by Terry Spear
When Lori answered the phone, Aidan said, “Hi, this is Aidan Denali. Everett said he cleared it with you to bring Nick Cornwall to stay with you and check out the pack.”
“You found him? Oh, that’s wonderful,” Lori immediately said. “Absolutely. We understand the duress he must have been under, and he’ll be well loved and welcome here. Everett has told us all about him. And we’re excited about the prospect of having our own Santa, if he would like to be ours. The rumor got out that a widowed male could be joining us, and the widowed she-wolves are all a-twitter. We’ve told them to be cool about it because he may still be feeling bad about his mate. But you know how that goes. The ladies are eager to make him feel better.”
Aidan chuckled. “As long as you all can intervene if they get to be a bit much for him. He’s looking forward to meeting with you.” Aidan paused. “I have a small favor to ask, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”
“More blood tests? I thought Christine sent the blood work last month.”
“Uh, no. Actually, it’s about the Seattle pack’s doctor who’s coming with us. She’ll be working with me on the research, so you might be hearing from either of us regarding this. The good news is that she and her younger brother are aging the same as we were when we had the original longevity. We’re hoping for a breakthrough. Don’t tell the rest of your pack though. Just Paul and whoever you trust with the information. I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up just yet. It could still take years to find a cure.”
“Ohmigod, that’s such good news. We’ll keep it under wraps. But I’m so thrilled.”
“Me too. Now, Holly has a birthday in three days, but I don’t have any time to arrange it. I thought maybe you could pick up a cake and a couple of presents. I’ll pay for them. It’ll just be private, maybe Nick, Dr. Holly Gray, and my bodyguards. I don’t want to embarrass her or anything. I’m sending you an email showing a couple of things she might like. That’s about it.”
“Sure thing.”
“Her family always celebrates her birthday on Christmas, so I wanted to make it special, separate from the holiday. She’ll be spending Christmas with my family and me.”
“Absolutely. I’ll take care of it personally. We’ll have a place for you to stay. Everyone’s eager to see you again, so expect a welcoming party.”
“Much appreciated.”
“You’re much appreciated for tirelessly working on this research that can change our lives for the better.”
“I sure hope we can come through for everyone.”
“I hope so too. I shouldn’t ask, but is Doctor Holly becoming a permanent wolf in your life?”
“I sure hope so.”
Lori laughed. “All right. When will we see you?”
“I’ll keep you posted, but hopefully by tomorrow afternoon or evening.”
“Okay, I’ll get right on it. Take care. We’ll see you soon.”
“Thanks for everything, Lori. Looking forward to seeing you again.” Then Aidan searched for a few things he’d like to give Holly for her birthday. Well, and for Christmas, but he’d have to figure a way to get those, maybe when they reached the chalet. Then again, he could call Jade. She’d have a field day at learning he was bringing a she-wolf to the chalet.
He called Jade next to give her a heads-up. “Hey, Jade, I’ll be bringing my research partner with me to the chalet.”
“Oh my, sure. Is he going to be working with you at your place on a permanent basis? I can’t believe you’ve found someone who can help you with this.”
“She. And I hope so. She’s said yes to working with me at my place.”
Jade didn’t say anything for a couple of heartbeats, mulling that news over, he suspected. “Oh wow, Aidan, I’m thrilled.”
“It doesn’t mean a mating, but since she’s coming for Christmas, do you think you can pick up a couple of things for me to give to her? I won’t be out of her sight, so it’s going to be hard for me to shop for her, and I won’t be able to order anything online at this late date.”
“Absolutely. Just send me your list. And if you think of anything we could get her, I’ll shop for that too.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Rafe will be shocked and pleased. Also, did you find Nick?”
“Yes, he’s doing fine. We’re taking him to see the Montana pack tomorrow. Sorry I didn’t tell you we’d located him already.”
“No problem, and I’m so glad to hear it. Where did you meet her? Wait, is she the doctor you met at the mall when you saved the little boy from being kidnapped?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“From the Seattle pack?”
“Yes.”
“Oh wow, okay. What does her pack say about her leaving?”
“They don’t know yet, but we’ll deal with it tomorrow.”
“If you need Rafe’s men’s muscle, you tell us. Don’t you go trying to take on a whole pack by yourself, Aidan. I know you. You’re as stubborn as your brother when you want to get something done.”
“I’ll call if we think we’ll have trouble. After we drop off Nick at the Montana pack, we’ll have to go to Holly’s office and clear things out, so it might be a few more days until we head to the chalet, but we’ll let you know.”
“You’re actually going to Seattle?”
“Yes, and don’t tell Rafe we need an army of men to deal with this. We’ll be fine unless I call, all right?”
She let out her breath in exasperation. “All right, but I’m not keeping it a secret. I’m so excited for you. I’ll let you go. Toby’s getting into his swimsuit, and I need to watch him.”
“All right. Give him a hug for me.”
“I will. He’ll be excited to meet her too. Don’t be surprised if he thinks she’s your mate.”
“I won’t. He’s young. Talk to you later, Jade.”
