Werewolves of New York: Nathaniel (6 page)

Flustered, she rose up and left her belongings lying there, to follow him to the white door marked “Stairs.”

“Was it you who put me up for this job?” He looked like he wanted to answer her, but didn’t know if he should. Her heels and his leather soles echoed up the two flights and she stared at his back, growing more irritated by the second. “Where are you taking me?”

At the door marked “Roof,” he turned to her with his hand on the doorknob. “Answers coming soon.”

He walked through it ahead of her and called out to a man who stood looking down at the street below. She knew immediately who it was. That body, the way his pinstriped suit tugged at the shoulders, where his dark hair stopped just above the collar, his confidant stance. Had he set her up to the catastrophe she’d just experienced downstairs? What was this guy’s problem? Her steps slowed as brewing rage took her over.

Eli announced with amused triumph, “I’d like to introduce our new Marketing Liaison.” Michelle wanted to punch him in the back of the head.

Muttering an annoyed, “Marketing Lia…?” Nathaniel turned and saw who was glaring at him. The rest of what he was about to say disappeared. Surprise flickered across his masculine features and he whispered, “Michelle.”

She felt heat race down her spine at the way he said her name, so slowly like he savored the word. The obvious surprise to see her meant he wasn’t in on it, so she directed a furious gaze to Eli, thinking him the culprit.

Seeing how angry she was, Nathaniel turned on his friend and snarled, “What do you mean Michelle is our new Marketing Liaison? What have you done?!”

Eli’s hands went up in peace. He could see from their faces that he’d made a mistake, and took two steps back. “Hey, calm down.”

“Did you think you were helping?! She obviously didn’t know I work here with you! Did you deceive this poor woman after all she’s been through?”

Michelle’s jaw dropped.
How does he know what I’ve been through?

Eli licked his lips and stammered, “I’m sorry. I…”

“SORRY DOESN’T CUT IT,” Nathaniel growled. “GO!”

Michelle felt the world around her spin as she recognized his voice. The animalistic snarl. The urgent order. The fury that drove it. He was the man…the animal…who’d saved her. She stared, dumbstruck.

Eli turned on his heel, shoved his hands in his pants pockets and left them alone.

The fire in Nathaniel’s eyes as he watched his partner’s exit was both thrilling and terrifying. She studied him. How could he be who saved her from that horrible person? How could this man be that
thing
? But when he met her eyes, his own softened with such care and concern that it was unbelievable. She was so struck by her discovery, she could barely hear him say, “I’m so sorry. My…friends were out of line bringing you here. What did they do to you?”

You saved me!
was all she could think.
She dipped her head with humility, wanting to thank him but not knowing how. He didn’t seem to realize he’d given away his secret.

“They weren’t so bad,” she whispered, trying to understand what he was.

“I doubt that. Did you meet Dontae?” She slowly nodded. “Then I know it’s not true. But you’re very kind.” He searched her. “Are you alright? I can’t apologize enough for them. I will let them know it is unacceptable.”

“I’m fine. It’s okay. But thank you. I appreciate that.”

He smiled, the clouds still dark behind his mood. “How have you been?”

“Well, thank you. And you should know, I held my own down there.” She pointed to the floors below with a smile of mischief.

“Did you?” A grin flashed across his handsome face and it gratified her. As she watched his features lighten, she realized that it must have been him who’d returned her purse and that’s how he knew where she lived. He’d come back to talk the next day? Was he going to confess what he’d done if they’d gotten in that cab and gone to the park? These questions rushed to her, but she held her tongue.

“Michelle,” he whispered, daring a step closer.

“Yes,” she breathed, her heartbeat racing as he drew near.

He searched a moment for the words. “I have been wanting to apologize for coming to your home the way I did. I haven’t been able to think about anything else, and I had no idea how to make it up to you. That you’re here right now is mind blowing. I want to hurt my friends for tricking you, but part of me wants to thank them.”

Feeling shy for the first time in her life, she smiled. “I think you could hurt them a little first.”

He grinned and stepped closer so that he was towering over her. His smile changed to one more intimate. She could smell his scent on the cool breeze, a hint of soap mixed with the delicious musk of man. “Come to dinner with me.”

She glanced down, overcome. Here he was, a man who’d killed someone, and she wasn’t afraid of him. She wanted to get closer to him, not run away. The idea of sitting across from Nathaniel made her giddy, and what might come afterward, she could hardly speak just thinking about it. “I’d love that,” she whispered.

“How about eight o’clock?”

Her eyelashes rose and she met his green eyes. “That seems like a long time away.”

