Make Me Howl (14 page)

We went back to the living room, where Chase handed us each a flute of champagne, then stayed near me. After taking a sip, Beatrice set hers down. “Let’s go to the party.”

Chase’s hand warmed the small of my back as we made our way to the ballroom, which looked as elegant as any restaurant I’d ever been in. Individual tables were covered with heavy white cloths, crystal vases held fresh flowers and the place settings were heavy silver. The room made me think of pictures I’d seen of expensive ships people traveled before flying was popular.

After taking my seat, I removed my shrug. I turned to Doc, who sat beside me. His gaze was all but aflame. I sat a little straighter and quirked a smile. “Hungry?” I murmured, leaning toward him a bit.

He swallowed, loosened his tie and collar button, then nodded, his gaze never leaving mine. His voice sounded rough. Hoarse. “Yeah.”

“Let’s get our food before the crowd at the buffet tables gets overwhelming.” Beatrice pushed back her chair then gave me a smile. “Come on, Jazzy. You must be famished.”

As we got up, the three Holliday sons jumped from their chairs. Those boys were nothing if not well mannered.

The ship had provided a seafood buffet. I chose lobster and clarified butter. A chef prepared Cesar salad nearby, so when he’d finished, I piled a second plate high with it.

Back at the table, the waiters served champagne. The frown on Beatrice’s face looked as though it might become permanent, until Sam leaned over to whisper something to her.

With a shrug, she nodded at him, then lifted her brows and smiled. I couldn’t be sure what Sam told her, but it seemed to do the trick. Her mood lightened for the rest of the evening.

The orchestra started tuning up and soon music to dine by filled the air.

“I hope you boys will get along okay while we’re gone.” Beatrice put a grilled shrimp in her mouth and chewed for a few moments. “You do have finals coming up.”

Mack shrugged. “Yeah, same as this time last year. Not a problem.”

But Drew wasn’t as casual about it. “If I don’t do well on them, I’m not going back second semester.”

Beatrice drew a breath to answer him, but Sam spoke first. “If you’re having problems, hire a tutor. There’s no reason for you not to do well—unless you aren’t putting your time in studying.”

Mack stared at his plate. “Yeah. But I’m so busy, especially in the fraternity. There’s—”

“You’re at school to get an education. Not to be in a fraternity. If being in that organization is interfering, you can stop being a member. As of now.” The severity of Sam’s tone made me very glad I’d finished school.

Mack held up both hands. “No. No. I think I’ll do okay. It’s just hard.”

“Life is hard. Get used to it.” Sam glanced at me then produced a slight smile before focusing once more on Mack. “We’ll let it drop for now.”

“Good.” The heartfelt word escaped on a sigh, earning Mack a chuckle from the rest of the table, even his father.

“As soon as your mother and I get home, I want an account from both of you. You’d better be diligent.”

When we’d finished eating, and our table had been cleared by the staff, the lights dimmed as the orchestra started playing dance music. Their repertoire was spectacular. They played beautiful tunes from the Twenties all the way up to today.

Mack and Drew noticed several young women on the other size of the room and left us in a hurry. I didn’t expect to see them, except maybe at a distance, for the rest of the evening.

I wasn’t thinking about the boys, though. My mind was consumed with Doc. As he drew me into his arms on the dance floor, he slid his hand inside my dress to rest directly on my waist. The intimacy of his touch in the midst of all those people had me melting against him.

He bent his neck to put his mouth next to my ear. His lips brushed the sensitive spot as he said, “You’re beautiful tonight.”

I could have nestled right there, my head in the hollow of his shoulder, and been content for life—or at least the next several hours. But the music changed and Sam cut in.

“Are you having a good time?” the older man asked.

I nodded. “Very much!”

“I hope you don’t let our two youngest sons scare you away. They’re kind of spoiled, but they come from good stock. They’ll turn out all right.”

I smiled up at him. “They don’t scare me, sir.”

He chuckled at my answer. “I can see that. But please, don’t call me sir. Makes me feel like I’m a hundred and fifty years old. And I won’t be that old until my birthday.”

Surprised at his sense of humor, I laughed louder than the joke warranted, but he didn’t seem to mind. When the song was over, Sam escorted me back to Doc.

The orchestra announced it would take a short break. Doc put his hand along my shoulder. “Want to go out on the deck for some fresh air?” His gaze warmed me all over.

“Let me get my shrug.” I practically gasped the words.

While I slipped it on, Doc told his parents where we were going, and asked if they’d like to go, too.

“No thanks, son. But I saw your brothers sneak out a little while ago. If you find them doing gainers into the ocean, yank ‘em up short. Would you?”

Doc chuckled and nodded, then with his hand on the small of my back, walked with me to the door.

The deck was dimly lit, intentionally I’m sure to give it a romantic atmosphere. And it worked for me. We walked a little way along the deck until we saw the partial moon, making a path across the water.

We found a secluded corner, and Doc was about to take me into his arms when his brothers and a pair of blondes made a noisy return. By the way the brothers argued, I knew they’d had too much to drink. One of the girls lifted something that didn’t smell like a cigarette and took a puff.

Doc stopped them. “Back inside, guys.”

Mack snarled at him. “Why do you think you—”

“I said inside.”

****

Stepping onto the Hollidays’ private jet the next morning for the trip home, I glanced around for a seat. Before I could claim the couch, Mack and Drew hurtled past me and crashed on it.

I chose a comfortable chair that looked as if it might turn into a recliner if I knew the combination. Not that I’d try to sleep. I still buzzed with the evening’s energy.

I’d no more than buckled and settled in when Doc came out of the cabin. After he removed his tuxedo jacket, he sat next to me. Laying the jacket across the arm of an adjacent chair, he loosened his tie and buckled up.

“How old are your brothers?” I asked, keeping my voice soft.

