There's Something About Werewolves: Seven Brides for Seven Shifters, Book 1 (9 page)

He shook himself and turned to face the lake. “Sorry. Be assured, I didn’t get anything out of this morning’s session. I focused on taking care of your needs.” He did that thing where he rubbed his five o’clock shadow hard enough to wipe it off his face. “It won’t happen again.”

Well, hallelujah. She didn’t need the complication of Garrett wanting her. Not when she knew it would only be sexual and not a long-term commitment. Plus, she didn’t want to be with Garrett in a lifelong “married with babies” kind of way anymore.
Right? Sure.

“I’m ready,” Nox called to them from the tree line. Garrett nodded and joined his son. Lennox followed. “What game are you going to play?”

“Ricochet,” Nox said, jogging backwards deeper into the woods.

A bright patch of red caught Lennox’s eye, then green and blue, pink, orange. Rubber balls decorated the bases of several of the trees around the area. “How do you play?”

“Watch,” Nox said. “Ready, Dad?”

“More ready than you.” Garrett picked up a bright pink ball and teased Nox by pretending he was going to throw it in several different directions. The kid’s eyes darted, more focused on the ball than on his father. Nox tensed and bent at the knees as though ready to pounce. Garrett hurled the ball to the far left. It bounced off a tree, flew in a V-shape and hit another tree. It ricocheted a second time before Nox ran between the branches, leaped, and caught it.

Aha. Ricochet. Now she understood. The level of athletic ability needed to play this game boggled the mind. Lennox wasn’t sure she could handle it. It took hand-eye coordination, speed, and a strong knowledge of geometry. Lennox had the first two in her skill set but the third would test her.

Garrett continued to throw and Nox caught several of the balls. Although some of the zigzag patterns Garrett devised were too much for her godson. He missed more than a few catches. Nox didn’t pout, though. He listened to his dad’s pointers, picked himself up when he fell and kept going. After an hour of watching them play Lennox could see improvement. Pride made her puff out her chest a little more.

She couldn’t pinpoint when it first started, but at some point she’d developed a love for watching fathers spend time with their children. The habit definitely started before her father died. Perhaps because her dad had adored her—she knew how it felt to stand in the glow of fatherly love—seeing children receive that kind of adoration usually made her happy. Just not today. Today Garrett and Nox’s playtime broke her heart.

She didn’t want to watch. Not when it came to them. She wanted to be a part of it all. She daydreamed about calling out strategies to Nox and cheering him on to beat his dad. She wanted Garrett to give her that
“you’re going to find yourself in a lot of trouble if you keep that up”
look he’d perfected. And when she refused to heed his warning she wanted him to pick her up and silence her with kisses. Maybe Nox would break them up, all the while holding his stomach and grousing about how nauseous they made him. That was what she dreamed of. And she wanted it so bad she had to turn away from them.

Why not her? Garrett could’ve made a life with her rather than eloping with Tina. Then Nox would be hers. Garrett would be hers too and it wouldn’t matter that she’d lost her home yesterday because home would always be where they were.

Her fist pounded a patch of bark off a tree trunk. She’d bottled up her emotions for so long they swelled inside her to the point of overflow. She thought she might pop if she didn’t let go soon. More than want, she needed to give her love to them, to Nox and Garrett, and she wanted them to give the same measure of love right back.

Without a backward glance, she started to walk along the shoreline toward Garrett’s house. She and Gran were going to get the hell out of there. Garrett had nearly gone ballistic when Nox asked her to be his godmother for real and she’d said yes. Plus, he’d told her he had no plans on touching her again. He’d been playing the part of sexual maintenance man when he’d made her beg and moan and come that morning. It hadn’t meant anything more to him than a plumber snaking out a customer’s pipes.

What else could she do with that knowledge? She needed to remove herself from temptation.

“Leni, where are you going?” Nox yelled behind her.

She didn’t turnaround. “I’m still pretty tired. I’m headed to the house.”

A hand landed on her shoulder, stopping her cold. Garrett spun her around.

