Chapter 10

Judy’s POV

I watched Gavin’s Adam’s apple move slightly.

I hadn’t realized how closely I was standing to him until he stood a bit straighter and tilted his head towards me. I swallowed the lump wedged in my throat and fought the strange urge to reach out and touch him.

What was wrong with me lately?

It had to be because I was rebounding over Ethan. The wound of his betrayal was still so fresh that my wolf had been quiet. Yet whenever Gavin was around, she seemed to be perking up a little more. It was clear to me that she liked Gavin, and yet I could still feel the pain she felt from our mate’s betrayal. The mark Ethan gave me was still on my neck and every time he was remotely intimate with Irene, I would feel the pain from our broken mate bond.

It was no wonder I was suddenly clinging to the first attractive man that crossed my path.

The corners of Gavin’s lips tipped upward into a smile.

“I am someone who keeps work and personal matters separate,” he told me, his tone deep and sending warmth throughout my body, making my cheeks feel incredibly hot. “I don’t want the rest of the household to think that I harass my teammates or subordinates. I prefer my staff to wear tasteful clothing and not be so suggestive.”

My mouth nearly fell open from his words. I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him, not caring that he was a Lycan and that I shouldn’t be looking directly into his eyes. Most Alpha’s would think of that as a challenge, especially a Lycan Alpha.

“This type of clothing is common for college students to wear,” I informed him. “Do you have to be so old-fashioned?”

He raised his brows at me.

“Are you seriously going to question me? Did you forget that I am now your boss?” He countered.

I opened my mouth to reply with something equally as snarky, but then I immediately closed it because he was right. Gavin Landry was my boss now, which meant I had to abide by his set rules. He was the one paying my salary and my parents desperately needed this money; it was good money too. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass, and I couldn’t risk getting fired before I even got started.

It would be better if I just agreed to his rules and kept my mouth shut.

“I apologize. I shouldn’t have been disrespectful. I’ll wear something less revealing the next time I come here,” I assured him.

He stared at me for a moment longer before he nodded his head once.

“Come inside. We can discuss your schedule, and I’ll have my Beta draw up a contract,” he said, turning away from me and walking towards his house.

I followed after him but froze when I heard a ruffling sound in the nearby bush. Before I could grasp what was happening, Matt was jumping out of the bush holding a water gun!

I was wearing a white crop top, and I knew if it got wet, it would be see-through. I nearly screamed when I saw the stream of water aiming directly towards me. Gavin was quick though; much quicker than I thought possible.

He was in front of me in seconds and his arms were protectively draped around my body. The warmth of his arms was enclosed around me, and I felt safe in the cocoon he created for me using his body. I heard Matt laughing as water-soaked Gavin’s shirt and a low growl emerged from Gavin’s throat.

I could tell he was furious with Matt’s tricks.

Gavin’s cologne hit my senses, and my heart hammered in my chest from his close proximity. I found myself leaning into him, feeling his muscles digging into my back and his strong arms tightening around me. My cheeks grew hot, and I felt warmth spreading across my lower abdomen.

Another low growl escaped Gavin’s mouth, and I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck, causing goosebumps to form on my flesh. Briefly, I wondered if he could smell my sudden arousal.

His arms were untangled around me, and I felt cold from the lack of touch. He turned his body around to glare at his son who was still laughing.

“What have I told you about playing such tricks like that, Matthew?” Gavin growled; his fury evident.

Matt finally stopped laughing and when I looked at him, I could see that his face had gone pale, and he almost looked nervous.

“I wanted to see what she’d do,” he said with a shrug.

“I’ve had enough of this!” Gavin growled. “You are grounded until I say otherwise.”

“W…what?” Matt cried. “But… but I was just joking…”

Tears filled Matt’s eyes, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel bad for the kid. I mean, it was only water, and it was a harmless prank. But I certainly wasn’t going to intervene in Gavin’s parenting.

Adam rushed out of the Villa, having witnessed this show, he had a towel in his hands.

“Get to your room, Matthew,” Gavin ordered. He then glared at Adam. “Take him to his room.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Adam said, bowing his head.

I took the towel from Adam and went to Gavin to dry off his back, as I did so, I listened to Matt cry.

“But Dad, you never play with me anymore,” he whined. “I just wanted to have fun…”

“This is not the way to get my attention,” Gavin said firmly. “We will discuss this again later.”

I began to towel dry Gavin’s soaked back; his shirt was now transparent due to the water, and I could see the strong muscles of his back. My mind was immediately brought back to the night in the VIP suite when I ran my fingers down his back. I hadn’t realized how muscly it was until this very moment. I wanted to run my fingers down them again.

As I patted his back dry, I found that my other hand had a mind of its own and it wandered under his shirt. I felt his back stiffen as my fingers explored his ridges and creases. I used my other hand to move the towel under his shirt as well, acting as if I was only drying him off. His breathing seemed to have gotten harder, almost matching mine.

The silence between us was so thick that I could hear the sounds of my heart beating. I bit my lip as my fingers traveled downward until they started to reach his lower back.

“Mattie, what’s wrong?” A feminine voice said from nearby. I whipped my hand away, coming back to reality.

My face burned with embarrassment.

What had happened to me? How did I lose control like that, and why did he let me?

He quickly adjusted his shirt and cleared his throat. He turned and without looking at me, grabbed the towel from my hands. My hands fell to my sides, and I stared at the ground, willing my face to stop burning.

“Dad grounded me,” Matt answered the woman.

“What did you do now, Mattie?” The woman asked.

“Just wanted to have some fun and squirted them with water,” Matt confessed.

“I was just taking him to his room. If you’ll excuse us, Madam Irene,” Adam said as he ushered Matt inside.

At the sound of her name, my gaze lifted and sure enough, Irene stood in front of us with a concerned look in her pretty eyes. Irene truly was a beautiful woman, and my chest tightened at the thought of Ethan being with her.

She wore a casual pink dress that fit her form perfectly. Her long blond hair was braided down her back and she only wore a little makeup; she didn’t need a ton of makeup to be pretty, which irritated me even more.

She watched as Adam took Matt inside and then she frowned at her father.

“What was that about?” She asked him.

“Your brother and his tricks,” Gavin muttered. “That boy needs more discipline.”

And because the cruel fates were laughing at me, Ethan walked around the corner, completely oblivious to the tension in the area. At that moment, Irene noticed me, and she frowned, tilting her head before looking at her father with a questioning look. But my gaze was too focused on Ethan’s to notice anything else around me.

He froze entirely when he saw me standing beside Gavin and then his eyes darkened with irritation.

I bit my lower lip as I stared back at him and I swear I heard a low growl escape his throat, which brought Irene’s attention to her fiancé. She frowned at him and then she looked at me. I could see the questioning look in her eyes and then the brief worry as she folded her arms across her chest.

“Who is this woman?” She asked Ethan. “Do you know her?”