Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
A ubrey
“So what’s the scoop with you and Billy?” Madi asks, not missing the fact that he escorted me to my private cabana last night.
And, yes, he did come in and wear me out, so I could get to sleep in a new time zone.
Yes, it was incredible, as always. The man can make me orgasm over and over again until I’m wrung out.
Madi’s stretched out on a comfy blue chaise lounge beside me.
We’re both in fluffy bathrobes provided by the amazing spa, lounging by a salt pool.
We’ve just gotten massaged and manicured and pampered, and now we’re snacking on hummus and crudites in between sessions in the sauna and dips in the hot tub.
Madi’s two soon-to-be sisters-in-law are still getting their massages, so this is our chance for girl talk.
“I have so much to tell you.” I start with the Sentience gala and give her the details of my shared days and nights with Billy. She’s a good audience, gasping and laughing at appropriate times.
“He what?” Her jaw drops when I tell her about him giving me the credit card. I describe all the ways I charged it up, and she snickers. “Get it, girl. Torture him.”
“At first, I was doing it because of how he treated you. But then it was just fun.”
A spa attendant comes by with tiny white cups of lemon sorbet, and Madi and I take two each. The lemon flavor is both cool and sharp on my tongue, refreshing.
“He’s so good with Pepper, though. I never would have guessed there was a softer side to him.”
Not for humans, apparently, but for puppies. That must mean something.
“Let me see that picture again.” Madi holds out her hand, and I give her my phone. She studies the photo, frowning.
“I wouldn’t have guessed he had it in him, either.” She shakes her head and hands me my phone back. “He hates weakness, in anyone. I guess puppies are exempt from his disdain, though.”
“I think it’s just an act.”
“No, I had to prove myself to win his loyalty. And even then it was because Brick basically ordered him to.”
“Yeah, about that. It’s weird how they take orders from Brick. I mean, aren’t they basically college friends. I guess it’s because he’s the CEO?” But that wouldn’t affect their personal lives, would it?
“These guys, they do better with a leader,” Madi says. “They were raised by hard asses. They trauma-bonded in college and started Moon Co to prove themselves. Brick led the way.”
“So they take orders from him all the time? Like they’re a military unit?”
“Something like that.” I get the sense that Madi wants to wave this away. She’s not telling me the whole story, and I don’t like it.
I get that some of this might be proprietary information, but I’m used to Madi spilling all her secrets to me. I fight disappointment that she isn’t going to open up to me like she did before. I guess some secrets are meant to be kept.
“You know, Billy is a lot like you.”
She wrinkles her nose, not liking that comparison.
“Loyal,” I explain. “Committed to his friends. You say he hates weakness, but I think he just expects the best of himself and requires that of the people around him. If you’re in his circle, he’ll fight for you to the end.
” I think of him in the stairwell of Sentience, kissing me like his soul required it.
Playing the part, but now that I remember the moment, his muscles were tense.
He was intent on me, but if those guys had tried anything, I have no doubt in my mind that Billy would’ve done what was required to get me out. Even punching one of them.
He didn’t need to resort to violence. He just acts like he has the biggest dick in the room and dominates everyone in it.
It helps that he does have the biggest dick in the room, I grin to myself.
I realize I’ve been reminiscing while Madi is frowning at me.
“Aubrey…”
“What?”
She looks away as if figuring out how to phrase what she wants to say. “Billy is committed. To Moon Co. To Brick and the rest.” She’s trying to tell me something, but she’s dancing around it.
“I know that,” I say.
“He’s not the type to settle down.”
Ugh, is this what she’s trying to tell me? Billy’s not looking for a relationship? I know that. I’m not looking for one either.
“Billy is the last guy I’d want as a boyfriend. We’re just hooking up,” I say. “Having some fun.”
“Okay.” She forces a grin. “Good.”
A flash of irritation ripples through me. “But why is that good?”
“I just don’t think he’s capable of a relationship. Brick said he came from an abusive home with an uber-exacting father.”
That news hits me square in the chest.
Well, no wonder he’s so contained. So cold and controlled.
“It seems to me he’s been hard-wired for ruthless success at any cost and not much else,” she says.
That fits. Sorrow for the pain he’s endured drowns me.
Dammit, I don’t want to start seeing him as a three-dimensional human. Meaningless sex is working right now. I don’t want anything else.
