Her Lycan Lover (9 page)

And Quinnlan Rothschild, IV for all his suave, debonair outer trappings was still a wolf. And his nature knew only one law: track, hunt, and devour. One couldn’t dislike a creature because of his nature. Only a dumbbell would ignore a wolf’s natural predatory instincts.

To pretend Quinn was a lamb was the epitome of ignorance. As a conjurer, she’d learned early on about facets of creatures, infinitesimal details, studying and memorizing the essence of life in order to transmute physical properties. To put aside the primal nature of a being, deadly mistakes were made. And not all mistakes could be repaired. The death of her mother reminded her of that each and every day she lived. Resolutely, she moved away from the window from which she’d been staring.

“Coffee. Strong,” she said, with a blast of steady conviction. Perfect. That’s all she required to resume her steadfast demeanor. Unshakeable where sexy wolf shifters were concerned.

Sherry walked, repeating a credo to remain unwavering with each footstep taken. A type of incantation to the wet bar forged during the fifteen steps, and there she stood, filling the coffee pot with water.

It was early but the deliveries would begin soon, followed by her generating expense reports for Shawn. In no time she’d be up to her ears in work and able to put aside this nonsensical detour into craziness. The head chef was on a rampage this morning and would be here ready to discuss menu changes. On and on and on the day would blaze. She could arrive at dawn and by midnight, she’d find herself with a whole new to-do list of projects awaiting her attention.

Just look at my desk.
Overrun with files, requisition forms, staff meetings bulletins, new hire resumes. Without question, there was a mile high pile of work there. It wasn’t just the Den, either. Since Shawn’s marriage he’d given her a promotion which meant additional responsibilities in his other restaurants along with the increase in pay. Tomorrow she’d be at Shay’s, a Sushi bar further uptown and Nero’s Pub, a sports bar and grill a few blocks over.

Opening the bag of ground organic coffee, she inhaled the pungent aroma of dark roasted beans. She’d missed out on her latte this morning booking it to get here to meet Quinn. Odd considering her morning yesterday. She’d alerted Alvin she really had a change in plans.

Grinding completed. A double scoop into the metal filter and she hit the button, turning her attention to who was on staff today. She crossed back to her desk, folded into her chair, and clicked the computer mouse. The screen lit up, filled with digital sticky notes across her computer desktop. The daylight hours were busy in operational tasks. The cleaning crews came and went. After last night, she’d need to give them strict instructions for the east wing. She typed one more note and clicked. Rotating the silver ring she wore on her thumb, she glanced at her calendar.

The governor’s son’s stag night would require her best staff. Luckily this would-be bachelor wasn’t one of Quinn’s chums. Nevertheless, the female and male entertainment had been carefully screened. Sherry quickly scanned the medical reports and noted one club Dom had failed to show up for a tox screening. She pulled up his file. Too late and so sorry, but she marked him as a
no-go
and sent him a message his services were no longer required.

Stud records were vital to maintain and one no-show at a medical screening meant release from services. No ifs, no ands,
no buts
.

“Oh, shambles.” This meant she needed a replacement. She clicked her mouse and brought up her file on possible studs. Karpunia was a Bengal tiger shifter. Sherry bit the center of her lip.

“Doll, when you do that, it makes everyone in the room lose their concentration.” Quinn lounged in the doorway.

“Loitering?” she asked, refusing to gawk at his clean-shaven yummy face and turned her attention back to her computer screen. For a second. Over the top, she watched him through her lashes. Laughing, he sauntered in.
A predator’s prowl
.

Immediately, her chest tightened so much her nipples hardened as though he’d done more than flirt. She pushed back in her chair, uneasy with his agile bodied grace moving into her office and taking up way too much space. He had the self-assurance to make a woman—this woman—understand he was always up for a shag.

Dressed in a perfectly fitted dark suit had her brain in Bedlam. And it had been a while since she’d seen him in a starched white shirt and tie minus the five o’clock shadow. In the evenings when their paths crossed, he arrived suited up and quickly changed. His usual mode of dress for an evening at the Den was dark pullover and trousers. And with the dim lighting, she’d bumped into him countless times in the corridors on the top floors when she’d been moving at a fast clip.

