Protect and Service Read online

  “What’s the matter?” I couldn’t help asking. Did I have something on my nose? Or, even worse, between my teeth? Fuck. Panic sent the butterflies into meltdown as I turned to check out my reflection in the hall mirror. I didn’t complete the turn. Instead, a large hand clamped over my shoulder to spin me around like some sort of child’s toy. Before I could utter a word of protest I found myself pinned between the wall and a hard male body.

  The shiver hit me broadside, the feeling of solid male flipping a switch inside and triggering reactions that should have been illegal. His lips paused a hairsbreadth from mine, his blue eyes dark and full of heat. The amusement I remembered from earlier was gone, stripped away to reveal feral need. He held my gaze, not bothering to hide the lust in his eyes and I shivered again.

  “The matter?” His voice was a rasping soft murmur, totally at odds with the expression on his face.

  My body reacted instantly, the shiver turning to a rush of heat that rolled through my veins. The girls perked up, my nipples hard and aching in an instant. Even the rub of the soft satin cups brought a flush to my cheeks as it swept through me, en-route to settle low in my belly, my pussy clenching hard as it ached to be filled. It had been…fuck, I couldn’t remember how long it had been. Which meant it had been too long.

  The thought of him taking me, that lean, hard body moving over mine as he parted my legs and filled me with the thick, long cock I’d felt pressed against me earlier—Ohhellyesfuckmenow.

  He cupped my face, fingers curled into my nape as his thumb caressed the skin of my cheek. Oh lord, he was good. Just the right amount of rough and charm to have even the most hardened ice-queen falling at his feet, and I was no exception.

  The touch was gentle, but the tension in his body told a different story. As though he was having to hold himself back and, fuck yeah, I wanted some of that. Wanted a guy to want me so much he had to hold himself back. Pete hadn’t been like that. He was more once a week with the lights out, missionary position all the way baby. I’d once suggested we spice things up with some toys. From his reaction you’d have thought I’d suggested we host a debauched orgy and invite all the neighbours. Scandalised wasn’t the word. Fucking prude.

  Another sweep of Jared’s thumb as his gaze riveted on my mouth.

  “Nothing’s the matter. Unless you count the fact that I don’t want to go to this fancy do. I’d much rather push you against this wall and suck your tits as I shove your dress up, then fuck you until you come screaming my name.”

  Fuck me. Yes. Now. Please…

  Despite the fact that the heat in my stomach exploded outwards like a supernova, I somehow managed to swallow the moan of need that wanted to escape my lips and arch an eyebrow.

  “Oh really?”

  It was a world class bit of action, one that would have fooled any man into believing my cast-iron bitch routine. Any human man that was. His nose twitched a half second before his lips twisted into a slow grin.

  “Yeah, really.”

  He leaned in, lips brushing my ear as his aftershave wrapped me in a seductive spell. I couldn’t help it; I sucked a deep breath in on automatic. Oh lord, he smelled divine. Warm man, citrus and sandalwood; my favourite combination.

  “I’ll let you off for now. But, for the record, wolves always get what we want. Eventually. We’re stubborn like that. And I want you. Just sayin’.”

  Oh, he was a cocky bastard, that was for sure. He stepped back, an easy grin in place as he re-adjusted his cuffs. When he looked up, the fire was still there but banked.

  “You’ve got five minutes. Iliona gave me the file earlier but mentioned something about a problem with your ex? You can fill me in on the situation in the car.”

  Chapter Two

  “I still can’t believe that your ex cursed you. What a bastard.” Jared’s voice was rougher than human, as if his wolf agreed with his opinion of my ex as we pulled into the parking lot outside the Fremont Hotel. The vehicle—some low slung, expensive sports car—hadn’t been what I was expecting, but it suited him. And hell did he handle it well, his hands easy on the wheel and gearstick while he controlled the beast of a car as though he’d been born to it.

  Another shiver hit me. What would those big hands feel like smoothing over my skin instead of the steering wheel? Biting my lip, I pressed my thighs together in a prim movement that belied the fires raging through my body as liquid heat seeped from my channel to dampen my panties.

