RONAN

by Nina West

  Darian glances over her shoulder to check the carport. A doorman waves at her. “Yes, Mr. Wolf. Just this way.” She smiles wide at him. He meets it with a cool, polite smile of his own.

  “Lead the way then, please.” He and the other men follow Darian out without so much as a glance our way.

  Jean sighs. “What I would do for a night with that.”

  “Are you cheating on Connor, Jean?” I tease as we head toward the doors to the staff area.

  “Connor doesn’t even know I exist, and you won’t help me,” she mutters sullenly.

  “My brother doesn’t do relationships, and I’m not going to be his pimp.”

  “But do you think I could come to that going-away party tomorrow night?”

  I frown. “How do you know about that?”

  “Everyone knows about that.”

  I roll my eyes. “You don’t belong at that party. I don’t belong at that party.”

  “Why not? What’s going to happen there?”

  “The last time Connor threw a get-together, I came home to a naked girl stretched out across the kitchen island and people doing body shots off her. Off every part of her.” I give her a knowing stare.

  Jean’s face pales. “On second thought, I think I’ll stay away.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  I come home to a living room littered with shopping bags.

  “Did you realize how cold it is in Alaska?” Connor exclaims, holding up a fleece sweater. “Even in summer?”

  “I had an idea, yes. I guess you’re packing?”

  “Won’t have time tomorrow, and we leave early Saturday.” He stuffs the sweater into his duffle bag. “So, I’ve written down a bunch of things that I need you to do. Bills to pay, that kind of stuff.”

  “Connor, I do that stuff 75 percent of the time now.”

  He shrugs. “Figured it can’t hurt to have a list.”

  “You’re right. Thanks.” Grabbing a water from the fridge, I turn to head for my room. Ronan must be packing in his room.

  “Oh hey, some guy came by, looking for you.”

  I frown.

  “His name was Kyle, I think?”

  Oh.

  “He said something about helping you study for your exam tomorrow night. He thought you might have forgotten where he lived. Ronan got his number for you. Left it in your room.”

  Shit.

  Connor drops a heap of socks into his bag. “I’m glad to see you’re moving on.”

  “He’s just helping me study for my Economics exam.”

  Connor smirks. “Uh-huh. Well, smart move to be out of here tomorrow because this party is gonna be off the rails!”

  I roll my eyes. “If anyone goes into my room—”

  “No one’s going in your room. Ronan put a lock on it after work today.”

  I peer down the hall to my door. Sure enough, there’s a shiny new handle with a key sitting inside. “Oh, thanks,” I murmur.

  “He seemed like a decent enough guy. A hundred times better than douche bag.”

  “I guess we’ll see. Have fun packing.” I hesitate. “Ronan’s in his room?”

  “He had a few last-minute things to pick up at the store. Everything’s so expensive in Homer, we’re better off flying up with it.”

  I wander down the hall, stealing a glimpse into Ronan’s room to see his black duffle bag packed and sitting on the floor beside his bed. Unexpected sadness fills my heart. He’s only been here two weeks, I was a bitch to him for half that time, and yet I’m going to miss him terribly.

  With a sigh, I head into my room.

  Kyle’s phone number is exactly where Connor said it would be. I recognize Ronan’s neat scrawl.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Ronan slips into my room at midnight and into my bed.

  “Hey.”

  His warm hand slides around my waist to my back. He pulls me closer until we’re both lying on our sides, our chests pressed against each other. We stay like that, quiet, for a long moment, before he leans in to kiss me. “Hey.”

  “You ready for Alaska?”

  “Fuck….” He rolls onto his back with a chuckle. “I still don’t know why I’m going.”

  “Because my brother lured you there with tales of beautiful, loose women?”

  He stretches an arm out and fits it under my head. He pulls me in to rest on his chest. “How did you know?”

  “Wild guess.”

  I hear his hard swallow in the night. “Does that bother you?”