With his damp dark hair combed back and freshly shaven face, his square jaw was even more pronounced. She seriously had to force her gaze elsewhere if she didn’t want to stare a hole through him.

“Coffee is almost ready” she announced and rose, crossing the plush carpet of her office.

“I should just open a vein.” His watchful eyes followed her, making her racing heart beat that much faster. “What’s got you biting down on that lush lip of yours so early in the day?”

“Staff.”

Quinn walked around her desk and peered down at her screen. “Stud books? On the pull?”

“Please. Have you gone daft? We already discussed my dating habits.”

“No harm if you’re looking out of self-interest? I can recommend a couple but honestly, there’s only one stud who can take care of your needs. Wouldn’t you agree?”

From her chest upward, heat surge and in turn he chuckled licentiously. There was no sense arguing. He ate up whenever she argued back; worse, like right this second when he made her blush.

With a mug in hand, she focused on pouring the steaming coffee. “Get serious. I had to let one from our active rooster go. Now, I’m scrambling. Karpunia is a tiger. Not an easy match if things get rambunctious. Staff working the floor must be for sure low ranking betas.”

“Mind if I click out. Those you tentatively highlighted are cagey. Their strong natures aren’t in synch with the client. Controlling the evening requires a light touch. I’ll need a couple of bangers that can keep things moving in the right direction, since you’d like me to take second chair. Does that mean you’ll be around when… things start to heat up?”

“I think not. Here,” she said, setting his mug down on the desk. In the evenings, she worked at maintaining the shields. She told Quinn she went to the gym. It was her cover. “I work the morning. I’m sure Sonya is perfectly capable of tending to the Karpunia’s get-together.”

“If we find the right match. Otherwise I’ll deal.”

“I’ve never understood how you can step in when a beta is needed?”

“Ah, an alpha doesn’t rank above me. So it’s a simple matter to keep control. Everyone cooperates. You’d have to be there to understand.” He arched a brow.

Her stomach plummeted at his innuendo and the thought of all the naked bodies he had enjoyed and might soon enjoy. Suddenly, she was very bothered by the thought he could find comfort in another woman’s arms.

No.
She wasn’t going to fall because he potentially—more than likely—might break his word. She backed up, seeking safer, less confusing ground. “Have at it if you think you can find the right man.”

“Honored. I just might prove my worth after all.” She knew he wasn’t lying. Whatever he did, he was masterful. Lawyering, finding new business ventures, heck he was even a wiz at rugby.

And then there were his whirlwind social skills. In a pinch, Quinn could easily show up at the party and take over, both in crowd control and orchestrating an event that would rock. This was his thing. She wondered how many times he’d gotten in on the action in these private affairs. The coffee in her stomach soured at the thought.

Quinn turned back to the screen and sank down in her chair. She couldn’t tear her gaze from his profile and watched mesmerized. He clicked into the records, a muscle twitching along his jaw, and his eyes tracking across the screen. He took a sip of the coffee and flashed his eyes over the rim of his mug at her. Their gazes locked and the jolt of connection was palpable. A searing dart to her chest could not have been pierced deeper. A growl emanated from his chest up through his throat.
Primal.

Quinn’s overt masculinity assailed her senses. His scent and the intense way he regarded her sent unwelcome waves of excitement through her body. When had that started? She’d known him for almost two years and had maintained her cool. This had to be some sort of hormonal imbalance from being overworked. She needed a vacation and soon.

“You have an idea?” she asked, pretending to move rather than tremble like a mindless lamb before a wolf.

“A few,” he smirked. Ever since Quinn had stalked into her office, the space had shrunk immensely, and she guarded each of her movements. She stared back at him, unwilling to act like she was the least bit affected.

“If you honestly still believe I can read your mind, you’ll be sadly disappointed.”

“Pity. I’d love your opinion on a few issues. But to prove I’m not a total tosser, I can converse like a
regular bloke
. The coffee tastes as smooth as satin. Thanks, Sher.” He smiled, the type that reached up into his eyes making the reddish glow flicker. No less predatory, if anything more focused and contemplating. Her body tingled under his heated perusal.

