The Alpha's Temporary Mate (Fated Match) (3 page)

“You know nothing about me,” he told her, his voice rough.

No, she didn’t. But at that moment, she wished she knew more, wished she knew why a man capable of looking at a woman the way he was right now would have to stoop to buying a girlfriend.

But when his gaze drifted downward toward her chest, Chloe decided it didn’t matter. He was a client, and she wasn’t a woman one pushed around with impunity.

Lifting her hand, she released a drop of her magic. Lightning crackled from her fingertips as she waved them in front of his face.

“You don’t know me either, wolf, so let me make something clear. You try to intimidate me, and I light you up like a Christmas tree.” She met his gaze without flinching. “Take your hands off me.”

For a moment he didn’t move. Chloe wondered if she’d have to follow through on her threat and blast the alpha across the room, but just when she was about to unleash her attack, Kieran moved.

His hands left her body as he shifted backward, and Chloe told herself she didn’t mourn the loss of his touch.

Straightening, she smoothed a hand over her unwrinkled skirt. “Now,” she said, back to business, “are you sure Aoife is out of the question?”

“Completely,” he replied.

“Then it’s back to the drawing board.” She stepped around him, intending to search through her files for another viable candidate.

“I disagree.”

Chloe turned back to him with an arched brow.

“I know the woman we need.”

“Then why did you have me call in woman after woman for your review?” she demanded.

“Because I only put all the pieces together a moment ago.”

Her eyes flicked to the wall where he’d just held her, not liking where this was going.

“You, Chloe. I need you.”

A shiver ran down her spine. A secret part of her wished she’d heard those words from a man who meant them in the way she craved. Though she’d been alive close to a century, no one had ever looked at her with the intensity that Kieran did now. No man had ever told her that he needed her.

“I’m sure I misheard you,” she said, trying to appear unruffled.

“Think about it,” he replied as he stalked toward her. “You understand my situation and requirements, plus you’re already invested in this operation running smoothly.” He stopped when he was before her. “Considering what just happened, I know you can handle yourself around werewolves without appearing weak.”

She crossed her arms and tried to stare him down. “I am your handler, not your date.”

He ignored her, taking one step farther into her space. “Most importantly,” he continued. “I can kiss you and mean it.”

The breath rushed out of her. For a split second, the lonely corner of her soul wondered what it would be like to be in this man’s arms, even if it was only for pretend.

“I’ll write whatever check you want.”

The fantasy she’d been spinning in her head crashed back to earth with the ugly reality of his words.

She pushed past him, trying to ignore the hard planes of his chest under her palm. “Let me make something clear, you arrogant alpha. I am not for sale.” She dropped into her chair and crossed her legs, taking comfort in the desk separating them. At least she did until he planted his hands in the center of it and leaned forward to tower over her.

“Everyone has a price.”

“Not me,” she replied. “I’m not interested in being your squeeze toy.”

“You know I have a point. Vivian wants this deal, and she’s convinced you to want it as well. With you at the helm, there is no chance of a slip up. Plus, you can be assured of complete privacy, which protects both my interests and your agency’s reputation.”

The damn man had a point. She’d never been comfortable with the idea of buying another person’s silence.

“With your experience matching my kind, you have the knowledge to blend into the pack and the skills to keep yourself safe. Not to mention, witches are thoroughly compatible with wolves.”

She rolled her eyes at the one. “I take it you’re speaking from personal knowledge.”

A grin tugged at his lips. “Your people tend to have a wild streak that appeals to weres.”

“Not helping your cause.”

The smile widened. “My point is that no one will question me showing up to an event with you on my arm.”

“Oh really? Let me go out on a limb here and guess you usually date supermodels or actresses. I am a very ordinary witch with no special skills that would explain why a man like you would end up with me. Hell, we can’t even offer a logical reason why we met in the first place.”

His smile didn’t slip, but an emotion she couldn’t name moved behind his eyes. “We’ve already established you don’t know me, witchling. My pack has long understood I go for women with fire, no matter what slice of the supernatural world they come from. You’re perfect.”

Her heart thumped, even though she knew he hadn’t meant the words the way they sounded.

“Give me one good reason why you can’t do this.”

