Blake, Abby - Suddenly Wolf (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (10 page)

The smell of sausages, ham, and eggs was deliciously enticing. She’d never been much of a breakfast eater, but she suspected this might be part of being a werewolf. Xavier held her hand as he led her to the kitchen area, and she was pleasantly surprised that Isaac was the one cooking. She’d feared that in a house so large they might have a cook, or housemaid, or even a butler. Heated embarrassment suffused her face when she remembered what they’d gotten up to last night in the foyer, and she felt doubly glad they didn’t seem to have servants.

Of course memories of last night’s carnal activities made her acutely aware of the fact that she wasn’t wearing panties. All three men in the room turned her way, three near-identical grins aimed in her direction. She dropped her head forward and rubbed her eyes. Even after everything they’d shared last night, she was still embarrassed by her responses to these men.

Xavier reacted almost as if he’d heard her internal thoughts—and perhaps he had. The link between them had been growing stronger all night. In a move so fast she barely saw it coming, he pinned her against the bench, ground his hard denim-clad cock against her pussy, and kissed her like the world was about to end. By the time he let her up for air, she was shaking like a leaf in a windstorm and so needy for her men that she was certain the heated pink of embarrassment covered every inch of skin she owned.

Xavier growled, picked her up, and placed her on a stool at the breakfast bar. “Get over it, sugar,” he said in a thick voice. “Werewolves are very accepting of passionate behavior between mates.”

“Don’t worry, Andrea,” Isaac said as he placed a plate laden with food in front of her. “One full moon will cure this shyness.”

“Full moon? You mean the night I’m supposed to turn into a wolf.”

“Supposed to?” Daegan asked with a laugh. “You still doubt us?”

“Well, no, I guess I don’t. Not really. It’s just a little hard to imagine.” She shrugged. The full moon was nearly three weeks away. She planned to deal with one problem at a time, but she would like a heads-up on how they figured she’d be cured of her shyness. Shyness? Since when had she become a delicate flower? She’d swapped bawdy jokes and teasing jibes with the guys in her precinct without even batting an eyelid. Back then she’d given as good as she’d gotten, so what had changed?

She glanced at all three men watching her expectantly, and she realized the one major difference. Back on the force she’d been one of the group, but here she was center of attention—center of attention for three testosterone-laden, alpha-male types all willing to share her. She fanned herself with her hand. Hell, had it just gotten way hotter in here?

Daegan wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressed a kiss to her temple, and advised her to eat. “We need to be on the road in fifteen minutes,” Isaac added, glancing at his watch.

She practically wolfed down her food, almost giggling at her own silly pun, before it occurred to her that she had no idea what Xavier would be doing today. “Will I see you tonight?”

“Probably not,” Xavier said as he finished his own breakfast and pulled her onto his lap. She straddled his thighs, her arms going around his neck as he pressed another hard kiss to her mouth. When he’d somehow managed to suck all the air out of the room, he moved her slightly away and pressed his forehead against her own. “I’ve got a really tight schedule the rest of this week, but I’ll try to clear a couple of days at the beginning of next week.”

“Don’t try. Do.”

Xavier laughed and pulled her closer. “Yes, boss,” he said in an indulgent tone of voice. He lifted her off his lap, placed her on her feet, and gave her a look that made heat curl through her belly. “I’ll clear my schedule. You go pack up your shop.”

“But…” Her words trailed off as he shook his head. He didn’t look any happier about it than she did, but it seemed to be something he wasn’t willing to negotiate on. Well, that was too damn bad. Even if she wanted to sell her jewelry store—and she most emphatically did not—it took more than three weeks to find a buyer, get all the paperwork done, and close off that part of her life. She had no intention of walking away from everything she’d worked so hard to achieve. She’d alter, she’d bend, she’d change a little and compromise, but there was no way she was giving up everything that made her the person she was before meeting them.

* * * *

Five hours later Daegan could still sense Andrea’s anger as he watched her deal with a customer. The argument had been swift and angry and full of hurt feelings and unsure reactions. It probably sounded opportunistic and self-serving, but he’d stepped back and let his brothers handle it. Xavier had gone all alpha werewolf on her and started giving orders. She’d reacted by defying him even more, digging in her heels, and refusing to compromise one iota.

Isaac had stepped into the fray, trying to calm the situation, but had ended up on the receiving end of both their considerable tempers.

Daegan had remained quiet, seeing the argument from all sides, and in some ways understanding that it was necessary. Xavier would never be happy with a mate who let him order her around. He needed Andrea for her strength and her ability not to be intimidated by him. She knew he was in charge of the whole pack, but it didn’t mean she was going to docilely accept his decrees—especially when he was acting like a dick.

Daegan couldn’t quite stifle the urge to laugh. Xavier sure wasn’t used to compromise. It simply reiterated that he needed a strong mate who could make him think differently. Yes, Andrea was the perfect match for Xavier. Fortunately, she was perfect for Daegan and Isaac, too.

“No worries, Mrs. Thomson. I’ll have this repaired by Monday,” Andrea said as she finished making notes about the watch the older lady had brought in.

“Thank you, dear. It’s so wonderful to have a jeweler in town that we can trust.” Andrea smiled and followed the lady to the door, but the older woman turned at the last moment, pinned Daegan with her stare, and added, “And it was delightful to meet your new beau. You take care of her now, young man.”

