Beauty in Summer Read online

  “How much money do you want?” I thrust my hands into my pockets and stare across the stone terrace at the woods beyond. I need a run—a long one preferably that ends in a hunt. Or perhaps a fight with Donal, one of the pack’s enforcers. He is one of the few that can keep up with me when it comes to hand-to-hand combat.

  I’m going to need something after laying eyes on the morsel of femininity that Cairns and his schemes dragged to BMI. Even though my back is to her, the image of her is imprinted in my head. She’s probably big for a human, but she barely reaches my shoulder. Her body is lush, round in the hips with fleshy thighs my fingers are aching to dig into. She has berry-colored lips that invite licks and nips, and breasts that would fill my big hands. And her scent… Involuntarily I inhale deeply again and am barely able to suppress a shudder as I breathe in that incredibly delicious smell.

  My cock strains against the zipper of my dress slacks. Blood pounds in my head as the wolf urges me to drag her down on the floor, rip off her flimsy clothing, and bury my face in her cunt.

  “How much?” I seethe. “Answer me.”

  “How much what? Money? I don’t want your money.”

  “Then why did you come?” I can see her reflection in the glass. She cocks her head, trying to catch my expression. The wolf tells me to turn around and let her take a good look at us. She’ll like what she sees, he says confidently. No, she won’t, I tell him. She’d run out of here screaming, and then we’d have police so far up our ass, they’d be looking at our colons.

  “My parents told me about this job. Actually, you know what? I don’t want to work here, so you don’t deserve any explanations. If anything, I deserve the explanations. I’m the one who was locked in here.”

  She’s strong, approves the wolf. Go take her.

  I ignore the wolf. “Go then.”

  The wolf slashes angrily, sending a bolt of white-hot pain into my skull. I reel from the blow. A cry of distress rings out. It’s not from me, I realize. It’s from her.

  She’s run over to me. Run right into the danger zone. The wolf raises its nose to the air and howls.

  Mate. Mate. Mate.

  Chapter Four

  Her

  “Are you all right?” I ask, laying my hand on the big guy’s arm. One minute he was staring out the window and the next, he was spinning around as if someone punched him in the face.

  His eyes catch and hold mine. The flecks of gold that were only small specks in his eyes have overtaken the pupil, giving him an eerie, internal glow.

  His lips move. I lean in to hear him. Did he say mine? No, that can’t be right. It was fine. He said fine. “You don’t look fine.” I lay a hand across his forehead. He feels hot, like burning hot. “Holy shit. You’ve got a wicked fever. Come on.” I tug him to one of the sofas and urge him to lie down.

  He obeys docilely. He stretches out, making the oversize sofa look small. I crouch down next to him and feel his forehead again.

  “Do you have a doctor you regularly see?”

  His brows squeeze together. “Why?”

  “Because if your fever is too high, you could have a seizure.”

  “No doctor.”

  I release a sigh of irritation. “You’re a cliché, you know that, right? It’s not a macho thing to avoid seeing an expert about a medical condition.” I push to my feet. “No one’s going to think you’re a baby because you once filled a prescription.”

  A hand clamps around my wrist. “Where are you going?”

  I jiggle my arm. “To get some aspirin. You have some in your bathroom, right?”

  He hesitates and then shakes his head. “No. I don’t think I do?”

  “You don’t have aspirin?” I ask in astonishment. “What person doesn’t keep aspirin in their bathroom?” I drum my fingers against my thighs. “Why don’t I ask your secretary? She probably keeps some in her drawer.”

  “I don’t need it,” he says. The words come out husky, almost seductive. The shackle around my wrist loosens slightly, and I feel his thumb rub along the base of my palm.

  Electricity skitters up my arm at that faint, light touch. My heart jumps, and it takes extra effort to draw air into my lungs. Inside my satin bra cups, my breasts grow sensitive and heavy. Heat gathers at my core. I clench my legs together.

  What is happening to me?

