Lisa had to admit that the man had a natural, easy-going charm. He put everyone at ease instantly, even strangers, and Lisa had watched him chat effortlessly to people he had just met about anything under the sun. Bryson blended in very well with the townspeople, and if she hadn’t dug up his background, she would have thought that he’d lived in Shadow Point all his life.
Truth be told, Lisa had never seen a town quite like Shadow Point before. Most of the small towns had mostly human residents, or were dominated by one type of paranormal species. But Shadow Point was a veritable melting pot.
There were shifters, witches, vampires, fae folk, humans and various hybrids all living in Shadow Point. Everyone got along fine and no one was discriminated against. The residents of Shadow Point weren’t suspicious and wary of newcomers at all. Most of the townspeople were genuinely friendly, open-minded and welcoming.
Indeed, Lisa had to work very hard to stay under the radar and not return the friendly smiles and greetings from the townsfolk. She had come to Shadow Point to accomplish her mission, not to make friends.
After observing that Bryson rarely strayed from his routine, she had decided that it was time to act.
She would break into Bryson’s house while he was having dinner at Broomstick Inn and grab those files and documents. She thought that he would be gone for at least three hours.
Instead, Bryson was home at eight o’clock sharp tonight.
Of all nights, why did he have to come home so early tonight?
Lisa grimaced.
She had messed up, big time.
Bryson had threatened to call the cops, but...something in his tone and expression told her that he wouldn’t turn her in.
In fact, from the way he was looking at her, he seemed fascinated, intrigued and aroused by her.
CHAPTER FIVE
Lisa stared into Bryson’s intelligent gray eyes and her breath hitched.
She had been watching the man from a distance for weeks, and she had appreciated that he was a tall, good-looking male. But up close, Bryson Grant was devastatingly handsome.
Against her will, Lisa’s gaze lingered on his sexy mouth and roamed across his powerful shoulders. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to reveal strong, muscular arms.
He loomed over her, six and a half feet of hard, solid muscle. She could see the stubble on his jaw and masculine heat pulsated from his broad body. His wavy brown hair was slightly tousled, giving him a rakish, debonair look.
Bryson looked more like a dashing playboy than a meticulous forensic accountant.
Yum! Her wolf panted.
Lisa made a strangled sound and hissed angrily at her horny wolf.
Down, girl. Don’t sleep with the enemy. He can destroy us.
Her wolf chuffed in annoyance and rubbed insistently against her skin. Her lusty wolf wanted to rub against Bryson and leave her scent all over his delicious, toned body.
Want him! Kiss him!
Lisa squeezed her eyes shut. This was madness.
Why did she have the strongest, strangest urge to kiss Bryson?
She wanted to run her fingers through his hair and pull him down to her. How would his mouth feel against hers? How would his large, strong hands feel on her body?
Incredible, her wolf sighed.
Lisa gasped as the image of their entwined, naked bodies flashed through her mind.
Her crazy wolf wanted to sleep with the enemy!
“No,” she panted, swallowing hard. She blinked rapidly and looked up at Bryson.
Bryson was staring at her with a mixture of curiosity, amusement and wariness. But there was something else in his deep gray eyes.
She saw her own feral desire and want reflected in his eyes.
The burning, primal hunger in his eyes made her shiver and she whimpered as her core throbbed and ached maddeningly.
Molten heat hurtled through her body and pooled between her legs.
Lisa’s pulse quickened when Bryson leaned in and took a deep breath. He was inhaling her scent, and Lisa knew that the bear in him would scent her arousal.
Mortified, she tried to shove him away but it was like pushing against a brick wall.
The instant her palms pressed against his hot, hard chest, they both jerked as though a jolt of electricity had just hurtled through their bodies.
CHAPTER SIX
Bryson stared at Lisa, his bear roaring in his head.
Take her, claim her!
Inhaling a long, ragged breath, Bryson fought his raging beast down by sheer force of will. His bear was strong, but his human mind was stronger.