“I will, Mrs. Thomson,” Daegan promised with a grin. Wouldn’t the old lady be surprised to discover that her trusted jeweler was now a werewolf and had three new boyfriends, not just one? As soon as Mrs. Thomson was out of the shop, Daegan cornered Andrea and pulled her into his arms. He could still feel her anger from this morning’s argument, but at least she was willing to hug him back.

Isaac had made himself scarce for most of the morning, finally realizing that Andrea needed space, not consoling. Thanks to the mating link, it was becoming easier to understand what Andrea was thinking and feeling. They just didn’t know why.

“Lunch is ready,”
Isaac called through their link.

“Isaac said lunch is ready,” Andrea informed him.

“I know.”

“How do you know? Does the mating link build between my mates as well?” She seemed more curious than pissed, so he tried to explain something that he and his twin had kept hidden from all but a trusted few.

“Isaac and I have always been able to communicate telepathically. We’re not sure why or how, but it might have something to do with the legends and superstitions surrounding identical twin werewolves.”

“So, Xavier?”

“Can’t hear us, no. But he can hear you. When the mating link is at its strongest, he’ll even be able to hear you from this distance.”

She half smiled, half grimaced. “It’s probably a good thing that he can’t hear me today. I was kind of a bitch this morning.”

“Yeah, well, he deserved it. He’s the alpha, so he’s used to getting his own way, but he’s usually more diplomatic. To be honest, I’ve never seen him act quite so out of character. One of his strengths as a leader has always been to see an argument from all sides, and then do what’s best for the pack. He rarely uses his position to get his own way.”

She giggled softly and pressed close to his side as they headed up the stairs to her apartment. “So what you’re saying is I manage to bring out the worst in him.”

“Pretty much.”

Chapter Six

Xavier had been biting heads off all day. Okay, it wasn’t the literal biting of heads, but if he let his wolf side have his way, it just might lead to bloodshed. Three days. Three long, irritating, infuriating days without his mate. How had he lived so long before meeting her?

The worst part was that they hadn’t even spoken since their argument Wednesday morning, so he had no idea what the woman was thinking. When he’d rung Daegan, his younger brother had simply told him everything was under control. Under control? What the hell did that mean anyway?

He growled, stood up so fast his chair hit the wall behind him, stalked around the desk, and started pacing. Maybe he should go for a run. Maybe even do a little hunting in wolf form. Maybe he needed to just simply pound out his frustrations in the gym. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d actually had a vacation.

“Grace!” he yelled impatiently to his secretary. He heard her hurried movement and regretted frightening the poor woman for the millionth time today. Grace was a good secretary, an efficient administrator, and a close friend of his mother’s. If he didn’t settle down, he was liable to scare the poor woman to death.

“Yes, Mr. Cloveck?” Oh shit, it was even worse than he realized. Grace often addressed him formally in front of clients but never when it was just the two of them. Thanks to his wolf senses, he could also smell her fear. Damn it.

He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and headed back to his desk. He had a feeling his secretary would be more comfortable if he stayed on the other side of the furniture.

“Grace, can you clear my schedule for the next few days, please?”

“Of course. I’ve already cleared Monday to Wednesday of next week. I’ll move this weekend’s appointments to early the week after.” The woman seemed rather relieved despite the huge amount of work he was asking from her. She’d likely have to work late tonight to juggle his schedule around, but it would seem she preferred it over dealing with his growly attitude. No doubt his efficient, if somewhat timid, secretary was looking forward to a long, long, long weekend far away from him.

“Thank you, Grace.” She nodded and turned to leave the room. “And Grace,” he added just before she stepped out the door, “I’m sorry for the past couple of days.”

Grace gave him a shy, lopsided smile, nodded, and left the room.

Now, if only his mate would accept his apology as graciously.

* * * *

Andrea glanced up at Isaac and frowned. “When did Xavier say he was coming?”

“Sunday night. Why?”

Her newly acquired werewolf senses must be off. She could swear she felt the man close enough to nearly touch. Almost as if he were in the same room. A sudden loud banging on the door downstairs nearly scared the crap out of her.

“Andrea, open the door.”

She was so glad to hear his voice that she almost forgave him the tone—almost. But if he was here to continue Wednesday morning’s argument, she was more than ready to argue back. She stood up, but Isaac grabbed her hand to stop her. “Daegan will get it. The shop’s closed, and it’s already dark outside. The last thing we need is you getting shot in another armed robbery.”

She rolled her eyes at his overprotective attitude, even if it did melt her heart just a little. “It’s Xavier.”

“Oh, well in that case. Can I watch while you kick his stubborn ass?”

“Of course,” she said with a mischievous smile. She really hoped he wasn’t here to start another argument, or, more correctly, to finish the last. She’d missed him too damn much to want to waste whatever precious hours he could spare fighting with the man.

By the time they got to the bottom of the stairs, Daegan had let Xavier in, and the man was stalking toward her. He didn’t stop until he gathered her in his embrace, kissed her like he wanted to inhale her, and then lifted her into his arms. He practically had her stripped bare by the time they entered the bedroom. He dropped her in the middle of the bed, dragged his own clothes off and covered her with his body.

“I missed you,” he said on a ragged breath a moment before he snaked his tongue back into her mouth and sent every one of her senses reeling.

“I missed you, too,”
she sent telepathically, unwilling to break the incredible kiss just to say a few words.

“I need you,”
he said a moment before he lifted her hips and plunged his thick cock into her pussy. She squealed at the rough intrusion, but he swallowed the noise as he thrust harder and harder into her body.