“I’m sorry, Angie. But you’ve had a wasted trip.”
She bit her bottom lip to stop it from trembling, and his gaze landed there. She could swear a hint of amber flashed in his eyes. “Please, you have to understand.”
“This is business. You need to understand. The answer is no, and it’s not going to change.” And she didn’t miss it when he glanced at his watch.
Ten minutes. And she’d been here long enough to know that she could spend ten hours, and she wouldn’t convince him.
She picked up her briefcase and stood. “Yes, I understand.” She understood that the guy was a damn asshole, the kind who only cared about making more money. “Thank you for these ten minutes of your precious time. Good bye.”
“Angie. Don’t go—”
Like hell she wouldn’t. She walked out, not giving a damn about what he had to say, slamming the door behind her for good measure.
She managed a smile at the receptionists downstairs before she rushed out of the building and to the busy street. She stood, scanning the road for a passing taxi as she wiped her eyes, forcing back the tears. How the hell would she save the shop? Calming down would be a start. She had to keep hold of her bloody emotions, because letting them fall apart would achieve nothing. Her phone rang—was Shaun moved by her plight and calling to tell her he’d changed his mind? Stupid thought, because he didn’t have her number.
Sure enough, it was Shaz. Angie forced a light tone to her voice, because she had already dumped plenty of her own shit on her friend when Bill broke up with her. “Hey!” Shaz screamed down the phone. Just as well, because it was a struggle hearing her over the noise of the traffic. “I’ve picked out a new dress for you for next week. And you’re going to wear it, no buts.”
Shit, she’d forgotten that she’d agreed to go to Eclipse, after Shaz badgered her until she said yes. The club where she first met Shaun was the last thing she needed, but her friend was looking forward to the night out. “I’ll wear whatever you pick out for me, Shaz, as long as it covers the essential bits—hey, watch it, asshole!” The passer-by who had bumped into her, nearly pushing her onto the busy road, ignored her. “Yes, Shaz, I’m all right. Just not in a great mood. But yeh, looking forward to going out.” Her bestie had been there for her when she was at her lowest, and Angie was not about to let her down.
“You’ll look great in the dress.” Shaz chuckled as Angie put out her hand to hail a taxi. “You want to look your best because you never know, you might meet that hot shifter again.”
She hoped not. When she agreed to return to Eclipse, part of her was curious about whether he would be there. But now she knew who he was, there was no way she would go near him again. As if him being a supernatural wasn’t enough, he dealt with the mob, making him even more dangerous. And an asshole to boot. Unwilling to budge an inch over her dad’s company, even though he was obviously loaded.
She got into the back of the taxi and then leaned her head against the seat, exhausted as she gave the driver her address. Perhaps another night out was just what she needed. Yes…next week, she would dress to pull and go for a human in the club.
As for Shaun, he could go to hell.
CHAPTER FIVE
* * *
SHAUN WANTED HER.
There was no point denying it. Since she walked into his office that day, images of her had been stuck in his head, an X-rated movie featuring footage of that night they spent together—one that jumped to auto-play mode whenever he least expected it.
What was the bloody chance that she would be the daughter of the man who had owned the antique shop?
“Another drink?” asked Ethen. The fae was one of Blade’s business partners and had joined Shaun when he saw him sat at a table on the ground floor of Oasis, not getting the hint that he wanted to be alone tonight.
“Actually, I—”
Ethen signaled at a passing waiter. “Same again.” As the uniformed male walked away, the fae scowled at his back—despite the years he’d spent in this dimension, he didn’t like humans any more than when he first visited here. If it wasn’t for the club, he probably wouldn’t emerge from Faeryland as often as he did. “How’s the love life going, Shaun?”
“Same as usual.”
Except it wasn’t. Blade was surprised as hell when Shaun mentioned Angie’s name and asked him to get in touch if she checked in for future events. But the demon didn’t ask any questions. True to form, he didn’t give a damn about anything that had nothing to do with business. He had got one of his guys to check the records and then informed Shaun that she had tickets booked for Oasis tonight.
The waiter returned with their order, placing it on the table before Ethen dismissed him.
“You seem on edge, Shaun,” the fae mentioned as he shook his long blond hair back. He seemed to have a new hairstyle every week and was currently into braids that started at his scalp and worked their way down. He was all muscles and brawn, with tribal tattoos covering his sinewed arms, yet the hairdo didn’t look out of place. But that sculptured face could carry anything off. “Planning to hook up with someone tonight or something?”
Shaun had no idea of what he would do when he saw Angie. He only knew that he needed to see her. “Just here for a couple of drinks. Nothing else.” If Ethen found out about the human, he would bug him like hell until he had the details. And then he’d give him a lecture about what a terrible supernatural he was for not only fucking, but hankering after someone below their species. Shaun didn’t fancy that conversation tonight.
