She was surprised when he pressed the eighteenth floor—the top floor—instead of heading down, but didn’t comment.
“Why?”
“I might be Grant’s cousin, a century older than these young pups, and more than qualified for this job, but I’m still the new guy.” He lifted his shoulders in what she knew he meant to be a casual gesture, but was stiff.
“Ah, so some of the wolves have challenged you?”
His lips pulled into a thin line as the elevator stopped. “Not overtly, but it’s coming.”
“It’s better for you to put them in their place now instead of letting it drag out. Why don’t you challenge them?”
His green eyes flashed with surprise as they stepped into the lushly tiled marble hallway. “All of them?”
“Why not? You can let everyone on the security team know they get one chance to challenge you. After they lose, they respect your position and ability to do your job. And if they challenge you again, you reassign them somewhere else. This way you don’t involve Grant and take care of everything without deferring to anyone else. You know shifters. They respect physical strength.” The species didn’t seem to matter and while it sometimes drove her crazy, she understood that in their world, strength was important. They were just hardwired that way.
He was silent for a long moment as he opened the nearest door. There were two penthouse suites on this floor. She’d been in both on the brief tour Grant had given her. Right now her inner jaguar was torn with rage and curiosity. If Asher had brought her here to get her into bed, the sexually frustrated part of her wanted to go for it. But the other part of her was insulted. She decided to hold her tongue until she knew what he was up to.
“You assume I’ll win?” There was real curiosity in his question as he ushered her into the giant living room area of the penthouse.
The beauty of the room was stunning, but she focused on the beautiful man next to her. There wasn’t an ounce of arrogance in that question, as if he really cared about her answer. That surprised her. “Of course. You forget I saw you make that Kodiak submit without even fighting him. Plus…” She bit her lip, unsure how much she should reveal, but then decided to tell him. There was no harm. “One of my jaguar gifts is sensing another being’s power. You could be an alpha if you wanted.”
He didn’t respond to that, but she knew it was true without his confirmation. Being an alpha wasn’t just about strength though. A shifter had to want to do it, to take on the responsibility of an entire pack, to put others’ needs first, to deal with annoying inter-pack or pride squabbles. It wasn’t something she would ever want to take on. Not that she could. She wasn’t physically strong enough and she didn’t have the right personality.
When Asher continued through the living room to the open doors, some of her tension eased. It didn’t seem as if he was leading her to the bedroom. If he’d tried, he’d have gotten clawed for the assumption.
Her eyes widened as they stepped out onto the terrace. A large, round mosaic table with two chairs on either side was set up with two covered silver platters, a bottle of wine and two glasses. She glanced at him, unsure what to think. “You did this? For me?”
He nodded, watching her intently, his green eyes even brighter under the glow of the moonlight. “I knew you didn’t give yourself a break today and thought this would be nice.”
Okay, maybe she’d judged him wrong. Maybe he wasn’t some big player. Or maybe he was an incredibly smooth one. Either way, the gesture was incredibly sweet. “Thank you. This is really thoughtful.” When he held out one of the chairs and seated her, she watched him in stunned silence as he poured the very expensive bottle of wine into their glasses. Then he removed the silver dome covers to their trays and she immediately smiled. Gourmet cheeseburgers and thick cut French fries for both of them. She felt as if she could eat two burgers right now.
Once he’d sat across from her, she devoured him with her eyes. Even in the cold weather he just wore a simple T-shirt and jeans. No leather jacket tonight. It was a sharp contrast to the suit from earlier but just as sexy, especially since it showed off the roped muscles and tattoos on his arms. It didn’t matter what he wore, the man just exuded raw sexuality.
She took a bite and immediately groaned at how good it was. She should have eaten a real meal earlier, but hadn’t wanted to slow down. This was heaven. When she saw Asher watching her intently with primal hunger in his gaze, she realized she was basically making orgasmic sounds after that bite. “Sorry, it’s just really good,” she muttered.
