As soon as they finished paying the bill, the group got up and headed for the exit. Moore grabbed a passing cab, and the first group left. Delacroix flagged the next one that passed them and motioned for everyone to get in. While he waited for his companions to get in, something in his peripheral vision caught his eye.
Thanks to his Lycan vision, he clearly saw Mika sitting in the restaurant across the street, and she was not alone. Sitting across the candlelit table from her was a man, perhaps a few years older than her, wearing an expensive-looking suit. From the way she leaned forward and smiled at him, it was obvious she knew him well.
“Feet pue tan.”
“D?” Jacob asked from the backseat of the cab. “You comin’?”
“I’ll catch up.” He slammed the door shut without any explanation and stalked across the street. Not wanting her to see him yet, he melted into the shadows, following the path of darkness toward the large glass window.
He stayed hidden, thanks to the shadow cast by the building next door. While he couldn’t hear what they were talking about, he could see how familiar and comfortable they were with each other. Every now and then, he would say something that put a wistful look on her face, then reach across the table to cover her hand. It made him sorely want to pummel his face in, and his wolf agreed, letting out a growl loud enough to rattle his chest.
Who the fuck was this man? And what was she doing here with him? If she had a boyfriend in the first place, why come to him with that silly proposition?
Unless this man was—
Fuck!
As their dinner plates were being cleared, Mika stood up, and he knew this was his chance to find out what the hell was going on. Stepping out from the shadows, he marched right into the restaurant. Luckily, the host station was unmanned and so he followed her down a long narrow hallway into the rear of the restaurant, silently slipping into the shadows so she wouldn’t detect him. God, she was so sexy as she walked in her stiletto heels. Her little black dress clinging to her hips and ass made him jealous of how close the fabric was to her naked skin. Instead of its customary braid, her long black hair hung in loose waves down her back.
When she reached the end of the hallway, she went into the door on the right marked with the ladies’ room sign. The door was about to close but he managed to slip inside, then slammed it shut and locked it behind him.
The loud slam made Mika whip around, her emerald eyes widening with surprise. “What th—”
He grabbed her arms and pressed her up against wall, holding her tight. She struggled, and he gripped her tighter.
“Are you insane? What the hell are you doing in here? Anyone can just walk in.”
“I locked the door,” he said matter-of-factly. “Who the fuck is that man?”
“Who—you mean, Frank?”
“Is that his name?” Frank. Even from his name, he sounded like an asshole. “Who. The fuck. Is he?”
“None of your goddamn business,” she hissed. “I can’t believe—wait, are you following me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. Now tell me.” He pressed up against her, trapping her so she couldn’t even move her lower body. “Is he the next guy on your list?”
“On my list?”
“On your sperm donor list,” he snarled. “Think a guy like that could knock you up?”
“Fuck you,” she spat.
“So that’s the problem,” he growled as he lowered his head. “But I can fix that.”
“Don’t you dare, I—mm!”
Her protests died under his mouth as he captured her lips. God, she was even sweeter than in his fantasies and dreams. He wanted more of her, urging her to open to him, licking his tongue along the seam of her lips to coax her to open up.
“Stop!” She had pushed him away using all her Lycan strength. “You can’t do this.”
“I can do what I want.”
“Asshole!” She raised her hands, lunging for him, but he caught them and pushed her up against the sink. “Let me go, you bastard. This is my business, and I’ll thank you to stay out of it.”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
He must have caught her off guard because she relaxed. “Huh?”
“About your proposition. The other night.”
“What the—you can’t do that.”
“I can and I will. But you have to get rid of the other guy. Now.”
“Frank?”
“Yes, Frank.” Hearing his name on her lips made him want to break something. It made him think of that bastard, between her legs, and her moaning his name. No, his name would be the only thing she would be screaming. “Well, do you agree?”
His heart seemed to stop right up until the moment she nodded. “Fine.”
Damn, she must want this baby so bad. “Good. Name the time and place.”
She thought for a moment. “Tomorrow, eight o’clock in the evening. St. James Hotel on the Upper East Side.”
“I’ll be there.” He raked his hand into her hair, pulling her head back. But as he lowered his head again, she twisted away.
“No.”
“No?”
“No … no kissing on the lips.”
“What the hell do you mean, no kissing?”
“It’s too intimate,” she said. “And not necessary for what has to be done.”
“And Frank, are you going to kiss him tonight before sending him on his way?”
“Go to hell, Delacroix,” she spat out. “It’s one of my conditions.”
Just one? “Fine, but I have some of my own.”
“What are they?”
“I want the entire night.”
Her brows knitted together. “What do you mean?”
“According to what I’ve heard, it only takes one time—the first time—for True Mates to get pregnant. But I don’t want a wham bam thank you, sir.” His hand skimmed down to her thigh, pulling the skirt up to expose her skin. “Your sweet little body will be mine the entire night. To do with as I please.”
“Until midnight.”
“Morning,” he said. “Or no deal.”
“I—fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Anything else?”