“Choices? Do you see any possibilities?” She grasped her mug between both of her hands. It was all she could do to remain leaning against the counter, especially when his stare broke hers and traveled down her body. Quinn made no effort to hide his study of her legs and swung his glance back to meet hers when he was good and ready, which felt like hours.

“Oh yeah. I see a wealth of possibilities,” he said in a low and sure voice. “Try Redlings. He’s a switch hitter and panther. Sense of humor that doesn’t quit and can talk about virtually any subject. Your thoughts?” He languidly pushed back in her chair.

In a second, he’d dive into her turf and she was pleased to have something to cling to besides Quinn’s overpowering sexuality.

“Are you certain?” she asked. “Whenever I’ve had a conversation with him, he’s as quiet as a mouse. Let me see his report from last week. He’s new to LoDo and from what I gathered a nice, country boy. Some cow county in Texas?”

“Dickson to be exact. That’s a positive. Fresh. Booked a week out it looks like. We can move appointments around. No major. From what I can tell, he’s no country boy but a capable cowboy in the saddle. He might turn out to be one of your best Doms, if he is trained right.”

“I’m not against him. Far from it.” This was her turf. Her staff. Sherry came up to her desk, standing next to Quinn, and peered down at the screen. “Impressive. I’ll see that he’s on track.”

“On track. You’d better hurry. He has been booked every night for the past week, sometimes twice or three times.”

“Whatever that
cowboy
brought from his hometown is in hot demand. And you’re versed in his numbers because?”

Quinn cocked an eyebrow at her. She forced herself to stop running, and gave into her frenzied desire to lean into him. She met his tawny-colored eyes and the breath froze in her chest. His predator expression was all consuming, trapping her, and all she could do was stare back. She sensed something primitive going on between them.

“I can read our daily profit and loss reports without tripping,” he said wryly, the corners of his lips curling. He set his cup down on her desk.

“I didn’t mean—” she began.

Quinn’s reflexes were lightning fast. In a flash, he was up on his feet and had positioned his hands on either side of her waist. “Damn, you try the patience of Job.”

Pivoting her so that she rested against the edge of her desk, he stepped over her feet so that he straddled her legs. She pressed her hands on his chest, absorbing the steady beat of his heart.

“It hasn’t been a week yet,” she whispered. He was coming for her and she wanted him to sweep her up, kiss her, own her and make her forget the reasons why she sequestered the decadent side of her nature.

Worse, she wanted to feel his strong hands on her skin, wedging open her legs, and taking smug possession of her body the way he did everything in life. So powerful was the wild desire to have him thrusting into her body, she trembled seeing the future play out with her on top of the desk and him rocking his hips still wearing his jacket, shirt and tie. So close, so close, so close it was either lift her skirt or do the
unthinkable
. To open that door would spell trouble with a capital “T.”

“It feels like an eternity.” Quinn’s fingers wrapped around her hips. “Sher, what is going on this morning between us? This isn’t sheer compulsion.”

“I don’t know what to say.” She couldn’t put into words everything she’d felt. It might be her imagination. Lust. A bad case of sushi she’d eaten last night. That did not explain his interest… other than that he was a wolf.

Maybe she exuded some scent. Wolves had incredible senses. Unbelievable strength in some species. His fingers dug into her hips, and lust pooled in her body, a warm glow, and hard as she tried to discount possible reasons it all boiled down to the look in Quinn’s eyes. Intense. He stole her next breath. No one had ever had this effect.

“Then tell me to stop. Tell me this is ludicrous. Tell me I’m wrong.”

“You are wrong. I’m wrong. But together this seems… right,” she murmured. “I mean you’re right.”

They both were being fueled with a sensual energy too strong to resist. A wrecking ball did not have this much force. Quinn’s hands blazed hot and hotter across her skin. She opened her legs. She wanted him to touch to her, make her fantasy real, but that came with a cost. One she couldn’t afford.

One choice and Sherry took it, her fingers worked the magical hand gestures while her tongue formed the ancient syllables without releasing a sound. “
Li-be-ra
.” Her mind echoed the syllables, loud and louder.

Quinn’s fingers were lifting her skirt, caressing the skin of her thigh, edging up the garter she wore. “Figures you’d be wearing sexy as hell—”