Obsession (11 page)

“What are you going to do with me?”

“I should turn you over my knee and spank you soundly.” His dark gaze glinted with intent. “But I’d enjoy that too much and suspect you would as well.”

Jessica felt hot all over. And then cold, as his mouth thinned.

“You committed a grave crime. You need to be punished, severely.”

She spread out her hands. “What does punishment constitute around here? Mucking out the stables? It can’t be any harder than changing diapers.”

“It’s quite different, in quality and quantity.”

“You haven’t seen my little brother’s diapers.”

His mouth quirked, as if he bit back a smile. “You have quite a mouth on you, Jessica. Perhaps I should lock you away in my private home and keep you to myself.”

Mouth dry, she swallowed hard. He looked like a wolf, ready to pounce. “For what? To cook for you?”

“What I wish to do to you has nothing to do with the kitchen.” He eyed her mouth again. “I’d keep you locked in my bedroom.”

Oh dear gods. Her body hummed and between her legs, her sex pulsed at the thought. Raphael, trapping her in his bedroom for days, ravishing her senseless. “You don’t know me very well if you think I’ll agree to that.”

“Oh, but I know you.” He stood up and came closer. “You have seldom left your pack grounds in Michigan except to communicate to your day job a few miles away. You graduated a year ago from the University of Florida with a degree in computer science, summa cum laude, but you work for Dennis Nelson, your alpha who gave you an entry level job doing data processing for his accounting firm, so you can pay off your student loan.”

Closer still. “You are highly intelligent, restless and your family has little money, having 10 young to feed, in addition to yourself.”

“Adopted family,” she broke in, as her stomach lurched. How did he…?

“You enjoy computer video games, long runs in the moonlight, drinking beer and eating pizza, reading romance novels and wearing purple lace panties with the days of the week embroidered on them.”

Holy goddess.
How had he found out so much about her? This was downright creepy and invasive. No one in her family even knew about her secret panty fetish. She kept them hidden beneath her mattress so her nosy siblings wouldn’t find them.

Bristling, Jessica blinked and broke the eye contact. “Bored, Raphael? Decided to look up my entire history? What gives you the right to spy on my private business? And, given that last detail, do you have a secret web cam in my bedroom, you bastard?” Her voice had risen of its own accord.

“I told you. I am in charge of security for the ranch. It’s my duty to conduct background checks to clear all guests who stay at the ranch.”

“Background checks don’t include what kind of underwear a guest wears.”

“In your case, I decided to go a little deeper.”

In case I decide to go deep inside of you as you’re naked beneath me,
his look suggested.

Fuck you.
The words were nearly out of her mouth. She bit her bottom lip instead. Raphael looked like he would take her up on the offer, and make her enjoy it and beg for more.

“Why?”

He took hold of her chin, his gaze fierce. “Because my instincts warned not to trust you, and you have proven them correct.”

She fell silent. He didn’t know everything.
You don’t know about the belt. No one does. Or that my brother is still alive.

As she yanked away from him, the neckline of her shirt tugged downward, exposing her birthmark. Jessica flushed and tugged the shirt collar upward.

Interest flared in his eyes. “That mark, have you had it since birth?”

“No, it’s a tattoo I got in college when I was drunk one night. Didn’t your background checks include that little fact?”

Picking up a strand of her hair, he coiled it around his index finger and tugged it until her face came close to his. So close she could see the amber flecks in his dark eyes.

Wolf. A dangerous wolf, intent on protecting the pack. Jessica shivered.

“What are you going to do, Raphael? Whatever it is, just get on with it and be quick about it.”

“When I get on with it, it will not be quick.” But he released her hair and parked a lean hip on J.J.’s desk. “Do you have any information about your family? Facial features, or perhaps eye…” he gave her tresses a pointed look, “or hair?”

“None.” She lifted her chin and locked gazes with him.

“Do you have any clues as to your family’s whereabouts? What if they do not wish to be found? They might not even be alive and you could be wasting time.”

“My brother is.”

Damn, she hadn’t meant to let that slip. This guy made her all defensive. She didn’t want to wonder if her family was gone or worse, they didn’t want her.

Raphael’s expression did not change, but his expression became guarded. “What about your brother? Older than you? Younger? What’s his name?”

Jessica shrugged. “How should I know? What are you going to do with me?”

“Today, you are going to my house. You will work with me, under my supervision.”

She didn’t like that slow smile. “Doing what?”

“I have a large task for you.” He stood as well and caught her wrist. Raphael stroked a thumb over her palm. “I have no doubt your hands are quite…capable. They are delicate, and yet strong, an enticing combination in a female Lupine.”

A tingle raced through her veins straight down to her female parts, which sat up and paid attention. Oh yeah. Much better than a hot romance novel. This male was all sex and heat.

And dangerous. Jessica trembled as he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it in a gallant gesture.

She half-expected him to sink a fang into her index finger and then lick the ensuing droplet of blood.

The space between her legs pulsed at the thought. Jessica yanked her hand away.

“You are best friends with Alexa, mate to J.J. He rules the pack. I protect it.” Raphael gave a smile, all gleaming teeth. “You broke a law. Whatever I say, you must do.”

She was afraid of that. “Can’t you just sentence me to mucking out the stables?”

“You will work for me as your punishment.”

“So you’re going to use me as free labor?”

“Would you prefer I punish you in other ways?” Beneath his black beard, his jaw tightened. “The last thief I dealt with on the ranch nearly had his throat torn out. I do not deal lightly with intruders.”

Jessica swallowed hard and shook her head.

A knowing smile touched the corners of his mouth. “Because you’re female, I will go easier on you. I won’t get as physical.”

