She lowered her eyes to the desk. From his tone, it was obvious that Junaid knew the Association insisted on the chastity of brides. And just a week ago, she’d been in his office, spread across his sofa as he plunged inside her. The memory made her draw a sharp breath. She had run out of the club after discovering what he was, but now, after being in the same room as him again, she couldn’t deny it. She was still attracted to him. Knowing he had a lion inside him, and that he could sprout fangs and claws at any point, should have repulsed her, but it made no difference to the need that raged through her…
She kept her gaze on the desk. If she didn’t look at him, he wouldn’t tempt her…but it didn’t work…it was as if heat traveled across the table, blazing a trail across her body and invading her insides.
Dear lord, please forgive me for my sinful thoughts.
“You have already seen the venue, of course?” asked Junaid.
“I have,” said Michael. “I was with father when we first viewed it. But my bride has not seen it.”
The shifter frowned as he glanced between them both. “You booked it without the bride seeing it?” He cleared his throat and then hid his disapproval behind a smile, but when he stood, his shoulders were stiff and jaw tight as if he gritted his teeth.
He stepped ahead of them to open the door. Michael went out into the corridor first, and as Ivy stepped passed Junaid, her arm brushed against his. At his sharp intake of breath, she looked up. He stared down at her brazenly, as if Michael was not with them.
“Ivy?” Michael’s voice came from a distance. “Ivy?”
She cleared her throat and then glanced at her fiancé. “Coming.”
“You know I have to get back for this meeting, don’t you?”
“Yes…sorry.”
Junaid turned to walk ahead, and Michael and she followed him down the corridor. Her eyes were on Junaid’s broad back and how his muscles tensed under his jacket. She should be focused on the reason she was here, not thinking about how hard his body was under that clothing…
Finally, they were inside the banqueting hall. She gasped as she looked around. She couldn’t believe that John had approved something so beautiful. The white hall was spacious, with gold stenciled designs running along the bottom of its walls. Glass doors ran along the other side of it, looking out over a garden and water fountain. Beyond that, there were views of the river. She’d expected them to go for something austere…but of course, important Association members would be at the ceremony and needed to be impressed.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.
As her gaze traveled the hall, her mouth open, she came face to face with the shifter. His expression had softened and eyes were on her smile. She looked away, darting her eyes here and there, anywhere but at him.
“So we’re happy then, are we?” Michael asked her.
“Yes.”
“Father spoke to you over the phone this morning about all that needs to be done?” She nodded. Only about a zillion times. Michael glanced at his watch. “I need to get going now…but I’m sure you can handle this.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a check book that had her company’s name on it. He wrote out a figure and signed it before handing the check to her. “Remember to get a receipt.”
“Of course,” she murmured.
The check book went back inside his pocket.
“I know my way out from here.” Michael’s voice was considerably colder as he spoke to Junaid. “Could you show Ivy the rest of the venue?”
The fact that he didn’t offer the other man his hand caused an awkward silence, but Junaid was unfazed. When Michael turned to Ivy and kissed her on the cheek, she glanced over his shoulder at Junaid, something close to guilt piercing through her…as if she’d done something wrong. The shifter’s eyes narrowed as if confirming she had.
“Remember,” Michael mentioned as he stepped back. “You need to make sure the blessings are in the right order.” She nodded, not bothering to respond. “And make sure you check the details of the bedding ceremony. It’s one of the most important wedding rituals.”
And after those choice words, he left the hall, leaving Ivy with a flushed face and unable to look at the shifter.
CHAPTER SEVEN
* * *
AS JUNAID SLID OPEN THE glass doors and stepped into the beautiful garden, Ivy close behind him, even the fresh air, sound of running water and beautiful surroundings didn’t take the edge of his mood. As he ran his gaze over perfect flower arrangements and trees that flowed to the ground as if they danced in the wind, part of him was relieved she wasn’t married…but the other part? Pissed.
Why the fuck was she marrying that fool? And she was from the Association? That explained a lot. It explained her tears that night and why she’d been so desperate to have sex with him before she entered the marriage with Michael. That human was a damn fool who wasn’t worthy of her. Such an important time of their life, and all he could think of was getting back to work. Damn it, his idiot father and him didn’t even think it necessary for her to view the wedding venue before they selected it? And why the hell didn’t she put her foot down? She deserved better.
“How long have you been with the Association?” he asked her, breaking the silence between them.
His question startled her, but she recovered quickly, her eyes on the ground. She did that a lot, didn’t she? Avoid his gaze. Did she do that with everyone or was it just him? “I’ve been with them all my life.”
Which meant a lot of work had gone into making her the way she was. But this cold, aloof female—he refused to believe that was the real her. What about the passionate woman who hadn’t given a damn about who watched them as she cozied up to him on the dance floor and reached for his trouser waistband?
No, I can’t let my thoughts go there.
He’d been on edge since Ivy walked into the office and he first realized who she was—the daughter of Harrison. A powerful man whose death had been sudden, and if the rumors were correct, the property he left behind meant that Ivy and her mother had one hell of a financial standing. In other words, she was out of his league.
