Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
TEAGUE
Vanilla notes tease my senses, and I inhale, loving the change to my office.
Her scent is everywhere, soaking into my skin, making its own claim.
I dart a glance at her desk. Putting her in here was the best decision.
Before she came to Greystone, I’d arrive early, work through lunch, and stay late.
There was little incentive to change my punishing schedule.
Now we take breaks, share Macklin’s lunches, and I find myself looking up a million times a day to see her light green eyes narrowed in concentration or those pouty pink lips turned up in the sweetest of smiles.
Charli’s meticulous notes are sitting on my desk next to the pile that needs my immediate attention.
I dive into the schematics first, then the contract.
It takes several hours to work my way through everything that came up in the few days I was gone, but without her organization, I’d have been here for days, trying to figure out everything.
Finishing, I spot a familiar red envelope off to the right.
Charli’s fingerprints. I exhale heavily.
I forgot I asked Susan to run them. Running a finger across the top, and thinking about everything that’s happened since she arrived, I know I can’t open it.
When she got here, she was completely closed off and afraid of the slightest touch, but I see the strides she’s made to embrace this new life.
Even when things start to feel overwhelming, she quickly resets and moves forward.
My phone pings with a message from Macklin, telling me dinner is in thirty minutes. Picking up the red envelope, I shut off the lights and head out.
Charli’s sitting at the kitchen island when I walk in, Macklin peering over her shoulder as she methodically chops vegetables. “Like this?”
He lifts a noncommittal shoulder, and I nearly laugh. Macklin’s a control freak and hates anyone helping him with dinner. “Very precise. Why don’t you let me take over while you set the table?” His voice is soft, but I can tell he’s dying to take over.
She snorts and puts the knife down. “You’re not the least bit subtle.” Hopping off the bar stool, her breath catches when she sees me standing in the doorway. Fear flits across her face, but recognition dawns, and her shoulders drop with relief. “Teague. How was work? Did you see my notes?”
“And the prioritized file. Very thorough. Great job,” I tell her, and she beams. “Everything is done. In fact, we’re going to take the day off tomorrow.”
“Why?” she asks, bewildered, and I almost laugh.
“First, you have a date with Macklin to visit the bakery. Then we’re going to the hospital to test Andros’ reaction to you again. And in the afternoon, we’re going to do whatever you want. Movies, park, a hike…you name it,” I tell her.
She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. “Andros didn’t react to me today, but he was fine the first few times I met him in the office. Before… How will we know for sure?”
“We’re going to use your blood,” I explain, setting down my stuff. Walking over to her, I gently pull on her lip with my thumb until she releases it. Then I lean down and brush my lips across hers. “MacKenzie called. Her antidote worked. Andros is already on the mend.”
She stares at my lips. “Did you just kiss me?”
“No,” I reply, my lips twitching. “Do you want me to kiss you?”
“But…” She stops and moves closer, looping her arms around my neck. “I’ve been wanting you to kiss me since our date.”
“What I wouldn’t give to kiss you right now, but I need to tell you something, and I’m not sure you’re going to like it,” I admit, steeling myself to confess.
She steps back and stares at the envelope in my hand.
“When you first got here, it was obvious you were running from someone. Instead of waiting for you to tell me, I decided to tackle it head-on and eliminate the threat. But first, I needed to know who you really were.”
Fear flits across her face as she continues to stare at the envelope.
“I ordered Susan to run your prints, and the report came back yesterday,” I confess, holding up the still-sealed envelope so she can see it’s intact.
“But I couldn’t open it. The last thing I want to do is start our relationship by violating your trust. I want you to feel safe.
To make this your home. So I’m giving you the report.
I’m sorry I went down this path, and I know you’ll tell us when you’re ready.
” I hand it to her. “I’m going to change for dinner. ”
She takes it and tosses it on the console behind her, then she wraps her hand around my wrist and pulls me to a stop.
“Thank you. I know it’s hard for someone who’s used to taking charge of everything to wait, but it means a lot to me that you didn’t open it,” she says softly, brushing my hair back from my face. “And now I want to kiss you more than I did a minute ago.”
Her understanding and sweet confession have me dropping my head to capture her lips in an instant. Soft at first, I press mine against hers, learning their shape and texture, but the need for more builds quickly.
