To Save His Mate

by Serena Pettus

  Bruce had been incapable of speech at the time and suffered from severe burns on his hands, wrists and feet—the entrance and exit points from the massive charge he’d been exposed to—but Lacy’s captain had assured her the model would be questioned as soon as he was able to speak. With Bruce having been her partner on this case, Lacy was more than anxious to hear what he had to say about the events that led up to his “accident”.

  “Nobody seems to know,” Landon replied, looking none-too-concerned with the matter. “Here’s your new man now.”

  Lacy turned to glare at the newest hire and nearly whimpered aloud. The man was absolutely beautiful! He had the looks of an angel with sandy blond hair, a chiseled face and eyes that looked to be almost silver.

  He walked over with a confident male swagger that screamed authority. As Lacy allowed her eyes to coast over his broad chest, she noted the uniform shirt he wore.

  Her eyes narrowed, and she whirled back to Landon. “So he gets to play forest ranger while I pose as a half-naked twit lost in the woods?” she growled.

  “Would you be happy to be found?”

  Startled by the deep voice, Lacy swung around to see her new partner had not only made it to her side but had apparently heard everything they’d said.

  “Not wearing this,” she replied, once again holding up the pitiful scraps she refused to wear.

  “What the hell is that?” he asked, cocking his head to examine it closer.

  “According to Landon, it’s a bathing suit.”

  “It is a bathing suit, and you’re going to be so hot wearing it,” Landon insisted.

  Landon’s eyes bugged a bit when an instant reply was given by both Lacy and the man next to her.

  “I’m not wearing this!”

  “She’s not wearing this!”

  Lacy turned to the devastating man who was defending her. She heard Landon huff before he stomped off, grumbling about divas and impossible men. So, apparently, her new guy was giving Landon a hard time also.

  “I’m Ethan, by the way.” He offered his hand, and she accepted automatically. His voice was deep and smooth…nice. It was almost soothing in a way, easing her frazzled nerves.

  Lacy gave her head a quick shake to clear out those thoughts. Sheesh, she had to work with the guy…and she was on duty, as well. “I’m Lacy. So it appears that you’re stuck with me, huh? Sorry about that.”

  “Why? I chose to be paired with you.”

  His unexpected answer set off her warning bells. “What do you mean you chose to be paired with me? We don’t get a choice of who we work with.”

  Ethan just shrugged. “You do if the photographer has been pestering you for weeks,” he replied. “I’m not a model at all, actually.”

  “You’re not?”

  “No. I live here, and when Landon and his higher-ups came to get their permits, he spotted me. He’s been hounding me ever since.”

  Interesting. “So why’d you finally cave?”

  “I saw you.”

  Once again, his straightforward reply stunned her. “When did you see me?”

  Ethan glanced at his watch, and Lacy noted his tanned skin, the light sprinkling of hair and the thickness of his wrist. “About ten minutes ago,” he answered.

  Lacy rolled her eyes. “So you just saw me and decided to agree to modeling so that you could maybe get the chance to rub against some pretty girls? Nice.”

  “No. I caved in so I could have the chance to meet you, maybe get to know you a little. I’m not a bad guy, Lacy, just not very practiced in trying to impress a pretty lady.”

  This guy didn’t know how to approach a woman? Lacy gave an indelicate snort. “Oh, please! You’re telling me you can’t get a date? Sorry, but I’m not buying it.”

  He smiled at her remark, and damn it, his smile was every bit as lethal as the rest of him. Suddenly, Lacy felt very hot. Disgusted with her errant hormones, she steeled herself and turned to leave.

  “I never said I couldn’t get a date, Lacy.” His smooth voice wrapped around her, effectively sucking all the wind from her sails and causing her to turn back to him again. “Hastings is a small town, sweetheart, so you can imagine how it would be to date someone you’ve known your whole life. It’s like an extended family of sorts.”

