by Amy Ruttan
“To keep tabs on me?” she asked.
“Essentially.”
Adele didn’t say anything else. She just sat there, stunned, like a deer trapped in headlights.
He stood up and grabbed his jeans from the heap on the floor. He couldn’t look at her. He didn’t want to have to explain Levi, not right now. All he cared about was recovering the clan’s money. Once the money was found, perhaps the clan could start to heal. Jared headed into the bathroom and shut the door between them. He washed up and pulled on new clothes, but the scent of her still lingered on his skin.
Strong as any mating bond.
He’d have a shower later to wash it away. He couldn’t let any of the elders smell her on his skin and he didn’t want to share that with them either.
“What’ve you done?”
Jared spun around to see Étienne standing in the doorway of the bathroom. The one Adele had stumbled through earlier. Étienne was scowling, his arms crossed across his chest.
“Why does everyone feel the need to barge in on me while I’m in the bathroom tonight?” Jared glared back at his best friend. “What do you want?”
“I came up here to see when Ms. Banks would require her car as the valet’s shift is over.” Étienne’s gaze traveled over his body, his nose wrinkled, his brows furrowed. Jared knew that look well, his eyes dark rife with disapproval.
“Ms. Banks is not going home. She’s going to move in.”
Étienne’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. “Bro, are you insane?”
“No. I’m perfectly sane in fact.”
Jared turned back to the sink and splashed some more cold water on his face, ending the discussion, or so he thought.
“You’ve mounted her, haven’t you?” Étienne’s eyes flashed.
A growl erupted from Jared. “Don’t even speak about her to me.”
Étienne shook his head. “She’ll find out our secret.”
“No she won’t.”
“If she lives here with you she will and what will the elders and your future mate think about her living here?”
“They’ll think nothing of it. She’s working for us.”
“Usually contracted employees don’t move in with the chief.”
Jared stared at Étienne in the mirror and he saw the reflection of his own eyes flashing with red, the beast inside him preparing to release, but it was nothing more than a threat. Jared couldn’t feel any other change in his body. Étienne saw the look and lowered his head in deference.
“I didn’t mean any offense,” he murmured. “It’s just…she’s an outsider.”
“Gordon recommended her.” Jared took a deep breath and calmed the anger brewing up inside him. “She needs access to our records. She needs to stay with me. If the elders or my intended don’t understand that then that’s their problem.” Jared shut off the tap and spun around. “Do you understand me?”
Étienne nodded. “Perfectly.” Without so much as a backward glance he left the bathroom and Jared let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He raked his fingers through his hair and glanced back at the mirror. At the wreck of man he’d become.
What are you doing?
Étienne was right. He was nuts for inviting an outsider in. It was going to be hard to keep the secret of their society from her, but the thought of her being across town and away from him hurt him physically. Like someone digging a knife into his chest.
Jared rolled his shoulder and a twinge from his bullet wound assailed him. His incisors punched down through his gums. He stared at his hands and saw his claws were threatening to erupt. Sweat rolled down the sides of his face. God, he was going to shift. He waited eagerly for it to happen, but it didn’t and he growled, slamming his fist against the wall, only not as hard as before, his hand was still healing.
“Jared?” Adele was calling him and he realized her crutches weren’t where she could get them, they were in the other room, where he’d picked her up.
He took a calming breath, splashed some more water on his face and headed out into the living room. He retrieved her crutches and brought them to her. When he walked into the room she was already dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed. He obviously didn’t toss her clothes far enough. He’d remember that the next time.
No. There wouldn’t and couldn’t be a next time.
“I brought these for you.” He handed them to her.
A blush bloomed in her cheeks. “Thanks, unfortunately I do need them.”
Jared watched her pull herself up and he couldn’t help but wonder what happened to her in the line of duty to cause such an impairment. Not that it mattered to him. He’d seen the scar from an obvious gunshot wound. He was all too familiar with that. Hers was worse than the one he bore, but like hers, his had done damage.
“Look, about your offer…I can’t.”
Make her stay, his mind screamed.
“I understand. It crosses some boundaries.”
A smile dimpled her cheek. “Oh, I think we crossed those tonight.”
Jared chuckled. “I’ll call for your car.” Only he couldn’t move, he was frozen to the spot, drinking in the sight of her.
“I should get going.” Adele walked toward the door. “Do you think my coat is dry?”
“The cleaners took it, but I’m not sure. I’ll check.”
“Well, if it’s not what will I wear in the meantime? I know spring is almost here, but it’s still cold.”
“Hold on.” Jared jogged into Sheridan’s old room and grabbed an old parka from her closet. He took it to Adele. “Here, bring it back tomorrow and your coat will be ready.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Do you have a hidden stash of women’s anoraks hidden somewhere?”
“It was my sister’s.”
“Right.” Adele blushed again.
Jared helped her on with the coat. The royal-blue color really suited her. It made her eyes appear so bright—eyes that moments ago had been glazed over in lust. His cock stiffened in response. He cleared his throat and punched in Étienne’s call number on the intercom system.
