To Save His Mate (2 page)

“Lightning and Storm are at the house. I wasn’t willing to have them spotted and start a riot with the models,” was Adam’s response. Yes, his two wolves would have created a major scene with these city types for sure. “Looks like your little buddy is excited to see you.”

“Can it,” Ethan snapped.

“I can think of something to— Holy shit! Maybe, he’d take me as a model.”

Ethan followed Adam’s gaze and spotted the large SUVs that had delivered the models for the shoot. Unfortunately, his eyes were still rooted to the sight when the photographer joined them.

“Ethan, my man, how are you today?” Obviously, Ethan’s growl wasn’t enough of a deterrent. “So, I was hoping you’d reconsider your refusal to model. You see, one of the male models had an accident at the hotel last night, and he’s been flown to the hospital in Nashville. Anyway—”

Whatever the flaming photographer had been about to say next was lost on Ethan the moment
she
stepped into view.

Long brown hair glistened in the sun, highlighting the tan on her voluptuous body and causing his wolf to stir. She had the body of a centerfold, perfectly proportioned and built for sin. Her breasts were full and pert, making his hands itch to hold them, and her ass was a perfectly rounded work of art. Her waist dipped in before flaring at her hips, giving a man the perfect handles to hold onto.

Adam’s voice cut into his fantasy with, “Dear lord, that girl is—”

“Mine,” Ethan snarled, cutting his brother off.

“Which girl?” the little weasel asked.

“The one in the green top,” Ethan replied.

“Ah, that’s Lacy. She’s new, but with her looks, that girl’s gonna go places.”

Yeah
, Ethan thought,
like home with me
.

“So, uh, my name’s Adam. Do you need any more models?”

Ethan pinned Adam with a deadly glare before he smiled. “I think having you on guard would work out just fine. After all, I can’t work with the lovely Lacy
and
guard the shoot.”

The photographer clapped his hands together and beamed, “Oh, this is great! Let’s get you over to the men’s tent to get changed and see if anything else needs to be done.”

“What do you mean ‘anything else’?” Ethan asked, narrowing his eyes on the little man before him.

“You know, a little concealer, waxing, bleaching—”

“Now, wait just a damn minute. I go natural, or I just go.”

The little man threw his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I like a manly man myself, so I won’t argue with you.” And with a quick wink, the pest scurried off to deliver his news to the rest of the crew.

“Here,” Ethan grumbled, “take my gun and badge.”

“Sweet!”

“Don’t be playing around, either,” Ethan warned, “That gun has a hair trigger.”

“Got it boss. Now, go let Landon make you look
fa-bu-lous
,” Adam sang the last, and Ethan cringed.

“Landon?”

“That’s his name. You didn’t know?”

“I’ve been avoiding him like the plague. Do you really think I stopped to ask for his name?” Ethan shook his head, wondering how in the world he’d allowed himself to be dragged into this then
she
walked out of the women’s tent.

Lacy
.

Just her name was enough to send his thoughts spiraling south. It made him think of pretty, feminine things…lacy things.

Right now, she was charging toward Landon with what appeared to be several ties dangling from her fingertips. Was that her outfit?

Hmm…this could turn out to be worth it after all.

* * * *

Fury, pure and undiluted, fired Lacy’s blood as she stormed her way over to the photographer. “What the hell is this?” she demanded. “I thought this was a shoot for the outdoors, for hiking and things like that, but
this
is just one step above nudity!”

“It’s just a bikini, Lacy. Relax.”

“Relax?
Relax?
I’ve seen more material on an eye patch! Are the men’s suits this small? If so, it’s going to appear that we’re having sex rather than posing.”

Landon’s eyes got that far-off look which meant he was envisioning the possibilities.

“Don’t you even think about it, little man, or I’ll kick your shit so hard you’ll be swallowing your own balls back down.”

“Well,” he huffed, “I never once considered having my own balls in my mouth, so I think I’ll pass. But I do have some good news for you, dear.”

“Does it include a change in this?” she asked, dangling the minuscule bathing suit in his face.

“Well, no, but we have just acquired a replacement for Bruce, so you’ll be paired with Ethan now.”

