by Jana Leigh
Working three jobs to get her degree in English had been the first step in her goal to own a bookstore. Granted, it took her six years, but she smiled when she thought about the pride that she felt when she had accepted her diploma. The next step had been risky. She needed a start-up fund for a bookstore. For years, she worked and established herself as a teacher and librarian. She did not make enough money for her to save much, but she saved every cent she could. Cami did not have enough money to make the down payment, so she did what she had to do in order to make more money.
Phone sex was a growing industry and one where she would not have to actually meet with the low-life who used the service. She had done extensive research before finding a company who did not expect their employees to make house calls on the side. Cami wasn’t stupid. She worked for several years saving the money she made from the sex service, and she’d had almost enough, when she had answered the phone one night and recognized her school Principal’s voice. She had quit that night and showered for three hours, scrubbing the scum she felt attached to her skin. The next morning when her boss smiled at her in a sick knowing smile, she quit on the spot and showered again for another three hours. Her dream then put on hold once again.
Despondent over having to find another job to fulfill her dream, Cami volunteered at a shelter, and ended up befriending a homeless man. Barry had stolen her heart the first night. The man came into the shelter where she was working on a cold and snowy night. She was drawn to the little man who had only a jacket and a backpack full of belongings.
Barry and Cami had struck up a conversation and she became enchanted with him. A veteran down on his luck, Barry entertained her with stories of his misspent youth in Denver. He just needed someone to talk to, someone to connect with. Cami had been lonely as well and they ended up speaking until the shelter closed.
Night after night, Barry came back to the shelter to talk with her. Soon, she was taking him to dinner on her off nights and bringing him back to her apartment to spend the night in the spare bedroom. Never once did she think he would hurt her.
For three years, the man lived with her off and on, spending holidays with her and becoming her family. When he died last year from pneumonia, she had been devastated. Preparing for the funeral, which she attended on her own, she received a visit from an attorney. Barry had named her the sole beneficiary in his will. She had been shocked to realize that he had been a lonely man who sought her company after wandering into the shelter by accident.
It had not been a lot of money but it was enough for her to start her bookstore and buy the loft she currently lived in. When she saw the building only a few blocks from her loft with the lease sign in the window, she had been excited. For once, everything was going her way. That was until she opened the mail yesterday. The pleasant letter told her the lease she had signed, transferred to the new owners and was currently under review, until they decided what they were going to do with the space. That had pissed her off.
Cami walked into the local grocery and went to the frozen section. Lately she had been so busy making plans for her store and finishing at the local library, she had barely had enough time to eat let alone make dinner. So she’d been forced to buy frozen dinners until she could make the time to shop.
Looking at her choices, she frowned. Pasta again did not sound good, however her choices we limited. Cami wished she had planned better. Maybe she would just go out to dinner and screw the whole thing.
“If you stare hard enough, maybe it will jump into your hand.” She heard a deep, sexy voice say behind her. “How about I take you out for dinner as an apology?”
Cami turned and looked into the deepest blue eyes she’d ever seen. Whoa, she thought, and grinned at the man. She took in the rest of the facial features and stopped when it fully hit her who she was staring at—the man from the office, the one who came from the closed office door. The one she had been waiting to see.
“Did you follow me?” she asked, shocked the man had gone to that much trouble. Especially considering how she had screamed and ranted when her frustration took over.
The man’s eyes glittered with humor, and his eyes seemed to change colors, making them a deeper blue. “Uh, would it make you say, yes, if I told you I wandered into the store, saw you standing in front of the frozen food section, and decided to hit on you?”
“No, it would make me call the manager and have you arrested for harassment. It would be better than being arrested for stalking, if you followed me,” she said frowning at the man, as if he would really be hitting on her. Cami knew from experience she was not the type of woman that men randomly hit on. A man this gorgeous would never look at her twice, let alone see her standing in the store and want to hit on her. Did the guy think she was stupid?
The man threw back his head and laughed and Cami raised her head in surprise. “You are a breath of fresh air. Most people don’t speak their minds around me. I can hardly wait to hear what you will say next.”
“Well, then this will be a new experience. Not only am I going to speak my mind, I am going to turn you down,” she huffed and walked to the front of the store.
Quin followed the woman across the parking lot and Cami stomped her foot in frustration. “Listen buddy, I have a new appointment with you next week. I will see you then. Now, I am going to walk away and you are going to stop following me or we are going to have a big problem.”
“I just want dinner, what harm would that do? We could talk about the lease over dinner. Kill two birds with one stone. Then it won’t waste your time having to fret over this for a week,” he reasoned and Cami closed her eyes knowing she was going to agree.
She sighed and tapped her foot with impatience. “Fine, let’s go,” she ordered, waiting to follow.
“Wow, bossy little thing aren’t you?” Quin chuckled and took her arm pulling her alongside him. The next block held a restaurant that belonged to one of the Pack members. A quaint little bistro that had the best Italian food you have ever tasted. Silently, he walked to the door to the restaurant, never letting go of her arm. She felt as if she was a lamb being led to the slaughterhouse.
