Pack Law

by Crissy Smith

  “That’s great.” Mike relaxed a little more. “If we can get through this case without anything bad happening, I’ll be surprised.”

  “Has there been a particular threat?” Jeremy leaned forward as he spoke.

  “No.” Mike waved at him. “It’s just a feeling I have. Like as soon as we turn our backs someone is going to try to come at us. I don’t know if it’s for me or Jody but I just can’t get this nagging feeling to go away.”

  “I can order more protection for the two of you. For Randy and his boy, too.” Jeremy was already pulling out his phone.

  “I’m certain we have all we need,” Mike told him. “Have you met the security detail?”

  “Yes, I know Austin from my younger days, so when the Council suggested his firm I was thrilled. But if you don’t feel comfortable we can make other arrangements for you and Jody. How about staying here?” Jeremy said.

  “We moved Jody due to the reporters at his house,” Mike told him.

  “Yes, I’ve already heard.”

  “I’d like to be in town in case something happens, so I’m staying at Cooper’s,” Mike said.

  “Well, you can’t beat staying at a cop’s place,” Jeremy agreed.

  “That was what I was thinking. And like I said I don’t know of any danger but I have a bad feeling that this trial is not going to be a simple case.”

  “Don’t discredit your feelings, and keep your eyes open. I’ll talk to Gage and Cain and see if they have any suggestions,” Jeremy said. “It’s the Pack’s job to take care of you and we will be there. Just call me if you need anything at all.”

  “I promise,” Mike said.

  “Good, now finish your drink so you can get to Cooper’s and relax.”

  Chapter Four

  Shelby placed the salad that she’d just finished tossing in the middle of the kitchen table. She’d been surprised and pleased when Julie had called to inform her that Mike would be staying at her and Cooper’s house and they both had to work. It had been Julie’s suggestion for Shelby to stop by.

  After a quick trip home so she could change clothes and put on her most comfortable tennis shoes, she’d hopped in her car and headed over. Julie had let her in while telling her that Mike was expected soon. There was also a large pan of lasagna in the fridge that Julie had said could be warmed up for dinner.

  Shelby loved Julie’s lasagna and was more than happy to put it in the oven to warm. The house already smelled like mouthwatering marinara sauce and garlic. She hoped Mike showed up soon. Shelby had really expected him at least an hour ago. Julie and Cooper were gone, so it was just her as she prepped the meal.

  She took a sniff of an opened wine bottle as she carried it to the table along with two glasses. Everything was almost perfect. She just needed the man she hoped to have a romantic night with sitting in front of her.

  Mike had looked so tired when he’d stepped out of the courthouse at the end of the day. The guy he’d been walking in front of, the client, Jody Norman, had appeared terrified. Pete had gotten a good close-up but as Mike had led the way toward her, she’d had Pete step back. Respect, and yes personal feelings, had had her backing off. Unlike the other reporters who’d acted like animals.

  Sometimes it shamed her that professional news people acted like they had no class, but that was just natural, she guessed. She’d made a promise to herself a long time ago to act differently. That was what had actually gotten her noticed with KVVT. Her producer had seen her after an interview at her college station. Instead of pushing and screaming at the dean like the others, Shelby had gotten an exclusive by charm and wit. She was still proud of that fact.

  The slamming of a car door caught her attention. Shelby rubbed her hands together. She knew that Mike would come in from the back door as that was where the spare key was hidden. It amused Shelby that a cop and an EMT would still place a key outside that could be found by anyone. Shelby could never do that.

  She rushed over to the oven to check on the food. As she pulled out the pan, the back door opened.

  “Shelby?”

  “Hi.” She turned still holding the pan. “Hungry?”

  He was so cute with the confused but happy look on his face. He stared at her for several minutes as she set the lasagna on the counter and closed the oven.

  “I…” He frowned while looking around. “Are you supposed to be here?”

  Shelby laughed. “Julie told me that you’d be staying the night and if I wanted to stop by there would be plenty of dinner.”

  Mike set his bags down next to the door before he grinned. “I was just imagining having dinner with you. Cooper had suggested the same but I got caught up on running errands and didn’t think I’d have the energy to entertain.”

  “You don’t have to,” Shelby said as she strolled toward him. When she reached him, Shelby pressed close and kissed him lightly.

  Mike growled and grabbed her as he deepened their lip lock. Oh, how she loved the taste of him. He’d had some brandy earlier along with a mint or something.

  At some time between when Mike had left the courthouse and arrived at Julie and Cooper’s, Mike had changed into jeans and a T-shirt. Shelby slipped her hands under the hem of his top to rub his stomach. His flat, muscular stomach.

  “God,” Mike murmured after he’d pulled back slightly. “I needed that.”

  Shelby grinned. “There will be more of that after dinner and a glass of wine. For the next half hour there will be no thinking or talking about anything professional.”

  He blinked at her. Shelby could only take that as a sign she’d caught him off guard and felt proud. “This is new,” he finally said.

  “Yes,” she agreed. “Sit, and I’ll pour you a glass of wine and get the rest of the food on the table.”

  “Okay,” Mike said before he moved toward the table.

