He closed strong fingers around mine and pulled me up as I unfolded myself from the car seat, which was the nearest I’d come to being horizontal in a car. Ever. But he didn’t let go. Instead he stepped me backwards, crowding me until my ass hit the side of the car. Another car pulled up and loud chatter filled the air as another group alighted. The sound of voices pulled at the back of my mind, a sense of familiarity filling me, but I couldn’t pay it any attention, my world consumed by the tall, very sexy werewolf who had me all but pinned between him and the car.
“What th—” While I was more than happy about being pinned to hard surfaces by hunky younger werewolves, there was a time and place for everything. In the carpark outside the annual fundraiser was so not it.
“Jared, hold it a moment.” Pushing at his chest, I tried to get some space between us so I could clear my head but it was like trying to push a granite counter.
“Eloise? Shut up.”
The order was soft and the only warning I got as he bent his head. Stubble prickled against my cheeks, the scent of his aftershave wrapping around me as he claimed my lips in the kiss I’d been fantasising about since that encounter in the office hours ago.
Omigod, yes! His lips were warm and firm as they slanted over mine. Back and forth, in a domineering kiss that fell just this side of brutal. But I loved it, my short gasp totally involuntary as I curled my fingers into the lapels of his jacket, needing something—anything—to anchor myself.
He growled, the low sound calling out to everything feminine within me as he took advantage of my surprise. With a hard sweep he parted my lips further, dipping past them to slide his tongue along mine. A slow, erotic dance that heated my blood as I kissed him back. I didn’t care where we were, or who was watching. Even that I’d paid for him to accompany me this evening. He’d made it fairly clear before we’d gotten into the car that the job tonight was totally separate…to anything else that might happen.
He nibbled and kissed, sipping from my lips in an erotic banquet that had me thirsting for more. More of his kisses, more of his hard body pressed against mine, more of the stiff cock, preferably not pressed where it currently was, but sliding into me inch by delicious slow in—
“Oh my god—Eloise? What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Pete’s voice broke through the sensual haze, the mixture of fascination and horror managing to reach through the spell Jared had woven around me. Belatedly, I froze as Jared lifted his head. The hint of a smile curved his lips as he brushed a thumb tenderly over my cheek. I couldn’t work out if he’d know Pete was there, or whether he was just pleased with his performance.
Either way, I didn’t care. Didn’t care that he’d kissed me so thoroughly that I’d forgotten totally where we were, or that most of the night’s guest list had seen us. Didn’t care that it wouldn’t have taken much for me to throw caution to the wind and gone for it there and then on the hood of the car.
Instead, all I cared about was the man who held me tightly, his embrace a combination of protective and possessive as he smiled down at me. Amusement flitted across his face as he cocked an eyebrow, his expression easy to read. How far did I want to take this?
Look before you leap. My Nanna’s favourite saying came instantly to mind. Almost immediately the thought was mugged and dragged off into a darkened corner of my mind by temptation. How far did I want to take this, in front of smug-bastard Pete? All the f**king way, baby.
I blinked as though just coming to and smiled as I stroked a finger down the open V of Jared’s shirt. The slight hair on his chest tickled my fingers as I played with the button, threatening to pop it. His expression tightened at my coy look up through my lashes, feral heat flaring in his eyes.
“Down boy, we can play again later. Be nice now,” I murmured, wondering where the hell the smoky-husky voice had come from. I sounded like a cross between Jessica Rabbit and a phone sex-worker.
Jared played along, dropping his head back and closing his eyes for a moment as a shiver wound through his large body. When he looked back at me an amber ring outlined his eyes, the first evidence I’d seen of the other side of his nature. I wanted more. Way more.
“Eloise! Explain yourself!”
The sharp demand brought my head around with a snap. Pete stood just shy of the rear bumper of Jared’s car, his hands on his hips. Pushing forty, he prided himself on keeping in shape. The usual middle-aged spread caused by erratic hours and an on-the-go diet was blunted by his endless workouts. Old taunts about my weight flitted through my mind, all sneered in his somewhat nasal whine. I ignored them. Compared to the lean, mean hunk of man who effortlessly wrapped an arm around my waist as I moved, Pete was nothing more than a vain bully who projected his own failings onto others.
“Explain myself?” My voice dripped ice. Jared chose that moment to lean in and nuzzle along the soft skin of my throat but apart from tilting my head to allow him greater access, I ignored him in favour of glaring at Pete. “Whatever for? It may have escaped your notice, but we’re divorced. I don’t have to explain myself to anyone, much less you.”
“B-b-b… This is an outrage!” he spluttered, his colour rising in ugly red splotches across his neck and cheeks, reaching up under the thinning hair across the top of his head. Red under bleached blond? Not a good combo.
“Oh, I quite agree.” I hid my smile as I made Jared put me down and slid my hand onto his arm again. “You’d have thought they’d have started this thing a little later to give us all time to…ahh, get ready.”
