Amber: July: Mystic Zodiac, Book 7 (2 page)

A
ndreas Stathos pushed away
from his desk, stretching his long legs out in front of him. Head tipped back, hands threaded over his stomach; he took a breather from the pile of paper in front of him. When did the excitement of running a company wear off and turn into mundane paperwork dull enough the kill every last brain cell he had? When did he start dreading coming into the office each and every morning?

Restlessness bit into his bones the longer he sat there. It wasn’t the company or the paperwork that lost the excitement; he was the problem. He wasn’t satisfied with what he was doing, cooped up in an office all day shuffling papers. He wanted to be around people, the men and women making his dream a reality, the hustle and bustle of life…get back into the thick of things, like during the inception of his dream.

But how did he do that? It wasn’t like he could walk into one of his stores and take over. Well…technically he could. He was the owner. The head honcho. The man with the creative vision
and
the money to make it happen. Not to mention, the skill, but it had been ages since he’d designed anything. Not even something as simple as a tie.

Pushing up from his chair, he paced to his office window. He looked out over the city beyond his tenth story view and saw nothing but suits and more suits. Don’t get him wrong, suits were his bread and butter; but damn, there were a lot of them out there. Buildings were lit up, filled with worker bees scuttling around trying to finish the day’s work so they could go home and drink the weekend away. Forget about the work sitting on their desks, or the demands from their bosses.

Cars and taxis honked, jockeying for position on the crowded streets. Each trying to edge closer to wherever they were going. It was an organized chaos and, any other day, he would revel in its beauty. But some unknown entity twisted in the pit of his stomach making him uncomfortable…fidgety. His gut tried to tell him something, but he didn’t know what.

It could be he needed to get out of the city for a while. Find a place he could go where no one knew his name and the wealth behind it. Someplace that didn’t care if he wore a five thousand dollar suit or a ten dollar one from the thrift store. Hell, a place where he could wear ratty old designer jeans and a comfortable, soft to the touch T-shirt would be welcome.

A knock at his door had him turning around. Without waiting for an answer, his best friend and Chief Financial Officer, Theo, ambled in with Andreas’s secretary scurrying after him.

“Sir, he refused to wait, as usual,” Emily, his secretary, rushed to say. No matter how many times he told her it was fine if Theo came and went as he pleased, the woman insisted on adhering to protocol.

“It’s fine, Emily. Why don’t you wrap up for the night? It’s almost four, and I know you’d like to get home to your husband and kids. You have that big family reunion planned for the Fourth, right?”

“Yes, sir. We planned on heading out once I got home.” She hesitated, and he knew something was on her mind. Something was
always
on her mind, and that was what made her a fantastic secretary. Her mouth pinched, eyes narrowed. “Are you sure you don’t need me to stay longer? It isn’t a problem. Brian and I didn’t figure we would get on the road until around six or seven.”

Andreas smiled brightly to ease her worries, knowing she wasn’t immune to a wolf’s charm. “Now, you can beat some of the traffic. Please, Emily. Pack up and leave. There isn’t anything pressing that needs to go out this afternoon. Trust me, the paperwork will still be there after the holiday weekend.”

Emily pushed her glasses up her nose and smiled back at him. Gratitude shone in her dark intelligent eyes. “Thank you, sir. The kids will love having a couple more hours with their cousins. Hopefully, that will burn off the energy stored up after a couple of hours in the car.”

“Tell Brian I said hello, and I’ll see you bright and early Tuesday morning.”

She nodded sharply. “You know where to find me if you need me,” Emily replied before turning to leave the room. She shot an irritated glance at Theo before marching out.

“You will forever be on her shit list,” Andreas said once Theo closed the door.

Theo rolled his eyes and slumped down into the chair in front of the desk. “She’s definitely a tough nut to crack.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t keep ignoring her mandates then.” Andreas took a seat on the leather couch pushed up against the wall. He’d been known to burn the midnight oil a bit too much and end up sleeping on the thing. It was also the reason he had a built-in closet in his office and the full
en suite
bathroom.

Theo shrugged and tapped his knee with a rolled-up paper Andreas had failed to notice before. “I like giving her a hard time. She’s a good kid and gets riled up so easy. The wolf in me gets a kick out of it. It’s like watching prey attempt to fight back.”

“You’re too easily entertained. Just don’t run her off.” He looked at Theo thoughtfully. “Maybe you should bring something for her to apologize for your atrocious behavior one of these days.”

Theo shrugged and tapped the paper on his knee again. “I’ll think about it.”

Andreas’s gaze fell to the object his friend blatantly tried to draw his attention to. “What’s that?”

A mischievous grin lit Theo’s face. “I wondered if you were going to notice.”

“How could I not? It’s apparent you want me to ask about it. So give. What do you have there?”

Theo flicked it to Andreas. Unrolling it, he skimmed over the paper. It was a flyer for a Mystics-only bar on the outer edge of the city, one he’d never heard of.

