by Vivian Arend
The elevator doors slid open and he gestured her out. She fled—the only word for it. He didn’t mind. That meant he got to stare at her ass as she sped down the lush red carpet. Fine. Maybe he couldn’t have her, but he could still be nice. Even women with bedmates liked being treated nice, and being a gentleman could be as much fun as having funky monkey sex.
Almost.
Kinda.
Not really, but oh well.
She stopped before oversized double doors, and he decided it was time to turn on the charm. The “just friends even though you deserve more” charm that left women feeling like a million bucks.
“So, one of the fancy suites. Nice. Bet it’s got more room than my two-by-four space.”
Keri knocked before answering. “Probably more room than yours, mine and twenty staff quarters shoved together.”
She talked to the floor. He examined the area by her feet. Nothing there.
Okay…
There was no response to her second knock either, so she pulled a pass card from her pocket and let them in. Jared glanced around in appreciation. Not only luxurious, the place was bright with sunlight. “Sweet. I love the windows. Hate the tiny things downstairs. I’d rather rig a hammock on the deck and sleep under the stairs than stay trapped in that lower berth.”
Keri nodded. “I hear you. My room is better than yours, but nothing like this.”
He waited. When he’d checked in as required at eleven, Chad had informed him he was on the maintenance crew, then grudgingly found a work belt for him when he admitted to having “forgotten” his at home. Putting Chad’s sigh of disgust aside, since it had been deserved this time, the job placement came as a huge relief. He had to continue with the charade until he found a way off the ship, but if it had turned out his pack mate had been hired to cook, or worse, entertain? Jared would have been shit-outta-luck.
Fixing squeaky doors he could do.
But Keri wasn’t telling him what specifically needed to be done. She was alternating between staring at the floor and sneaking glances at him.
His wolf rumbled again as he caught a peek into her big wide eyes. Yes, damn beast, I get the message. You like her. Down, boy. He and his wolf struggled for dominance in a way he’d never experienced before. Then the wild part inside him retreated—almost pouting—into the corner.
Being a wolf had never been so weird.
Time to get this show on the road. Or ocean, or whatever. Jared rubbed his hands together. “What’s first on the agenda?”
Keri jerked to attention. “Oh, right. Taps in the master bathroom sink are dripping.”
“Master bathroom? Man, now I’m really jealous.”
The suite went on and on, glistening gold and shining silver contrasting with the lavish textiles. Keri pressed open a door and stood aside. Jared forced himself to the far side of the doorway to avoid rubbing their bodies together, even though he really, really would have liked to do some rubbing.
The taps were an easy fix, although her watching his every move made it a little more nerve-racking.
“You trying to learn a new trade?” He glanced up from his wrench. Her cheeks were flushed red, and she seemed to have the hardest time looking away from him.
“What?” She shook herself and blinked hard.
Erratic breathing, little gasps escaping her lips. She’d wrapped her arms around her waist, her breasts framed by her arms. Her fingers rubbed her skin above her beltline, fidgeting. Even if he hadn’t seen her orgasm only a little while ago, he still would have recognized the signs.
She was turned on.
Sweet mercy. He had to get this back to safe territory. “I said I wondered if you were studying to learn a new trade, you know, with how closely you’re taking notes.”
She stuttered then backed away from the door. “I’m sorry, that was rude. No, well, I do have to keep an eye on you. Not that I don’t trust you, but the suite belongs to the Fedoras, and so they’re a little fussy about who gets to come in, and that kind of thing.”
Jared whistled to cover his shock. Oh hello, bad news. “Fedoras? As in the British royal werewolf Fedoras?”
“Right. They’re traveling with a couple bodyguards, but otherwise it’s all rather low-key. They seem very nice.”
Sure. Nice for anyone who wasn’t trying to avoid meeting up with people like them. This entire cruise-entrapment thing got better and better by the minute. Not.
“That’s…cool. So, we’ll be seeing them on the ship? I mean, the normal people will see them, not us slaves hiding in the background.”