  I turn, open-mouthed, toward Garrett. His eyes are hooded. Gold gleams through his long lashes. The hold around my wrist isn’t a hold any longer. His thumb has been replaced by his fingers, the coarse pads whispering along the lines of my palm, climbing up my fingers to their very tips, only to tumble down where he repeats the same path again and again.

  My knees weaken, and it’s not out of fear this time. Nope. It’s because I’m turned on by him touching my hand. I throb in places I forgot had nerves. In my lips, behind my knees, between my legs.

  The questing fingers slide ever so gently down my wrist, finding the pulse point. He presses down, and I gasp, feeling the blood in my veins jump in response.

  “This is your natural scent, isn’t it?” he says.

  His hushed and guttural voice does things to me. I manage a nod. “Just me and soap,” I croak. Well, technically it’s me and mango-scented body wash.

  Slowly, so slowly that I barely even notice, he draws me closer until his face is just inches away. This close I can feel his warm breath bathe my face, and my eyes drop to his mouth. His lips are slightly parted, and I can just see his teeth between the curve of his lips. His lips are well-defined, with a sensual curve that makes me want to lick. I lean closer, just a little bit more until our lips barely touch and—

  With a roar he heaves me off, and suddenly I’m sprawled on the floor.

  “What the heck!” My skirt is hiked up around my thighs, and I blush, mortified both at my display and the fact that I’d nearly kissed a complete stranger. Who is also my new boss. Who seems to be holding me prisoner. I think. God, what a mess.

  I try to scramble to my knees and end up flailing around like a fish before I manage to both sit up and pull my skirt down. As gracefully as I can, I push myself off onto my feet, ignoring the large hand held out to me for assistance. Nope, not touching that again with a ten-foot pole.

  He sighs. “Sorry,” he says gruffly. “I hope you aren’t hurt.”

  Did he mean my pride or my body? Either way, I’m not going to admit to any discomfort. “No, I’m fine.”

  A pause. I’m still trying to look at anything else but him, but I can sense him coming closer until he’s standing right next to me, and as I look down I see his expensively shod feet just inches from my own.

  Finally, he says, “I’m Adrian Garrett but everyone calls me Garrett. Sorry for my behavior. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable. I hope you’re still interested in the job.”

  Wait, what? From my vantage point that near-kiss looked pretty mutual, but it probably isn’t a good idea to have an employee screaming sexual harassment before she even starts her job. Which reminds me…

  “So there really is a job, then? As an admin?” I finally sneak a glance up at his face. And then am immediately caught by his eyes. His voice may sound professional if a little growly, but his eyes burn with all the lust I’d thought I’d just imagined. I swallow, my throat parched.

  “Oh yes, there is most certainly a job, as my, uh, second assistant. So you’ll be working very closely with me. And Ellen, of course.” He grins suddenly, and there’s no way to describe that grin except as wolfish. I shiver, and I don’t know if it’s from fear or excitement.

  I nod, trying to think this through. I desperately need the money, but no way is this job on the up-and-up, even if they aren’t a porn company or running some kind of trafficking outfit. But being his assistant sounds legit, even if I’m not sure their business is. I can always quit, right? The rational part of me is screaming, Leave NOW. But another part of me doesn’t want to leave, not yet. There’s just something about him that is incredibly attractive, and I’m
afraid if I leave I’ll never see him again. Shit, I hope my hormones aren’t convincing me to make a horrible mistake.

  I square my shoulders and nod. “Okay, then, Garrett, shall we go over the terms of my employment, then? What kind of duties will I have?” I try out my most professional voice.

  The expression on his face has deepened, and it’s definitely hungry now. I gulp, and the throbbing between my thighs intensifies. I feel the moisture seeping into my panties, and oh God, can he smell how wet I am? He’s inhaling deeply again, and I’m equal parts mortified and aroused.

  “One thing I forgot to mention,” he finally says, his voice so raspy it’s practically a growl.

  “Um, what?” I squeak.

  “All staff live in company housing.”

  I stare at him, confused. “What?” What the hell, like a company dorm?

  He stares at me with burning, golden eyes. “You’ll be moving in with me.”