“See you soon.”
They ended the call, and Aidan was afraid his brother would still send an army to Seattle to watch his and Holly’s backs when they went to her clinic. He could see Ronald believing they were going to try to take over his pack. The thing of it was, they could. Easily. But if there wasn’t anyone strong enough to put in charge of the pack, they’d have to leave one of their own men, and he doubted that would go over big with the pack or the man who got stuck with the job.
Aidan went downstairs, but Holly wasn’t in the living room putting the puzzle together any longer. He immediately glanced in the direction of the kitchen.
Ted and Mike had already cleared their dishes and started preparing the next meal.
“She’s gone to make a call,” Nick said. “She’s in the sunroom.”
“Okay, thanks.” Aidan guessed she needed to check on her parents.
“Man, you guys eat fast,” Greg said.
“Comes with the job.” Ted rinsed the dishes. “Sometimes, we’d have to catch a meal when we could. That was before we began to work for Aidan. Well, most of the time. Tonight is an exception.”
“Do you think they’re on to us yet?” Greg asked.
Aidan chuckled, assuming Greg meant the business of matchmaking. “Probably.”
Greg smiled at him. “I told them we couldn’t get away with this without you realizing something was up, ’cause you’re too smart for that.” He took another bite of his spaghetti. “Okay, I’m done.” He carried his plate into the kitchen, then began washing his dishes.
Aidan suspected Greg wasn’t always that helpful in the kitchen, but he was trying to prove something to the guys. He was a likable kid.
Holly reentered the living room, joining Aidan, and whispered in his ear, “If my parents could see him now, they’d send him with you just so the guys would be a good influence on him.”
Her whispered breath tickled his ear, and he smiled at her. He was glad the guys were trying to give them some alone
time.
Chapter 17
Twenty minutes later, Mike set the plates of veal marsala—veal covered in a mushroom-and-wine sauce and Parmesan cheese—on the table, along with egg noodles. “Dinner is served.” He brought in chocolate cheesecake while Ted poured glasses of red wine.
Nick finished his spaghetti, and Greg hurried to take his plate.
“Now that’s what the women like,” Aidan said. “A man who helps in the kitchen.”
“Do you help in the kitchen?” Greg asked.
“Sure, when Ted and Mike let me. They usually tell me they have it covered and to go do my research before we all fade into oblivion. Before they came to work for me—”
“You were skipping meals, they said.”
“True, but the meals I made were good, and I cleaned up after myself.” Aidan didn’t want Holly to think he was a slouch at cooking or cleaning up. He did have a maid, but sometimes he liked to do the dishes to give himself time to think about what else he could try with his research.
“Thanks, guys.” Holly joined Aidan at the dining-room table. “This looks delicious.”
“I have to agree,” Aidan told them. “Just perfect.”
Ted slapped Greg on the back. “Come on. Let’s go before their food gets cold.”
“Heading upstairs to bed,” Nick said. “Just don’t let there be any crazy and wild parties going on when you all get home. Night all.”
Holly smiled at him. “Night, Nick. Pleasant dreams.”
Nick snorted. “If I don’t hear the wind whipping the tree branches and snow, I probably won’t be able to sleep.”
“I know the feeling when I’ve been camping out too long. Night,” Aidan said. “We’ll see you in the morning.”
“See you then.” Nick disappeared up the stairs.
Ted, Mike, and Greg were already rushing out the wolf door as wolves.
“They’re not running too far away, are they?” Holly sounded worried they might get into trouble, especially when her brother was with them.
“Nope. Their job is guarding me, so they’ll just be…guarding. They’ll hang around the area. Hope Greg knows that and doesn’t get bored too easily.”
“He’s a good kid. He loves being one of the men. He’s used to being around two sisters and his mom, so this has been good for him. Dad is so busy with the shop that he’s worn out when he comes home. I hope Mike doesn’t overdo it after having that blood transfusion.” She took a sip of her wine.
“You either, after giving blood.”
“What will you do if you find a cure for our people and no longer need bodyguards?”
“I wouldn’t be able to enjoy their culinary expertise. They’re always trying something new out on me, and I swear they’ve never made a bad dish. Except for the time they burned a pan of tilapia. Each one thought the other was watching it.”
She smiled. “That’s easy to do when there are too many chefs in the kitchen.”
“I have the same problem when it’s just me in the kitchen. But that has to do with me going back to look at my lab work and forgetting about the meal I’m cooking.”
She laughed.
“I suspect Rafe will want me to continue to have bodyguards because of my wealth.”
After finishing their meal, Aidan said, “The hot tub is free tonight. At least for now.”
“What if the guys want to use it after they come back in from their ‘run’ to work on all those muscles?”
“They’ll have to wait. Besides, they’ll be disappointed if they find they’ve left us alone together and we didn’t use the time wisely. Do you want to soak in the hot tub?”
“Greensleeves” was playing inside and out, so they’d have relaxing holiday music to listen to while in the hot tub. Nothing could have been more perfect for a romantic interlude.