“Hang on,” she gasped trying to catch her breath. He pulled her at a pretty good clip, since she was shorter and did not have long legs to keep up with the tall man; she was forced to practically jog to keep up.
“Ready?” he said, amused as he watched the woman straighten her clothes and pat her hair. She looked like a miniature doll. His own little beautiful plaything, he just had to convince her of it.
Quin entered the restaurant when she sighed and nodded to him. When they came to the hostess stand, Quin looked around the room searching for his friends and owners. They always worked the seating area when they were in, which was most of the time. One of the good things about being the Pack Alpha, he never had to wait long for a table. He was also linked to his entire Pack and could communicate with them through a Pack link when they were close enough together. Only the Alpha could hear all the people in the Pack. Other wolves could only hear their mates and children.
“Alpha Quin!” he heard Margie cry across the room. Her husband and she had been one of the first wolves from America to join his Pack when they arrived in Denver. Quin had a soft place in his heart for Margie and her husband, Rodger. They had been victims of the Rogue Pack before he arrived, and had lost one of their cousins to them.
“Margie, can we have a table in the back?” he asked through their link. He did not want to scare his pretty mate into fleeing.
Margie bowed and turned to glance through the room. She turned back and grinned. “Who is this?” she asked through the link.
“My mate, but don’t say anything. I have not told her yet, and she is human. I don’t quite know how I am going to deal with this,” he said looking at his future mate and smiling. It could go one of two ways, he thought, either she was going to be afraid, or she was going to be intrigued. Quin hoped she would not be afraid, it would suck if he had to hold her
prisoner until she understood.
Margie frowned and then smiled bigger. “She is strong, you can tell. I think she will make a wonderful mate for you,” she said in his mind and then said aloud to them, “Follow me.”
Cami looked at Quin and Margie. She felt like they were somehow talking to each other when they first entered. Of course, that was crazy, but she could not shake the feeling that something very strange was going on and she was just touching the tip of the iceberg.
Once they were seated in an isolated booth in the corner, Cami looked around the nicely decorated restaurant. She was impressed with the cozy design. Then she saw a waiter begin to approach and then stop. He tilted his head, nodded slightly, and then turned to walk away.
Cami frowned and looked at the handsome man in front of her. For the first time, she was able to really look at him. His eyes were still the same gorgeous blue she had seen back at the office building, and his features were sharp and classic, a long nose and perfectly shaped lips. The long dark hair flowed over his forehead and down to his shoulders, all the same length. She knew he stood at least six foot six from when he had dragged her to this place. He had strong, solid, and broad shoulders and a full chest, a tapered waist that made it seem like he worked out. Thick thighs and long legs finished off his physique. The thought of his form made her slightly damp in her panties. She shifted a little trying to settle the drumming of her clit.
Quin raised his head, sniffed, and then closed his eyes, savoring in his mate’s scent. She had the most heavenly smell. He would have to explain to her that when she was aroused, a wolf could scent it. Until he claimed her, she would drive other wolves crazy with her scent of arousal.
“So, you were saying about the lease?” Cami asked with a slight blush to her cheeks. She needed to get down to business and quit worrying about what the man looked like naked.
“Let's get that out of the way so we can talk about other matters,” Quin said briskly. “I assume you signed a lease with the old owners of the building with the intention of opening some type of business on the bottom floor. We have decided to make the entire building into apartments.”
Cami groaned a little and closed her eyes. Damn it, she was going to lose all of her money, and have to go back to work to find another place she could lease. Of course, she could sue and tie them up in court until they agreed to lease her the bottom floor, but she didn’t have the time or money to really do that. Cami almost groaned aloud when she thought about the quickest way she knew how to make money.
“However, I have changed my mind. I will honor the lease with you as long as we can negotiate on the terms,” he continued.
Cami was so excited she almost missed the part about negotiation. The place was hers!
“Such as, what type of terms? I will not pay more for the lease. I told the other owners that it was as high as I was willing to go,” she said cautiously.
“We will get to that. Now that you know you still have the space, let’s get to the important stuff, getting to know each other. I want you to tell me all there is to know about Cami Reynolds,” he said smoothly.
Cami frowned and wondered why he would really care about her. If he wanted to know if she was a good tenant, he could have her investigated. “Well, I have a degree in teaching and have been a librarian for the last few years. I have always wanted to own my own shop, and finally came up with the funding. I plan to have a daily story hour and a coffee shop in the back for those who want to read and relax while their children are looking. Why do you want to know all of this? As long as I pay the rent, you should be happy. It’s not as if I am going to kidnap little kids and store them in the basement. I have a clean record and don’t dance naked under the full moon worshiping the devil.” Who did this guy think he was? He was her landlord—not her friend. Well, maybe there was something there. Cami felt the attraction, she decided after a few moments to go with it.