She walked ahead of him and then paused, her eyes bright as she took in the view of the river stretching out below them. The original hotel owners had bought some of the surrounding land and removed the bars that once lined the riverside, creating a scenic view to be enjoyed by patrons.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she murmured, and there was that smile on her face again, the one that had taken his breath away in the hall. And just like before, it only lasted a few seconds before it disappeared. “Michael mentioned you already have all the details. Perhaps we could go over them?”
“Yes. But would you like to see the rest of the venue first?”
That smile was well and truly gone. “I’m sure it’s as lovely as the areas I’ve already seen. And Michael and John have already seen the building, so I’m sure it’s more than suitable.”
So little interest in the place where the biggest day of her life was to take place.
As they walked back to the office, he suddenly had the need to comfort her…even had the idiotic urge to place his arm around her. But he had no right to do either…she was to be somebody else’s bride in a few weeks.
So what the hell had that bachelorette party been about? Had she gone out specifically to get laid? And then another thought hit him. Would she have fucked anybody that night?
Damn, his lion rose in protest. No way. There had been something between them. He glanced at her face for answers, but it was blank, the way it had been when she walked into his office. Where was that brazen woman who’d melted in his arms?
Inside the office, she took the seat opposite his, saying little as she handed him the deposit check. He frowned at the payer name. Harrison Business Solutions. Her company…so why was her future husband writing out the checks? But it wasn’t his business, so he printed a receipt from his laptop and handed it to her. She took the very edge of it betwee
n her fingers, as if she wanted to avoid any contact.
“I guess we’ll meet at the ceremony,” she mumbled.
And it suddenly hit him. He was going to arrange the bonding of this woman—who he’d been unable to get out of his mind during the last week—to another man. He would arrange her bedding ceremony with sweet-smelling incense and crystals, so that she could climb into a marital bed for that weasel to…damn, he couldn’t even think about it.
“Does Michael know about what happened at Eclipse?”
The question popped out of his mouth before he could stop it, and when her face paled and eyes widened, he had his answer. He sighed, leaning back, his eyes on her. “What the hell are you doing, Ivy?”
It was the first time he’d said her name, and it was strange on his lips. Until now, it had been as if she was an unreal creature, a figment of his imagination who had turned his world upside in a night and disappeared.
Her voice was cold. “That’s nothing to do with you.”
“You’re right. I just find it strange that you’re about to marry Michael when you were fucking me just a week ago.” Her mouth tightened at his words. “And he knows nothing about what’s happened? I know I’m not a human, but what kind of way is this to start your mating?”
“Are you trying to make me feel awkward?”
“I just find the whole situation strange. Answer this, then. Why did you sleep with me that night?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’ve spent the last week regretting it.”
And that pissed his beast off no end. He took a deep breath, willing his lion to calm down. “You don’t mean that.”
“Really? You work at a bloody sex club, and you’re a shifter. Enough reason to regret what happened.”
“It’s not a sex club, and you knew I worked there when you went into my office with me.” He paused. “When you begged me to fuck you.”
She scowled. “I didn’t know you were a shifter, though. If I had, I would never have touched you.”
Damn it, he was done with these humans always having a go at his kind. When would it stop?
And he refused to believe that she wouldn’t have responded to his touch if she knew he was a shifter. “That’s not true, Ivy. You wanted me that night, and you would have fucked me even if you knew who I was.”
“Just because you want it to be true, doesn’t mean it is.” Her fingers drummed an unsteady pattern on the table. “I love Michael.”
Her words nearly made him laugh. “Don’t give me that crap. Both of us know it’s not true.”
“How dare you? That is no way to talk to your client.” She stood. “Thank you for your time. This meeting is over.”
But before she could leave the room, he stepped around the table and placed a hand on the door. “Why does the truth hurt you?”
“None of what you’re saying is the truth. You’re deluded.”
“Prove it, then.” He closed in on her until her back was against the door. He then placed his hands on either side of her head. Her lips parted, her breath coming and going fast.
Damn, you really are beautiful.
He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers, hard enough to linger but gentle enough to tease. When he swept his tongue across her lower lip, she gasped, and at the sound, he lifted his head. Her eyes were wide and pupils dilated as her hands moved up his chest.
His lips curled up in a smile before he moved his mouth to hers again. This time, she pressed against him, and her response drove him to deepen the kiss. He pressed his tongue against her lips, hard and demanding, and when she parted them, he slipped inside her heat. Sliding his hands down her back and to her waist, he brought her closer.
He was already hard, and as she rubbed against his erection, it forced a moan from him. Damn, he practically felt her core whimper against him. Her hands went to his hair, trailing through it, tugging and pulling. As he explored her mouth with his tongue, she sucked it, her lips becoming more needy against his and stoking the same fire that had burned between them that night.
Yes, this was who she was. Not that beaten woman who followed her fiancé’s every instruction.
And that reminded him of why she was here.