  “Maybe a little bit? But we knew what this was when we started, right?”

  “Right.” He skates a finger across my cheek. “So, Kyle.”

  “Yeah. Kyle.”

  “Could there be something there?”

  “Nah.”

  He sighs. “Ryan.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve just spent the last week fucking you in every position I know, plus a few I didn’t. I can read your body language. And your bullshit.”

  I smile sheepishly, even though he can’t see it. “I met him in the elevator last night. He wanted to get together. He offered to help me study.”

  “Is that what the kids are calling it these days,” Ronan says dryly.

  “Shut up. He was an economics major. I think he actually means to help.” Partly, anyway.

  “I’m just kidding. I think it’s great.”

  “Does it bother you?” I echo his earlier question.

  “Maybe a little bit,” Ronan admits softly, sending a thrill through my body. Whatever I’m feeling for him must be mutual. “But he seems like a good guy. And I like the idea that you’ll know someone in the building.” His fingertips skate over my bare shoulder. “You two have things in common.”

  Unlike us. “I think we do.”

  “You should go and see him tomorrow night. You’re not gonna have any fun here. It’ll only make you angry, and I don’t want to leave with you being angry.”

  “That would mean that tonight’s our last night.”

  He slides one of my nightgown straps down. “You’re right. It would.”

  I close my eyes and inhale the scent of Ronan. It’s odd, how addicted I’ve become to his body. “I’m going to miss you.”

  “And I’ll miss you. But then you and this Kyle guy will hook up and you’ll miss me less.”

  “And you will hook up with half the women in Alaska, and miss me less,” I tease.

  “And Connor will take the other half.”

  “And then you’ll swap.”

  “Probably.” Ronan flinches as I smack him, but he chuckles softly, the deep melody of it comforting to my heart.

  “Thank you, Ronan. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m happy you moved in.” I’m not even sure I actually loved David, after all. How could I have gotten over him so quickly if I did? But I seem to have, because every time I picture myself lying in bed with someone, it’s Ronan who’s next to me.

  “So am I.” He hesitates. “I still love her and miss her like crazy, but you’ve made it easier for me. Thank you.” He presses a kiss against my forehead.

  “You know, you’re a decent guy. In your own twisted way.”

  “Yeah, I hope you still feel that way after tomorrow night. I don’t know what your brother has planned, but I can tell he’s up to something.”

  I groan. “Maybe I’ll stay at a friend’s house.” While I know Ronan will be with other women at some point and soon, I don’t want to bear witness to it.

  I hear him reaching into my nightstand, where he tucked several condoms away. “One more time, for shits and giggles?”

  I straddle his hips this time and close my eyes, reveling the feel of my sinful Wolf crew guy as he sinks deep inside me one last time.

  RONAN

  Chapter 13

  “I’m gonna miss you, man,” Lopez slurs, and leans into me, struggling to reach my shoulder with his arm.

  I hide my smile behind a sip of beer. I don’t fucking know him. I don’t know any of them.
I only came to Miami two weeks ago and I’m leaving for Alaska tomorrow.

  This party is really for Connor anyway, and he seems to be having a great time, over in a corner, pretending to listen to some chick talk while he blatantly stares at her enormous tits, a stupid drunk grin on his face. If I know Connor at all—which oddly I do—he’s planning on motorboating those at some point soon.

  I wander over to the kitchen to dump my empty and collect a few others while I’m there. Half an hour and a few trash bags and we’ll have this place ready for the cleaner. The crowd is thinning somewhat, and I’m okay with that, ready to crash myself. Tomorrow’s going to be a long-ass day.

  Strong hands land on my shoulders. “Dude! You havin’ a good time?”

  I chuckle. “You’re gonna be a fucking wreck on the plane.”

  “No shit. But did you see the tits on Mary?” Connor glances over his shoulder at the girl, who’s talking with her friends. “I think they’re real.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.” They’re real. I pride myself on being able to tell the difference. That, and she already pressed them against me earlier tonight.