“Yes, chief?”
“Bring around Ms. Banks’ car, she’s leaving.”
“Right away.”
Jared heard the eager tone in Étienne’s voice and he wanted to reach down his friend’s throat and claw out his vocal chords for being so smug about getting his way. If his father were still alive, he could be with Adele.
But not permanently.
And that was the point. Adele wasn’t Mukswa.
The doors to the elevator slid open and Étienne was inside. Jared stepped out of the way as Adele walked onto the elevator.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Stevens,” she said, not even giving him a glance.
“Good night, Ms. Banks.”
The doors slid shut and Jared heard the whir as the elevator descended. He had to hold himself back from following her home. His chest tightened, twisting his heart painfully just from her absence. The apartment was too empty for his liking.
Hours ago, before he met her, it’d been just fine.
Now he couldn’t stay the silent hum ringing in his ears.
What the hell is wrong with me? Jared raked his fingers through his hair and slumped against the wall. If he didn’t know any better he’d swear he’d just bonded with Adele Banks, like a mate would.
Who was he kidding?
Of course he had.
He just had to figure out a way to break that bond or ignore it before he married the woman the council had chosen for him.
Chapter Five
Jared was under her and she was in total control of him. She straddled him, but she didn’t want his cock.
Not just yet.
She wanted those sweet lips on her pussy again, but he had other plans as he lifted her up and thrust his cock into her. Filling her. She rode him hard, as his thumb worked her clit.
“Come for me, baby,” he whispered. “I want to taste you.”
; Adele moved off his cock and moved up, so she was holding onto the headboard, her pussy just inches from his face. His large, rough hands held her hips as he brought her down to his mouth, his tongue flicking up, tasting her before his mouth covered her pussy and he sucked. It was heaven. His tongue darting in and out of her sheath as she ground her hips in time with mouth.
“Fuck you taste so good,” he moaned. “So fucking good.”
Then pain burst from her side. She glanced down and her wound was fresh, her body went limp and she collapsed on the bed.
Jared was standing over her. Naked. His eyes dark as he glanced down at her. Behind him a large polar bear, snarling, loomed out of the fog in her dream. Its red eyes were focused on her.
“Jared, watch out!” she screamed as she tried to staunch the flow of blood from her wound, but Jared wouldn’t turn around. Instead his eyes flashed red, like the bear’s and he let out a snarl.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Adele gasped and then rubbed her eyes, trying to will her body to wake. Her head pounded as though she’d been hit by a truck, run over and ground repeatedly into the asphalt. The last time she’d a headache of this magnitude was after the bender she’d been on when they all graduated RCMP training. Gordon got her home and stayed with her.
Funny, that night she’d dreamt about bears too. She recalled that dream clearly because it’d been so odd. This dream hadn’t been odd per se, it’d been going along quite nicely, until the bear and her wound reopening. Up until that point it had been one of the best damn erotic dreams she’d ever had, one that had been interrupted by her phone ringing off the hook.
The phone stopped and Adele groaned, glancing at the clock. It was noon.
Shit.
She should’ve been at Beare Enterprises by now. The last thing she wanted to do was show up late for work. That scary dude working for Jared would be all smirky and condescending.
Moving as fast as she could Adele got out of bed and mobile when the phone started ringing again.
Fuck.
Adele picked it up off the charger. “Hello?”
“Thank God!” Brianna said. “I’ve been worried sick!”
“What’re you talking about?”
“I told you to call me when you got home and you didn’t.”
Adele rolled her eyes. “I didn’t think you wanted me to call at two in the morning and wake the kids.”
“Two? What were you doing?”
Heat flooded her cheeks as Adele recalled what Jared and she had been up to. Good thing she wasn’t Skyping, or Brianna would be questioning her about the blush she was sure was covering her body.
“I’ve been calling every ten minutes for the last three hours.” There was accusation in Brianna’s voice.
“You lie.”
“Okay, so I texted you a few times, but I was still worried.”
“Chill, Bri. I was sleeping. Look, I have to go. I’m running late.”
“Don’t hang—”
Adele hung up the phone. She loved her sister dearly, but jeepers. She was obsessive when it came to checking up on her. Adele was disabled, not helpless for fuck’s sake.
The phone rang again. Adele growled and answered it. “Damn it. I have to pee, leave me alone.”
“Pardon?” The gruff male voice on the other end said.
Adele cursed under her breath. She would have recognized Jared’s scary bodyguard’s voice anywhere.
“Never mind, I thought you were someone else.”
There was silence, painful silence. “You often discuss urination with others?”
“No. Look, don’t worry about it. How can I help you?”
“Mr. Stevens will be sending around a limo to escort you to work today.”
“Really, that’s fine. I don’t need it.”
“Mr. Steven insists. The limo is on its way. Please be downstairs in ten minutes.”
The other end went dead and Adele hung up.
Dammit. There was no way she could shower, dress and eat in ten minutes.
