The Beta (8 page)

“Your account is pretty secure.” Rob sat at the desk and offered her the chair next to him. “I could break in, but that would take time. I want you to sign-in.”

“Why?”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Don’t play coy. It doesn’t suit you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. His comment stung. “You won’t be able to trace the emails from this account. They come from a third party.”

“Let me try.”

She sighed. It was a test and one she needed to pass. Not for Rob but for herself. If she was going to give herself to him, she would go all the way.

“Fine.” After typing her ID and password what remained of her resolve faded. She’d been bribed and hunted in the past for information about her contacts and never gave anything over. Apparently, kindness and trust were her Achilles heels. Not like she was giving him her contacts or anything. All he could do was read the emails, even replying didn’t work.

Rob opened the email offering her twice the usual fee to kill Daedalus. He switched programs and began transferring codes. The computer ran through numbers with a counter at the bottom.

He twisted in his chair to face her. “I designed this myself. It’s not your run-of-the-mill tracer.” He grinned at her pointed stare. “I like computers. The numbers and codes make sense to me. Everything is black and white, there’s no gray area like people seem to have.” His direct stare bothered her.

Not knowing where to look, she glanced at a collection of encased
Star Trek
figures on a shelf. She smiled. “My mother was a Whovian.”

“What?”

“Dr. Who. When I was young I was allowed to stay up until one AM on Saturday nights to watch it with her on PBS.” She cleared her throat. “I still like to watch it. You?”

“I’ve seen it, but I’m not much of a fan.”

“Really? Are his concepts too advanced for you?” She leaned forward and grinned as his eyes narrowed at her challenge.

“The show jumps through time, rotates characters and actors, and they interact with historical figures. You have a ship disguised as a phone box, a sonic screwdriver, and a hero who can’t die. The rules of reality don’t apply to Dr. Who. Where
Star Trek
is a known quantity. It’s set in the future. You have the laws of physics, the crew, and Star Fleet. They visit planets and solve problems in an hour. It’s linear. There really is no comparison.” A satisfied smile crossed his face. “Most of the technology and gadgets we enjoy today were first seen in some form on those early Trek episodes. Cellphones, iTouch, PDAs. Not so much for Dr. Who. The technology of the TARDIS falls into ‘science so advanced it is indistinguishable from magic’ area.” He chuckled and a blush covered his cheeks. “Is my geek showing?”

She laughed and threw back her head, wincing at the sharp pain from the bruises around her neck.

Leaning toward her, he tilted her chin to the ceiling. “Let me take a look at that in better lighting.” He took her hand and guided her to his bedroom.

For a lack of a chair, she sat on the edge of his bed while he went into the bathroom.

He returned with a cool wet cloth and knelt in front of her.

The cold soothed the ache of her ligation marks. “Of course, the only real sci-fi show worth watching is
Babylon Five
.” Her comment brought him up short.

“You’re full of surprises. I love that show too, but don’t tell my housemates. They’ll start calling me a traitor.”

She laughed again, and it made her feel free. Nothing about being with Rob was forced. Being with him made her act like, well, herself. Maybe that’s what attracted her to him the most. He made her real. She’d been acting most of her adult life and almost forgot who Esther was.

“You have a wonderful laugh.” He smiled at her as he stood and rolled his shoulders as if working out some knots. “The computer program will take a few hours to run. We should get some sleep.”

Patting his twin-sized bed, she winked at him. “Looks cozy.”

“You can sleep here. I’ll take the floor.”

She frowned. “I’m not proposing marriage, Rob, just me to keep you warm. I’m much more comfortable than the hard floor.” Lying across the comforter, she cleared her throat as it went dry.

Her werewolf stared at her with hungry eyes. The amber color of his beast had returned, and a low growl rumbled in his chest. “I bet you are.” His voice had grown deeper, and she got wetter between her thighs.

Undoing her jacket, she tossed it to the floor, never taking her gaze off him. The drumming of her heart filled her ears. She scooted farther up the bed as he slowly crawled over her. Ever since they’d met, she’d wanted this. Anticipation was such a bitch.

