Текст книги "Big Bad Wolfe"

Автор книги: Danielle Doolittle

Соавторы: Elle Doolittle
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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 10 страниц)

“Sarah, wait.” Reaching out, he stopped her with a warm hand on her arm. “I’m sorry.”

The laughter in his eyes had her raising a disbelieving brow.

“Really, I am.” He held his arms up, palms facing her in a passive display of surrender. “I didn’t mean to upset you, but your buttons are so easy to press.”

When he saw that she was about to rush off in a huff again, he put a hand back on her arm. “I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. It’s refreshing, especially in my world.”

“In your world?” She tried to hold on to her anger, but the warmth of the palm on her arm was seeping into her, dissolving her will.

“Short tempers aren’t exactly business smart.”

She stiffened. “I do not have a short temper … normally.”

It was his turn to raise a brow and she felt herself blush.

“So are you going or not?”

His sudden subject change had her scrambling to catch up. That’s right. They had been talking about Frank and Marcy’s plans before she blew up at him on the street. Just thinking about the scene she caused out there had another blush rising to her cheeks and she prayed the dim light of the parking structure would hide it.

“I don’t know.” She was dodging and he knew it. “I have a lot to do the next few nights.”

Falon only narrowed his eyes and motioned for her to lead the way to her car. She was surprised he let her off the hook so easily. She was prepared for him to try to talk her into joining the three of them at whatever crazy club Frank had discovered. She was almost positive he would be going with them tonight if his questioning indicated anything. What she didn’t understand was his interest in her going. Unless Marcy put him up to it. She wouldn’t put anything past Marcy when it came to getting her tail.

“You know, I’m not accustomed to taking no for an answer,” Falon said, holding the car door open for her. Sarah put the keys in the ignition before looking up at him. Standing there looking down at her in the dim light made her overactive imagination kick into high gear. She could just imagine all the sweet ways he could get a woman to say no, then immediately take it back.

She looked into his eyes with the sweetest smile she could muster. “There’s a first time for everything.”

She tamped down her own sense of victory as she pulled the door out of his hand. She felt his eyes on her as she backed carefully out of the parking space but didn’t look in his direction. It wasn’t until she was heading down the ramp that she thought she heard his laughter over the car’s engine.

Chapter Four

Falon stood outside the brownstone in a neighborhood far removed from the one he grew up in. The Gold Coast was something of a legend where he was from and here he was staring up at the door of a quaint home wondering at the stupidity of his actions. It wasn’t that he envied the neighborhood anymore. He could buy the whole street now if he chose to.

He had thought about doing it once. Just to prove that he could, but thought better of it. He hated Chicago. It was what brought him down here that had him questioning his sanity. Sarah.

Whether or not she knew it, she issued a challenge back at the parking garage and he never backed down from a challenge. After watching her drive her little hybrid out of the structure, he returned to the office and found her home address in her file. Sneaky and underhanded, yes, but he had never said that he was beyond pushing the limits of acceptability. In fact, he thrived on it. Especially when it was something he wanted, and he wanted Sarah.

It was more than just his inner drive to meet a challenge that had his body in a fever pitch every time he thought about her. There was something about her that seemed so familiar. When she stood over him in the dim light of the agency, he momentarily forgot about the pain her well-placed knee had caused a vital part of his anatomy. Looking up at her, he experienced an unexpected spark of longing so strong he was struck dumb.

He had experienced attraction before, many times, but the feelings that rushed through his system while lying on that office floor went far beyond mere lust. He needed her. That was the only way to explain it. He needed her with a fierceness that made him uncomfortable. It made him feel out of control and he hated not being in control. So he would do the only thing he could. He would have her once, twice, as many times it would take to get her out of his system and at the end of his service to her grandfather’s agency he would bid her a farewell and get on with his life.

But first he had to get her out of the house. Jogging up the steps, he ignored the sudden brightness that worked its way into his chest at the thought of seeing her again. Reasoning it has more to do with the way the woman looked in that form-fitting pencil skirt earlier than the actual idea of getting to know her, he knocked on the door completely in control. Or so he thought.