Whenever Bryson came across a thorny issue or a puzzling question, he wouldn’t stop until he had all the answers. And he needed the answers now. He had to know what Lisa knew, and what had been hidden from her.
Gently, Bryson tilted Lisa’s face up to him. Wanting to confirm his suspicions, he looked deep into her eyes and said in a low voice, “Do you really believe that I’m trying to destroy your pack, Lisa?”
“Yes,” she said firmly. Her gaze was clear and steady, and there was no doubt at all in her eyes. “You fabricated all those numbers and figures and tampered with the accounts to make it look like the Arrow pack is guilty! My Alpha would never commit fraud! My father is an upright, honest man. He would never do anything illegal or criminal.”
Bryson raised a brow. He stared at Lisa for a long while. Finally, he exhaled and said softly, “You truly believe that.”
“Yes, I do.” She nodded and folded her arms across her chest.
Bryson rubbed his chin. He could smell a lie a mile away, and Lisa wasn’t lying. She was telling the truth, or what she believed was the truth.
“I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but...Philip Ayers is far from upright and honest. He’s one of the most devious, shrewd, cunning men I’ve ever seen.”
When Lisa opened her mouth to argue, he raised a hand and continued, “In all my years as a forensic accountant, I’ve come across many complicated, criminal transactions and deals. But I have to say, the Arrow pack’s schemes and shenanigans are really well thought-out and well covered. Your Alpha, Beta and their advisers have some really crafty and creative tricks up their sleeves. I don’t know what you’ve been told, Lisa, but you’ve not been told the truth.”
“No. You’re lying! You...must be lying.” Her voice quavered and trailed off. There was a faraway look in her eyes and Bryson suspected that she was recalling snippets of conversation with her Alpha and Beta which had revealed bits of the truth to her but which she had dismissed or ignored.
Her face twisted with pain and she shook her head hard. “No...I don’t believe you. They’re my family. They wouldn’t...” she whispered.
Bryson wanted to fold her into his arms and hold her. She was hurting, and he had to remind himself that he wasn’t the one who had hurt her. She had to know the truth.
“I’m not lying, Lisa,” he said as gently as he could. “And I think you are beginning to see that.” He paused and said, “You’ve been lied to, Lisa.”
“No...” She kept shaking her head. “My father and brother wouldn’t lie to me...” But she didn’t sound so sure anymore.
“Tell me, Lisa, why are you here?”
She blinked and opened and closed her mouth repeatedly. “I...”
“Why did your Alpha and Beta send you?” Bryson persisted. “Why didn’t Philip send someone else? You’re his daughter, yet he sent you here to steal from me. He made you a thief, an accomplice to all his nefarious, dastardly deeds and activities. You can no longer plead innocence and ignorance.”
Again, Lisa struggled to find the right words and failed.
“Philip could have sent any of his minions. He is the Alpha of the Arrow pack. Yet he decided to send you, Lisa. Why? Have you been specially trained in the art of breaking and entering? Do you have some special skills that make you a superb thief? Are you a professional criminal?”
Lisa looked down miserably.
&nb
sp; “Why you?” Bryson asked.
“Because…I volunteered for this mission,” she whispered.
Bryson raised a brow. “Your Alpha agreed to send an inexperienced, junior member of the pack on this very important mission? He simply sent the first person who volunteered to go?”
“I was the only one who volunteered,” Lisa said, swallowing hard. “I don’t think my father and brother spoke to anyone else about this mission.”
Bryson was silent for a long time.
Finally, he said gravely, “You were set up, Lisa. Your Alpha and Beta knew you would fail. You were set up to fail.”
“No...”
“Philip and Gregg wanted you to get caught, and they wanted you arrested. If I'd called the cops, their plan would have succeeded,” Bryson said grimly.
Lisa’s eyes burned with hot, angry tears. She bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling and glared at him through her tears.