The fae sipped his cocktail. “A bloody waste, if you ask me. A guy such as you should be on the pull whenever you get a chance.” Ethen worked as hard as any other partner on club matters, but unlike Blade and some of the others, he played hard, too. When he was at work, he was as dedicated and ruthless as the role required. But when he came out to play, that was all that engrossed him. Even now, his eyes roamed around the club, pausing on a supernatural female squeezed between bodies on the dancefloor—a witch—clad in black leather pants and a laced up corset made of the same material. Her gyrations increased in speed as she gave the fae a smile. Ethen downed his drink before turning to Shaun. “Sorry, but—”
“It’s all right,” said Shaun. Thank fuck for the witch. “Go and enjoy your night.”
“Cheers.” The fae’s eyes were on the female as he stood. “And the drinks are on me, Shaun.”
Shaun went back to his drink. When he next looked up, the fae was already walking out of the zone with the witch hanging onto his arm. Not long ago, Shaun was the same, wanting nothing more than one anonymous fuck after the other. But now…that human filled his mind.
He’d surprised the receptionists on evening duty tonight by leaving his office early. No idea of when Angie would arrive at Oasis, but he’d wanted to be here when she did. She had featured in his fantasies plenty after the night he fucked her in this very club. But since she came to see him that day, the idea of doing it again consumed him…Bloody hell, the sight of her that day in his office, prim and proper in that skirt and smart blouse, had made him want to bend her over his desk, lift her skirt and shove his cock inside her. But instead, something unfamiliar had pulled him as she talked about the shop. Her expression…it was as if he had taken away the thing she held most dear. And when she begged him, her lips trembling, he almost gave in to what she wanted. But in his world, when you dealt with the people he did, any weakness was the first step to a fast descent. Blade was right. Business came first.
When the hair on the back of his neck prickled, he didn’t need to turn to know she was there. What the hell’s going on with me?
He turned…and yes, there she was, entering the ground floor with a red-haired friend. But she’d decided to stand out tonight in a red dress that was sexy as hell. His gaze fastened on the plunging neckline, and an image flashed through his head, of him sinking his teeth into those soft mounds. He was hard as fuck as she laughed with her friends, shaking her hair so it fell be
hind her—in his mind, he trailed his fingers through those silky tresses and smoothed them down her back before taking her by the waist to bring her closer. As if she became aware of his attention, she shifted and her eyes locked with his. That smile dropped from her face, as if he was the last person she wanted to see. That reaction brought his beast to the surface…made it want to go for someone’s neck. He glanced at the drink the waiter had placed on his table and jammed his focus there instead. He was in Blade’s club and that demon and his partners might be friends, but damn it if they would put up with him causing a ruckus at their venue.
She moved with her friend to a nearby leather sofa, and when she leaned back, her curvy breasts heaved as she raised her arm. And then she crossed her legs, sending that red dress riding up to expose creamy skin.
What the hell was he thinking, coming here when the smartest thing would be to stay away from her? They were involved in a dispute over a property that James had an interest in and getting close to her would be one stupid idea. He would finish his drink and then get the fuck out of this place.
Angie’s friend pulled at her hand, indicating at the dance floor.
Don’t go there. Not toward that gyrating mass of bodies.
But then her eyes met his, and her features froze again as she stood and allowed herself to be dragged to the dance floor. What did he care, anyway? She could cozy up to whoever she liked, male or female. It made no damn difference to him. He gripped the glass, willing himself to keep his gaze away from her. What he didn’t see wouldn’t affect him. But something prickled underneath his skin, spreading through every nerve until it reached a part of his chest where it became a pain. Why the hell couldn’t his beast calm the fuck down tonight? It behaved as though it was in the full moon fever.
That tense sensation in his chest wrenched his eyes toward the dance floor, and what he saw nearly made him pick up the table and smash it across the wall. Angie pressed between two men, their hands all over her. Her eyes met Shaun’s, and she smirked. He had no doubt the exhibition was for his fucking benefit, and he was not going to be the idiot who played her game. He placed cash on the table to cover the cost of the drinks and stood, intending to leave the damn place. But instead, he stormed over to the dance floor. Her red-haired friend was nowhere to be seen, and just as well, because he would have wrung her little neck for dragging Angie here and then pissing off.
He pushed through pulsing bodies, LED lights flashing in his eyes as he ignored the pressure inside his head that reminded him to hold back his beast. When he grabbed Angie’s arm, her jaw tightened and she mouthed something at him. Just as well the music was so loud he didn’t catch what she said. As for the two guys, one a wizard and the other human, they opened their mouths to speak, but a look at Shaun’s face and they backed off. Good for them.
“What the hell are you doing, Shaun?”
Those throbbing thuds inside his head made it difficult to filter her words through his enhanced hearing, so he read her mouth to figure out what she said over the loud sounds of the club. Not a great idea, because as he stared at her luscious lips, his mind went to how they had felt around his cock. He didn’t bother responding—she couldn’t hear what he said, anyway—and took her waist to drag her up against his body. He was not one for dancing, if that was what you call what these nobheads around them were doing. Placing his hands on her ass, he pressed her closer so she could feel how hard he was for her. Her eyes opened wide, and her pupils dilated as her breath quickened. And then he slanted his mouth over hers.
