Scorpio Sons 4: Chase: (SF/Shifter Romance) (21 page)

It was moments like this that she felt powerful and strong... and valuable. More than anything else she felt valuable. No longer some throw-away child no one would miss; she had a place and had proven herself of value in that place.

“We Mates are pretty useful, aren’t we?” she crowed with delight, making sure he realised her part in all this.

“You Mates are amazing. If you aren’t playing Mata Hari, or taking on other covert roles, you’re finding us ways into places it would likely have taken us years to discover.” He kissed her again, this time on the mouth. “You are a clever mate, you know that?”

“Not just a pretty face or brood mare?” she coaxed more out of him in her euphoria.

“You are certainly a pretty face. “ He looked down into her eyes and was suddenly very serious. “But you were never a brood mare to me. I’m only just starting to understand what you
are
to me.”

And even though he didn’t give her details on what that might be, the tone of his voice, all tender intensity, told her that it was something important, something that was more than her value to the cause.

How did life turn around so completely and so quickly? Two weeks ago her world was limited to the Grand Regent in LA and making sure her rooms were always spotless and well-equipped. Listening to Alyssa Aimes on her iPod was the highlight of her day. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined living with her idol and calling her sister. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined herself sexually active with a handsome, rich businessman who called her his mate. Or that she would feel no fear or discomfort from that sexual activity.

In fact, whenever she thought of what she and Chase had done in bed, her legs weakened and her body flared to life with a heat that surprised her.

Yes, everything had changed. And wasn’t that just too frightening for words?

“Tonight. No excuses. I want to hear all about the mission and I want to hear it over dinner with this girl of yours,” Scanlan declared as he strode into Chase’s office unannounced.

Today was his first day back, and Chase had a pile of work to catch up on. What he would have preferred to have been doing was making love to his mate in their
room with a view
. The night before was still emblazoned on his senses. The abstinence they’d maintained during their mission to Poland had resulted in spectacular fireworks on their return. Thick walls likely didn’t keep in the sounds of Anna’s throaty screams as he’d brought her to climax, over and over again, in as many ways as he could think of.

They’d even slept in the same bed, when they finally
did
sleep, and he’d woken up with her in his arms while she purred. When those sexy, drowsy eyes had looked up at him, glinting with just a touch of residual cat, he’d wanted to take her again. And again.

But he had other responsibilities. And so did she.

Anna and Caleb were mapping the last stages of the 3D map of the tunnels, courtesy of one more journey back to the caves the same night as they’d interrogated Bosko.

Chase had wanted to do the trek the following night, worried that Anna was too exhausted from all she’d already done that night. But she’d simply pulled a funny face and sent her eyes skyward, reminding him that she was now a cat and had the stamina of one.

And hadn’t she proven that yet again last night on their return to the States, he thought with satisfaction.

So they’d taken a small team back to the caves and while Bosko led the way, with Anna following close behind, they were guided to the very edge of the underground facility. They didn’t know how big it was, or what lay at its centre. All they’d seen were a few rough passages that led to others lit with halogen lamps. The rumble of activity above their heads had told them that most of the action was going on above them.

It had been enough. Chase hadn’t wanted to risk being discovered before they were ready for it. And that meant Caleb doing a detailed investigation of the intranet inside the compound first. That would take a while, Caleb had reluctantly admitted, but now they had their way in, physically and technically, time was less pressing

“Chase, did you hear me? Tonight, 8 pm. I want to look this girl over. She’s had more than enough time to settle in.”

“You’re incredible, you know that? Who says I want you
looking this girl over
? Who says that rates as any kind of priority for me? Haven't you noticed? I have a war to wage.
Your
war.”

Scanlan grunted furiously and rubbed his hand through his hair in a gesture he’d seen more than one brother use. How could gestures be genetic? It made sense that he might have unconsciously assumed some of his father’s mannerisms, but how did that explain brothers, fresh to HQ, having those same gestures? They’d never even met Scanlan, or spent time with other brothers, to learn their ways. No, this was something in the genes, and he hated seeing it.

It reminded him that he was quite literally his father: an uncaring workaholic whose priorities didn’t extend to the softer side of life.

