Curves for Shifters

by Zoey Thames

  But he was certain she was waiting out there for them. He knew because he’d contacted the Chicago division of Mirage and verified that the driver would wait on them. So unless Michelle was angry enough to take a cab, they were safe.

  “I think you’re with me on this when I say the lady deserves some special attention from the both of us,” he finally said. “In fact, I think she’s more than earned it.”

  “I only hope she gives us another chance. No. I hope she gives me another chance after I acted like such an incredible ass.”

  They finished dressing and headed out into the rest of the building. There were a few details to handle with the council, namely that the challenge had officially been dropped, and a whole bunch of fees to pay. He and Jackson agreed to split the costs—and they were big costs—for this emergency meeting they’d set in motion. Ah well. He’d count it money well spent. It had brought Jackson back into his life. And it had brought Michelle into his life too, completely unexpectedly.

  But when they went to talk to Sara, the Mirage driver who had driven them from the airport to the Lakefront Madison building, they discovered that Michelle Ross was gone.

  She’d been upset enough to take that cab after all.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  It would’ve been easy to break down and cry when she used the swipe key to open the door to the dingy little room she’d rented at a motel near the airport called The G’night Inn. The cab fare had taken most of her cash from the tiny wallet she kept in the inside pocket of her chauffeur suit jacket. A good thing she’d had that at least, after leaving her handbag in the limo. In New York. But she had her debit card and ID, so she could rent a room and at least get on a flight back to New York tomorrow morning.

  Right now she didn’t know what to think. Everything was confused. Her emotions were all jagged and scraping against each other, making it hard to think. Of course she was a stone-cold idiot for leaving Aaron and Jackson behind. She’d basically taken twenty thousand dollars, thrown it in a garbage can, and lit it on fire. Now that she’d bailed on them, she was sure they would forget all about her and any promises made.

  She knew one thing though. She’d never forget them.

  The motel room was dingy and smelled like old pasta. The carpet was brown. The bedspread was brown. The curtains. Brown. She sighed and pulled off her uniform jacket and went to the closet. The hangars were all welded to the bar. She hung up her jacket and her stomach rumbled like a growling tiger. The hunger only dragged her spirits lower. She already missed them. Even Jackson, as much of a…well, she should just come out and say it. As much as a dick as he’d been to her, that kiss at the end had lit her body on fire. And when he’d said he would submit, that had melted her heart.

  But she couldn’t deal with it anymore. She was a human. It was clear she didn’t belong in their world. Everyone had been laughing, as if she hadn’t just stopped two good men who loved each other from killing one another for no good reason.

  She bit her lip and closed her eyes, feeling a warm tear streak down her cheek. And she’d cried more tonight than she had since she’d finally gotten over her ex, the douche bag king who’d cheated on her and then fired her. Didn’t that say something? Wasn’t that a red flag? A hint from the universe that getting involved with those two men would mean only more tears, especially since she’d already been crying this much?

  She didn’t know.

  No, that was a lie. She did know. Her heart couldn’t handle being broken again. And how else would this end? Both men were on opposite ends of the country. If this was only a temporary fling for them, it would leave her in pieces. Pieces she’d have to glue together again any way she could.

  She glanced at the digital clock sitting on a nightstand straight out of the 1970s. Way too late to order a pizza. Looked like she was going to have to starve. She debated taking a shower, but she simply didn’t have the energy. She didn’t have the energy for anything but climbing into bed and praying she found something distracting on television.

  Tomorrow she’d have to fly a commercial airline on her own dime, at least until Mirage could reimburse her. It would be a hell of a lot different than the way she’d come to Chicago. She hoped no one had impounded the limo either. What a nightmare—

  Someone knocked hard on the door. She stared at it as if she could somehow magically see through it. Was it the clerk? She hadn’t asked for a pillow or anything. Was there some problem with her payment?

  She went to the door and tried to peek through the peephole, but some helpful soul had pushed chewing gum into it. Instead, she pushed the curtains aside and peered out the window at the motel breezeway.

