Wolf Bite (Wolf Cove #2) (8 page)

“Has anyone ever told you that you look at lot like Sharon
Stone?” I blurt out, followed quickly by, “The much younger version of her. You
know,
Basic Instinct
?”

She smirks. “Aren’t you like twelve? When would
you
have watched that?”

“Twenty-one. And it was on TV late one night.” My parents
were fast asleep upstairs. I clutched the remote tight, ready to switch the
channel at the first sound of a stair creak.

“Hmm... Yes, I’ve heard that. Once or twice.” She smiles to
herself and I’m pretty sure I’ve just earned some brownie points with the Wolf
Cove hotel manager.

My personal cell phone rings then. Crap. I never called my
mother back after her timely interruption of my eavesdropping yesterday. I’m
going to get an earful about what an awful daughter I am. I don’t have the
energy or time to deal with her right now.

With a sigh, I reach into my suit jacket pocket and set it
to silent.

“Mother?” Belinda asks.

“How’d you know?”

“Because you look like the type to talk to your mom
everyday. Oh, I almost forgot. William—Mr. Wolf to you—has his own limited
schedule of interviews that his assistant will manage, so you don’t have to
worry about it. He’s mainly here for photo ops, anyway. Everyone knows he’s got
one foot in retirement.” She groans, hitting the button several times. “Come on!
What’s taking so long?” She glances at her watch again with a huff. This
frazzled, impatient side of Belinda is so different from the calm and collected
one I’ve seen up until now. I guess a lot of this falls on her if something
messes up.

“It’s all going to go perfectly,” I offer with genuine
sympathy.

“It had better. We need these magazines leaving here with
rave reviews about how magical and luxurious Wolf Cove is, or William will do
something stupid like give Wolf Hotels over to Scott, and then I’ll be looking
for a new job because I’m not working for that lecherous pig.” Her voice seethes
with disgust. She does a quick hair flip, giving her a chance to covertly scan
the area around us for anyone who may have overheard. “Don’t
ever
repeat
it.”

“Of course not.”

The elevator doors finally open and we step in. “I can’t
wait until they’re gone. Having all three of the Wolf men in one place is going
to make my head explode. And don’t even get me started on what it does to
Henry. Don’t take offense to anything he says to you.”

What about the Wolf women? “Will Mr.Wolf’s mother be visiting
Wolf Cove as well?” I ask as casually as possible.

“Henry’s mother?” Belinda frowns. “No. She’s been out of the
picture for years. She had enough of William and the entire Wolf family when
Henry was about eleven, I think? I can’t remember. Henry’s not close with her.
The boys went to boarding school for most of their lives. Oh, also, Henry asked
that I bring in more formal attire for you for tonight.”

It takes me a moment to process the rapid change of topic.
Henry’s mother basically abandoned him from the sounds of it. And Henry wants
me in a formal dress tonight.

“I’ll have it sent to your cabin. You won’t have time to go
pick it up. You’ll be too busy managing his schedule. And him.”

“Well, hopefully an entire night and morning with them
hasn’t put Mr. Wolf in a bad mood.”

Belinda snorts. “He wouldn’t have been with them all night
and morning. Henry would have ditched them the first chance he could. He can’t
be in a room with Scott for more than five minutes without the two of them
lunging for each other’s jugulars.”

I didn’t think it was possible for my stomach to sink
further, but I was wrong. Henry said he was with them all night and morning.
So, is Belinda wrong or was he lying to me? Scott has definitely succeeded at
one thing—making me doubt Henry.

“Don’t worry. I’m guessing he’s going to be in a
fantastic
mood today,” Belinda mutters as the door opens and we step into the lobby, the
buzz of laughter and chatter making the churn in the pit of my stomach worse.

I trail after her, the blood roaring in my ears once again as
we emerge from the narrow hall and into the grand foyer, with its soaring
ceilings and grand, rustic beams and glass walls. The place is filled with people.

And right in the epicenter of them is Henry, his beautiful
face glowing with that charming laugh as he chats up an eclectic mix of people.

Including Roshana Mafi, who’s standing directly next to him.
His hand rests on the small of her back while she stares up at him, her eyes
full of secrets and longing.

