Just as Sara had indicated, the entire Chicago area would soon to be blanketed with a record snowfall. If it wasn’t already. He finally paid attention and looked out the window. Nighttime had fallen early, thanks no doubt to the heavy cloud coverage. The streetlights cast a yellow glow over the landscape that was suspiciously empty of humans or cars. He frowned and glanced at the platinum watch on his left wrist. Some of the myths and legends of old did apply to shapeshifters so it was out of the question for him to wear a watch made of silver. Good thing most wedding rings were made out of gold.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Why was he all of the sudden having those types of thoughts? Sara had been working for him for over six months.
Yeah, and you’ve been ignoring her for six months, his wolf groused.
“It’s only four o’clock. Where is everyone?” He was referring the decidedly lack of cars on the busy street in front of the building.
“Probably safe and secure in their homes, sitting in front of a roaring fire sipping hot chocolate.” So sue her, Sara thought, she had a thing for hot chocolate. Mmm, hot chocolate made with white chocolate was her favorite. For some reason, it tasted creamier. She looked up at her boss and narrowed her eyes at his expression. The one that indicated she was too dramatic. “Don’t you give me that damn look. You’re a freaking shapeshifter, you can shift and simply run to your house from here.”
A smile tugged at Jarod’s mouth, seeing the fire in Sara’s eyes. That was one of the many things he liked about her. She didn’t back down from him.
“The humans frown upon wild wolves running around in the city, darling.”
Sara started at the endearment that fell so easily from his lips. Had he ever given her a casual endearment? Come to think of it, had he ever given one to the women he dated? He hadn’t, at least not in her hearing.
“You’re not a wild wolf. You’re a shapeshifter.”
“Same thing.” His eyes took on a definite amber gleam. The one she usually saw when he was about to lose his temper. He didn’t appear upset so what did that mean?
He joined her back at the window, and they watched for several minutes as the snow fell. Since it had been snowing steadily for several hours, there was already a blanket of white lying across the landscape.
Sara raised a hand and traced the path of a snowflake that had landed against the tempered glass. It slid down the window for several inches before falling away. “It reminds me of the Day After Tomorrow.”
“The disaster movie with Dennis Quaid?”
She turned her head at the sound of Jarod’s voice. He stood behind her slightly to the side. “You know the one?”
“Yeah, I’m a big disaster movie fan.”
Sara smiled. “Me too. Most people laugh when I tell them that.”
Jarod shrugged his big shoulders. “It’s entertainment. Same as football or other types of movies. Some might think it’s the action parts—which are great in some—but a really well-written one is all about the relationships. And a chance for redemption.”
The strong fingers of one hand rubbed his chin and mouth, indicating to Sara he was trying to solve a dilemma. The thickness of his almost-black lashes and the naturally darker skin tone intensified the darkness of his eyes. Sara was drawn to the strength and natural competency etched in his beautiful features. She’d come to the same realization that almost every red-blooded woman had—there wasn’t an ugly shapeshifter to be found.
“Go make sure all the employees have left.”
Sara nodded her head and retreated to her office. She was positive the other supervisors had already made the decision to send their people home. McCall Holdings prided itself on taking care of the individuals who worked for them—human or shifter. Sara just happened to work for a dickhead who hadn’t noticed the weather.
As she opened his office door, he spoke.
“I’m sorry I’ve kept you here this long. Give me a few minutes and I’ll take you home. I’m sure all the buses have stopped running by now.”
Sara was surprised at his insight. Since when did he care how an employee—how she—got home at night?
Chapter Two
IT TOOK SARA a half hour to confirm with security that all the employees had left. Even the guard who usually stayed at night had been released to go home since they weren’t sure how long the storm would last. Knocking on the connecting door between their two offices, Sara waited for his barked order to come inside. She was very conscious of her place in Jarod’s life. She took no liberties with his privacy. She barely managed to call him Jarod on rare occasion, preferring to keep their relationship formal. For some reason, she felt it protected her from his charismatic charm.
Twisting the knob, she went inside to find him looking out the window. In the time it had taken her to confirm they were indeed alone in the building, the wind had picked up. Snow smashed against the window panes with each gust. He turned his head to look at her as she entered. “Everyone gone?”
“Yes. We’re the only two left.”
Her heart fluttered at the expression that entered his eyes at her statement. Then that damn shutter came back down.
“Good. I guess it’s time I got you home as well. Go get your coat.”
Sara nodded and walked back into her office. She’d turned everything off and was more than ready to go. Especially now, after that flare of awareness had arched between them. Damn, it had made her pussy tingle, and she was used to the devastating smiles he casually threw her way and the charm he just naturally oozed. There’d been something almost animalistic about the look this time.
In no time they were dressed and on their way outside. Most employees parked in the adjacent parking garage, but Jarod had his own private parking place at the back of the building. A blast of icy wind almost knocked Sara off her feet as they stepped outside. A strong arm came around her, pulling her close to his large body and sheltering her from the elements. She was a big girl, but he always made her feel small and feminine because of his size. Maybe that’s why she’d developed the crush on him as quickly as she had.