  Aaron Duval and Jackson Smith stood outside her door, looking at her with those intense alpha-eyes. Her heart dropped down into her gut. How the hell had they found her? She glanced into the parking lot. Sure enough, there was the limo and the two black SUVs the security guys drove around in.

  She opened the door because she couldn’t exactly hide herself in the bathtub now that they’d seen her peeking through the window. She stood there, leaning against the door, staring at them and waiting for them to speak first. All her words had flown from her mind the moment she’d seen who had knocked.

  “Michelle,” Aaron said, his voice seeming to caress her name as he spoke it.

  She didn’t give him a chance to say anything else. “How did you find me?”

  Jackson shrugged. “We’re security professionals. It wasn’t hard to make a few calls. Tracking your debit card transaction for a hotel room was nothing.”

  She glared. “You two ever consider that maybe I didn’t want to be found? That maybe I left for a reason.”

  “Not for a good reason,” Aaron said, holding her gaze. His eyes were so warm and caring. The exact opposite of what she’d expected from an ex-military shifter. “First, I owe you what you’ve more than earned tonight. Second, I would be a poor excuse for a gentleman if I didn’t see a lady safely home as promised.”

  “I can take care of myself,” she snapped, suddenly feeling defensive. She was embarrassed that this kind of place was all she could afford on short notice with the looming threat of having to buy a last-minute airline ticket. She was furious with them too, for making her feel this way.

  Aaron only nodded and shoved his hands in his trouser pockets as if he didn’t trust them not to reach for her. To pull her into his arms. “We know you can take care of yourself.” He gave her a gentle smile. “My knee knows it too.”

  “You deserve so much more than this,” Jackson added. “Let me—let us make it up to you. To make this right. Come with us.”

  She wanted to go with him. Everything inside her wanted it. But when she opened her mouth, the words that came out were, “I already paid for the room.”

  “I took care of it,” Aaron assured her. “Besides, I promised you a stay at a five-star hotel. I’m a man of my word.”

  Still, she hesitated. Because she knew if she went with them, she would be risking her heart again. It was a given.

  Jackson put a hand on Aaron’s shoulder and nudged him to the side. Then he went down on his knees in front of her. She gaped at him. It had been the last thing she’d expected to see him do.

  “Michelle, I’m sorry,” Jackson said. “I’m not too proud to beg. Not anymore. On my knees, if that’s what it takes. Come with us. Please. No strings attached. Whatever happens, happens.”

  Her heart was thudding along like a drum. It was hard to breathe, much less reply.

  “We owe you so much,” Aaron said. “You made us realize something tonight that we’d been denying for years. Don’t let things end like this.” He set his hand on Jackson’s shoulder, where Jackson still knelt in front of her, his gaze never leaving her face. “Don’t break our hearts.”

  She couldn’t say no. Even the warning voice in her head that told her this would end with another shattered heart couldn’t stop her from saying yes. These kinds of things, these chances only came along a f
ew times in a person’s life. She could either choose to live for the moment, or hide in this crappy motel room with her tears and her pride.

  “Let’s go,” she whispered.

  Both men broke into the most beautiful smiles she’d ever seen.

  * * *

  Dodged a bullet. Aaron knew that better than anyone. Instead of panic after learning Michelle had run out on them while Jackson and he were…busy…in the locker room, they’d both gone into cold professional mode. They’d set the mission. Made calls. Organized. Gained intel. Acted on it.

  They were only lucky she hadn’t really been trying to hide from them and she’d used a card they could trace. Then they’d had Sara rush them to the motel. Jackson had nearly torn off the limo’s door handle in rage when they’d seen where she was staying. Aaron had clearly heard him growling, “No mate of mine stays in a dump like this,” under his breath. Aaron agreed, but instead of anger, it made his heart ache for her. He wanted to give her everything she could ever desire. Nothing was too good for his mate. But seeing her staying here when he’d intended to give her the night of her life…well that hit him with the force of once of Jackson’s punches.