Chloe opened her mouth before realizing she didn’t have anything to say. Vivian would be thrilled at this turn of events and give her the time off to see it through. Chloe would both guarantee the agency’s protection and ensure no other woman got in over her head. Plus Kieran had a point—with the time she’d spent researching werewolves for her job, she did already understand the culture and hierarchy of a pack.

She was the right woman for the job, damn the man.

“I want that room with a lock Aoife was talking about.”

Triumph gleamed in his expression. “Absolutely.”

“And you make sure to stick to all points of the contract.”

“Of course.” He straightened as he added, “But you should remember the no sex clause was written to ensure no woman felt she had to sleep with me for money.”

Chloe arched a questioning brow.

“You turned down my check, sweetheart. There’s no money involved between us.”

She opened her mouth to argue, only to realize he had a point. The magic she’d woven into the contract was only binding if money exchanged hands. Her deal was with Vivian, not Kieran.

A fact she had little doubt the wolf would use to his advantage.

“Make it two locks on the door,” she growled.

Kieran pushed away from the desk with a chuckle. “Pack a bag. I’ll come by tomorrow after work to collect you.”

As he strode from the room she wished she could come up with a decent excuse for not doing this.

Unfortunately, the infuriating wolf was right. She really was perfect for him.

Chapter Three

“W
ow.”

There was really nothing else to say.

Chloe stepped through the door of Kieran’s home and stopped. Her heels rested on the black and white checkered floor of the entranceway. Ahead of her she saw a black twisting staircase leading to the second floor, and to her left, arched doorways offered teasing views of the elegant living room set up before bright glass windows.

“Welcome home,” Kieran purred in her ear as he took her coat.

Leaving her suitcase by the door, Chloe wandered farther into the penthouse where she’d be spending the next few weeks. Art set on marble pedestals lined the entranceway, lit by a sparkling chandelier above.

Several doorways led to various parts of the house, but she moved toward the natural light and stepped into a very masculine living room. The color palette of Kieran’s home was based on earthy tones. Brown and black leather couches were arranged around the spectacular view of central park. She noted a spacious balcony beyond the windows as well. Given the real estate prices of the city, she didn’t even want to guess at what a home this size would cost.

Her own investments had been doing well in the past decades, but it would take her lifetimes to accumulate the wealth that older supernaturals enjoyed. It made her wonder whether this was Kieran’s money or that of his pack. Wolves had a tendency to share their possessions amongst their clan the way a family would.

“Bedrooms are upstairs,” Kieran said from behind her, as she stared out the large windows. “The kitchen is fully stocked if you’re hungry.”

Unable to help herself, she pushed through the balcony doors and stepped outside.

Wind whipped her hair around her face as she took in the wide patio that extended half the length of the penthouse.

She heard the door opening behind her as she strode to the edge of the balcony. The black iron railing was smooth beneath her hands as she waited for her host to reach her.

“Beautiful view,” she murmured.

His hand appeared next to hers as he leaned forward on the rail. “We don’t like to be away from the forest. My inner wolf is always clamoring for wide open spaces, which can be hard to come by in this city.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to live outside New York then?”

He glanced at her with a grin. “Perhaps. But there is so much life in this place. Many of my pack choose to stay here. Easier for work, for mingling with other supernatural members of the community. But we do organize several retreats throughout the year to give the pack an excuse to leave the city behind and go somewhere every wolf can be itself.” He looked out over the view. “You’re in for a crash course in werewolves when we head to pack land.”

“I can handle it,” she replied, rolling her shoulders back.

“Yes,” he murmured. “I believe you can.”

Chloe glanced at him to find his dark gaze locked on her. A thrill of awareness shivered through her before she ruthlessly tamped it down. This was a game to Kieran, and she had no intention of being the loser.

Drawing her professional persona around her like a shield, she pointedly looked away from the tempting wolf.

“What’s our next step?” she asked, looking out over the park.

“I’ve arranged for us to go to a gallery showing tomorrow. Several of my pack will be in attendance, and once they see us together, word will spread quickly.”

She nodded. “That works. Vivian has me on the day shift for the duration of our time together, so my evenings will be free.”

“For whatever I need?” His voice was pitched lower, the sound almost a physical caress along her skin.

She leveled her best disapproving look at Kieran and crossed her arms. “So, is this what normally works for you? A dash of charm and all the women trip over themselves to get to you?”

Instead of withering under her stare, Kieran merely curled his lips into an amused smile. “Usually.”

“Well, it won’t work on me.”