“No, you’re talking nonsense!” she hissed, swiping furiously at her eyes. “I don’t believe you. You’re making all this up. It’s all nonsense! Philip and Gregg...they’re my family, my father and brother! You...who do you think you are? How can you say such things about my...family? You don’t know anything about...”
She couldn’t go on. A wrenching sob tore from her throat and she turned away, unable to look at him any longer.
The deep hurt and pain in Lisa’s green eyes cut Bryson’s heart to shreds. He wanted to take away that crushing pain and give her some relief and comfort.
Before he could stop himself, he grabbed her and pressed his lips to hers in a scorching, bruising kiss.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lisa gasped when Bryson’s sexy mouth landed on hers. Her hands went up to his shoulders and what she meant to do was push him away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
The kiss was hungry, urgent and desperate. Lisa didn’t even come up for air. All she wanted was to keep kissing, tasting and savoring Bryson. All rational thought fled from her mind and she melted against his hard, muscular body.
More! Want more!
Her wolf was ecstatic and urged her to run her hands all over Bryson’s powerful body.
Mindlessly, her fingers began to fumble with the buttons on Bryson’s shirt.
Yes, yes, yes! Her wolf panted.
Lisa couldn’t think straight. All she knew was that Bryson felt so good in her arms, and his lips and hands felt so amazing on her.
Bryson was a damn good kisser, and his lips and tongue teased her relentlessly and mercilessly.
Lisa so badly wanted to forget everything that Bryson had just said to her. But she couldn’t.
His words had cut through the veil over her eyes that had obscured the truth from her for so long.
At the back of her mind, Lisa recalled the words that Bryson had hurled at her. Those allegations he had levied against her father and brother were all rubbish! They were nothing but baseless, groundless, unfounded allegations.
But...were they really baseless and unfounded?
Lisa’s entire body shook and she felt a sharp pain pierce her heart. Bryson’s questions and observations were sharp and incisive. He had asked very pertinent and penetrating questions, and she had been unable to answer him.
Why had her father sent her to steal the files from Bryson?
Why hadn’t he sent a more practiced, experienced lieutenant for such an important mission?
Even though she was the Alpha’s daughter, she didn’t hold any high rank or important position in the Arrow pack. Her brother, Gregg, was the Beta, but Lisa was just an ordinary member of the pack. She wasn’t even a junior lieutenant. She had never been given any important task or mission before. Instead, Gregg had always insinuated that she could only be trusted with the most simple, menial jobs because she was slow, inept and timid. But he would cleverly disguise his insults as words of concern. Gregg would often tell the pack how worried he was for Lisa, because she would never be able to accomplish anything great in her life with her limited abilities.
The fact that she lived in the mansion with Philip and Gregg gave everyone the impression that she was well-treated. But that was only on the surface. All the pack members knew that Lisa was given a small room near the kitchen while Philip’s and Gregg’s lavish bedrooms were on the top floor.
By these sly, subtle words and actions, Philip and Gregg were showing the pack just what they thought of her. The pack took their cue from their Alpha and Beta, so if Philip and Gregg felt that Lisa was good for nothing, the rest of the pack would regard Lisa with the same contempt and disdain.
So...why was she chosen for this mission?
You were set up, Lisa. Your Alpha and Beta knew you would fail. You were set up to fail.
Bryson’s words echoed in her mind. Lisa squeezed her eyes tightly shut, feeling the tears burn her eyelids. She growled and bit Bryson’s lower lip, giving vent to her pain and frustration. She kissed him harder, wanting to lose herself in his kiss and forget everything he’d said to her.
The truth hurt too much.
Deep down, she had always known that her father and brother had no natural affection for her. Their words of care and concern were really jibes and put-downs. But she kept telling herself not to appear too sensitive and petty by overreacting.
Deluding herself was her way of lessening her pain. How could her own family not love her? She always tried her best to please them, but it seemed the more she tried, the more they despised her. What was wrong with her? Was she really so unlovable and detestable?
