Chapter 41

Amy and Jessica were nowhere to be seen. "Where...?" I began.

"Gone for the day," he murmured, his nose in my hair.

He deftly handled the door while still holding me, kicked open the door and walked in. He gently set me down on his couch and sat back on his heels surveying me.

He smiled, letting his hand slide down my calf to my ankle.

It was an odd sensation, both stimulating and then mildly painful when he got to my ankle. He removed my shoe and frowned at the already swelling skin.

"Can you turn it this way?" he asked, his warm hand enveloping my foot, urging it one direction.

I nodded and obeyed.

"That way?"

I tried and winced slightly.

He nodded, stood, and went to his drinks cabinet. After some clattering and drawer slamming, he came back with a plastic to-go bag full of ice. He placed it delicately on my ankle.

"Thank you," I said, sincerely glad he had been there to help me, enjoying the way his hands had touched my skin.

He put both hands on either side of the couch where I sat and leaned closer. My heart began to thump.

"Now," he said. "You were about to kiss me here, if I recall." He pointed to his neck where it met his chin.

I felt a jolt of wanting obliterate any pain I'd felt in my ankle and I smiled, leaning forward toward him. As I did, I caught a vague whiff of grass that still lingered in the office.

It made me pull back.

Charles frowned. "What?"

I grabbed his hand and held it close to my face. There it was again.

"I can still smell Matilda."

"Oh?" He sat back, looking at me. An amused expression came over his face. "And that bothers you?"

"Yes."

"She was here. You saw her leave. We probably shook hands."

I frowned. That made sense. But it didn't make sense that she was so happy when she left.

"She was practically glowing when she left here."

He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Yes, she seemed pretty happy, didn't she? She's a nice person, I think."

"She is," I said, though my tone said I would rather be drinking poison than admitting that.

His head cocked to one side and he grinned wider. He picked up my hand and turned it over, exposing my wrist. He put two fingers on my pulse and looked thoughtful.

"Your heart is racing, Elena."

I yanked my hand back and folded my arms across my chest.

"Elena," he began to laugh. "Are you jealous?"

I knew I looked like a petulant child, but I couldn’t' help it. "No," I said, in a tone of voice that convinced not even myself.

"I actually really like her," I said. "But I don't know how you can carry on making me feel like this, telling me to kiss your neck, when you've just had her in here."

"And just what do you think we were doing?" he asked, still looking amused.

"Oh, business, I'm sure."

"Exactly."

"She certainly didn't look like you were discussing proofs or reprint rights."

"She is passionate about her work," Charles shrugged.

"Not like that," I said.

He stood up and looked down at me. I felt myself quell a little inside. His power filled the room, and I forced myself through my instinct to look up into his eyes, to challenge him.

It only lasted a moment of staring into his blue eyes before I had to drop my gaze. He made me feel both shy and, to my horror, turned on.

"Elena, it's my prerogative as a single Alpha to see whomever I want whenever I want. I am, according to Wolf's Weekly, the most eligible bachelor wolf in our province and that certainly means I should be playing the field, don't you think."

I scoffed, but kept my eyes averted. "Wolf's Weekly?"

"It's true, I am the heart throb of middle-aged werewolves everywhere."

I was too angry to cry again, but I was upset all the same. Just a few hours ago I was beginning to think I'd misjudged him during his behavior in the car, that he was more than an egotistical Alpha jerk.

I'd thought we were beginning to have a connection, but it appeared he was willing to connect with anything that had breasts.

"It's fine," I snapped. "I understand. We wouldn't want you to look bad for your public. Better to look like a shallow playboy like they expect."

"That's not very nice, Elena."

"But isn't it what you just said you wanted?" I looked up into his face. He was still smiling, the jerk. I felt fire flash through my body and sat up straighter.

"You do whatever you want to do. I don't care. But just so you know, I am not going to pine or sulk or wait around for you. This relationship," I waved my finger between us, "or whatever it is, was totally your idea, and if you are going to carry on with other people than you need to know I am going to do the same."

He went still at this and I saw his eyes flash. I felt a rush of triumph and then a flush of regret. I wasn't enjoying getting one up on him as much as I should have been.

"Who?" he demanded.

"No one," I said.

"Who?" His voice was practically a roar and I felt it shake me to my bones. It was terrifying and, goddess forgive me, sexy beyond belief.

I closed my eyes and took a breath, letting the stimulation of his voice fill me.

"No one," I said, regretfully. "But I've been asked out just recently. I had to turn them down because I, for one, was set to honor our dinner arrangement."

"It's that punk in the stairwell," Charles said, his voice returning to it's normal volume.

I nodded, looking down at my hands. "He's a very nice person, I think," I said, sounding unintentionally just like him when he had talked about Matilda a minute ago.

He paused. A huffing sound came from his direction. I looked up.

To my surprise, he was trying not to laugh. He was looking at me and smiling, and then let himself go and began to laugh aloud.

"What's so funny?" I asked, surprised more than upset. "Why are you laughing at this?"

He knelt in front of me again, looking into my eyes. "Oh, Elena. You're such a good person, did you know that?"

"What the heck are you talking about?" I scooted back away from him. "Because I insist we be equal if we're going to date, you think I'm a good person?"

"I mean, you're good for me. You just dished back to me what I was trying to serve you."

I shook my head. "I don't understand you."

"Jealousy. You made me jealous when I was enjoying doing it to you."

"I wasn't jealous," I said petulantly, looking away.

"Elena." He put a warm, gentle hand to my face. Despite what I wanted, I couldn't pull away. His scent was hypnotizing, his voice made me relax like I was in a warm bath. "Elena look at me."

I obeyed. His eyes were so blue and they looked straight into my heart. He smiled and it was as if the sun were warming my insides.

"Did you really think I was pursuing Matilda?" he asked softly. I felt my insides quiver like jelly.

Suddenly, it didn't matter what he did or who he was with as long as he'd keep looking at me like that.

Oh sweet Moon Goddess, I thought. I'm in so much trouble.