Ruling Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 4) (9 page)

Brock growled and Elsie crossed her arms over her chest. “You’d be lucky if I threw a ball for you.”

Russell just shrugged. “I’d stay away from the house for a bit if I were you. Dani is throwing a fit and I’m not sure if Gloria will make it through the morning without strangling her.”

“Scared off by a teenage girl?” taunted Elsie. Immediately she wished she’d kept her mouth shut.

He smirked at her. “More like a strategic retreat. Observe.” He continued to walk past her.

She turned and watched him go, wondering who’d come out on top during their small war of words. He was the one walking away, but Elsie couldn’t help but feel as though he was formulating ways to make her life a living hell.

“Don’t worry about him,” said Brock from behind her.

Elsie gasped and jumped around, half expecting to see the wolf still there. Proving her theory that wolves couldn’t speak was Brock standing in front of her in all his naked glory.

“Oh my God!” Elsie whipped back around as the image of her boss bare as the day he was born burned into her memory.

He chuckled at her reaction.

The sound only made the red on her cheeks get deeper. “Very funny,” she murmured.

Mate or not, she’d never seen a naked man before. Sure, she had watched movies and the Internet had shown her things she wished she could un-see, but never in person.

And none as beautiful as him.

Men didn’t like to be called beautiful. They liked to be called handsome, strapping, strong, masculine, and maybe even badass. Brock might be all those things, but beautiful really was the perfect word to describe the rippling muscles. The perfect amount of hair dusting his chest and leading to his particularly large cock that rested between his legs.

This was her mate? She was supposed to, well,
mate
with him? Men like him were supposed to mate with beautiful and experienced women. Someone strong enough to know what to do with so much man.

She barely knew how to kiss. What would his face look like when he realized just how inexperienced she was?

Sure, she’d told him she was a virgin, but men always liked the idea of being the first. The actuality of it was different. She didn’t know what to do with her hands or mouth.

Things like a blow job sounded easy enough, but it couldn’t be as simple as just putting her mouth over his penis and moving up and down. There were techniques and tricks Elsie couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“You can turn around now. I’m decent. Promise.”

Elsie’s eyes widened.
Oh God.
When had she started thinking about blow jobs?

“Sorry for the overreaction. I was just surprised.” She tried to put her cool and aloof smile on.
Naked guy? No problem. I can totally handle that without having a nervous breakdown.

He was just buttoning his pants as she turned and reached for his shirt. “So, you’re still you when you’re furry? You still remember everything?” She refused to be sad when he covered his beautiful abs.

“I remember Russell being a dick,” he said.

Elsie smiled, relieved she wasn’t the only one who thought so. “It’s not his fault. I think it’s his only setting.”

Brock snorted. “No. He can be a great guy. For some reason, he doesn’t like you.”

“Dani likes me and I’m fairly certain you are okay with me. Lana and Russell both think I’m the spawn of Satan. Gloria?”

“Who knows. She hasn’t mentioned you to me in a good or bad way. She just wants the family to get along so she is going to tread carefully so she doesn’t piss anyone off.” Brock slipped into his shoes that fell off when he turned. “I’m not completely me when I turn.”

Great. She’d just been completely vulnerable with something that didn’t have complete control of itself. She waited for him to continue.

“I remember who I am, family and all that, but my mind doesn’t work the same way. Decisions aren’t as logical. They are instinctual. All my inhibitions seem to go away.”

Elsie raised an eyebrow. “So you are a drunken huge wolf? Maybe I should’ve been told this before I was rubbing my hands all over you.” Her palm went to her forehead as she realized what she said. “Please tell me that wasn’t sexual!”

Brock threw his head back and let out a deep laughter. “No! We don’t do the animal and human sex thing. No worries.” Elsie breathed a sigh of relief and he added, “Don’t get me wrong. I still get turned on by your hands, but it just made me want to turn human, pull you to the ground and take you right here.”