I swipe my tongue across her closed lips, and they part with an eagerness I didn’t expect.
Sliding my tongue along hers, the taste of her makes me groan and deepen the kiss.
I need her closer. Wrapping my arms around, I pick her up, bringing our mouths level.
Better. Need sharpens to a delicious point, and I let a little trickle through, wanting her to know exactly how I feel.
She gasps and brings her legs up and around my waist. Her hesitation disappears, and her tongue meets mine with equal fierceness. A match to the inferno between us. The semi I’m always sporting around her hardens.
Face flushed, she tears her lips from mine and looks down at where I’m pressed against her center. She sucks in a breath and tentatively moves her body up and down, her eyes widening at the feeling. A little breathless moan follows.
Her innocence is almost my undoing. With my hand at her lower back, I thrust up, wanting her to feel every inch of me between her legs.
“Tell me we don’t belong together. That you aren’t my mate.” I pull her in for another deep kiss, stroking the fire to a fever pitch.
She whimpers, then gasps. “My mate.”
The impact those words have on me… My palm tingles, the bond urging me to claim her, but a voice inside cautions me to wait. I tear my mouth from hers.
“We need to stop. Before I do something you’re not ready for.”
Her hips stop moving, and her breath rushes out. “I didn’t expect. That was…”
“One hell of a first kiss,” I say, completing her sentence. Breathing heavily, I untangle her body from mine and help her stand until she’s steady. “Why don’t you grab a seat at the table? I’ll be back in a minute.”
She jerks her head around as if she forgot Macklin was in the room. Cheeks flushed, she glances at him, a guilty expression on her face. “Sorry. I…I didn’t mean to hold up dinner.”
Macklin winks at her. “I didn’t want to interrupt.” He pulls back her chair and motions for her to sit down. “Besides, I was enjoying the sounds coming from your lips.”
Her head jerks to look at him, but her gaze falls to the obvious tent in his pants, and a strangled note slips from her throat.
His lips curl in satisfaction at her reaction. Pushing her chair in, he points to the salad. “Go ahead and start.”
Leaving them, I head to my bedroom to change into something a little less restricting than the jeans currently cutting off the circulation to a very vital part of me. I strip, ignoring my throbbing cock, and pull on a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt.
Macklin looks up when I return. “Did MacKenzie say how long it will take him to get to full strength?”
“A few days. He’ll need someone to stay with him. Monitor his progress,” I tell him, grabbing a seat and taking a few bites of salad.
“I’ll stay with him,” Macklin volunteers.
“We can take turns,” I say with a shake of my head.
“Let’s talk to him tomorrow. See what he wants to do.”
Charli frowns but says nothing. A few minutes later, she pipes up with a request.
“After dinner, would you call Elijah? I haven’t heard how the rescue went, and I don’t want to bother Sam if she’s with Covey,” she asks, her tone full of concern.
Macklin picks up his phone. “I’ll text him now.” After he hits send, he gets up and stacks her plate onto his. Carrying them to the kitchen, he exchanges them for a pasta bowl. “Here you go. Lemon ricotta pasta.” After placing the bread on the table, he sits down.
Guess I’m serving myself. I chuckle and get up to grab my dinner.
Macklin’s phone pings a minute later. “Elijah says Covey never showed at the grocery store. They went by her house, and a neighbor told them Shane surprised Covey with a last-minute vacation. They’re on hold until Covey returns and calls them.”
“She needs to get away from him,” Charli says, her forehead creased with worry.
Macklin reaches over to slide his hand over hers. “Elijah won’t give up. He’s one of the most determined men I know. And he’s fiercely protective of those he considers his family.”
Her shoulders drop a little. “I hope so. She’s going to need all the support she can get.”
As she digs into her pasta, Macklin turns to me. “Ames called. He restrained Mavros. Says he swings between reality and the facility.”
“He was in rough shape,” I say with a heavy sigh. “Hopefully, he’ll pull out of it soon, and we can get a lead on where to find Raine. How’s Ramiro?”
When Charli looks up with a puzzled expression on her face, I explain. “The panther shifter we found with Mavros. Looked like he’d been there a long time.”
Macklin’s face fills with anger. “He didn’t make it.”
Dammit. I send a quick note to Ronan to let him know.