When he stood back, her eyes were hooded as she stared up at him.
He ignored the ache that had demanded to be sated over the past week, as he said, “You didn’t know I was a shifter before, Ivy, but you did just now.”
The haze lifted from her eyes, and she pushed at his chest. “So you were just proving a point? This is why humans distrust supernaturals…it’s in your nature to be underhand—”
“Underhand?” He pushed the word through gritted teeth. “Enough with your good girl act. You’re marrying the son of the Manhattan leader. The organization is involved with criminals. Just like your father was…” When she said nothing to dispute his claims, realization dawned upon him. “But you knew that, didn’t you?” He stepped back, running a hand through his hair. “It’s always the same with you people, judging others on their morals and faith, but when it comes to your own benefit, all those lessons conveniently go out of the window.”
“That’s not true.” She placed her hand on the door handle. “Yes, Association members compromise sometimes, but only when it’s for the greater good. On the whole, they—”
“Bull shit. Who the fuck decides on the greater good? It’s all about money and power. Your leaders don’t give a damn about anyone else’s good. You’re happy to marry someone like that, yet I’m not good enough for you, just because of my nature.” Damn, he could punch the wall in frustration.
“You’re right,” she spat, “You’re not good enough for me. You’re an abomination…you go against everything I believe in.”
And with that, she turned and rushed through the door, shutting it behind her.
An abomination?
He wanted to go after her, tell her what a hypocrite she and the other people in her fucked up organization were. But she wasn’t worth it. None of them were.
CHAPTER EIGHT
* * *
SHE WON’T COME.
Junaid knew it, and yet he stood at the rail of the upper landing and stared at the crowd below, wondering if tonight was the night that would break through her ice…stir something in her that might bring her to Freefall. He leaned forward, releasing a deep breath.
She wouldn’t come tonight, either.
And why should she? She’d had her bit of rough, and if he wanted to hold on to his sanity, he needed to let her go. He hardly knew her, so what the fuck was this inexplicable attraction? It wasn’t as if he could even imagine having a human as a mate or something…
There was a touch on his shoulder. “Hey, Junaid, are you all right?” He turned to face Ethen, the fae owner of Eclipse. “You seem a bit distracted recently. Something going on?”
Junaid shook his head. “Nothing more than the usual.”
The fae leaned forward so his elbows also rested on the rail. He remained like that, silent, for a few moments before speaking. “We need you to stay alert, Junaid. You know what’s going on at the moment with the mob and everything. If they target supernaturals, they’ll probably go for Eclipse first.”
“I don’t need telling, Ethen.”
“Part of me wonders if we’re being paranoid—damn, when the Association booking came through for that wedding, Blade was convinced it was a setup of some sort. You’ve been handling the booking…what do you think?”
Junaid would have preferred some elaborate Association ruse to this…to having to face Ivy and her fiancé and watch the asshole kiss her and hold her hand. “It’s a legit wedding. In fact, the bride had her bachelorette party here, at Freefall.”
And he instantly wished he hadn’t said that, because the fae’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “An Association bride came here? I wonder how the other members feel about that.”
“We need to keep it quiet…nobody else knows.”
“Well, as
long as she enjoyed herself. If the rumors about that organization are true, it’s the last bit of fun she’ll be having.”
Junaid was not the only one whose eyes searched the dance floor. When there was a flash of red among the dancing bodies, the fae’s attention went there, and his mouth tightened in anticipation. But the red-haired female in the crowd was not the one Ethen was looking for.
It was a badly kept secret that the fae was interested in a human, Shaz. The best friend of the wolf Shaun’s girlfriend, she had been a regular at Eclipse until she suddenly stopped her visits here. The surprising thing was that they’d never even spoken. According to the wolf, Ethen had seen her once, and he was done for. It was no coincidence that since then, the fae had taken to doing rounds of the various zones. But of course, if you mentioned it, he’d flat out deny that he was interested in a human, a species his kind treated with disdain.
“Why don’t you just ask Angie where Shaz hangs out these days?” said Junaid. If the fae wasn’t so stubborn, Shaun’s girlfriend might even put in a good word for him…
Ethen frowned. “Shaz? Who the hell’s that?”
The fae’s words fooled nobody, not when his hands gripped the rail at the mention of Angie’s red-haired friend.
“Angie’s friend. Red hair, tall, hot…”
Ethen shrugged. “No idea who you’re talking about, mate…”
Junaid would have found the fae’s situation hilarious if he wasn’t hankering after a female himself. At least Ethen wasn’t arranging the wedding of the one he was interested in.
Again, tension gripped Junaid’s chest. Could he really go through with this? But he had no choice, not when Blade had put his trust in him. And Ethen and the demon were both right. They had to watch their backs where powerful human organizations were concerned. And if Ivy could handle her emotions, he damn well could, too…yet…although she was cold toward him in the Phoenix office, she responded to his kiss.
Was he more than a one-night stand, or as she claimed, a mistake? Damn these humans. They were confusing enough without being the religious sort. They were the ones with the real problems.
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