by Leilani Love
Jared had been so busy with his guard duties he couldn’t remember the last time he had been on a date. Several female guards had asked him out but he didn’t want to sleep with girls he worked with on a regular basis. The few times his family did speak to him it was always after they’d just met the perfect girl for him. Those women seemed to mimic his family’s agenda of getting him to leave the guard. They were pretty enough, but shallow, and he knew with one glance they were not his mate.
The image he had of his mate was warm and inviting. But, with his family constantly threatening to disinherit him if he didn’t quit he needed a woman who was okay with a modest lifestyle. Jared had enough money on his own that he had a nice sized house and could afford all the things they would need. He liked his life simple. There were more important things than money and his mate would love him for who he was, not because of his family’s giant bank account.
With his cock still rock-hard Jared stepped into the shower. As the water cascaded down his back he gave in to the urge to relieve himself, knowing tonight he would not be able to walk away and take care of his needs. An image of a round tempting ass sticking up in the air came to mind and he growled as he began to stroke his cock. He imagined how it would feel if he were able to reach out and grab it, a lovely shade of pink and maybe just the hint of a hand print from where he smacked it.
He stroked himself faster as he remembered the way the drop of water hung from her breast, begging to be sucked. He imagined picking her up to do just that. He would suck and lick those full breasts as she arched her back, putting them in his face as he wrapped her legs around him and took her right there. He fantasized how it would feel to finally be deep inside her warm, willing body and he felt his body tighten before he came in the shower.
Jared rarely indulged in those images of Ally but seeing her today he couldn’t fight the urge. He would have to be blind not to notice those curves, or how perfectly she would fit against his body. His hand itched just being near her. Wanting to touch her, see if her body responded the way he had imagined. He could picture her perfectly rounded ass coming up and begging for a light smack, or her back arching as her pink nipples hardened begging for him to suck them into his mouth. Jared kept trying to convince himself she was cold and would be boring in bed, but he saw the spark in her eyes when she wanted something, and he just knew that it would carry into the bedroom.
Jared growled as his cock hardened again. Once he dropped her off at the doorstep of her house he was going to find a curvy, willing, woman and bury himself so deep inside her. He would hear her scream his name repeatedly and he would enjoy every minute of it proving to himself that all he needed to do was get laid.
Jared dried himself off, went into his room and got dressed to go out. He would sit at the bar and keep an eye on Ally and her date then chauffeur them around. He knew the shifter was rich and considered a ladies man. It was even rumored that this shifter wasn’t looking for a mate but a match that would raise his ranks among the shifter world, and Jared wondered what that meant for tonight.
As he stepped from his room he noticed Ally’s door was open. A glance around showed her standing on the balcony. She must have grabbed her bags because she was in a terrycloth robe as she stood outside with a glass of wine in her hand. Her hair was hanging down her back and blowing in the wind. From here he could see her profile and wondered what had her so deep in thought. She glanced down at the watch on her wrist and turned to see him standing there. Without a word, she disappeared, and he heard the soft click of her bedroom’s balcony door closing behind her.
They wouldn’t be leaving for a few hours, so Jared decided to use that time to work on his laptop. They had been watching for reports about strange house fires in small towns. The fires were spread out, all in small towns, and in different states. No reason for the government to link them. Even the way the fires started were different. The one link was that the families belonged to shifter or other supernatural families. The only reason they caught it was because several of those families had reached out for help. That was when they figured out the Orion Hunters had been setting those fires in their attempt to get rid of what they thought were abominations.
Jared was happy that no one had been hurt, but the growing number of attacks worried him. Since they seemed to happen in small towns, finding the reports were harder because smaller newspapers didn’t rank on the front pages of search engines. Jared often found himself scrolling through pages of information to find one attack and that made him wonder how much he was missing.
Losing himself in his work, he was surprised when he heard a gentle cough pulling him from his thoughts. He looked up and saw Ally standing before him. She had chosen the perfectly tailored emerald dress and was holding it up in the front. “I hate to bother you but, would you mind helping me with this,” she asked, her eyes never meeting his.
Jared nodded, standing up and walking to her. She turned so her back was to him. Reaching out he slowly zipped her up and whispered in her ear, “Is there anything else, Princess?”
He stood so close to her he felt her shudder. There was a feeling of satisfaction in her responding to his touch. Ally shook her head and took a step away before she looked over her shoulder at him. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Jared nodded as he watched her walk back to the bedroom. The dress hugged her curves perfectly and he could see her grab her heels. She put them on and he watched as she checked herself out one more time running her hands along the front of her dress.
When she caught him watching her, her cheeks became a lovely shade of pink. “Are you ready to go, Princess?”
She gave him a smile that showed how excited she was before nodding. When he got to the door he held it open for her and the two of them headed down in the elevator. Jared didn’t like giving out his location, so they were meeting her date at the restaurant for dinner and then he would take them for a carriage ride in the park. He gritted his teeth because the only thing worse than being the third wheel was being a third wheel that is forced to watch. He couldn’t walk away or leave them at any time, he always had to be aware of what was going on.
