Uncertain Claim

by Rebecca Airies

  Diana stood and slid a wary glance at Gavin. “I’m finished. I just need to get my purse and shoes. Does Steven know I’ll be there? If I don’t show up, he’s likely to send someone out looking for us.”

  “Yes, he’s been informed.” Max nodded.

  Gavin watched her leave the room, torn between the urge to go after her and to pound on Max a little for interrupting them. Part of him insisted that Evan would understand if they were late. He was mated too. The rational part of his mind knew that while Evan would understand the desire, he wouldn’t appreciate the delay.

  “Pushing her and repeatedly insisting she’s your mate isn’t going to solve things, Gavin. Fear isn’t logical and she’s afraid of the rejection she saw coming even the first time she went out with you.”

  “How long were you listening?” Gavin growled, taking a threatening step toward the other man.

  “I did a sweep around the outside of the house before I came inside to check for any sign that someone had been here last night, although nothing was spotted. I heard that part from the window over the kitchen sink. One of them is open a little. I wasn’t eavesdropping.” Max held up his hands and nodded to the curtained window over the sink. It had two panels and one of them was slightly open.

  “Now you’re an expert on women?” Gavin frowned, still in a bad mood.

  “No, I just have a sister. They can be stubborn and sometimes hold onto an idea despite solid proof. Either stick to your plan or fully claim her. If you’re going to give her time, give it to her. Maybe she’ll come to the right conclusions. If not, you can go back to standard werewolf practice.” Max grinned.

  Gavin flipped him off as he left to grab his wallet and slip into his shoulder holster. He was just straightening his gray suit jacket as Diana walked back into the room in her heels. She looked very professional in a gray skirt with a silky pink top. Her purse hung from her shoulder and she looked a little somber and tense.

  He hated that their argument was probably the cause of some of it. He didn’t know what he was going to do. Something had to give. Arguing about it was only going to force the issue if the situation with the woman trying to kill him didn’t. As much as her doubt irritated him and the wolf, he knew that he should keep with the plan.

  The lack of trust did irritate him, but he wanted her to realize that her feelings for him went beyond simple attraction. Although he did admit that gaining her trust would give him immense satisfaction. Regardless of if he was a werewolf or a normal human, she’d be the woman for him.

  She needed time to realize that, especially with the stress from the attacks and the possibility of more danger looming. His intentions were good. The only question was how long he was going to be able to hold onto those good intentions.

  He walked over and put his arm around Diana. She stiffened a little and glanced up at him through the corner of her eye. Maybe she expected him to keep arguing the issue. He didn’t know what she saw, but she relaxed against him and her arm slipped around him. Her fingers curled over his hip and she squeezed just a little. She opened her mouth, but he put a finger on her lips to stop whatever she was going to say.

  “We have time, Diana. You’ll be sure. All of those questions you have will be answered. Hopefully before either of us does something drastic.” His smile was a little rueful. That last bit was more aimed at himself. He’d been close this morning to doing something extreme. His fingers slid over her lips and then cupped her cheek.

  A little of the tension eased from her shoulders and she smiled at him. “How are we going to find those answers, Gavin? It seems impossible.”

  He loved the “we”, but didn’t say anything about her phrasing. “Time, baby, and we’re going to learn more about each other. I think the answers will come to you if we can be patient and keep our tempers under control.”

  “Hustle up, everyone. Evan already knows you’re coming, you don’t want to be any later than you already are.” Max moved up behind them and then went around them.

  Gavin seriously wanted to slam the man’s head into the wall a couple of times. Max kept interrupting them and Gavin could certainly use the exercise and stress relief of a fight. This interruption irritated him even more than the first had. Diana had been relaxed and smiling and now her muscles tightened again with tension. He knew she was thinking of the people after him and what they’d already tried.

  “Tonight, we’ll talk again.” Gavin gave her a quick kiss. He didn’t want to go anywhere, but Evan might have some important news. Hell, maybe the woman had been caught or they at least knew her real name.

  * * * * *

  Diana slid a glance over at Gavin. This wasn’t what she’d expected when she’d been told that they’d be meeting with Evan. She’d thought they’d talk and then she’d go to work. So not what happened. There hadn’t been much talking or explanation.

  She’d been informed that she’d be working here so that the people wouldn’t be able to take her to use against Gavin. They might try that tactic, but she hadn’t expected the situation to be dealt with like this. They’d taken a shot at him only yesterday. Now if they managed to get Gavin, they could very well get to her too. They still had too many options to draw him out another way.

  Still, she couldn’t say she minded staying close to him. Steven sent her work to her. She ran through video on one of the monitors on the six-person, U-shaped station. Gavin scrolled through what looked like random office scenes at the right end of the station and two other people diligently watched the screen in front of them. The array of equipment in the cream-colored room surprised her. It was just as good as what she used at the Protectorate.

  This didn’t seem to be Gavin’s normal duties. He’d restlessly gotten up to pace at least four times and it wasn’t lunchtime yet. Every time he did, he distracted her. He didn’t stop or talk. When he paced, he always managed to come over to her. His hands trailed through her hair or over her shoulders. Not to mention he was gorgeous and she couldn’t resist watching him.

