The Mane Event (28 page)

Swallowing her slight case of panic, Ronnie Lee reminded herself she was a Reed and she wouldn’t go running because of some cat. Besides, he’d forgotten all about her. Right? No use making a fool over herself for a male who wouldn’t even remember her.

Determined to stand her ground, Ronnie watched Shaw stride into the hotel lobby, looking amazing in a thick cable-knit forest-green sweater, faded blue jeans, and scuffed work boots. As soon as he appeared staffers came from everywhere, demanding his attention and asking him to sign things. He dismissed all but one with a wave of his hand. She had a feeling the
much
smaller man, a full-human, walking with him to the front desk was Shaw’s personal assistant.
Lord in heaven, the man has a personal assistant.

She held her ground until he stood no more than forty feet from the Pack, then she panicked. Ducking her head, Ronnie took a step back. Sissy Mae glanced over and abruptly moved in front of Ronnie, blocking her from Shaw’s sight. That was the one thing Ronnie did love about Sissy. She’d give her shit later about being a wimp, but she’d protect Ronnie now, no questions asked.

Lord, but did she need that.

To her growing horror, Shaw stopped beside the Pack and glanced up from the paperwork his assistant had shoved into his hands. He looked at Bobby Ray and she started to step away, run really, but Sissy grabbed her shirt and held her in place. Smart woman. As predator, Shaw would immediately notice a female sprinting out of the room.

Knowing something was going down, both Marty and Gemma stood beside Sissy Mae, further blocking Ronnie from Shaw’s sight.

“Your Mace’s friend, right?” Shaw asked. “From the tunnels the other night.”

“Yup,” Bobby Ray answered back…eventually. Bobby Ray didn’t believe in rushing much of anything. Especially words.

“Thanks for that.”

“Welcome.”

She silently sighed.
Males.

Shaw turned to say something to his assistant, and Sissy gave Ronnie a shove to move her from the room. Perfect timing.

Ronnie sprinted to the elevator and repeatedly mashed the call button. “Come on,” she begged. “Come on.”

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the elevator doors slid open and Ronnie rushed inside. She juggled the big manila folders and papers in her hands so she could push the button for her floor. Once it lit up, she leaned back against the wall and let out a sigh of relief when the doors began to close.

But when that big hand reached in and slapped itself against one of the big metal doors to stop it from closing, she barely stopped herself from letting out a yelp of surprise. Ronnie pushed herself up against the wall and held her breath as Brendon Shaw walked onto the elevator with his assistant.

“Comp them for their rooms.”

“Sir?”

“Did I stutter?”

“Not usually, sir.”

“And make sure they have everything they need while they’re here.”

“Yes, sir. And your sister called.”

“What did she want?”

Ronnie glanced up at the numbers and willed the floors to go by faster.

“Um…” The assistant glanced at her. “It can wait, sir.”

“Timothy, spit it out.”

He shrugged. “She just said, ‘Tell him bite me.’”

Instead of being angry, Shaw let out a deep laugh. He had a nice laugh. Low and real. She liked it.

“She’s pissed at me. I left her alone with Missy Llewellyn.”

“I’d be mad at you, too, sir,” Timothy joked, laughing right along with his boss until the elevator stopped on the twenty-fourth floor. “I’ll be here late, sir, if you need me for anything.”

“No. Don’t be here late. Go home and see your…uh…”

Smirking, Timothy asked, “My boyfriend, sir?”

“Yeah. Whatever. Can’t we just call him Frank?”

Now grinning, Timothy stepped off the elevator. “If you say so, Mr. Shaw.”

“I do. Go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Night, sir.”

The elevator doors closed and Shaw let out a breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him glance at her. He stared at her bare legs for a bit, then looked away.

She knew then he didn’t remember her. Like she guessed, once the fever wore off, he’d gone back to being a big arrogant cat with no use for “dogs.”

What annoyed her was how irritated she felt by it. She’d nursed the man through his fever and then had one helluva orgasm with him. You’d think he’d remember
something
.

She should have known better and felt damn grateful she hadn’t fucked him. The humiliation if she had…

The elevator stopped on the thirty-eighth floor—a shifter-only floor—and she stepped out without looking at him. She went down the long hallway until she stood in front of Bobby Ray’s room, digging into her back pocket for his keycard while trying not to drop her pile of papers.