  “Hey, has Ryan come home?”

  “Came and left.” She put on a cute little dress that made me want to drag her into her room and bend her over her bed. A pang of disappointment stirs in my stomach, that I won’t feel the inside of her again. She turned out to mean a lot more to me than I expected. Without Tasha in the mix, I might have developed real feelings for Ryan. And who knows? When I come back in September, if I’m single and she’s single... maybe it’ll turn into something more.

  “She coming back tonight?”

  “I don’t know. She’s going to hang out with a guy she met in an elevator last week. You tell me if your sister is gonna bang him or come home.” If this Kyle guy turns out to be a dick to her, I’ll fucking kill him when I come back in the fall.

  “For her sake, I hope she stays away.”

  I frown. “Why?”

  “Because I made plans for you.” Connor nods toward the door, to where Becca the cocktail waitress stands, an orange-and-gold lioness, painted from head to toe, naked except for a pair of heels and her thong.

  “Oh, man….” She’s drifted into my thoughts here and there since that night. I wondered how she was doing.

  She spots me and her face breaks out in a wide smile.

  And my dick instantly swells.

  “Nice, right?”

  “Nice,” I agree.

  “Good.” Connor’s hand tightens on my shoulder. “Maybe now you’ll stop fucking my sister?”

  My mouth drops open as I turn to meet his glare.

  “You two actually thought I wouldn’t figure it out.”

  Shit. “Sorry, man. I… it just….” I’m at a loss for words. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “Because she seemed to be happier. And I knew you’d treat her well.” He slaps my back. “Your lioness is waiting for you. Merry Christmas. See you in the morning. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to wash all that paint off.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  “Let’s go! Cab’s waiting downstairs,” Connor hollers from the kitchen.

  Stuffing my ruined sheets into a trash bag—there’s no way that paint is coming out of them and I don’t give a shit—I sling my duffel bag over my shoulder and walk out of my room.

  Ryan is standing in her doorway, half asleep, her hair mussed. “Hey, I just wanted to say bye.” Her voice has that early morning scratchiness that I love.

  Shit. “I didn’t think you’d come home last night.”

  “It was late. Around four.”

  I heave a sigh of relief. Becca left at three, so Ryan wouldn’t have seen or heard anything. Even though we ended things on Thursday night, I don’t ever want to hurt her. “So... last night was good?”

  Ryan dips her head and smiles. “Kyle seems like a nice guy.”

  “A real prospect?”

  “We’ll see.” She reaches up to smooth the wrinkles in my T-shirt. “I guess you’ve gotta go now.”

  “Yeah. Good luck with your exams.”

  “You kidding? I have my own condo to study in now. I’m gonna ace them.”

  I hesitate, then reach out and pull her to my chest. I press my lips to the top of her head. Her hair smells like her strawberry shampoo. “Take care of yourself, and text me anytime.”

  “You too.” She pulls away and peers over her shoulder. “September, Connor?”

  “Yup. No parties or boys while I’m away.”

  She rolls her eyes.

  “We brought out the trash. Maria will be here around ten to clean.”

  “Oh, yeah. I’m getting someone to come and steam clean the jizz out of the couch, and I’m sending you the bill.”

  “There’s no jizz on the couch,” Connor argues.

  “You didn’t see what I saw when I came home. Believe me, there’s jizz on that couch.”

  “Fine.” Shoving the rest of a banana into his mouth, he nods toward the door.

  “Stay out of trouble,” I say.

  Ryan folds her arms. “I’d say the same to you, but….”

  With a wink, I trail out the door after Connor.

  He slings an arm around my shoulders. “Ready for an adventure?”

  He’s way too loud this early in the morning. I cringe and shove him away. “Don’t make me regret this.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  See more of Connor and Ronan in the Wolf Cove series

  ...And here’s a nice big sneak peek at Wolf Bait (Wolf Cove, Book One)

  Wolf Bait

  Chapter One

  February

  “I didn’t mean for it to happen, Abigail. I swear!”