  “Yeah, that’s one name for him. I’ve used a few others as well,” I blurted out, trying to cover up. I needn’t have bothered. The sharp intake of breath next to me and his sidelong look told me that he knew. Damn werewolves and their sense of smell.

  He smiled, graciously letting me off as he pulled up to the valet stand. My initial decision to give the agency minimal information had lasted a hot minute once he’d gotten me into his car. Before I knew it, I’d told him everything about the situation with Pete and his pathetic curse deal, admitting that the real reason I’d used the PPA wasn’t for protection but because I couldn’t take a human date to the ball. And the directors were sticklers for convention. If I’d gone alone, the stuffed shirts would have commented, frowned and before long my tenure as Executive Administration Manager would have been over.

  So in a way I did need the PPA for protection—just for my job, not my person.

  Once he’d dropped the charm offensive, Jared had turned out to be a good listener. Calm, attentive and he’d asked intelligent questions. Ones that drew more information out of me than I’d intended to give. It didn’t surprise me that he’d been a cop before. I could just see him with a pair of handcuffs…did he still have them?

  I cut that thought off and watched him as he walked around the car to open my door. He moved easily, with a fluid grace that turned the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other into a sensual and highly masculine dance. Another flood of heat wet my panties and I blushed as he held his hand out for mine. Fuck. I was creaming my pants over watching him bloody walk… What would I be like if he actually got naked in front of me?

  He closed strong fingers around mine and pulled me up as I unfolded myself from the car seat, which was the nearest I’d come to being horizontal in a car. Ever. But he didn’t let go. Instead he stepped me backwards, crowding me until my ass hit the side of the car. Another car pulled up and loud chatter filled the air as another group alighted. The sound of voices pulled at the back of my mind, a sense of familiarity filling me, but I couldn’t pay it any attention, my world consumed by the tall, very sexy werewolf who had me all but pinned between him and the car.

  “What th—” While I was more than happy about being pinned to hard surfaces by hunky younger werewolves, there was a time and place for everything. In the carpark outside the annual fundraiser was so not it.

  “Jared, hold it a moment.” Pushing at his chest, I tried to get some space between us so I could clear my head but it was like trying to push a granite counter.

  “Eloise? Shut up.”

  The order was soft and the only warning I got as he bent his head. Stubble prickled against my cheeks, the scent of his aftershave wrapping around me as he claimed my lips in the kiss I’d been fantasising about since that encounter in the office hours ago.

  Omigod, yes! His lips were warm and firm as they slanted over mine. Back and forth, in a domineering kiss that fell just this side of brutal. But I loved it, my short gasp totally involuntary as I curled my fingers into the lapels of his jacket, needing something—anything—to anchor myself.

  He growled, the low sound calling out to everything feminine within me as he took advantage of my surprise. With a hard sweep he parted my lips further, dipping past them to slide his tongue along mine. A slow, erotic dance that heated my blood as I kissed him back. I didn’t care where we were, or who was watching. Even that I’d paid for him to accompany me this evening. He’d made it fairly clear before we’d gotten into the car that the job tonight was totally separate…to
anything else that might happen.

  He nibbled and kissed, sipping from my lips in an erotic banquet that had me thirsting for more. More of his kisses, more of his hard body pressed against mine, more of the stiff cock, preferably not pressed where it currently was, but sliding into me inch by delicious slow in—

  “Oh my god—Eloise? What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  Pete’s voice broke through the sensual haze, the mixture of fascination and horror managing to reach through the spell Jared had woven around me. Belatedly, I froze as Jared lifted his head. The hint of a smile curved his lips as he brushed a thumb tenderly over my cheek. I couldn’t work out if he’d know Pete was there, or whether he was just pleased with his performance.

  Either way, I didn’t care. Didn’t care that he’d kissed me so thoroughly that I’d forgotten totally where we were, or that most of the night’s guest list had seen us. Didn’t care that it wouldn’t have taken much for me to throw caution to the wind and gone for it there and then on the hood of the car.

