Werewulf Journals 4: Sated Pleasures (12 page)

Lucinda stood there, the shocked expression on her face almost worth every moment of pain Rosemary’d just endured. She inclined her head regally. “Well, naturally, you’re welcome, I’m sure.” Turning her nose up at Sara, she sniffed. “Next time, don’t be so quick to judge.”

“Oh, for God’s sake, that’s hella more than enough of that crap! Hip boots, anyone?”

Kaila snapped, sounding disgusted. Rosemary reached up and pulled Kaila down. She patted Werewulf Journals 4: Sated Pleasures

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her friend’s hand, letting her know she was all right, while returning the nod of the woman who had just done her an enormous service by breaking her heart.

70 Camille Anthony

Monster in the Closet

He’d just finished meeting with the coroner when a whirlwind burst through his door.

Pavel glanced up, unsurprised to see his dark-skinned lover. Only she could bypass Elise’s dedicated interference and gain entry to the executive wing without announcing her presence.

“Look what the helicopter dropped on the front lawn,” Kaila sang out, storming into Pavel’s office. Her falsely happy singsong tones were a dead giveaway to her anger. Shaking the morning newspaper in Pavel’s face before tossing it on his desk, she pointed out the lurid headline prominent on the first page: SENATOR’S WIFE SLAIN BY WILD ANIMAL WHILE JOGGING

AT POSH NEW SATED PLEASURES SPA!

“The wife of Senator Austin Blakesley-Horn was found dead early yesterday morning by the groundskeeper at Sated Pleasures Spa, the newest fad in fat farms among the super rich who need to shed the super pounds that accompany their rich lifestyle. The tabloids have followed Mrs. Blakesley-Horn’s losing battle to lose weight acquired while carrying her youngest: seven-month-old Austin Junior,” she read, words distorted by her efforts to hold in tears. “Ignoring instructions given to all clients never to leave the main compound without their trainer, the deceased opted to jog at night, beyond the confines of the health complex where it is postulated Mrs. Blakesley-Horn was attacked and slain by a wild animal. Her body was missing a significant amount of flesh, indicating the animal may have fed on the victim. Authorities have ruled her death an accident.” She stopped, took several shaky breaths. “I don’t care what you say, it’s not right.”

She looked at him, her whiskey-colored eyes brimming with sadness, and Pavel wanted to sink claws and fangs in the rabid Delin for causing his gentle mate a moment’s pain.

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“Anita’s family doesn’t deserve this. Her children shouldn’t have to think their mother is dead because she was an idiot. Is this how we summarize her life: she was too stupid to live?”

Her quiet question blindsided him. He craved her respect, needed her to find him worthy and her disappointment scalded him, cut him in the newly vulnerable depths of his heart, where she now resided. He didn’t know how to answer her accusation. He said so.

“To say she snuck out to jog against regulations…” Her voice wobbled. “We both know this story isn’t true.”

Pavel inhaled deeply, held his breath a calming moment before releasing it in a long soundless explosion. He hated the necessity of covering up the actual events more than Kaila did, but he hadn’t had a choice. Rickard had taken over the investigation, giving Pavel the task of soothing the clients and heading off the incipient panic that had threatened to overtake the frightened women once they’d learned of the shocking death. They’d have been more shocked had they known the real events. In a sense, the spin story hadn’t been a lie. A wild animal had killed Anita Blakesley-Horn, only the creature that murdered and eaten her had been the trainer assigned to protect and guide her: a true wulf in sheep’s clothing. No, it hadn’t been his call, but he accepted the responsibility for it all the same.

“You’re right, it’s not true. But what would you rather we had said? What good would it do to tell her family a murderous werewulf killed and ate her?”

Kaila grimaced, waved her hand dismissively. “No good, of course -- I know that. You did what you had to do, but damn it, Pavel, reading this story, seeing the way this reporter ridicules Anita makes me feel dirty, makes me feel like I had a hand in this mess.”

“I’m so sorry, love, that this situation arose at all.” Pavel stood and came around his desk. Snagging his agitated mate into his arms, he hugged her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I can understand how you feel, Kaila, because the injustice of this state of affairs grates on me, too. But Anita can no longer be harmed by the lie; whereas, if the truth leaked, other people would become vulnerable.”