  When she finally answered their knock, it had taken every bit of his self-control for him—for both of them—to keep from simply picking her up, slinging her over his shoulder and carrying her to the limo. He grinned. Let her try and kick him in the knee then. And he’d give her the night of luxury she’d earned a thousand times over. He needed to do something for her. It wasn’t just want. It was a physical need to make her happy.

  He knew Jackson felt the same.

  So that was why both of them were now waiting in the hall outside Michelle’s new suite at the luxury Hotel DeMarkay. This place was more the style he had in mind for this impossible, lovable woman.

  He and Jackson were both wearing fresh suits from their luggage. But because Michelle didn’t have any change of clothes, they’d pulled a ton of strings and spent a staggering amount of money to have a designer cocktail dress and shoes purchased for her and driven to the hotel. He’d had one of his executive assistants make the choices because he had no idea what would be best, and she’d even thrown in a Chanel makeup kit, a thin, elegant gold chain, and a Coach handbag. His assistant was going to get a nice raise when he got back to New York. The dress, shoes, and accessories had been waiting on the bed for her when she’d gone inside. Her squeal of excitement had been the sweetest music to him.

  Now they were waiting on her to change so they could take her to Rouge, the gourmet restaurant with Chef Michael Schwa. Getting the restaurant to open for them alone at this time of night had also cost another small fortune. Didn’t matter though. He would buy the damn restaurant if he needed to. As long as she was happy. Because as suddenly as she’d burst into their lives, she’d swept her way out of them again. He would do everything in his considerable power to make certain that didn’t ever happen again.

  Jackson glanced at his Rolex for the tenth time in thirteen minutes. “A man could starve to death out here.”

  “Bite your tongue,” he replied with a smirk. “A lady needs a moment to get herself presentable. You, though, there’s no hope for you.”

  “That’s it. Next time we’re battling in the ring, I’m going to make you pay for that one.”

  Before Aaron could respond, the door to Michelle’s suite opened. She stood in the doorway in her new dress, her hair down, makeup, everything about her perfect. He couldn’t have spoken, even if he’d had any words left in his mind. His tongue seemed to have died in his mouth. She was simply stunning.

  The cocktail dress hugged her curves, accenting her generous bust and her wide hips in a way that had his cock taking immediate notice, readying itself to spring to attention. The slit up the side of the dress went to mid-thigh, and he had to stifle a groan of pure lust. He thought the wolf in his mind gave a helpless whimper. They were both lost.

  Jackson groaned next to him.

  Make that, all three of them were lost. Four, if he counted Jackson’s wolf. She had that much of an effect on them.

  Michelle’s whole face lit up with joy at Jackson’s needy groan, making him completely jealous of his blue-eyed bastard of a mate for making her so happy. A hint of a blush crept up her neck to her cheeks, turning her a delightful shade of pink. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Long, deep, a kiss to lay claim to those full lips that appeared so soft, so delightful. It was the gentleman part of him that wanted to focus on her lips, on the kiss. The bad-boy side of him wanted to pull her back into the hotel room, shred that six-thousand dollar dress until he could see her wonderful, naked body, and then fuck her until she came so hard she couldn’t breathe.

  It took all his control as an ex-military man and a security professional to only take her hand and raise it to his lips. He kissed it, staring into her eyes, hoping she could read his promise of more to come.

  So much more to come.

  “You look absolutely staggering,” he said, hearing his voice thrumming with barely restrained desire.

  “Thank you, Aaron,” she said, her smile widening, her eyes glowing with pleasure.

  Jackson moved beside her and offered her his arm. “Usually Aaron’s skill with language is lacking. Mostly grunts and growls, in fact. But this time he actually stole the words straight out of my mind.”

  Aaron chuckled and shook his head. “Grunts and growls, huh? Now who’s going to pay? I’ll have you begging me…later.”

  “I hope that’s a promise for everyone here,” Michelle piped up.