Chapter Nine

I keep my eyes locked on Belinda’s muscular calves
and blink away the burn in my eyes. I can’t rid my stomach of that smoldering
discomfort I feel, realizing what I should have seen immediately.

That I’m the foolish farm girl who ate up every word he fed to
me, right down to the part about us being different.

I guess Scott wasn’t lying. Not about that, anyway. There’s
no reason for Henry to lie to me about being with his father and brother all
night and all morning unless he was with someone else. Someone who is exotic
and powerful and will tell him she wants him within five minutes of meeting. Someone
he needs to impress to get a favorable article for his precious Wolf Cove hotel
in a top travel magazine.

I’m so stupid. I shouldn’t be surprised. The signs were all
there. The personal note he wrote to her, requesting a cabin for her next to
his.

I’ve just been too naïve to see it. Jed was right.

And here I am now, standing in the midst of this lobby, shocked
and hurt. Two things I
can’t
be right now.
This
is my job. I
don’t have time to be hurt or angry, or to even think about it. I have to get
through this afternoon, and all I want to do is run. But if I run, the other
employees will notice. They’ll ask questions. They’ll start talking, and
guessing, and they’ll put it together. And then everyone will be talking about
me. With so much media here this weekend, there’s a chance that someone will
hear something, and then it’s over.
Everyone
will know.

I have to make it through this afternoon.

Belinda stops so abruptly, I bump into the back of her, earning
her glare when she spins around.

“I’m sorry,” I offer weakly.

“So you know where he needs to be, right?”

I fumble with my iPad. “A casual lunch meeting in Rawley’s
with Maury Downing from
Travel Elite
magazine in ten minutes. A boat
tour at one. Aerial tour at two thirty—”

“Okay then.” She jerks her head in the direction of Henry.
“He gave you this job, so go and do it, and do it well.” With that, she marches
in the opposite direction toward the ballroom, leaving me to fend for myself.

Taking a deep breath, I steel myself for an agonizing
afternoon and make my way to the edge of the group as they chatter away. I’m
supposed to be Henry’s personal shadow, who goes unnoticed but swoops in when
Henry needs help, or needs a time check.

A shadow who’s not allowed to stand here and cry as she
pictures Henry naked and lying with that woman standing right beside him.

I must be doing a good job because no one bats an eyelash at
me, including Henry, the picture of simple elegance in a pair of dark-wash
jeans and a fitted arctic-white shirt, an intentionally casual outfit to
counterbalance the black tie event later.

He says something funny and Roshana tips her head back to
give him a deep-throated laugh, her hand reaching for his forearm to squeeze
it. It’s such an affectionate move.

It’s a kick in my chest.

Had he had this planned all along? Is this why he gave me
the morning off? Was he in bed with her when he answered my text?

When he called me?

I am such an idiot. I was so eager to move on from Jed, so
desperate to not feel the pain in my heart, that I dove heart-first toward
Henry. He knew how easy a target I was, and he took the opportunity. He
is
a predator. Maybe not the kind that forces himself on women—can I believe him
anymore about that?—but certainly one who preys on vulnerable women.

I gave him anything and everything he wanted. I believed
everything he said.

He
did
tell me that what we have is different. I
believed him when he said that, too.

Anger and embarrassment boils inside me. Anger with myself,
for believing him so readily because I
wanted
to.

Now all I want to do is go back to the cabin and curl up in
my bed, because this little fantasy I’ve been living in is over. It didn’t even
last four
days,
let alone four months.

I feel eyes on me. I pull myself back from my inner despair
to find Henry’s blue gaze on me. Despite my current pain, he still manages to
steal a heartbeat or two.

I tighten my jaw, the urge to scream, “
You lying bastard
!”
almost too much to control. But that would only swell my embarrassment. “I’m sorry
to interrupt, Mr. Wolf, but you have a meeting to get to right now.”
Surprisingly, my voice isn’t shaky or soft. It’s wooden. Almost robotic.

A frown flickers across Henry’s forehead and he pauses for
just a moment before turning to the group. “I’m so sorry, but I’m being
summoned. Please feel free to find me later today. I’d love to finish this
conversation.”