With a tug, he hooked his fingers around the waistband of her pants and released the button, then the zipper. From under him, he appeared much bigger, stronger than she’d thought.

In a frantic move, she tugged her t-shirt over her head.

“Slow down, let me do this.” He took her eager hands from her pants and placed them over her head. Peeling her leather pants from her legs an inch at a time, he followed their path with a trail of kisses. Each caress dragged her closer to the edge.

“Rob?” Her voice shook.

The leathers joined her jacket and t-shirt on the floor. “Hmm?” He ran his canines along her hip as he removed her thong.

“Oh, shit.” Her breaths became desperate.

“You like that?”

“Yes.”

He placed a light kiss on her bikini line, which sent a tremor down her legs. If he went any slower her bottom half would go numb from need. Rising onto his elbow, he lay on his side and unclasped the front of her bra, setting her breasts free. His gaze was so intense it almost seemed like he stroked her skin.

More, she needed a lot more. She arched her back, inviting him to touch her.

With an unsure slide, his hand traveled from her lower abdomen to her chest, then finally to her breast. The brush of his fingertips over her nipples set them on fire.

Never one to take the backseat when it came to sex, she wrapped her arms around his neck and yanked him close, pressing a frantic hard kiss to his thin mouth. He tasted of scandalous mischief and forbidden cravings.

If a rescue had busted down the door and interrupted them to set her free, she’d have found her thirty-eight special and shot them between the eyes. Nothing was taking her out of Rob’s arms.

He leaned to the side and pulled something out of his back pocket. Maybe a condom? With a strong grip, he gathered her hands from his neck and placed them above her head. He pressed his clothed body on top of hers and kissed along her neck.

Something cold and metallic snapped around her wrists. She yanked reflexively at the cuffs, which he’d secured to one of the headboard’s wooden slats. “What the fuck? Where did theses come from?”

“Eric, my alpha, left them in our office. I can’t take any chances with you. Then again, with your history, you could probably strangle me with your thighs.” He set the key on his bedside table. “I’m naive, not stupid. Fool me once...” He let the old saying fade, the meaning very clear to her.

Too bad he didn’t understand she never wanted to fool him again. When she watched him fall off the roof her heart had chosen to run
to
him instead of away. She’d made her choice, and she’d stick to it until the end. “Fine, I didn’t have plans on going anywhere.” Relaxing into the bed, she stretched her body along its length. “I’m game, then.” She writhed her body under his, grinding her hip against his hard cock.

The feral glow returned to Rob’s stare, and the carnal hunger that came with it reminded her of what exactly she taunted. It only made her want him more.

His tongue flashed as he licked his lips. “I wish I could trust you.” The regret in his voice broke her heart, but then he gave her mischievous grin. “I can at least return your favor.”

“I don’t want payback. I want—”

He scooted down between her legs, lifting one over his shoulder.

“Oh, if you insist.” She gnawed at her lower lip and shifted her shoulders so she could lift her head.

Meeting her stare, a fine blush rose on his cheeks again. He cleared his throat. “If I’m doing something wrong, tell me.” He gave her a devilish smile. “And if I’m doing it right, let me know.”

Her breath caught in her chest. “Is this your first time?”

“No.” He placed a kiss on her inner thigh, working his way north, and she’d forgotten what she’d asked. “But I’m not a player like most shifters.”

He couldn’t have said a more perfect thing, and she was laying claim on his werewolf ass. Nosferatu be damned. No one would chase her off.

She expected his first lick to be hesitant, but once again he surprised her.

With a sure, steady stroke between her nether lips, Rob paid back the blow-job she’d given him. She never considered it a favor. She’d wanted to taste him and to let him know her desires.

Resting his lean body on the bed, Rob looked like a man settling in for a good long time. Each lap got deeper and longer as he began to explore her inner secrets.

God help her, she moaned and leaned her head back on the pillow, resting her cuffed wrists on the bed. He took his time and brought her back to the edge of ecstasy. Her breaths became ragged as she fought against her release.

Running his tongue around her clit sent a jolt of pleasure straight to her brain.

“Rob!”

He latched on the area, sucking as he thrust his fingers into her pussy.