Holly looked out the window at the bank of white snow and firs providing a backdrop for the tub, which was surrounded by snow, the deck warmed and wet. Golden lights illuminated the deck and snow. A light shone inside the tub, highlighting the blue water, and the whole area was covered in a fine, misty snow fog. “It is beautiful. And enticing. Definitely beckoning me to slip into the hot water and enjoy it.”
Aidan was thinking it couldn’t have been prettier or more romantic than this. “I’m ready when you are.”
She tugged at the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “No bathing suit. No bra or panties to substitute for a bathing suit.”
He smiled at her, but he was afraid he gave her a much-too-wolfish look, because she promptly laughed and blushed. “You can wear a pair of my boxer briefs and a T-shirt if you’d like, although the steam is rising from the hot water in the tub and mixing with the cold air. I’ll barely be able to see you as it is. Or you me.”
She smiled. “Right.”
“We shifted in my bedroom before, so it’s just the same old thing.” Not really, because sitting in the hot tub with the beautiful she-wolf while they were naked was bound to heat things up, unlike earlier when they were just stripping to shift. Though, even then, he couldn’t help but take a long, interested look while she took in all of him in the same interested way. “Besides, we’re both doctors.”
“Uh, yeah, so we’ll see each other in a strictly impersonal way.” She gave him a once-over, but he swore she was recalling when she was looking at him earlier.
“Right.” He finished his wine.
“Ted and Mike should hire out as chefs,” she said. “I enjoyed every delectable bite.”
“They love to use their muscles to deal with trouble. Since they came to work with me, I haven’t had that kind of trouble. It’s nice knowing they’re not bored.”
They carried their dishes into the kitchen. Holly started to clean the plates, but Aidan took her hand and led her out of the kitchen. “They’ll clean up. If we don’t get into the hot tub soon, they’ll be back and might even want to use it. The question is, how will we dress for the occasion?”
“Draped in mist.” She was half smiling, impish but sexy too.
He loved the way she thought. “I’ll grab some bathrobes from the bathroom for hot tub guests.” He walked into the room, which had a private toilet, shower, and sink. Long, white robes were hanging on hooks, and they were nicely warmed. He grabbed one of them and carried it out of the bathroom to where Holly was waiting for him. “For you, my dear.”
“What about for you?”
“I’ll be in the water so fast, you won’t even see me, but when we get out, you can have a new warmed robe. I’ll grab one for me too then.”
“Okay.” She began stripping out of his sweats and set them on a bench in the room off the deck. Then she slipped on the robe. “Very impersonal.” She boldly watched him remove his clothes as she belted the robe.
He was partially aroused in the warm room. He couldn’t help it. Watching her undress while he was stripping out of his clothes—not to mention having her observing him—was making him hot.
She smiled at him and then walked out onto the warmed deck. He quickly joined her and held her arm so she wouldn’t slip. Though he said he was going to jump right in, as soon as she untied the robe, he helped her out of it, and she hurried into the hot tub. He set the robe on a bench and made his way into the tub in a macho way, not hurrying like she’d done, trying to get in before she froze to death.
“This feels sooo good.” She smiled at him when he navigated across the hot tub to sit close to her but not touching, waiting for her to give permission. She reached for his hand and pulled him close.
He wrapped his arm around her, loving the warm, silky feel of her and the water. “I have to admit, this is the first time I’ve enjoyed the hot tub with a woman.”
“Not with just any woman. A doctor too, who is interested in your research. Aren’t you worried I might try to steal the cure from you if you discover something th
at could help us? Especially if my pack is beginning to have issues too?”
“I would gladly give the cure to you and your people. Anything you wanted. Aren’t you afraid that if you are the one to discover the cure, I might want to claim it as my own?”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
He laughed, and then he leaned down and kissed her, her head tilted up to maximize the pressure of his mouth on hers.
He loved how she responded, her hand sliding up his waist, her other hand caressing his thigh, and he was instantly aroused. He was trying to concentrate on the kiss, but her hand was so dangerously close to his erection that he was having a difficult time thinking as the blood rushed south.
She brushed her hand against his erection with a whisper of a touch. So much for this being anything but very personal. Not that he was complaining.
He pressed his tongue between her parted lips, and she sucked on it with zeal. He groaned. Where had she been all his life? Here, in Washington, and he’d been in California, not that far away. But too far away to make this a deeper and more meaningful relationship, because seeing her daily would be tantamount.
He moved his mouth to her neck and began pressing kisses on her soft skin. She shivered, and he was afraid she was getting cold, but she ran her hand over his chest, brushing her fingers over his nipples, her free hand cupping his head as he continued to lick and kiss her skin. “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered against her throat.
“You’re one hot…wolf,” she said, pressing her mouth against his forehead and kissing him.
Every time she touched him, it sent a surge of adrenaline coursing through his blood and ratcheted up the desire to take this further.
He ran his hand over the back of her neck, her long hair floating on top of the steamy water, making it appear that she was a blond mermaid. She shivered. He pulled his mouth away from her breastbone. “Are you getting chilled?”