She’d just swiped the card, unlocking the door, when the bellowed “
You were going to pretend you didn’t know me, weren’t you?”
had Bobby Ray’s precious papers and envelopes flying everywhere.

Brendon couldn’t believe how angry she’d made him. Did she really think he wouldn’t notice her? That he hadn’t smelled her as soon as he walked into the lobby? He’d kept his mouth shut to see if she’d say or do anything to acknowledge who she was, but when he saw her duck down to hide from him, his heart sank.

He could have let her walk away. He almost did as he watched her scurry from the lobby like a frightened mouse. But he’d been simply too angry to let her get away with it. It didn’t help, either, how damn good she looked in those shorts and boots.

“
Weren’t you
?” he yelled again.

She turned and faced him, her hand over her heart. She slumped against the wall. “Lord in heaven, you scared the
shit out of me!
”

“Good!”

“Well you don’t need to keep yellin’. I hear you just fine.” She glanced down at the papers and folders all over the floor. “Dammit. Now I gotta get these back in order.”

Papers? She was worried about papers? Who gave a flying shit?

He watched her crouch down and pull everything together. “Is that all you have to say to me?”

“Your fever gone?”

“Yeah.”

With all the papers in one hand, she stood and slapped her free hand across his forehead.

“You still feel kind of warm to me. You should probably be laying down and getting some rest before you start working again. Anyway, that’s my opinion. You can do what you like.”

She turned and again swiped the keycard, unlocking the door. Before she could escape inside and shut him out, he grabbed the papers out of her hands, ignoring her plaintive “Hey!”, and tossed them into the room. He could smell this wasn’t her room. It belonged to a male and he didn’t want her in there. Brendon slammed the door shut.

“What the hell do you think you’re do—”

Brendon shut off her tirade by kissing her. He couldn’t help himself. He’d never seen a female look finer in a pair of cutoff shorts, cowboy boots, and a T-shirt that had been in the washer so many times and seen so many years, he could easily see the aqua blue lace bra she wore under it. One good tear would have it off her in seconds.

To stop himself from doing exactly that in the middle of the hallway, he dug his hands into her hair and plunged his tongue between her lips. Her hands slammed hard against his shoulders, and he thought for sure she’d push him away. Maybe even claw his chest open. She-wolves could be mean when provoked.

But her fingers gripped his flesh hard and she yanked him closer, rising on her toes to meet his mouth, her tongue sparring with his.

Brendon didn’t want to give her a chance to have any doubts, to worry what her Pack would say, so he slipped his hands under her perfect ass and lifted her. He maneuvered her legs around his waist and headed toward the back elevator down the hall. The elevator that would take him directly to his apartment on the top floor.

He made it about ten feet when one of her hands released his shoulder and slapped against the wall.

She pulled out of their kiss. “Wait. Just wait.”

He growled.

“And don’t growl at me.” At least she was panting. Panting was good. “Where the hell are we going?”

“My apartment.”

She shook her head, confusion and lust all over her beautiful face. “We can’t…we shouldn’t do—”

Again he kissed her to shut her up and because she tasted so goddamn wonderful.

He set off again, her claws scraping a line down the wall as he hustled her toward the secluded elevator.

She pulled her lips away again. “Wait!”

He stopped and stared at her.

“I’m relatively positive we’re not supposed to be doing this.”

“Who says?”

“The laws of nature and God.”

“Laws are made to be broken and God just wants us to be happy.” Fucking this woman would make him so damn happy. “Come on. Let’s go break some laws.”

“No, no, no! Let’s think about this a minute. Just give me a second.”

He didn’t release her. And since her breasts were right there…

She gasped, her hands grabbing his head and pulling him in tighter as he suckled her nipple through her T-shirt and bra.

“You are so not giving me a minute to think.”

“I know,” he said around her nipple. “I don’t want you to think. Thinking is what had you running out on me.”

“I didn’t…I couldn’t…” She panted harder. “Stop sucking it like that.”

“Okay. How about this?” He drew her in deeper and she cried out.

Her hand slammed hard against the wall, claws once again out. “Your room,” she demanded. “Your room now.”

Brendon didn’t argue, he just moved.

The ding of the private elevator nearly snapped Ronnie out of her idiocy—but not quite. Not with a man who could kiss like this. If the way he used his tongue remotely mimicked his skills with his cock, she was in for a time.

Thought you were an adult now and you weren’t going to do this sort of thing anymore? Remember? New year…new life.

