Wolf Detective

by Candace Ayers

  A couple stepped up to the bar a few feet down and waved a twenty in the air. I patted Blondie’s hand and went to take their order. After I served them and took my payment, I went back to find her on her phone. It was open to a text and she was typing fast and furiously, as though her life depended on it .

  “What are you doing now ?”

  “Umm,” she looked up and shrugged, “Not texting my ex .”

  “Coming from someone who’s ridden the ex-train all the way to ‘Beating a Dead Horse’ Station and beyond, don’t do it. Get while the goin’s good. Take the great sex you had today and run .”

  “What am I supposed to do all alone ?”

  I gestured to the dance floor that was slowly filling up. “Honey, look around. This town’s overrun with hot men. Pick one. Preferably a single one. Then just have some fun .”

  She motioned for me to pour her another shot and then stood up to take it. “You’re right. I’m going to go find me a hot single man .”

  I shook my head as she turned around and then rolled my eyes. Blondie was attractive and meant well, but the girl was a hot mess. And I definitely knew how to recognize one of those. Lord knows, I’d walked by enough mirrors in my time .

  I completely understood why she’d lost her damn marbles over the man she called Thorn. My boss, it seemed. With looks like his, the man could certainly set a girl’s panties aflame. My panties, to be specific. The moment he’d walked past the bar, my eyes were magnets, stuck to his chiseled steel physique .

  He was a tall, broad glass of water and my body was behaving as though it’d been stranded in the dessert for years. Well, most of me. There was one part that most certainly had not remained dry .

  Without the distraction of Blondie, I couldn’t help but take a sneak-peek back at boss man. His head was covered by a John Deere baseball cap, and he wore it low on his forehead so I couldn’t make out his eyes, but his mouth… Oh, my, I could write poetry about that man’s lips. Full and soft looking, set in the middle of a dark scruff of facial hair, the plump buggers were begging to be kissed .

  He sported an outdoor tan and I imagined smelling the sun on his skin. When I’d stood in front of him, I almost though I had smelled sunshine .

  One of his buddies looked up at me and I quickly lowered my gaze, determined to not appear as though I was checking him out. Because if there was one thing I recognized in the man they called Thorn, it was that he was a player. Player had been my type for so long that I could practically sniff one out from a mile away. It was just the way the world turned. If I was attracted to a man, he was a player. And I was definitely attracted to Thorn .

  I shook off the heady lust I was drowning in, and ignored the heat of a set of eyes on my back so I could focus on my job. Yes, Allie, you have a job to do, and ogling the boss isn’t going to keep you employed .

  Brady called an order up through the window to the kitchen and I slipped away from the bar to retrieve it. Abram was stationed at the other side, chatting with an older gentleman and I didn’t want to bother him .

  “Hey, this is for Thorn. You know which one he is ?”

  I barely resisted snorting. “I think I can find him .”

  Brady shot me a knowing look and nodded. “Sure, you can .”

  I shook my head and sauntered off towards the one table I seriously wanted to avoid. Even just anticipating getting close to the man had my skin prickling with goosebumps and the hair at the back of my neck standing on end. Not to mention my nipples hardening almost painfully and my heart racing. All responses I’d rather do without when having to face a man like Thorn .

  I wasn’t a girl who usually backed down from challenges, though. Unless that challenge was marrying her on again, off again boyfriend .

  I walked right up to him and bent over slightly to put his plate in front of him. “I guess I should introduce myself, boss. I’m Allie .”

  He tipped his head back to look up at me, exposing two of the brightest green eyes I’d ever seen. Thick lashes surrounded them, thick enough to make most women sick with envy. They narrowed on me and I felt a flush run through me as all the blood in my body heated to a temperature that felt way past boiling. My lungs and heart were squeezing together to make room for the raw lust that instantly arose from the depths of my being .

  I didn’t need to breath, right? It would seem that I’d crossed over into a place where my lungs felt no pressure at all to get air into them .

  “Hawthorne .”