  “You didn’t mean for it to happen! You didn’t mean to put your...” My words fall apart with my sobs. I can barely see Jed’s face through my tears. Tears that haven’t stopped since I ran for my dorm room earlier today. Tears that have left my skin raw and tight. And every time I think I’m all cried out, the image of Jed and her flashes inside my head and a fresh wave hits.

  I wipe my dripping nose against my sweatshirt sleeve. I’m far past the point of caring what I look like. “Who is she, anyway?”

  “Nobody important.” He brushes his own tears away with his palm and then reaches for my face, cupping my cheeks. “You are my whole life. You’ve always been my whole life. Always! You know that, right? Tell me you know that!”

  I swallow against the sharp knot lodged in my throat but it doesn’t budge. I knew that. Up until today. “Then why would you break my heart?”

  His handsome face flinches as if I’d slapped him. Something I wish I had the nerve to do. “You weren’t supposed to find out.”

  Oh my God! “That makes it better?”

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying.” He hangs his head for a moment. “Look, we’re getting married next year and then it’s just you and me. It’s been just you and me for all these years. And,” he swallows, hesitates, “this is something I’ve been thinking about. A lot, lately.”

  “About cheating on me?”

  “No! About, you know...” He winces. “Sex.”

  That’s what this is all about? “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have—”

  “No, Abigail.” Jed’s face is suddenly stern. “You and me, we’re doin’ it the right way by waiting until we’re man and wife. You’re so innocent. So pure.” He leans forward, pressing his forehead against mine. “It means everything to me that you’ll give that to me on our wedding night. But”—a sheepish look overtakes his face—“I’m a guy. It’s different for me.”

  “How is it different?” Who is this person sitting in front of me?

  “Because we’re weak! This is something I need to do. I need to get this out of my system, or I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake down the road, when it really matters. Trust me on this one. You don’t want me straying later on, when we have kids, do you?”

  I’m listening, but I’m
not believing these words coming out of Jed’s mouth. “So we’re breaking up?”

  “No.” He frowns. “Not exactly. We’re taking a little breather, okay? Just until I can get my head on straight. But we’re meant to be, you and me.” He brushes strands of hair off my face, like he’s done a thousand times. “I’ll come back to you. I promise.”

  I’m so angry and hurt, I can’t even face him anymore, so I fix my eyes on the small gumball machine promise ring he gave me on my sixteenth birthday, my sobs drowning out the rest of his words.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  April

  “Look directly into the camera when you answer the questions,” the woman commands, her cold blue irises piercing behind a pair of trendy horn-rimmed glasses. Between those, her honey-blonde bun, the fitted black business suit and four-inch heels, she could pass for one of those librarian/strippers instead of a corporate recruiter.

  I adjust my practical gold-wire-framed round spectacles. “Okay.”

  She readies the iPhone sitting in the stand for taping while I fidget on my stool, tucking wayward strands of my ginger hair behind my ear and smoothing the wrinkles from my shirt. I didn’t come dressed for a videotaped interview. I figured this job fair would be like any other; I’d wander by some basic booths, collect a few pamphlets, and talk to representatives who want to be anywhere but a Chicago library on a Saturday.

  For the most part, that’s what it is. But the booth for Wolf Hotels is different. It’s three times the size as of the others, with sharply-dressed recruiters and an on-site interviewing station behind a screen, to help speed up the hiring process for those who meet the basic criteria.

  And the only reason I made the basic criteria is because I lied on the paper application that I filled out twenty minutes ago. Now I’m petrified of getting caught.

  “Full name, please.”

  I’ve always hated being on camera. I clear my throat nervously. “Abigail Mitchell. But I go by Abbi,” I’m quick to add. My mama calls me Abigail, and everyone else from my hometown calls me Abigail because of my mama. I’ve never liked it.