Well, since they sprung this ride on her she was going to make them wait. It wasn’t as if her car was broken or anything. Sure it wasn’t the coolest ride, but the engine worked and she owned it outright.
They could wait.
* * * * *
Jared’s leg would not keep still. If he were anywhere but crammed inside his limo he’d be pacing. At the moment he felt like a caged animal.
Aren’t I?
He snorted and stilled his leg.
What the hell is taking her so long?
Didn’t Étienne call her and tell her he was on his way and that she should be ready for him?
He’d spent the remainder of last night tossing and turning. He couldn’t get Adele off his mind. She occupied his thoughts, even more so than before when she’d just been a fragment of a dream. Now, she was a reality and he was becoming obsessed. Adele’s scent still clung to the fibers of his sheets. For hours her scent, the intoxicating aroma of her arousal, teased him.
Even just recalling it now caused the blood to rush through his veins, straight to his groin. He clenched his fists, trying to fight off the urge to start clawing up the leather interior of the limo.
Jared glanced at his watch again. She was thirty minutes late.
Fuck. That.
He got out of the limo, slamming the door behind him. The driver, a young Mukswa male who had not yet shifted, jumped out of the passenger seat.
“Chief Jared.”
“Stay here,” Jared snarled. The young man nodded and stayed where he was.
As Jared entered the building an old lady was walking out. He held the door for her and slipped in. It solved his problem of getting into the building, but also made him uneasy about the lax security.
Adele had to come live with him. She wasn’t safe here. He crowded himself into an elevator with a couple other residents and one strange, rail-thin man wearing dark sunglasses. Jared didn’t like the look of him. Something was off about the man.
When the elevator stopped on Adele’s floor the weird dude got off as well. Jared walked behind the man, keeping his distance, waiting to see where he went. The man opened the door next to Adele’s apartment.
Jared didn’t like that weirdo was so close to Adele.
Chill. It’s probably nothing.
So she lives next to a weird guy. So what? He shouldn’t be judging a book by its cover. Étienne had people wary of him because of his scars. Even Adele was a bit stand-offish and Étienne was a model citizen as far as Jared was concerned, which didn’t mean much.
Jared’s father never placed too much stock in who Jared associated with.
Shaking thoughts of his father from his mind, he pounded on Adele’s door and waited for her to answer.
Which she didn’t in what he felt like was an acceptable amount of time. So he pounded on the door again. Harder.
There was shuffling movement on the other side before the door opened. Adele’s eyes widened when she saw him.
“Mr. Stevens.”
“Jared.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I didn’t think you’d be coming for me personally.”
“So you did get the call.” He pushed past her into her small apartment. The ceiling was too low for his liking and there wasn’t enough sun. He liked the sun, especially in the bitter cold winters.
“I did, but ten minutes is not an appropriate amount of time.”
Jared spun around. “It is if you’re up.”
“I slept in. I was a bit…busy last night.” The flush was in her cheeks again.
Even though he was still edgy about waiting for her and the fact that he hated her apartment building and freaky guys on her floor, he couldn’t help but smile. Jared liked the color of her blush, the peachy tinge to her copper skin suited her. It made him want her all the more, to the point where all he could think about was pinning her against the nearest wall and driving his cock into her slick heat.
So no, he couldn’t fault h
er on oversleeping. He was tired too, but his desire to see her, to be near her overruled every other rational sense in his body. Her exhaustion from the previous night’s amorous activities was an allowable offense for being tardy.
“I apologize,” he said. “I should’ve given you more time.”
Adele visibly relaxed. “No. It’s my fault. I’m the one who’s late.”
“And I’m the reason you’re late.” He took a step toward her and brushed a wisp of her silky black hair from her face. He rubbed his thumb over her high cheekbone and fought the urge to press his lips against hers.
“I think…I’m ready to go.” Adele turned away, heading toward the door.
Jared groaned inwardly. He was addicted to her, he needed her by his side twenty-four hours. The time he’d spent waiting for in the limo, when she was late had been maddening, distracting. With all his clan was going through, he couldn’t have distractions. He was resolved. Adele had to move in with him.
“Of course. Where’s your bag?”
She cocked an eyebrow. “My-my bag?”
“You’re coming to live with me.”
“We—no, you—you talked about it once. I never agreed.”“I need my employees under my roof. I will accept no other answer. You will move in with me.”
“Then…as much as I need this job—”
“No. You signed a contract when you accepted this job, Ms. Banks. My company’s finances are private. I will not hire anyone else. If I have to raise your fee to get you to move in with me, so be it. I need access to you whenever I want.”
Adele blushed again. “You-you need access to me?”
“That came out wrong.” He grinned and took a step forward. “Or maybe it didn’t.”
“Just keep your distance.” Adele rolled her eyes and then let out an exasperated sigh, her gaze roving wildly around her apartment. “Fine. I will come. If you stop nagging at me.”
He knew he was grinning in self-satisfaction, because he felt like preening like a peacock. “Excellent.”
Chapter Six
“I went by your apartment on a Sunday and you weren’t there. Where are you?”