  The way that his ass moved inside those faded jeans made her itch to reach out and give him a squeeze. Once he was sitting, Shelby moved. First, she poured some of the sweet red into two wine glasses and passed one to him. Then she walked to the counter and picked up the pan that was half full of lasagna as well as the cookie sheet with breadsticks.

  “I can’t thank you enough for this,” Mike told her.

  She’d only wanted to surprise him but this meal was ending up giving her a chance to come clean as to where her thoughts had been going. “It’s really no trouble.”

  Mike smiled. “It was a hell of a day.”

  Shelby nodded as she set the food down on the table. “Let it go for now,” she advised.

  They filled their plates and sat across from each other. Shelby looked over at Mike to find him watching her. “What?”

  “This is nice,” Mike said.

  And he was right. They might order a meal to be delivered after being together every once in a while but even that was rare. Never had they had such an intimate dinner.

  “It smells wonderful,” Mike commented and took a bite.

  Shelby followed suit because she was hungry and she didn’t know how to begin the conversation that she wanted to have. So she ate and drank her wine.

  He must have been starving because Mike finished the food on his plate then went and got more. Shelby ate slower and kept peering up at him.

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked when he finally pushed his plate away.

  Of course he noticed that she couldn’t stop looking at him. “I want to talk to you about something but I’m not sure now’s the right time.”

  “Is it about the case?” he asked.

  “No,” she assured him quickly. “Not at all.”

  “Then go ahead. I didn’t think about my day the entire time I was eating so any other subject is open for discussion. I want a bit of a break from the case,” he told her as he rubbed his stomach. “Damn, Julie makes awesome lasagna.”

  “She does,” Shelby agreed. Now that Mike was aware that there was something she wanted to discuss she couldn’t chicken out. Shelby poured them
both more to drink.

  Mike watched her and his blue eyes shined with what she knew was amusement. She’d caught the look numerous times before.

  “Whatever you want to say can’t be that bad.” He grew serious and frowned. “I take that back. If you want to end our arrangement, I really don’t want to hear that.”

  “Well.” Shelby lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t want to end things.”

  “Good,” Mike said before he took a drink. “Go ahead.”

  “I don’t want to end things but I do want…need something different,” she said.

  He sighed before he drained the rest of his wine. Shelby stood to get him a refill, but he waved her off. “I’m okay.”

  Shelby wasn’t so she topped off her own glass. “I’ve been thinking…” She looked up at him. All amusement had disappeared, and she missed it. “What if I wanted to change things between us? What would you say to that?”

  “Depends on the change,” he said quietly.

  “Something…more…serious,” she said.

  Mike stiffened. “Serious?”

  Oh God! Was that not what he wanted? How had she read his signs wrong? “It’s just—”

  “You want a relationship instead of sex?” he interrupted.

  “Yes, no, yes,” she fumbled the words.

  Mike held up his hand. “I want more too. If you’d like to date and see where we can go in a relationship, I’d love that.”

  “Really?” Shelby relaxed back.

  “Yes, I thought I’d shown that,” Mike said.

  “You did,” Shelby said.

  “So dating?” he asked.

  “There’s just one thing.” Shelby winced as she spoke.

  Mike nodded. “Okay.”

  “I still want to move up with a bigger station,” Shelby told him. “My career goals haven’t changed.”

  “Your passion for what you love is one of the reasons that I’m attracted to you,” Mike told her.

  “I don’t want us to hide our relationship,” Shelby said. “I’ll admit I thought about asking that of you.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes,” she said. “But if I ask that of you, I’m not really changing our relationship. It would say that I’m ashamed to be with you in public. I wouldn’t expect you to allow that and I’m not that kind of woman. If I care for you I can’t hide that away.”

  “I might have agreed to it at first,” Mike told her.

  “Really?” She was surprised.

  “It’s not that I don’t understand why you need to be cautious,” Mike said. “I’d agree but there is no way that I’d be able to continue like that for long. And if we do try to make it work between us, we won’t be able to go back to having just a physical relationship.”

  “It was never purely physical.” She used Julie’s words from earlier.

  Mike grinned. “It wasn’t. I didn’t think you’d figured that out yet.”

  “Sometimes I’m slow,” she joked. “And I agree that we wouldn’t be able to go back to how things were.”

  “So we go at this all the way?” Mike asked.

  Shelby finished off her drink. “Yes.”

  Mike nodded. “Yes.” He stood with a smile before he circled the table and pulled her onto her feet. He kissed her hard and with urgency.

  Shelby wrapped her arms around his neck as she rose to her tiptoes and pushed into him.

  “You feel so good,” he said when they broke apart to breathe.

  “Mmm.” She planted her lips back on his while raising one leg around his waist.

  Mike lifted her off her feet, and Shelby rocked against him. He was already hard against her stomach and she couldn’t wait to get him inside her. She cupped his erection and gave him a little squeeze. He moaned while his hips jerked.

  “Shit,” Mike muttered. “Not here. I can’t take you on my best friend’s table.”

  Shelby laughed. “It would make having dinner here the next time more interesting.”

  Mike looked like he was considering it but ended up shaking his head. “No,” he said. “Bedroom.”