A sexy darkness crossed his face and she felt warmth suddenly emanate from his body. His eyes even seemed to take on a glow. What
was
he?

“Six then.”

She could only nod and since a part of her wanted to stay there forever, she flipped around and made a beeline for the exit. Vanishing out the door, she literally ran down the stairs and into Dontae’s office for her things. She barely noticed three pairs of eyes watching her every move.

“Thanks. Bye,” she mumbled, dashing out.

W
atching
her hair sway in opposite motion to her hips as she made for the door with rapid abruptness mesmerized his wolf. She’d turned from lioness to lamb right before his eyes and it was killing him. If she hadn’t run off, he’d have grabbed her and kissed her, but after her rebuke the other day he did not want to do
anything
that might scare her off again.

But tonight was a whole different thing. She’d accepted a date, and he planned on kissing her as soon as the moment was right, and maybe more.

With his mind on the surprising turn of events, he went downstairs and found his pack in Dontae’s office. They heard him coming before he entered the room, of course, and the looks on their faces were exclusive to each wolf’s personality: Dontae looked grave. Darik, cautious mixed with hope. Eli, amused as he laughed, “From the smell of her just now when she got her things, everything went well?”

“Keep your nose to yourself. So it was you who planned this?” Nathaniel demanded.

Eli shrugged from where he leaned against the wall. “I couldn’t stand seeing your mopey face anymore.”

“I wasn’t mopey.” At the unified sound the three made, he added with more conviction. “I don’t mope. I just wasn’t in a good mood.”

“And now?” Darik asked with a smile in his eyes.

Nathaniel looked at Dontae, ignoring the question. “What did you ask her? And why wasn’t I involved?”

“Relax.” Dontae leaned back in his chair. “We needed to vet her first and if she hadn’t passed the test, it would not have been useful for you to know.”

Nathaniel’s blood boiled at the idea that a test was conducted without him, but he knew the reasons. Still, it pissed him off. “What did you do?”

Darik rose from the chair and stood between the two strong-willed beasts. “Now reign it in and we’ll tell you, alright?”

Nathaniel glared from him to Dontae. The animal inside his soul didn’t like the idea of this particular female frightened or even the least bit uncomfortable. There was no way Dontae was easy on her; it wasn’t his way ever since he’d been burned by love. But years of self-discipline came in handy at that moment. Nathaniel nodded despite his urge to tear Dontae apart.

“I’m listening.”

Taking turns and interrupting each other as friends do when explaining an exciting story, they told him that Eli knew the woman’s name and suggested that they should see if she was…worth getting to know. Together they devised the interview and searched her name on the Internet to find her line of business, thereby extracting her contact information. “We couldn’t just go to her house, and snail mail takes too long.” Interviewing her was the most fun Darik had enjoyed in a long time. He felt like an actor in a movie, and while gathering information about her relationship status, he played the role of the smarmy executive. From that he determined she wasn’t the type to open her legs for just any hot guy (Eli rolled his eyes at Darik calling himself hot). Then it was Dontae’s turn and while he got sidetracked by the cheating and stealing questions (which he denied as being selfishly motivated), he revealed the most important discovery which neither he nor Darik were expecting.

“She said almost word for word what you said about what you did,” Darik exclaimed.

Dontae repeated, his tone less enthusiastic, “One less foul human being on the planet, or something along those lines.” After a brief pause in which he watched his friend take this information in, he added, “And she did not give away that she was there, or that she knew anything. When it was suggested the ‘animal’ be found to save us all from danger, she said with much enthusiasm that she hoped he never was.”

“We think she can be trusted,” Darik said.

“With?”

“Maybe everything.”

Nathaniel was thoughtful, his eyes cast down. “I see.”

“But you need to tread carefully,” cautioned Eli. “From the look on your face when I brought her upstairs, you’re in deep.”

Nathaniel turned to leave.

A knowing dimple flashed on Eli’s cheek. “Where are you going?”

He received a closing door as his answer.

A
t five-thirty
dressed in Hugo Boss black slacks and blazer over a white shirt, unbuttoned with no tie, Nathaniel sat in his limo sedan, deep in thought. Nigel, his driver of the past three years, had the window partition down and was strumming lightly on the steering wheel as they made their way toward the East Village.

Through the window Nathaniel spotted a flower display outside a local bodega. “Stop here.”

The fingers paused strumming to turn the wheel, bringing the car gracefully to parallel-park directly in front of the store. Nigel started to get out but stopped as Nathaniel opened the door and sprang out with more enthusiasm than he’d felt in years.