There it went again. That damn voice in her head. The one that sounded suspiciously like her momma. The one she never listened to even when she should. She probably should listen to it now, but the man’s kisses were drugging. Ronnie couldn’t think past his lips touching hers. His tongue gliding along the inside of her mouth, caressing and tasting. She couldn’t think past what he’d do once he got inside her, the very thought making her shudder and her pussy clench tight.

The elevator didn’t directly open to his room, but to a hallway and a door right across. Shaw pushed her up against the wall while he fished keys out of his back pocket and unlocked the door. He carried her inside and shoved her up against another wall as he slammed the door shut and threw the four bolt locks.

Not until he had her right where he wanted her did he release her legs, his hips rocking into her body. She moaned, slipping her hands under his sweater and into the back of his jeans. She squeezed his ass and laughed when he groaned against her mouth.

Shaw’s lips trailed down her jaw to her neck, his teeth scraping along the throbbing pulse point in her throat. He continued on, bringing his mouth back to her breast and pushing her shirt up while pulling the lace bra cup down. His warm mouth enveloped her nipple, hungrily tugging on it.

She dug her hands into his hair to hold him in place, wondering if he could bring her over the edge by sucking on her breast. She’d heard some men had the skill, but she had yet to meet one.

Ronnie’s body tightened in anticipation, every muscle tensing, preparing for the release it knew was coming.

She opened her eyes to watch the man playing her body so effortlessly, and that’s when she saw him walk out of Shaw’s kitchen.

He froze at the sight of her, juice from the green apple he’d just bitten into dripping down his chin. He wasn’t like the ones at the hospital. He wasn’t human. Not fully anyway.

Growling, fangs bared, Ronnie slammed her fist into the side of Shaw’s head.

“Ow!” He pulled away, his hand rubbing the cheek she’d wounded. “What the fuck was that for?”

Pulling her bra up and her shirt down, she snarled, “If you think I’m that kind of wolf, you’ve got another thing coming!”

“What?” Shaw looked genuinely confused and a little hurt.

She pointed toward his kitchen.

Frowning, Shaw stood straight and turned. The two males stared at each other for several long seconds. Then Shaw was on him, grabbing the male around the throat and slamming him up against the wall.

“
Where the hell have you been?”

Roaring, the male shoved Shaw back and turned so he could slam Shaw against the wall.

“
None of your goddamn business!”

Ronnie rolled her eyes. Brothers.

They had to be. Only family could ever get a body this pissed off.

Shaw pushed his forearm against the other’s throat, turned, and slammed his brother against that poor abused wall.

“I almost got killed looking for you!”

“Who told you to look for me?
I told you to mind your own goddamn business!”

They both roared at each other, literally, and Ronnie decided it was a good time to leave. She quietly unlocked and opened the door, but before she could sneak out into the hallway, Shaw’s gold eyes lasered over to her, nailing her to the spot with one look.

“Don’t even think about leaving.”

Ronnie would have argued with him. Told him it was best he and his brother talk alone. Or that he was being an ass and he could go find another fuck somewhere else. But before she could say a word, Shaw’s brother shoved the bigger man to the floor and the two went at it like…well…like two big cats.

It wasn’t pretty.

Although the canine part of her sure did enjoy the show.

T
hey hadn’t shifted yet, but it had crossed Brendon’s mind.

Especially when the little shit sank his fangs into the side of Brendon’s neck. Without his protective mane that shit really hurt!

This wasn’t how he’d planned to talk to Mitch when he finally caught up to him. Brendon had it all worked out. In nice, easy tones, he was going to ask his brother what was going on and whether he was okay.

Unfortunately, he’d been so wound up from making out with the She-wolf and sexually frustrated because of all the things he wanted to do to her but hadn’t been able to yet, he’d unleashed his full fury right on his baby brother’s head. As usual, Mitch dived right into that fight.

Honestly, the boy had no sense at all sometimes. Although he did have a mean right cross, and sometimes it felt like his fangs were extra sharp.

Brendon grabbed his brother around the throat, letting his claws dig into the skin enough to make Mitch nervous. But before he had time to gloat about his brother’s sudden stillness, water, cold and imported directly from Denmark, ploughed into his face.

Both brothers snarled and separated, looking up into the smug face of one gorgeous She-wolf.

“Didn’t have time to bother with the tap.” She held the empty water bottle in her hand. Water that cost him five bucks a pop. “Although why a body would go all the way to Denmark to get
water
, I’ll never know. Ain’t American water good enough for ya?”

