Connor (13 page)

She nodded, her eyes darting around as she processed his words. "What you're saying is that I want something I can't have. That I'm being unreasonable."

He groaned again. "Not unreasonable, just… You're new to all this and you haven't worked out the logistics of it yet. Your cat… You don't even know her yet. Last night you turned, in a crowded place, among our enemies. How did that feel?"

She blanched and reached for her neck again. "Like I was totally out of control, and not in a good way. I couldn't rein her in; all I could do was hide my eyes and pray things didn't get worse."

"Exactly. So even when your life depended on it, you couldn't stop yourself turning. It takes years to get some measure of control over your cat. Most of the Sons have been doing it by trial and error since they first activated. For me, it was at fourteen; for Colt, it was at seven. He's better at it than I am because he's been working on it longer. It's hard and it never stops being hard. I'd do what I could to keep control with Cameron with us, but I couldn't let my cat loose to bite you and not expect him to try to tear Cameron to pieces. It's a tightrope I'm willing to risk walking, with my cat caged. But letting him loose… Would you really want to see me kill Cameron for this fantasy?"

"So you could never have a threesome with one of the other Sons. They're just other versions of you. Surely –"

"I could have a threesome with one of the Sons, if I felt like it, and if it was with anyone but you. You're the game changer. My cat has never been interested in my sexual activities before. Sex has never been…all that fulfilling before. Fun, a release, an ego trip. I always thought that was all there was to it. Until you.

"I guess, because my cat wasn't interested, the experience was limited. I don't know. None of us does. This is all new territory for us. You and Alyssa… You've changed things, and we don't know how yet."

He could think of nothing else to say to help her understand. Either she accepted his offer within the limits he'd set or she didn't. He wouldn't risk Cameron's life just for her fantasy. He would stretch to fit her but he would not cause harm, or risk the brotherhood. Maybe if her life depended on it. But not just for this.

She had been quiet for a long time, seemingly no longer in a hurry to be gone, or have him gone. When she spoke it was on a deep sigh.

"This has gotten out of hand. Your throw-away comment yesterday stirred up an interesting fantasy. But like most fantasies, the reality of them isn't quite what you expect. I can see what you mean about letting your cat out when Cam is around. I've seen you two fight over me already and I didn't like it.

"When I suggested it was the way to get me to commit to this mate thing, I was trying to shut you down. I didn't think you'd agree. I'm not sure I wanted you to agree. I'm just having trouble with all this. It's too fast. You wanting me as your mate…It's just one more thing I have to get my head around.

"Can we just take it slowly? The sex is great. Better than great. There's time for the rest. Just let me get there my way, okay?"

He nodded, not sure how he felt about her disclosure. He'd suspected she was trying to put up roadblocks. Now he knew it was the truth. Pushing her this way was unreasonable. But he was never one to take his time. When he made a decision it was fast and irrevocable. Second guessing himself was a waste of effort. So letting her take the time she needed to make her decision was almost as hard as contemplating a threesome with Cameron. But if he could bring himself to give her the one, he should be able to do the other.

"Okay. Whatever you want."

She looked deeply into his eyes to see whether he meant what he said. He made sure she read only determination in his gaze. When she nodded, he jerked a nod too.

"I'll go check the plans for this cruise. I should have gone back to the hotel last night. I hadn't planned to stay. I'll ring you later."

Allie didn't know whether to jump for joy or burst into tears. The last thing she had ever expected was for the possessive alpha male to submit to her demands. It must have been galling for him to agree to something that went totally against his nature. And yet he was willing to do it for her. Up to a point.

She knew she was behaving like a spoiled child, disappointed that she didn't get everything she wanted for Christmas. But it was that double bite that had been the fantasy, not the sex with two men who looked so much alike. Sure it might have been fun being the meat in the sandwich, but she'd done that on a dance floor more than once and it had gotten tired fast.

But two guys, front and back burying razor sharp teeth in her shoulders and giving her a double boost of those electric orgasms…well that was unimaginably erotic. But she could see how it wouldn't work now. What existed between her and Connor was not the norm for these men. The biting thing wasn't part of their normal sexual activity. It seemed to be part of the mating ritual, a way to activate females of their species. It wasn't a game to be played, out of curiosity and titillation.

But a game was all she wanted. She didn't need more. Well, not yet. She'd told Connor the truth. If he gave her time she'd likely come to it on her own. Even after a day, she was more open to the possibility of a committed relationship than she'd ever been in the past, despite her reservations about the influence her cat was having on her decisions. If she had to choose a mate, then Con would fit all
her
stringent criteria. And it was a huge plus in his favour that someone like him, a man who seemed so independent and concerned only with his own needs and desires, was willing to go so far to please her.

