A Sinful Trap

by R. G. Alexander

  “Have I lost your interest?”

  Never.

  She’d been busy planning her depressing new life of unemployment and bracing for the hammer to fall. “Like you said, just sorting out the logistics. If you’ll give me tonight, I think I can have my things out by morning.”

  “You can what?” He leaned back, looking as stunned as if she’d punched him. “Why the hell would you do that?”

  “Because I’m fired?”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Why would you think that?” He rubbed the back of his neck, the movement so frustrated she almost wanted to smile again. Almost.

  “Anyone would think that, Mr. Locke.”

  “Most people wait until they hear the actual words.” He shook his head. “You’re not fired.”

  “Are you positive? Because it really sounded like you were trying to find a nice way to fire me.” She wanted to drop to her knees in gratitude, but she couldn’t trust it yet. Instead, she started pointing out the examples on her fingers. “You implied I wasn’t adaptable. You criticized my behavior, mocked my boxers—which revealed your ignorance of superheroes—and insinuated that I was immature and incapable of respecting your autho—”

  His large hand seized hers and dragged her up against his body. They both groaned at the contact.

  “Is there a reason you want me to fire you?” he asked from between gritted teeth.

  “No?” She wanted a lot of things from this man that she shouldn’t, but that wasn’t one of them.

  “That’s good, because despite this…” His hips rocked forward, and he closed his eyes when she gasped. “I need your experience. Work experience. I doubt I could find anyone who knows this place or this town as well as you do.”

  Right. That kind of experience. “That’s true. I do know the town.”

  He pressed his lips against the hair near her temple and she shivered.

  “You’re definitely not firing me?”

  He sighed. “You’re an intelligent woman, Bailey. If I dismissed you for being distractingly underdressed while you were in physical danger due to a broken ladder on my property, you could sue me for wrongful termination, workplace endangerment and sexual harassment.” His hand tightened on hers. “Hell, you could do that now.”

  She hadn’t even considered it, but she understood that this was his olive branch. An upper hand she could use if she chose to.

  It was enough for now. “Okay then.”

  He let her go with obvious reluctance and she took a step back, giving them both some breathing room.

  “This,” he motioned between them, “isn’t going to affect your employment, Bailey. I’ll put it in writing if you’d prefer.”

  This. If it didn’t affect her job, did that mean they could feel more of it?

  No. Absolutely not.

  “As for the rest,” he continued, “while I want to avoid unnecessary arguments and power struggles, I always prefer passion and purpose to pandering.”

  She wasn’t turned on. She wasn’t. “That’s a lot of Ps.”

  He bit his lower lip. “I’m not the easiest man to deal with, but I don’t take on projects to fail. I don’t think you do either. You know the area and the locals, and I know my business. If we work together, I think you’ll be satisfied with the results. Maybe you can see me as a partner instead of a trespasser.”

  “Partner,” she echoed softly in agreement.

  His eyes flared in reaction. “I’m glad we’re finally on the same page.”

  He’s talking about the inn, Bailey. Not sex. Different page.

  Bailey’s head wobbled like a broken toy. “If it’s the page where I don’t have to live with my friends and go on a sexual apology tour, then I think we are.”

  “A sexual what?”

  “Nothing, Mr. Locke.”

  “You’ll call me Cam, Bailey.”

  Presumptuous. Another P word.

  If he was always this intense, working under him on a regular basis wasn’t going to be easy.

  Under him. And he wants to be hands-on.

  Stop!

  “Will do.” She really needed to pull herself together. “Do you need anything else, Cam?”

  “You have no idea.” He sighed again and she felt it in her bones. “Take care of that scrape before you go to bed. And come and lock the door behind me.”

  “Yes, sir.” She nearly saluted.

  He turned away abruptly, his long strides carrying him toward the exit so swiftly she needed to jog to catch up with him.

  He paused at the door when a loud, grating noise from above startled them both.