He was sorely tempted to add more conditions, but he didn’t want to piss her off. “None. But I don’t want you to forget who you’ll belong to.” Spinning around, he made her face the mirror, pulling her arms behind her. Fuck, she was gorgeous like this—green eyes blazing with fury at him, hands behind her, pressed up against him, her breasts heaving so hard they could pop out of her dress any time. He pressed his raging erection up against her plush ass.
“What are you doing? I’m not going to have sex with you here, you asshole.” Her struggling only made his cock swell even more.
“This is just a preview, cher.” He lifted the bottom of her dress, and his hand crept up her smooth thigh. His fingers skimmed the fabric of her panties, but instead of recoiling, she sighed, her mouth parting. Encouraged, he slipped his hand under the elastic, feeling her smooth, shaved mound, then down to her nether lips.
“Wet already?” She was soaked. He brushed her clit with his finger, which must have sent her arousal through the roof as her scent intensified. Goddamn, he nearly came in his pants right there.
“Stop … teasing,” she said through gritted teeth as she pushed her hips against his hand.
“Tsk, tsk, so impatient, cher.” He plunged a finger inside her, making her moan with pleasure as his thumb began to rub her sensitive nub.
“That’s it,” he encouraged. Her hips moved rhythmically against his hand, and her sweet little pussy sucked his fingers greedily. “Come on now. Be a good girl and come.”
She let out a sharp cry, her body tensing like a taut bow before convulsing with short shudders, her pussy tightening around his digits. Her whimper as her pleasure washed over her went straight to his cock, and unable to stop himself, he pushed his erection against her ass, taking only three thrusts before he came, a groan ripping from his throat as pleasure shudd
ered over him.
Merde, he hadn’t done that since he was a teenager. But everything about her was so fucking sexy, she could have made him come by looking at him.
As she stood there limply in his arms, he pulled down her dress. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mika.” He reached for a couple of paper towels from the dispenser and cleaned himself up, then nipped her shoulder and rubbed his wrists on her neck before striding out of the bathroom. As soon as he was far enough away, he let out a long breath. It took all his Goddamn control not to go back in there and fuck her against that sink. Patience, he told himself. He’d have her entire sweet body soon, and he could fuck her out of his system. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.
Chapter Six
It seemed like a lifetime before Mika lifted her head to look up at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was mussed, face flushed, and her lipstick smeared. She braced herself on the marble counter or else she would have melted into a puddle on the floor after that powerful orgasm.
Damn that bastard! God, she despised him. After rebuffing her offer, he had the nerve to stalk her and then come in here and tell her he’d changed his mind. And all because he thought—
“Shit.” Frank. He was still waiting outside. But how could she face him like this? It was a good thing he was human and wouldn’t be able to smell Delacroix’s scent on her. The asshole rubbed his scent all over her as if marking her. It was that True Mates instinct, she told herself. He couldn’t help himself. Nothing more.
She righted herself as quick as she could, cleaning up the lipstick and rubbing her body down with paper towels sprayed with perfume. It would have to do for now. Her wolf didn’t like having the male’s scent rubbed away, but, well, boo-hoo, tough titties.
Satisfied with the cleanup job, she walked out of the bathroom, and by the time she reached the table, she had stopped wobbling on her heels. “Sorry to take so long, Frank,” she said, easing herself back onto her chair, ignoring the delicious soreness between her legs. “I had to take a call. From the office.”
“Everything okay?” her dinner companion asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, it’s fine. What were we talking about?”
Frank Woods flashed her a bright smile, his handsome face lighting up as he continued his story. Frank had been Joe’s best friend since childhood and was his best man at their wedding. The loss had been just as devastating for him as it had been for her, so it was natural they had gravitated toward each other after he died. He’d been her rock throughout the whole thing, and they still got together every now and then. Knowing it had been Joe’s birthday two weeks back, he called her to see how she was doing and made plans to have dinner to catch up.
It really was silly Delacroix would think Frank was “on her list.” After the Cajun turned down her offer, there was no list. No matter how much it had hurt, she was starting to get used the fact that a child wasn’t in her future.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked. “You usually love the desserts here.”
She looked up from her uneaten tiramisu. “Well, you know. Just things.”
His hand reached over and covered hers. “Yeah, I know. But … we all have to move on.”
“We do.”
“So, uh, are you seeing anyone?” His expression was … hopeful?
She wanted to jerk her hand back but resisted the urge. Instead she slid it out of his grasp and patted the top of his hand. “No, I’m not.” What would he think of her plan to have a baby? She could only hope he didn’t want to put himself forward as a candidate.
An awkward moment passed between them before she spoke. “We should probably leave. I mean, I want to go home.”
“Oh.” His face faltered. “Of course. It was nice seeing you.” He shook his head when she grabbed her purse. “No, let me. Please, you paid the last time.”
She smiled weakly. “Okay, if you insist.”
After Frank paid the bill, they left the restaurant and went their separate ways. She drove home, trying not to think about tomorrow, but that was impossible. It was even harder as she lay in bed alone with her thoughts and nothing else to occupy her.
Her hand went down to her flat belly. It’s really going to happen. In twenty-four hours, she could possibly be pregnant. By Delacroix.
