Wolf Bite (Wolf Cove #2) (23 page)

“I did,” he admits with a sheepish smile. “I pulled the
security footage immediately after so no one could exploit it. The benefit of
owning the building.”

I frown. “But you kept it.”

“I did.” Heat flares in his eyes. “And I watched it. I
enjoyed watching it; I’m not going to lie to you. But I also tossed it into my
safe and had no plans of ever letting anyone else see it. I consider myself
lucky for that choice. And stupid, for all my other ones. Had I listened to my
father, the last eight months of my life would have been a lot easier. But it’s
all over and done with now, and everyone can move on.” He reaches for my tray.
“You done with that?”

I nod. I’m not sure if I feel better or worse about him
taking some of the blame off my shoulders. The way he’s speaking, it’s like he’s
resigned to the fact that it’s really and truly over.

“I guess we both made a lot of mistakes that we can’t take
back.”

He carries the trays over to a small bar. “There should be
some decent movies to watch on the TV. I’m going to grab some sleep.” Reclining
the seat back all the way, he stretches his arms back behind his head, the move
lifting his shirt up to reveal that delicious thin line of hair that starts
below his belly button. “Wake me up if you hear anything.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I’m far ahead of Henry, rushing through the
emergency room, my stomach in knots.

Jed hasn’t updated me.

He hasn’t responded to my messages.

I know my phone’s working because Ronan and Connor have been
texting me, but Jed has not.

I fear the worst. That my father has died and Jed doesn’t
want to tell me over the phone.

A nurse kindly points me in the direction of the emergency
room waiting area.

The first person I see is Reverend Enderbey. His back it to
me, but I’d recognize that short-sleeved button-down and summer vest ensemble
anywhere. Jed’s mom, a tiny blonde woman, stands next to him. They’re talking
with a man in doctors’ garb. Jed and Mama are on the other side of him.

Jed’s eyes widen when he sees me. “Abigail!”

“Oh, thank God!” Mama exclaims, her short brown curls matted,
her eyes red rimmed.

My stomach sinks. Bernadette Mitchell doesn’t cry. Ever.

They must see the panic on my face because Jed rushes for
me, arms up. “No! It’s okay! He’s out of surgery. They think he’s going to be
okay!”

What?
I process this as Jed scoops me into his arms.
I offer no resistance. “But.... Why didn’t you call?”

“My phone died and nobody in this hospital has a freaking
cord!”

That’s a fair excuse, given he’s been here all day. I hadn’t
even thought of that. “So, he’s going to be okay?”

“Yeah, we think so. It’s still early but it’s mainly a lot
of broken bones. One of his lungs collapsed and he ruptured his spleen, but
they said it’s a miracle that it wasn’t worse.”

I crumple against Jed’s chest as tears of relief overwhelm
me.

“Come here, baby girl.” Mama waits with her arms open wide.
She’s still in one of her floral nightgowns, which looks a lot like most of the
dresses she wears anyway—long and flowing and covering her girth. I dive into her
arms, happy to be consumed by her overbearing presence as we listen to the
doctor answer our questions.

Surprisingly enough, it feels good to be home.

“We didn’t expect you until tomorrow, Abigail,” Reverend
Enderbey says.

“I know. I lucked out.”

Henry!

I pull away from Mama long enough to search for him with my
eyes. I find him near the registration desk, talking to an older woman in a
suit. She looks like she works here, and perhaps knows him, because she’s
smiling and nodding in a friendly way. They part ways with a handshake and
Henry’s thanks.

“I’ll be back in a second.” I feel everyone’s eyes on me as
I make my way over to Henry.

He offers me a smile. “Good news, I take it?”

“Yeah. It looks like he was really lucky.”

“I’m glad.” His gaze drifts over to where Mama and the
Enderbeys wait, his eyes narrowing slightly. At Jed, I assume. “There’s a suite
booked at the Wolf downtown, if any of you need to grab some sleep or a shower.
They just need to give your name at the front desk.”

“That’s.... Thank you.”

“No problem. I’ll be heading back first thing in the
morning. Call Room 4001 if anything changes. Otherwise....” He sighs. “Take
care of yourself, Abbi.” He turns to leave.

“Wait!” I’m not ready to say good-bye to him again, even if
what we had is done.

I don’t care who’s watching. I don’t care if he’s not okay
with this. I throw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck in a tight
hug, reveling in the feel of his strong, hard body against mine.