Quin watched the different emotions change across her face. One second, she was animated when talking about her store. It made her even more beautiful than before. He wanted her to look that way when she talked about him, excited and contented. The next second, she was a little pissed about talking about herself. The need to claim her was becoming unbearable as she talked, but he knew he was going to have to go slow. The woman knew nothing about what he was and what her role would be when they mated.
Rodger walked to the table once again with wine and appetizers. Cami looked surprised when he set the food on the table. Of course, he had ordered dinner through their link, but she wouldn’t know that. He silently cursed the fact that he had been distracted and forgotten the usual protocol when dating.
“Uh, what’s this?” she said and looked at him questioningly.
“Well, I believe it is a Zinfandel wine and Bruschetta. They are the normal things brought to customers before they order. This restaurant is known for its great hospitality,” he said smoothly.
“Oh, okay.” She shrugged and tasted the crispy bread topped with tomatoes. The flavors exploded on her tongue and she almost moaned. She hadn’t eaten something this good in weeks. “Wonderful,” she sighed and flushed when she saw the way the man was looking at her.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said, wishing she were doing something else with her mouth.
“Sir?” Rodger said and waited for him to order.
“Cami, would you allow me to order for us?” he asked politely.
Normally she hated when men presumed to know what she would like, but for some reason she really didn’t care what he ordered. “Go ahead,” she said shyly.
Quin ordered, and then turned his attention back to her. She had no clue what he said, she was more interested in watching the way his mouth moved, and fantasizing about having his lips on various parts of her body. What the hell was wrong with her? She never felt this wantonly before when on a date. This guy had some serious mojo.
They talked quietly and got to know a little about each other while they waited for their food. Cami was surprised to know he had been born in France. He had no accent, and seemed a bit more like an outdoorsmen than a world traveler. She asked about his family and friends, laughed when he described his brothers and growing up in a large household.
Cami shared the fact that she was alone in the world, although she never told him the whole story. It was too painful to tell him her mother was probably still alive and living with the step-asshole. Quin did get a laugh when she shared with him her experience in the phone sex industry.
“If I had known you were on the other end of the line, I would’ve actually called your number,” Quin teased her and smiled when she turned a deep shade of pink.
When the food arrived, they continued their conversation as they enjoyed the best pasta Cami had ever eaten. Even if she never saw Quin again, she would return here, this place was amazing, and she told the owners so. The couple gushed over Quin and Cami; she still felt like there was something she was missing. The waiters acted as if they were royalty, instead of customers.
They were served coffee and a wonderful Tiramisu dessert. Cami had not had this much fun in such a long time. She was able to forget for a few moments that it was not really a real date. It was supposed to be a business meeting.
“Well, Quin, thank you for the wonderful meal and for approving the lease on the store. I will let you return to your business and we can talk later about the details,” she started and began getting out of the booth.
She heard a growl and stopped. Who the hell made that noise? she thought and then looked around expecting to see a dog had snuck into the restaurant while they were eating. Seeing nothing, she paused, which gave Quin enough time to scoot around and grab her arm making her sit back down, this time closer to him.
She could’ve pulled away, but the intensity of his gaze was enough to make sure she didn’t leave. She felt the sizzle from a connection between them and looked around to see if there were sparks flying.
Quin grinned and leaned in
to whisper in her ear, “Cami, can we continue this at my place?”
“Uh, I really don’t think it would be wise to mix business with pleasure. In the past, things haven’t gone well when this happened,” she said honestly, but she really wished she could just throw caution to the wind and take what he was offering.
“Please,” he whispered, and then leaned in and gently touched her lips with his.
The kiss was brief, but held a lot of promise. Cami had never felt this kind of connection with anyone. It felt like she was coming home. Then she felt the attraction begin to consume her, her body responded without her even thinking about it. She leaned toward him as if to kiss him again, but he pulled back.
Quin lifted his head and looked into her eyes. At that moment, she would have gone and done anything he asked. She nodded shakily and leaned back in for another quick kiss. The man had lips that could make a girl cry with pleasure. One night, what would it hurt? Besides, she hadn’t had sex in months and was feeling the itch. It wasn’t as if she had men banging down her door. She was short and fat; most men liked tall and beautiful women who ate rabbit food. She, on the other hand, loved to eat and was not afraid to let men know it. Unfortunately, her size made it obvious to anyone looking that she loved to eat.
Cami had long blonde hair and a cute heart shaped face, which is where the appeal ended, she thought. Her boobs were too big and her hips were too wide. This gorgeous Adonis was obviously slumming, but what did she care? He was the thing wet dreams were made of; he was her perfect dream man. Tall and handsome, such kissable lips, she wanted to lean in for another taste but she stopped herself. Maybe he was embarrassed to be too affectionate in public.
Quin pushed her out of the booth, grabbed her hand, and started to rush her out of the restaurant. “The bill,” she said and waited for him to pull out his wallet.