***

Sarah was just putting the kettle on for tea when she heard the knock on the front door. Her hand still resting on the ancient kettle’s handle, she stood frozen for a moment as if not moving would magically make whoever her unwanted visitor was go away. She would bet money on it being a half-drunk Marcy coming to beg her to go out with them.

When the knock came again, this time louder, she sighed. Tightening the belt of her ratty old robe, she walked down the narrow hallway to the front door. When she threw open the door, the few choice words she had worked up on the walk from the back of the house where the kitchen was located died on her lips. There, on her front steps, stood the last person in the greater Chicago area she expected to see.

“What are you doing here?” She folded her arms around herself feeling self-conscious.

“Mind if I come in?” Falon didn’t wait for an answer, just pushed past her.

“And if I say no?” Sarah answered, automatically closing the door behind her.

“I already told you,” he said, looking around her home. “I don’t take no for an answer.”

When his eyes settled back on her, she felt herself fidgeting. She hadn’t planned on company and feeling rather out of sorts she immediately threw on comfort clothes when she got home a few hours ago. Standing in front of him in pajamas that were at least ten years old and a robe that looked like it had been dragged through Hell wasn’t exactly the impression she wanted to make on the man. Although why she was worried what he would think of her was beyond her. It wasn’t like she actually liked the man. Not anymore.

“Nice … outfit.” The mischief in his eyes set her teeth on edge.

“I wasn’t expecting company,” she said, lifting her nose in the air just as the kettle began to whistle. “If you’ll excuse me.”

Dear Lord, when had she turned into her aunt Phyllis? Her mother’s sister wasn’t exactly known for her charm and she had just done a spot-on impression of the stuffed-shirt old windbag. Falon Wolfe was bringing out the best in her.

She could hear him follow her into the kitchen. Going to the stove first, she turned off the burner under the kettle before placing it and a box of tea bags on her worn kitchen table. That table had been there as long as she could remember. She had eaten nearly every breakfast of her life at that table and remembered how almost every dent and scratch was made. Shrugging off the past, she turned back to the counter. Reaching into the cupboard she got down two teacups and placed them on the table.

“Tea?” she asked, taking a seat. Falon raised a questioning brow before pulling back the chair opposite her.

“I’ll drink, on one condition.”

It was her turn to raise a brow as she watched him rummage through her tea selection. When he found his flavor of choice, his eyes shot back to hers and she was lost for a moment in their tea-colored depths. If she had to name the color, she would say they were a dead ringer for Earl Gray. Shaking away her deranged musings, she waited to hear his condition.

“I’ll drink one cup of tea if you say you’ll go to the club with me tonight.”

There was no way she could suppress her snort.

“I was perfectly happy to drink my tea alone. I was just being polite.” She widened her eyes for effect. “You know where the door is.”

“I don’t think you understand me.” Falon picked up the kettle and poured the steaming water of his bag of tea. “I’ll drink one cup if you go. I’ll make myself quite at home if you decide against it.”

Sarah sputtered and nearly dropped the hot kettle full of water in her lap.

“Excuse me?” Was the man crazy? “This is my house, I’ll call the cops if you even think for one moment to squat here.”

“Squat?” Laughter danced behind his eyes and she had to tamp down the urge to throw the kettle at his handsome face. She watched in amazement as he leaned back in his chair placing his hands languidly behind his head and sighed. “I don’t think that you understand just how much power I have, Sarah Maxwell. It would save all those involved a lot of wasted time if you just said yes and drank your tea then went upstairs and put on a hot little number and went out with me tonight.”

She was speechless. Literally at a loss for words, which in and of itself was a miracle of sorts. Either he had grown into the world’s most arrogant man, an idea that she was wont to believe, or he truly had the clout to back up his not so subtle threat. Taking a deep drink of her steaming tea to buy herself time, she figured she had one of two options here. She could follow through with her own threat and call the cops, give the neighborhood gossips fodder for the next month and possibly drag her reputation, and by extension the agency’s reputation, through the mud, or she could go and meet up with Marcy and Frank for a few drinks and catch a cab home.

“I’ll go, but on one condition.” She placed her cup back on the table. “This isn’t a date.”