An Asian woman in her sixties stood over the flowers, smelling them and taking her time. After perusing the vast array of colorful blooms gathered in twine, Nathaniel picked several bunches of deep purple Dendrobium orchids.

The woman gave the gathered bunches in his hand a wrinkly smile. “Lovely!”

He returned her friendly manner. “Thank you. Which ones do
you
like?”

She pointed to pink roses among the many rose varieties. He pulled them from the display, shook the dripping water from the stems and handed the bouquet to her. Her eyes widened with happy surprise.

“For you.”

“Thank you!”

With a bounce in his step and thoughts of Michelle’s smile on his mind, he went inside and paid.

“That was a nice thing to do,” Nigel told him upon his return to the car.

Nathaniel reached over and pressed the button closing the partition, eliciting a generous laugh from Nigel as the window rolled up.

Pulling out his phone, he searched for the number he’d tried so hard not to call since Sunday, and dialed.

Her voice was all business as she answered, “Hello?”

His blood warmed, but he kept his voice cool and distant. “It’s me. I’m here early.”

“Oh! Hi.” The change in her tone was intoxicating. “I’m ready. I’ll be right down. Are you standing outside?”

“I’m driving up now.”

“In a cab?”

“I’ll see you in a moment.” He hung up, staring at the phone and finding himself more impatient than he remembered ever being. Two more streets and they would be there. What would he tell her? Nothing. He’d tell her nothing. Not yet anyway. She was a stranger to him, and precautions must be taken. So why did he want to confess everything he was?

M
ichelle had done all
the pampering things necessary to prep for the best date of her life. She’d shaved everywhere needed, changed her outfit five times, settling on a red mini-dress with no sleeves and a chocolate brown slim coat. Her nails on her toes and fingers were nude-pink, and she picked out a pair of heels that were nude leather. It made her legs look naked. There was nothing trashy about her appearance but it did have sex written all over it. Staring at herself one last time in the mirror, she felt as though her heart might crumble from beating so fast. She yanked the elastic band out of her hair and watched her deep brown locks fall around her shoulders. Remembering Rose’s face as she’d done the same to her last Saturday, she whispered, “You’re right. That is better.”

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her clutch bag and headed for the elevator. There would be no chancing breaking a sweat on those stairs since she was already running hot with excitement. As the numbers lit, she watched wishing they’d hurry the hell up.
He’s here early. Let him wait,
the voice in her head said, but she was too excited to pay it any mind. As soon as the doors slid open, she was out and forcing herself to walk normally at a slow pace on the foyer tile toward the front door. When she walked outside, the East Village was still golden from the sun’s descending light. It lit up the west side of her face, hair and body as she searched for cabs, finding none.

A long black sedan sat waiting in front of her building. The door to the driver’s side opened and a driver rose into sight. Michelle glanced to him in her search and saw the back door swing open revealing Nathaniel sitting inside. His long legs swung out of the car and he leaned over for something inside. What had to be fifty purple orchids appeared as he rose out of the car in one fluid motion. Walking toward her, he took her breath away as he held them out.

One foot in front of the other, Michelle.

“They’re stunning,” she whispered as they met.

“At the risk of sounding cliché, they’re nothing compared to you.” He smiled.

Her eyelashes fluttered up. “Thank you.”

“Your dress is…” His gaze traced downward, lingering awhile.

“Yes?”

His eyes clouded and he shook his head like he had to control himself. “Ready to go?”

The way he looked at her made her feel very beautiful and it gave her a grace where nervous clumsiness might have otherwise been. She climbed into the car knowing full well he was watching her, finally crossing her legs only after he sat down, to make sure he saw her skin touch skin, and her pretty toes peeking out of the front of her heels, so purely feminine. Oh, he saw alright. The driver came around and closed the door–a good thing, because it looked like Nathaniel had forgotten it was open.

As the car pulled away from the curb, from where she sat beside him in the darkness of the luxurious vehicle, she became very aware that they were alone. The partition was closed and solid–complete privacy. She knew she was damp from the sensations floating over her skin wherever his glance traced.

“What were going to say about my dress?” she asked, casting a smile sideways to him.

His gaze dropped to her lips. To her surprise, he reached over and touched her knee, then slid his fingertips lightly up the length of her thigh until they touched her red hem, and paused there. His heated gaze fell to her bare thigh and he held there a moment, then crooked a finger under the fabric and pulled it up just a teasing inch.