Landon’s chipper personality at this ungodly hour in the morning wasn’t doing anything to improve her current mood. “Well, let’s hope that he’s a lot more careful than Bruce. Has anyone figured out just how he managed to electrocute himself?” Lacy found it very odd he’d accomplished that at all. The hotel was newly renovated, and even the local authorities hadn’t been able to deduce the cause of his electrocution.

Bruce had been incapable of speech at the time and suffered from severe burns on his hands, wrists and feet—the entrance and exit points from the massive charge he’d been exposed to—but Lacy’s captain had assured her the model would be questioned as soon as he was able to speak. With Bruce having been her partner on this case, Lacy was more than anxious to hear what he had to say about the events that led up to his “accident”.

“Nobody seems to know,” Landon replied, looking none-too-concerned with the matter. “Here’s your new man now.”

Lacy turned to glare at the newest hire and nearly whimpered aloud. The man was absolutely beautiful! He had the looks of an angel with sandy blond hair, a chiseled face and eyes that looked to be almost silver.

He walked over with a confident male swagger that screamed authority. As Lacy allowed her eyes to coast over his broad chest, she noted the uniform shirt he wore.

Her eyes narrowed, and she whirled back to Landon. “So he gets to play forest ranger while I pose as a half-naked twit lost in the woods?” she growled.

“Would you be happy to be found?”

Startled by the deep voice, Lacy swung around to see her new partner had not only made it to her side but had apparently heard everything they’d said.

“Not wearing this,” she replied, once again holding up the pitiful scraps she refused to wear.

“What the hell is that?” he asked, cocking his head to examine it closer.

“According to Landon, it’s a bathing suit.”

“It
is
a bathing suit, and you’re going to be so hot wearing it,” Landon insisted.

Landon’s eyes bugged a bit when an instant reply was given by both Lacy and the man next to her.

“I’m not wearing this!”

“She’s not wearing this!”

Lacy turned to the devastating man who was defending her. She heard Landon huff before he stomped off, grumbling about divas and impossible men. So, apparently, her new guy was giving Landon a hard time also.

“I’m Ethan, by the way.” He offered his hand, and she accepted automatically. His voice was deep and smooth…nice. It was almost soothing in a way, easing her frazzled nerves.

Lacy gave her head a quick shake to clear out those thoughts. Sheesh, she had to work with the guy…and she was on duty, as well. “I’m Lacy. So it appears that you’re stuck with me, huh? Sorry about that.”

“Why? I chose to be paired with you.”

His unexpected answer set off her warning bells. “What do you mean you
chose
to be paired with me? We don’t get a choice of who we work with.”

Ethan just shrugged. “You do if the photographer has been pestering you for weeks,” he replied. “I’m not a model at all, actually.”

“You’re not?”

“No. I live here, and when Landon and his higher-ups came to get their permits, he spotted me. He’s been hounding me ever since.”

Interesting
. “So why’d you finally cave?”

“I saw you.”

Once again, his straightforward reply stunned her. “When did you see me?”

Ethan glanced at his watch, and Lacy noted his tanned skin, the light sprinkling of hair and the thickness of his wrist. “About ten minutes ago,” he answered.

Lacy rolled her eyes. “So you just saw me and decided to agree to modeling so that you could maybe get the chance to rub against some pretty girls? Nice.”

“No. I caved in so I could have the chance to meet you, maybe get to know you a little. I’m not a bad guy, Lacy, just not very practiced in trying to impress a pretty lady.”

This guy didn’t know how to approach a woman? Lacy gave an indelicate snort. “Oh, please! You’re telling me you can’t get a date? Sorry, but I’m not buying it.”

He smiled at her remark, and damn it, his smile was every bit as lethal as the rest of him. Suddenly, Lacy felt very hot. Disgusted with her errant hormones, she steeled herself and turned to leave.

“I never said I couldn’t get a date, Lacy.” His smooth voice wrapped around her, effectively sucking all the wind from her sails and causing her to turn back to him again. “Hastings is a small town, sweetheart, so you can imagine how it would be to date someone you’ve known your whole life. It’s like an extended family of sorts.”