She stared straight into his luminous eyes determined to wait him out. The humor and challenge she saw there nearly had her squirming in her seat. There was no way she wanted it to enter either of their minds that this was something that it wasn’t. She didn’t want to have her body building up expectations for the end of the night that she was basically forced into.

“Deal.”

***

A half hour later Sarah stood in front of her closet wondering if she could go back on her word. Falon could find something in her four-story brownstone to keep himself busy for the night. Looking at the poor selection of clothing hanging in her closet she wondered if she could find the collection of old board games that were stashed in the attic.

“Need any help up there?” Falon yelled from the foot of the stairs. After finishing his own tea, he had rushed her through hers and herded her up the stairs to get changed. That was when she discovered her rather bland options. Remembering back to the things she had seen Marcy wear when going out, Sarah figured she had nothing to wear. That was as good excuse as any to stay in wasn’t it? Shaking her head and pushing the clothes back across the rod, she was sure that if she mentioned her lack of attire Falon would do something extravagant like arrange a hand delivered number from Neiman’s. She decided to save herself the embarrassment and kept digging.

“Need any …” Sarah whipped around at the sound of Falon’s voice in the doorway of her room. She clutched the plush towel she had wrapped around herself after her quick shower to her chest.

“What the …”

“I knocked,” he said in his defense. She watched him visibly swallow as his gaze raked her exposed body. “I just came to see if you needed any input on what to wear. My vote’s for this one.”

Sarah harrumphed and spun back to face her closet and its dismal offerings. Throwing a pencil skirt and a sequined top on the bed, she made to move to her dresser.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” His voice came from directly behind her this time and she had to fight down the shiver of awareness that rocketed up her spine. His warm breath on her shoulder had her wanting to forget about going out for a completely different reason than her not having anything to wear.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t exactly think of night clubs when I go shopping.”

“That much is obvious.” He leaned closer, causing his dark scent to swirl around her. Crowding her so he could shuffle through her closet himself, Falon made quick work of her daily work attire. Obviously unsatisfied he kept digging until he came across a nearly forgotten garment bag hanging in the back of the closet.

Finally, he stepped around her only to pull the item from the closet and unzip it quickly exposing a relic from a shopping trip Marcy forced her to take a few months ago. She had tried the electric blue dress on and felt simultaneously sexy and uncomfortable. She had never worn anything like it. The short, skintight dress appeared to have a modest neckline until she had turned around revealing the entirety of her exposed back. She watched in muted horror as Falon’s eyes lit up and he thrust the garment into her hands.

“This one.”

Great. She looked down at the scrap of blue then back up at the infuriating man in front of her.

“Can I have a minute to get dressed or would you like to supervise my underwear selection too?” As soon as the words were out she realized her mistake. What she hadn’t expected was the flare of heat that blazed in his eyes. When he took a step toward her, she felt her mouth go dry and retreated a step.

“Door’s that way.” She nodded its direction. Her voice sounded husky to her own ears, and she was under no illusion that Falon had missed its harsh tones. After a tense moment, Falon seemed to pull himself together. With a barely discernible nod, he was out the door before she could react.

Glaring down at the dress, Sarah momentarily thought about throwing on the rattiest pair of sweats she owned and teasing a few knots into her hair for good measure. Wouldn’t Falon flip his lid if she came sauntering down the stairs looking like a bag lady? Just as she was reaching for her holey Northwestern sweats another thought struck. While she was sure he would be upset about sweats, he would probably force her to play hostess all night. Looking back down at the dress, she had a better punishment in mind for the man who thought he could control her.

Twenty minutes later she was standing in front of the full-length mirror she kept in the corner of her room, examining her handy work. While she didn’t normally dress for sex appeal, it didn’t mean that she didn’t know how to make the most of her petite, curvy frame. Turning to the side once more, she took satisfaction in the way the tight dress molded to the curve of her hip and displayed the trimness of her waist. The smoky shadow and freshly tousled hair rounded out the sex kitten look she was going for.