  The first time, he’d startled the hell out of her. She’d been focused on the images in front of her. These had nothing to do with the Gavin or the people after him, which irritated her, but she’d known that she wouldn’t be able to work on that too long, since she was involved. She’d managed to block out the other people in the room and concentrate solely on the scenes and the people in them. When his hand brushed across her shoulder, she jumped and nearly fell out of her chair.

  The way he seemed to gravitate to her intrigued her. The room wasn’t that small. He should be able to pace and not touch her. They could leave the room and walk around the building as long as they didn’t go outside. The hallway offered more room to stretch his legs if he was that restless.

  She wasn’t sure what it meant, but it did make her think and watch. The more she did that, the higher her hopes rose. Maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe she was his mate, like he claimed. That still didn’t explain why he was able to go so slowly about the claiming, if it was true.

  She felt a prickling on the back of her neck. Stopping what she was doing, she turned her head and found Gavin leaning against the wall staring at her. She smiled and shook her head at him. Up again. She looked down at her watch. It was only eleven thirty. He didn’t seem inclined to go sit back down again.

  “Something wrong?” She tilted her head and swiveled the chair to face him.

  He glanced down and a broad smile curved his lips as he saw her bare feet. “Are you ready for lunch?”

  “Our lunch won’t be here until twelve. I’m not going with you to find a closet or something. There are almost as many surveillance cameras here as there are at the Protectorate.” She shook her head firmly. She wasn’t providing endless amusement to his coworkers or becoming an instant web hit if they chose the wrong place.

  The woman working at the station next to her laughed. “That’s what happens when your mate works in the security field, Gavin.”

  Diana raised a brow. She hadn�
��t been introduced as Gavin’s mate. She idly wondered how the woman knew. Maybe Evan had said something about Gavin’s mate working here while they were still in danger. That made sense more than her first suspicion, which was that Gavin had told them. She didn’t know why the idea had popped into her head, but she couldn’t completely put it out of her mind, even though logic dictated it had probably been revealed only today to most of the people here.

  “I helped install those cameras. We wouldn’t get caught.” His lips curved into a wicked smile and he winked at her.

  “Try that on someone who hasn’t heard moans and screams coming from a closet. Listen up, impatient. Not going to be an office joke. Go take a walk along the halls or find someone else to bother. I have work to do, even if you can’t get yours done.” She shook her head and swiveled back to the monitors.

  The woman at the other bank of monitors sounded like she was choking for a minute before full laughter erupted. The man managed to control everything but a big smile. She heard Gavin sigh and then footsteps as he walked over to her. He spun her chair around and stepped forward until their knees brushed.

  “I see I’m going to have to teach you about spontaneity.” He dropped a kiss on her head.

  “I can do spontaneous, Gavin.” She laughed, not at all concerned or guilty. “I just don’t do office entertainment. You think of something kinky that doesn’t involve six people greeting us outside the closet door, maybe holding improvised scorecards, and I’m in.”

  “I’m going to take a walk, see if there’s anything I can help with.” His arms came around her and he squeezed briefly. Before she could think about hugging him back, he walked away.

  “You’re good for him,” the woman said as the door closed behind Gavin.

  Diana spun around and stopped the video. She’d find where she’d left off. Glancing over at the woman, Diana was a little surprised. She’d always thought of it the other way around. He made her a better person in so many ways. Lighter, more open, more ready to try anything, she loved how she felt around him.

  “I’d hoped, but from what I can tell, he’s just a great person.” Diana smiled and slanted a look over at the woman.

  “Oh, he’s a great person and has always had a sense of humor, but you’ve brought something special to him. I want to say focus, but that’s not it exactly. He was already focused. You’ve given him something he didn’t have before.” The other woman tilted her head and looked a little thoughtful. “He’s been that way since he first began telling us about you.”

  Telling them about her? Diana frowned. She opened her mouth and then closed it. No, she wouldn’t ask how long they’d known about her. If she was going to ask that question, she’d ask it of Gavin. It really looked like it was something she was going to have to mention. She wondered if her original suspicions had been wrong. Normally, a werewolf claimed his mate immediately, but a courtship was possible. She hadn’t ever heard it before, but that didn’t mean it was impossible.

  Chapter Eleven

  Diana sat across from Gavin at the kitchen table. She looked at him through her lashes. The questions from earlier in the day kept replaying in her head. She couldn’t stop wondering and she was going to ask him. Drawing her finger over the dark blue tablecloth, she weighed her options. This might not be the best time to mention it, though. They’d had a major argument about the subject only this morning.

  They’d arrived back at the safe house without incident. The moment she’d walked through the safe house door, her muscles relaxed and the ease in tension at her back and between her shoulder blades surprised her. She felt safe here, even if she knew that the more times they went into the city, the greater the likelihood that they’d be followed back or attacked somewhere en route.

  Catching one of these fanatical people offered the best chance to learn more about the splinter group and why or how they were targeting others. Even though she hated the danger to Gavin, they had to take the risk.

  “Much as I like you watching me, is something wrong?” Gavin caught her gaze and raised an eyebrow.