She laughed, an honest, real laugh, and some of the tension in the air disappeared. “We’re not going to chain you to the wall in your room when you’re not on duty. The Arctic Wolf Cruise Lines is pretty good about allowing crew time to enjoy the view as well. We’re all shifters, we understand the need to have some fun.”
“Thank you for that.” He tested the taps, turning them off and on a few times as he pretended to ensure the drip was gone. Actually, it took a lot of strength to not blurt out he’d be okay with chains in his room if she were the one putting them on him.
Concentrate. Job. Then dire necessities like buying some clothes to get him through this farce. Only now he’d have to avoid meeting any of the passengers while shopping just in case. What a mess.
He picked up his tools and pivoted, stopping in confusion when he discovered Keri was staring again, her face twisted into a frightened expression. She seemed so uncomfortable around him.
A horrible, terrible thought struck. “Keri? Your boyfriend, Chad?”
“My boyfriend?” She blinked. “Um, yeah, Chad. What about him?”
Jared moved slowly. He’d seen someone act this way before, kind of like a terrified rabbit. He took her hand in his and curled his fingers around her cold digits. “He’s not the jealous type, is he? I mean, you’re not going to be in trouble because you’re here alone with me? Because you…”
She looked ready to fall over. “I, what?”
What did he say? Offer her safe keeping? Suggest she consider her options? You don’t have to be with him, I’ll take care of you flashed into his brain, and he snapped his mouth shut before the words could escape.
She was a grown wolf, with a mind of her own, but there were times even a wolf could get into a situation they didn’t know how to get out of. “Just wanted you to remember you don’t have to be with anyone who doesn’t treat you right. If you’re having any issues, you can always go to the closest Alpha. Back in Haines, my Alpha Keil is—”
“No, no wait, you don’t understand.” Her instant denial made another thread of suspicion flare. She pulled herself back to calm in an incredibly quick amount of time. “That’s very sweet of you, but no. I’m not in any trouble. And Chad isn’t giving me any grief, really. I mean.” She wrinkled her nose. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
Jared nodded slowly. “Okay.”
Keri stepped back and smiled brightly. “Well, next fix? The closet door. This way.”
Her forced perky tone grated on his nerves. Whatever else was going on, that deception alone was a clear sign she wasn’t telling him the whole truth.
Still, not much he could do at this moment. He stepped quickly after her into the bedroom. Her sudden stop came far sooner than he expected, and he slammed directly into her backside.
She fell forward, and Jared tried to save them both. He snagged his fingers on her belt and together they teetered off-balance for a split second. It was no use, gravity won. They twisted and landed with a soft grunt on the bed. Keri was trapped under him, and he felt every inch of her smooth muscles, her ass soft under his groin. He rolled off her as if she were on fire.
Damn it. Last thing she needed if she had a jerk for a boyfriend was to have a strange wolf’s scent all over her.
He rolled too far and bumped into the headboard. The intricate built-in bookcase rocked forward, and jewelry and books fell on top of him.
“Shit. I’m sorry.�
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She scrambled over and levered the unit back to vertical before helping pick items off him. “My fault. I didn’t…I wasn’t thinking.”
“Here. Let me help.”
He moved to replace the books, but she shook her head. “Not going to work. Just leave it in a pile and I’ll explain what happened.”
Was she going to be in trouble because of him? “I’ll explain. It was my fault. Don’t let them fire you over this, okay?”
She sat on the edge of the bed and smiled weakly. “You don’t have to worry about me being fired. But if you could fix the door, please? I should get going on a few other things.”
Jared headed to the closet sheepishly. Some help he was. Making more work for her, on top of the issues she had to deal with. He adjusted the door while watching her out of the corner of his eye as she tidied the best she could. Her entire demeanor screamed something was wrong. The way she kept stealing glances at him—he vowed then and there he was going to look out for her. Not only because his wolf demanded it, but because he kind of liked her. She had spunk.