All she needed now were those do-me heels Marcy talked her into buying along with the dress. If she remembered right, she stashed them under the bed. Finding them still in the bag from the store, she nearly let out a yelp of joy. Slipping the patent leather peep-toe stilettos on her feet Sarah felt more powerful than she had in a very long time. Looking back in the mirror she thought maybe there was something to Marcy’s theory of sexual politics. Heading out of the room with one last look at her reflection, Sarah reveled in her newly awakened sexual power. She planned to use it to her advantage that night.

Falon was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. She paused on the landing to watch him pace. His powerful legs carried him with a grace that shouldn’t have been possible for a man his size. She couldn’t help but follow the line of his broad shoulders under the black dress shirt and down the muscular arms encased in the form-fitting sleeves he had rolled up to the elbow. Her eyes landed on the sleek line of the leather belt that circled his trim waist when she realized he had stopped moving. Her eyes shot to his and she stood frozen as her heart beat wildly in her chest and her insides melted under the onslaught of heat simmering in the Earl Gray depths of his eyes.

She only took a moment to second-guess her plan before squaring her shoulders and pasting what she hoped was a seductive smile on her lips. She was going to get Falon to loosen his control if it was the last thing she did.

“Does this meet your approval?” she asked, doing a quick turn on the landing.

Stopping with her exposed back to him she peeked over her shoulder and raised a brow. She nearly lost her composure at the slack-jawed look on his face at her display. After a moment, he pulled himself together and cleared his throat.

“It’ll do.” Was it her imagination or was his voice rougher than usual?

Smiling to herself, Sarah continued down the stairs to stop directly in front of him. Even with the four-inch heels she still had to crane her neck to look into his eyes. He seemed to have banked the fire to a low smolder that Sarah felt the sudden urge to unleash. Wouldn’t it do him some good to be denied something he wanted so badly? She wouldn’t like that the idea of driving him crazy held its own appeal. She wanted to give him a taste of what she had been experiencing the past nine years.

“Ready?” she whispered, maintaining eye contact. Her tongue reflexively licked her dry lips as her stomach leaped into her throat. She was determined she wouldn’t be the first to back down. The air seemed to change as he looked down at her. She could nearly feel the tension simmering between them and thought that if either of them moved, just a fraction of an inch in the direction of the other, all bets were off. She was sure they would never make it out of the house.

“Right.” Falon took a step back and the overwhelming feelings were gone in a flash. For the first time, Sarah was grateful for his control. While she wanted to see him crazy with desire, she wanted to be in control when it happened. He extended an arm for her to precede him out the door and she was careful to brush by him close enough yet not touch him. The whole point of this night was to tease him mercilessly, not to end up in bed with him. At least that’s what she kept telling herself.

Walking down the front steps, she couldn’t help noticing that he was also keeping a distance between them. She smiled when the idea that perhaps he wasn’t as controlled as he thought crossed her mind. This may be easier than she thought. Sliding into the sleek car he led her to, Sarah tried to formulate a plan of attack. She needed to do this and still keep her wits about her which if judging by the earlier sparks flying between them, she was going to have to dig deep for a fortitude she wasn’t sure she possessed.

Chapter Five

The flashing lights from the dance floor lit up the artificial smoke floating around the club obscuring Falon’s view of Sarah yet again. He had to talk himself out of fighting his way through the sea of bodies and pulling her from whatever man’s arms she was now in. Gritting his teeth, he choked down the last of his drink, tempted to ask for another.

When he found that little blue dress in the back of her closet, he knew she would look great in it. What he hadn’t planned on was her looking like every man’s wet dream. And that’s the exact thought that slammed into his brain the moment he spotted her on the landing of the stairs. He wanted to take them three at a time and carry her Cro-Magnon style back up to her room and show her the best way he knew how just how much that dress affected him.

It was the calculating look that entered her eyes that stopped him from taking that first step. Her sudden willingness to go along with him suddenly made sense in that moment she turned on the landing showcasing the sexy backless dress. She was trying to push him. In that moment, Falon realized the game just got a little more interesting. If she thought she could tease him out of his control, she had another thing coming. Altering his plans to simply seduce the fiery little redhead he would now do so and prove to her just how strong his control truly was. And a part of that plan was to keep his ass planted on the bar stool instead of punching the next man who looked in Sarah’s direction.