  It sounded like a demon was banging a metal pipe on the roof for laughs. Or maybe the spider was still ticked. “Great.”

  Cam’s expression was thoughtful. “That’s why you were up there?”

  “Trying to get up there, but yes. Honestly, I think the wind from the last storm might have broken some of the roof tiles. I’m just thankful it hasn’t woken up any of my guests.”

  Nothing had. Cameron Locke could be down here doing all sorts of kinky things to her and none of them would have a clue.

  You wish.

  So much.

  “I’ll send a roofer in the morning. I’ll pay double to make this his priority.”

  “Her priority,” she corrected. “Celeste is my roofer and she’ll be thrilled. She’s been dying to get her hands on my tiles for years.”

  “Has she?” His scowl returned. “Is this a friend of yours an actual roofer?”

  “She could bench press you for breakfast and moves across rooftops like a cat. But yes, she’s a friend. Good kisser, too.” Bailey wanted to slap a hand over her mouth. “That was not relevant information, obviously. It’s been a weird night. And it was one time years ago, when we were tipsy. She’s living with a drummer now.”

  Stop. Rambling.

  “Find someone else.”

  “What? No. There is no one else.” When he didn’t respond, she took a step closer. “Based on my research, you’re the opposite of a prude. And if you take away the tourists, Sedona is a very small town. The pool of kissable people is a puddle. There’s bound to be some personal and professional crossover. It doesn’t mean she isn’t great at her job.”

  He muttered something under his breath, walking out the door without another word.

  “So, I’ll phone her in the morning,” she called as he disappeared down the stone path and into the night.

  She shut the door and turned the lock, spinning on the spot to slump back against it. That was…something that could never happen again.

  He was beyond tempting, but way too complicated. Whatever that was, it was guaranteed to mess up all of her plans.

  “Forget it, spider,” she murmured as she stared up toward the once-again silent attic. “Someone took a wrong turn today, because this isn’t happening.”

  No matter how much she wished it could.

  Chapter Three

  Bailey. Bailey. Bailey.

  He slowed and sniffed the air. He was home. Or home for now. The scents were too distinct to be mistaken. The brightly lit building was his destination.

  He padded up the steps, unsurprised when the double doors opened for his arrival. They were expecting him. Light and warmth from the inside poured out onto the large patio, along with a wicked laugh that never failed to delight him.

  “Someone’s in trouble,” Bunny informed him, smiling as she took in the white fur splattered with rust-colored dirt. “You’re a mess, Cam. What were you doing out there for so long?”

  He dipped his head in acknowledgment, recognizing the tall, dark-skinned woman as family.

  “He was exploring. Have you been out there yet? It’s wonderful.” A blond, broad-shouldered man appeared at her side—Aaron—grinning at him in approval. “Hey, boss. The rest of us have been flopping in the theater room, but your other half went for a swim, and now he’s headed upstairs to your office. Looks
serious.”

  They stepped aside for his large form to pass and Bunny ran a soothing hand over his hackles. “I know, but you might as well get it over with. Sometimes the only thing to do is be honest and take your lumps. If you ditched me to go for your first run in our new place, I wouldn’t be happy either. I thought you two always did that together.”

  He leaned into her, appreciating the advice. He hadn’t meant to break with tradition, but he’d needed to wrap his head around what had happened tonight before he could share it with anyone else. Especially Davide.

  Despite his reasons, the run from the inn to the sprawling mansion had been a revelation. He’d left the path to explore more than once, unable to resist the call that temporarily distracted him from his new obsession with the innkeeper.

  Bailey. Her name was Bailey.

  Each stone and tree pulsed with energy. The earth was alive here, thrumming beneath his paws and resonating with the beat of his heart. He was stronger. Sharper. He knew that this was why shifters were drawn to certain places. They followed the light, heard the song of it and formed packs to protect it.