Her body commanded her to uncross her legs and give him access, but she kept very still. Her heart pounded and he glanced up briefly to her chest like he could hear it. Or was he looking at her breasts? Well, now he was. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips and she saw his nostrils flare a little. He ran his middle finger across her skin to the left and right, pulling slightly at the fabric with every slow, calculating motion. It was torture. He leaned in for their first kiss, but as his lips brushed hers, they both jerked forward, the car coming to a violent stop. Nathaniel’s arm went up to protect her from flying forward so fast she didn’t see it until it was there.

He hit the button. “Nigel! What happened?”

Muffled swearing grew louder as the divider rolled down for an explanation. Nathaniel drew back his hand. Michelle crossed her legs in the other direction.

“Sorry, sir! Some asshole ran a red light! Then he acted like it was my fault and flipped me off! Fucking people!”

Nathaniel smiled. “It’s alright Nigel.”

“We’re just a block away now. Hang on. Sorry, Miss.”

“I’m fine. And I love rollercoasters.”

A grateful look passed over the driver’s face, visible through the rearview as he continued on their journey.

Nathaniel looked out the window watching the final cluster of popular storefronts pass by. “We’ll leave the flowers here, if that’s okay.”

“As long as they’re safe,” she teased.

He met her eyes with disarming sobriety. “Nothing will happen while I’m around.”

She stared at him and nodded, knowing he truly meant that. The car came to a stop and the door next to her opened a moment later. She took Nigel’s offered hand and rose out of the limo while Nathaniel let himself out on the other side.

He waited for her to be brought to him on the sidewalk, watching her walk to him, with unabashed admiration. “Thank you, Nigel. I’ll call you when we’re ready.” When she stepped onto the curb, he took her hand. “You like steak?”

She smiled. “I’m a meat and potatoes type of girl.”

As he led her into a restaurant chosen to impress, he said, under his breath, “You’re a woman, not a girl.” She watched his profile as he glanced around the dimly lit restaurant. There weren’t many windows so despite the bright sun being out, there was a romantic atmosphere here that seemed to please him.

He led her to the hostess who visibly did a double take at his looks.

“Nathaniel Jacobs.”

The girl blinked to compose herself and looked at the reservation list. “Right this way.” Choosing two menus and a wine list, she led them through the low-ceilinged, intimate dining room. Michelle glanced around thinking it was exactly the type of first-date restaurant she’d always dreamed of. Not too stuffy, but elegant enough to know that she was important to him.

Immediately as they sat down, he ordered an expensive bottle of Syrah and a bottle of still water. “Do you like crab cakes?” he asked her, glancing up from a menu.

“Love them,” she smiled.

“Great.” To the hostess, he said, “Could you please tell our server to order those as well.”

She nodded, looking as though she’d do anything he asked her, but keeping that desire as subtly hidden as her position demanded. He didn’t seem to notice, but it made Michelle all the more proud that she was the one seated at the table. The hostess exited and Nathaniel set the menu down and smiled. “I want to know everything about you.”

She blushed. “Well, I’d like to know some things about you as well.”

His eyebrow rose. “Oh? You say that as though you have specific things in mind. But let me start with the questions.”

“Okay.”

A server appeared with the wine and showed him the label. Nathaniel nodded and turned back to Michelle as it was being uncorked beside him with all the proper etiquette.

“So, you like red wine?”

“Love it. Bolder the better,” Michelle smiled, eyes locked on him. That cleft in his chin was so attractive that all she could think of was reaching over and tracing it with her finger.

“Have you always loved it or did you gradually get there?” he asked, taking a taster sip poured for him. “That’s fine. Thank you,” he told the server, quickly returning focus back to her.

Michelle answered, “Oh no. I started out with wine coolers, if you can believe it. Then White Zinfandel, then Chardonnay, then reds. I still drink Chardonnay when the mood hits. But we’re in a steak house so…” she trailed off.

“With red meat, always red wine,” he finished with a smile that matched hers. Glancing to the male server like he wanted him to leave, he watched as her glass was gracefully filled to halfway. As soon as he completed the pour in Nathaniel’s glass, the server told them he’d give them some time with the menu, and disappeared quickly.

“What about you?” she asked, leaning forward with her chin on her hand as she gazed at him.

He smiled and leaned forward, answering like he was giving away a secret. “Reds all the way. Never anything else, in terms of wine. But I’m not a big drinker. It’s not my weakness.” He raised his glass to toast.

She lifted hers up, a habitual response, but was curious about what he’d just said. “What is your weakness, Nathaniel?”

He held her eyes for a heated moment. “Apparently I have only one.”