“I know you’re bored out of your mind here. You’re antsy as fuck and driving the staff insane. It isn’t good to be cooped up in the city as much as you are. When was the last time you went on the hunt in the woods? Shook your fur out and roamed the green forest? Felt loam and dirt and the earth under your paws?”

Andreas grunted a reply. It had been too long. He actually couldn’t remember the last time he’d headed out into the woods. It could be why he was feeling restless lately. The absence of going fur would drive any man crazy if he let it.

“This doesn’t look anything like a forest or woods.”

“I know. It’s a bar.”

Andreas shot him a bland look. “I know that. I
can
read.”

“Then you
can
read what it says about being a place of gathering for Mystics—one and all. Sing, drink, and dance the night away with the Sirens of
Ecstasis D
. Revel in the freedom to be who you really are.” Theo swung his arms out wide, and had an idiotic grin on his face.

“You want to go to a bar on a holiday weekend? Where does the
going wolf
come in? Am I supposed to shift in the middle of some rowdy place after a few drinks?”

“Yes, I want to go to a bar. No, I don’t expect you to shift right there. Do you think I’m a complete idiot?”

Andreas opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by Theo throwing his hand up.

“I have a cabin nearby so we can get drunk as skunks, those little sots. Then, when the buzz of alcohol wears off, you can get back in touch with the furry beast inside. What do you say?”

Andreas looked back down at the flyer, his eyes roving every inch. There were pictures of the interior. The crowded tables. The full dance floor. The bar with beautiful women manning it. His gaze snagged on one woman in particular, a fiery redhead wearing a snug tank top. She was laughing in the picture, her eyes lit up like a thousand flames. The wolf in him perked up, the image of the woman snagging his attention as well.

If she still worked there, then he needed to meet her. “Yeah,” he said, a grin beginning to curl the corner of his mouth. “This is exactly what I need.”

Theo jumped from his chair. “Hot damn!” He clapped his hands together in glee. “I have your bag packed and in the truck. Your housekeeper was an absolute doll helping grab your shit. Change out of that stuffy suit and let’s hit the road.”

“
T
aking ten
.” Amber Thompson pushed away from the bar and headed to the boss’s office. She needed a break from the drunken asshats sitting at the end of the long wooden bar top. Normally, the constant come-ons and lewd remarks didn’t bother her, but tonight it did. Her body itched, and she felt like she was coming out of her skin with each derogatory word uttered. And it wasn’t just the ones they said out loud either. Having the ability to read minds was not always a great thing. Especially when she couldn’t tune the annoying voices out like she was usually able to do.

“Ah, Amber, baby, we aren’t running you off, are we?” the leader of the asshats, Cody, shouted. His two idiot friends chuckled and nudged each other. It happened to be the boy’s twenty-first birthday. She only knew because Frost, her boss, bought Cody’s first drink. A gift from one member of the Den to another. A rite of passage in a way.

Amber’s eye twitched uncomfortably as Cody’s words stabbed her ears. What she wouldn’t give to let loose on those boys. Already, the tattoo running up her spine pulsed with latent heat. Her powers gearing up for a major blow out.

She was pretty sure Frost wouldn’t appreciate her using her Pág
o
ma power to freeze any of his patrons or his Den members. No matter how much they deserved it, she knew to restrain herself. Hence, the ten-minute break in the boss’s office.

After a quick rap on the door, she pushed it open, not waiting for a reply, only to find Frost in his chair, and a nymph between his legs bobbing up and down on his cock. Amber rolled her eyes and went in anyway, slamming the door shut behind her. She plopped down on the couch, tipping her head back and shutting her eyes. The voices in her head faded, allowing her a moment’s peace.

“Do you mind?” Frost gritted out.

Amber didn’t bother looking up. “Nope.”

“Amber,” he growled, but it didn’t have any affect on her. Frost’s bark was worse than his bite, unless you were fucking him and begging for it. It wasn’t as if it were the first time she’d seen him in this situation. Or been in it herself.

“If you would get an employee lounge or break room, this wouldn’t be an issue.”

Frost’s breath hitched and the nymph moaned. The exhibitionist in Frost responding to having another person in the room, even though she wasn’t watching. His dick had probably lengthened. His fingers finding their way into the woman’s hair. The vibrations from her moan would run down his cock, pushing him closer to the edge. Amber knew from experience, it wouldn’t be long before the big man blew. The closer he got, the tighter his grip on the girl’s head, using her hair to move her faster up and down his shaft. Pushing toward the finish.

Amber briefly thought about tapping into his thoughts to see how far gone he was, but decided against it. She may not give him the privacy he pretended to want physically, but she would mentally. Frost’s inner thoughts could be a scary place at times.

A tortured groan burst from his chest, followed by a long, drawn out “Fuuuuuck. Yeah, swallow it all, baby.” The chair squeaked, and she could picture him flexing his fine ass, pumping the last bits of cum down her throat. A wet pop sounded in the room, followed by a hard smack. The girl squeaked and giggled.

“Thanks,” he grunted. “You can go.”