  His deep voice raked its nails down my back eliciting the sweetest chill. It shocked me out of my stupor .

  I suddenly realized I’d been bent over in front of him for… who knows how long, just staring into his bright green eyes. With a gasp of air, I stood up straight and hurried to the other side of the table. I rested my hand on the shoulder of the guy in front of me, desperately needing something solid to bring me back down to Earth. I thought I heard a low growl, like from a wild animal, but that just played witness to how much I’d lost it .

  “Do ya’ll need anything else?” I forced my eyes to move to each man at the table, except Thorn. “A more permanent bodyguard, maybe? Just in case there are more angry Barbie’s lurking .”

  6

  Hawthorne

  I f she didn’t stop touching Sterling, I was going to rip his fucking shoulder off. He was casting a cocky ass smirk at me like he’d won some kind of game. This was no game, though. She was hands off for him. Fuck. She was hands off for me, too. I didn’t know how the hell that was going to work out. Not with the insane chemistry between us. I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling it. I’d smelled her sweet arousal and it’d been heaven to my nose. The thought that she’d become aroused for me made my dick feel like it was going to explode. I shifted in my seat and tried to get her to meet my eyes again .

  “That was smooth of you. Do you always run interference with your boss’s jilted women?” Sam was looking up at her with way too much interest on his face. They all had too much interest on their faces. Fuckers .

  “Only the lucky ones. The rest I leave to the sharp, manicured nails of karma .”

  Yeah, that had bite to it. I cocked my head to the side and just watched her. No makeup and in a simple bandana, she was beautiful. Her hair was a few shades lighter than mine and wisps managed to fly freely around her face, despite the bandana. Her hazel eyes bounced around the table, never landing on me. Her eyebrows were full and curved and they gave her a constantly challenging look, especially with the way she kept her full lips pressed together, like she was thinking of ways to verbally eviscerate anyone who crossed her. I couldn’t keep from picturing myself spanking her again .

  I’d missed what Sterling said, but it’d made her laugh. The shitstain. I balled my hands into fists and stared at Allie, daring her to look at me again. I needed to see if sparks flew every time our eyes met .

  It was like she knew what I was up to, though. She refused to look at me, so I pushed it. “Where are you from, Allie ?”

  She stared at a spot on my shoulder. “North Carolina .”

  Sam suddenly grinned up at her. “I spent a summer there when I was young. It’s pretty .”

  She nodded . “Sure .”

  “What brought you here ?”

  Again, she looked at my shoulder. “I’m driving across the country .”

  Wyatt perked up. “Alone ?”

  “Yep. Just me and my lonesome. I ran out of gas this morning just on the outskirts of town. Abram was nice enough to hire me on the spot so I could earn some money .”

  “Where are you staying?” My question silenced the table and she finally met my eyes again. Oh, fuck, sparks my ass, burning flames of raw desire were incinerating me .

  “Abram got me all set up.” She bit her lower lip and then released it and looked away from me. She had to feel it too, didn’t she? “Well, I’m going to get back to work. Wouldn’t want my boss thinking I’m not earning my wages. Ya’ll need anything else before I leave ?”
<
br />   Fuck, yes. I needed everyone in the bar to get the hell out so I could breathe again without worrying about someone touching her .

  Sterling nodded. “Just a promise that you’ll come back .”

  Allie’s eye roll was almost comical. She patted the top of his head like he was a dog and then turned and went back behind the bar. I kept my eyes on her until she was back at Abram’s side. Abram was mated. She was safe with him .

  “I think it’s safe to say someone has a crush .”

  I looked over at Sam and shook my head. “Nah, she’s probably just nervous because I’m her boss .”

  He snorted. “I meant you, jackass .”

  The rest of the guys laughed and I had to crack a smile. I was being a jackass. I felt more drunk with her standing in front of me than I had last night after half a fifth of whiskey . “Shit .”

  Wyatt gave me a weird look. “You good , man ?”

  I didn’t know if good was the word. “I’m going to run to the back for a second. I’ll be back .”