  Lacy wrinkled her nose. Yeah, she could see how it would be awkward. “Why don’t we just try to work together for starters,” Lacy suggested. “I’m pretty serious about my work, so don’t expect much.” Wow, that sounded rather conceited. She’d meant she was serious about her law enforcement work, not modeling! Well, she could hardly tell him that, so she let the comment go.

  “A little downtime never hurt anyone. I’m sure you could spare some time to grab dinner with me at the diner or something,” he hedged.

  Something other than lettuce did sound wonderful. All of the models in the house were doing some crazy diet to drop weight quick and prevent bloating, but Lacy never had to really exercise or watch what she ate to keep her figure. She definitely had no interest in their celery sticks or any other form of rabbit food those twig-thin twits were nibbling on.

  “I think I might be willing to commit a felony for a cheeseburger right about now,” she confessed. Lacy laughed at the startled look on Ethan’s face. “I have one hell of a metabolism, so I don’t usually diet…or puke.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  “Eee-than!”

  Lacy laughed again when Ethan cringed after Landon sang out his name from the men’s tent. “We’re ready for you.”

  “Bloody hell,” he muttered.

  “Guess I’ll see you in a few,” Lacy called.

  “Yeah, as long as my outfit doesn’t resemble yours.” Ethan treated her to a crooked little grin before he sauntered off, and Lacy felt herself relax a bit.

  She could definitely work with this guy.

  This assignment just got a little more bearable.

  Chapter Three

  Ethan approached the men’s tent with dread. If they thought for one minute they’d get him into some skimpy little getup, then they were sadly mistaken.

  As he neared, the music playing within grew louder. It was some edgy, techno crap guaranteed to have his head throbbing to its beat before long. When he pulled back the flap to the tent, he immediately noticed the lone woman inside…and she noticed him.

  “Hi! I’m Allie, and you must be Ethan.” Her dull brown hair was pulled up on top of her head in a messy bun while a tape measure hung around her slim neck. There was an air of authority to the way she held herself around all of the lean and muscular men that surrounded her, standing head and shoulder above the small woman. Her face was youthful, and she looked genuinely pleased to see him. “Alrighty then, I can handle the strong silent type,” she added with a grin.

  “Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting a woman to be in here.”

  “Would you rather have a man dress you and take your measurements?” She laughed when he narrowed his eyes. “Easy there, tiger. I was only kidding.”

  “Good.”

  “Swell, now strip,” Allie ordered.

  “Excuse me?” She has to be kidding, Ethan thought.

  “Just down to your underwear. I need to see what I’m working with so I can decide what you’ll wear,” Allie stated matter-of-factly.

  “Nothing skimpy and no waxing,” Ethan growled as he pulled his shirt over his head. He wasn’t vain in regards to his looks, but he wasn’t completely unaware of his effect on women, either.

  He watched as Allie’s eyes warmed, her appreciative gaze roaming over his exposed chest and abdomen. As he reached for his belt, she turned and crossed to a rack of clothes, plucked off a pair of faded jeans and returned.

  “Try these,” she ordered. “They ride low on the hips, so lose the boxers, but keep the boots.”

  Ethan’s eyebrows rose. “No shirt?”

  Allie quirked a brow right back at him. “With a body like that? It would be a crime.” She spun on her heel and began
barking orders at another model, leaving Ethan to change, but she quickly turned back. “They’re waiting for you, Ethan, so pick up the pace. Landon’s a real bitch when he loses his light.”

  Ethan looked around, seeing most of the models were in varying stages of undress, and shrugged. He’d never been modest—mostly due to his werewolf nature—so he just kicked off his boots and dropped his pants and boxers in one swipe.

  Noting that the tent had gone quiet, Ethan looked up to find almost everyone staring at him. “I refused to go along with the wax thing.” He shrugged again, thinking that had been the reason for the stares.

  Allie shook her head and smirked. “You have no idea, do you?” She said it more like a statement than a question, so Ethan didn’t answer. “You’re stunning…and I think you may have just given every one of my models here a bit of a wake-up call.”

  “How so?” he asked, pulling on the jeans.