Where the hell had he come from so fast?

He leaned in to whisper, “You lied to Nox before. When we’re alone you’re going to tell me why you almost cried and what scared you so bad.”

Lennox didn’t have the words. So much of the last three days felt unreal. Garrett knew things he shouldn’t, he moved faster than possible, and he and Ian acted like animals around each other. Not to mention the flickering eyes. She hadn’t had time to think about it thoroughly but things were wonky in LuPines. More than anything else Garrett’s hands on her made it impossible to think. If she had the choice, she’d collapse into his arms and let him take care of everything.

Normally his tone and domineering ways would set her off. She didn’t have the strength to argue with him at the moment. She just stood there, a scrap of paper on the wind, waiting for fate to blow her wherever it chose.

Garrett cleared his throat, loudly enough for Nox to hear. “We’ll go with you.”

They’d never truly be with her. Not the way she wanted. Lennox shrugged away from the warm weight of the hand on her shoulder. “Can’t you just leave me alone?”

Chapter Nine

Nox ran ahead. Tentatively he took Lennox’s hand. Garrett froze mid-step watching her body tense.
Don’t do this, Elle. Not now,
he silently begged her. He might have to intervene before Nox felt the sting of rejection in her stiff fingers.

Garrett took a few steps forward. Lennox turned to look at his son. They stared at each other for longer than Garrett could stand. Then she pulled their grasped hands up to cover her heart and squeezed. Sighing, she and Nox strolled off as godmother and godson, their steps in perfect sync.

For the first time in more than ten years Garrett had no idea what to do. Hell, he didn’t even know what he wanted out of this messed-up situation. Which made him antsy. Anderson G. Westlake always knew what he wanted. Okay, except for those rare moments when he didn’t. Like now. Aw hell, he’d started thinking in circles.

Inventory time. The things he knew for sure: First, he needed to get Nox trained to Ian’s satisfaction and remove his son from werewolf politics for good. Second, Lennox had become a temptation he didn’t have the strength to resist. Truth be known, he didn’t want to deny their attraction any longer. If he didn’t separate himself and his son from Lennox and Gran, they’d become a family. He’d be happy with that outcome but he needed Lennox to be an auntie and not a second mom or a wife.

The role he wanted her to play conflicted with the fact he kept imagining her naked and straddling him—with his hardness buried so deep inside her they became one person.

Oh, hells yeah, that would be nice. He fixed his gaze on Lennox’s swaying backside. The Elle in his fantasy lifted off his body, turned, and switched to reverse cowgirl position. Her ample ass spread across his stomach in a feast of silken flesh. Fantasy Elle rolled her hips. His dream self gripped those hips and came hard, arching off the imagined bed. Real-life Garrett made a noise somewhere between a groan and a howl.

Lennox and Nox whipped around. “What happened, Dad?” Nox asked. “You sick?”

Garrett scratched his ear and judiciously examined the lake. “Nah. I’m good, son. Just releasing some tension.”

Nox looked at him like he’d never been more embarrassing and dragged Lennox farther ahead. Turncoat.

Garrett now had the indisputable facts laid out. Time for the breakdown: The thought of being forced to present his son’s wolfen education to Ian for inspection pissed him off. Nevertheless he’d agreed to it. He really hadn’t had a choice. Second, he couldn’t touch Lennox again. Not when he wanted the four of them to be the unconventional family he dreamed of. If Dad and Aunt Lennox made with the monkey sex, it would complicate the situation to shit. Because of his principles, he and Lennox could never be more than best friends and fuck buddies. He hated putting it so crass but there wasn’t room in his heart for anything else.

Finally, Anderson G. Westlake knew exactly what he wanted. As always, the choice boiled down to recognizing the sacrifice and making it. In this case he’d have to keep his desires far away from Lennox in order to keep her in Nox’s life.