  Thankfully, there were no packs here. He would have sensed a boundary, and the power here would have made it that much stronger. How was it possible that this place had gone unclaimed for so long? He’d experienced the sacred in his travels before, but there was nothing like it anywhere else. It felt like it belonged to them. Belonged to him.

  Was it because his grandfather had come here? Was it why he’d come here? The answers he was searching for were still out of reach, and all he had now were more questions. He hadn’t been expecting her.

  She’s the reason we’re here.

  The wolf had known the truth since she dropped into his arms, but the rest of him wasn’t ready to deal with what it meant. Not yet. He climbed the stairs slowly, following the scents of impatience and anger. Worry.

  Davide.

  They’d been together for decades. He trusted Davide with his body, his heart and all of his secrets. But what would he tell him now? How would he explain this new development that he barely understood?

  His muddy nails clacked loudly on the tiled floor as he stalked down the hall toward the only open door. His office. Bailey didn’t think much of Cameron Locke or his business endeavors, so there was no telling what kind of garish, gold-leafed homage to decadence he would find inside.

  It would be funny, if he didn’t care about her opinion. The persona he’d created to keep the people under his care safe and together had worked far better than he’d dreamed, if her comments were any indication. The tabloids saw what he wanted them to see. It was that illusion he’d decided to greet her with, until she was in his arms. Until he caught the scent of her arousal.

  Now everything was different.

  He paused, his heartbeat and breath quickening as he allowed the change to roll through him. He shook his body as if shaking water from his thick fur, and felt the shift shimmer around him. In a blink, the wolf was a man on two legs instead of four, his naked body slick with sweat from his long run.

  Changing never brought him physical pain. Becoming a wolf was all exhilaration and heightened senses. Freedom. His worries fell away like a suit he’d never been meant to wear. Coming back to humanity was more emotional in nature. He was still the wolf inside, tempted to race back to the inn to bring his prize home for a bite. But he was also a man who needed to soothe his frustrated lover before dealing with the complications the curvy, irresistible innkeeper had created simply by existing.

  He stepped over the threshold of the study, but Davide was nowhere in sight. It wouldn’t last long, he knew, so he used the time to take in the décor of the one room that, no matter what state or country they landed in, was where he would most likely spend the majority of his time.

  A wall of glass led to the third-story balcony, seeming to bring the outside in. There was a small but impressive library with a rolling ladder to his right. In the center of the room, a wide-cushioned leather sofa that could comfortably fit his frame faced the stone fireplace, and several plush occasional chairs were artfully arranged around the hearth, reminding him of a Rockwellian postcard. The large, sturdy antique desk in the corner was somehow unobtrusive while still commanding the attention of all who entered.

  The room was masculine but welcoming. Warm but not too casual. And the view left no doubt as to where he was at all times. It was, in a word, perfection.

  He walked closer to the desk, noting the small potted cactus that carried traces of Bailey’s scent. Was this from the inn’s garden? It was easy to imagine her doing a walkthrough of the rental and adding the prickly housewarming gift as a silent, subtle rebuke of his presence. She might be afraid of spiders, but she wasn’t afraid of him. He liked that. Liked her.

  The wolf wasn’t the only one that wanted her.

  “How was your run, Cameron?”

  Davide entered from the balcony, his dark curls damp, his body clad in nothing but a towel wrapped around his narrow waist. “It’s finished. How was your swim?”

  “Also finished.”

  Cam hungrily tracked the droplets of water coursing over Davide’s golden-brown body. He curled his hands into fists to keep himself from temptation. Judging from Davide’s tone, now wasn’t the right time. “It didn’t cool you off?”

  Davide’s upper lip curled as he studied Cam in return, gaze honing in on the erection that was impossible to conceal. “I’m not the one who needed cooling off after visiting our new property. I picked up your things, by the way, and paid off the driver to keep his mouth shut about the wealthy fare that stripped and disappeared into the desert. Luckily, he’s driven a few rock stars in his day, so he wasn’t that surprised. He couldn’t smell the reek of arousal coming off your clothes.”