And even while it disappointed her that she couldn't get the biting thing, the fact that he wouldn't put his brother at risk made her respect him more than she already did. Watching him fight for her, possibly kill his brother, just so she could play out a sick little fantasy was just plain wrong. Sometimes she went too far, even if it was in self-defence.

At that moment her cell phone rang and she noted an unknown number before picking up.

"Miss Wunderlund, this is Randolph Hall. We met last night."

"Ah, yes, Mr Hall. What can I do for you?"

"You may not be aware of it, but you are actually in my employ. It is I who requested surveillance on Cameron Haversham Smythe." He paused to let her take this piece of information in. Should she act as if she knew already or play it dumb? She'd deflect and see if that did the trick.

"Did I step over the line by attending the function last night? I thought it was the perfect opportunity to watch my target up close. I didn't know my presence would be redundant."

"Actually, I rang in part to congratulate you on your resourcefulness. You exceeded my expectations."

"Thank you, sir. I like to do my best." She kept her voice professional and neutral. This Guild member was angling for something and she had an idea what it might be. Or hoped it would be.

"How would you like to earn more by gathering more interesting information for me?" Hall asked cautiously.

"You are already paying me the top end of our scale."

"Yes, well, you would be required to go further than normal surveillance work requires. And it would be Off Book, as they say. Your boss wouldn't need to know about this additional requirement."

She intentionally fell silent for several moments to make it seem as if she was reluctant to consider the idea. When she spoke it was with fake uncertainty.

"What exactly are you asking of me, Mr Hall?"

"Nothing a pretty girl like you wouldn't be doing anyway. My prospective son-in-law showed an inordinate amount of interest in you last night. So much so that my daughter's jealousy put me to shame. I would like you to get up close and personal with your surveillance work. Make the most of that obvious attraction. Pillow talk can be very valuable. And of course I will pay you exceedingly well for your efforts."

"You want me to sleep with your daughter's fiancé?" She didn't have to fake the shock she felt. It was one thing to plan for such a possibility, it was another to have someone come right out and suggest it to her. Did she look like a prostitute?

"Yes. That's exactly what I want you to do. Not so I can use his infidelity against him, because I doubt it would break up the engagement. All it would do would put your life at risk. My daughter has been known to go to extremes to get what she wants. Removing you would be child's play for her."

Allie swallowed nervously. What kind of extreme actions was he talking about? Could he be serious about putting her life at risk?

"So…you would assure my safety from Meredith?"

"I would make sure she knows nothing about your relationship with Haversham Smythe."

"Oookay, so why do you want me to seduce him? Even if that were possible. Everything I've discovered about the man so far leads me to believe he actually loves your daughter. He has never had any kind of relationship before or during the time he's known her."

"He makes a show of affection for Meredith but I doubt it is anything more than manipulation. The man is ambitious and sees Meredith as a way to increase his power. I have no problem with that. I applaud it, in fact. But I don't wish to be manipulated. I want to remain one step ahead of him. And I want insurance against a future time when he might attempt a coupe. That is where you come in."

"You think he isn't as squeaky clean as he appears on the surface."

"I know he's not. But finding that dirty linen is more difficult than I expected. I have had hackers go through all his files and found nothing. Not even a suspicious phone call or email. Which means that he is very clever and likely has something to hide."

"He could just be above-board."

"Given the type of work you do, I hardly expected you to be naive and gullible. No, Miss Wunderlund, your target is anything but above-board."

He named an exorbitant amount of money as a retainer, something a high-end call-girl might get for her services. "So, for that, you will work your way into his confidence and gather information on his covert activities."

"I…I'm sure there are call-girls out there who would suit this job better than me." She knew she couldn't agree too quickly or it would be out of character. Yet, here he was, offering her just the position the Sons had hoped for.

"My daughter's fiancé has shown no interest in the prostitutes I've sent his way. The only woman I have seen him pay any attention to is you. So the question is, do you want enough money to retire on after this job, or do you want to resign now? Although you would likely find your career options limited after I pass the word out that you aren't to be trusted. But you
could
walk away."

Wow, this guy didn't pull any punches. So he was using both a carrot and a big stick to get what he wanted. Well, that was enough justification to give up her scruples.

"Okay, I'll do it. But I want you to keep Meredith out of my hair. If she finds out about me and kills me, there goes your asset."

"I am flying to Paris for a few days before leaving for Barbados. I will invite Meredith along. She won't pass up the opportunity to shop. That will give you a few days to make your move. And you must get him to take you on the cruise. Get him to share you with our host, as a way to gain more kudos."

"Share me with Rothmen you mean? What kind of hoe do you think I am?"

"An intelligent one who knows how to play her cards well. Rothmen voiced an interest in you to me. We can use that, too. You and I have the potential for great things."