Lennox split off when they reached the backyard and mumbled something about a hot shower as she entered the house through the side door to the East Wing. Garrett mentioned Nox should shower too. The boy mumbled something incomprehensible and disappeared into the four-car garage on the opposite side of the property. That kid didn’t bathe unless forced, typically after he’d reached a stink to rival a garbage heap baking in the summer sun. Garrett grinned; teenaged boys were a nasty bunch.

When he got inside he took his own advice. He considered a cold shower but opted for hot water and steam, along with his two steady girlfriends of the last decade—Thumbelina and Palmetta—combined with a heaping dollop of liquid body soap. Once he’d gotten his raging erection down to half-mast, he dressed and went off to find Lennox. Damn, he’d become a serious glutton for punishment. Hadn’t he just jerked off to put her out of his mind?

Thinking about baseball didn’t work to calm his lust. Hell, all the imagery of bats and balls just made him want to hit a homerun deep into Lennox’s ballpark. He slapped his own forehead, exhaling slowly.

Perhaps the various paintings lining the west-wing hallway would take his mind off Lennox. Art tended to transport him, and Cash had shipped in a collection of Mark Rothko pieces from the house in Big Sur. Focusing on the blocks of color as they faded in and out of one another helped to relax him as he stepped into his spacious living room and stopped short. Despite the calming effect of the paintings on him, there seemed to be no escape from raging hormones in the Westlake household today.

Cash stood with the front door open. On the other side of the threshold Juliana, or Jules—to use Lennox’s nickname for her friend—blinked up at the retired stuntman. She had to be three foot two. Okay, he’d exaggerated but he’d give her less than two feet over that. When Cash didn’t move to invite Jules in she tossed her long wavy hair with the dyed blue streak over her shoulder. Cash might be in trouble. Jules reminded him of that Latina pop star everybody loved and she had an air of sass Garrett knew his friend couldn’t resist.

Jules sighed. “Are you going to let me in or keep staring at me like I’m steak?”

“I don’t eat steak,” Cash said, but didn’t budge.

The dark-haired, dark-eyed bombshell did a subtle double take. “Are you saying you plan to eat me?”

Although Garrett couldn’t see Cash’s face he heard the determination in his friend’s voice when Cash nearly purred the words. “Oh, most definitely.”

Jules gave him a glare that rivaled Lennox’s Sith Lord stare down. Garrett decided to step in before Cash committed suicide by Jules and sent Garrett on the search for a new assistant. “Careful, Cash. The lady totes a shotgun and shoots off more than her mouth.”

Cash turned with a questioning look on his face. Garrett nodded, confirming his shotgun comment. Cash refocused on Jules. “We don’t allow guns,” he gruffed.

True enough, in deference to their pasts Cash and Garrett had a no-guns policy, but Garrett winced anyway. Jules wasn’t packing at the moment. Cash had no good reason to rile the woman up—unless he had motives Garrett couldn’t readily see.

Jules shouldered her way past the impromptu doorman, her curvy body brushing across his front. “Good thing I’m not under your authority,” she said. “Otherwise we might have a problem.”

Cash let her go without comment but when his gaze met Garrett’s he grinned. That fool had wanted Jules to push past him for the body-to-body contact it caused. Garrett swallowed a laugh so Jules wouldn’t think he condoned such bad behavior. Clearly every male in the house had regressed to teenage versions of themselves. The women of LuPines, North Carolina, were deadly on the libido.

“Lennox?” Jules asked, stopping in front of Garrett.

He gestured with his thumb. “To your right, down the hallway, first door on the right.”

“Thanks,” she said, heading in the direction he’d pointed out. Pausing, she looked over her shoulder. “And thanks for taking care of her, Garrett.” She smiled, the expression imperfect enough to be totally captivating and absolutely gorgeous. Yep, Cash had come face-to-face with a form of trouble custom made for him. Jules continued to smile. “You might redeem yourself yet, big guy.”

He didn’t have an answer. She didn’t wait for one. Cash came to stand beside him and watched her walk away. “Jules,” he called out to her.