Amber peeked at them, trying not to be conspicuous. The girl made a sound of protest, but a low growl from Frost had her spinning on her heel and marching out. It was best not to rile the bear up. The nymph made her objection to being thrown out fairly clear with each stomp of her tiny high-heeled feet. She slammed the door behind her, and the room fell into silence.

“Feel better?” she asked, after a few seconds, gauging her boss’s mood.

He snorted and zipped up his pants, leaving the button undone. “Yep. What brings you in here?”

“Not sure. Something is bothering me tonight, and I figured you wouldn’t want me fucking with your customers, even if they are your own Den mates.” Amber stood and turned to face the two-way mirror that looked out into the bar. If Frost hadn’t been so caught up getting his dick sucked, he would have noticed something was off. But, then, who could blame a guy for getting some? She certainly didn’t.

Sex to a Siren wasn’t a big deal. It was an explosive rendezvous with pleasure to be had, as long as your partner didn’t want to get serious.
That
was when things got uncomfortable and she was out the door.

She heard the scraping of his chair, and felt his heated presence as he walked up behind her. He stopped next to her and looked out across the bar, just as she was doing. He knew she didn’t like to talk about feelings and
girly
shit. It wasn’t in her to get uptight about anything. “It isn’t like you to need a break.”

“I know.” And that’s what was bothering her. She had been fine for most of her shift. It was only in the last half hour that something nagged at her. Her body grew hot, her head buzzed in anticipation. Her heart beat erratically.

“Is it the customers being overly dumb, or do you feel like trouble is coming?”

She let loose a small snort. It wasn’t in her powers to sense trouble, at least not the kind he was thinking of, but that’s exactly what it felt like inside. There was turmoil and apprehension warring in her. Her gaze kept flicking to the door; like a part of her waited for someone to step through it. It was fucking weird all around.

“I don’t know, boss. Maybe it’s just the holiday weekend, and knowing we’re going to be packed to the gills. I’m not settled, and those idiots at the end over there,” she pointed to the trio she’d had to get away from before, “were pushing every last button on my nerves.”

The door to the bar opened suddenly, and her gaze automatically slid to it. Two giant men walked through. A shaggy, beach bum guy with long brown hair, and another man with slick stylishly cut deep brown, verging on black, hair. She skimmed over the beach bum. He had that laidback vibe she liked to go for. The kind that said
casual sex
and nothing more. There was ease to his gait, a swagger that had heads turning. She felt a flicker of attraction spark then immediately burn out. He was a good-looking man, like most of the paranormal world.

She found humor in the fact the Mystics of the realm were, in general, bigger, better, more beautiful people compared to their human counterparts. Humans wished to be like them, be loved by them, and wanted to become them. If only they knew the pitfalls of that dream.

Her gaze drifted to the other man, and her heart skipped a beat.
Oh my.
He was the opposite of his friend in every way possible. Dressed casually like his companion in jeans and a T-shirt; the dark-haired man was more refined. His jeans looked tailored to conform to every bulge of muscle and sinew. They hung on his hips and were the perfect length for his long, bulky legs. She enjoyed a leisurely gaze, taking in his well-formed body. His T-shirt was loose around his waist and fit snuggly over his upper chest and biceps. It stretched the smallest amount across his shoulders, allowing for a glimpse of the strength hidden beneath the material. The shirt looked expensive and soft, and begged her to peel it from him. Already, she could imagine the feel of it against her naked body. Rubbing her nipples into stiff peaks. Carrying his spicy scent to her nose where she would happily drown in it.

Traveling further up, she found a firm-looking mouth perfect for kissing, straight nose, and high cheekbones. When her gaze landed on his, the breath in her lungs backed up, constricting her chest. He looked in her direction, his dark gaze piercing through the mirrored glass. Could he see her taking in his beauty like he was a goddamn high-end painting in the ritziest gallery? A slow, seductive smile curved his lips, and she would swear lust flashed in his eyes. He and his friend stepped up to the bar, but his gaze never left hers.

Amber stumbled back, caught completely off guard. Frost’s hand shot out, wrapping around her upper arm. She pulled her gaze away from the mysterious man and sucked in a much-needed breath.

“You okay?” Frost’s brows drew together in a frown, his pale blue eyes searching her face. She didn’t know what he saw but whatever it was, worry flashed across his handsome features.

She licked her dry lips and nodded; intent on reassuring him and hoping he wouldn’t ask any more questions. “Yeah.” Shaking her head, she stepped away from him easily. “I need to get back to work. My ten minutes are up, and Brit is looking swamped.”

“You sure? You look like you just saw a ghost or something. I don’t mind if you hang out here for a couple more minutes. I can go help Brittany out.”

Amber pasted a smile on, not about to show how much she was unnerved. To have a complete stranger have that kind of effect on her was unheard of, and she wanted to keep it that way. She was a Siren for Goddess sake. A woman of beauty and desire who could lure in anyone she wanted with one sultry word.
She
was the one who stopped people in their tracks. Made them do anything in order to be with her.

A man who had the ability to do that to her
and
set her libido on fire with one look was a
very
dangerous man. She’d have to stay on her toes around him if she wanted to stay free and single. The married life was not the Siren’s way.