She followed him, her steps speeding up to keep pace with his longer legged stride.

  “Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment.” She stopped and waited as he unlocked a door about halfway down the hall. Brass letters nailed to the wood indicated the number. “Room two-oh-four. Should be easy enough to remember.”

  Dominic swung open the door and placed her suitcase just inside the doorway. He flung his arm out to gesture her forward. “Home sweet home.”

  She stepped forward, anxious to see her temporary home.

  Hello, the rest of my life.

  •●•

  Long after she’d gone, the scent of Gina lingered in the air.

  Luke sat alone in his stark office, heels kicked up on his desk, head turned to gaze out the window. It was late evening, the sun already sinking in the sky and lights beginning to appear in nearby office buildings. There was work he needed to do, yet he lacked concentration. All he could do was sit and remember how she’d looked.

  Gina.

  The memory of every beautiful woman from his past was eclipsed by her. He could recall his mate’s face down to the tiniest detail. He remembered every single freckle, every glimmer of gold in her extraordinary red hair. Hell, he even knew the shape of her teeth. Everything about her was imprinted on his brain.

  But all of that was merely physical. He ached to know more about her. Did she have a temper? Surely she did. Not to be stereotypical, but with all of that red hair and Italian ancestry, she had to be a firecracker.

  Lips twitching, he lifted his hand to his face. Anticipation at the battle of wills to come built within him. He’d shaken her hand when she’d left. The scent of her was still on his skin. He inhaled deeply, the sweet vanilla and luscious musk bringing him to a state of agonizing desire. What would it be like when it was the scent of her lust?

  It was ridiculous how much he wanted her. He felt like a three-year-old seeing an enormous ice cream cone and then having it snatched away. When Dominic led her away from him, it had taken all he could do to watch them leave.

  One thought repeated over and over again inside his head. She was his. Amazing, but true.

  He’d never considered seeking out his mate. His career and Laura’s education had been his obsession since he was twenty-one. He’d wanted to get out of the hellhole he’d grown up in, the dilapidated shanty where they’d struggled to survive. An orphan since his late teens, he’d done all he could to keep his sister fed and clothed. He hadn’t considered having more out of life. But now the possibilities opened up before him.

  His nearly obscene wealth had come about by accident. No one had suspected he would have such a head for business. But now there was something happening to him beyond his control. He hadn’t planned for Gina, but couldn’t envision not having her. Would she feel the same if she knew? Should he tell her?

  His thoughts screeched to a halt. He couldn’t tell her. Not yet. Until L-12 went to trial, he couldn’t risk leaking the news. Dominic had only good things to say about his cousin, but what if Gina accidentally revealed their testing? No, he couldn’t tell her. Too much was at stake. Shit.

  Running a hand through the short strands of his hair, he dropped his feet to the floor. It was late. He needed to get home. Tomorrow would be a busy day. Meredith was going to return his call about getting L-12 into clinical trials, plus he had meetings scheduled throughout the day and early evening.

  Standing, he grabbed his tablet and cell phone. He left his briefcase on the desk. Everything he needed was saved digitally. He could finish the remainder of his work at home. No need to burn the midnight oil at the office.

  •●•

  Three days after arriving in Boston, Gina started work at her new job. Pouring coffee and serving pastries at the local bakery wasn’t the embodiment of her perfect career choice, but it would help pay the bills until she found something better.

  Dressed in a long sleeved pink T-shirt and a white apron with the words Kiss My Pies embroidered on the front, she spent the better part of her morning serving what seemed like half of Boston. Who knew coffee and doughnuts were so popular? She was more of a bacon and eggs type of girl.

  Speaking of bacon, she would kill for a piece right about now. Dominic was apparently on a vegan kick and had no meat inside his apartment. If she didn’t get her own groceries soon, she was going to starve. Her first paycheck couldn’t come quick enough.

  “How’s it going, Gina?” Her new boss passed behind her with a tray of freshly cooked pastries.

  She flashed him a thumbs-up sign. “Doing well so far.”

  Vino seemed to be a decent enough guy. His brash Gulf War vet exterior hid a heart of gold, or so Dominic told her. He’d pulled some strings with a buddy of his and got her the job. She was grateful for his help. If not for him, she’d probably still be scouring the want ads.

  “You tell me if you run into any problems.” Vino flashed a crooked grin, one that made his plain features almost good-looking. The right side of his face had been scarred by shrapnel during the war. He called it his “badge of honor.” His optimism and cheerfulness seemed at odds with his external features, but was fit an owner of a bakery.

  “Will do.” She continued filling a customer’s order. She topped the coffee with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkled ground cinnamon on top. “That’ll be six fifty.”

  She made change and moved on to the next customer. The morning quickly passed by. Before she knew it, it was nearly noon. The stream of customers coming through the door had slowed considerably in the past few minutes.