And if there was anything fishy going on with Chad…
Jared might not be the strongest wolf around, but he wasn’t willing to let anyone suffer. Especially not someone he was interested in. Far more interested in than seemed logical.
Chapter Four
Tessa dragged her around the running track for another loop and Keri groaned. “Aren’t we done yet?”
“Someone smart told me to let the cat nature out. Trust me, I need this. You’re gonna need this.”
Three days. Three long, lonely, tormented days. Keri had managed to avoid any further direct contact with him, even attempting to stop thinking of him. The gift shop had no toys, but happily the tiny bathroom in her cabin had a removable showerhead that was saving her from developing carpel tunnel. The mating urge had settled to a constant throb, as if her entire body were one giant mosquito bite, rubbed with poison ivy then sprinkled with itching powder.
It was actually far more bearable than she’d expected.
Of course, her concentration levels had dropped. She’d managed to avoid giving any too-weird advice, mainly because Tessa had totally picked up the ball and was rocking the job hard. She hadn’t had a single panic attack in the past twenty-four hours, luckily for Keri. Troubleshooting right now would require more mental power than she could muster.
The surface under their feet passed smoothly, the soles of their runners smacking the track with a steady slap, slap, slap. The even rhythm calmed her and slowly the edge of sexual urgency dulled enough she could take a full breath.
All around them were signs this wasn’t your typical Alaskan cruise. A giant grizzly lumbered past on all fours, two cougars sprinted on the far side of the track, their tawny fur a blur of motion. A loud scream of satisfaction rose as one crossed the imaginary finish line a body length ahead of the other.
Keri wanted to smile and soak it all in, to enjoy the sheer joy of being a shifter. If she wasn’t so damn horny, life would be wonderful.
Finally Tessa led them to the stretching mats. Outside the long row of floor-to-ceiling windows, the ocean waves broke against the shore of the small islands the ship passed. The sky was grey today, the horizon and the water’s surface blending in the distance to give the illusion of an endless waterway rising heavenward.
Keri sank to the floor and groaned as her tight muscles protested being flexed. “Right now I hate you, but thanks for hauling my ass out. I needed that.”
Beside her, Tessa cranked out sit-ups, one after another, her voice barely changing as she spoke. “You might need something more than a workout in a minute. This is completely hush-hush, but there’s been trouble.”
“Something wrong?” Couldn’t be too bad, since Tessa wasn’t spazzing like a cat tossed in a swimming pool.
“We have a thief on the ship.”
“Really?” Keri turned to face her friend full-on. “You’ve had reports of missing stuff?”
Tessa nodded. “The first couple were mentioned as ‘we’re not sure if we’ve misplaced it, can we look in the lost and found?’ But there are too many now for it to be a coincidence.”
Oh, this was bad. “Big stuff, small stuff?”
“Easy-to-grab things of value. Watches and jewelry left on counters.”
Keri stared in surprise at her friend. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Tessa snapped to a sitting position and grinned sheepishly. “You mean why didn’t I freak out on you sooner?”
Kinda. “Aren’t you worried?”
A long sigh escaped Tessa. “I’m past worried. Now I’m mad. But I didn’t tell you because the advice you gave me at the start of the trip was right. I knew what to do. I handled it—I calmed people down and checked the usual systems. But it’s gotten to the point we need to find out what is going on or there will be trouble. I don’t want this cruise to be remembered as the one with the petty thief.”
Keri agreed. “Well, good for you for starting strong, and I’ll do what I can. You have any suspicions?”
A small shrug. “Chad thought the only similarity between—”
“Chad?” Another person she’d been totally avoiding, because trying to explain his touch was now enough to trigger a gag reflex? Tough, not without spilling the beans on her mate being on board. Yet the man was relentless—she hadn’t had to duck into any closets to avoid him, but it had been close. “You’ve talked to Chad about this?”
