Authors: Savannah Stuart
Really. He
was
.
Then she hopped back on her desk and spread her legs, tugging him closer into her embrace. His cock pushed insistently against his pants. She lifted her left leg to wrap tighter around him and dug her heel into his ass. He almost lost it. The thought of shoving her dress up her thighs, dropping to his knees and going down on her was all he could think about.
The sound of Ella’s office door opening made him jerk back. She immediately dropped her leg from around him, and he moved to stand in front of her, blocking her. Asher relaxed a fraction when he saw that it was Davis.
The shifter’s eyes widened and he stepped back outside, giving them privacy.
Asher turned back to face Ella who was standing and straightening her dress. “I shouldn’t have done that at work.” But he wasn’t sorry. Not even a little bit. Though he ached to tell her that they were going to finish what they’d just started, he held back, not wanting to scare her. “I’m leaving Davis to monitor this floor and keep an eye on you, but call me if you need anything.”
“Okay, thanks. Listen, do you want to go running tonight?” She said the words in a rush.
Her question surprised him, but he didn’t have to think about his answer. “Yes.”
Though Asher wanted to stay and watch over Ella, he couldn’t for multiple reasons. The main one being that he wouldn’t be focused with her sweet scent teasing him. They both needed to work and he wanted to start checking all the outer perimeter video feeds. And he trusted Davis. Asher might be new to the pack, but his alpha wouldn’t have assigned these wolves to his security team if he didn’t completely trust them. After last night’s fights, they’d all shown nothing but respect today. No hard feelings. The shifter way.
Once he’d filled Davis in on everything, he called Grant and headed back down to the video room. Even though it shredded him to leave Ella, it was time to hunt this intruder down.
Chapter 6
Ella stared out at the crashing waves from her cozy balcony. A near full moon hung high, illuminating the glistening water farther than she could see. For most of her life she’d lived in northern Alabama, but getting used to this beach life was easier than she’d imagined. The sound and scent of the ocean was calming, as if she belonged right where she was.
Lauren had asked her over for dinner tonight with her and her mate, Max. Ella loved her cousin, but after the long day she’d had, relaxing by herself with a glass of wine was the only thing she’d wanted. Well, almost the only thing.
Asher had texted her earlier telling her that he couldn’t escort her home so Davis had instead. She didn’t think she needed an escort at all, but she appreciated the gesture even if she was disappointed Asher hadn’t been the one to take her home. She was also bummed they wouldn’t get to go running, but she understood him being busy with work.
At a knock on her front door, she set her mug of hot cocoa on the small table and pushed up from her lounge chair. The condos were well-insulated so she couldn’t scent who it was until she’d reached the front door.
Asher.
Her jaguar started going crazy, clawing at her, telling her to get over her stupid insecurities and jump the man. If only it was that easy.
It could be
, the little voice in her head taunted.
She opened the door and fought to catch her breath at the sight of him. He still wore his work slacks, but no tie and his white button down shirt was opened at the top. No jacket either and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He looked exhausted.
Concern filled her. “Come in. Are you hungry?”
He shook his head as he stepped past her. “I ate before I left work. It’s just been a long day.”
She motioned down the hallway that led to her kitchen and living room area. “Come on. I’ve got fresh hot cocoa.”
His eyes lit up as he fell in step with her and headed to the kitchen.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, just work stuff. Before I saw you this morning we discovered a human employee stealing—a bartender. Then we discovered a waitress at a different restaurant was skimming too. She’s a single mom with three kids and…” He sighed, his expression tormented. “I just hate dealing with shit like that.”
“Did you call the cops?” Ella knew that for non-shifter crimes they contacted local law enforcement.
“For the bartender, but not for the waitress. She was actually sorry—ashamed. I could scent it on her and hell, she’s got kids. She was just trying to make ends meet.”
As they reached the end of the hallway, Ella asked, “What did you do?”
He shrugged, looking uncomfortable. Something told her he’d probably given the woman money and hopefully helped her figure something out. But it didn’t seem like Asher was going to answer, so Ella didn’t push as she stepped into the kitchen.
“Did you find out anything about my possible intruder?” she asked as she pulled a mug from one of her cabinets. Looking over her shoulder at him as she reached the stove, she saw that Asher had settled onto one of the stools on the other side of the counter. Her kitchen was open, connecting to the dining room and the big panel of windows overlooking the ocean. But she barely noticed the view behind Asher.
Not when he was watching her with such a raw hunger that it nearly froze her. He wasn’t even trying to hide it.
Ella let her hand drop and turned to face him. Her nipples tightened under that intense stare and she knew her reaction was visible because of the way his gaze dropped to her chest. It was quick, but once his eyes met hers again, he appeared even more affected. His eyes looked more wolf.
She wanted nothing more than to give in to what they both wanted. But the more she learned about Asher, the more she realized she wanted to get to know him better first. Not just jump into bed with him again. Unfortunately that little voice in her head kept trying to convince her that once the newness wore off, Asher wouldn’t want her anymore.
God, she hated being this way. Having these stupid insecurities. Even though she tried to play off what her sister and ex had done, it still stung. Deeply. What if there was something wrong with her? What if Asher realized that after she’d completely fallen for him?
Hell, she was well on her way to already hitting that point. He was so likeable and charming and according to her cousin, not a player like she’d assumed. Damn it, Ella needed to make a decision.
“No,” he rumbled out, the word breaking through her convoluted thoughts.
She blinked. “No, what?”
“We didn’t find out anything about your possible intruder. If someone broke into your office from the outside, they were very careful about avoiding detection.” His jaw tightened, his frustration clear.