A chorus of smiles and nods and “okays” ensue.

He’s three steps away from the group when Roshana calls out
in that husky voice, “Henry? Just a moment?”

I scowl as he stops and leans in to catch her murmurs, her
smiles.

Her clawed hand on his forearm.

I can’t hear her, but I hear him chuckle and say, “No
problem. I’ll have my assistant set something up for us.”

Oh, will he, now...

“Great. I’m looking forward to it.” She flashes that
dazzling smile at him as he pulls away and falls into step with me.

And suddenly I want to get far away from him.

“Is there a reason you’re making me run to keep up with
you?” Henry mutters under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear.

I slow down, but only a touch. “I’m sorry. I just know you
don’t like being late.”

He checks his watch. “Noon, right? We still have five
minutes.”

I don’t answer. I can’t. There’s a giant lump in my throat
and I’m doing my best not to cry, and that’s only making me more angry at
myself.

Honestly, what did I expect from Henry Wolf?

He smiles and nods at passersby on our way to the elevator.
“I thought you’d be struggling to keep your appreciation for me in check after
what I did for your roommate.”

He didn’t do that for me. He did that for him
.

When I still don’t answer, he edges closer to me. “What’s
gotten into you?”

“More like, what have
you
gotten into?”

“Excuse me?” Iciness creeps into his voice.

My cheeks flame. That wasn’t supposed to slip out. “Nothing.”

He hits the elevator button and it opens immediately. “After
you. Please.”

The longer I’m near him, the more it hurts, and I can’t help
it anymore. Now I’m rushing to brush away the tear that slipped out.

“Jesus Christ.” Henry herds me in with a hand on the small
of my back and hits the Close button to stop anyone else from getting on. “Is
there a reason my assistant is standing next to me,
crying
?”

This is mortifying. “Noth—”

He slaps a hand over the elevator Stop button and the
elevator comes to a jarring halt. It’s the second time I’m trapped in the
elevator with a Wolf within the last hour. Both times uncomfortable, but for
different reasons.

“I don’t have time or patience for evasiveness, Abbi. Spit
it out.”

“You weren’t with your father and brother all last night and
this morning!” I finally blurt out, hot tears burning my skin.

He opens his mouth but hesitates. “According to who?”

“Your brother. He cornered me earlier to ask me if you’ve...
fucked me yet.” My voice stutters over that word.

Henry’s eyes flare with rage. “What did you tell him?”

“Nothing!”

He heaves an obvious sigh of relief. He’s clearly more
concerned about his brother knowing about us than about what
I
know of
his night and Roshana. “What else did he say?”

“That your dad has decided to pass Wolf Hotels to him, and
he’ll be taking over in a few weeks.”

That earns a derisive snort, so I guess that’s not true
either. “What else?”

“He had me investigated.” My voice is wobbly. I hate when my
voice is wobbly.

Henry’s face twists with confusion. “What? What do you mean?”

“I mean, he knows all about me. Where I’m from, my parents’
names, about Jed.... It scared me.”

The Henry from yesterday morning, with his arms around me,
telling me that we were different, would wrap his arms around me now. I’d like
to think that, anyway. But this Henry’s lips purse together tight. I can see
the wheels churning behind his eyes.

“He also said that you’ll use me and throw me away. That I
shouldn’t trust you.” I hesitate, but only for a minute. I need to know. “Did
you sleep with her?”

He blinks at me once... twice... before hitting the elevator
release button.

What kind of answer is that? My stomach sinks. “Did you?”

“I’ve got way too much on my plate to deal with silly little-girl
jealousy right now, Abbi.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Are
you
kidding
me
?  I’m trying to run a
worldwide hotel chain, that asshole is trying to sink me, and I can’t have
my
assistant
getting jealous around every pretty woman I meet with.”

Getting jealous? This is beyond getting jealous. This is
fact. This is him sleeping with other women the same day he’s sleeping with me.

He hasn’t even asked who I’m talking about. He hasn’t denied
it.

That’s all the answer I need.

God, when Jed did this to me, I was completely blindsided.
But Henry... shame on me. I should have seen it coming a mile away.