One thing could be said about Pete: he wasn’t unintelligent, or slow on the uptake. His gaze flitted between me and Jared as he drew the conclusion that I wanted him to make; that I’d dragged Jared away from bed to attend.
“Hey babe, can we go inside?” As though he’d read my mind, the werewolf at my side moved closer and slid his arm around my waist, effectively cutting off my view of my spluttering ex. “The quicker we show our faces…the quicker we can leave and I can get you out of those clothes.”
* * *
My smile lasted clean through the usual introductions and banal conversations that were normally associated with functions such as these. Like all the other spouses and ‘plus ones’, Jared was duly attentive at my side, polite when spoken to but without dominating the conversation. To my relief, he was also somewhat reluctant to discuss his profession, turning all queries aside with a vague comment about working as a consultant with law enforcement. A claim that had the two clerical staff who had joined our group cooing in appreciation.
Mandy and…
I scanned my memory for the other woman’s name but came up blank. Both were blonde, but if the carpet matched the drapes in either case I’d be very much surprised. With the pseudo skeletal look of the permanent dieter, both looked hungry, but since they were casting eyes toward my date for the evening, I doubted it was for food. Bitches.
“Law enforcement? How exciting,” Mandy giggled, sliding her arm onto Jared’s and pressing what little she had in the way of tit against his triceps. I had to bite back the snort. From our little encounters earlier, I knew he was a breast man. No way was her little offering going to cut the mustard.
Her voice dropped suggestively. “And I’ll just bet you have a gun?”
Fuck me. If she was going to pull the whole ‘is that a gun in your pocket?’ routine, I’d piddle myself here and now. She shot me a bitchy look as I tried to cover the noise with a sip from my glass.
Brazen bitch. Annoyance surged through my veins as she turned back to Jared and gave him a hot look, as though the fact his date was less than two feet away was neither here nor there. I knew all about women like Mandy. The ones who took what they wanted and screw anyone else. “So…do you have handcuffs too?”
“I might have.”
Jared didn’t look that bothered, smiling down at the blonde leech with a warmth I recognised. How stupid was I? Realisation froze my heart in my chest as I watched my stupid fantasies about Jared and I crash and burn in front of my eyes.
Of course he’d find a blonde bimbo like Mandy more attractive. Didn’t all men? His pretty words earlier…yeah, that must have been boredom. I was something to play with until a better option came along.
Desperate to get away for a while, to compose myself, I threw back the rest of my drink, hissing as the alcohol burned all the way down, then mumbled something about the ladies room. Dropping my glass on a nearby table with a clunk, I ignored Jared’s call and high-tailed it out of Dodge.
The ladies room was of course packed, but most seemed to be re-applying makeup rather than waiting for a stall so I ducked past the chattering group at the mirrors without making eye contact and achieved the sanctuary of a cubicle.
Fucking wank shit f**k balls bollocks and just for variety, crap.
Seated on the folded down toilet seat, I leaned my forehead against the flimsy wall and told myself I wasn’t going to cry. And I wasn’t. I’d been done with men since Pete had been a tosser, so why I was getting upset now I had no clue. Certainly not because I’d gone all gooey-eyed over some cute guy who spent half his time bloody furry.
“And have you seen that dress? Practically skin tight, I don’t know what she was thinking.” Five minutes later Mandy’s harpy-like voice filtered through the chatter as I rearranged my clothing, trying to get more of the girls covered up again. How odd, when I’d thought Jared was genuine, I hadn’t been bothered. But now that I knew better, my inner prude was trying to resurface with a vengeance. I stopped mid-struggle with the girls. Was this neckline getting lower?
“Yeah, I know,” the other girl answered. I could imagine them both at the mirror, reapplying lashings of mascara and lip gloss. Like Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, they were practically clones of each other. “I’d kill for a bust like that though, wouldn’t you? Do you think it’s natural?”
I stopped dead in surprise, my hand on the door latch. Had I just heard that right?
“Oh god, yeah. Bitch has it all, doesn’t she? Those tits, that hair and ohmygod that guy? Did you know he turned me down flat? Me? She must be bloody amazing in the sack. Fucking lucky cow. You ready?”
I felt my eyes grow as wide as saucers as the voices of the twin blondes faded, cut off by the sound of the closing door.
It’s said an eaves-dropper never hears well of herself, but that had been one snippet of information no way would I have wanted to miss. Mandy and her twin were jealous of me. And Jared had turned her down…when had I slipped into a parallel dimension? He’d turned her down. A warm feeling spread out through my body as I unlatched the door and, feeling ten feet tall, swept past the mirrors to sashay my extra-padded booty out the door.
Chapter Three
He was waiting for me.
I knew as soon as I re-entered the main hall. I could feel his eyes on me as I stood just shy of the doorway scanning the crowds but I just couldn’t see him.
The ball was in full swing now. Some guests were still seated at their tables while others circulated. Although the music had started there were only two women on the dance-floor. I tilted my head slightly as I watched them. What was that…the Funky Chicken?