  “Are mornings always this busy?”

  Vino rushed by with another empty tray and gave her a quick nod. “Pretty much. Afternoons are our slow time.”

  “Good to know.” Gina smiled at him as he disappeared through the swinging door. The ovens were kept in a separate room, so she’d only seen Vino a couple of times since they’d opened. He would pop out now and again to help run the register if she got backed up, but for the most part she spent the day alone.

  Balancing her hip on the counter, she leaned across the glass pastry shelf and wiped at the crumbs sprinkled across the top. The bell tinkled ab
ove the front door alerting her to the arrival of another customer.

  Polite smile in place, she turned to greet the newcomer. The words stuck in the back of her throat as she recognized the figure coming through the door.

  Her body reacted with a jolt of lightning. Luke! Wolf senses on hyper alert, she sniffed the air. Despite the almost overwhelming need to touch him, the only scent that came to her was cool mint from his toothpaste and the pleasant musk of his cologne.

  Seeing her, his footsteps slowed. He cocked his head to the side, as if surprised to see her there, before continuing to the counter. Up close, he was as beautiful as she remembered. The warmth in his green eyes threatened to singe her.

  Resisting the urge to rip the apron from her body, she again attempted to greet him. “May I help you?”

  Luke gave her a once over that nearly left her panting in its wake. The hot look indicated there was one way she could help him. Boy, if only. The heat in his eyes remained, yet his gaze flickered to the menu above her head.

  “One coffee, black. No sugar.”

  Overlooking the ewwwness of his order, it took her several moments for her brain to force her body to turn and fill his cup. She poured the steaming coffee to his specifications, or lack thereof.

  Seriously, who drinks coffee black? She was more of a cappuccino gal, but definitely went heavy with the cream and sugar.

  Her hands shook as she passed the cup to him. Thankfully, the lid kept the hot liquid from sloshing onto him. A jolt of lightning ricocheted through her as their fingers brushed. It had to be unintentional, yet the stroke of his thumb along her wrist nearly made her moan.

  Keeping his eyes on her, he pulled out his wallet. “How much do I owe you?”

  “Uhh . . . ” She took a deep breath and tried again. “Three dollars.”

  He handed her a five and she managed to make change without passing out, which was becoming a very real possibility. A freaking human. Who would’ve imagined a human would be the first to make her insides melt?

  He pocketed his wallet and change. “Dominic’s cousin, right?”

  She gulped and nodded. He remembered. “Yes. Gina.”

  She wiped her sweating palms on her apron and stuck her hand over the counter. Big mistake. As his warm flesh encountered hers, a series of lightning bolts, complete with spine-tingling currents, rushed over her body. She’d intended to shake his hand, yet he turned the innocent gesture into an odd sort of handholding.

  His lips twitched as if he were amused. “Luke Mason. Nice to see you again.”

  She pulled her hand away, feeling oddly disheartened as she did so. He continued to watch her. He seemed reluctant to leave, which was nothing like the other businessmen who’d darted in for coffee and rushed right back off to work. Gina didn’t know why he lingered. She’d just met the guy. Why would he be interested in a small town-hick from Clinton? Surely, he had his pick of the women in Boston? Yet he didn’t leave.

  He lifted his drink to his oh-so-yummy mouth and sipped through the slit in the plastic lid. When he lowered the cup, his lips were moist and slightly reddened from the hot coffee.

  Holy crap!

  Gina’s knees actually physically went weak. Now she knew what the expression meant. Whoa, baby.

  “Go out with me.”

  She recoiled in surprise. Lifting a hand to her ear, she knew she had to be hearing things. “Excuse me?”

  His lips curved into a sexier-than-sexy smile. “Go out with me.”

  So she wasn’t imagining it. “Why do I get the feeling you’re commanding rather than asking?”

  The amusement in his eyes matched his wicked smile. “Would you prefer I beg?”

  Actually, she wouldn’t, which was surprising. But she didn’t want to give that away.

  She fiddled with a container of stirrers. “Thank you for the offer, but I can’t.”

  Her refusal didn’t deter him. “Got a boyfriend?”

  She shook her head and moved on to the tiny packets of sugar, pretending to straighten them. “No.”

  A slight furrow appeared between his brows. “Then what is it?”

  She wanted to. Boy, did she want to. But she’d just moved to town, intent on having a life of her own. Of course, she wanted to find someone to date. Just not Luke. He was too . . . too much of everything. Too masculine. Too rich. Too handsome. The list went on and on. She was an amateur dater and not ready for the big time yet. Being with Luke would be more than she could handle. Like Dominic had said, emotionally she wasn’t ready for him.