She put the empty plastic bottle on top of a side table. “Anyway, sorry about that, but I figured there had to be a better way for you two to work out whatever it is you’ve gotta work out. And, to be quite honest, you won’t let me go and I haven’t got all night to sit around here waiting for you two to get bored. So”—she held her hands out to both of them—“why don’t you two try talking this out rather than ripping each other’s throats out. I’d hate to have to explain all that blood to those poor maids.”

Not knowing what else to do, Brendon grabbed her hand and Mitch grabbed the other. She pulled and both of them stood up, towering over her.

“I have three older brothers,” she explained with a smile. “If I didn’t stop some of their fights, those boys would have fought all damn day and one of them would have died from blood loss. That would have upset my momma no end, and she would have found a way to blame me.”

Using the tips of her fingers, she turned Brendon’s head a bit so she could look at his neck. She grimaced, sucking the air in between her teeth. “Lord, boy. You really need to learn how to pull back when it’s your own kin.”

Mitch’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “And who are you exactly?”

“Be nice,” Brendon growled, his hands clenching into fists.

“Don’t start that shit again.” She stepped back. “Look, I’m right downstairs. Why don’t I—”

“No. You stay here.” Brendon grabbed his brother’s worn leather biker jacket and yanked him toward the door. “Don’t leave. I’ll be back.”

“Where the hell are we going?” Mitch demanded.

“I’m getting you a room and you’re staying the night. And don’t even think about giving me any shit about this.”

Pulling open the door, he shoved Mitch through it and toward the elevator. He glanced back at the She-wolf. “I’ll be back in a little while. Make yourself at home, but promise me you won’t leave.”

She opened her mouth to argue, he could see it on her face, so he added, “Promise me or I’ll start kicking his ass again, right here.”

His brother turned away from the elevator and snarled, “You wish—”

“Shut up.” Brendon snapped at his brother while staring at her. “Promise me.”

Exasperated, she rolled her eyes. “All right. All right. For the sake of family harmony, I’ll stay. But not like for twelve hours or something. My Pack might notice if I’m gone that long.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back.” He started to close the door, but he stepped back and looked at her. “One other thing.”

“Yeah?”

“What
is
your name?”

She looked torn between being amused, embarrassed, and appalled.

“Rhonda Lee Reed. Everybody calls me Ronnie Lee or Ronnie.”

“Anybody ever call you Ron?”

“Not and live to tell about it.”

Brendon grinned. Yup. He liked her.

“All right, Ronnie Lee. Make yourself at home and I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Yeah. Yeah. But you better have TV,” she mumbled as he closed his front door.

He walked over to his brother and the elevator doors slid open. Grabbing the younger man by the back of the neck, he threw him inside. “And that’s for trying to rip my throat out, you little shit.”

How she could initially miss the fifty-inch, flat-screen plasma TV attached to Shaw’s wall, she had no idea. Then again, his tongue down her throat and his hands on her tits might have had something to do with it.

Settling down onto the man’s butter-soft leather couch and picking up his gargantuan remote to start flipping channels, Ronnie shook her head. He hadn’t even known her name. She almost fucked a man who didn’t even know her name. Lord, she hadn’t done something
that
trashy in a very long time.

So then why wasn’t she running for the exit instead of sitting on a lion’s couch, reprogramming his inadequately programmed remote?

Because…because she liked him. Stupid idiot that she was, she liked a cat. She liked a male who would never want more from her than a quick, anonymous fuck so he could tell his friends he did a She-wolf.

Even as she thought it, though, she realized that didn’t seem Shaw’s way. He could have anyone he wanted. Human or shifter. Any breed. But he wanted her. He made that clear in front of Bobby Ray’s room. She just couldn’t figure out if this was a mistake or not.

Then again, as long as she kept it simple, maybe it wouldn’t be. Maybe they could have a fun, meaningless fling. Lord knew it wouldn’t be her first.

Of course, if it was all so damn easy, why had her stomach tied itself into knots?

She should go. She should write a little note telling the cat thanks but no thanks. She should. Really.

Ronnie kept thinking that, too, even as she stretched her legs out on his couch and smiled when she realized she’d had the good fortune to catch some
CSI
reruns.

Brendon scrubbed his face and leaned back, staring at his brother. After three hours and two enormous sandwiches from the kitchen—he knew the kid hadn’t had a decent meal recently—he still didn’t know a damn thing.