  “You’re not even a model, or so Landon told me, yet you look better than all of them,” she gave him another lingering look before adding, “combined. It will humble them a bit. Hell, maybe, it will help make them a little more manageable.”

  Ethan just laughed. “I work hard for a living and keep in shape for my work. It’s hardly glamorous.”

  “I never said it was, but most of these guys hit the gym, and that’s it. Many of them wouldn’t know a hard day’s work if it bit them on the ass.” Allie adjusted his waistband lower and smiled. “Yes, we want to show off that sexy little V on your lower abdomen. The ladies will go nuts.” She bobbed her brows and gave him a gentle shove towards the tent flap. “Go on.”

  Thankful he was mostly covered, Ethan didn’t argue. He did, however, notice the lingering stares—both male and female—he received during his search for Lacy.

  “Unbelievable,” he muttered. A moment later, a shrill whistle rent the air, and he whirled to see Lacy approaching.

  She was a vision. Short khaki shorts left her long, shapely legs bare while her olive green halter hugged her ample breasts like a second skin. Her long, chestnut hair was pulled into a high ponytail, leaving the classic beauty of her face on display.

  “You look amazing,” he blurted, cursing himself when she stilled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It’s just that you…” His voice trailed off as he caught the scent of arousal on the breeze. It only took a moment to determine the enticing smell was coming from her.

  Ethan watched as Lacy cleared her throat and visibly struggled for composure. It relieved him to see she was just as affected by him. His wolf sat up, a contented rumble echoing in Ethan’s mind as she slowly approached.

  “You don’t look bad yourself. I see you managed to evade the wax Nazi,” she replied, her eyes trailing over his chest and abs, down to his low-slung jeans. “I wish I could have done the same.”

  “You had to wax your legs?” he asked, confused. “I thought a lot of women did that.”

  “Oh, we do, but not all of us are fond of the Brazilian wax.” A full body shudder ran through her slender frame, and Ethan fought to contain his amusement.

  “Well, then I’m extremely happy I was able to dodge that bullet.”

  “Yeah.” Lacy was no longer looking at him but had focused her attention somewhere over his left shoulder.

  Ethan turned and noted several of the other models had gathered near a snack table. The men were mixing powder into water bottles while the women were nibbling on celery and carrots.

  Lacy sighed, drawing his attention back to her. “Are you hungry?” he asked, not really sure what to make of the scowl she was directing toward the others.

  “Are you kidding me? I’m starving! It’s impossible to eat around models. Those women are making me crazy! They almost had a meltdown because I had a Hershey’s bar in the house.”

  Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, Ethan crossed his fingers and went for it. “So after our morning photos, we’re pretty much free for the remainder of the day, right?”

  “Yeah, so?” Lacy shrugged.

  “How about we hit the diner in town?” he offered. “I could really go for a burger, and they have the best around. You could fill me in on what I should expect with this whole modeling thing.”

  “That’s easy. Expect a headache…a big one,” she laughed.

  Ethan felt his wolf stir again at the tinkling sound of her laughter. The beast suddenly wanted to rub up against her and leave his scent to warn away any other interested males. “That seems to be fairly obvious, given it’s all I’ve received from Landon over there. He’s like a gnat buzzing in your ear on a hot day. The man has been following me for weeks, trying to get me to do this shoot.”

  “Well, our shots today shouldn’t take too long.” Lacy flipped her long dark hair and motioned for Ethan to follow her as she began walking. “Landon wants to get some bikini shots by the creek once the sun is high, but we’ll be safe from that.”

  “Good to know.” Even better that he would have most of the day with Lacy. “So have you explored the town yet?”

  “Not really.”

  “I’ll give you a quick tour on our way to the diner.”

  “God, you have really got to stop talking about that. My stomach will be growling if you don’t.” She patted her trim belly and laughed. “You always crave what you shouldn’t have, and these girls would combust if I even mentioned a cheeseburger or fries…or a chocolate shake. Mmm, I’m getting one of those, too,” Lacy vowed.

  Ethan chuckled. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell a soul,” he promised.