I rise and undo my robe, dropping it on the chaise lounge. I have a scrunchie on my wrist, and I whip it off to gather up my braids into a loose bun. “I’m going for a dip.”
Without waiting for Madi’s response, I turn and walk down the steps into the long infinity pool.
It’s heated to the perfect temperature, and the sensation of pristine water lapping against my bare skin relaxes me.
I swim to the edge and lean against it, letting water slosh over the infinity edge.
This side of the spa overlooks a gorgeous stretch of the beach.
There are a group of guys down there, running back and forth over the sand, shouting to each other and tossing around a ball shaped like a rounded lemon.
I realize it’s Billy. And Brick, Jake, Nickel, and the rest. They’re playing some sort of sports ball.
Maybe rugby? All but Nickel have stripped off their shirts, and I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that they’re all premium grade, A grade beefsteak.
I didn’t know guys really had abs like that.
Tight and chiseled with enough contour to keep Michelangelo busy sculpting for a lifetime.
When do they even have the time to work out so much?
Billy
What started as a relaxing morning on the beach has turned into an intense game of shifter rugby.
Shifter rugby and human rugby are pretty similar.
At least, when we’re in public. In private, there are a lot less rules–and wolf forms are allowed.
We have to play with a special ball because our wolf teeth puncture the traditional rugby ball and deflate it.
I’ve played games where the ball was the jawbone of a deer or a piece of antler.
Now that I think of it, shifter rugby and human rugby have nothing in common. There are a lot more fights, a lot more biting. And howling.
Our game on the beach is pretty tame. Until my skin prickles, and I realize that someone is watching us.
I turn and spot the culprit. The fancy spa Madi took her bridesmaids to overlooks this stretch of the beach.
Aubrey’s there, watching me from the pool.
With her braids piled on her head, she looks like a queen.
My chest swells. Time to put on a show. I huddle up with Vance and Sully, facing Brick and the others. We sign our plans to each other and then break apart.
I do the kickoff, and immediately start running. Sully races to catch the ball, narrowly missing Nickel and Jake, who dive to stop him. Vance hollers and Sully passes the ball back to him. It’s tricky because Brick is barreling down on them both.
But then I tackle Brick. I aim for center mass and slam into him, driving us both into the surf. We fall into the water.
The next thing I know, he’s trying to drown me. He’s got some new moves–he slipped my hold using a technique his werebear sparring buddy must have taught him. “Submit,” he growls.
Normally I’d give in, but Aubrey’s watching. “Never,” I shout, and dive at his legs. I get a kick in the head and a mouthful of seawater, but Brick goes crashing into the water again.
“Are you kidding me?” Brick roars. It comes out garbled because I splash him when his mouth is open, and he swallows seawater.
“Smile.” I splash him again. “We’re on candid camera.” I turn and wave to Aubrey. Madi has joined her on the edge of the pool, and they’re both waving and laughing.
Brick grumbles but waves, and his face brightens when Madi blows him a kiss.
“Did we win?” I ask Vance, who’s watching us from the beach, covered in sand.
“Yeah. Nickel and Jake tackled me, but Sully got the ball to their goal when we all stopped to watch you guys wrestle.”
I pump my fist into the air. Our distraction tactic worked this time. It won’t work again, but winning once feels nice.
“Dumbass,” Jake signs at me, and we start insulting each other again in ASL.
A scent on the breeze alerts us that we have company. We turn as one to face the group of shifters walking up the beach towards us.
Jake signs in ASL, “Who are they?”
Shifters have a heightened sense of hearing. Knowing sign language gives our pack an edge when we don’t want to be overheard.
“King of Monaco and the top wolves in his pack,” Sully answers. “We sent word that we’d be here. As a courtesy.”
“Let’s say hello,” Brick says out loud in English, and we follow him up the beach, arranging ourselves in a loose formation with Brick at the head and me by his right hand.
The wolves facing us are big and burly. In the human world, they’d be clocked as body builders.
The leader has a dark beard and a wild tangle of hair down his back.
With his deeply tanned skin, he looks like a pirate.
Sully gave Brick and I a dossier on him and his pack, so I know his family were shipping tycoons.
“Luka Atlantea,” Brick greets him. “Wolf King of Monaco.”
“Blackthroat.” Luka’s voice is deep and resonant. “The Wall Street Wonder. Welcome to my kingdom. We’re honored by your visit.”
“We’re the ones who are honored,” Brick must have dug deep to find some respect for King Luka because his words ring true.