Wolf Bait (Wolf Cove #1) (19 page)

“Who?”

“Abbi and one of the estheticians.”

I squeeze my eyes shut as tears threaten.

“It would have been Katie. She’s the one who orchestrated all this. A roommate, I think. She’s a bit of a live wire.” Sally sighs. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware. I’ll deal with it.”

Oh no. I’ve gotten Katie into trouble. Or worse, fired! Both Katie and Rachel gone?

“Hold off on that, Sally. I’ll get back to you. Give us a minute,” Henry says.

I take several steps back, so it doesn’t look like I was eavesdropping, just as the door swings open and Sally steps out.

One look at me and sympathy fills her face.

“Please don’t fire Katie. It was my fault. I made her do it,” I whisper. That’s not at all true, but I’ll say anything.

“Don’t worry. I think it’ll blow over. And by the way,” she gestures toward her own hair, “stunning!”

I offer her a tight-lipped smile, wishing I could revel in the compliment. The moment she turns the corner, I step closer to the door to resume my listening.

“What are you accusing me of?” The venom in Henry’s voice is sharp and rank. I’ve clearly missed something important.

“It doesn’t look good, Henry.”

“So?”

“Just tell me you’re not fucking her,” Belinda hisses.

“I’m not fucking her.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t give a shit what you believe.”

I know that’s a lie.

“This isn’t New York. We’re secluded here. The future owner of Wolf Hotels fucking his assistant will have everyone’s tongues wagging. Do you want that? Because your father will hear about it, even if it’s not through me. And I’m guessing he won’t be happy.”

What
would
happen if
the
Mr. Wolf thought Henry and I were sleeping together? Does he
really
care what his son does? I guess so, if it reflects on his company. By the sound of the phone conversation from the other day, he takes a lot of pride in the Wolf name. Something in the back of my conscience pricks at me about that conversation. I can’t put my finger on it, though.

There’s a long pause and then I hear Henry ask, “What were they doing in there for that long?”

“What do you
think
they were doing in there?” Belinda snaps, then sighs. “It’s a waxing room.”

“For twenty minutes?”

I want to crawl into a hole and die. I can just imagine the look on his face.

“I have two guesses. Maybe your little farm girl is loosening up a bit. And if it’s not for you, then it must be for someone else.”

Footsteps approach the door and I scamper back just as it flies open. Henry steps out and simply stares at me, his face a cold mask. He looks pissed.

Belinda steps out behind him. “I’ll meet you on the dock at one?” Her gaze skates over mine briefly. The woman despises me, and it’s purely out of jealousy. It’s almost laughable, given who she is and what she looks like.

“Yup,” Henry says without turning to regard her. “And please add a conduct warning to Miss Mitchell’s file for utilizing hotel property for personal needs.”

My face blanches.

I watch her stalk away triumphantly, waiting for her to round the corner before I plead with Henry. “Please don’t have Katie fired.”

He begins pacing back and forth, his hands on his hips, not saying a word. And then, when he does, it’s not what I expect. “Is it for Michael?” he hisses.

My mouth drops open. “No!”

He seems to weigh that single word, his gaze drifting over the length of me. “I’ll see you back at my place around five,” he says more calmly. “Take care of those follow-ups.”

In seconds, he’s gone, leaving me standing alone in the hallway.

Chapter Twenty

I’ve always hated nylons.

They’re itchy and confining, and, without a doubt, I always end the day with a snag in them somewhere. My mama made me wear them to church growing up, even on the hottest summer days. She said it was improper to go bare legged. Only heathens do that, apparently. I guess my mama and the uniform decision-makers at Wolf agree on something, because one of the requirements is that all females must wear nylons with their uniform dresses.

And I still hate them.

I hate them so much that I sat in Henry’s living room and peeled them off with a loud sigh of relief. And the fitted pencil skirt that isn’t meant to be worn while wrestling with a fitted sheet? That came off fifteen minutes later, allowing me freedom to crawl around the king-sized mattress because the bloody corners of this ill-fitting elastic won’t stay down today.

I don’t bother putting them back on right away. I watched Henry’s boat float away with him, Belinda, and a dozen guests on board. He won’t be home for hours and, with my white button-down shirt barely covering my panties and my hair pulled up in a messy bun, cleaning Henry’s cabin suite has been a hundred times easier and faster, and a hundred times more comfortable.

Now finished, I push the nightstand back to its place and flip the switch to turn off the vacuum. Peaceful silence fills the cabin once again. I heave a sigh, giving my sore neck a rub.

“This is a new take on the uniform.”

I squeal and spin around to find Henry standing in the entrance to the bedroom, the nylons that I left on the couch dangling from his fingertips. His normally cool, guarded mask is off, but I can’t read the dark and thoughtful look that sits there now.