"I'm going on the cruise with Connor. He invited me last night."

"That bodyguard has served his purpose. I don't want him getting in the way of our business arrangement."

"He won't. He…He's a means to an end, that's all." She felt herself slipping. Connor had to be part of all this. He just had to.

"That means is over. A jealous, spurned lover like that will prove inconvenient. Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it."

"Take care of it? What…What do you mean? I…I can take care of it. I can make him lose interest fast."

"And lose the bond you've formed with Miss Aimes in the process? No, I want that bond to continue. Leave the rest to me."

Allie felt a cold chill run down her spine. She didn't like the sound of that at all. What did he plan to do to Connor?

As soon as she got off the phone, she took off for Cam's office. She needed to tell him what was going on, and she didn't trust her cell phone anymore. If Hall was tapping Cam's phones and emails, then he could start doing the same thing to her, now she'd become more valuable to him.

It was just eleven when she finally strolled in to Cam's office and took in his receptionist and gate keeper. She'd seen the middle-aged woman before, when she'd visited the organisation in her guise as messenger, and knew from gossip that she was as protective of her boss' time as a junk yard dog was of his domain. Getting past her might be difficult.

But Cam would see her, if she could get the woman to give him her name. So her task was to convince the guard dog that she was someone Cam would want to speak to without an appointment.

She knew her appearance wasn't that of a high-flying business woman. She'd arrived by motorbike and still had her helmet under her arm. She was dressed in jeans and leather jacket and her face was bare of war paint. It wasn't ideal. Maybe the direct approach was what was called for.

Scrubbing her fingers through her flattened hair, she bit at her lips to give them some colour. Then she put on her best smile, and strode up to the desk as if she owned the place.

"I'm here to see Cameron. He told me to call around anytime."

"I beg your pardon?" The woman's voice was stuffier than Cam's. She articulated every syllable as if speaking to a moron, all the while looking down her imperious nose and sniffing, as if Allie had brought in a bad smell with her.

"That's okay. You're forgiven. Now let Cameron Haversham Smythe, your boss, know Allie Wunderlund is here."

"I'm afraid Mr Haversham Smythe is in meetings all day. You might like to make an appointment…" That last offer sounded more like, ‘You might like to win the lottery…’

"Cam said
anytime
. He'll be pissed off if he knows you've stonewalled me. And I've seen him pissed. It's not something I'd like directed my way."

For a moment that supercilious expression held. Then it faltered, as if she too knew what a pissed-off Cam was like, and didn't want that angst directed at her. Allie could see her weighing up whether he'd be more pissed-off with being interrupted unnecessarily, or by not being told of this confident woman's presence. She came down on the latter side, luckily, and picked up the phone.

"Mr Haversham Smythe. There is a young woman here to see you. Her name is Allie Wunderlund…"

She got no further. Allie could hear Cam's abrupt order to send her in, as clearly as his receptionist's side of the conversation.

The pained smile on the other woman's face was too precious to waste. So Allie smirked at her and shrugged as she was forced to deliver the news: "Mr Haversham Smythe will see you now. If you will follow me."

With a back as straight as a post, the woman tottered down the corridor on three inch heels, towering over Allie in her leather flying boots by a good seven inches. But she was no longer trying to intimidate her unwanted visitor, and that was enough for Allie. Women like this could never befriend someone like her; all Allie could ever hope to do was make them respectful.

At the end of the corridor a pair of oak doors opened onto an office that wouldn't have looked out of place in an old-world gentleman's club. Everything was dark wood, old leather and antique Aubusson carpets, and smelled of age and furniture polish.

It was a room that both suited its one inhabitant and yet didn't. Cam's presence fitted the imposing air of the office but his trendy metrosexual look, complete with silk vest and pink tie, didn't.

Without looking up from whatever he was writing, Cam dismissed his lackey. When the door closed, he immediately looked up and pinned her to the spot with a glare.

"There better be a damned good reason why you're compromising my position like this."

"Actually, I'm fitting right in with the plan. I had a call from Hall a little while ago. He wants me to become your mistress and feed him information. I thought coming to see you would make a good start to my seduction."

Cam came around his huge, antique desk and sat on its edge in front of her. He did it to reduce the height difference, not because he was the casual sort who sat on desks as a matter of habit. She appreciated the gesture. It was nice to be at eye level with him.

"That worked more effectively than I expected. I was sure it would take a few more longing looks on the cruise before he'd get the idea."

"I think Godzilla's little performance last night probably helped us along a bit. Oh, he's taking her out of the picture for a few days so there are no obstacles in my path. Isn't that nice of him?" She grinned, starting to feel the exhilaration of a plan coming to fruition.