And the blush was back. To avoid looking at him, her eyes went to the ground. Of course, once she looked there, all she could see was Brock on top of her, pulling down her shorts and spreading her legs as his naked hips moved straight to her—

“We should go inside. Russell mentioned there was some drama.” Without waiting for a response, Elsie turned for the house.

What had Russell called it? A strategic retreat.

CHAPTER TEN

Elsie made her way to the couch, but Brock put a gentle hand on her arm and led her to the loveseat. A part of her wanted to run for the couch. 
Loveseat.
  Even the name made it sound like a couple’s chair.

To save her from her sudden chair claustrophobia, Brock didn’t sit down with her. “I’m going to grab some water. Did you want some water or tea?”

Did Brock know she drank tea? Did he watch her that closely when he visited the plant or was he just asking to be polite? It wasn’t as though tea was that uncommon of a drink. Realizing she hadn’t answered, Elsie quickly said, “Tea please. Lots of sugar.”

He nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. Dani sat tucked into the corner of the couch, arms crossed over her chest, and stared at the floor as though she wanted it to catch on fire.

Hell hath no fury like a hormonal teenager.

“So, Brock said you don’t like your dress?”

Dani turned her angry glare to Elsie. “It’s horrible. I found it online and it was the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. It sparkled and the model looked like a damn fairy princess. I look like crap.” Elsie started to say something comforting, but Dani continued. “I know I’m no model, but I am definitely thin enough to pull it off, you know? I don’t understand what is so different. Why I can’t look good in the same dress.”

“Being thin isn’t the only measure of beauty. There are plenty of other factors.”

Dani gave Elsie a glare as if to say
How stupid do you think I am?

“It’s true. Hair, body type, skin tone, physicality, and personality are all factors and the weights of those factors are dependent on the person judging the beauty. That’s why they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

“You really are an accountant,” muttered Dani.

At that moment, Gloria made her way down the stairs, carrying a large garment bag. “Here we are,” she announced.

The plastic rustled as she lifted the bag off and revealed the gown that was the subject of so much debate.

Elsie could see why Dani fell in love with the dress. The soft pink was delicate and feminine. The crystals sewn intricately into the material formed a dazzling and hypnotizing design. It must’ve cost a fortune.

Gloria looked to Elsie expectantly. “Brock said you’re good at this stuff. Tell Dani that this dress is amazing and she should be happy to wear it.”

Elsie nervously gulped and looked between the mother and daughter. No matter what she said, someone was going to leave angry. Footsteps sounded behind her and Brock walked back into the room. He gave her a weak smile of support.

“Well, it is a beautiful gown. It’s obviously constructed well.” Gloria smiled and looked to Dani. “But, the color is a problem.”

Dani and Gloria’s gazes both shot back to Elsie. “What?” asked Gloria. “The color is gorgeous.”

“It’s gorgeous on its own. But Dani has pale hair and a fair complexion with pink undertones. This is a great combination and is one of the reasons she is so pretty. However, if she wears such a pale pink, it will completely wash her out. So her amazing complexion actually makes her look worse instead of better.”

Dani jumped off the couch, fist pumping in the air. “So I’m not crazy?”

“You’re not crazy, but you are in a time crunch. Did you have a hair appointment scheduled?”

“Yeah, but we can cancel.” Dani took the dress and started to wrap it back in the bag, apparently unable to look at it any longer.

“No. You go. While you’re there, I’ll find another dress. Then we can meet back here to do your makeup.”

Dani turned back around. “What are you talking about? If I don’t have a dress, I can’t go.”

Elsie raised a brow. Maybe this was about more than a dress. “You’ll have a dress. Trust me. I’ve been to so many formal events in the past ten years, I could style you with my eyes closed.”

Dani looked as though she wanted to argue, but decided against it and pushed the dress into her mother’s hands before she ran upstairs. Gloria gave Elsie a questioning glance. “You really don’t have to do all this. We bought her this dress and she’ll just have to wear it.”