My face bursts into flames. “Your boat just left. You were on it! What are you doing back so soon?” The whir of the vacuum masked the sound of the door opening. I should probably be diving for my skirt, instead of standing here like a deer caught in headlights beside his bed, but I’m not sure that this moment could get any worse.

“I didn’t realize I’d have to check in to make sure my assistant was fully dressed before coming home,” he says dryly, loosening his tie with his free hand and tossing it onto his dresser.

“This uniform is not meant for maid work. I should be wearing a maid’s uniform, if you’re going to expect that I clean this place,” I say in weak defense, hiding one bare leg behind the other. There is no excuse for coming home to find your personal assistant half-naked in your suite.

Shit, shit, shit
. I can’t stop screwing up with him. I don’t blame him if he finally decides to fire me. I have it coming.

Only, I’m pretty sure he won’t.

He reaches behind him and pulls the door, letting it coast shut. The simple action makes my stomach tighten with nervousness. And excitement. There’s something entirely erotic about being caught half-dressed in Henry’s room. “One of the guests on the boat had a family emergency that they needed to tend to. Given I had already done plenty of socializing, I decided to hop off when we returned. And I’m not exactly dressed for a boat ride.” He takes slow, measured steps toward me, until he’s only a few feet away. He slides his suit jacket off to lay it on the bed and I inhale deeply, the smell of his cologne intoxicating.

This is so inappropriate. “I’m sorry. This won’t happen again, I promise. Or the shower thing.” I swallow. “Or the spa thing.” I wonder if that confidentiality agreement extends to cover me from this kind of embarrassing situation.

Are we destined to be one inappropriate situation after the next, for the entire summer?

“That’s right. The spa thing.” He steps around me, circling me. It’s an unnerving, almost predatory move on his part. A shiver runs down my spine. “Tell me what you were doing in that room with Katie Montgomery?”

I swallow. He knows who she is, just like he knew who Lorraine was. Does he know everything about everyone? Or just everything about me? “Some personal grooming.”

“Eyebrows and underarms take no more than ten. Legs take much longer. You have no issues with facial hair. So that leaves only one place.”

I gasp when his hand slips between my legs to skate across my inner thighs.

My body responds despite my confusion, the throb between my legs that never truly abated since that day in the woods surging again. Is this really happening? Is he touching me there?

“If we are going to continue to work together, we need to be open and honest with each other from now on. So I’ll ask you again, because you never answered me the other day.” His eyes never leave my face, something dangerous gleaming in them now. “Did you enjoy watching me jerk off in the shower?”

I shut my eyes. He’s never going to let me forget that.

“Abbi.” It’s nearly a growl.

I let myself nod, my eyes still closed.

“Is that something you’ve seen before?”

I shake my head, unable to find my voice.

“Look at me.”

I force myself to open my eyes, to find him smiling. I trail his gaze as it drifts down over my bare legs. I was cursing the blouse’s length this morning when attempting to tuck it into the top of my skirt. Now, I couldn’t love it more for hiding my ratty white cotton underwear. I need to invest in some new pairs.

His strong hand grips my jaw, gentle but firm, forcing my head back until I meet his eyes. Finally, they’re unguarded. Finally, they show something that I recognize and can identify, even if I don’t believe it—desire.

Finally...

“It was not supposed to be like this. You were not supposed to have this kind of impact on me,” he whispers, leaning in to skim his wet lips over mine, never actually kissing me. Torturing me, as he has become so good at doing.

“I thought you didn’t like sweet.” I don’t know how I’m even capable of answering.

He smirks. “I don’t. But the idea of turning my sweet little assistant filthy is driving me insane.”

I gasp as his hand slides over the curve of my hip, his fingers curling around and then squeezing my small waist. Am I dreaming all this? Is Henry Wolf—my gorgeous billionaire boss who could have anyone he wants—lusting for me?

He edges around until my back is to his chest, the heat radiating off his body, his hand shifting to my other hip, his fingertips smoothing over my taut stomach. “You were jealous of your roommate yesterday. Tell me why. And be unabashedly honest. Please.”

I hesitate. Can I really talk to him so openly? “Because I wanted you to look at me like that. I wanted to be her.” But Rachel is fired, so maybe I don’t want to be her.

He chuckles against my ear, the vibration coursing all the way down to my nipples, tightening them. “She’s a dime a dozen. Do you want to know why I was looking at her like that?”

I nod. Do I? Henry’s so unpredictable, I can’t be sure that what comes out of his mouth won’t be hurtful.

“Because I’m guessing she was one of the roommates who you watched get tongue fucked. That’s what you saw, isn’t it?”

I open my mouth to deny it, but he pushes, “Don’t be shy with me. I don’t want shy.”

I nod and I feel his smile against my ear.

“I started to picture you getting wet while watching her. And the thought of you getting wet, of this body,” both his hands are on my hips, hovering over the elastic of my panties, gripping me tightly, “writhing naked on my bed, with your legs spread and waiting for me to teach you everything you’ve been missing.” The room is beginning to sway with his words. My legs wobble and his grip tightens. He won’t let me fall. “That’s why I was looking at her like that. I don’t want her.”

