Brink Of Passion (Alpine Woods Shifters) (11 page)

He’d always thought they went a bit overboard when it came to the Premier quarters. The Jacuzzi tub hadn’t even been powered on since he took office. Then again, the idea of Laurie in it gave it new appeal. He couldn’t wait to get her soaking and see just what those water jets could do.

“Stop it,” Laurie hissed as he took her hand and led her toward the stairs.

“Stop what?”

“Whatever you’re picturing.”

For a moment, all he did was blink. Then the meaning behind her words hit him. She must be reading some of his emotions through the mate bond. The joy of the revelation had a shit-eating grin curling his lips. A good sign that things were already progressing between them.

“Sorry,” he managed without an ounce of remorse. Somehow, he succeeded in holding back the chuckle.

When they exited the stairwell, Max immediately noticed the small group gathered in the lobby of the building. He bit back a sigh. His cousins had probably been notified the minute their car pulled into the garage. At least only family waited for them, but ideally he’d have been able to sweep her up to his apartment without interference.

“Max!” His cousin Leah ran over and gave him a hug he was only able to return by letting go of Laurie’s hand. Ridiculous to feel so resentful over the fact when his cousin had meant no harm, but he couldn’t help the feeling from creeping up. “Did you have a good trip?”

“Long, but uneventful.”

“Uneventful?” Laurie asked, sarcastic amusement in her voice.

Max could have slapped himself. He had left for the convention last week single and come back mated. That would qualify as pretty eventful.

Had that really only been last week? Already Laurie seemed to be a permanent fixture in his life.

“I meant the trip from Colorado, of course. Meeting you was very eventful, pookie.”

“Pookie?” Colin and Laurie asked at the same time.

“Not pookie?” Max asked. The woman had already nixed ‘sweetheart’ and ‘baby’. He thought something a bit less conventional would suit her.

“I’m not a stuffed teddy bear.”

Colin laughed. Leah smiled. Even Tyler’s lips twitched a bit before firming into their usual straight line. Proof that he had a sense of humor, even if he didn’t like showing it.

“Everyone, this is my lady love—”

“Definitely not
lady love
.”

“—Laurie,” he continued, choosing to overlook her denial. Eventually, he’d find something she didn’t object to. He just had to try harder. “These are my cousins Leah, Colin, and Tyler.” He was a little surprised Ryan, his brother, was nowhere to be found. Then again, it was late, and they had already met back in Tucson during the convention. After which, Ryan had come back as originally scheduled, while Max had accompanied Laurie to Alpine Woods. “We’d love to stay and chat, but we’ve been on the road all day and are tired.” Max emphasized his point with an exaggerated yawn. They didn’t need to know he was more anxious for Laurie than for bed.

Tyler scowled. “We need to talk for a moment.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“No.”

“You can’t handle it yourself?”

Tyler hesitated, glanced at Colin, before shaking his head. Max glanced between his cousins and saw the regret lurking in their gazes. Regret for more than just waylaying him immediately upon his return.

Max sighed. So much for taking a break. He glanced at his watch. That resolve had lasted all of an hour. But duty called, a harsh mistress to be sure, but one he was sworn never to ignore. He wouldn’t be a good leader if he did.

“Leah, can you show Laurie our apartment, and help her with anything she needs?”

Laurie leaned up and pecked his cheek before taking their overnight bags from him and following Leah. He wasn’t sure what he expected from her, after all but ditching her as soon as they walked through the door, but it hadn’t been the easy acceptance she’d shown. Here she was, in a new place, with people she’d never met before, and being abandoned to boot. But there was no glare of resentment. No frown of disproval.

“Max…” His cousin’s voice penetrated his contemplations. He turned towards his advisors as the elevator doors closed behind his mate. Perhaps her easy acceptance had to do with her brother being a Premier. Or maybe it was her personality. From the very beginning, he’d thought she could take care of herself.

“Max,” Tyler tried again. Max pushed thoughts of Laurie to the back of his mind.

“Okay, what’s this important issue that can’t wait?” He tried not to be gruff, but the sharpness crept into his tone anyway. He wanted to be with Laurie. Surely, whatever issue had arisen could have waited until morning.