  He covered her fiddling hand with his. Her gaze jerked to his, still shocked to the core at the sparks whenever they touched. “Tell me yes, Gina.”

  “I . . . I can’t.” She shook her head and slowly removed her hand from under his. Trembling, she faced him down. You’re a Moretti, for goodness sakes. Act like one.

  She opened her mouth and spoke the biggest lie she’d ever told. “You’re not my type.”

  He lifted an eyebrow. Not quite cocky, but not convinced either. “Really?”

  She nodded. “Really.”

  He sipped his coffee again and continued to study her. Today he was dressed in a green shirt. The color made his eyes pop. She blinked and looked again. Were his eyes glowing? Damned fluorescent lighting.

  “Then what is your type?”

  She licked her suddenly dry lips. Crap. “Umm, I like nerdy guys.”

  There went his eyebrow again. The dark arch revealed his skepticism. “Nerdy?”

  “Yep. Like Doogie Howser nerdy.” At least that much was true. She was a fan of Neil Patrick Harris.

  He shrugged his massive shoulders. “So you’re telling me I’m not brainy enough for you?”

  “No! That’s not it at all.” She zipped her lips shut. Damn it. He was trying to trick her. “Look, the truth is, I just moved here. I’m not ready to date yet.”

  He acknowledged her statement with a quick nod. “I understand. Some other time then.”

  “Sure.” Had she just agreed to go out with him?

  “See you around, Gina.” With a wave, he turned and was gone.

  Gina sank against the pastry shelf and let out a tremendous sigh. What in the hell had just happened? Better yet . . . when would it happen again?

  Chapter Four

  Luke swallowed a tablet of L-12 with a swig of his now-cold coffee before reaching for his cell. A new text message came up on the screen. It was from Meredith Carter, an FDA executive closely following L-12’s development. He touched the screen to open the message.

  Approved to move forward. Please send all info to me ASAP.

  Excitement built within him. Finally, after all the months of testing and retesting, they were going to trial. He glanced at the picture of Laura he kept on his desk. She would’ve been so happy. His sister always had the brains in their family. He’d had high hopes for her future before her life was snatched away.

  Forwarding the text to Dominic, he added a note for all the files to be copied to his email so he could review them before passing them on to Meredith. A thumbs-up emoticon was Dominic’s only response. Laughing at his employee’s simple text, he continued working.

  Hours later, after he had a crick in his neck from staring at the computer all afternoon, he called it a day. Weak sunlight dotted the sky as he left the Mason Building. The parking garage was to the left, but he turned right. As if of their own volition, his feet carried him the couple of blocks to Vino’s.

  The pastry shop was due to close at six. It was improbable Gina was still working, but he had to see for himself. He stood at the glass and peered in. Vino was wiping down the tables, but it was the redhead standing at the counter who held his attention.

  His hands fisted on the need to touch her. Every single brain cell screamed at him to go to her, but he fought the intense urge. She didn’t know he was a wolf. Once L-12 was approved, he could tell her. For now, he had to keep pretending he was only human.

  But he couldn’t let her slip
out of his fingers.

  The bell above the door tinkled as he pulled it open. Gina glanced at him, her eyes widening at the sight of him. Wariness appeared on her face before it was smoothed away by a polite smile. “How may I help you?”

  There were many ways she could help him, but they all required privacy and nudity. Hell, right now he’d just settle for the nudity bit. “Two cupcakes.” A cursory glance at the counter made up his mind. “Vanilla orange.”

  He didn’t like sweets, but ordering cupcakes would keep her before him instead of over at the coffee machine. “How was your day?”

  “Busy.” She ducked beneath the counter and pulled out his selection. She packaged them in a small white box. “How was yours?”

  “It’s looking up.” He held her gaze and waited for his meaning to sink in.

  The skin above her high cheekbones turned pink. “That’ll be seven twenty-five.”

  He pulled a ten-dollar bill out of his wallet and handed it to her. “You hungry?”

  The cash register dinged as the tray popped out. “Excuse me?”

  He pocketed the change she gave him. “Go to dinner with me.”

  “You don’t give up do you?”

  The pink of her T-shirt should clash with her coloring, but it didn’t. The apron hid most of her delightful curves. He didn’t need to see them. The memory was branded inside him. “Not when I really want something.”

  She bit her lip as if in indecision.

  He attempted to coax her with a smile. “I promise I won’t bite.”

  Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Just dinner?”

  If he had it his way, there would be much more. But he could go slowly. “Do you like steak?”

  A glazed look took over her eyes. “I adore steak.”

  A carnivore. Wonderful. Too many females of his acquaintance had turned vegan. “I know the perfect place. It’s a bit out of the way, but I promise their steak is the best in Boston.”

  “Okay.” She glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. “I get off in ten minutes. Meet you out front?”