A to Zane (2 page)

She stopped tugging at her arm and glared, or at least he thought she glared considering she was focused on his chest.

Zane flexed the muscles in his chest, making his pecs dance. A laugh burst out of her before she smothered it with her hand. The sound drew an answering purr from his tiger.

“You can let me go now.”

“I could, but I like how you feel.”

“Oh please, is that the best line you have?”

“Nah, but then again, it wasn’t a line, just stating a fact.”

She rolled her eyes. Clearly little Miss Abby didn’t believe him. Zane wasn’t known for being a liar, but that was okay. She didn’t know him well enough—yet.

“Okay, fine.”

He let her go.

Abby took two quick steps back and let her hair fall forward more, covering the little bit of face he’d been able to see. He didn’t like the distance but figured he’d give her a while to get used to his touch.

“I need you to move.” Abby pointed to the door he stood in front of.

Zane stepped aside and let her get into the car. As Abby started to pull the door closed Zane caught it. Leaning down, he moved into her space, forcing her back against the seat. “Nice to meet you, Abby Short.” He captured her mouth in a searing kiss. He wanted her to remember him long after tonight. When she went to bed tonight he wanted her dreams to be full of him.

The kiss lasted less than a minute, but it was enough to have them both panting. With a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose, Zane stepped out and away from the car. “Safe drive home, baby.” He shut the door, making sure it was closed and moved back. Abby didn’t move for a second. She started the car and peeled out of the parking lot.

Zane watched the car and licked his lips. He turned as a van pulled up next to him, the side door slid open, and Abby’s team sat there looking at him.

“Is this where you warn me to stay away?”

“Nah.” The little fox shook her head. “We’re just here to let you know that
our
little Abby might seem like easy pickings to a tiger stud like you, but…” Karina dropped down out of the van and walked toward him.

Zane watched her but kept half an eye on the rest of the team still in the van.

“I think you should know she’s not alone. Abby is a much loved and much protected member of this team, and if you even breathe on her too hard, I’m—no sorry, I mean we. We’re going to feast on your body while you’re still alive, and that’s just what we’ll do once we’ve finished having fun. You don’t even want to know what we consider fun. Trust me, stud, find someone else to scratch your itch.”

Zane smiled down at her. “Good night, little fox.” He gave her a wink before heading back into the club.

It looked as if this was going to be a fun vacation.

“Short, you’re an idiot,” Karina announced as Abby walked out of the bathroom. She’d long since stopped trying to get Rina to knock and wait. Finding Karina Lovett sitting in her kitchen when she woke up was almost a daily event now.

“And I really need coffee before you explain why I’m an idiot today.”

Karina pushed a cup with milk toward her. Abby took it gratefully. She was like a bear with a sore head if she didn’t get coffee.

“You know you should’ve jumped his bones, right?”

Abby closed her eyes and sipped her drink.

“And pretending I’m not here won’t make me stop talking.”

Abby opened her eyes to glare at Karina. “He was drunk.”

“No he wasn’t.”

“Yes he was.”

“I couldn’t smell a drop on him, and before you say I wasn’t close enough, let me remind you about my super-shifter nose.”

“Why am I cursed with you people?” Abby slammed down her now empty cup and reached for a cereal bowl.

“Because you’re lucky.”

“No, because my stupid cousin mated a stupid wolf, and suddenly every shifter in a ten-mile radius finds their way into my house.”

Karina snorted a laugh. “Yeah, like you didn’t have a network of spies and shifters working for you long before Laney and Heath hooked up. Boss lady, you forget, you can’t con a con artist.”

Abby poured out some cereal and thought about throwing the bowl at Karina’s head. But decided against it when she realized the fox would just catch it and throw it back.

With a sigh she put the bowl down. “I can’t afford to think like that.”

“Think like what?”

“That he might like me. That just leads to trouble, and I can’t do that again.”

Karina’s brow dropped low. “You know if you tell me who he was I can make him disappear.”

Abby smiled coldly. She didn’t doubt it for a minute.

“Don’t worry, hon, he’s not worth the time or effort. Now bacon and eggs?”

Karina watched her for a second more before nodding. “Do bears use the woods as their personal wash room?”