The taste of her lips drowned out everything else, and he felt rather than heard her soft moans as she writhed against him. He didn’t even give a fuck about the bodies that jostled them because they pushed them closer together. Her hands went to his shoulders and then to the back of his head as she wound her fingers through his hair. He deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue between her lips and invading her mouth. He kept one hand on her ass as he moved the other between them to cup her breast. Damn, she wasn’t wearing a bra. He fondled her nipple through the material until it was stiff and strained to meet his fingers as she pressed against him. The sound of the bass pulsed inside his ears, yet he could sense the thudding of his own heart above it as this human forced it to jump out of control. And then she hooked her heel around the back of his leg as she undulated against him.
He needed to get her out of here, but he couldn’t break away from her for long enough. Neither him nor his wolf could tolerate any distance from her right now. As she ground her hips against him, he edged the material of her neckline and slipped his fingers inside, her skin soft against his palm as he ran his thumbs over her nipple. She gasped against his mouth when he took the erect bud between his thumb and finger and rolled it. But suddenly, she pushed back, her hands against his chest as she stared up at him with wide eyes. Her mouth tightened as she straightened her neckline and then stomped away from the dance floor, making for the exit.
Let her go.
But damn it, a primitive instinct took over and he went after her, pushing through the crowds and not caring what damage he caused as he followed her. He grabbed her arm before she exited Oasis. When she said something, he didn’t bother figuring out what it was. He half led, half dragged her through a side door and into an attached corridor. There was a small storage area at the end where nobody ventured.
He kicked open the door and pulled her into the room before shutting it behind them and locking it. He then pressed her against the wall, his hands on either side of her head. The music came from a distance. “Those two guys,” he grated, “You do not come here and behave like that.”
She raised her eyebrows, but before she gave a response that might piss him off even more, he kissed her hard. When he pulled back, her breathing was labored, and her hands were on his chest, gripping his tee shirt to pull it off his body. As she struggled with it, he growled in frustration as he stretched to get rid of it. He then kissed her again, slower this time, but when she trailed her tongue across his lower lip, the beast inside him surged. He wound his fingers through her hair and pressed her lips against his, his other hand on her backside as he molded their bodies together. Damn, her soft body felt so good. He’d be happy to stay in this grubby little room forever, if it was with her…
Before he could analyze where his thoughts were going, the wolf prodded, urging him to take her. Hell, yes. He pressed his tongue into her mouth, desperate to finish what they started on the dance floor. She released low whimpering sounds, making his cock even harder—how the hell was that possible?—and one part of him wanted to rip that red dress off her, while the other couldn’t wait to be inside her. The latter won. He shifted the dress to her waist and then lifted her. Something between a whimper and a gasp escaped her mouth as she wrapped her legs around him. Damn, when she rubbed against him, moaning loud, it nearly sent him over the edge.
“Don’t.” Any more of this, and he wouldn’t be able to prevent his damn beast from emerging. He held her against the wall for support as he moved his hand between them to shift her panties aside. He opened the zip of his jeans and then entered her with a strong thrust. “Fuck, Angie. I’ve missed this.”
“So have I,” she gasped. As he pumped inside her, he willed himself to keep control—no matter how he wanted her, she was a human. As she rocked her hips against him, he nudged her dress neckline, shifting her so he could close his mouth over her nipple. God, those wanton sounds she made with each lick drove him wild. He lifted his head to claim her mouth again, matching each thrust of his hips with his tongue. When she flung her head back against the wall, moaning loud, his lips went to her neck, and he kissed and licked the soft skin there. And as he pushed harder between her legs, he was nearly overcome by…the urge to bite?
Mark her.
He would never mark another. And claim a mortal? No. Fucking. Way.
“Shaun,” she panted, her arms tightening around his neck as she clung to him. “This feels so good.”
; Being with this human made him forget what he was. When he was with her, inside her, it didn’t make a difference that they were from two different species. Crap like that didn’t matter, not when it felt so perfect pushing deeper into her, her keening sounds urging him on.
He wanted to be careful with her, but something cracked inside him when she cried out for more, and he let go, taking her with a rage. As the pressure pounded inside his head, he drove harder into her, his need for her increasing with her screams of pleasure. She thrashed her head against the wall and her nails scratched his shoulders, the pain driving his beast through the roof. He exploded inside her and then rested his forehead against the wall, panting as he struggled to recover. His cock was still inside her as she wrapped her arms and legs tighter around him, her cheek on his shoulder. He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent as he softly massaged her lower back. She smelt so good, all soft vanilla. Eventually, he released her so she could stand. As he zipped up his jeans and she rearranged her dress, her eyes were bright and lips swollen from the treatment they had just received. And seeing her like that made him want her all over again. But then her damn mobile rang.
“Hey, Shaz,” she said. “Yes. I’m coming out.”
That cold mask returned as she placed her fingers on the door handle. He held her arm before she could unlock it and turned her to face him. He took a hand to her cheek, resting his palm against it, but she kept her gaze on his chest, refusing to meet his eyes. “Angie.” The softness in his own voice surprised him. “I want to see you again.”
The words came out of his mouth before he had a chance to consider them, but they were true.
Now she looked up, but her jaw was still tight. So stubborn. “No way.”
“If this is about that antique shop—”
“That shop is everything to me. And you took it away.”
Blood Moon Box Set Page 5