Chapter 22 #3
The answer was ridiculously easy. “Because you were the one I interviewed. Luck of the draw. Or maybe I should say you drew the short stick. Whoever is behind this knows better than to try and go after the Masters brothers. They are too popular. Too important financially. Plus, right now the Hellions are in the spotlight.”
“With my reputation ruined, the playoff bid lost, the assholes can make an example out of me without calling too much attention to what they are doing.” Beck laughed, but almost immediately allowed me to hear his sexy growl.
“Yes.” Crazy thoughts drifted through my brain, enough of them my head was killing me.
“Did you really deck one of those assholes after the interview?”
After blowing on my bent knuckles, I rubbed them on my tee shirt. “I did. The fucker deserved it.”
“God, you’re my kind of woman.” He nudged me with his shoulder, the action so normal, so typical of him. Yet there was still a wall between us, which had also been planned. What in the hell were the bastards up to?
“Yeah, well, Matt made it sound like money exchanged hands to keep the jerk from filing charges.”
“Maybe my wolf should pay him a little visit.”
“I’m not sure I’d mind.” I was only half kidding. What did that say about me? “Remember our time together in Arizona?”
The way he rolled his eyes reminded me of the little boy inside the huge man. One big burly dude who tried to pass himself off as a dangerous guy. But under all the muscular layers was someone with a heart of gold.
What did they call that in romance book language? A Golden Retriever? Yep. That was him. That was the guy I’d fallen hard for.
The realization was a clear zap of current that wasn’t only based around physical chemistry. Every inch of me was tingling.
“I’m furious with you, but I’m not going to shove aside the best sex of my life.” His attempt at making a joke gave me some hope we could at least work together for a little nasty project I had in mind.
“In hindsight, I should have told you this before, but only a couple days after I’d returned to Chicago, I was sent a picture of us in the pool. Together. Naked. With no doubt what we were doing.”
His eyes opened wide. Was there a little bit of his wolf hiding behind his irises?
“You’re kidding. How in the hell did they get the picture?”
“They had to be a tree climber because it was taken from at least fifteen feet in the air. Completely anonymous.”
“AI?”
“Unfortunately not.”
He took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds. “Just like the photograph I was sent with you and that… asshole at whatever dinner you were at.”
“There were a lot of pictures taken that night, but no outside reporters were allowed. You know what that likely means.”
I could tell he’d easily connected the dots. “Someone is trying to either play us against each other or use our relationship to their benefit.”
“Exactly.” I had a feeling the naked picture would be used next.
“For what purpose?”
“Maybe another angle to show that shifters don’t deserve to be in sports.
I discovered around this luxurious dinner that at least two people have vested interest in the media company who owns the Chicago newspaper, and at least two local stations in other markets have partial ownership in various sports organizations, including the Las Vegas Cruisers.
Guess what not a single sports team includes? ”
“Shifters.”
I nodded, unsure what all of it meant. “Since the beginning of the discovery of shifters, members of congress have attempted to control your existence and opportunities. They’ve failed miserably. Maybe this is just another backhanded approach at defaming shifters.”
“Most likely it involves betting. There is a lot of money to be made with betting on sports teams. No matter the laws.”
Now I grinned. “You know your stuff.”
“You seem to forget that I have a degree in finance and economics. I won’t be a hockey player forever. No matter what humans like to believe.”
“Ah, you won’t have those sexy muscles for the rest of your life?” Around him, being a cutesy girl was far too easy.
He offered me an expression dripping of challenges.
Ones I might want to accept.
“Oh, I’ll have these muscles, baby.” He lifted his arm, making a fist and showing off his fabulous arm muscles.
“Ooohhh…” I squealed like the girls I’d heard at the games on purpose.
Knowing him a little bit, I expected his goofy expression. What I didn’t expect was for him to tackle me to the ground, pressing the full weight of his body against mine. Or to have the brute yank my arms over my head, collecting my wrists together with one massive hand.
“You truly are one very bad woman.”
“I tried to warn you. So what are you going to do about it?” I shifted back and forth across his groin.
“You seem to forget I have many ways of controlling you.”
“You do, huh? You just think you’re all that.”
“Forget the chips, baby. I’m a bag of Doritos. Extra nacho cheese.”
“Then, Mr. Nacho, you won’t mind helping me creating a nightmare for those responsible for challenging our illustrious careers?”
He seemed surprised I’d asked. Or maybe that I hadn’t asked earlier. “Both my wolf and I will be there with bells on.”
“Could be gnarly.”
His laugh was everything I needed to hear. “Gnarly, huh? You have me hooked.” He lowered his head even more, daring to breathe across my face. The man was on fire. Or maybe I was the one ignited by gasoline.
“Even a bit conniving?”
“I do so love a woman with dubious characteristics.” He even dared to brush his lips across mine.
“Excellent. Partners it is. However, you never answered my question.” With his lips hovering just over mine, I was having some difficulty concentrating on finishing our conversation.
“Which one was that?” With a drag of his tongue from one side of my jaw to the other, my body began to tremble under him.
“Why are we so connected yet have an overwhelming need to fight each other?”
I could swear his grin was as dubious as the ideas swimming around in my mind. “Isn’t it more important in any article or brilliant story to show and not tell?”
“Yes, but can’t you give me a little hint? Pretty please?” I undulated my hips again, just to drive him crazy.
Which it had, the furrow of his eyebrows creating a handsome if not dangerous aura surrounding him. “You do know the term mating?”
“Animals in the wild forming a lifetime bond.”
“Usually,” he grinned. “Sound like something you can tolerate?”
“A little show and not tell?”
He nipped my lower lip, creating an audible shudder. “If you can handle it.”
“I can handle anything. What do you have in mind?”
“Let’s just say something dark and carnal in nature.”