The drive to the restaurant was quiet and he could see her occasionally adjusting the dress or her hair nervously. He wanted to tell her she looked beautiful but that was not his place. He tried his best not to look at her in the rear-view mirror and chose instead to watch the traffic before him.
Chapter 4
Ally felt nervous. First dates were hard but having to go on one with Jared looming over her was even more so. When he zipped her up earlier and called her Princess in that husky voice of his, she felt it like a caress and she couldn’t suppress the shudder that hit her. She was embarrassed knowing with his sense of smell, he probably sensed the wave of desire that had hit her.
Fidgeting more than normal she straightened her dress and checked her makeup. Her date tonight was Chad, and he was a very sexy wolf shifter. He stood a few inches taller than she did and had thick, wavy, dark brown hair with blond highlights, and dark brown eyes framed by long lashes that a girl could get lost in. He had pulled his hair back into a ponytail when she had first met him and she was curious how he would have it tonight.
When the car stopped, she watched as Jared got out to open her door. She was surprised at how quickly her door opened and she smiled when she saw Chad reaching out a hand to help her.
Ally blushed as she let him help her from the back of the car. “I’m sorry. I was just so excited to see you I couldn’t wait,” he confessed, a big grin on his lips as he looked her over.
A glance past Chad she saw Jared standing next to him, that vein in his neck throbbing so much she could see it, even without his enhanced sight. She let Chad lead her to the restaurant and could feel Jared’s eyes on her as they walked away. He would be sitting at the bar while they ate and even though he would not be close she would be aware of him. She wanted tonight to go well and wished Jared was anywhere but with them.
&
nbsp; Chad smiled at the maître d’ who greeted him by name. “Monsieur Reynolds I’m so happy you have arrived tonight. We have your favorite table ready.” Without missing a beat, he turned toward her and gave her a smile. “You have a very lovely Mademoiselle dining with you. I will tell the chef that you have arrived and have the first course and wine brought to your table right away.”
Ally blushed at the compliment and felt Chad place a possessive hand on the small of her lower back as they were shown to the table. He pulled out her chair and when she sat down he leaned over so she could feel the warmth of his breath on her shoulder. He whispered, “You look truly beautiful, Ally. I’m the luckiest man here tonight.”
She turned her head to smile at him and blinked at seeing him so close. His piercing brown eyes darkened, and she saw his nostrils flare before he pulled back. Tonight, he was wearing a black suit with a crisp dark blue shirt underneath that seemed to highlight his olive complexion. His hair was slicked back and pulled into a ponytail. His lips were full and quick to smile.
Where she was sitting she could see Jared at the end of the bar, his eyes on them, and she wondered what he was thinking. She couldn’t help noticing that several females were checking him out, giggling as they looked at him. Ally wished she were blessed with the shifter’s good hearing. Her eyes narrowed before she heard a cough and turned to see Chad looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t look like you’re very happy with your body guard.”
Ally blushed at being caught but was happy he mistook her anger with the silly girls for having Jared as her bodyguard. “It’s taking a bit to get used to someone always watching and hovering over me like a mother hen. Jared is a bit more serious than the others,” she admitted with a sigh as she looked down at her menu, determined not to let his presence bother her.
The waiter came over with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and poured them both a glass but only after he gave Chad the first sip to make sure it was okay. Once the waiter was done he smiled at her, asking if she was ready to order.
Ally opened her mouth to order when Chad chimed in. “The lady will have filet mignon, cooked medium rare with a side of grilled asparagus in wine sauce. I will have the lamb, medium with the asparagus as well.”
The waiter nodded to Chad before taking the menus. “Excellent choice sir, I will get those started before bringing out the Golden Imperial Caviar you ordered.”
Ally gave the waiter a polite smile, waiting for him to leave before looking at Chad. “You ordered caviar?” she asked keeping her face blank. She didn’t like caviar but wanted to be polite.
He nodded, taking her hand. “I did. It pairs well with wine. I hope you don’t mind. It is imported from Russia and the nut butter flavor is unique and considered to be some of the best in the world.”
Ally nodded, biting her lip to keep from speaking up. He was trying to be polite and impress her, but she preferred to order her own food. She liked white wine and preferred them to be sweet, and hated caviar, but this was a first date and if they got along he would learn these things about her. When the caviar arrived she politely put some on two thin cracker slices. She had learned a long time ago not to make a face when she didn’t like something. One thing that hadn’t changed over the years was that men needed to be right more than anything.
As hard as she tried Ally couldn’t help but look up occasionally at Jared. There was a hostess that stood next to him, her hand on his arm as she smiled at him like he was the only man in the room. Ally felt a stab of jealousy and insecurity as Jared smiled back at the girl and laughed at something she said. Her long blonde hair was pulled back with just a few select ringlets framing the side of her face. Unlike most of the staff, she was wearing a tight, black skirt and heels, but the uniform did nothing to disguise her large breasts. The girl was beautiful but what upset Ally the most was how Jared smiled at her, when he only glared at Ally. She wondered what it would be like to have him look at her as a woman, and not some annoying brat he was forced to spend time with.