She felt warmth pool out from her heart and other lower places. “Which is? Or won’t you tell me.”

“Another time,” he said thickly. “To red wine, red meat, and red dresses.”

A flattered laugh softly fell from her lips and she tapped her glass to his. “To cleft chins.”

A surprised grin appeared and vanished quickly as a food runner interrupted them, carrying the most beautifully arranged plate of crab cakes laid on a bed of sautéed kale. As he set it down, the electricity calmed between them and Michelle nervously picked up her menu and asked, “What will you be having?”

Nathaniel looked at her like he knew she was putting a wall between them with that leather bound list, but he was respectful enough not to mention it. “Let me see. I’ll probably have Filet. What about you?”

The runner left to get their server and as soon as they were alone again, Michelle felt hot. She glanced over the menu at him to find he was staring at her. “Hi.”

“Hi,” he said without a smile, his green eyes so intense that she set her menu down, unable and unwilling to read it. “Know what you want?” he asked her.

“I do.”

A sexy smirk tugged at a corner of his lips like he got her meaning. “So do I.”

“Ask me more questions or I’ll…”

His eyebrows lifted again. “Or you’ll what?”

“Just…ask,” she laughed, turning red again.

Leaning back in his chair, he surveyed the hills and valleys of her face, soaking her in. “What do you love about Manhattan? How do you enjoy working for yourself? How many times have you been to Central Park and would you like to go with me now that we’re better acquainted?” He rattled them off like a list he'd been thinking about.

She memorized the questions and answered easily, “I love how electric the city is. I feel more alive here than when I was in California. I’m from the South Bay, about an hour south of San Francisco. I went to Berkeley, and this is so different from there! Have you been?” He nodded, taking a sip from his glass. “As for working for myself, I love it. But I don’t want to talk about work except to say I won’t be working for your firm.”

He laughed loudly at that. “I don’t blame you! And what about my last question.”

She smiled, happy he wasn’t offended at her turning down the job, if there ever was one. “I would love to go to the park with you.”

He nodded and leaned forward, but the server reappeared and asked if they were ready thereby stopping him from saying what he intended to. Nathaniel asked if he could order for her, and she said he could. “Two Filet Mignons please. Raw for me with a baked potato, everything on it.” He looked at Michelle.

“Medium well, and the baked potato sounds amazing. Just butter for me, please. Lots of it.”

The server smiled and nodded, committing their order to memory without need of a pen and paper. “Will that be all?”

“No. Bring us a lobster, too.” Nathaniel handed him the menu and watched as he walked over to take Michelle’s. “I hope you like shellfish.”

She pointed to the forgotten plate of crab cakes. “Yep.” They cut into it, using the same plate as she asked, “What do you like about the city?”

“I like the vibe as well. I lived in Maine before this…in the woods. This is very different. We came here for the opposite reasons you’d live in the country for–more people, more choices, more everything. There aren’t greater restaurants in the world save for maybe London. And you can disappear in a place like this if privacy appeals to you. In the country that can be more difficult.”

The ‘we’ had caught her attention and taking a bite, she considered how to ask without appearing jealous. “Did you move here with your partners or…?”

At the mention of them, his eyes flickered like there was more to say than he was willing. “Yes.”

She paused. “You’re close, then?”

He smiled at her tone. “They’re nice when you get to know them.”

“We’ll see about that.” He laughed again and she chuckled happily. “They kind of set the game against them, but I can’t help but like Eli. He seems like life amuses him and that’s a nice quality to have in a friend. I know from experience. My friend Rose is like that.”

Nathaniel nodded with warmth in his eyes. “He’s my roommate. And Darik is the same way. I know he was coming onto you, but that was just to see what you’d do. He’s not like that at all.”

She stared at him. “They told you about the interview?”

“They told me everything. We have no secrets.”

That last sentence was an interesting thing for him to say and she took note. If he meant that, did that mean they knew about Saturday? It unsettled her to have this much curiosity and no way to satisfy it. “That’s nice,” she said, absently rising from the chair and grabbing her clutch purse. “I have to go to the ladies room. I’ll be right back.”

He stood up and she smiled at him, and then walked as gracefully as she could knowing he was watching her all the way to the back of the restaurant. The moment she closed the door, she pulled out her phone and called Rose.

“Hey, I was just going to call you! What’re you doing tonight? I’m still in the courthouse but I should be getting out soon and man do I need a drink!”

Michelle paced the length of stalls, glancing under them to make sure she was alone. “I’m on a date with the hottest man I’ve ever met in my entire life.”

“What!? When did this happen? Did you meet him online?”