She didn’t have to, but it would be good to get the youngest of the werewolf royal family alone for a few hours. Besides, makeovers were always fun.

“It’s really no problem. It will be nice for us to spend some time together.” Gloria still looked hesitant. “Trust me, we’ll have fun.” Then she went in for the kill. “I’m kind of her aunt now.”

Brock came up from behind Elsie. “Let the girls go out. They can get to know each other. It’ll be good for both of them.”

Gloria pursed her lips. “If you insist. I’ll help her get ready.”

As she retreated up the stairs, Elsie turned to Brock. “What was that about? I kind of thought Gloria liked me.”

“She does. She’s just overprotective of Dani. We’ve gone through a lot of trouble to make sure Dani stays away from her father and all the chaos he brought with him.”

It’s hard enough being a single mother. Let alone when the dad wants to kill half the family. “Has Dani ever met her father?”

“I don’t think so. Gloria was pretty distant after she was born. She might have tried to make things work with Derek. If Dani ever did meet him, it was at least ten years ago.”

Elsie’s heart broke for the teen. It must’ve shown, because Brock wrapped his big arms around her. She wanted to relax into his strength and accept the comforting touch, but her muscles stiffened and back tensed.

They could play house all they wanted, but he was still more like her boss than her mate.

He didn’t force her into the hug. “Don’t think about it. She has a great family who loves her. Besides, I have a present.”

She pulled back. “A present?”

He pulled a cell phone out of his back pocket. “To replace the one I broke. Your mother had all your info transferred over and shipped it as soon as it was ready. She wanted to deliver it in person, but I thought you might need a break from her.”

“Probably best for her safety.” Elsie grabbed the shiny black smartphone. It was the same model as her old one. She unlocked the main menu and groaned. “Ten voicemails. Great.”

“Your family’s worried about you.”

Elsie snorted. “Yeah right. You know these are all from work. Whatever. I don’t have time to deal with their crap right now.” As she realized who she was talking to, Elsie’s eyes widened and she scanned Brock’s face for any sign of anger. “I mean, I’ll have to get to it later.”

Brock smiled at her horrible attempt at saving face. “Tomorrow we’ll probably both need to head back to Jersey. The plant might literally be falling apart without you there.”

“It’s nice to have something to look forward to,” she said sardonically.

“Figured you’d enjoy that. I programmed everyone’s number in your phone. If you need to get a hold of Russell, Gloria, or me, we’re right there.”

Elsie rolled her eyes. “I’m sure Russell would love me calling him.”

“Russell likes you just fine.” Elsie raised a brow. “Russell will like you. Once he gets used to the idea of me being mated and gets to know you.”

“If you say so.” Somehow she doubted Russell would be singing her praises any time soon. “So am I allowed to take a car or do I need a driver?”

“As long as you promise you’re coming back.”

“Hey. You have my dog, remember? He’s the perfect hostage.” As though he knew they were talking about him, Riggs ran through the open back door, tongue flapping out and tail wagging madly.

“At this rate, he might not let you take him from the cabin,” muttered Brock.

Elsie knelt and Riggs ran into her arms. “You’re a city dog, okay? You remember that.”

He sat his big butt on the floor and leaned all his weight against Elsie. “He’ll be happy as long as he’s with you,” said Brock.

“He better be. We’re partners in crime.” She looked at the time on her cell phone, suddenly realizing how reliant she was on the damn thing, and gently pushed Riggs away. “I need to get ready. I’ll call my dress guy and see if he has any recommendations for where I should go. Do you know if Dani has her measurements written down?”

The blank stare Brock gave was answer enough. “Right. I’ll ask her.”

Brock breathed a mock sigh of relief. “You have a dress guy?”

“I wear a lot of dresses. It’s nice to have someone who knows my size and exactly what I like. Do werewolves have as many parties as vampires? I swear I’m heading out to the city for something every other weekend. Of course, half of it was Mother trying to marry me off.”