With a slow exhale, his arms wrap around me, returning the
embrace, his nose grazing the top of my ear. I’d like to think it’s an
intentional sign of affection from him. “I’ve gotta go, Abbi,” he whispers into
my ear.

Reluctantly, I peel myself off him, and watch his back all
the way down the hall.

~ ~ ~

“You should go and get some sleep, Mama. May said there are
two bedrooms and a couch there.”

“I’m not goin’ nowhere until he wakes up.” Mama holds Dad’s
still hand. They let us into his room an hour ago, and I burst into tears at
the sight of all the machines and tubes. Outside, the beginnings of daylight
creep into the sky, warning of the coming sunrise.

A nurse strolls in. “How are we doing in here?”

“We’re doin’ just fine. Got my man alive and my baby girl
home, where she belongs. I’m counting our blessings.” Tough Mama is back in
full force.

The nurse smiles at me as she checks the machines and drips.
“It certainly was a blessing. I hear they pulled Dr. Eisenhower out of surgery
and threw him right into a helicopter.”

I frown. “You mean he doesn’t work here?”

“Dr. Eisenhower?” She chuckles. “No. He’s out of New York.
And he’s considered to be the best trauma surgeon in America. Your father must
be someone pretty special to the Wolf family.”

My heart starts racing.

That’s why Henry was talking to that lady in the suit. She
was probably the Chief of Staff or something. He must have made that phone call
the second he heard about my father’s accident, before he met me on the plane.

Without Dr. Eisenhower, would my father have survived?

“Where you goin’?” Mama glares at me as I grab my sweater
and purse.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“You are not goin’ anywhere, young lady. Your father is
going to wake up any minute. He’ll want to see you here when he does.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. But I have to go.”

“This doesn’t have anythin’ to do with that
man,
does
it?”

I snort. “That
man
is Henry Wolf, and he’s the reason
I got home so fast, and the reason Daddy had the best trauma surgeon in America.”

“So we can all call him and thank him together, later. Now
it’s time to focus on your family.”

I head for the door.

“Just so you know, Jed broke up with Cammie. He’s still in
love with you. He’s determined to win you back.”

She obviously thinks that’s going to matter to me, that the
news will stop me from wanting to run to Henry.

“Sorry, Mama. Gotta go.” I charge out the door.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Come on.... Pick up, pick up, pick up.” I’ve had
the hotel dispatch put me through three times already, but no one’s answering.
No one can tell me if he’s checked out yet.

Please still be there.

I rush down the quiet hall, nodding at the room service guy
on my past, to the very end, to hammer on the door with my fist.

Henry opens the door, holding a towel around his waist,
beads of water still dripping from his body, a confused look on his face. “What
happened? Did something happen?”

I step forward, forcing him back inside. The door shuts with
a noisy bang. “Dr. Eisenhower. Did you fly him in?”

He frowns. “I called in a favor, yeah. Why? Is your father
okay?”

“Yeah. He’s fine. He’s....” My eyes drag over this man as my
chest swells with an overwhelming amount of emotion.

Of love.

I no longer care what he put me through, or how badly he
hurt me, or how badly I hurt him.

I dive for him, for his mouth.

He pulls away, his jaw cording with tension. “Abbi—”

“No. Don’t. It is
not
too late for us. We can’t go
back, but we can go forward, and we can do it better. I know we can. It is
not
too late for us so don’t you dare say that. I know you still feel something for
me.”

He tips his head back as if to find an answer in the
ceiling. I so badly want to drag my tongue over his throat, but I restrain
myself, and instead let my fingers settle on his chest, reveling in the beads
of water and his nipples, pebbled from the cold, the gooseflesh covering his
hard muscles, even as his breaths become ragged.

Beneath my fingers, I feel his heart beating hard and fast.

“Abbi, I can’t. I’m—”

“Then end it!” The thought that Henry may be—probably
is—involved with another woman crossed my mind in the cab on the way here, and
I quickly decided I wouldn’t accept that excuse. “Tell her you’re sorry, but
you never should have started anything because your heart has always been with
me. End it now because I
need
you
right
now.” My hands slide down
to grip the top of his towel. It would be nothing to uncover him, a quick tug.

“Oh, fuck me.” He closes his eyes and heaves a sigh. “I’m
not seeing anyone, Abbi. I just.... I can’t do this again. Not with you.”

I step in to him, pressing myself against him. “Give me one
good reason why not.”

He finally drops his gaze, and it’s a pensive one. “Because
it hurt. It hurt you.” He squeezes his eyes shut. “And that nearly killed me. I
can’t....” He’s shaking his head, some internal dilemma going on inside his
mind. He’s struggling though, I can see that much. Because I can feel him hard under
the towel.