But apparently he wants me.

My skin flushes as one of his warm, large hands dips beneath the elastic of my panties to cup me between the legs. He groans. “Why did you do this?”

“I don’t know.”

“The truth,” he pushes, his hot, moist breath coating my skin. I tip my head to the side, hoping his mouth will find my neck.

“I wanted to be more like Rachel. Someone you might look at.” I pause. “Do you not like it?”

My knees buckle as his finger slides through my slit once, so slowly. “So you did it for me?”

“Yes.” I don’t...
It’s hard to focus
.
Henry Wolf has his hand in my panties.
He
wants
me
.

His finger makes another pass, teasing my clit on its way past. “Fuck, you are soaked. Do you want me to stop?”

I should, for so many reasons. “No,” I whisper shakily. All of me is shaking, even my legs. But it’s not with fear. It’s with anticipation. “I thought this couldn’t happen.”

His hand stills and I’m afraid I said the wrong thing. Oh God, I hope I didn’t. These have been the longest days of my life. I can’t bear the idea of him stopping now.

I part my legs more, hoping he’ll get the message—that I don’t want him to stop.

“I don’t give a fuck about what we can and can’t do.” His free hand coils around the back of my long hair. He tugs my head, forcing it back against his chest until I can see him leaning over me, watching his hand work down below. “You said you would give Wolf everything you have.”

“I did,” I whisper. In my interview, I remember. And he remembers. “So I guess that means I have to give
you
everything I have.”

His lip curls into a smirk. “Are you willing to do that? Do you want to go back to Chicago knowing more than just some spineless idiot who let you go?”

If I give Henry myself—my body—I doubt I’ll ever think of Jed again. Though Henry may wreck me for all future men. But right now I don’t care about the future. All I care about is the next four months and that Henry’s thumbs are working on my panties, sliding them down until they’re tumbling to the soft, white rug beneath our feet. I step out of them gingerly. While I still have my shirt covering my vital areas, I feel naked next to his fully dressed frame.

“Abbi, answer me.”

I swallow. And nod. Yes, I want this. I want him.

He leads me backward to the edge of the bed by my hips, pulling me onto his lap as he sits, his hard dick pressing against my ass. His hands seize my inner thighs and he pulls my legs apart until they hang on either side of his thighs, and I’m spread wide open.

The full-length mirror that leans against the wall opposite us reflects the shocking image back at me.

“Don’t,” Henry purrs as my body tenses. His palms hold my thighs apart when I try to pull my legs closed, even pulling them farther apart. “There is nothing about this view that you should be hiding from me. In fact...” He lets go of one thigh to work the buttons of my blouse with quick, expert dexterity. Peeling the two sides away and over my shoulders, I’m soon in nothing but my bra.

With complete efficiency, he reaches back and unsnaps the hook, letting the plain cotton material fall to the carpet.

And now I am laid bare in front of a man for the first time in my life, in an explicit way.

His chest presses against my back with his deep exhale. His heated eyes roam my body’s reflection without shame; the sight of them on my breasts makes my nipples tighten with anticipation. “I knew they had to be real but...” His words drift off as he fills his hands with them, the pads of his thumbs running back and forth over the skin, sending shivers right down to my core.

As exposed as I am, I should be ill at ease, and yet his hands and eyes on my body are warming me from the inside out. He lets go of my breasts to skate his hands over my torso and taut belly, his fingers rubbing back and forth over the flat surface. “Are you still sore?”

He doesn’t have to elaborate; I know what he’s referring to. The light pink skin between my legs.

“A little.”

“They say to give it twenty-four hours.”

Twenty-four hours for what?
Katie didn’t mention anything about that.

His right hand reaches down between my legs to slide a finger through the slit again, the act so much more intoxicating in my current predicament. But he doesn’t stop there this time. A light gasp escapes me as he pushes the tip of his index finger into me.

“Tell me the truth: has
no one
ever touched you like this?” he asks, his mouth pressed against the back of my neck.

“No.”

“Not even your ex?”

I shake my head, closing my eyes as my body welcomes the intrusion.

“Then I’m one lucky bastard.” He pulls his finger out and then slides it back inside again, just the very tip, over and over, at a painstakingly slow rhythm. “Watch me do it,” he commands, and I open my eyes to see the slick moisture coating his skin with each pass.

“You’ve been wanting this for a while, haven’t you?” He slides a second fingertip in, stretching me gently. I squirm a little against, but he doesn’t let up, his thumb reaching for my clit to rub against it. I can’t keep the soft whimper from escaping my lips.

“Good. Let me hear that.” All semblance of the cold Mr. Wolf has vanished. I have a soft and caring and sensual Henry now, and it makes me open up wider for him and grind my ass into his lap as his fingers probe me, pushing inside, until I feel a strange pressure.