She pushed back, looked up at him, her light brown eyes swimming with tears. “You’re protecting your people and I can deal with that, but there’s no one here to protect the human interest. That needs to change.”

Pavel could see his mate had something on her mind. Handing her a Kleenex from the box on his desktop, he loosened his hold to allow her to blow her nose, which she did with gusto. Nothing dainty about this bitch of his, thank the Moon! “Better?”

She nodded, tossing the damp tissue into the trashcan. “Yeah, and I’ve been thinking…

I want to be the clients’ advocate. It occurs to me that there’s no one to take his or her side.

Before any punishing is done, they should have the right to have the circumstances gone over by someone who can see both sides of the equation, so to speak.”

Pavel grinned. “I love it when you do that.”

72 Camille Anthony

She gave a watery chuckle. “Do what?”

“I love it when you think.”

She swatted him. “You beast, you act like I don’t do that too often.”

He was glad to see the sparkle return to her eyes. She’d been grim and quiet the last few days, so unlike herself it was driving him insane trying to cheer her up. Lighthearted conversation wasn’t his forte. In fact, before Kaila, he’d rarely cracked a smile and never laughed outright. In the few weeks he’d shared with her, he had laughed more than in all the long lonely years before her advent into his life. If for nothing else, Pavel knew he would love her forever for giving him the gift of shared laughter. “Just kidding, baby, but I do love watching your thinking process.”

Turning her loose, he rested his hip on the edge of the desk, one hand propped on his cocked thigh. “Congratulations, drouch; it seems that agile brain of yours has identified a need that the planning committee has overlooked. I think your suggestion has merit, and I’m willing to hire you to do this job. We’ll discuss salaries when Rickard returns.”

“Just like that? I’m hired?”

Pavel shrugged. “I don’t see why not. You’ve documented a need. You’re willing to fill it. What more is needed?”

“In that case, I want to hire Rosemary as my assistant.”

“Do you mean Brandon’s Rosemary?”

“Yes. Heard about that already, have you?”

“It’s my job to hear everything. I’d like to know how you knew about it.”

Kaila waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, I was in the cafeteria when the whole scene started going down.” She frowned. “Of course, Karel overreacted and hustled me out before I could find out how it played out, the dog.”

Pavel hid a grin behind his hand. “Don’t be angry with him. His job is to keep you safe.

He knows the consequences he faces if he doesn’t.”

“You guys act like I don’t know how to take care of myself. I don’t need a keeper, you know. Hurrying me out didn’t stop me from learning everything. I simply hunted up Rosemary and got the story from her. So, back to filling my job order for an assistant…can I have her?”

Pavel pretended to frown at her. “Hired for only a moment and already you want to spend company money?”

“For a good cause.”

He relented, unable to hold out against her pouting. “Very well, you may have your assistant. You can share Elise for your secretarial needs. She has far too much time on her hands.”

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She did a little breast-jiggling, hip-bouncing victory dance that had his cock sitting up and taking notice.

“Whoo-hoo, I’m gainfully employed and don’t have to leave paradise!” She whirled to a stop and all her laughter drained away, expression turned dreamy. “By the way, I like it when you call me drouch. Your voice always goes soft and warm and I know you really mean it.” Her voice still wavered a bit.

His heart softened, seeing her simple joy at his words. Every time he thought they’d made progress, she’d unwittingly say or do something to make him realize anew how wounded his Kaila had been, how much she still suffered because of the brutal way she’d been attacked when a young girl, just coming into what should have been a glorious womanhood. If it were the last thing he ever did, if it took the rest of his life, Pavel vowed he’d convince her of how much she meant to him.

“Never doubt that, my love. You are my heart’s home, my soul’s haven. You are the sun dispelling my darkness. Before you burst upon my life, bathing it in vivid Technicolor, there was only chaos and emptiness.”

She fanned her face. “Good gracious! I didn’t realize you were such a romantic.”

He shrugged. “Rickard isn’t the only one who knows how to spout pretty words. I’ve simply never felt like saying them to a female before you.”

“Don’t stop. I like them.”

“I meant them, every one.”