He shifted almost uncomfortably in his seat and shook his head as he picked up his burger.
She knew exactly what he was thinking about too—that night. “Listen, I’m thankful for this gesture and you stopping by my office today. I understand what you’re doing and I hope we can be friends too.” She wasn’t stupid. She understood he was likely doing this because he wanted more than friendship, but something told her he wouldn’t offer her what she wanted long term. The male had been a lone wolf for a long damn time. Sure he’d settled into pack life—for less than a week—but he wasn’t what she was looking for. She might not know exactly what she wanted, but she didn’t want a fling and she didn’t want a fuck buddy. A male like Asher wouldn’t offer her more. She figured her statement would keep things casual.
“Friends?” he growled as he put down his partially eaten burger.
“Yeah.” Liar, liar. Too bad the sexual chemistry arching between them was off the charts. If she could go back in time and erase that night…She still wouldn’t. That realization annoyed her.
That predatory gleam lit up his eyes, making heat rush between her legs. She cursed her body’s reaction. She shouldn’t like it so much, but she couldn’t help it. She’d loved being dominated by him, being on the receiving end of all that power and strength—and too many orgasms to keep track of. No male had ever elicited that sort of reaction from her before.
“You don’t want to be just friends with me.” A low rumble emanated from him and her nipples hardened. Seriously. What was wrong with her?
“Maybe not.” She wouldn’t outright lie. “But I don’t want what you’re offering.”
At that, his expression darkened with hurt for a fraction of an instant, but then it was gone and she wondered if she’d imagined it. She knew she hadn’t though.
Feeling guilty, she said, “I didn’t mean it the way that probably sounded. I just meant… I just want to be friends with you. What we shared in that hotel was beyond amazing, but we’re both new to this pack and settling in and trying to figure things out. I’m not looking for something casual and while my previous behavior says otherwise, I don’t just jump into bed with every sexy wolf I meet in a bar.”
He went impossibly silent for a long moment. “I never assumed you jumped into bed with just anyone. And I’m not looking for anything casual either.”
Oh. She hadn’t seen that coming. Not at all. “What are you looking for?”
The look he gave her pinned her to the spot. “You.”
Tingles raced down her spine at the bold statement. She could take his meaning a few ways and wasn’t sure which one he meant. Since she was too much of a chicken shit to ask, she took a sip of her wine then paid a whole lot of attention to her burger as she tried to dissect what he’d just said.
* * *
The next evening Ella shut her computer down and pushed out a frustrated sigh. She’d planned to stay a few more hours, but she’d been so distracted all day. Technically it was time for her work day to officially end anyway. But her work load seemed to have grown overnight. She couldn’t focus on the numbers anymore though.
And it was all Asher’s fault.
After what he’d said to her last night at dinner, she’d realized she couldn’t fit Asher into some box. She couldn’t pre-judge the type of male he was—even though that would be the easiest thing to do for her sanity—because she’d read him completely wrong. Now she was thinking that maybe, jus
t maybe, he was what she was looking for after all. But if she read him wrong or made the wrong assumption, she’d just get burned again. And Ella wasn’t sure her heart could take it.
Standing, she stretched her legs and contemplated asking Asher if he wanted to go running later tonight. The rest of their dinner last night had been nice, but he’d been almost too polite. And she’d felt awkward after what he’d said because she hadn’t been exactly sure how to take it.
As she grabbed her purse, a soft knock on the door made her tense for all of a second. The knock was way too soft to be Asher. “It’s open,” she called out as she rounded the desk.
A second later Lauren stepped in, glee all over her cousin’s pretty face. “You done for the day?”
Ella nodded. “Yeah, what’s up?”
“Asher has been challenged by five males from the hotel security team. He told them he’s going to accept all their challenges. It’s happening right now.”