  Chapter Five

  Him

  What the fuck am I playing at? I should be shoving her out the door—instead I’m practically ordering her to move in with me.

  This is insane—I need to get her out of my life. There’s no way a human has any place in my life or in the pack, no matter how incredibly tempting she smells.

  My lips tingle at the memory of her taste—just the briefest touch before I pushed her away. I hadn’t meant to use so much force, another reminder of how different—and fragile—a human is, compared to me.

  The image of her on the floor, her legs sprawled open and her skirt up around her thighs, so high I could see a glimpse of pink lace and the shadow between her legs—it had been all I could do to not pounce on her and bury my face under that skirt, searching for the source of that sweet heat and lush scent.

  The beast is practically salivating at the thought of tasting her sweetness, of plunging his—my—tongue in her creamy cunt, licking and lapping until she screams for mercy and comes hard, again and again.

  The beast is the reason that I’m even offering her this insane pretext of a job. Cairns thinks that I’ll have better control of the wolf once I’ve mated, but I’ve had no desire to tie myself to a single female. He should know better. A female mate is a target who needs constant protection. As Alpha, my sole concern needs to be the pack.

  This isn’t the first time my wolf and I have been in conflict, and it won’t be the last. And, as in all other instances, I’ll prevail, so why am I giving in to my urges to keep this one woman close to me?

  Yes, none have ever smelled so luscious as this human female does. And even beyond her scent, everything about her appeals to me—her sparkling eyes, her plump lips, her smooth, silky skin all over that curvy body… Still, I should be strong enough to handle the wolf without being mated. But as soon as I tried to resist her temptation, the beast went batshit crazy. And after that tranq, he should have been relatively docile, but instead he went insane, howling and scrabbling inside me at the mere thought of sending her away. All the beast wants to do is to mount her, and fuck, that’s all I can think about as well, sinking my cock into that hot, tight little pussy, watching those gorgeous tits bounce as she rides my cock…

  Mate, whispers the beast. Mate. Mate…

  I grit my teeth and order the wolf to stand down. The scent is a false one, poured over her head by Cairns. There’s no way this human is my mate. The mere thought makes me angry. That’s why the beast is aroused today. It’s blood lust that’s stiffening my cock, not sexual lust.

  Mate, whispers the wolf.

  “Follow me.” Angrily, I pull open the door.

  Just outside the door, Mike, Donal, and Ellen jump apart like the guilty little rats they are. “Ellen, Ms. Beaumont has agreed to accept the job. Please show her to an apartment.”

  “Of course, Garrett.” She dips her head and gestures for the girl to follow.

  “I have my own apartment,” Bellamy announces as she edges away. “No need to give me one here.” My hand shoots out to grip her wrist. Spearing me with a frustrated glare, she capitulates. “I’d be happy to see my desk or cube or wherever it is that I’m supposed to work.”

  “Ahh.” Ellen hesitates and then looks to me for guidance because there isn’t a fucking job, which means there’s no fucking desk either.

  “Ask Cairns,” I order. This is his wild scheme. He gets to deal with Bellamy until I figure out how to get my wolf under control. I force myself to release her wrist, and back into my office before slamming the door shut. I lean against it. Get yourself under control!

  The wolf howls his displeasure.

  “Is there some trick with the door?” I hear Bellamy ask Ellen. “I can’t seem to turn the knob. Is it some biometric thingy? This place does look like you’re doing super-secret stuff. I don’t even know if I have enough security clearance to work here.”

  Ellen doesn’t answer right away because the only trick is strength. This is a basic example of why humans don’t belong in this world. Bellamy is too weak to open a door. She could be hurt by a pencil, let alone the claw from a wolf’s fist. Hell, she could trip and fall on the carpet and skin her knee. A paper on the desk could slice her delicate finger open.

  My fists clench and unclench at my side as all these simple, yet dangerous, scenarios run through my head until I spin around. It’s the wolf that makes me wrench open the door. It’s the wolf that makes me bark out Ellen’s name. It’s the wolf that sends my feet nearly running down the hall to grab Bellamy’s arm before the two get on the elevator.