  They grabbed at my food as soon as I stood up, but I wasn’t hungry for food. Not anymore. On the way, I slapped Sterling on the back of the head for flirting with Allie .

  I slipped into the kitchen, threw open the fridge door and stuck my head inside for a few seconds. “Jesus .”

  “You okay , boss ?”

  No. My skin was on fire. My bear was practically running a damn marathon inside of me. What the fuck was going on? I knew skipping my run this morning had been a mistake . “Sure .”

  I headed to my office and slammed the door. I needed distance from that woman. I needed space and a few minutes to get myself together. I hadn’t felt so out of control of my bear since I’d gone through puberty .

  My office was a sanctuary. Locked behind the thick wooden door, I could almost pretend that I didn’t smell her. Sitting in my chair, I looked around and felt a restlessness unlike any I’d ever felt. I was so on edge that I was worried about having a stroke or something. I had recently turned thirty-eight. Maybe I was experiencing some kind of curse. Lord knew my father hadn’t lived to forty .

  I stretched out as best as I could in the small room and then stood up. Nothing was helping. Maybe I was sick. Maybe it was a fever that had my skin feeling two sizes too small. I knew there was Tylenol behind the counter. I’d take a few of them, see if they had any effect with my shifter metabolism .

  I strolled through the kitchen and jerked open the door to the bar just as Allie was trying to push it open. She stumbled, fell into my chest and gasped .

  I understood completely. Feeling her chest crush against mine had me wanting to gasp, too. I could feel her nipples pebble against me and it sent white hot lust pulsing through my already feverish body. I caught her easily and took advantage of the chance to wrap my arms around her soft curves. Amazingly, the erratic, restless feeling in my chest faded slightly .

  Allie’s wide eyes looked up at me and her lips parted . “Oh .”

  Something primal and unrestrained pumped through my blood. My bear growled. I watched as the sound drew goosebumps to her skin and the aroma of her arousal once again flooded my senses. Her fingers dug into my chest and her tongue stroked out to wet her lips. It took everything in me not to follow the trail her tongue made with my own .

  Her body felt phenomenal pressed up against mine and I was too weak to stop my hands from trailing farther down, until the tips of my fingers were on the top of her ass .

  Allie’s pupils dilated and I knew she was right there with me, feeling the same wild hunger as I was. Just as I was about to throw out the no sleeping with waitresses or bartenders rule, her sweet little mouth opened again and uttered a string of words that not only shrunk my dick, but had my bear tearing apart my insides .

  “I have a fiancé .”

  7

  Allie

  T horn growled again, low in his throat, just loud enough for me to hear it. I should’ve been freaked out, but instead, I wanted to climb him like a stripper pole. Everything about the man was intoxicating. And off limits. Off limits. Totally and completely off limits. Which was why I’d blurted out the thing about having a fiancé .

  Remembering that little tidbit caused my cheeks to heat up but my brain was able to kick into gear again. I let go of his shirt and pushed away from him. “Sorry I bumped into you .”

  Like that was all that’d happened. Like I would ever not feel his fingertips on my ass, or his massive erection pressed against my stomach, thick and heavy and ready to go .

  I squeezed around him and tried to act normal as I walked up to Brady, who’d clearly been watching us, and grabbed a tray of food. “Thanks. Table three ?”

  Brady nodded and kept right on staring .

  I turned to head back out, but Thorn was still standing frozen to the spot where he’d been before, as if I’d never moved. I edged around him and sucked in as best I could to avoid touching him again. There was something about him that made the slightest physical contact drive me crazy enough to imagine all the ways we could smoosh our bodies together .

  “Allie .”

  I shivered when he said my name . “Boss ?”

  “You’re done for the night. You can go .”

  I spun around to face him. “What? I can’t. Abram is taking me to his trailer to get it set up tonight .”

  “He can go , too .”

  His eyes were an even brighter green than they’d been at the table and his body was nearly vibrating. He wouldn’t meet my gaze anymore, either .