And though Anna was not a fragile champagne flute, she didn’t deserve to be neglected or hurt by his focused lifestyle. Neither did he deserve to devote every waking hour to the cause. He wasn’t indispensible; this mission to Poland had taught him that. It
was
possible for him to pass the ball and have it still reach the goal posts. The Sons were a team. He’d forgotten that in the fog of his self-destructive guilt.

“Look, Chase, you have a responsibility to the stockholders and the board. This company financially supports the Sons. If it goes down, so will many of your activities. We don’t have the kind of wealth the Guild has. What we have has to be nurtured.”

Sighing heavily, Chase nodded. He knew this argument well. Hadn’t it been drilled into him from an early age? But it was no less true from excessive telling.

“Okay. Tonight at eight. We’ll be there. But be warned; you make Anna feel uncomfortable in any way and there’ll be hell to pay.”

“I’m not an ogre. And your mother wasn’t a saint. The sooner you stop blaming me for her choices, the sooner you’ll grow up and become a man.”

His cat flashed to the surface and growled at the man leaning over him. Scanlan backed up fast, turned on his heel, and charged out of the room again. Not exactly with his tail between his legs, but close enough to suit Chase.

A quick call to Alyssa and he settled down to work.

By seven he was ready to call it a day. And he wanted to see how Anna’s transformation was going. He’d called her a couple of times through the day and got updates, but he was still anxious to see the result of Alyssa’s work.

When he entered his room, he saw her standing at the mirror in the bathroom. Her soft blonde hair was piled on top of her head in a fashionably sophisticated knob that showed off her bare neck and shoulders. He wanted to sink his teeth into those shoulders now, but the marks from the night before were still on display and he doubted Anna would be impressed if he added a new set of wounds to the collection she was currently applying makeup to.

The dress she wore was a strapless sheath that ended just below the knee. It was made of pale blue silk that shimmered, perfectly matching the colour of her eyes. Fleetingly, Chase imagined her as an ice fairy, which was misleading. She was neither cold nor fragile, even if she was ethereal.

“Oh Chase, there you are. What am I going to do about these marks? Maybe I should have chosen a halter dress or something with a high neckline. I’m never going to be able to disguise these marks with stage makeup. Alyssa says I can borrow –”

The long string of white pearls that dangled from his outstretched hand silenced her. Those incredible eyes of hers opened wide in surprise and delight. Then she was running on bare feet to his side, reaching for the glowing row.

“Can I wear them?” she asked uncertainly, her fingers stopping inches from the string.

“They’re yours. Of course you can wear them.” He dropped them into her hand.

“Mine?” she gasped in astonishment, running the pearls through her fingers like water.

“Yes, yours. When Alyssa sent the image of the dress you picked out on-line I knew pearls would look great with it. My mom had these in our safety deposit box down at the bank. I had one of the brothers get it for me. Sometimes it’s useful having doubles who can stand in for you.”

“Your mother’s? But won’t your father be angry if he knows you lent them to me?” Anna tried to give them back to him.

His girl was turning back into the shy, frightened domestic he’d first met. Damn his father for insisting on this dinner. She still had a long way to go before she’d be able to handle Scanlan.

He closed her fingers over the pearls. “They aren’t mom’s anymore. Now they belong to you, my mate.” He wanted to call her more than that, but wasn’t sure she was ready to hear the rest. He’d come close to telling her in Poland, after she saved the day with Bosko, but the fear that she’d run from him had stopped him.

Her eyelashes fluttered in surprise. “Chase, I can’t accept these. I’m not...”

“What? My mate? I thought we’d established that a couple of weeks ago. What do you think those marks you’re so determined to cover up mean?”

“That’s just the cats. That’s just for down here. Not for up there.” She pointed toward the surface, as if it was heaven.

“Anna. You’re my mate down here, up there, and everywhere. I’m not hiding you down here because you aren’t good enough. You’re down here to keep you safe. Like Alyssa is. Now, wrap those around your neck and see if they do the job. If not, it doesn’t matter. In fact, I’d quite like Scanlan to see the evidence of our bond.”

Chase stripped in seconds and walked past her, heading for the glass shower cubicle. After a fast shower, he shaved and headed for the walk-in wardrobe and a fresh suit. If Anna was going to look like a million dollars, then so was he.

By the time he was dressed, she was standing waiting for him, a pair of silver pumps on her feet. The pearls, looped into a three tier choker around her neck, made that slim column look even more slender than usual. Unfortunately, they also managed to cover up his marks only too well.

