Unmasking the Wolf (13 page)

“I had,” she paused to catch her breath. “I
have
the right to do what I want, Luke. You don’t get to choose if I stay or go.”

“Of course you do.” He spoke to her as if he were calming a skittish mare. “This changes nothing between us.”

“Oh, really? You’re not going to exert your influence over me?”

A pained expression flickered across his face. “I don’t know what you think about me, but I can assure you I would never make you do something you don’t want to do, especially when it comes to us. You’re free to leave whenever you want.”

He was lying. He had to be. What sort of mate would he be if he let her leave?

Taking note of her surroundings for the first time, she glanced around the room. The lavish bedroom was done in cool grays and deep red. The color scheme was masculine and bold, but it was the view from the floor to ceiling windows that held her attention. The glass appeared to be privacy tinted, but it didn’t hamper her view of the morning skyline of Boston.

“Where am I?”

Luke moved away from her to rummage through a chest of drawers. He pulled out a T-shirt and shorts and tossed them to her. “My condo. If you want to take a shower, I’ll wash your clothes for you. Dominic is bringing you a bag later.”

She caught the clothes and placed them on the bed. “You spoke to Dominic? When?”

“He called me late last night. You were asleep.” He took turns balancing on each leg as he pulled on a pair of athletic pants emblazoned with the Red Sox’s logo. When he was done, he put his hands on his hips and studied her. “I didn’t know this would happen, Gina. You aren’t the only one who wasn’t prepared to meet their mate. Sometimes things happen that you don’t expect, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make the best of it. I like you. Even without the whole mating thing, you’re a beautiful woman. I want to get to know more of you.”

Heat singed her cheeks. Being called beautiful made her insides flip with happiness, but it was the thought of spending more time with him that truly excited her. “You don’t mean that.”

His expression hardened. Striding forward, he caught her chin in a firm grasp and tilted her head back to face him. “Yes, I do. If you don’t believe a word I ever say again, believe me when I say this. There’s nothing I’d rather do than crawl back into bed and make you scream my name. Your choice, Gina.” He backed away from her, holding his hands up to show his sincerity. “I won’t be pushy. Just letting you know your options. Whenever you decide that I’m what you want, I’m more than ready.”

Chagrined he could make her blush and desire him with the fires of a thousand nights in one breath, she let him leave the room without another word.

•●•

God damn it!

Tossing his coffee mug in the sink, Luke braced his hands on the counter and let out a frustrated groan. He’d known she wouldn’t be happy, but he didn’t want her to leave. Even though she hadn’t said she would, the implied threat was there.

There was so much he should be thinking about . . . L-12’s trials, the murders . . . but all he could think of was Gina. It was like a fire he was unable to put out. Was it always like this with a mate, the unrelenting urge to be with her?

“Hey.” Gina’s soft voice came from the doorway.

She’d put on his T-shirt but her legs were bare. Noticing his gaze, she shrugged. “The shorts kept falling off.”

“I don’t mind.” Not one bit actually. “Are you hungry?”

She nodded and moved farther into the room. “A little.”

“I made sausage and pancakes.” He motioned to the steaming platter on the counter. “And there’s coffee if you want.”

She made an adorable face and moved toward the counter. “No coffee. Do you have juice?” She filched a piece of sausage and bit into it with apparent relish. “Hmm, good.”

He turned to hide the grin her appetite caused him. “Is orange juice okay?”

“Sure,” she mumbled around a mouthful of food.

After preparing her glass of juice, they stood at the counter and ate together. He liked that she didn’t feel the need to stand on occasion and demand a plate. They ate with their fingers, dipping the pancakes and sausage into a puddle of syrup.

Gina’s hair was long and loose. It fell like a waterfall down her back, the ends curling slightly. She smelled like his soap and shampoo, which made his chest swell with pride this amazing creature was his . . . or hopefully would be. Beneath the thin cotton of his T-shirt, the outline of her breasts was nearly visible. Had she kept on her panties or was she bare beneath the shirt? He couldn’t wait to find out.

“What?” She held a piece of sausage to her lips, teeth flashing as she prepared to bite down.