“It’s Ryan. It’s not good.”

With those five words, they had Max’s full attention.

*****

“Your apartment is on the top floor,” Leah explained as they left the group and strolled toward the elevator.

“Don’t we need keys or something?”

“There’s a code to access the floor. See.” She demonstrated on the panel. “The top floor is not accessible without an authorized number. The other floors all have multiple apartments, so there are keys for those, but yours takes up the whole floor.”

“What’s the code?”

“Everyone has their own. We’ll have to get you one. Each code grants access to authorized floors and areas. Of course, all members of The Family have full access to the building, including your apartment, but we don’t intrude on your privacy.” The way she said it made Laurie’s neck itch, as if the woman needed her importance understood.

“Are you one of his advisors?” Laurie asked. During their car ride, Max had mentioned his family and discussed some of the politics in the pack, like how the leadership operated more as a monarchy than a democracy. The details were still unclear to her, like how Max had taken over despite having an older brother, and how their children wouldn’t necessarily lead if there was a more dominant child among his cousins and brother’s children. But she figured she’d get the hang of the details eventually. She couldn’t remember him mentioning a female cousin among his officers, though. Wait, not officers. She shook her head. That was how Alpine Woods referred to the Premier’s advisors. What had Max called his? Oh yes, his Counsel.

“Oh no, I leave that to the others. I’m more of a mothering figure in the leap. My mate and I keep our ears to the ground for Max, so to speak. The leap trusts us with things they don’t want to bother the others with.”

Something about the woman bothered Laurie, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. Leah appeared friendly and caring, but almost as if she acted purely for recognition and accolades.

Rubbing her tired eyes, Laurie gave herself a mental slap. She was tired. And grouchy for having been ditched, even though she knew that wasn’t what happened. Taking it out on Max’s cousin was neither fair nor kind. After all, Leah was essentially her family now, too. Resolutely, Laurie stared straight ahead at the metal doors and determined to converse with her chatty companion without biting her head off.

“So you’re mated?”

“Yep, high school sweethearts. Everyone wanted to date him, but since the beginning he’s only had eyes for me. You’ll meet him tomorrow, I’m sure. Probably at breakfast, which is served in the restaurant downstairs for leap members from six to ten. It doesn’t open to the public until lunch. Every apartment has its own kitchen, of course, but Max feels it’s important for the leap to…” Her words trailed off, causing Laurie to glance in her direction.

A smile still curved her face, but it held a brittleness that hadn’t been there before. It faltered a bit before Leah plastered it back in place.

“Are you a wolf?” She tried to hide the tartness in her tone with an overabundance of sweet, but Laurie heard it anyway.

“Is that a problem?” Might as well address any issues now. She’d known being a canine in a feline den might cause problems, but she’d assumed, perhaps foolishly, that any issues wouldn’t come from Max’s family.

“No, no. Of course not.” The lie was plain as day. “We heard Max had mated, but I don’t think any of us expected…”

“Someone like me?” Laurie finished for the woman.

“Don’t be silly.”

Laurie almost asked the woman if she’d been to the dentist lately to check for cavities. If she put any more sugar in her tone, she’d rot her teeth. Instead, she bit her tongue—hard—before the words could escape. Making enemies on her first day would not be a great way to show Max she would be an asset to him. Especially not within his family.

Laurie rubbed a hand across her eyes. She was tired. And grouchy. Her lack of sleep and aching muscles were no doubt imposing slights where there were none. So what if Leah wasn’t comfortable with Laurie’s wolf nature? She hadn’t said anything wrong or offensive. Had been nothing but sweet, even if it had been faked.

“I’m sorry, Leah. I’m just tired.”

“Of course.” Silence filled the small car. Laurie searched for something to vanquish the awkwardness between them.

“So Leah, what do you do?” Safe enough topic.

“I run a flower store on third and fifty-ninth. Once you get settled, you should come by and pick up some for your apartment. Max prefers sunflowers. Oh, but I’m sure whatever you picked out would be just fine.”

