Siren Song (8 page)

“
I can’t,” he said with an apologetic smile. “I have too much to do before Monday.”

“
Damn it, Duncan,” she growled. “It’s been almost a month since we’ve copulated and that was only because there was a full moon; I’m practically a born-again virgin.”

He laughed at that statement. “I know for a fact that you didn’t go home alone last night.”

“
What’s a mere human when compared to an Alpha?” she pouted, nudging him with her hip as she looked up at him and grinned unrepentantly. “He hardly counts at all; just like your interlude with the blond.”

Looking down at her, ignoring the dull ache in his gut when he thought about Lexi, he said, “After my meeting on Monday I’ll take you out for lunch and we can see where things go from there.”

“
Promise?” she asked, the hope apparent in her voice.

“
Yes,” he nodded. It was counter-productive to think about Lexi; she was completely ill-suited as a prospective mate and he should be focusing on his future, which meant looking for a mate amongst the wolves. Which meant concentrating on Ashley the wolf and not the elusive Lexi the human. Deliberately, he draped his arm around Ashley's shoulder, “And don’t worry, Ash; you’re still the front runner in my quest to find a mate.”

She rested her hand against his chest and sighed, “It does make the most sense, doesn’t it? It’s just… I don’t think I’m ready to settle down just yet. I’ve finally bonded with my wolf and we are enjoying our freedom.”

Duncan bit back his sharp retort regarding his thoughts about the insanity of bonding with their wolves. Forcing a smile, his voice came out rough, “I’ve noticed.”

She threw her head back and laughed, the sound sensual and earthy. And completely wasted on Duncan. Last week, he would have taken her in his arms and covered the saucy sound with his mouth, absorbing it into his body as a prelude to a round of hot and heavy sex. Now, it just amused him. “Surely you remember how sexual you became when you first bonded with your wolf, wanting to hump just about everything in sight and having the ability to do so? The rush of power and the animal sex is exhilarating.”

He didn’t tell her that he hadn’t bonded for that very reason; he wasn’t going to be ruled by his hormones like some beast, some wild animal. He learned his lesson when he was fifteen and started the bonding process; his wolf had run wild and nearly brought Duncan to his knees before Duncan ruthlessly got him back under control. And until last night, he had remained perfectly sane and rational.

Some awareness made him lift his head and he stopped dead in his tracks. Lexi was standing not fifteen feet away from him, her eyes closed as she remained blissfully unaware of him. It didn’t matter that she was leaning up against another man, his gut tightened and his body went on alert.

Her hair was glossy and light brown, pulled back into a high pony tail, with a few wisps curling around her face, making her appear fresh and wholesome. Instead of leather she was wearing jeans that caressed her body and a simple, white t-shirt, the outfit emphasizing her feminine curves. Intuitively, he knew that this was the real Lexi, the woman beneath the blond wig. While she wasn’t as exotically gorgeous as she was before, she was a thousand times more beautiful in her natural state. A million times more appealing.

“
Ticket, sir,” the valet said, bringing him back to reality.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the stub, never taking his eyes off the girl. He had no business obsessing over the human but that didn't mean he couldn't take a few moments and just admire her.

She opened her eyes and their gazes collided head on; he was lost once more, not caring that he was drowning. In that moment, he could see her spread out beneath him, welcoming him into her body. Then her tongue darted out to moisten her lips…. His erection was instantaneous and painful, causing him to adjust to make room for the unruly organ. Her lips curled upwards into perceptive smile and he almost abandoned Ashley, to walk over to her and claim her, damn the pack.

The spell was broken when the man she was with said something and she turned away. Before he completely lost his sanity, he grabbed Ashley’s hand, holding onto her like she was a life line back to reality. With her lineage, her nature as a wolf, Ashley was who he should be thinking about; not some girl who played dress up and kissed like a goddamn dream.

“
Isn’t that the blond from the bar?” Ashley’s serene voice broke into his ruminations.

He looked down at her and smiled at her unassuming face, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“
Liar,” she laughed good-naturedly, smiling up at him. This companionability was exactly what he needed in a relationship; none of those tempestuous emotions associated with Lexi. He didn’t need madness and that is what he would get if he gave into his primitive instincts.

Even if she was a wolf, Lexi, was not the type of girl someone like him married. Hell, she wasn’t the type of girl someone like him got involved with. She would twist a man up inside and he would be powerless to stop her. He would even put his finger on the knot so she could make a bow. But she wasn’t a wolf; he had absolutely no business thinking about her at all.

The valet pulled his roadster up in front of them and Duncan opened the door for Ashley, his fellow wolf. Looking back one last time, he firmly put the fantasy out of his head. Sighing heavily, he walked around the front of his car and took his position behind the wheel, feeling the loss and knowing that it was the right decision to make. It was the only decision to make.

“
So, anyway, what magazine are you buying?” Ashley asked, taking his mind off his melancholy thoughts.

Duncan turned his head and looked across the seat at her, blinking, trying to focus on the present. “Um,
lavish
.”

“
Really?” her eyes widened in approval. “I just recently started reading that; it’s the one with 'The Scene' in it, isn’t it?”

“
I wouldn’t know,” he shrugged, pulling away from the curb. "I bought it because it was a good investment."