  Instead, all I cared about was the man who held me tightly, his embrace a combination of protective and possessive as he smiled down at me. Amusement flitted across his face as he cocked an eyebrow, his expression easy to read. How far did I want to take this?

  Look before you leap. My Nanna’s favourite saying came instantly to mind. Almost immediately the thought was mugged and dragged off into a darkened corner of my mind by temptation. How far did I want to take this, in front of smug-bastard Pete? All the fucking way, baby.

  I blinked as though just coming to and smiled as I stroked a finger down the open V of Jared’s shirt. The slight hair on his chest tickled my fingers as I played with the button, threatening to pop it. His expression tightened at my coy look up through my lashes, feral heat flaring in his eyes.

  “Down boy, we can play again later. Be nice now,” I murmured, wondering where the hell the smoky-husky voice had come from. I sounded like a cross between Jessica Rabbit and a phone sex-worker.

  Jared played along, dropping his head back and closing his eyes for a moment as a shiver wound through his large body. When he looked back at me an amber ring outlined his eyes, the first evidence I’d seen of the other side of his nature. I wanted more. Way more.

  “Eloise! Explain yourself!”

  The sharp demand brought my head around with a snap. Pete stood just shy of the rear bumper of Jared’s car, his hands on his hips. Pushing forty, he prided himself on keeping in shape. The usual middle-aged spread caused by erratic hours and an on-the-go diet was blunted by his endless workouts. Old taunts about my weight flitted through my mind, all sneered in his somewhat nasal whine. I ignored them. Compared to the lean, mean hunk of man who effortlessly wrapped an arm around my waist as I moved, Pete was nothing more than a vain bully who projected his own failings onto others.

  “Explain myself?” My voice dripped ice. Jared chose that moment to lean in and nuzzle along the soft skin of my throat but apart from tilting my head to allow him greater access, I ignored him in favour of glaring at Pete. “Whatever for? It may have escaped your notice, but we’re divorced. I don’t have to explain myself to anyone, much less you.”

  “B-b-b… This is an outrage!” he spluttered, his colour rising in ugly red splotches across his neck and cheeks, reaching up under the thinning hair across the top of his head. Red under bleached blond? Not a good combo.

  “Oh, I quite agree.” I hid my smile as I made Jared put me down and slid my hand onto his arm again. “You’d have thought they’d have started this thing a little later to give us all time to…ahh, get ready.”

  One thing could be said about Pete: he wasn’t unintelligent, or slow on the uptake. His gaze flitted between me and Jared as he drew the conclusion that I wanted him to make; that I’d dragged Jared away from bed to attend.

  “Hey babe, can we go inside?” As though he’d read my mind, the werewolf at my side moved closer and slid his arm around my waist, effectively cutting off my view of my spluttering ex. “The quicker we show our faces…the quicker we can leave and I can get you out of those clothes.”

  * * *

  My smile lasted clean through the usual introductions and banal conversations that were normally associated with functions such as these. Like all the other spouses and ‘plus ones’, Jared was duly attentive at my side, polite when spoken to but without dominating the conversation. To my relief, he was also somewhat reluctant to discuss his profession, turning all queries aside with a vague comment about working as a consultant with law enforcement. A claim that had the two clerical staff who had joined our group cooing in appreciation.

  Mandy and…

  I scanned my memory for the other woman’s name but came up blank. Both were blonde, but if the carpet matched the drapes in either case I’d be very much surprised. With the pseudo skeletal look of the permanent dieter, both looked hungry, but since they were casting eyes toward my date for the evening, I doubted it was for food. Bitches.

  “Law enforcement? How exciting,” Mandy giggled, sliding her arm onto Jared’s and pressing what little she had in the way of tit against his triceps. I had to bite back the snort. From our little encounters earlier, I knew he was a breast man. No way was her little offering going to cut the mustard.

  Her voice dropped suggestively. “And I’ll just bet you have a gun?”

  Fuck me. If she was going to pull the whole ‘is that a gun in your pocket?’ routine, I’d piddle myself here and now. She shot me a bitchy look as I tried to cover the noise with a sip from my glass.