  I wanted to demand a reason for his behavior, but he was my boss. I couldn’t exactly demand anything, especially not on my first day. Not if I wanted to keep my job. Instead, I shoved the tray into his chest and tossed my apron on the counter beside him. “Table three,” I said. “I’ll tell Abram we’ve been dismissed .”

  Of course, Abram didn’t believe me. He stuck around to see what the deal was with Thorn, but Thorn just yelled at him and then stormed across the bar to a tall brunette who wasted no time in attempting to suck his face off .

  Bitter fury flooded my body, but I tamped it down. I had no right to feel angry or jealous. I had been telling the truth about having a fiancé. Sort of. Thorn could do whatever he wanted. Thorn was not my business .

  Even as I formulated my conviction, the brunette came up for air looking like the luckiest woman on earth. She threw her arms around Thorn’s neck and pulled him back in for another go. It wasn’t hard to imagine them ending up in the back of his truck before the night ended. Or, maybe against the walk-in in the back. Stop, Allie, just stop .

  I jerked away from the display and headed outside to wait for Abram. The night air had gone frigid and I immediately dug around in my backpack for a sweater. The only one I could find was stretched and ripped all to hell and back so it fell off my shoulder and left almost as much skin exposed as if I hadn’t put it on at all .

  “Jesus, he’s in real fine form tonight.” Abram looked at me and shook his head. “You got any idea why I was just kicked out of the bar? That place is going to be a damn wreck in the morning. And guess who isn’t going to be there to clean it up. Mr. Hawthorne Canton. He’ll be at home, sleeping off another damn bender .”

  I winced and followed behind Abram. “We had a run in in the kitchen, but it shouldn’t have caused that reaction .”

  “What kind of run in ?”

  “I bumped into him. That was pretty much it. I mentioned I’m engaged .”

  He cocked his head at me. “Well, congrats. Even though I’m not sure I should be congratulating you. I don’t recon many newly engaged women go running off for a spur of the moment cross country drive by themselves .”

  I blew out a big breath. “I haven’t accepted yet .”

  Abram made an unpleasant tsk sound with his tongue. “Damn, woman. You’ve got a cruel streak in you. What’d that boy at home do to make you run off and leave him hanging like that ?”

  I climbed into his truck and reached for the se
atbelt, only to find it missing. I motioned towards it when he got in, but he just shook his head. “Okay… Um… Well, he didn’t do anything, I guess. I don’t know. He’s a lawyer. From a wealthy family. Already owns his own home and it’s huge. On paper, I guess he’s great .”

  Abram started the truck and it shimmied to life. “You don’t seem too enthused, though .”

  Eric was probably sprawled in his king-size bed back home in North Carolina tucked under the Egyptian cotton sheets that his housecleaner, Kelly, laundered every other day. Or, maybe he was still up pouring over a case and glancing occasionally at the clock on the bedside table, wondering why I hadn’t called to check in .

  He was probably in his college T-shirt and the flannel pajama bottoms I’d given him for Christmas three years ago, and there was probably an empty whiskey glass caught, forgotten, between his legs .

  “I don’t know… There’s a lot of history there .”

  Picking up that I wanted to drop it, Abram just adjusted the static-filled radio station to one slightly less broken up. “I still don’t understand why Thorn went all jackass. He should be thrilled that you’re engaged and not going to be tempted by his friends. One less chance of you being run off .”

  I didn’t say anything and Abram cleared his throat. “Unless, of course, he’s interested in you .”

  I kept my eyes straight forward and sighed. “I don’t know about that, either .”

  He laughed. “Convenient .”

  8

  Allie

  A bram gave me a tour of the little trailer and worked to get everything set up for me. By the time he left, I had running water, heat, and electricity, and was cozy and comfortable snuggled in the camper-bed that was like a giant pillow .

  I slept better than I had in weeks .

  I woke up the next morning and showered in the tiny, but clean, shower. Afterwards, I dressed in ripped up jeans and threw my old sweater over my head. It was warming up quickly outside, but the air still held a chill and I figured I’d hike up to my car a bit later to get more clothes .