Her rounded, slick lips closed around the food and she chewed. Although she hadn’t meant it to be erotic, a shaft of heat pierced him. His cock lengthened, ready for the moist warmth of her body. “It’s nothing.” Even to him, his voice sounded rough.

Probably catching wind of his thoughts, Gina turned to the sink and washed her hands. He’d imagined licking the sticky syrup from each of her fingers, but it was safer for him to keep his distance. Until she’d had a chance to process everything, he wouldn’t push her. Just like he’d promised, even though he wanted to kick himself for denying himself the pleasure of the female body before him.

He made a move to reach for her, but a shrill ringtone cut through the air. Groaning, he dug in his pocket and looked at the number on the display. “It’s Meredith,” he said to Gina as she turned to him. She gave him a vaguely confused look. “She works for the FDA.”

He answered the phone and held it to his ear. “Hello.”

Meredith’s calm, professional voice came across the line. “Luke, I expected an email from you two days ago.”

“Sorry. Something came up, and I had to leave the office unexpectedly.”

“I hope everything is okay?” Her inquiry was polite, but not very warm. “If we’re going to push L-12 through trials, I’ll need that information as soon as possible.”

He briefly thought about telling her someone appeared to be after L-12, but he decided against it. Until he was sure what was going on, there was no need to let Meredith know it may be compromised. “I’ll go to the office and send it to you in a couple hours.”

“I’ll be waiting.” With barely a goodbye, Meredith disconnected the call.

Gina had cleared away the remains of their breakfast and washed the dishes they’d used. She wiped her hands on a towel and set it aside. The wifely action made him imagine what a life with her would be like. Not that he wanted a maid, but waking up and sharing breakfast with her every morning would make him the happiest wolf on earth.

He put away his phone and walked over to her to kiss her softly on the forehead. “Thank you.”

She pulled away, but her cheeks turned pink. “Is there a problem?”

“No. I just need to go to the office and send an email.” This time he wouldn’t be caught unawares. “I want you to stay here. I’ll have Dominic come over.”

She frowned. “Can’t you just send the email from here?”

Shaking his head, he moved away from her before he forgot all his promises. “It’ll be safer from the office. We have a state-of-the-art firewall on the server. I don’t trust the Wi-Fi here.”

“Oh.” She twisted her fingers together and appeared nervous. “Be careful.”

Touched by her concern, he threw away his hesitation and strode forward, catching her by the elbows and tugging her into his arms. Her eyes widened an instant before she wrapped her hands around his neck and tugged him down for a kiss. It was hot, passionate, all he’d ever dreamed of, but regrettably short.

Her body was fluid against his until resistance set in. Shoving at his chest, she pushed him away. “I don’t need a babysitter, by the way. There’s no need to have Dominic come over.”

This was one thing he wouldn’t compromise on. Her safety was all that mattered. He’d already lost one person he’d cared about. He wouldn’t lose another. “It’s not up for debate. Your cousin is coming over.”

She straightened as if a rod had been attached to her spine. Her pert chin lifted in defiance. “I’m not a child. I can take care of myself. Besides,” she broke off to motion around the room. “Who could reach me in here? It’s like a maximum-security prison.”

He touched a finger to her chin. “You’re not changing my mind.”

“Why can’t I go with you?” Her eyes seemed impossibly blue as she stared at him. “You need me.”

“Oh, I do. Believe me.” Just not in the way she meant. He was still hard, his muscles tense with the need to take her over and over again.

She shot him an irritated look. “I meant, you need my help. What if someone attacks you?”

“Then I want you as far away as possible.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Nothing matters if I lose you, Gina.”

Her mouth opened and she drew a quick breath. “Even L-12?”

“Not even that.” It was crazy he’d even think it, much less admit it, but it was the truth. No matter what happened, he had to have her. Months of research meant nothing if he lost her.

The office seemed quiet for a Monday. After checking in with security, Luke made it to his desk with few interruptions. A red light glowed on his phone, letting him know he had messages, but he ignored it and opened his laptop.

As he waited for the computer to load, he pulled out the flash drive he kept in a locked drawer. All the information on L-12 was contained on the tiny stick. He put it in the USB port and brought up his email. Quickly typing out a short message, he attached the files and moved the cursor to hover over the send button.