  As soon as she said it, her blush deepened. He found it the most endearing thing. His little firecracker, knee-kicking brawler was blushing.

  “It is a promise,” he said, holding her gaze.

  The restaurant was only dimly lit around their table. Their waiter seated them. The wine steward took their drink order for a vintage pinot noir, bowed and left, only to return a few minutes later to pour the wine they’d ordered after letting them admire the wine’s bouquet.

  “It’s so strange and quiet,” Michelle said, holding her handbag and peering around with wide eyes. “Did you really have the chef come in just for us? That’s crazy.”

  Aaron shrugged. Jackson only grinned and said, “Chef, waiter, sommelier—or as Aaron likes to call him, ‘the wine dude.’ It’s the least we could do.”

  She met his grin and one-upped it. “You mean it’s the least you could do after you kidnapped me to keep me from talking to the tabloids.”

  Jackson shook his head and sipped his wine. “I’m not proud of myself. In fact, I acted like a total ass.”

  “Exactly,” both he and Michelle said at the same time. They all looked at one another and burst into laughter.

  “I’m just glad you two worked it out,” she said after a moment. “I want a happy ending for you both.”

  Aaron gently took her hand. “I think you showed us all what is truly important today.” He shrugged. “Shifters can be a little…backward about some things. And alpha wolves can be the worst.”

  He didn’t tell her his wolf already considered her his mate. Jackson knew, and his wolf felt the same about their mated threesome. But telling a human that his inner wolf nature had picked her out as the one for him? That was heavy conversation for an official first date.

  The waiter came over, took their meal orders, and disappeared to relay it to the chef. They ordered smoked salmon, Atlantic oysters, duck with truffles, and asparagus with aged parmesan.

  “Thank you for coming with us,” Jackson said, touching her arm, claiming her with his caress. But instead of making Aaron’s wolf jealous, his wolf found those claiming touches reassuring. After all, Aaron understood the need to touch her better than anyone. “I can’t tell you how much it means.”

  She grinned. “I thought I’d have pity on you because I’m such a good person.” She turned mock-serious, looking highly put-upon. “It will be so very difficult, eating gourmet meals and stayin
g in a suite with a bathroom bigger than my entire apartment. But, somehow, I will make do.”

  Aaron couldn’t help but laugh. “Our lovely lady is not only intelligent, charming, and beautiful, but she’s also a saint.”

  “No, I’m not much of a saint,” Michelle said, fiddling with her silverware. Arranging and rearranging them. Her sudden change in tone threw him a little. “And if the rest of that were true, I wouldn’t be working at Mirage and coming home to an empty apartment every night. Heck, I don’t even have a pet.”

  “Not even a goldfish?” Aaron asked, trying to ease the sudden heaviness in the air.

  “Not even sea monkeys.”

  “Well, that’s good,” Jackson chimed in with a wry smile. “Those things are really difficult to keep alive. Not that I know from experience.” He sipped his wine again. “Okay, that’s a lie. They used to call me the Sea Monkey Bane.” His eyes grew serious as he held her gaze. “But believe me when I say, every part of me rejoices that you’re single. You…are single, correct?”

  Aaron went very still, watching her, his wolf on high-alert, his human side praying with all his might that she wasn’t going to drop a bomb on them. The bomb being that she was already spoken for, had a boyfriend, a fiancé, a whatever. True, she’d just said she came home to an empty apartment, but what if that didn’t mean what he’d eagerly assumed?

  He had no idea what they’d do if she weren’t single. It was perfectly possible she had a significant other in her life somewhere. She was beautiful, kind, vivacious, unpredictable, fascinating, funny, and had a killer curvy body that made his groin ache with need. The need to have his cock sliding into her warm, wet heat. To revel in her moans. See her eyes roll back in absolute bliss as he made love to her for as long as she desired—

  The waiter brought their food out at that moment, derailing his inner fantasy. The food smelled divine, but it couldn’t distract him for long from Michelle’s words.