“Are you sure you don’t want some more caviar before your dinner arrives?” Ally heard Chad ask her, bringing her attention back to him.
“Oh, no, thank you. We still have our main dishes and dessert. I need room for,” Ally said as she gave him one of her best smiles.
Chad reached out and brushed her hair back. “I’m so glad we finally found time to get together. I hope next time you’ll let me treat you and bring you to my home. You wouldn’t need the security and it could be just the two of us.”
Ally blushed at the way his eyes darkened with desire. She knew he thought she was blushing because of him and not because she knew he had caught her watching Jared again. “I would like that. My sister is pretty insistent on the guard, with all new threats.”
Chad chuckled. “Women worry too much. I promise nothing will happen to you while we’re together.”
She smiled to keep from laughing out loud at the idea of her sister worrying for no reason. Her sister had always been considered the practical one of the three. She was smart and had a head for strategy. Even Chase, who was the head of security, often asked her advice and included her in major decisions. Viktor had often boasted that the Fates had given them a Queen whose beauty was only surpassed by her brain.
The waiter came and brought them their next course. Her dinner was good and, she grudgingly admitted to herself, paired very well with the wine. She had never been a fan of asparagus, so she didn’t touch it, but the filet was very tender. She wouldn’t have ordered it herself. She played with her food and listened to Chad talk about his big plans for his people. He had a small pack that, he assured her, were some of the strongest and most established and that the land was some of the richest.
Ally smiled politely knowing at this moment she was expected to nod and say yes. Whenever Chad looked down at his food or demanded something from the waiter she found her eyes drifting to Jared. The hostess kept coming back to talk to him and he seemed to be enjoying her company. Ally sat up straighter when she saw the hostess lean in and whisper something before slipping him a piece of paper.
Jared looked over the girl’s shoulder and right at her. Ally snapped her head back to look at Chad who was still talking to the waiter and she felt herself starting to blush. Trying to take deep breaths she sipped her wine as Chad turned to look at her. “I ordered our dessert to go I hope you don’t mind. I thought it would be nice if we had some alone time.”
Ally nodded. “I think that sounds like a perfect idea.”
She excused herself and walked to the lady’s room, grateful for a moment to herself. Ally had no idea what was wrong with her. Chad was nice, very handsome, rich, and attentive. He had mentioned that he was looking for a woman to rule by his side. When she asked if he was referring to a mate he had politely told her that his mate had passed but he felt the pull of Ally and said he could see a woman like her ruling with him. He mentioned how she would never have to work and would be his pampered queen. As nice as being pampered sounded she wanted to be pregnant with a houseful of kids.
Freshening up afterwards she checked her reflection one more time. As she stepped from the bathroom she almost ran into the hostess who had been talking to Jared. She had only seen her from behind and the side but there was no mistaking her. She was stunning. Her eyes were a light brown with flecks of green, making them not quite hazel. Her red lips were full and had a natural pout that she knew men found kissable.
“Oh, excuse me,” she said stepping past with a friend right behind her. Ally planned to just walk away but the girl started speaking and she knew it was about Jared. “Have you seen him? He’s the hottest thing that’s ever walked in this place, and that suit he’s wearing is pure money. He looks like sex on two legs and I plan on riding him all night.”
Her friend giggled. “Are you going to hook up with him later?”
“Not tonight, I think he’s secret service because he said he had to babysit some princess, but he said he was takin
g time off next week.”
That was the last thing Ally heard before they stepped away. Jared so often called her Princess and earlier today when he was helping her with the zipper, that word made her insides quiver and her legs shake but when the girl had said it…
Ally stood tall as she walked back to her table determined to enjoy the rest of the night with her handsome date. When she got to the table she saw the waiter delivering a small box to Chad and she smiled when he stood up to greet her.
“If you’re ready?” he asked standing up and offering her his arm.
“I’m all yours,” Ally said as she put her hand on his arm. She didn’t spare Jared a second glance as they walked out. It was his job to follow her and she was so mad she hoped he had stayed behind and had fun with his new friend.
When they walked out Ally gasped in surprise. He’d mentioned a carriage ride in the park but she thought they would have to go to the park first to get to it, instead he’d arranged for a carriage to be outside waiting for them. It was pulled by two beautiful white horses and the driver was an older gentleman with a charming top hat to go with his black suit.
Ally loved horses and when they started to approach she grinned as he let her lead him to the front. The horses were a bit skittish around the shifter, so he let her approach them on her own. The driver came forward and gave her two cubes of sugar, “My lady if you are comfortable feeding them.”
“Thank you. I didn’t think to bring anything,” she admitted as she gave the cube of sugar to one horse before offering the second to the other. A laugh escaped her when the first horse nuzzled her as she petted him.