“Another drink?” Frank shouted over the house music blasting into the building. That was another thing grating on his nerves. When Frank told him about the club he had pictured a low-key affair not this barely legal grind session that seemed to be taking place on the dance floor.

Frank didn’t seem the type to frequent a place like this. When Falon had questioned him about it after Marcy dragged a reluctant looking Sarah from his side, he learned that this place was her idea. Apparently Frank was desperate to get back in Marcy’s good graces and inviting Falon and Sarah had been a part of his plan. He supposed he couldn’t fault the man for it, but it would have been nice to have a little warning.

“Drink?” Frank shouted again.

“No.” Falon shook his head raising his voice to be heard over the bone-shattering bass. “I’m driving.”

“You’re a brave man. I have a three drink minimum to handle a place like this.”

“I can see why.” He joined Frank in a laugh over the rather odd-looking couple making out right in front of them. Dear Lord, was that a leash attached to that girl’s neck? Falon shook his head in amazement.

When the lights flared again, he couldn’t help searching the writhing bodies once more for a sign of Sarah. He scanned the bodies he could see and didn’t see a trace of her red hair and that mouthwatering blue dress. A flash of her walking down the stairs toward him wrapped lovingly in electric blue, all that pale, flawless skin exposed and her toes peeking out of those sexy shoes. He had been a goner.

“Don’t worry, Marcy will take care of her.” He was shocked at the perceptiveness of the man he thought was a little oblivious to those outside his little world. Frank obviously picked up on his shock because he nodded in the direction of the ladies’ room where he spotted a vision in electric blue. “I used to react the same way when Marcy first started dragging me to places like this. After the third or fourth time, I nearly collapsed dancing every dance with that crazy woman. She told me that if I wanted to come along I needed to chill out or go home. I chose to stay and drink myself into a nice state of fuzziness while she had her fun. Easy solution and I quickly saw she just wanted to unwind and go crazy.”

Frank gave him a searching look. “At the end of the night, she always goes home with me.”

“And that pertains to Sarah how?” Falon shifted in his seat. He was not worried about Sarah going home with someone else. He wasn’t. Frank’s knowing smile told him that he hadn’t been too good at hiding his worry. The other man merely shrugged and took a long pull from his bottle of beer.

“You tell me.” He followed the direction of Frank’s beer when he tilted the brown bottle in the direction of the ladies’ room.

He instantly bristled at the sight of yet another random man standing far too close to Sarah. Didn’t the man see how uncomfortable he was making her? Even from this distance he could see her stiff body language. He slid off the bar stool and walked briskly in their direction before he realized what he was doing. Even though he knew it was impossible, he could have sworn he heard Frank laughing in his wake.

He only had the chance to take maybe five steps before Sarah surprised him for the millionth time. He watched as Mystery Man leaned in to whisper something in her ear. His blood boiled when he saw the other man’s hand getting way too familiar with the curves hidden under Sarah’s little blue dress. Cursing himself for not picking something else for her to wear, he felt his jaw drop as she stiffened further. Before he knew what was coming, Mr. Grabby found himself on the floor in a very familiar position. After picking his jaw up from the sticky floor, Falon made his way to Sarah’s side and looked down at the man clutching himself on the floor. He would have pitied the guy if he hadn’t just had his grease ball hands all over Sarah.

***

“I’d say nice shot, but having very recently experienced that kind of pain … I can’t bring myself to do so.”

Falon’s voice so close to her ear snapped Sarah out of the rage that took over the instant Mr. McGrabby Hands laid a finger on her. When he had stopped to chat with her and Marcy, she took an instant dislike to the way he had eyeballed her like she was a piece of meat. He made her skin crawl when he moved in closer to ask her to dance and decided then was the time to feel her up.

Looking down at him moaning on the floor, she fought a smile. Maybe he would think twice next time. On second thought, judging by the steady stream of curses now flowing from the prone man’s lips, she doubted it. She was about to teach the man another lesson at the mercy of her do-me heels when a hand on her arm stopped her.