Kieran leaned closer, crowding into her space. “It has to, my witch. When my pack is watching, you need to look at me like I’m the only one in the world for you.”

“I can be a fine actress, thank you very much. I won’t give us away.”

He snorted. “I haven’t known you long, but even I know you can’t lie to save your life.”

She blinked at the words. It was true she’d never been very gifted at deception, but that wasn’t an insight she’d expected him to have—not based on their limited relationship. Unease tugged at her as she realized Kieran saw more than she intended him to. It was so easy to write him off as a spoiled playboy, she tended to forget he was much more than that.

The man before her ran a powerful, dangerous pack with an iron fist. He’d weathered challenges to his leadership and threats from intruders. If she ripped open his shirt she had no doubt she’d see scars from his many battles marring his golden skin. She needed to remember Kieran wasn’t a man to be trifled with.

He was a predator, and she very much wanted to avoid being prey.

“I wouldn’t have agreed to this charade if I wasn’t confident I could do it,” she said, swallowing hard.

Kieran moved, trapping her between his arms as he gripped the railing on either side of her body.

“You can’t jump when I touch you,” he breathed against her ear. “You can’t look at me like a wayward schoolboy in need of a reprimand.” He drew back enough to meet her gaze. “We’re supposed to be lovers. There wouldn’t be a single inch of your skin I wouldn’t have run my lips over.”

Heat suffused her face.

“There, you see? You blush when I’m close.”

“I don’t,” she denied, lifting her chin.

Kieran snorted. “People will take one look at us and know we’re pretending. If we’d really been lovers for months, there’s no way you’d still look so goddamn innocent.”

“Maybe I’d teach you a thing or two instead. Ever think of that, wolf boy?”

A chuckle rumbled from his wide chest. “Witchling, if you ever want to try and teach me something new in the bedroom, I promise I’ll be a most diligent student.”

Her cheeks were on fire despite her desire to remain unaffected by Kieran. He was right, damn him, she needed to stop acting like a giddy teen when he touched her.

“I’ll work on it,” she growled, pushing at him to force him back. “By tomorrow I’ll be ready. I just need to wrap my mind around all this.” Sidestepping him, she headed back into the apartment.

“I’m going to unpack,” she called over her shoulder. “And there’d better be a lock installed on my door.”

Another low laugh drifted to her ears. “A promise is a promise.”

K
ieran ran a hand through his hair as he watched the witch walk away from him. His wolf growled at the sight of her leaving, and he had to strangle the impulse to call her back. Claws ached to spring from his fingertips as the wolf prowled within him. Never before had his other half reacted so strongly to a woman. Though both sides of him loved the chase and enjoyed the numerous females who had tumbled into his bed over the years, none of them had ever lit his blood on fire the way the little witch did.

Purposely turning away from where Chloe had disappeared, he stared down at the trees below. It must be the mating moon messing with his instincts in such a way. All wolves sensed the extra tension this time of year, the heightened realization that a powerful event was drawing nearer. Given they were so tightly tied to the lunar cycles, any fluctuation in those forces could cause mental and emotional disruptions.

Once the moon had passed, his wolf would stop focusing so singularly on Chloe.

It had to.

Shaking his head, he wondered if he should sneak out tonight for a run in his wolf form. He was too contained in his human skin. Maybe a break would help calm his mind.

Because it looked like a run was the only release he’d be getting any time soon. Once his clan saw him with Chloe tomorrow he’d have to be careful to be tied only to her. Wolves did not cheat on those they loved, and for this charade to be successful he’d have to hold to that standard. There’d be no calling any of the women in his Rolodex who’d be happy to help him with a little creative stress release.

He dragged a hand down his face. When he’d come up with this plan, a few weeks of celibacy hadn’t seemed like much of a problem.

But being around the tempting witch, with no outlet other than his hand, was going to be a special kind of torture. For all his teasing, he very much doubted Chloe would let him into her bed, and if he were a better man he’d be grateful for the fact. This relationship was supposed to come with clear lines. Once the moon had passed, he wanted to separate from Chloe with no lingering feelings of attachment. They needed to be partners in this enterprise, and she wasn’t the type of women to treat sex as casually as his kind tended to do. No, she looked at the world with stars in her eyes. He’d bet anything that she hadn’t crossed her first century yet, though he’d come across many supernaturals younger than her with a far more cynical outlook of the world.