Not in that way, his look suggested.
But in other ways…

Jessica squirmed in her chair. She hated feeling this powerless. Hacking into computers had given her a sense of control in a very uncertain environment. And now Raphael had waltzed along and shown her how vulnerable she was.

He glanced at the Patek Philippe watch on his wrist. The timepiece easily cost more than $20,000. She knew, because she liked shopping at jewelry stores and looking at the most expensive items, dreaming of owning them.

“I have an appointment to cancel, and then we’ll leave.”

Raphael held out a hand to help her up. She regarded took it, feeling the tensile strength. He didn’t squeeze hard to display his power, but it was unmistakable.

Jessica suspected he could crush cars with his hands, but be equally gentle while stroking a woman’s naked skin.

Stop. Thinking. About. Sex!

He went to the computer, shut it down. “I live on the ranch grounds, not far from the main house. It’s too far to walk. You’ll have to ride with me.”

Jessica chewed on her bottom lip. “Ride what?”

Dark mischief glinted his eyes. “What would you prefer to ride, little Red?”

You, in bed, all night long.

She remembered the sleek Lexus parked in the garage. “How about your Lexus?”

“Pity. I had hoped you’d take a chance and ride one of the horses.”

“I don’t ride. I don’t even know how to mount one of those.”

“Yet,” he murmured. “I can teach you all about mounting, as well.”

A shiver of sensual anticipation snaked down her spine. Of that, she had no doubt. Much as she wanted to detest this arrogant Lupine, he turned her on sexually.

For Jessica suspected those lessons would not be taught in a corral, but in his bed.

Naked.

Chapter 8

The drive to Raphael’s house took a few minutes. He didn’t speak on the way there, which made her sweat as she wondered what exactly he wanted.

She didn’t trust him. What did this wolf plan for her? Maybe he would turn her into his private maid. Or love slave. Jessica fisted her hands to hide their trembling. She didn’t know what worried her more, his anger or his obvious sexual interest.

Either could crush her. But she had her wits and hadn’t survived for all these years in a chaotic household filled with Lupines for nothing. She could handle whatever he dished out.

Darting at glance at him, her gaze dropped to his lap and a heated flush crept up from her throat.

Or perhaps not.

He drove over a concrete bridge crossing the river that bisected the ranch, into a copse of woods. They passed by a small log-frame cabin. Jessica shaded her eyes to study it.

“Who lives there?”

Raphael glanced at her. “It’s a guest house, for pack members who desire privacy.”

“Oh? Like a retreat house?”

“You might say,” he murmured.

Then he drove to a section of forest protected by a high fence. After he keyed in a number on the security pad, the iron gates opened and he continued down a paved driveway, parking before a handsome pine wood home.

With its soaring rooftop, the house looked luxurious and quite private.

He climbed out of the car, opened the door for her with a courtly air. Jessica jumped out. “Nice. J.J. builds cabins like this for all his ranch hands?”

Jingling the keys in his hand, Raphael shook his head. “I built this myself. I needed privacy and it was a condition of our agreement.”

“What agreement?”

“For me to work as J.J.’s beta while he established his pack.”

He ushered her into the house, giving her a short tour. Raphael’s office contrasted to his personality. She’d expected dark wood and burgundy walls and crystal lamps. Instead, his home had bright colors on the walls, gleaming glass and chrome, a kitchen with gleaming granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.

The artwork surprised her the most. Raphael struck her as a Lupine with dark layers, mysterious and exotic. But he’d filled his home colorful acrylic and oil paintings of bright, sunny landscapes, and scenes of children scampering through fields of wildflowers. It seemed incongruous to his personality.

Jessica looked around the living room, with its built-in bookshelves, fireplace and comfortable, but expensive furniture. The fireplace mantel held a few knickknacks and white tapers in brass candlesticks.

No photos.

He took her upstairs and opened a door. “My office.” Amusement glinted his gaze. “I have hidden security cameras.”

An ivy plant draped over a bookcase containing thick leather volumes. His desk was white, with a green, ergonomically correct chair. A sleek laptop sat on the desk, along with a remote, a high tech phone and thick files folders neatly stacked in a box. Dominating the wall opposite his desk was an HD screen flanked by white shelving containing more books and several DVD’s. Stacks of file folders were piled atop a table near a row of wood filing cabinets.

One wall was all glass, affording an excellent view of the glen of trees and the pond outside the house. A red sectional sofa with bright green and yellow and blue pillows sat against another wall, with an excellent view of the HD screen and the windows.

No photos here, either.

She examined a gilded frame containing a whimsical oil painting of a wolf chasing a butterfly. “Interesting subject matter.”

Raphael joined her. “I had that one commissioned by Pierre LaFontant LaRue.”

She was no art connoisseur, but even she’d heard of the famed Parisian Lupine who commanded seven figures for his work.

“Why this scene? I thought he painted wolves in packs, never alone.”

Brief emotion shadowed his dark gaze. “It was important to me.”

A lone wolf. No photos. A beautiful, but impersonal house. Everything screamed layers upon layers, as if Raphael’s home wasn’t his castle, but a refuge to hide the real Lupine.

“Where’s your family picture?”

Brows raised, he studied her. “Why do you ask?”

“I love looking at family photos.” Jessica grew wistful. “The Tyrells have me in their photos, but I always stick out with my hair.”

His suspicious look faded. “You have beautiful hair, Jessica.”

Lost in thought, she barely heard the compliment. “I tried dying it once to blend in. Didn’t work. The dye didn’t take. So I went online and found a stock photo of a red-headed family and printed it out and stuck it in a frame. It was silly, but it made me feel less like a stain on a white shirt.”