Damn him, why did he have to be such a bastard? Of course, she should be glad he was an asshole. It would be easier to forget about him afterwards when they went their separate ways. He would be a terrible father, but an even worse mate. Probably cheat on her the first chance he got. The thought made her want to rip her sheets to shreds. Her wolf, too, wanted to maim and claw those imaginary females, but they had to accept it. After he got her pregnant, he would be having sex with many other women, and she couldn’t do or say anything about it.
“Argh!” She flipped over and sank her face into her pillow. Can’t think of that. Just think of the beautiful little pup you’ll be holding in your arms in nine months.
Even her wolf seemed appeased by the thought and lay down quietly.
Yes, in just a few months, she would have everything she wanted, and Delacroix would be out of her life.
When she signed up for this job, Mika knew there would be no weekends or vacations. She was all right with that schedule because she had pretty much thrown herself into her work at her previous position at the special investigations unit of the Lycan Security Force. So, even though it was Saturday, she had to come in to her office and plow through a pile of work, plus, she had scheduled an important conference call with a contact abroad.
“.…she’s not budging on that item. And that’s about it.”
“Thanks for the update, Julianna.”
Her cousin Julianna—formerly Anderson—MacDougal’s pretty face was drawn into a frown as it filled the screen of her monitor. “Ivanova’s a tough nut to crack, but I’ll work on her. I know this alliance with Moscow would help us out a lot.” Along with her husband Duncan, she served as envoy to the New York clan, and their main job was to travel around the world meeting with other clans to get them into their fight against the mages. Currently, they were in Moscow, trying to get the current Alpha on their side.
While their kind had to follow rules set by the Lycan High Council, clans all over the world were pretty much independent of each other, unless they had a formal alliance. It was Lucas and his father Grant’s idea to get all the Lycan clans together to help fight the mages. Many were eager to join the fight, but some were harder to convince. Julianna and Duncan had been talking with the Moscow Alpha for months, but they kept getting rebuffed when it was time to talk formal alliances.
Mika was getting impatient and wanted the damn thing sorted out. “According to our sources, there’s a big surge of power just outside the city on the east side. Cross went there to investigate a couple of times, and he says there’s definitely mage activity. He couldn’t get too close without blowing his cover, but he says it should be our next target.” Unless they had the Alpha’s permission, they couldn’t just mobilize a force and attack the mage hideout. It was a rule set up long ago to prevent clans from invading or encroaching on another’s territory.
Julianna pursed her lips. “Damn. Ivanova’s playing hard to get, and I know she wants something but won’t tell me.”
“It’s vital we get her on our side.” And she was eager to get this Russian situation behind her. But Natalia Ivanova had been making the negotiations difficult from the very beginning.
“I know. We haven’t failed yet, and I’ll be damned if I let this one get away.” She let out a yawn.
“What time is it there?”
“Too damn late … or early.” A loud wail made her wince. “Sorry.”
“Kieran’s still not sleeping?” Much like most of the couples who had found their True Mates, Julianna and Duncan had recently welcomed their first pup, a son. He was only a couple of weeks old but was probably the most well-traveled infant in the world since his parents toted him around wherever they went.
“The kid doesn’t seem to have any concept of jet lag. Duncan’s with him now, but that cry means he’s hungry.” Julianna got up from her chair and turned to her right. “Yeah, yeah, hold your horses, Kier! Your milk factory’s coming.” She let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll talk to you soon, Mika.”
“Later, Julianna.” The screen went dark, and Mika reached over to turn her monitor and computer off.
She had recognized the tired look on her cousin’s face but also saw the happiness behind those weary eyes. To think that while growing up, Julianna always said she didn’t want to have babies, but now, she too had found her True Mate and had a pup.
Soon, she told herself. In a few months, she would have a baby of her own to keep her up at night with pooping, peeing, and feeding. And she would have the happiness that eluded her all these years.
She was glad for the work that had to be done today because otherwise, thinking about tonight would have driven her crazy. Or make her lose her nerve. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was time to leave if she wanted to have time to check into the hotel room before Delacroix arrived at eight. She closed up her office and went down to the garage.
The drive to the hotel was a blur from the moment she got into her car until she handed her keys to the valet. After checking in, she left one set of keys with the front desk in an envelope with Delacroix’s name on it. She hadn’t thought to get his phone number so she could text him the room number, but she knew he’d be smart enough to figure it out.
Mika had never stayed in this hotel, but she had a friend visit her once who had stayed here. It was the first place that popped into her mind when Delacroix asked her where to meet, and she figured it was as good a place as any. She couldn’t very well invite him to her place or go up to his room at HQ. This hotel room was comfortable enough, but also coldly impersonal. Just like what this night would be like.
Anticipation, nervousness, and excitement all swirled in her stomach. She wasn’t inexperienced, but it had been so long since she’d last had sex. She attempted the one-night stand thing a few months after Joe died figuring it was time, but aside from a couple of torrid kisses, she couldn’t go through with it. It felt like a betrayal at that time.
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