Hoping to forget her heartache, Lisa grabbed Bryson and kissed him harder.
She pressed her hands over his heart and felt his strong, thundering heartbeats. His heart seemed to beat for her only, and she could feel Bryson’s want and hunger in his kiss.
He wanted her.
Nobody had ever wanted her before.
Lisa whimpered and pulled Bryson closer to her. She didn’t want to let go of this strong, sexy man. The heat from Bryson’s body seared her palms and ignited all her nerve endings. She felt alive, wanted and cherished.
There had been kindness and compassion in Bryson’s gray eyes even when he was interrogating her. He had given her the facts and told her the truth. He never looked down on her and disrespected her.
Bryson growled as he scented her arousal. He cupped her sensitive breasts and Lisa moaned as her nipples tightened and throbbed at his touch.
When he moved his hand down her curves, Lisa arched her back. Bryson continued kissing her ardently, murmuring her name as he thumbed her aching nipples through her t-shirt and bra.
Lisa closed her eyes and began to rub wantonly, mindlessly against him. She didn’t want to think about anything at all. She just wanted to feel, and let her body and wolf take the lead.
Her body craved more of Bryson’s touch and her wolf wanted to rub herself all over him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
When Bryson pushed his hand down the waistband of Lisa’s pants and cupped her sex, she didn’t protest at all. Instead, she whimpered with need, feeling herself becoming impossibly wetter.
Lisa cried out when Bryson fondled her sensitive folds and rubbed her throbbing clit. All her conflicting, tormenting thoughts fled from her mind.
Bryson was making her feel so good. She didn’t want to think. She just wanted to feel, and this...this felt so amazing.
Closing her eyes, Lisa let her body and her desire take over. Bryson was making her body sing with pleasure, and she didn’t want him to stop touching her. Ever.
She opened her eyes and saw Bryson staring intently at her. His gray eyes had darkened with lust and his handsome face looked stern and demanding.
“Come for me, Lisa,” he commanded.
Her wolf and her body obeyed his command. When he slipped a finger into her, she came with a cry, shuddering violently as a wave of pleasure crashed over her.
When she finally caught her breath, she found herself in Bry
son’s arms. He was holding her and kissing her hair with infinite tenderness.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered.
Lisa took a deep breath, inhaling Bryson’s wonderful scent. She savored his scorching kiss one last time before turning away from him.
Tugging her clothes into place, Lisa straightened up and stared at Bryson. He was watching her every move, desire and concern shining in his stormy gray eyes.
“Lisa...” he said quietly.
“You. Lied.” She made her voice as hard and cold as possible.
Bryson frowned. “You know I didn’t.”
“You lied,” she repeated. It was as if she was trying to convince herself to believe what she was saying by repeating the same line over and over again. “My Alpha, my father...wouldn’t do that to me. He wouldn’t set me up. You’re saying that my own father and brother plotted to destroy me! No, no, they wouldn’t do such a horrible, heartless thing...” she whispered.
“Lisa, listen to me,” Bryson said solemnly. “There is more than enough evidence to prove that Philip and Gregg and most of the senior lieutenants of the Arrow pack are in on the insurance and tax evasion scams. They’ve been doing it for years. They definitely knew what they were doing.”
Bryson sighed and continued, “You are innocent, Lisa. Up till now.” He shook his head. “I know this is hard for you to hear, but you have to get out...”
“Yes. I have to get out of here,” she said shakily as she backed away from him. “I...I have to go.”
“Where are you going?” Bryson snarled, knowing the answer. His face was stony but he didn’t block her.
He wasn’t going to stop her.
He was letting her off.
“I...I’m going home,” she stammered.
She darted out of the room, down the stairs and bolted out of his house.
Tears clouded her vision as she pounded blindly down the street.
She was not a thief.
She was not a criminal.
Yet...here she was. Running away from the man who had caught her breaking into his house and trying to steal his files.
BEARly Bitten (Bear Bites Book 2) Page 2