If she was so sure, why bring it up in the first place? Laurie closed her eyes and berated herself for her negative attitude. Leah was only being helpful. What was it about this woman that rubbed her the wrong way?

The elevator dinged as the doors swung open, making her breathe a sigh of relief. Never had she been more relieved to get out of an elevator in her life. If the ride had gone on much longer, she was afraid of what she might have said or done.

“Is there anything you need tonight?” Leah asked.

“All I want is a shower and a bed,” she said honestly. Well, she wanted Max, too, but she wouldn’t admit to that. She understood and respected his dedication to his leap. Whatever had happened must have been grave if his cousins had ambushed him so quickly.

“If you think of anything, feel free to give me a call.” Leah waved with a smile as the doors closed around her.

How was Laurie supposed to call? Leah hadn’t left her number. Not that Laurie would use it if she had. She’d had about as much false cheer as she could stand for the night. And judging by her lack of patience, she wasn’t fit for company anyway.

Only then did Laurie glance around the room. Her bag hit the floor in shock as she took in her opulent surroundings. The place was larger than she expected for an apartment in New York City. Gorgeous wood flooring, seeming recently waxed, decorated the front entrance. A couch with two side tables and a coffee table sat in front of a short wall that separated the room from the one behind it.

To the left, Laurie saw double glass doors that opened into what was no doubt Max’s office. A large wooden desk sat in the middle of the room facing two brown leather chairs. In the other direction was the kitchen, decorated with gray mottled granite, cherry wood cabinets, and chrome finishing. Unsure where to go first, she moved toward the openness of the kitchen and around the wall.

The sight of the main living space froze her in place. Here she’d thought the entry impressive, but this was off the front page of a magazine. Her mouth hung open as she stepped farther into the room, turning in a circle to take it all in. An open curvy stairway made of metal and wood climbed upward on the far left across from a living room set of white leather. Up the stairs, she could see a landing with a cast iron railing that opened over the two-story space. Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out at the night sky of the City, lighting up the room with the glow of City lights. A massive table sat opposite an informal bar area. An archway hinted at more rooms on the other side of the table.

Too interested to resist, Laurie moved past the arch and into a hallway. There were only two doors. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but they’d never said anything about wolves. Opening the first door, she saw a bedroom with a double bed, desk, and dresser. The door on the side wall stood open, and she could see straight through the jack-and-jill bathroom to a second similar bedroom.

The temptation to use the shower and set up camp in one of the bedrooms was strong. But Max’s scent was absent from this part of the apartment. Backtracking, she walked to the opulent living space, if one could call it a living space. The whole room felt cold and impersonal. Maybe if the middle wall was a warmer color, anything other than white, or if it was used as a bar or for a stereo system as opposed to the big painting of flowers, it would feel more welcoming. The white leather couch, two white leather chairs and square glass coffee table made a lavish picture, but Laurie missed the scuffed up wood and warm tones of her home.

She crossed to the two doors under the stairwell. The first led to a half bath. The second a coat closet. Gripping her bag a little tighter, Laurie moved to the stairwell. Who ever heard of a duplex in New York City?

The higher she got, the more she saw of the balcony on the second floor. A sigh of relief escaped her. As cold and aloof as the area downstairs was, this area made it up in warmth. A small kitchenette stood in the far corner next to a door opening up into what she assumed was the master bedroom. Bookshelves surrounded the walls, except for one area dedicated to a large-screen television. A small breakfast table sat where the kitchen would be downstairs, and a couch, coffee table, and one of the most comfortable looking armchairs decorated the space between. It was larger than most apartments in New York, no doubt, the balcony looking out over the entire living and dining space. Here was a place she could relax.

Glancing at the wooden chess table as she made her way toward the master suite, Laurie could see the pieces were scattered as if in the middle of a game. She wondered who Max played with.

The bedroom threw her for another loop. Her gaze darted between the four-poster bed and the sitting area in front of the fireplace with two chairs and a large ottoman. More double glass doors displayed the bathroom.

Feeling like a cartoon coyote, Laurie did a double take. Could that even be classified as a bathroom? No doubt it was referred to as a spa or an oasis.