Brock smirked. “Oh no. You might have to fire your dress guy.”

An exaggerated look of fear covered Elsie’s face. “Not the dress guy! I need my dress guy!” She smiled at her own joke as she headed toward the stairs. “I need to focus now. A lot to do and not a lot of time to do it.”

~~~~~

Elsie stepped back and admired her work. Pride might be one of the seven deadly sins, but it was one of Elsie’s favorite emotions.

Girl looked fierce.

The original dress had been delicate and princess-like. Dani was no wilting flower. She was a fighter.

Even though she didn’t know what Dani’s dress would look like, Elsie directed the hairstylist to pull Dani’s long blonde hair into a high and tight ponytail, with a few natural-looking extensions in to make the mane look extra thick.

It had taken her three hours and five different dress shops, but Elsie finally found the perfect dress. The floor-length, vibrant dark-blue gown was rather simple but did exactly what a great dress did. Made everyone look.

It was tight enough to show off Dani’s curves but high enough that no indecent skin was showing.

Elsie turned Dani’s head as she spread out a thin layer of foundation. “So are you excited about the dance?”

Dani looked away from Elsie. She had been avoiding talking about the dance all night. Mainly she talked about how awesome Brock was and how great they were as a couple.

It was nice to know at least one of his family members didn’t hate her. But the more she avoided talking about the dance, the more convinced Elsie was that something was bothering her.

“You really do this stuff all the time?” she asked.

Another evasion. “Not quite as much as I used to, but those vampires love to party.”

“Vampires. That’s so cool.” Her eyes glossed over as though she was imagining herself surrounded by the high council

“It was definitely unique. Some would say growing up with werewolf royalty is pretty cool too.” Elsie put down the foundation and reached for a soft peach blush.

Dani snorted. “Right. All I have is an overprotective mother and the need to get naked in the woods and run around.”

“It seems like it would be fun. Brock said it frees him.”

Dani closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “It is. It’s just…normal teenagers might have a temper tantrum and curse at their mothers. I turn into a dog. Last spring, this girl at school made me so mad, I almost turned. Right in front of everyone! It would’ve been so embarrassing.”

Embarrassing? Try PR nightmare.
Elsie didn’t even want to know what tricks Brock had up his sleeve to keep those types of sightings out of the public eye. Would he allow any witnesses to survive?

A great question to ask before she bonded herself to him.

“What did the girl do to upset you?”

Dani shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

“You just told me you almost turned because you were so angry. Obviously it was something.”

“The other students don’t know much about me. What can I really share? I can’t talk about my dad. I can’t talk about why I spend so much time out in the middle of nowhere. Everything is lies. I’d rather not say anything at all. On top of that, I always wear loose clothes for an easy transformation, so I never look as trendy as the other girls. I guess some of the girls have a theory that I’m poor. It’s a private school and tuition isn’t cheap. I kind of knew there was class warfare, but didn’t realize how bad it was until everyone turned on me. I even had a date for tonight, but after Andrea started telling the whole school about how poor I was, he ‘suddenly backed out.’ It’s such bullshit.”

Elsie frowned at the story. “The school turned on you because they think you’re poor? That is bullshit.”

Dani laughed at Elsie’s cuss. “It’s worse. They don’t even think I’m poor necessarily. They just think I’m middle class and that’s enough to hate me, I guess.”

Elsie finished a brightening but natural eye shadow and reached for the black eyeliner. “Well, I can’t guarantee you’ll have more friends after tonight, but I can guarantee you’ll look fantastic. Like, not just good. You will look like you just stepped off the cover of a magazine. You are already pretty, so all this crap,” she waved the eyeliner in the air for emphasis, “just enhances all your natural beauty.”

Dani beamed at the praise. “Thanks,” she muttered.

After a coat of mascara heavy enough to make Dani’s lashes look fake, Elsie reached for a wine-colored lipstick.