Half an hour later, Karina was eating the well-made bacon and eggs while Abby was grinding her teeth into stubs as she held the phone to her ear. Her cousin had called as soon as they sat down to eat.

“No, Laney, I’m fine. You don’t need to come over.”

“I can be your wing man,” Laney offered.

“I don’t need a wing man. I need you and Clara…yeah ’cause I can totally hear you breathing on the other extension, wolf girl…to leave it alone. I’m working. He was looking for an easy lay. You know I don’t do that.”

Karina grinned as she drank her juice.

“But Abs, you’ve been out of the game for a while. A little
bow chicka wow wow
will help you relax more.”

“I don’t need to relax. I need my nosy-ass family to leave it alone, and I need the shifters who work for me to remember I pay them and to stop reporting back to their best friends ’cause I will fire their asses.”

“Yeah, right,” Karina scoffed.

“Karina was just worried, is all,” Clara ventured.

“Yeah so worried they drove off and left me in a parking lot all alone with an unknown.” Abby watched as Karina dropped her head, staring intently at her own empty plate, a little too intently for Abby’s peace of mind.

“Abigail Elizabeth Short.” The warning tone in Laney’s voice had Abby’s eyes narrowing. “Don’t be mad at them.”

“Mad at them? ’Cause they left me alone or…?” Abby groaned, swiping a hand down her face as she sat back in the chair and sighed. “Tell me they didn’t kill him.”

“No, they just wanted to check him out a little, make sure he was aware that you had friends,” Laney explained.

“Great, now I’m going to have to go back there and apologize. Just perfect.”

“Why? He’s a shifter. They expect this crap.”

“Clara…” Abby ignored her cousin. She didn’t care if it was normal for shifters. This was her business, and she couldn’t afford to offend a client’s friends. No matter how hot they were or how a quick kiss had Abby panting.

“Yeah, Abs?”

“Call your friend off, please. I can handle myself. I’d tell her myself, but I doubt she’d listen to me.”

“But, Abby—”

“Tell her, Clara.”

The dramatic sigh was a little over the top in Abby’s opinion. “Fine, I’ll call Karina now.”

“No need, she’s here eating me out of house and home.” Abby handed the phone over to Rina and started to eat.

She only hoped Zane hadn’t been too offended by her team.
Lordy
, when those people started working together on something, other than a job, you knew there was bound to be blood.

Abby was running through her to do list for the day when the phone slid back across the table toward her.

“Laney wants to say bye.”

Abby picked up the handset. “Hey.”

“Clara told Karina to back off.”

“Thank you.”

“I don’t like it, Abby.”

“I know, cuz, and I know you only care, but I’m only three months younger than you. I can take care of myself.”

“Fine, but the first sign of trouble, and I’m coming over there to kick his lily white ass.” Laney’s growl would have impressed any shifter.

“Okay. Now go away. I need to finish breakfast. Love ya plenty, cuz.”

“Love ya plenty more.”

Abby hung up and finished her breakfast. Karina was clearing the table when Abby sat back sipping her cup of coffee.

“Did you scare him enough to leave town?”

Karina turned and leaned back against the sink. “Nah, he’s still here.”

Abby closed her eyes and shook her head. These damn overprotective shifters were going to send her to an early grave. “Please tell me you don’t have a tail on him.”

With a shrug, Karina turned back to the dishes in the sink. At least after eating her out of house and home, she did the dishes.

“I’m going to shower, and by the time I come back, you’ll have called off whoever you left there. Do I make myself clear, Lovett?”

Karina tutted but nodded her agreement.

Abby showered and dressed, ready for the day.

“Seriously, do you not own anything other than black?” Abby heard when she walked into her living room.

“Yes, but this look is professional, so deal with it.”

No matter what situation they were in, Karina was always stylish and elegant. If she wasn’t turning into one of Abby’s best friends, she’d hate her. She still might hate her just on principle.

“Your clothes bore me.”

“Your face bores me, yet I still put up with it.” That had Karina laughing and made Abby smile. She didn’t usually deal well one on one, unless it was with family. Ever since the situation with Clara and a deranged wolf shifter last year, she and Karina had become closer and closer.