“Old enough to know better than to act like they did tonight.” He scowled and shook his head. “If I’d been that wild at their age, Dad would have… Well, at least they aren’t driving.”

I nodded, as much in sympathy as agreement. “True.”

The jet taxied onto the runway, then lifted off the ground so smoothly, it was hard to tell we were moving.

As we rose in the air, I leaned forward to see the brilliant colors of the sunrise. “Don’t you love this time of morning?”

Doc shook his head, a half smile on his face. “I’m usually asleep about now.”

“So am I. But when I’m not, I love seeing the sun come up.”

The rising sun moved behind us as the pilot angled the plane toward home, so I picked up my overnight case, went to the restroom and changed.

I didn’t sleep the entire trip, but the time passed much quicker going home than it had going out. Before I knew it, we were at the airport and I was being dropped at my car.

“I’d be happy to follow you home.” With Doc’s hair sexily mussed, his five o’clock shadow, wrinkled bow tie and open collar, he looked so hot I could hardly keep my hands off him. How could I tell him no?

Something within me took a step back, letting me see the emerging pattern. The last time I’d seen him, when I’d been at his parents’ house the first time, I’d had a coming-home reaction when his scent reached me. He’d been in the forefront of my mind for the past few weeks. I hadn’t even noticed another good looking man, and normally I have hot guy radar. I’d chatted with almost no one but him on our flight to Miami then danced almost only with him at the party.

My heart thudded slowly as awareness gripped me. The predator in me had chosen him as my mate. Although I knew it could happen, I thought I’d evolved enough from the primitive wolf to control that sort of thing. No, I
knew
I had.
I would control it
.

No matter what, I would choose my husband when I fell in love. I wouldn’t be bound by the he’s-the-alpha-male-who-can-best-take-care-of-me instinct.

Even if it killed me.

“I’ll be fine.” Snatching my bag, I fished out the keys and was in my car before he could do more than blink.

Driving home, I scolded myself. What was I doing, thinking I’d chosen a mate?

Being in heat
during
the Blood Moon Wildness was too much for my system. On top of that, I’d taken this job with Hollidays, while gearing up for the holiday season at the mall had exhausted my system. And that’s all there was to it.

Besides, I was a human first.
Then
a werewolf. Even if it were true I’d chosen him to mate—and I was certain it wasn’t—I could control it. Like a recovering alcoholic controls the longing for a drink. I would be the one in charge of my emotions, not some animal side of me, passed down from ancestors who’d lived in caves.

He would never know.

As I walked into our apartment, I met Bella, awake, dressed and drinking coffee in our kitchen. “Why are you up already? Did your date for last night fall through?”

“I canceled it.” She took a sip then set her cup in its saucer with a shrug. “I wasn’t really excited about a blind date.”

“So what excuse did you give him?”

“I had to work.” She looked a bit sheepish then rushed on. “Doc had a process running in the lab, and I wanted to keep an eye on it for him.”

“Your poor date,” I snarked. “That’s about as lame an excuse as I’ve ever heard.”

“He sounded almost relieved when I called him.” She gave me a weak smile. “So, did all the boys go to Miami to see their parents off?”

“You should have come with us. There was plenty of room on their jet, like Beatrice told you.” I decided to quit skirting the issue. “Spencer decided at the last minute not to go.”

“He did?” Her face brightened momentarily then dimmed as another thought hit. “Did he have a date?”

I shook my head. “I don’t suppose he called you?”

She shifted her gaze away from me. “No.” Her tone dulled.

I tried to wait her out, but she didn’t continue.

Bella had always enjoyed making me sit up and beg when I wanted to know something. Rather than play the same tired game, I changed the subject. “So what kind of process was Doc running?”

She tossed her empty yogurt container in the trash. “A research project, still trying to get isolation.”

“You didn’t do anything?”

“Like what?”

“Destroy it, maybe?”

She lifted an eyebrow as she went into veterinarian mode. “Do you know how unprofessional of me it would be to sabotage his work? Even if I don’t necessarily agree—”

“Agree?” I interrupted, my hackles rising. “He’s trying to eradicate my species, and you’re too professional to do anything?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s not like he’s trying to end your life. He’s only isolating the Syzygia Gene. Big difference.”

“He’s trying to isolate it so he can eradicate it.” Frustrated at Bella’s blank look, I lifted my voice.
“Kill it
. He wants to wipe what and who I am from the face of the earth. A werewolf is who I am.” Making a breakneck decision, I nodded sharply. “I’m going to fulfill my pledge. Starting tomorrow.”

“Your pledge?” Horror crept over her face. “You mean the one you signed at the dedication? You’re going…”

Her voice faded to nothing, so I finished the sentence for her. “Start helping Doc in his lab.”

****

Surprise jolted through Chase and was quickly followed by sharp pleasure when Jazzy walked into his lab early Tuesday morning. His mouth went dry just seeing her. “How did I get lucky enough to see you this morning? Did Bella have car trouble?”

Jazzy’s smile was pure magic as it broadened, lighting up her face. As she shook her head, her hair flipped over her shoulders to curl around her breasts. He tried hard to swallow as he forced his gaze back to her face. “I’ve come to learn my job. Fulfill my volunteer commitment.”

Had her voice always had that smoky quality? It made him want to pull her close, her lips near his ear, so he wouldn’t miss a syllable. He tried to draw a breath, but found the air thick. Uncooperative. Clearing his throat, he tried again to inhale.

Job? Who could work when she was there? Within his reach?
“Great. Then why don’t you put on a lab coat and come he—”

“Clean recovery cages,” Bella all but shouted.

Momentarily confused, he glanced around at the woman. Where had she come from?

Jazzy took a step toward him, a slight frown marring her face. “I’d really rather help in your lab.”