“Well, feel free to use them anytime you please.” Kaila’s laugh was still a bit self-conscious, but Pavel figured they’d come a long way. She was still so shy; she blushed to be naked before him. He had a plan to cure her of that, however. Practice made pleasure.

Pavel watched her now, wiping her fingers under her eyes, ridding herself of the last trace of tears, her face a gentle symphony of earth tones, and wanted her. Sexual heat sluiced under his skin as he gazed at her.

Kaila ran her fingers through her hair, a telling little nervous gesture. She was aware he watched her, had noticed his growing desire.

Giving her head a shake, she set her loose, curly hairdo bouncing about her face. It settled into a soft looking nimbus that framed her dark cheeks with a halo of mahogany shot through with rich auburn highlights. He liked it.

He also liked the light, floaty dress she was wearing. A pale buttery yellow, scattered with peach blossoms and touches of green, it buttoned down the front, faithfully following the bends and curves of her abundant round body. She’d undone the first two buttons, allowing her full cleavage to peek-a-boo from under the airy lace edging her cream slip.

Pavel groaned. His cock throbbed, hardened until he was stiff as a log. Just watching her innocent primping made him -- what was that word she used? Oh, yes -- horny, that was it. He was horny as a bull elephant, needier than a wild stallion scenting his mare in heat.

74 Camille Anthony

“Lock the door.”

The gruff command got her attention and she stilled, wary as a deer caught in onrushing headlights. By now, she knew him well enough to know he’d gone into hunting mode. Oh yeah, she was his prey on this pleasure hunt all right. He was stalking the short-furred cat he knew denned between her legs.

“Wh-why?”

He could hear her breathing accelerating, smell her arousal spicing the air. Pavel inhaled deeply, letting it inundate him, escalate his own needs. “Lock the door, Kaila, and come here. Do it now, unless you want to chance someone walking in here and seeing you bent over this desk getting your pussy reamed by my cock.”

She blinked. “You mean…? That is, you want to…uh…you know…” Her eyes wide,

she darted a nervous glance around his spacious office, obviously flustered. “Here?”

What he really wanted to do was impossible right now. Until he worked up the courage to share all his secrets, he couldn’t take the last step needed to bind her to him for all time. Until he showed her the fearsome image of the killing beast, he couldn’t fulfill the dream of taking fur form and fucking her with all the power inherent in his true guise. Most wulves didn’t even consider the sex act fucking if done while inside the puny envelope of skin they donned to mix with humans. Only in fur form could he fill Kaila’s womb with life.

Refusing to give in to that temptation, Pavel battled the impulse to change. Instead, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the delicious mixture of lust, fear, and sexual excitement emanating from his woman in heady ripples of snout-wrinkling aroma.

His nostrils quivering, he tasted her essence on the air. Her unique scent blended with her aroused breed pheromones, the warm, musky notes insuring his helpless response. Like words on a page, he easily read the revealing information. She loved the pretend danger, thrilled at the risk of discovery while they indulged in such a compromising position.

Being a student of human as well as wulven nature, he knew she probably had no idea that her low self-esteem was the basis of her illicit thrills. She was terribly insecure about her body’s beauty and for her, knowing she drove him over the edge, drove him wild enough to lose control and fuck her anywhere -- even in a public arena -- validated her sex appeal in a concrete, in-your-face way that was undeniable. He didn’t mind one bit catering to that need in her.

“Right here, right now.” He nodded, releasing his iron control. Let her see his eyes go up in flames. “I told you, wulves are highly sexed and I’m an Alpha among them. I wasn’t kidding about needing to fuck you three or four times a day. It’ll be that way until we’re officially bonded.” He spread his legs, drawing her attention to the bulge grown huge at his groin. “Look at me, Kaila, look and really see how much I want you.”

She looked down to where his slacks tented from the bold jutting of his cock and then back up to recognize the wulf staring hungrily out of his glowing eyes. Her own eyes widened as arousal blossomed.

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“This is what you do to me,” he rasped, framing his cock and balls between both hands and squeezing. “Just the sight of you -- beautiful, ripe, and round -- makes me hard, makes me hungry.”

Her mouth went soft as her thick lashes lowered, shielding her greedy gaze from him, thinking to hide eyes gone sultry with lust. She swallowed, asked, “You want me that much?”