What women didn’t want to feel small next to a man?
Visibility had been reduced, and Jarod seemed to be making his way on instinct alone. Sara squinted her eyes against the blowing snow and allowed him to guide her to his car. He’d apparently driven his black SUV this morning and not his sporty red Lexus. She barely saw the dark color beneath the snow that had already accumulated on the top and hood.
“Fuck!” she heard him suddenly curse. The next instant she was being swept up in strong arms and carried away.
She couldn’t say she wasn’t grateful to have her feet and legs out of the snow. The only true barrier between her and the white stuff was her boots and leggings. Her coat came down well past her hips but hadn’t provided any protection to her lower extremities. Her outfit was warm for most of Chicago’s windy days, but not on a day like today. How had so much snow accumulated in such a short period of time? Instead of carrying her forward to the car, he turned around and headed back inside the building.
Her teeth were already chattering from the cold when the heavy metal door closed behind them. Immediately the sounds of the storm were silenced. Almost unwilling, she met his penetrating gaze.
“I’m not risking you in that,” he said gruffly. “We’re better off here.” He strode forward, her still in his arms. For a moment, Sara was too shocked to protest. Her silence didn’t last long, though.
“Wait, you can’t do that. I need to get home.” He stopped abruptly, and she instinctively grabbed his shoulders beneath his winter coat. It was the color of charcoal and made of heavy wool. The thickness just added to the breadth of his shoulders. She barely resisted the urge to brush away the snowflakes that had gathered on his dark brows and sweep back the lock of black hair that had fallen over his scowling brow.
“Why do you need to get home?” His eyes narrowed. “You don’t have any family. You live alone in a one-bedroom apartment. You don�
�t own any pets.”
He ticked the facts off like items on a list. On the one hand, she was astonished that he knew so much about her. Then, embarrassment over the fact that he did know so much about her took over, fueling her anger. “How the hell did you know that? And, you don’t know everything. I might have a boyfriend waiting for me at home.”
A flash of amber lit up his dark eyes making hers widen. “Unless you’ve managed to snare one in the last few hours, you don’t have a boyfriend, Miss Allen.”
He started walking again.
“How do you know that?”
“I would have smelled him on you,” was his clipped response.
“Women don’t snare men.” She bit out at last, angry at his attitude toward women and mortified that he could have smelled a man on her. Did that mean every time her panties got wet during the day because of her lascivious thoughts about him, that he could smell her desire? She wanted to bury her face in her hands in embarrassment. Just shoot her now.
“Most women do. They set a trap, and like the wild animals we are, we take the bait.” Jarod’s wolf growled at him at his snarly words. The man was feeling the noose settling around his neck. His protective instincts had swamped him when he’d opened the door and seen the weather conditions. Followed by a surge of mating heat that had almost brought him to his knees.
“You can put me down now,” Sara reminded him even as a shiver raced through her. It had more to do with the eerie silence of the big building than the cold she’d just been exposed to. The hallways were only half-lit, someone having apparently told maintenance to shut some of the lights off before they left.
Jarod didn’t respond, just continued to carry her down the hallway and to the elevator near the main building thoroughfare. With her still in his arms, he punched the button that would take them back to their floor.
“Mr. McCall—”
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Jarod?” It was true that most of the employees of McCall Holdings were on first name basis with their department heads and vice-presidents. Sara, in fact, called almost everyone else by his or her first name. Even the clients. She only called Jarod by his first name when it would seem awkward if she didn’t. She’d been afraid that someone might discover her hidden crush if she became too familiar and friendly with her boss.
Heck, she was afraid she’d slip and say his name the same way she whispered it at night when she was pleasuring herself with her favorite purple toy. All hot and breathless, and begging for completion. “I don’t think that would be a very good idea.”
“Try it.” His eyes held hers for an instant longer before Sara broke away in self-conscious confusion.
“Maybe later.”
“Oh, I can guarantee you’ll be calling me by my first name before this weekend is over,” his voice rumbled in her ear.
The heat that rushed through her body—straight to her pussy—distracted her for a moment. Then his words sank in. “A weekend! We are so not spending the weekend here.”
Together, she added in her head. There was no way she’d be able to keep her secret if she stayed in such close quarters with this man. “Surely, they’ll have the roads cleared in an hour or two.”
“Does the possibility of being stranded for the weekend with your boss shatter your poise, Ms. Allen? Sara.” Her name was a deep rumble in the back of his throat that sent another wave of shivers through her.
“No-o-o. No.”
By the time she’d stuttered out her answer, the elevator had reached their floor. Until he started moving again, she’d almost forgotten he was still carrying her. She wiggled in his arms. “Let me down now, please.”
When he didn’t answer, she poked him in the chest. “Let me down, Mr. McCall.”
He stopped and looked down at her. “Call me Jarod and I will.”
Her teeth bit into her bottom lip when she realized he wasn’t going to let her down until she gave in to his demand. It would serve his stubborn ass right if she threw her arms around his neck and told him she loved being in his arms. The trouble was, a wolf could smell a lie, and he’d know instantly she wasn’t lying.