“Allow me,” Falon growled in her ear. She turned and looked into his eyes and was surprised by the ferocity she found there. His eyes were like chips of amber, cold and angry. She could only nod when faced with such intensity.

Falon bent down and lifted the other man by the collar of his shirt. She didn’t miss the rigid control of his movements. He was furious and doing his best to control his reaction.

“You stupid b—” Grabby didn’t get a chance to finish his statement before Falon landed a quick-as-lightning elbow to his gut. He grabbed the other man’s arm before turning back to her. She stood frozen in awe. Dear Lord, what was happening? Was Falon really playing the role of savior?

“Stay. Right. Here.” He ground out between his teeth. His jaw was tense and she realized that some of his anger was directed at her. Not a knight in shining armor then. She could only stare after him as he roughly led the man in the direction of the front doors.

“That was hot,” Marcy said coming up beside her again now that the drama was over. She could only look at Marcy like she was crazy as the woman practically panted over what she just witnessed. “The way he went all caveman on that fella. So. Hot. I wish Frank would do something like that, sure would spice things up if you get my drift.”

Sarah had to admit it was kind of exciting watching Falon pick that man up off the ground. The rigid set of his shoulders and the way the muscles bunched in his square jaw as he attempted to grind his teeth into dust was flattering. Mildly. It was mildly flattering. She didn’t need a man running to her rescue. She had been taking care of herself for a long time now and she didn’t plan on stopping anytime soon because Falon Wolfe got it in his head that she was helpless. Watching him cut through the crowd she vowed to let him know exactly where he could put his misogynistic attitude.

“We’re done here,” Falon growled when he reached her side. She looked over at Marcy for assistance with Falon only to find the woman practically fanning herself. No help there then.

When Falon began to lead her in the direction of the doors much like he had McGrabby, she dug in her heels. There was no way she was going to let him dictate when her night was over. It didn’t matter that she had spent the last hour wishing she were anywhere but sandwiched between Marcy and the wall of writhing bodies on the dance floor.

The whole point of the night was to get him riled up and every time she had caught sight of him he looked as cool as ever nursing a drink and scanning the crowd. She felt defeated when Marcy dragged her to the ladies’ room. Then the whole ass-grabbing incident happened and now here she was facing the wall of Falon’s ice-cold control yet again. She pulled back on her arm. She wasn’t going give up without a fight.

When he spun around to see what the holdup was the music changed, giving her a wonderful idea. She let a sly, secretive smile pull at the corners of her lips as she stepped closer to his broad chest. Stopping only a fraction of an inch from touching him, she took satisfaction when his nostrils flared and his body stiffened further. Not as in control as he would like to think it would seem. Tilting her head back to meet his eyes, she leaned in a little further.

“Dance with me,” she whispered as close to his ear as their height difference and his stiff posture would allow. She wasn’t sure he heard her and was about to issue her request a little louder when he suddenly started pulling her in the opposite direction, straight to the slowly swaying bodies on the dance floor.

When Falon pulled her body close to his, she began to question the intelligence of this plan. Her rebellious body thrilled at the chest to knee contact with the hard contours of his. She found herself fighting a losing battle to mold herself further into his embrace. The feel of his body against hers felt so right that she had to shake her head to dislodge the rioting images of just how right his body was. When he placed his warm hand on the exposed small of her back, Sarah was sure he could feel her heart hammering to escape the prison of her ribcage.

Unsure what to do with her arms Sarah placed them on his broad shoulders. Sure, she had suggested they dance but she hadn’t planned on it feeling like high school prom all over again. She was trying to blow his mind and all she could come up with was adolescent awkward. He ran a hand up her spin and stopped it between her should blades effectively trapping her in his arms and forcing her closer. Apparently he skipped the awkward phase. With no other option, she linked her arms around his neck and held on as he began to gracefully sway them around the floor.

After a moment of silence, Falon slowly dipped his head as if to nuzzle her neck. Sarah’s treacherous body responded like the wanton creature it was turning out to be, and she found herself tilting her head in anticipation.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re up to?” His harsh whisper shattered any delicious idea of him nibbling his way up her neck to her awaiting lips. Startled out of her body’s overheated reaction to his closeness, she could only look up at him in mute confusion.