“At least tell me why you showed up in my apartment after all this time.”

Mitch paused for a moment, truly contemplating his answer. Brendon knew that expression. Knew Mitch would only tell him enough truth to get Brendon off his back. He’d done it enough times before. Eventually, Mitch shrugged and took another bite. “Marissa left a message on my voice mail,” he grumbled around a mouthful of food.

“She did?”

“Yeah. And she was way pissed. She blames me for this, doesn’t she?”

“Don’t worry about her. So you came here to check on me?”

Mitch rolled his eyes. “If that helps you sleep better, bruh.”

“It’s nice to know you care.”

The middle finger salute given, Mitch went back to his steak sandwich. “So who did it?”

“Doogan brothers.” For a split second Brendon saw surprise register on his baby brother’s face before he quickly masked it. The kid had a talent for that.

“They killed Petrov before Christmas,” Brendon continued. “Shot him in the back of the head.”

“They used guns?” Mitch made a sound of disgust. “Tacky.”

“Doogans,” Brendon reminded him, leaning back in the chair. “They wanted the Llewellyn Pride. They killed Petrov. And they almost killed me.”

“Is that what happened to your face?”

Brendon chuckled. “Yeah. That’s what happened to my face, but it’s healing.”

“Where are they now? The Doogans?”

Brendon knew that look on his brother’s face. He’d seen it on Marissa’s enough. Knew what the kid would do if he had the chance. Too bad for him he wouldn’t have the chance.

“Hyenas ate ’em.”

Mitch stared at him for a long time. Nearly a minute. Until he said, “Excuse me?”

“Hyenas ate them.” Brendon lifted his hands and let them drop. “Like forty of them. Ripped the three of them apart. Considering the bastards were about to shoot me in the back of the head—they kind of deserved it.”

“Good point. Although I don’t see a bunch of hyenas helping you.”

“They didn’t. A really well-endowed cop and a Pack of wolves helped me.”

“Is that where you met She of the Sexy Shorts?”

“She stayed with me through my fever. She protected me from a couple of guys. Got me out of the hospital and stashed me at her aunt’s.”

Again that look passed across Mitch’s face clearly stating he knew more than he was spilling. Only, for once, he looked a bit panicked. “What guys?”

“I don’t know. White. Humans. That’s all anybody knows.” Completely useless information in a court of law.

“You didn’t…uh…I mean…” He cleared his throat. “How badly did you…uh…”

“They’re still breathing, if that’s what you’re asking me.”

Mitch nodded, guzzled his beer.

“Anyway, she stayed with me, man. She didn’t desert me. And she looks amazing in those cowboy boots.”

Mitch put down his beer. “You like her.”

Brendon grinned. He couldn’t help himself. “Yeah. I like her.”

“And what’s your precious Pride have to say about that?” He never could keep the disgust out of his voice when he mentioned them. Just like Marissa. They’d hate it if they knew how alike they were.

“I’ve only been hanging around lately because of the Doogans. I wasn’t going to let them get near my kids. But we’ve been done with each other for a while now. They got what they wanted out of me and I got what I wanted out of them. So everyone’s happy.”

Mitch smiled. “How are my niece and nephew?”

“Beautiful. Kitten-cranky.”

“I love that age.”

“They’d love to see you.”

“Maybe.”

“What’s going on, Mitch?” Brendon asked yet again.

His face perfectly blank, Mitch stated, “Nothing.”

A stranger might have believed him, but Brendon knew better. Unfortunately, Mitch had the Shaw stubbornness. He wouldn’t tell anyone anything until he damn well wanted to.

“So basically you came to check up on me. You were worried about your big bruh.”

“I wasn’t worried. But I knew if you were dead, I’d want your stuff.”

“Oh, that’s very nice.”

“Come on. Can you blame me?” Mitch gestured around the opulent room. “This gorgeous hotel. Staff waiting to do my bidding. Beautiful woman right upstairs…even if she is a dog.”

Brendon ignored the flash of uncharacteristic jealousy over a female he suddenly experienced. “She-wolf.”

“Whatever.”

“You’d still have to fight Marissa for it all.”

“I could take her. Once I took a bat to her head.”

“Such family love we have.”

“We’re like the lion equivalent of
The Waltons
.”

Brendon laughed and shook his head. “You’re the biggest idiot.”

It made him feel really good when Mitch smiled.