Two years of research and finally they were going to trial. The excitement he’d thought he’d feel was curiously missing. What if he was wrong? What if L-12 wasn’t used for the purpose Laura had intended?

Thoughts of his sister never failed to make him miserable. He missed her. Missed how she could light up a room with her smile, and how she put everyone’s needs before her own. She would’ve liked Gina. He wished Laura was still there, so she could give him hell about how he’d fallen head over heels for a woman.

No use denying it. Mate or no, Gina was perfect for him.

He glanced back at the screen, reading the few sentences he’d written, and poised his finger above the keyboard. One click and it would be done; L-12 would go to trial. Damn, why the hesitation? This was what he wanted, wasn’t it?

Before he could press send, his cell phone rang. He answered it, grateful for the brief reprieve. Dominic’s anxiety was like a palpable thing as he spoke. “She’s gone.”

His chair groaned at the abrupt shift in position. “What do you mean gone?”

“I got here at ten, just like I promised, but she’d already left.”

Fear turned the blood in his veins to ice. He’d left the condo after Dominic had texted to say he was in the parking garage. He’d thought Gina would stay put for the few minutes it would take Dominic to come up the elevator. Apparently he was wrong. “Why are you just calling me now? It’s ten-thirty. She’s been missing for thirty minutes now.”

“I looked for her first. I thought maybe she’d run downstairs to the lobby for something. She’s not here, Luke.”

“Shit!” He snapped the lid of his laptop closed and got to his feet. “I’m coming home.”

He caught a flash of movement near his door. Long red hair was the dead giveaway. “Never mind,” he growled to Dominic. “I found her.”

He hung up and stuffed the phone in his pocket. Gina lingered outside his open doorway, her back to him as if she were guarding it. Guarding
him
. It had been so long since someone cared enough to worry about his safety. But it wasn’t his safety that mattered, it was Gina’s. Frustrated anger made his control snap.

He strode forward and grabbed her. She whirled around, surprise evident on her face. Without a word, he tugged her into his office and slammed the door shut. His hands shook with the effort to keep a leash on his tenuous command of his emotions. “God damn it, Gina!”

She opened her mouth, but no sound escaped. So beautiful it hurt to look at, but anger blinded to him all but the fact that she’d put herself in danger . . . for him. “I told you to stay home.”

She licked her lips, her voice shaky as she answered. “Don’t be mad.”

“Mad?” He laughed. “I’m way beyond mad. Pissed would be a more accurate term. Or you know what? Incensed. Yeah, that’s much closer.”

Self-preservation probably made her back up a step. She held up her hands as if to hold him back. “I was careful the entire time.”

“How did you even get here?” He’d taken his car. It wasn’t feasible to believe she’d walked all this way.

“I took a taxi.”

He ran a hand through his hair, gripping the short ends in exasperation. “Do you know how stupid that was? We’re not playing games here, Gina. Someone is after us. Or maybe they’re after L-12. No matter which, you’re stuck in the middle. Do you not understand what that means? They’ll use you to get to me.”

“No one will get me.” Blue eyes sparked with conviction. “I’m not a weak female. I’m the daughter of an alpha.”

“Oh, so you’re okay with pulling that card when it suits you?”

She folded in on herself as if he’d punched her. He hated the hurt on her face, the pain he’d put there. “Jesus, Gina. I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “No, you’re right. You’re completely right. I can’t keep running from it. No matter what I do, my life is already planned out. I came to Boston to keep from being mated. You see how that turned out. Everywhere I go, I’m reminded of what I am. I’m the alpha’s daughter. I’m here to help, Luke.
Use
me.”

“But you’re . . . ”

“What?” She straightened and stared him down. “What am I? Female?”

“No. Well, yes. You are. But that’s not what I meant.”

“Well, what did you mean?”

He hated the suspicion in her eyes. When would she learn to trust him? “I don’t want to lose you.”

Some of the fight left her body. She stepped forward, stopping mere inches from him. “You’re serious?”

“Completely.” He reached down to grab her hand and held it to his chest. “I never thought I would find someone like you. Now that I have, the last thing I want to do is let you go.”