“Look at me.”

It’s a moment before he does, the fire burning within his
cold blue eyes enough to make my knees wobble. “Don’t make me beg, Henry.” I
lift up onto my tiptoes, letting my lips float over his. I drag the tip of my
tongue over the seam of his lips, so slowly. I give his towel a yank, releasing
it to drop to the floor. “I will, but please don’t make me.” Without shame, I
reach between us to wrap my fist around his length and stroke it, a loud moan
escaping my lips. I don’t know what it is about Henry’s cock, but no one else’s
compares.

He’s like a bull released from his gate.

Strong hands seize my head, his fingers weaving through my
hair to get a good hold as his mouth attacks mine, his tongue plunging into my
mouth, claiming it with aggressive, almost angry swirls. He leads me backward
toward the bedroom, stumbling and bumping into tables and a wall on the way,
not breaking free of me even once.

The backs of my legs hit the bed and I’m suddenly being
pushed backward, with Henry’s naked form crawling on top of me, overwhelming me
with his size, his hands on my shirt, tugging it over my head, and then on my
jeans, unfastening the buckle and yanking them and my panties off in one fell
swoop.

He’s pulling down the front of my bra, making my breasts
spring free even before he has the back unfastened.

In a matter of seconds, I’m naked and straddling Henry’s
lap, my arms cradling his head as I savor the sight and feel of his mouth
clamped over my nipple, his tongue teasing me mercilessly.

Unable to wait, I reach down between us and guide his cock
into me. I’m so wet, I offer him little resistance as he slides into me,
dragging out a deep moan from my lips.

He hands seize my hips, holding me still. “You’ve been
smart? Safe?” He doesn’t look at me when he asks that, but his jaw tenses, like
he knows exactly what I’ve been doing since he left Alaska.

And maybe he does.

“Yes.” I hesitate. “You?”

“Yes.” Now he finally peers up at me, letting me see the
plain truth.

Oh my God
. “You haven’t been with anyone else.”

A pause, and then he shakes his head.

I drop my forehead against his and beg, “Kiss me, please. I
need you to kiss me right now.” Because I need him to tell me it’s okay, that
what I did wasn’t wrong. That he won’t hold it against me now, or ever.

He flips us over to put me on my back. Dominating me with
his body, he pins my hands above my head by my wrists with one strong hand.

And simply stares down at me.

“Please don’t be mad. I kept seeing pictures of you with
these women, and it made me feel horrible. Ronan and Connor helped—” I cry out
as Henry thrusts into me, spearing me with how hard and long he is.

“I
am
fucking mad.” He seethes, pulling out and then
thrusting once again, earning another cry from me. “This is mine and no one gets
to fuck you unless I say they can.” Stilling his hips, he leans down and kisses
me deeply. “But I’m not mad at you. I let you go. You had every right to want
someone else.”

I break free of his grip, working one hand out to grasp his
jaw, to force his eyes to me. “I don’t want anyone else but you. Ever.” I grind
my pelvis into his and he groans. Hooking one leg up over his arm, his hips
start moving in that languid, slow, but forceful way he has, pumping in and out
of me, each stroke pure ecstasy.

No one can fill me the way Henry does.

No one can make me feel this all-consuming level of lust as
Henry does.

And I can say that based on a modicum of experience now.

I don’t wait for him to tell me to; I reach between us and
begin working my clit with my finger, stroking it hard and fast, not wanting to
miss the opportunity to come with him.

“Fuck,” he curses, finally climbing to his knees and hoisting
my hips up. He drives into me at a ruthless rate, his eyes locked on my fingers
stroking myself.

Henry’s mine, again.

This man.... The sight of him alone, straining and
glistening with sweat as he fucks me mercilessly, it’s enough to set me off,
tearing an orgasm from me as I buck wildly against him. He follows closely
after, his fact contorting with pleasure as he grunts. I open myself up
completely to him, reveling in the feel of him pulsing inside me, filling me
with him.

~ ~ ~

“Your mother?”

I set my phone on the side table. “No, Ronan. They wanted an
update.”

Henry’s hard swallow carries through the room.

“Don’t fire them.”

He pauses, and then chuckles. “Or what? Are you going to try
and blackmail me again?”