  Cam winced in surprise. Davide was possessive, but he’d never been jealous. Not of other shifters, and never of the humans that occasionally shared their bed. In fact, most of their threesomes over the years had been Davide’s suggestion. But this was jealousy. He hadn’t met Bailey and Cam hadn’t said a word, but he obviously sensed something was different.

  Still, his insecurity was unacceptable.

  “I don’t deserve that,” Cam said, his aggravation clear. “You know I haven’t fucked anyone without you in the room for over thirty years. Do you think I decided to start tonight, while you were waiting for me in an idling car?”

  “I saw your face.” His tone was still sullen, but Cam could see the tension in him beginning to ease. “And whatever happened, it had you disappearing for hours in an area we aren’t familiar with yet. You could have been hurt or crossed a boundary, and I wouldn’t have known.”

  “I didn’t say I wasn’t tempted,” he admitted candidly. “But nothing happened, there are no boundaries and I’m not hurt. I’m here.”

  Something had almost happened. If she hadn’t introduced herself, Cam wasn’t sure he would have broken away in time.

  “You’re covered in desert.”

  “I got sidetracked.” He brushed at his chest. “It’s like nothing we’ve seen before, Davide. We’ll go out together tomorrow.”

  “Did you at least get to meet Bailey before you got sidetracked?”

  Cam frowned at the familiarity. “Ms. Wagner?”

  “Yes. Bailey,” Davide replied with a shadow of his usual grin. “The funny innkeeper I’ve been emailing for weeks to make sure we had everything we needed. We stopped being formal twenty replies ago. I’m planning to convince you to sell the inn to her when we’re done with it.”

  It hadn’t occurred to Cam that they already knew each other. At this point, Davide might know Bailey better than he did. And he liked her. It was too soon to say whether or not that was a good thing.

  “She was there and yes, I met her. After she dropped from the ceiling.”

  Davide’s eyes widened. “She did what?”

  Cam gave him a quick synopsis of their meeting, including her shorts, the spider and her sarcasm.
By the time he was done, Davide was nearly crying with laughter.

  “Wonder Woman? I love it.” He sobered, tilting his head as though merely curious. “She’s the one who made you run, isn’t she? The one you wanted? I had a crush from her emails, but she must be stunning if your reaction is anything to go by.”

  “She’s cute.” Cam wasn’t ready for this conversation. Not yet. And not when Davide was standing in front of him looking like everything he needed. “But you’re the one I want.”

  It wasn’t a lie. He ran his hand down his own naked body and gripped his unflagging erection. “I haven’t been inside you since Washington, and this place if having an effect on me.”

  “Washington was this morning. And are you sure it’s this place and not your Wonder Woman?” Davide’s brown eyes took on an amber hue as he toyed with the edges of his towel. “You think a few sweet words and a show will get you off the hook for ditching me? It’s my job to watch your ass as you fly around the world playing live-action Monopoly.”

  “No, it isn’t.”

  “Security was the job you offered me when we first met. Because I’ve got good instincts, you said. Because I’m clever. Because I’m faster, I can sneak around better than anyone under this roof and I’ve always got your back.”

  All of that was true. “At the time, there were more than a few idiots pissed at me for not allowing them to sell out their pack for a big payday. And I would have used any excuse to get you to come home with me.”

  “It worked.” Davide stalked him. “You took me to bed, put me in charge of herding the others and gave me all your passwords, but you never technically fired me from that first assignment. As far as I’m concerned, I’m still responsible for your big, sexy ass. And I can’t protect it if you disappear on me or keep secrets.”

  “You’re right.”

  The young lynx shifter had been left behind in the Italian Alps. Without pack, like the others on his team. Like Cameron himself. Even hungry and alone, Davide had been too bold for his own good. He’d followed them for days, nicking food and pieces of clothing before saving Cam from an ambush.