The elevator doors open and a dark look has taken over
Henry’s face. “Go clean yourself up. I’ll expect you back within listening
distance in half an hour.” I watch his back as he passes the entrance to Rawley’s,
dialing someone on his phone.

~ ~ ~

I thought those few days after I caught Jed
cheating on me were long and painful.

And they were.

But guiding Henry around today, tending to his every need
while this thick fog of disappointment and hurt hangs over my head, unable to
just hide out and do what I want to do—cry my eyes out—made for an excruciating
afternoon.

And it’s nowhere near finished.

I trail Henry as he pushes through the lobby doors, holding
one open for me. “Be at my place in thirty minutes.” I’ve only caught the
faintest glimpse of a sour mood, buried depth beneath the ever-charming mask he
wears so well when he needs to. It’s like our conversation in the elevator
never happened.

That basically gives me ten minutes to change and freshen up,
given the time it takes to walk to the staff village. I mutter a “Yes. Mr.
Wolf,” on my way past.

“Abbi.”

I pretend that I don’t hear him. He doesn’t call out,
doesn’t chase after me, not that I expected him to.

I count my steps all the way back to my cabin, focusing on
my breathing, on the dark clouds rolling in over the mountain range, anything
to try to dull this ache.

This isn’t what Alaska was supposed to be.

~ ~ ~

I step into the cabin to excited chatter.

“Look who’s here!” Katie exclaims, her arm slung around
Rachel’s shoulders.

I smile because despite my mood, I’m genuinely happy to see
Rachel again. “Welcome back.”

Rachel pries herself away from Katie to pull me into a hug. “Katie
told me what you did. Thank you,” she whispers in my ear.

I shrug. “Glad I could help.” And I’m glad I asked this
morning, before I knew all that I know now.

“Belinda sent me home with a garment bag for you. I hung it
up over there.” Tillie points to the hook in the corner.

Right. The formal dress that Henry wants me to wear. “Thanks.
I have about two seconds to change before I have to be back.”

“Ugh. I don’t envy you tonight, that’s for sure. Those
people are too much. I’m gonna have nightmares about the things I found in
those rooms today.”

“That bad?” Rachel begins pulling out clothes from her
duffel bag. She must literally have just arrived off the ferry.

“
That
bad. I was assigned to the penthouses today.
Well, except for Wolf’s. You know, because he’s a freak who doesn’t allow
anyone except Abbi in there to clean. But you know that woman from that
magazine? The beautiful but bitchy-looking one?”

My stomach tightens.

“Ohh... I heard about her.” Katie waggles her brows at
Rachel, helping her unpack her clothes.

I distract myself from my bitterness and—yes—jealousy by unzipping
the garment bag. A simple black dress and blazer hang inside. It’s nothing
exotic but it’s nicer than the blouse and skirt combo, especially when everyone
else will be fully decked out in formal wear.

“Yeah, well she’s a beautiful bitch pig is what she is. She
didn’t even have the decency to make sure the condoms were put in the trash.
They were all over the place. I found two stuck to the shag rug and one was on
the nightstand. Ugh. The dried spooge took the finish right off.”

“Gross!” Katie cries out with laughter.

“Right? But, damn, did she ever have a good night with whoever
she hooked up with.”

I blink back the burn in my eyes.

Three times with her, Henry? Once wasn’t enough?

Who am I kidding? This is Henry. Of course once wasn’t
enough.

Tillie pulls her blanket over herself and then reaches back
to pull the privacy curtain around her, face mask and earplugs already in hand.
“Wake me up by eight. I feel the need to drink heavily tonight.”

I keep my back to them as I peel off my day uniform and
wriggle into the dress, doing my best not to start crying. Right now I envy
Tillie. I’d do anything to be able to curl up in my bed and pull the curtain on
my life.

“Do you need some help with that?” Icy-cold fingers make me
jump. “Sorry.” Katie pulls the zipper up my back.

“Thanks.” I check the one full-length mirror on the outside
of the powder room door, standing taller. “So? What do you think?” I smooth my
hands over the soft matte black material of the sleeveless dress that ends just
above the knee. It’s nothing flashy, or intentionally provocative, but it hugs
my curves all the same. I think it looks nice.