“Fine, I’m leaving. I have things to do.” Karina pushed out of the chair she was sitting in and headed toward the door. “And before you ask, yes, I called off Nico. Your tiger honey is all alone in the world again.”

“He’s not my anything, and thank you. I’ve got to go see Rhea anyway, so I’ll send him all your apologies while I’m there.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Karina mumbled before leaving.

Abby grabbed her bag and headed out to start her day.

Several meetings and two phone conferences later, Abby found herself walking into Rhea’s place. The club was open, but not many people were there yet. Abby nodded at the security guards and headed back to the offices.

She knocked politely and entered when Rhea called out to her.

The Domme was on the phone, and she held up a finger asking for a second. Abby smiled and sat down. The office was comfortable—soft leather chairs, plush carpets, and a wide old oak desk. One wall was full of TV screens, each one linked to security cameras littered around the club.

A movement out the corner of her eye caught her attention. Abby looked to the left and had to choke back a laugh. Jones was kneeling in the corner with his hands on his head. The big man was naked, and thankfully, facing the wall on the opposite end of the room from Rhea.

“He’s being reminded who’s in charge.”

Abby looked back over to Rhea as she hung up the phone.

“Okay.”

“It will be when a certain disobedient sub remembers that he doesn’t get to come unless I say, and I don’t remember saying,” Rhea snapped.

Abby wondered if she should leave, but Rhea grinned over at her and winked.

“So what brings you here, Abby doll? I heard you caught the creeps messing with my clientele.”

“Yes we did, and they’ve been handed over to the authorities. They shouldn’t be bothering you again.”

“Good, great in fact. Thank you. A sub, who shall be on his knees longer if I see him wiggle anymore, wanted to go out and deal with it himself. Especially since Zane was here too, so I’m glad you got it sorted before I had to have them both handcuffed in a cage. Did I say stop moving?” The last was directed at Jones. “Because I was sure I said stop moving. Did you hear me say stop moving, Abby doll?”

Abby just smiled because getting in between a Domme and her sub was never a smart move.

“That’s it. I’m calling Master Alec and see if he’ll bring Minx over.”

Abby watched Jones from behind her hair. She saw his shoulders stiffen at the mention of another master and sub.

“Yeah, that got you to stay still, didn’t it?” Rhea rolled her eyes at Abby. “He is such a brat sometimes.” She sighed. “Anyway, what can I do for you?”

“Actually, I came to see Zane.”

“Oh yeah?” Rhea wiggled her eyebrows, and it was Abby’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Not for anything inappropriate. My team got a little overprotective last night. I just want to apologize for any offense caused.”

“
Pfft
, from what I hear, Zane considered that some sort of foreplay. I wouldn’t worry about it. But if you’re sure you want to see him, he’s up in his room. Take the elevator, third floor, second room on the left.” Rhea waved her to the private elevator on the right office wall.

“Thanks and err, good luck?” She nodded toward Jones.

“I’m not the one who’ll need the luck.” Rhea spoke through gritted teeth.

Abby pressed the up button just as Rhea pulled out a paddle from her drawer. Poor Jones was in for some trouble.

The third floor of the building always reminded Abby of an art deco hotel. Black and white in style. All the art was square and abstract. It felt as if she’d stepped back in time.

Outside Zane’s room, she took a deep breath. She could do this. One quick kiss meant nothing. All she had to do was apologize and get the hell out of there.

Abby raised her hand to knock on the door, but before she got a chance, Zane opened it.

“You gonna stand there all afternoon or come in?”

Her brain stopped working, but not from the shock of Zane knowing she was there before she’d knocked. He was wearing low slung sweatpants and not a lot else.

Her height placed her at perfect eye level with his nipples. Abby couldn’t look away from his broad chest, bracketed with large shoulders. He looked solid as a rock. A faint dusting of auburn hair sprinkled across his pecs and traveled lower, across a well-formed six pack and his taut stomach to vanish into the waist of his sweats covering his narrow hips.

The clearing of a throat pulled Abby out of her perusal.

“Like what you see?”

Abby didn’t need a mirror to know her face was bright red. She needed to make sure he was okay and get the hell out of there before she embarrassed herself more.