I curl into his chest, draping my naked body over his,
hoping I can keep him here forever. “No, I’m asking you. Please don’t fire
them. They’re just friends, and they mean a lot to me. They—”

“I won’t fire them, even though I want to. And I didn’t fire
Michael, either. Even though he deserved it.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“I gave the asshole a promotion. And a raise. He’s a manager
in Aspen now. The deal was he packed his shit, got on a ferry, and didn’t say a
word to you or anyone about it.”

“But you let me think—”

“Because
I’m
an asshole.” He hesitates. “I wasn’t
going to let you come back here, where your mother would make your life hell
and you’d end up miserable and back with your ex, but there was no way I was letting
anything serious start between you and Michael.”

I prop myself up on my elbow to peer down at Henry’s
handsome face. “Truce?”

A wry smirk touches his lips, pink and puffy from kissing me
so much. It falls off with a groan as he glances at the clock. “I need to get
going. The crew has been waiting for two hours.” He plants a quick kiss on my
lips and then rolls me off him and climbs out of bed.

I admire his muscular naked body as he strolls toward his
dresser to pull on his boxers and jeans. “I wish I could go back with you.”

“Yeah. You’re not going anywhere for a while, from the
sounds of it.”

“I know. I don’t know what I’m going to do about school in
the fall.” Defer a year, maybe? Mama’s going to need me.

A thought crosses my mind and I smile. “I’m no longer a Wolf
Hotel employee.”

“Well, you haven’t handed in your resignation. Or been
fired.”

“Yeah, but either way, there’s no more workplace conflict.”

His hands pause on his zipper, his gaze drifting out the
window to the cityscape. “We lead very different lives, Abbi.”

My heart sinks with his words. Stupid me. What did I think
was going to happen? Just because we reconciled between the sheets doesn’t mean
we’re all of a sudden “together.” I’m going back to Greenbank,
Pennsylvania—population five thousand—to farm my family’s land and take care of
my parents, while Henry jets around the world, opening hotels and ski hills.
Our worlds are even farther apart now than when I was bringing his coffee to
him in Alaska.

That’s what the old Abbi would have accepted, anyway.

Henry just dropped everything, flew me across the continent,
and basically saved my father. He cares for me, even now. And he was telling me
the truth before. We
do
have something special.

“Yeah, I guess we do lead very different lives. I fight for
what I want, while you just roll over and give up.”

His head snaps back from the window to lock on me, his eyes
flashing with surprise. “What did you just say?”

I climb to my knees and let him take my naked form in for a
long moment. “You heard me.”

Leaving the window, he wanders over to stop in front of me.
“That sounded like a challenge.”

“Maybe it was.”

His gaze drops down to my chest, and I feel my nipples
pebbling just with the touch of his eyes. “I’m difficult, and quick-tempered,
and demanding. I’ve already caused you a lot of pain.”

“And I wouldn’t trade any of that for anything.”

He heaves a frustrated sigh. “What’s going on with
fuckhead?”

“He broke up with Cammie and is apparently going to try to
win me back.” I roll my eyes.

“And you’re not at all interesting in reconciling with him?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“And is that because you were with”—his jaw clenches—“the
other two?”

The idea of Ronan and Connor is really bothering him. But,
like Ronan said when I asked him what would happen if his ex ever took him
back, Henry’s got to want me for who I am now, not who I was before he left me.
“No. It’s because Jed is in the past and I’m not the same girl I was.”

He chuckles, reaching up to run the pad of his thumb over my
bottom lip. “No, you definitely aren’t.”

I take the opportunity to pull his thumb all the way into my
mouth, sucking it hard before I release it with a pop.

He steps in closer, forcing my head to tilt back to keep his
gaze. “What happens when I fly in to see you?”

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

“And what about when I can’t make the time but I need you.
What if I’m in New York and I want you there with me? What if I send for you?”

“Then I’ll come running.”

His brow spikes. “Your mother will never approve.”

“No. She won’t.” Bernadette Mitchell is going to fight this
every step of the way. “But I can live with that, if you can.”

His fingertips skate over my bare skin, over my breasts and
down my stomach, reaching down to plunge deep into me, where his cum is still
spilling out. I lean back on my haunches and spread my thighs to give him
better access.

“I can live with it. Actually, this could be fun.” He kneels
in front of me, trapping my nipples with his teeth, earning my hiss. “You sure
this is what you want?”

I lean down to catch his mouth with mine, trying to convey
exactly how much this is what I want with my tongue.

Henry’s eyes are hooded when I pull away, and my body buzzes
with adrenaline because poor Jack is going to be waiting another hour, at
least. “Okay then. It’s official.” A wicked smirk touches his lips. “You’re
fired.”