Lacy wrinkled her nose. Yeah, she could see how it would be awkward. “Why don’t we just try to work together for starters,” Lacy suggested. “I’m pretty serious about my work, so don’t expect much.” Wow, that sounded rather conceited. She’d meant she was serious about her law enforcement work, not modeling! Well, she could hardly tell him that, so she let the comment go.

“A little downtime never hurt anyone. I’m sure you could spare some time to grab dinner with me at the diner or something,” he hedged.

Something other than lettuce did sound wonderful. All of the models in the house were doing some crazy diet to drop weight quick and prevent bloating, but Lacy never had to really exercise or watch what she ate to keep her figure. She definitely had no interest in their celery sticks or any other form of rabbit food those twig-thin twits were nibbling on.

“I think I might be willing to commit a felony for a cheeseburger right about now,” she confessed. Lacy laughed at the startled look on Ethan’s face. “I have one hell of a metabolism, so I don’t usually diet…or puke.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Eee-than!”

Lacy laughed again when Ethan cringed after Landon sang out his name from the men’s tent. “We’re ready for you.”

“Bloody hell,” he muttered.

“Guess I’ll see you in a few,” Lacy called.

“Yeah, as long as my outfit doesn’t resemble yours.” Ethan treated her to a crooked little grin before he sauntered off, and Lacy felt herself relax a bit.

She could definitely work with this guy.

This assignment just got a little more bearable.

Chapter Three

Ethan approached the men’s tent with dread. If they thought for one minute they’d get him into some skimpy little getup, then they were sadly mistaken.

As he neared, the music playing within grew louder. It was some edgy, techno crap guaranteed to have his head throbbing to its beat before long. When he pulled back the flap to the tent, he immediately noticed the lone woman inside…and she noticed him.

“Hi! I’m Allie, and you must be Ethan.” Her dull brown hair was pulled up on top of her head in a messy bun while a tape measure hung around her slim neck. There was an air of authority to the way she held herself around all of the lean and muscular men that surrounded her, standing head and shoulder above the small woman. Her face was youthful, and she looked genuinely pleased to see him. “Alrighty then, I can handle the strong silent type,” she added with a grin.

“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting a woman to be in here.”

“Would you rather have a man dress you and take your measurements?” She laughed when he narrowed his eyes. “Easy there, tiger. I was only kidding.”

“Good.”

“Swell, now strip,” Allie ordered.

“Excuse me?”
She has to be kidding
, Ethan thought.

“Just down to your underwear. I need to see what I’m working with so I can decide what you’ll wear,” Allie stated matter-of-factly.

“Nothing skimpy and
no
waxing,” Ethan growled as he pulled his shirt over his head. He wasn’t vain in regards to his looks, but he wasn’t completely unaware of his effect on women, either.

He watched as Allie’s eyes warmed, her appreciative gaze roaming over his exposed chest and abdomen. As he reached for his belt, she turned and crossed to a rack of clothes, plucked off a pair of faded jeans and returned.

“Try these,” she ordered. “They ride low on the hips, so lose the boxers, but keep the boots.”

Ethan’s eyebrows rose. “No shirt?”

Allie quirked a brow right back at him. “With a body like that? It would be a crime.” She spun on her heel and began barking orders at another model, leaving Ethan to change, but she quickly turned back. “They’re waiting for you, Ethan, so pick up the pace. Landon’s a real bitch when he loses his light.”

Ethan looked around, seeing most of the models were in varying stages of undress, and shrugged. He’d never been modest—mostly due to his werewolf nature—so he just kicked off his boots and dropped his pants and boxers in one swipe.

Noting that the tent had gone quiet, Ethan looked up to find almost everyone staring at him. “I refused to go along with the wax thing.” He shrugged again, thinking that had been the reason for the stares.

Allie shook her head and smirked. “You have no idea, do you?” She said it more like a statement than a question, so Ethan didn’t answer. “You’re stunning…and I think you may have just given every one of my models here a bit of a wake-up call.”

“How so?” he asked, pulling on the jeans.

“You’re not even a model, or so Landon told me, yet you look better than all of them,” she gave him another lingering look before adding, “combined. It will humble them a bit. Hell, maybe, it will help make them a little more manageable.”