His breath caught in his throat. How had he ever considered her less than beautiful? Whether dressed for potholing in Poland or for dinner at the Scanlan mansion, she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever known.

And she was his.

“Why do you call your father by his surname?” she asked as her cheeks reddened under his avid scrutiny.

“I stopped calling him dad when mom died. He didn’t deserve the title. And he’s no more father to me than he is to the rest of the Sons. Really, he’s just another twin.”

“Being a father has nothing to do with blood. Is this because you blame him for your mother’s death?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I blame us both.”

She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm as he turned for the door. “Being angry with him doesn’t bring her back. Being angry only hurts you.”

He squeezed her arm. “I’ll see if you’re so sympathetic towards him after tonight. He’ll grill you. I hope you’re ready for that.”

She shivered. “I’m not sure I am. But I’ll give it my best shot. I hope I don’t embarrass you, that’s all.”

He stopped and turned her towards him. Lifting her chin up with his finger he stared into those amazing eyes that he now realised were highlighted by some silvery blue shadow and mascara.

“You couldn’t embarrass me, Anna. He, on the other hand, could embarrass me. So be warned.” He kissed her glistening lips tenderly.

“I’m glad you were the one to see me first. I know you wish it had been someone else, but I’m not.”

His heart broke a little that she still thought he was sorry he’d activated her. “Anna, sweet girl, I’m now convinced that it wouldn’t have mattered if I saw you first or last, you were always going to be mine. Fated. We were fated to be mates. To be together. Sometimes it feels like one choice leads to another, and then another, with no rhyme or reason to it. But every choice I’ve made in the last few weeks has led directly to you. And I couldn’t be happier about it.”

Again her eyelashes fluttered in surprise.

“And the only reason I didn’t want you was because I was afraid I’d destroy you. But then I found out you were made of titanium.” He grinned down at her and touched her nose with his fingertip.

“That’s good, so I’ll forgive you for lying about the rooms to get me in your bed,” she threw out nonchalantly, spinning away and heading down the hall.

“You found out about that, did you?” He grimaced in discomfort. “I was going to tell you, but the time never seemed right.”

“So I had to find out from Conrad while we were dancing that night at the farmhouse.”

“Was that why you were so mad at me? I thought it was just because I stopped the fun.”

“It was both. But I forgive you. Just don’t lie to me anymore, okay. I’m your mate, not a child to be coaxed and coddled.”

He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her bright hair. “No more lies or half-truths or manipulations.”

She lifted her head and smiled sweetly at him. “Good then. Let’s go meet the lion in his den.”

They made the short journey across town in companionable silence. When Chase pulled his silver Audi up at the front of his old home, a smiling young man immediately came running to open the door for Anna.

“Good to see you home, Mr Chase,” the young man said as Chase jumped out on the other side to come around to take Anna’s arm.

“How you been, Hector? That girl of yours said yes yet?”

Hector shook his head, still grinning. “Not yet, but I’m wearing her down. She wants me to get rich first, so she says. I say being rich doesn’t make you happy.”

Chase grimaced. “I can agree with that. And you tell her I said so. Come on, sweet girl, time to gird your titanium loins.”

As he led her up the short flight of marble stairs to the open front door, the only sign she gave of being nervous was the slight trembling in the hand looped through his arm. Otherwise, she could have been walking into her own home on any day of the week.

As they entered the foyer, Scanlan came down the curved staircase, arms open wide. He was dressed to the nines, just as they were, and Chase had to wonder if he’d expected them to be underdressed so he could embarrass them.

“Chase, you’re here just in time. And this beauty must be Anna. My dear, you’re lovely!”

When he reached her side, Scanlan took up Anna’s hand and kissed it. “I can see why my son snapped you up before his brothers had a chance. Look at you. You look like a real lady.”

Chase gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on Anna’s waist. “Thank you, sir. You look like a real gentleman.”

Chase almost choked on his tongue. Had she meant it the way it came out? Had she been putting Scanlan in his place? He hoped so.

Slightly nonplussed, Scanlan stayed quiet as he led them into the formal dining room where the table was set for what looked like a five course meal. Chase pulled out a chair for Anna to the left of his father’s place, at the head of the table, and took the one across from her.