  “The contract on my desk needs to be revised. Potts is asking for too much per acre. We want that land but not at that price.”

  Ellen dips her head. “Of course. I’ll speak with Cairns immediately.”

  “Speaking of Cairns, I want to see him out at Station 1 in…” I flip my wrist over. “In fifteen minutes. Tell him to bring Donal.”

  “Yes, Garrett.”

  “Do you beat her?” Bellamy asks as Ellen hurries away.

  “Of course not. What the hell kind of question is that?” I direct my mate down the hall. I fucking hate elevators.

  “She never looks you in the eye. It’s a classic sign of abuse.” Bellamy lifts her cute nose to the sky and sniffs in what I suppose is disdain.

  “I’ve never laid a finger on Ellen.” She’s a good fighter, but she’s not close to being able to hold her own with me. Example two—or maybe it’s 200—of why Bellamy can’t be my mate. She couldn’t best Ellen in her human form, let alone after Ellen shifted into her brown wolf.

  Mate! growls the wolf. I can protect mate.

  With considerable effort, I ignore the beast and usher her out of the stairwell on the second floor.

  “This is a big place. Bigger than it looks outside,” she observes as we pass door after door. When we reach the second-to-last door, I wave my hand in front of the access pad.

  The door slides open, and I gesture inside. “Here. This is your place. I’ll have Ellen bring down your stuff.”

  “Oh, so it is a fancy electronic thing. I thought there was some trick.” She’s so clearly relieved that I don’t have the heart to tell her that the trick is strength—which she doesn’t have. “So do I wave my hand…” She pauses and searches for the access pad that’s buried in the wall.

  Stepping around me, she waves a hand to the right of the door and then the left. Nothing happens. “I guess it’s not keyed in for me yet, is it?”

  She looks up at me, her body only inches away from mine, the heady, erotic scent of her filling my lungs again. I curl my fingers into my palms to keep from reaching out and pulling her to me. The bedroom is dangerously close. These apartments are built like fancy hotel suites, with a bedroom, sitting room and bathroom.

  It would take only a few steps to reach the bed, where I could throw her down, lift up her skirt and claim her pussy with my mouth. I drag in a harsh breath and lick my lower lip. If her scent is anything to go by, she’d taste like a decadent dessert—one that I would want to
spend hours devouring.

  The beast rises up from the thin shackles I’ve managed to bind it with. He wants. I want.

  My intentions must be blazing in my eyes, because Bellamy catches her breath and backs away. My predator cheers this on. He wants her to run. He wants the chase and the capture and the claiming. Fire licks up my spine, hardening my muscles, thickening my cock. Desire for her floods my mouth.

  “I—you can leave now.”

  I lean forward, planting a hand on the wall behind her head. My fingers dig into the wall, crumbling the plaster into dust. I dip my head and inhale deeply, searching for her real scent—the one under the coating that Cairns doused her with—but find nothing but honey and berries.

  The desire to take her there against the wall is so overwhelming I nearly black out from lust. I close my eyes and pull on the pack power to shore up my defenses. And with their help, I manage to cage the beast once more.

  Pushing away from the wall—and from her—I direct her to stay put. “Don’t leave this room. If you do, the consequences will be dire.”

  Fear flickers in her pretty eyes but is chased away by outrage. She opens her mouth, to tell me off, I bet, but I don’t give her the chance. After a last lingering look at those pouty lips, I stalk toward the door, slapping a blank key card on the side table as I pass.

  “Hey, just a minute, you ass—”

  I let the door slam behind me and head for the last door in the hall, just steps away from Bellamy’s room. My door shuts behind me. It’s a thin barrier. With enough time and strength, I could break down the walls that separate her apartment from mine. It’s madness to put her into the room next to mine. There are others available, but my wolf wouldn’t have her sleeping next to another. Not even with steel doors and walls between them.

  My sudden obsession for this woman is a bad byproduct of not fucking anyone for…shit, how long has it even been? Months, for sure. I try to conjure up an image of the last woman I was with, and my mind is blank. The wolf flashes his teeth. Only one for us now.