  They followed the trail of extension cords through the trees to the spot Landon had selected for their photos. Ethan thoroughly enjoyed walking behind little Ms. Lacy. The way her delectable rear end swished in those short shorts, just barely concealing those rounded mounds of firm flesh…

  Shaking his head, Ethan growled when a familiar—yet irritating—voice cut into his fantasy. “Fabulous,” Landon sang. “Don’t you just love this set? It gives an eerie vibe I’m totally feeling right now.”

  The lunatic had placed fog machines all about so that a mist crept over the ground and through the surrounding trees. A fallen tree was nearby with lights stationed all around, so apparently, they would be posing there.

  “Relax,” Lacy whispered. “This will be painless.”

  “I doubt that. Does he realize there are snakes in this area?”

  “Snakes?” Lacy quickly dropped her gaze to the ground, trying to survey her immediate surroundings. “Are you serious?”

  “Well, yeah. You are in the woods,” Ethan pointed out.

  “Relax, baby cakes, we checked this spot over really well,” Landon assured her. “Now, I’m loving this manly man thing more and more. I want Lacy at the base of this tree trunk, and I want you,” he jabbed his perfectly manicured finger toward Ethan, who raised a brow, “up at the branch sticking out there. I need you to look predatory. We’re talking the wild jungle man stalking its prey. Can you handle that?”

  Ethan smiled. “Oh, I can handle it.” It would just be more like a wolf after a tasty treat.

  “Perfect. Now, Lacy, you sit here,” he gestured to the lower portion of the slanting trunk, “and run this water bottle over your upper chest. You’re hot and trying to cool yourself, but you’re unaware you’re being preyed upon.”

  “Got it,” Lacy replied.

  Ethan gave a smart-ass salute and quickly scaled the trunk to his perch. He turned in time to see a large man spritzing Lacy’s chest, arms and face. He supposed the goal was to have her look a little sweaty, but the water must have been a bit cool.

  A low, rumbling growl slipped past his lips when he saw her nipples pucker beneath the tight material of her halter. The sound didn’t escape the big guy’s notice either.

  Ethan watched with primitive glee as the big guy backed away, but Landon just clapped his hands.

  “Perfect! I love it when a model jumps right into their role.”

  If only the little prick
knew just how into the role Ethan actually was.

  His attention back on Lacy, Landon positioned her and instructed her on how to pose. “I want that curvy profile of yours on display, Lacy. You’re exhausted and leaning back against the trunk. Then just run the water bottle across your chest with your head tilted back… Perfect!” he exclaimed as Lacy struck her pose. “Now, Ethan, you just keep looking the part of the dangerous predator. You see her, and you want to devour her.”

  Boy, did he ever.

  A few shots later and Landon was back. “Ethan can you creep down closer without falling?” At his nod, Landon shifted to Lacy once again. “All right, now, you hear something behind you. I want you to turn and look startled but a sexy startled.”

  “You’ve got a few screws loose, you know that, right?” she asked with an arched brow.

  “If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that, I’d be on a beach somewhere, sipping a fruity drink and working on a fine case of melanoma,” he sighed. “Now, let’s get back to work before the sun gets too high.”

  “All right, all right,” Lacy grumbled.

  “Back to your original pose. Good. Now, let me get the camera into position. Perfect. Now, turn and give me that sexy, startled look,” Landon ordered.

  Chapter Four

  Lacy just barely refrained from rolling her eyes at the ridiculous order. There was no way to look sexy and…

  Her mind ground to a halt once her eyes landed on the man crouched above her.

  Ethan was all muscle and animal grace as he took her in from his vantage point. His eyes had an eerie silver hue that seemed to reflect the light when he held his head just right. He definitely resembled the wild man Landon wanted him to be.

  In fact, the hungry look in his eyes when he raked them over her body startled her a bit. He seemed to be sizing her up, but then he winked and gave her a little grin before nimbly jumping to the ground.

  Belatedly, Lacy realized Landon was absolutely gushing. The man was hugging his camera and babbling about perfect chemistry or some such nonsense.