  Brazen bitch. Annoyance surged through my veins as she turned back to Jared and gave him a hot look, as though the fact his date was less than two feet away was neither here nor there. I knew all about women like Mandy. The ones who took what they wanted and screw anyone else. “So…do you have handcuffs too?”

  “I might have.”

  Jared didn’t look that bothered, smiling down at the blonde leech with a warmth I recognised. How stupid was I? Realisation froze my heart in my chest as I watched my stupid fantasies about Jared and I crash and burn in front of my eyes.

  Of course he’d find a blonde bimbo like Mandy more attractive. Didn’t all men? His pretty words earlier…yeah, that must have been boredom. I was something to play with until a better option came along.

  Desperate to get away for a while, to compose myself, I threw back the rest of my drink, hissing as the alcohol burned all the way down, then mumbled something about the ladies room. Dropping my glass on a nearby table with a clunk, I ignored Jared’s call and high-tailed it out of Dodge.

  The ladies room was of course packed, but most seemed to be re-applying makeup rather than waiting for a stall so I ducked past the chattering group at the mirrors without making eye contact and achieved the sanctuary of a cubicle.

  Fucking wank shit fuck balls bollocks and just for variety, crap.

  Seated on the folded down toilet seat, I leaned my forehead against the flimsy wall and told myself I wasn’t going to cry. And I wasn’t. I’d been done with men since Pete had been a tosser, so why I was getting upset now I had no clue. Certainly not because I’d gone all gooey-eyed over some cute guy who spent half his time bloody furry.

  “And have you seen that dress? Practically skin tight, I don’t know what she was thinking.” Five minutes later Mandy’s harpy-like voice filtered through the chatter as I rearranged my clothing, trying to get more of the girls covered up again. How odd, when I’d thought Jared was genuine, I hadn’t been bothered. But now that I knew better, my inner prude was trying to resurface with a vengeance. I stopped mid-struggle with the girls. Was this neckline getting lower?

  “Yeah, I know,” the other girl answered. I could imagine them both at the mirror, reapplying lashings of mascara and lip gloss. Like Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, they were practically clones of each other. “I’d kill for a bust like that though, wouldn’t you? Do you think it’s natural?”

  I stopped dead in surprise,
my hand on the door latch. Had I just heard that right?

  “Oh god, yeah. Bitch has it all, doesn’t she? Those tits, that hair and ohmygod that guy? Did you know he turned me down flat? Me? She must be bloody amazing in the sack. Fucking lucky cow. You ready?”

  I felt my eyes grow as wide as saucers as the voices of the twin blondes faded, cut off by the sound of the closing door.

  It’s said an eaves-dropper never hears well of herself, but that had been one snippet of information no way would I have wanted to miss. Mandy and her twin were jealous of me. And Jared had turned her down…when had I slipped into a parallel dimension? He’d turned her down. A warm feeling spread out through my body as I unlatched the door and, feeling ten feet tall, swept past the mirrors to sashay my extra-padded booty out the door.

  Chapter Three

  He was waiting for me.

  I knew as soon as I re-entered the main hall. I could feel his eyes on me as I stood just shy of the doorway scanning the crowds but I just couldn’t see him.

  The ball was in full swing now. Some guests were still seated at their tables while others circulated. Although the music had started there were only two women on the dance-floor. I tilted my head slightly as I watched them. What was that…the Funky Chicken?

  As one fell against the other in a fit of giggles, I spotted Pete and his girlfriend doing the whole networking thing. His arm was around her waist and—surprise, surprise—he wasn’t talking. Instead she was talking ten to the dozen to a group of other surgeons, and patted his arm when he tried to say something. The ‘be quiet darling and let the grown-ups talk’ pat that he’d treated me to so often. I couldn’t help the small burst of smugness; served him right to be on the receiving end of crap like that.

  A shadowy figure pushed off from the wall and claimed my attention. Claimed? He kidnapped it like a barbarian invader and carried it off back to his lair like some sort of slave girl.