She’d almost forgotten she’d asked him a question. Stepping away from the stove, she asked, “Do you want to go for a run? I know you’re tired, but…” She shrugged. Sometimes going shifter for a couple hours could release all sorts of tension. Whenever she let her jaguar take over, it was better than getting a massage or pedicure. Nothing could compare, not even her delicious hot cocoa.
His green eyes lit up, as if her question had surprised him. “Yeah.”
She didn’t bother changing out of her pajamas before they headed out of her condo. She also didn’t lock her place. The entire building was owned by the Kincaid pack, guarded almost 24/7 and there was a high wall around the parking lot in the front. After they exited out the private locked door on the first floor, Asher made sure the door was closed all the way. To get back in they’d need to input a code on the electronic keypad.
Ella savored the feel of sand beneath her toes as they walked down the short path that led directly to the beach. On either side of them sand dunes and foliage surrounded them. When they reached the end of the sandy path, they both scanned the area, looking for humans. They weren’t in a touristy area and the pack owned a lot of the property along this stretch of beach so she wasn’t worried about anyone seeing them. But they always had to be vigilant when shifting. Especially since so many humans had recording capabilities with their phones.
Once they were sure the coast was clear, they stepped into the shadows created by the foliage.
Ella paused, waiting for Asher to turn around, but he just stood there watching her as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. His green eyes were piercing under the moonlight and his gaze was definitely challenging. Each button he removed revealed another inch of rock hard, delicious male. As he shrugged his shirt completely off, revealing all those muscles, she swallowed hard.
Sin and sex.
That’s what she thought of almost every time she looked at him. It was hard not to think about that intensely raw night they’d shared, especially now.
He neatly folded his shirt before laying it on the sand. When his fingers moved against the button of his pants, she made a decision. She had to stop being a coward. The only person she was hurting by holding back was herself. She couldn’t let her past poison her future. As a supernatural being, she had a long damn future ahead of her and she couldn’t live in fear. She
refused
to.
Not when her present was so damn sexy.
Taking a steadying breath, she reached for the hem of her shirt and tore it over her head. Without looking at him, worried she’d lose her nerve if she did, she stripped off her bottoms. Since she hadn’t been wearing anything underneath, she was completely bare. Cool air rushed over her, but she hardly noticed it. Unlike him, she tossed her clothes onto the soft sand. When she met his gaze, she realized he was frozen with his fingers still hooked on his pants button.
He looked like a big, sexy statue standing there. His breathing was erratic and his eyes had gone pure wolf as they raked over her.
The sight made her grin. And it also pushed down some of her insecurities. She sauntered toward him, closing the short distance between them. His breaths got even more unsteady, but when he reached for her, she jumped away.
“Catch me if you can,” she whispered before letting the shift overtake her. Unlike wolves, jaguars shifted much quicker. In seconds, her cat had taken over. The sand was cool beneath her paws.
Risking a quick glance over her shoulder, she saw Asher hurrying to strip his pants off. Without waiting, she raced away, keeping close to the shadows of the sand dunes as she ran. The night was silent and it was late enough that most people wouldn’t be out anyway.
She’d never thought much about the male-female chase she’d heard her cousins and pridemates talk about before, but she understood it a little better now. Especially since she wanted to be caught by Asher. Ella wanted Asher to chase her, wanted to go running with him and relax. To see what he was like in his wolf form, to know both sides to him. It was important for her jaguar to accept his wolf and vice versa.
As she ran along the sand, she kept her pace steady, but she wasn’t flying. She was fast in her feline form, but she didn’t want to actually outrun him. Just play with him.
She felt more than heard Asher a moment before his big body playfully tackled her to the ground. He nuzzled against her neck, nipping softly. She rarely let herself be in this vulnerable a position with anyone—it was instinct not to—but on her most primal level she knew Asher would die before hurting her.
She jumped onto all fours then nudged his shoulder with her nose. He was a large black wolf, and absolutely beautiful. Intelligent green eyes looked back at her for a long moment. Yipping, he ran ahead, but waited to make sure she followed. She wasn’t sure how long they ran, but it seemed to stretch on for an eternity as their paws pounded along the beach. Eventually he slowed and they turned around. Keeping the same intense pace as they headed back, she savored the feel of freedom.
There was truly nothing like being in her jaguar form. It was as if all her problems melted away. The wind rushed over her dark fur and she inhaled the salty ocean scent. Mixed with the earthiness of Asher, that scent was like heaven. Her legs were starting to burn by the time they reached the hidden pathway where they’d left their clothes.
Once they reached their belongings, Ella collapsed on her belly instead of changing back to her human form. Asher did the same, sidling up next to her so that their bodies were lined up and touching, though he was a lot bigger than her.
She angled her body so that her head was curled up against his. Taking her by surprise, he lifted a paw and laid it over her neck, tugging her close. Feeling more safe and secure than she ever had, she snuggled up to him and let herself relax. The melodic sound of the crashing ocean waves was soothing. She could hear a few packmates on their balconies nearby talking, but it seemed from a distance as she started to doze.
Part of her wanted to sleep out under the moon and stars, but knew it wouldn’t be wise. She also knew that once they shifted back into their human forms, he’d want to talk about them. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to just yet. She didn’t want to talk or think.
When Asher stiffened next to her, she tensed, her ears going back. As he removed his paw and stood, she did the same. But when he shifted back to his human form, she realized why.
An insistent buzzing penetrated the quiet night air. Cursing under his breath he reached for his discarded pants. As he answered his phone, Ella shifted.