  She grinned as she acknowledged that she had been staring at him for a while. “I don’t want to argue with you again, but I have a few questions. Do you think we can manage to talk about us without pushing each other to the limit?”

  “I think we can give it a good try, and if I begin to get too stressed, I’ll walk around the table, pick you up and kiss you.” Gavin’s head tilted and he took a deep breath as if he was bracing himself for the ordeal.

  “Okay, I’m not saying I’m ready to fully believe that you decided at the start that I deserved better than to be claimed as other werewolves do their mates. Although I have to tell you that there’s something about the idea of a man that intent, that possessive and that hungry for you that he’s ready to pick you up and carry you off that does interest me.” She smiled at the thought. She’d had dreams like that where Gavin just showed up, hauled her into his arms and boldly claimed her.

  Gavin smiled. He leaned back in his chair and looked smug and very satisfied. Very much the predator with the prey beneath his paws. “All right, you’re not saying that, but what do you want to know?”

  “First, how were you planning to tell me eventually that I was your mate? I can’t stop wondering about that, because to me, my time with you was always limited. I never thought it would be more than two months, maybe three if I was lucky, before you moved on to search for your mate.” She bit her lip. She couldn’t imagine a situation where she’d believe him any more than she did when he’d said it after the attack.

  “Well, I’m not sure. I was thinking of admitting it over dinner one night. I wanted to date and give you the romantic moments a human man would.” He shrugged.

  “Yeah, I can tell you right now, we’d be in the same situation that we are now. I wouldn’t believe you. In fact, I’d be pissed. Instead of thinking you might be trying to protect me, I’d probably think that you had decided to settle for second best. That you’d given up trying to find a mate.” She shook her head. His logic still eluded her. She didn’t understand how he thought it would ever work. She had trouble imagining that scene as anything other than some dreamy fantasy.

  He frowned. “You’d have felt how right it was by then.”

  She sighed. Clasping her hands on the tabletop, she met his eyes. “Look, Gavin. Everything felt right from the start, but I always believed I’d have to watch you walk away. I fell hard and knew it was going to hurt in the end. I was making memories to keep when you left. Werewolves don’t waste much time if they’ve found their mate. And hell, who told you that you couldn’t do the romance after you told the woman she was your mate?”

  Gavin blinked and his cheeks darkened. “I didn’t think about that.”

  “I don’t know how it would have gone if you’d told me you were my mate on our first or second date, but at least it would have been out there. You dated me knowing I was your mate, so I assume you could have dated me after you told me.” She played with her silverware a little and fought to keep irritation out of her voice. “You seem to have told everyone but me.”

  He grimaced. “All right, I see that I should have given the idea a little more thought.”

  Not everything he’d done was a mistake. She’d liked so much about the dates, even if she hadn’t known he’d had more in mind than an affair. They both stood to begin clearing the table. She grabbed the plates and slanted a look at him. Maybe they should both relax a little and let this discussion rest for tonight.

  “I like romance, Gavin, and I love what you’ve given me. Tonight, I want some more.” Deliberately, she swept her eyes down his body to the front of his pants. She licked her lips at the sight of the ridge pressing against the cloth.

  Gavin laughed, his mood lightening as she’d expected. “What you want is seduction, not romance, wanton.”

  She grinned. “What’s romance without a little seduction? I know I wouldn’t appreciate it quite as much if I wasn’t a
ble to steal a few kisses or slide my hand into the back of your pants just to tease you as we walk down the street.”

  His eyes gleamed and his head cocked to the side for a moment. “So what do you want to do?”

  “I think you should let me take care of everything.” She winked at him.

  “Now, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. You can be a wicked woman.” He put the dishes into the dishwasher and took the ones in her hand. “Do I want to put myself at your mercy?”

  “Yes, you do.” She waited as he closed the dishwasher and started the wash cycle.

  Stepping close, she put her arms around him and leaned into him. She couldn’t resist resting against his chest. Rubbing her cheek against his shirt, she drew in a deep breath. She loved that spicy, exotic scent. The strong beat of his heart thrummed into her ear.

  She lifted her head and ran her hands over the hard planes. She could feel his heat radiating through the shirt. She wanted that off so she could run her hand over those hard muscles. She skimmed her fingers inward to the buttons. He held still and soon she pushed the material over his shoulders and let it fall to the kitchen floor.

  “How about we take this into the bedroom?” He curled one arm around her back.

  “We don’t need to go to the bedroom. We have all night to work our way back to it, though.” She shook her head. She wanted to make him wild with need. To push him as close to losing control as he would let himself get. He wouldn’t let himself go completely. He still wanted her to have time. That didn’t mean she couldn’t have some fun now.

  He laughed and shook his head at her. “All right, I’m in your hands for now.”

  Dropping a kiss on his chest, she surveyed the wide expanse available for touching and tasting. She almost couldn’t decide what she wanted to do first. Leaning forward, she lapped at the dark circle of his nipple. She teased him, tracing the dark edges, but never flicking her tongue over the hardening nub. His hands tangled in her hair, trying to drag her mouth to where he wanted it.