Unforgiven (45 page)

“The hall?” He raised one eyebrow in question.

Kathleen gulped and opened her dry lips. She licked them slowly, trying to find a brain cell to use.

She watched as the man who seemed to fill the entire room with his physique and his personality waited for her to speak.

“There was a guy at the meat market . . . party, I mean. He thought to claim me—”

“Why? You aren’t even his,” he interrupted.

She jerked. How the hell would he know that? “He, um, he seemed to think I was. Though I quickly surmised he was quite wrong myself.” Surmised?
What’s coming out of my mouth?

“Go on.” His face went back to frustrated. He didn’t look as sexy with his brow furrowed like that.

“He snuck up behind me at the party, grabbed my hand, and dragged me into the hall.”

“Are you serious? Who is this guy?” Tall and handsome stood and began to pace. He ran his fingers through his messy blond locks again, making himself more appealing and sexy than before.

“No idea. Marcus something. He didn’t give me his last name.”

“Go on,” he demanded again, pausing his frantic pacing to stare at her. “You popped in here as though the hounds of hell were on your heels.”

Now her entire mouth felt too dry to speak. If he reacted this way to the first half of the saga, how would he react to the second half? She needed a drink of water. She wasn’t about to ask for one though. He didn’t strike her as the kind of person she should interrupt. “He insisted I was his, mumbled something about my sister, and then tried to kiss me.”

“He kissed you?” The man barked, his voice cracking at a higher pitch than he was capable of. He leaned forward, his neck craning as though he’d misheard her words.

“Sort of,” she mumbled, biting her lip. “He tried. His breath reeked, and I kneed him in the groin and then ran down the hall.”

Tall, dark, and handsome tipped his head back and chuckled again. “Good girl. I hope you maimed him.”

“I don’t think so. He was chasing me. That’s why I slipped into this room. Didn’t mean to disturb you.” She stood again, thinking to escape. The air in the room was filled with his scent, and she quickly lost the capacity to reason under the strange spell this man cast on her.

In a flash, he was in front of her, pressing her into the chair with his hands on her shoulders.

She gasped, fear running down her spine. Her memory lingered on the strange man-child in the hall who’d attempted to subdue her minutes ago. Somehow the creepy Marcus seemed to be closer to twelve years old than an adult.

He released her just as fast and sat on the coffee table in front of her. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. Don’t leave yet.” He looked at the ceiling for a moment before continuing. “It might not be safe,” he added.

Was this man any safer than the last?

It seemed more prudent to sit still than to argue with him right now. At least he wasn’t currently restraining her in any way.

Kathleen leaned back. She felt crowded by Mr. Gorgeous. He took up so damn much space. The room was huge, but he filled it.

“Where do you live?” he asked.

“Here. About fifteen minutes away. You?”

He didn’t answer. Why were all the questions directed toward her alone?

“You haven’t told me how old you are.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the action.

“Why? What does it matter to you?” She felt as defiant as he seemed to think she was. She didn’t want to answer any more of his questions. He’d told her nothing about himself. Was this a job interview?

He inhaled long and slow and then stood. He spoke to the room at large. “Great. Just great. I avoid wolf crowds for all these years, and some tiny pixy half my age chooses this room of all the rooms in the building to pop into and suck the air out of my life. Ain’t life full of surprises?”

What the fuck? What was he rambling on about?

He was the most infuriating man on the planet.

“Be right back,” he stated as he walked toward the door. “Don’t move an inch.” He turned toward her, narrowing his gaze once more as though his look alone usually demanded no argument from most people.

She was inclined to agree.

He twisted the lock, opened the door, and stepped into the hall, shutting himself out of the room.

Seconds ticked by. A minute. Two. Kathleen sat in silence, waiting. Because he said so. And it pissed her off. Who was this man?

Finally, the door opened once again, making her jumpy. She exhaled when she saw who it was, not sure if she should be relieved or depressed to find the giant blond man reentering her space.

“I think the coast is clear. No one’s out there now. Whoever this Marcus is, I guess you sent him running.” He stepped toward her and handed her a card. “Here’s my card. Call if you have any problems. I’ll try to figure out who accosted you and make sure it doesn’t happen again.” He slipped his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels as she took the card. “Are you with your parents?”

“Yes,” she whispered, somehow feeling about five years old.

“Well, go back to them right now. Don’t take any chances. Got it?”

“I’m not a child.” She felt the need to defend herself.

He smiled, a condescending look that could cut someone to the quick. “To me you are.”

What’s that supposed to mean?

Kathleen stood and wasted no time stomping toward the exit. She hated acting like a brat, but fuck him and the horse he rode in on.

He was faster and beat her to the door, slamming his hand into the wood to hold it closed before she could turn the handle. “Kathleen, I’m not kidding. Do I need to escort you back to your family? Or can’t you follow that simple instruction without defying me?” He stood an inch from her. His body heat radiated toward her even without direct contact. She felt like she might swoon like some heroine in a historical romance novel.

Her reaction to this man infuriated her. His words made her want to slap him. His fine body squeezed the air out of her, leaving her mouth dry and her tongue tied.

For the first time in her life, she wanted to be kissed. Not just kissed, but mauled . . . by the stranger who’d just treated her like a toddler. Her pussy grew damp just with his proximity. And she hated her reaction. What the hell was the matter with her?

“I think I can handle it from here. Thanks,” she ground out. She stepped back to catch her breath when he didn’t move.

His huge palm still held the door closed, blocking her exit.

Several heartbeats passed before he spoke again, calmer this time. “I’m only trying to help. I can’t be sure this Marcus character is truly gone. Please be careful. And use my card if you ever need . . . anything.”

Why would she ever call him? It was absurd to even consider such an idea. She squeezed the card in her fist. It wadded and crinkled in her grip. Her sweaty palms would ruin it in no time at all.

“Goodbye, Kathleen,” he muttered as he opened the door.

She stepped quickly into the hall, not looking back as the door shut behind her, closing off the strangest event in her life. As she walked away, she looked over her shoulder. Had it been an illusion? Had she really just spent half an hour alone with the strange sexy god of a man who hadn’t given her his name or answered any questions about himself?

She glanced down at the wrinkled card in her palm.

Gabriel Albertson, M.D.

The
Gabriel Albertson? The elusive son of the owners of this sprawling property where the gathering of all North American wolves was held every two years?

She’d heard of him. She’d just never met him.

A chill sent a shiver down her back. Wrapping her arms around her middle, she hurried down the hall to find her sister and parents before Marcus could get the better of her.

long after the book is closed . . .

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