“What?” Ella knew Asher could handle himself and she knew a little bit about his time in the military so he was well trained on top of being a strong shifter. The aura of power he possessed was stunning, but it didn’t stop the twinge of worry threading its way through her.
“Grant’s roped off the lowest underground garage and has guards at each door so no humans will stumble into the fighting.” Lauren was practically jumping up and down with excitement.
“What is wrong with you?” Ella demanded as she hurriedly locked the door behind them and headed for the elevators.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen a good fight. And you just know Asher is going to put on a good show. That wolf is built.”
Ella could feel her claws pricking her palms as she fought to get her jaguar under control. She didn’t like any female talking about him, even her happily mated cousin who she loved like a sister. “Better not let your mate hear you say that,” she muttered as she jabbed the elevator button.
Lauren’s eyes widened. “Holy crap! I knew you liked him more than you’ve been pretending. I was just messing with you—not about the fight, that’s really happening.”
Instantly some of Ella’s tension eased, but not all of it. She was still worried about Asher taking on so many shifters one after the other. Especially since she’d suggested it. All she knew was, she was going to be there to make sure he was okay.
Chapter 5
Asher glanced over at his alpha as the fourth challenger limped away from the makeshift fighting ring. The underground parking garage was cold because it was winter, but he wore loose gym shorts and nothing else. With the combination of his shifter blood and his flow of adrenaline, he barely felt the chill in the air.
No one else seemed to feel it either. It seemed as if most of the freaking pack had shown up tonight. And they’d literally just decided to do this less than an hour ago. Shifters loved a good fight. It was in their blood.
Grant gave him a half smile and a nod, which he took as a sort of approval for taking out the first four shifters in less than a minute. When he’d told his cousin he was taking all challenges, Grant hadn’t balked. Because more than most, he understood the need to assert dominance and keep a tight rein on those under him.
Asher was surprised he hadn’t had more challengers. The fighting itself was a waste of time in the physical sense because Asher knew he was going to win. He was older than all five males by at least a century and had spent a hell of a long time in the military. While he wasn’t going to fight dirty, he was simply stronger and more experienced. But, this would give the security team what they wanted. A chance to take him down and to take out some of their aggression. Once he won, he could go about the business of running this place without worrying about being challenged in the future. Or the near future at least.
When the fifth challenger stepped inside the chalk circle, Asher scented her. Ella. He didn’t dare look around to find her because he couldn’t afford the distraction.
But that sun, sand and sex scent rose above everything and everyone else in the garage, wrapping around him. Teasing him. Making his wolf claw against the surface, wanting to show off for his female.
Asher was in complete agreement with his inner beast. It was a total caveman thing, but he wouldn’t attempt to fight biology. Right now he needed to show Ella that he was the most capable male in this garage. That he could protect her against anything.
Davis, the final contender, was about fifty, though he looked to be in his twenties. Over six feet, he was taller than Asher, leaner and in good shape as most shifters were. As Davis moved toward him, slowly circling with an almost feline grace, Asher realized this challenger would be more worthy of a fight than the others.
Good. He needed to let out some aggression too.
Asher kept his hands up in front of him in the standard fighting pose, his body loose and remained light on his feet. Circling with the other wolf, Asher waited, letting him make the first move.
After a few seconds, Davis’s jaw tightened and he struck out with his left fist. Anticipating the blow, Asher dodged to the side with ease.
From there, it was on. Some of Davis’s blows hit their mark and all of Asher’s did. Back and forth, they pummeled each other with brute, shifter force. His stomach and ribs were sore, but he hadn’t taken any hits to the face. And he didn’t plan to.
It was time to wrap this up. Ella’s scent was driving him crazy. He just wanted to end the fight and talk to her. He’d forced himself to stay away from her office all day and his wolf was edgy, needing that contact with her.
As he caught a flash of honey-blonde hair out of the corner of his eye he made his first mistake. He turned to glance at Ella.