She looked down, refusing to meet his eyes as she whispered his name. “Jarod.”
She felt his arms loosen as he lowered her to her feet. Their bodies brushed together, and she consciously had to keep herself from shuddering at the contact. Quicksilver excitement danced in her veins when he tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes and ordered, “Again.”
Her lips formed the word before she knew what she was doing. “Jarod.”
For an instant, she thought he was going to lower his head and kiss her, but he didn’t. Foolish, foolish, foolish, she berated herself.
“Good girl.”
Those two words sent all kinds of weird signals throughout Sara’s core. All of a sudden, she wanted to submit to the man, do anything within her power to earn his praise.
The sound of his name on Sara’s lips went straight to Jarod’s cock, hardening his body into painful need.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
He’d known this day was coming, but he’d thought he’d have more time.
More time for what? His wolf questioned him.
Freedom? More pussy? Hell, he didn’t know. His wolf growled in anger at the thought of being unfaithful to their mate. Not that he’d been able to be with another woman sexually since the moment he’d scented Sara and tracked her down. He’d found her sitting on the edge of a chair in the human resource department. She’d looked so prim and proper that he’d wanted to toss her to the floor and fuck that look away, making her as wild and needy as her scent had made him and his wolf.
He opened the glass door to his office suite and ushered her inside with a hand on the small of her back, feeding his need to touch her. Without speaking, he bypassed her desk and led her into his oversized office. He knew it was bigger than most apartments in Chicago, but he liked all the creature comforts wherever he was. Hell, he could shift in here if he wanted to. He had on several occasions after working late into the night on a difficult project. Shifting cleared his mind, refocused his thoughts. And felt damn good. It was a feeling he couldn’t explain to someone who wasn’t a shifter.
Looking at Sara, he regretted that they’d never be able to share that bond since she was human. But, they could share almost everything else. He couldn’t wait to feel the softness of her hands sliding through his fur when he was in wolf form.
Striding to the large side table, he picked up the remote to get an update on the weather. The perky blonde on The Weather Channel announced that the blizzard would continue throughout the night and well into the weekend.
He clicked off the television and looked over his shoulder at Sara. She stood transfixed at the door where he’d left her. Knowing the time would come sooner rather than later, he still hadn’t figured out how he was going to convince her that she was his mate. Especially when he’d basically ignored her since she’d been hired. He certainly hadn’t displayed any of the characteristics of a wolf who had found his mate. But then, he was an alpha. He controlled himself with the same iron will he used to control his pack and business associates.
He tried to hide his grin at this stroke of luck from the weather. Having her all to himself for the weekend was just the situation he’d needed. She couldn’t run. He’d be able to overcome any objections and wear down her defenses, hard and fast. Exactly how he planned to fuck her the rest of the weekend. “Well, looks like we’re here for the duration.”
“But, but…” Sara’s head was spinning from the speed of the events unfolding around her like a tidal wave. Hell, she felt like she was trying to swim in a damn tsunami—and she couldn’t swim, so she was basically drowning. Respect and admiration were the only two feelings she wanted to have towards him. To know him as more than her employer might not be safe for her carefully preserved peace of mind. Spending this much time together was bound to bring them closer together. And on a level that just
screamed intimate.
Jarod rubbed his hands together. “First things first. We’ll need food.”
Sara had to smile at the almost gleeful look in her boss’s eyes. He reminded her of a wolf about to take down an unsuspecting deer. Her smile faded instantly. Oh, God, she thought, he was looking directly at her with that same expression in his eyes. “There’s probably some things in the employee lounge.”
“Great, let’s start there.”
“I’ll go,” she said as she spun around, determined to get away from him for a few minutes and catch her breath. Slow down her damn libido. Oh, the scenarios that were running through her mind at the thought of having her boss all to herself for the next forty-eight hours.
“Now, Sara, it’s my job to take care of you.”
“What?”
Jarod realized immediately that he needed to step carefully. “It’s the least I can do for not sending you home earlier.” A self-deprecating grin cut across his lips. “I should have picked up on your clues earlier at lunch, shouldn’t I have?” He’d been so mesmerized by the sight of her sliding off her coat in front of him, imagining she was doing a striptease for him, that he’d failed to notice the implications of the snow covering her clothes. He’d been too caught up in the contrast of those white flakes against the fiery auburn of her hair.
“You think?” She threw him a glance that said he should have done a lot of things.
He silently apologized to her until he could openly apologize for his missteps. He’d be doing that when he was sliding deep inside her sweet pussy.
Sara felt his gaze following her as he hurried down the corridor in front of him. She tried to make her muscles relax, but she knew she was holding her head unnaturally erect, driven by the need to show him that she didn’t really want his attention. It didn’t help that she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing up on end as he followed closely behind her. How close was he following behind her anyway? In just a few minutes, they were in the employee lounge. She went directly to the refrigerator and looked inside.
Covet the Curves: a Romance Collections Anthology Page 50