“He’s the one who reported the first items to me. The head of the housekeeping department has been all over him with news. Often enough that he felt the need to bend his hoity-toity attitude and report to me.” Tessa rested a hand on Keri’s shoulder. “I wasn’t keeping secrets from you, and certainly not keeping them to share with Chad.”
A rush of heat raced over Keri’s face. This was awkward. “Not as if you have to report to me or anything. And you and him have lots in common, after all. Family friend forever, etc. etc.”
“Please. Think about it. Me and Chad? Gack. He’s like the most doggy wolf I’ve ever met.”
“Hey, some girls have a thing for their older brother’s best friend.” Tessa screwed up her face into the most hideous grimace, and Keri laughed. “Okay, yes, I know you’ve said before he’s not your type.”
“Totally. Besides, I thought you and him were making googly eyes at each other. Did you find someone else who’s keeping you busy in your cabin for hours on end?”
Keri didn’t think her time away had been for long enough to be noticed. Good thing her excessive water usage couldn’t be traced. “No, no one. But tell me more about this crow in our midst. What was Chad’s observation?”
Tessa stepped close to the window and peered out. “He wonders if someone in maintenance might be involved.”
Keri’s stomach fell, bounced off the floor and rebounded into her throat. “Maintenance?” she squeaked.
“So far most reports have occurred sometime after one of the crew went to do a job. And Keri?” Tessa wrinkled her nose as she turned, shoulders resting against the glass. “The Fedoras asked if you happened to spot a brooch when you were in their suite the other day. They put back the things that fell when the bookcase shifted position, but Mrs. Fedora only noticed today she can’t find her diamond-and-ruby brooch.”
Panic rushed through Keri like a shot of neat tequila, numbing even as it loosened her tongue. “I didn’t take anything.”
Tessa frowned. “Of course you didn’t. But we need to figure this out. I don’t want to have to call in the police at any of our ports of call. There’s the shifter-only issue, plus the cruise line doesn’t need any negative publicity.”
Keri backpedaled fast. “Definitely not. No worries. I mean, yes, worries, but we can deal with this. I mean, I’ll try. I mean…”
Babbling. Not good.
Her friend raised one brow high, suspicion all over her face. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Me? Nothing. Ev
erything is fine. Thanks for the run and, gee, look at the time.” Keri snapped her wrist up in front of her face.
She wasn’t wearing a watch.
Tessa snorted. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you had a hot date or something. You sure are acting weird.”
If she was going to get out of this without the legendary cat curiosity pulling everything out one secret at a time, Keri needed her best academy performance, and now.
“Sorry. It’s nothing…” Time for a new tactic. Redirection. “…but can I say how impressed I am? It’s as if you’re a different cat than the one who nearly shook me apart that first day. I’m proud of you for not panicking.”
“Thanks, but I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve become resigned to the trip being a disaster and I’m simply ‘whatever’, or if I’ve reached a magical point of nirvana and just trust it will work out.”
Keri pointed out the window at the crowds playing and relaxing on the deck below them. There were couples reclined on deck chairs, sipping drinks. People lawn bowling. A group of wolves in furry form batted a ball around while a half-dozen big cats lay draped over railings and in specialized hammocks, their enormous paws twitching as they slept.
“That doesn’t look like a disaster to me. Looks like a lot of people having fun, thrilled to be here. We’ll deal with the thefts, I promise.”
Tessa lifted her hand, knuckles outward. “You’re the bestest.”
Keri returned their usual salute, making a huge effort to appear perky and positive. “Let me know what else you hear, okay? I’m going to grab a shower. See you at supper?”
“Save you a seat.”
They left the track area in opposite directions, Tessa toward her office, Keri supposedly toward her room. But the instant she rounded the corner out of her friend’s sight, she turned. Raced down a side stairwell that led to the lowest levels of the ship and the crew quarters.
What the heck was her mate up to? Was he really a thief?
She stared at his cabin door for a full minute debating what she was about to do. It wasn’t breaking and entering—she had full permission to access the staff quarters on the ship. But the fact she was going in because she suspected he’d…