And saw her at the edge of the ring talking to Grady, the fourth male he’d defeated. The shirtless shifter was smiling at her and rubbing a hand over his bared stomach as he spoke.
Slam.
His head jerked back as Davis’s fist connected with his jaw. Son of a… Keeping his balance, he let his inner wolf absorb the blow and channel the pain as he turned back to the shifter.
Striking out, Asher slammed his fists into Davis’s face and ribs almost simultaneously. He kept pounding away, ignoring the blows from the other wolf that were growing weaker and weaker until finally the wolf held up his hands in defeat.
Sweaty and panting, Davis dropped his hands when Asher nodded, accepting the other wolf’s defeat. He held out a hand to the wolf and was relieved when Davis grudgingly smiled and took it.
A cheer went up from the crowd, but he tuned everything out as he searched for Ella. As if drawn by a magnet, he found her standing next to Lauren. But Asher barely registered her cousin or anyone else’s presence.
Ella was watching him with wide eyes, but he could see the desire lurking there. He hoped she’d liked what she saw. And he hoped she wanted to run with him tonight. He wanted to see her in her jaguar form, to see both sides of her. He stepped toward her, but jerked to a halt when he felt a small, feminine hand land in the middle of his chest.
Blinking, he realized three female shifters were standing in front of him, all smiling widely. The one with her hand on his chest let it drop, but smiled openly. Flirtatiously.
“We’re all grabbing drinks at Crescent Moon Bar now if you want to join us.” Oh yeah, there was nothing subtle about what she was offering. He could smell the female’s hunger.
While she was attractive, his wolf was instantly repelled. But she was a packmate and his new feelings for Ella didn’t mean he could be a dick to everyone. He cleared his throat and smiled. “Thanks, but I’ve got plans.”
Her smile fell a fraction, but she nodded. “Okay, some other time?”
He grunted noncommittally and turned to look for Ella when one of his challengers stepped in front of him.
“No hard feelings, man,” the wolf said, shaking his hand.
Asher nodded, and continued looking around the garage. When he saw that familiar honey-blonde flash before a set of elevator doors closed, he curs
ed. It didn’t matter that he’d just fought five wolves, his inner wolf was pushing at the surface, edgy. He wanted to go after Ella, but knew that wasn’t the right move.
While he knew a little about why Ella had left her pride, there had to be more to the story than she’d told him. Which hadn’t been much. And there had to be a reason why she was keeping him at arm’s length. The chemistry between them was scorching. There was no sane reason to ignore it. He planned to figure out why she was trying so hard to avoid him and to break down those damn walls she thought she could keep between them.
* * *
Asher stood in front of one of the many panels of video screens in the hotel’s security room.
“She does it again right here,” Davis said, shaking his head slightly as he paused one of the videos. Then he played it back.
Asher’s jaw tightened. He’d seen it the first time. The playback just annoyed him further. A human bartender at one of the hotel restaurants was skimming money and only on cash tickets. She’d print a ticket, then once the customer had paid, delete a drink from the ticket. And she was pocketing the difference. She didn’t do it often enough to be overtly noticeable, but over a long period of time that kind of cash would add up. Not that the amount mattered.
No one stole from the Kincaid pack.
Thankfully, this was a job for the police. “Make copies of all the times we’ve caught her on video for the cops. I’ll go ahead and call them.” As the newest head of security at the hotel he needed to establish a good relationship with local law enforcement since this definitely wouldn’t be the only time they called the police. Pack business, he or Max or Grant would take care of, but this was a human problem.
He scrubbed a hand over his face and froze when he saw Ella appear on screen. She was standing outside the security room talking to one of his guys. The sight of her wearing a formfitting sweater dress and black, knee-high heeled boots made his entire body ache for her.
Frowning, he strode away from the video panel and hurried toward the tinted glass doors. He could see through the doors, but anyone on the other side didn’t have visibility. The previous owners had set it up that way and they planned to keep it.
Tempting His Mate Page 3