  “Okay,” she agreed. She huffed out a breath in surprise when Mike didn’t set her down and instead hiked her up higher and carried her off. Damn shifter strength. Mike surprised her with it every once in a while.

  “Just hang on,” he advised as he gave her ass a soft smack.

  In retaliation, Shelby dropped her mouth to his neck and bit gently. Mike stumbled and groaned.

  “You like that,” she whispered.

  “Do it again,” he demanded, voice rough.

  So she did. She nibbled and lapped at his neck as he took her into the guest bedroom.

  It was just as she remembered it. White walls with just a bed, dresser and two nightstands. The bed was made up with a dark blue comforter and looked comfortable.

  She bounced when Mike dropped her down. Before she could move he covered her body with his and kissed her. Shelby gave as good as he did, impatient to have him. She tugged at his shirt until he broke away to yank it over his head. She wriggled out of her own top and bra.

  Mike’s lips found her nipple, and she arched up while burying her fingers in his short hair. She held him against her breast as she lifted her hips to rub against his erection.

  “Slow later,” she panted. “I want you so bad.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed. He sat up and pulled on his zipper. “I have just what you need.”

  She snorted at his cheesy line but then it was a race to get naked. She won since she didn’t have to worry about shoes. Once she was undressed, Shelby grasped his hard-on and pumped him a few times.

  Mike growled as he continued to fight with his shoes. Since he was still busy, Shelby dipped her head to run her tongue over the tip of his cock. She tasted his pre-cum before she took him in deep.

  “Yes,” he hissed.

  Shelby pulled back and let his cock slide against her tongue before taking him in again. She loved how hard he was, since she knew she had caused the reaction.

  With her eyes closed, she enjoyed every second of being in control of his pleasure. She used her right hand to hold him at the base of his erection while with her left she played with his balls. She could tell Mike was struggling not to move with how stiff he was keeping his body. That just wouldn’t do.

  Humming, she coaxed him into moving. Gently at first, Mike thrust into her mouth. She nodded slightly to show him that was what she wanted. Mike slipped his fingers through her hair as he held her head and withdrew then slid back into her mouth.

  Heaven, the taste and feel of him. Shelby sucked harder.

  “Oh God,” Mike murmured. “So good.”

  Shelby liked pleasing him. She picked up the pace, sucking him harder.

  “You’ve got to stop,” Mike said after several minutes. “I want to come inside you.”

  Shelby popped off and grinned. “How do you want me?”

  “Lie back,” he said as he pushed her into position. He ran his fingers through her slick folds. She was already wet and ready.

  “Come on,” she urged.

  Mike lifted her leg and hooked it over his elbow before he edged his cock to the opening of her pussy. He pressed inside, and Shelby sighed. Strong, he was so strong, and she just wanted him to make her forget all her troubles. She could depend on Mike to be true to her, and none of her worries could reach her when she was with him.

  He tightened his hand against her hip, and Shelby slid her palm to cover his.

  She could feel each plunge throughout her entire body. Her breath came out in harsh pants as she felt like she’d been electrified. Her fingers grew numb as passion turned her mind to a puddle. Shelby opened her eyes, unaware she’d even closed them in the first place. Mike was gazing down at her and the look was full of love and affection.

  Had she never watched him at the same time he watched her during sex? No, she guessed she hadn’t. With the hand that wasn’t linked to his, she cupped his face. Mike blinked and slowed
down.

  Shelby smiled at him. He’d rubbed his cheek against her palm much like a cat did.

  “Keep touching me,” he said softly.

  “Of course,” she murmured.

  Gaze locked with his, she placed her other hand on his face. They were making love, maybe not for the first time, but their emotional connection was definitely different from before.

  “Mine,” he said gently.

  “Yes, and you’re mine,” she said.

  Mike thrust harder, and her entire body shook. She hissed then hummed just a little when her clit began to throb. She pressed her hand firmer against his face as she reached climax. She had to work to keep her eyelids open. Mike grunted then came so they finished together.

  * * * *

  Shelby handed him the last freshly washed plate to dry, and Mike placed a kiss on her neck. After he and Shelby had lain and talked some more for about twenty minutes, Mike had known he had to get out of bed or he’d fall asleep. He still had more work to do before he could call it a night.

  He’d told Shelby she could stay in bed but she’d only laughed and said she’d take care of the dishes. But that wasn’t fair, since she’d made the dinner. So he’d made her a deal, she could wash but he’d dry before he got to work.

  “That’s it,” Shelby stated as she dried her hands.

  “Do you want to stay?” he asked. “I was going to set up at the table if you want to hang around.”

  She bit her lip and he held his breath then she shrugged. “If you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not,” he assured her. “That’s why I asked.”

  “It’s just—” She glanced out of the kitchen window before looking back at him. “I feel like we just made this huge commitment to each other and we should be…” She waved her hand around. “At least in the same house.”

  “I want you here,” he said. He liked that Shelby saw their relationship as a commitment. He hadn’t wanted to push her, scared that she’d run, so luckily his waiting had paid off.

  “I can make some coffee,” she offered.