“
This writer is certifiable and absolutely brilliant. She’s a human who does all of these wild things and then writes about them,” Ashley continued, oblivious to the fact that Duncan couldn’t care less about some fluff writer. “This week she wrote about your brother, Senator Carson. She got an interview with him last month by going wind surfing with him and after she beat him in a race she got him to announce his plans to run for presidency in the next election.”

Even though he had discussed some of his half-brother’s political ambitions with Philip, Duncan raised his eyebrow at that statement. “Philip would hold a press conference for that type of announcement. I doubt he would casually mention it to a writer of a small, gossip column in an exclusive magazine.”

“
She challenged him and won,” Ashley explained as if that made perfect sense. “Last month she interviewed a wildlife survival guide and ate sautéed earth worms and the month before….”

“
That does not sound at all like the type of article one should find in
lavish
,” he lamented, making a mental note to fire whomever it was that wrote that crap. His magazine was not going to have fluff pieces, even if they did yield an occasional news-worthy item.

“
Even though she is a mere human I think I would be friends with her if I ever met her in the real world,” Ashley said with a half-smile. “She tackles life and wrestles it to the ground, much like a wolf. I would even consider biting her, just to keep her around.”

“
Most, if not all, humans can’t make the transition, Ash; I’m sure your writer is no exception,” Duncan said disapprovingly. “And if what you say is true, that she is reckless and daring, I don’t want someone like that on my staff. Or in my pack.”

“
You can’t fire her,” Ashley said, aghast.

“
Watch me,” he promised.

Lexi struggled under the weight of her bags as she ran into the office building, late for the most important meeting of her journalistic career. The new owner had decided he wanted to meet the staff and layout his vision for the future of the magazine, which meant he was going to be going over everyone’s contributions and weed out the ones that did not fit his standards. And apparently the new owner had very high, very rigid standards and while Lexi knew she was a good writer she also knew that she was going to have to prove herself, just like all of the other talented writers on the staff.

The only bright spot was the fact that the meeting was being held at 11:00. If it had been any earlier she would have missed it completely and had absolutely no chance of saving her job. As it was, if she managed to make it up there in the next ten minutes, she might still have a career. At the very least, she would know whether or not she still worked for
lavish
. With each second that ticked by, that possibility was growing slimmer and slimmer.

Because her alarm failed to go off, she wasn’t as put together as she had hoped to be, missing the small, personal touches that completed her look. She was wearing a pleated, plaid mini skirt with a white blouse and thigh high nylons, held up by the very sexy garter belt she bought last week; it was just visible beneath the short hem of her skirt. She had wanted to wear the auburn wig with pony tails to complete the school girl look but had to settle for a very cute, sleek black bob. In addition to not being able to take the time to put on the right wig, she couldn’t find the tie. Instead, she wore the shirt with the top three buttons undone, her already full breasts pressed upwards by the push up bra she wore.

“
Hold the elevator!” she called out as the doors were half way shut and she was still ten feet away. A hand shot out to keep the doors open and she sighed in relief as she quickened her pace to keep her savior from waiting. “Thank you so much.”

“
My God, Lexi,” a familiar voice drawled derisively behind the opening door. A sickening thud weighted her stomach down and she dreaded seeing the man who came with that voice. “What look are you going for now? Anime porn?”

The doors opened completely to reveal the guy who had wanted her column, Mason Jones. He was the most vocal detractor when she was hired – and the only one still complaining. With his white blond hair slicked back, he looked almost bald, which only emphasized the icy cold blueness of his eyes. Those eyes narrowed as he looked at Lexi with equal parts disdain and lust and she debated whether or not she should get into the elevator or take the stairs. Since she was running so late, she really had no choice; besides, she really didn’t want to try to climb all of those stairs with slip on heels. She was already wobbly enough walking on a flat surface.

“
Mason,” she said politely, trying to rearrange her bags so she wasn’t quite so off-balance. She shouldn’t have brought so much work home over the weekend, but she wanted to be prepared for the meeting. Unfortunately, the two days had been spent reeling from her family’s revelations, though she still wasn’t sure whether or not she believed them, and the nights had been spent twisting in her sheets, thanks to a certain silver-eyed would-be lover.

“
You should be illegal,” Mason sneered, though he didn’t take his eyes off her. If anything, he continued to peruse her like he purchased her in the back room of a comic book store. It was a very disconcerting feeling and she fidgeted slightly under his intense scrutiny, trying her damnedest to ignore him. He let out a low whistle, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall, “In fact, I’m pretty sure that in some states you are.”

“
That makes no sense,” she said, refusing to give in to the urge to tug her skirt down, maybe button up the undone buttons; there was no way she was going to let the weasel win. Wearily, she watched as he unfolded an arm and moved his hand to the stop button. “I’ll have you know that I am wearing five inch stilettos.”

“
So?” he asked, his hand still moving towards the stop button.

“
Have you seen what a five inch stiletto can do to a man’s private parts?” she asked, raising a single eyebrow. “Needless to say, you touch that button and you won’t have to worry about testicular cancer. Ever.”

He quickly – and wisely – pulled his hand back, “Geez, Lexi; you are one cold bitch.”

“
And don’t you forget it,” she smiled serenely. She knew that her outfits drew attention, and she knew that it was often sexual in nature; but there was something about Mason that gave her the willies. The vibes he gave off were hostile, menacing.