Chloe was simply…special. Some people had the power to live through the best and worst the world had to offer without ever giving up their faith in the goodness of others. For all his words to her earlier, Kieran suspected Chloe was the sort of woman who could be in his bed for years without ever losing that air of innocence that clung to her. After the years of battle and death he’d survived, that made her uniquely attractive to his wolf. The damn thing wanted to roll on its back like a puppy any time she was near. Well, either that or strip her down and luxuriate in the skin-to-skin contact he craved.

“Keep your hands to yourself, Clearwater,” he muttered. More was at stake than lusting after a pretty witch. He couldn’t do anything to jeopardize this plan, or he’d end up trying to hold together a disintegrating pack. Wolves took their cues from their alpha, and a mated leader was more stable than a single one. He’d waited far too long to take a mate. Even if he got through this month he’d need to start seriously focusing on finding someone to help him lead. One way or another, his single days would be ending in the next few years. But even so, he wanted to choose his own partner rather than have the pack select a woman for him. And to earn that necessary time, he had to get past this mating moon.

Which meant keeping his relationship with Chloe professional.

His wolf growled at the thought, not liking that reality at all.

“Just hold on for a while longer,” he said to his other half. “Then we’ll find some nice wolf that will have you panting for her. Promise.”

He just needed to get through the next few weeks in one piece.

C
hloe stared at the lock on her door and snorted. The gleaming hook and eye latch screwed into the dark wood would be useful in keeping out exactly zero supernaturals. Which, she supposed, was the point. It didn’t matter what sort of lock she put on this door, if a determined werewolf wanted in, nothing was going to stop him.

Well, nothing except her.

“Okay, wolf,” she breathed, eying the large doorframe. “Two can play this game.”

Dropping her purse to the beige carpet, she stepped up to the door. Magic rushed through her body in a comforting caress. Tiny lightning sparks snapped at her fingertips as she rose on her toes and touched her hands to the top of the doorframe. Whispered words tumbled from her lips as she drew her hands apart, running her fingers over the sides of the door and leaving shimmering sky-blue magic behind. She brushed her hands across the threshold on the floor before snapping her fingers. The blue trail encircling the door brightened for a moment before disappearing from view.

Satisfied, she sat back on her heels. Nothing was getting through that entrance without an invitation. Famed werewolf strength or no.

Not that she truly thought she needed such protections. Kieran might play with her, but for all his bluster he held is own set of morals that would keep her safe from him if she ever wanted to turn him away.

Wanted being the operative word.

Chloe licked her lips as she pushed herself from the floor. Just a few more weeks and she’d be far closer to fulfilling her dreams than she’d been before the wolf had entered her office. As long as she kept her eye on the prize she could avoid falling into Kieran’s clutches.

Even if a forbidden part of her whispered that wouldn’t be a terrible fate.

Shaking her head, she looked around the stately guestroom. The floor to ceiling windows that had lit the open concept living room were continued here. Natural light flooded in from two sides, though a quick inspection revealed blackout curtains that would no doubt come in handy when trying to sleep.

A king bed sat in the middle of the room, its headboard pressed against one wall. The linens were all shades of green and brown, complete with a green comforter shot through with golden threads. Tasteful, yet at the same time she couldn’t help noticing there was more than enough room for two people to roll around quite comfortably on the soft covers.

Shaking her head, she grabbed her suitcase and headed for the walk-in closet. Never in her life had she stayed in such a large, decadent room. She tended to be a studio apartment kind of girl. Now she had a gleaming marble en suite, the biggest flat screen she’d ever seen bolted to the wall, and more space than she knew what to do with.

Logically, the layout of the room made sense. Wolves hated to be penned in, and their living spaces were often minimalistic out of necessity rather than aesthetic. When one turned into a large animal frequently, one didn’t want breakable furniture that could be bumbled into unintentionally. Though her own apartment looked like the home of a pack rat, she rather enjoyed this change of pace.

Wandering over to the windows she looked down on the city below. “You can do this,” she whispered. Kieran might be tempting but she was no stranger to gorgeous supernatural men. She could smile and kiss him for their audience without allowing any of her emotions to become entangled. Pressing her hands to her cheeks, she vowed to crush the humiliating blush that rose every time she was around him. He was just a man, after all. And she was professional enough to handle this assignment for the duration of their contract.