She clung to the edge, not wanting to go over just yet, needing this moment to last as long as it could. It might be the last time he ever touched her.

The bright, late afternoon sunlight drilled its way into Robert’s consciousness through his eyelids and woke him. Its warmth spread over his body, but as he stretched he realized the heat didn’t come from the sun but from the body pressed alongside him. He cracked open an eye.

Esther lay plastered across his chest, one leg thrown over his and her only free arm around his neck. Her face was turned up toward his with her lips parted. A sweet temptation. Her taste still lingered in his mouth. She’d cried out his name as she orgasmed last night over and over.

He’d released one wrist from the metal cuffs afterward so she could sleep more comfortably and was relieved she didn’t pressure him for more than he was willing to offer her. When it came to Esther, he walked a tightrope of indecision. Part of him wanted to believe her sincerity, the other part thought he should have handed her over to Daedalus.

Any threat to the pack should be dealt with swiftly and without mercy. He ran a fingertip over her lush bottom lip. But was she a threat? She could be, but she could also be an asset. These last few days without Eric at his side showed him the pack lacked enough warriors.

His beast stirred. All she needed was one little bite or a nice deep scratch from him in his beast form and she could be his forever. The pack instinct would keep her from being a threat.

She moaned and pulled him closer, rubbing her face into his t-shirt.

It was nice fantasy, but he’d never do it on purpose. His conscience would eat him alive if he did. If she stayed at his side, he wanted it to be her choice.

The sharp ring of the pack cellphone startled both of them upright in bed.

Esther yanked at her restraint. “What the hell?” Brushing the hair from her face, she blinked and watched him crawl off the bed and answer the call.

He glanced at the caller ID and stifled a growl. “What do you want, Talon?” Robert sat on the edge of the bed with a very naked and soft Esther laying down in a daze next to him.

“We need to talk. Can you meet with me?” Talon replied.

“Yeah, I’ll be at the pack’s gathering hall in an hour.”

“Fine.” Talon disconnected the call.

The delicate touch of Esther’s fingers searching under Robert’s wrinkled shirt made him jump.

“Why such a serious face?” She inched closer, hooking her fingers in his jeans. She looked perfect in his bed. Sleep tossed hair formed a dark halo around her face and the thin sheet gathered around her waist, her exposed breasts drawing his gaze. Her heated blue stare was full of come-hither-and-ravish-me. Nothing would have pleased him more than to spend the day buried inside her.

But—there was always a
but
with Esther—he couldn’t trust her. Not with something as fragile as his heart. A woman like her probably ate men like him for breakfast. He rubbed at the dull ache in his chest.

The action caused her gaze to drop, and she released her grip on his clothes. “Is there anything I can do to make things right between us?”

“Probably not. I’ll always wonder if you’re being sincere or just playing a part to get what you want.”

She pulled her cuffed arm, and the metal rattled against the wooden headboard. “I want
you
. Fuck, I screwed things up so bad. I wish—I wish…” She turned her face away.

Those heartfelt words almost tore apart his resolve. But—he sighed and got a fresh set of clothes. There wasn’t time to shower.

“Where are you going?”

“I never finished last night’s mission. My troublemaking pack mate needs to be taught a lesson.”

“You’re not going alone.”

He chuckled at the command in her tone. Naked and cuffed to a bed yet still thought she was in control. He could really fall in love with a woman like Esther. “I don’t have much of a choice. It’s too early for Daedalus to rise, and most of my roommates are at work.”

“Most. Who’s home? Take them.” She pleaded with her eyes. “Hell, take me. Cuff me to your wrist if you have to. I can still use a gun with one hand.”

He changed clothes in the same room. She’d seen him naked before. He felt her gaze roam over his body. “My friend, Sam, is still here. He’ll watch over you.” He pinned her with a glare. “I’ll be very upset if anything happens to him while I’m gone.”

The handcuff clanked as she tried to cross her arms over her chest. “Damn it.” She flung her hands to her sides. “I’m not going to hurt anyone.”

He raised his eyebrow and wished he could believe her.

“You should take me along. Don’t go by yourself.” She slid to the edge of the bed. “Please.”