She turned for a second time. Cash fixed her with that fallen angel concentration of his. Garrett had seen women turn into strawberry jam under that gaze, all pink blushes and quivers. Jules stood her ground and waited.

“I’ve got a bad leg,” Cash said, tapping his right knee.

“So?” she asked.

“So, I can’t chase you. You’re going to come to me.”

Her dark wavy hair tossed over the opposite shoulder this time. “At the risk of sounding cliché. Don’t hold your breath, Lucifer.”

Garrett covered his mouth. Jules had picked up on Cash’s fallen angel good looks the same as most other women. She just didn’t count his prettiness as a positive.

Cash scoffed. “I used to be a stuntman, doll. I can hold my breath for a ridiculously long time.”

Jules didn’t seem moved by the confession. She rolled her eyes and continued to Lennox’s room, muttering a string of curse words as blue as the streak in her hair.

“And just so you know,” Cash said softly, “challenge accepted.”

The brunette bombshell’s steps faltered almost imperceptivity but Garrett picked up on the stutter in her stride. He reassessed. Maybe Jules was the one in trouble. Cash never lost a challenge.

The moment the object of Cash’s affection disappeared into Lennox’s room Gran poked her head out of the door on the opposite side of the hallway. “Psst,” she said, beckoning to Garrett while keeping an eye on her granddaughter’s door.

What now?
Garrett shuddered to think of what other bad news Gran might need to confess. He jogged to her room. She waved him in and closed the door behind them. Gran gripped his arms, her thin fingers bit into his muscles in her urgency.

“Lennox told me to get packed so we can leave,” she whispered.

Garrett stiffened. “Where are you going?”

The elder Averdeen threw her arms in the air. “How should I know? I think she’s planning on having Jules take us to a hotel.”

“How is she going to pay for that?”

Again Gran shrugged. “Maybe she’s going to sell something. What if she plans to reenact the movie
Pretty Woman
and become a prozzie?” Gran gestured wildly. “Desperate women do stupid things.”

“Get serious, Gran.” He folded his arms over his chest.

“I am serious, Garrett.” She grabbed both his arms. “We can’t stay with Jules. Her apartment is a Tic Tac box. And Leni won’t stay at Ian’s because she’s afraid she’ll give him some nookie if the temptation presents itself.”

Garrett growled. Gran jumped. He recollected himself. “I’m sorry,” he said, hugging her.

The thought of Lennox staying with Ian at Somerfield Vineyards made him want to break something. He wouldn’t allow it. Lennox could fight him all she wanted but he’d be cremated and scattered before he let her sleep in any of the Somerfield Vineyard bedrooms. If given easy access Mr. Chuckles would dive into her panties faster than you could say jackrabbit slim. Since Garrett had no plans on wearing an orange jumpsuit and doing the death row shuffle, he needed to keep Lennox with him so he wouldn’t have to kill Ian.

He kissed Gran on the temple. “You don’t want to leave, do you?”

She shook her head. “No, I like being here with you and Nox. And honestly I’m hoping to catch Cash coming out of the shower naked one morning. I can’t do that at Ian’s.”

Nothing Gran said surprised him anymore. Lennox had a good reason for calling her grandmother “crazy lady”.

“I’ll do you a favor and text you when he gets in from rehab tomorrow,” Garrett said. “That’s the only day you can time his showers.”

Gran bopped him on the shoulder. “You’re better than peach pie and brandy, Garrett.”

“Whoa,” he said, “don’t go hitting me with your bare hand.” She drew back to bop him again. He threw up his hands. “I’m saying you should check the middle drawer of your dresser.”

The look she gave him said if he’d set her up for a practical joke, he’d end up regretting it. She went over to her dresser and paused. After squaring her shoulders and bracing herself she pulled the draw open. Her squeal of delight went straight to his heart. She held up her new red umbrella with a duck-head handle and twirled it. As thanks she ran over and gave him a good wallop with her gift. In return he grinned like she’d kissed him full on the mouth.

“Are you ready, Gran?” Lennox walked in on them without knocking. She stopped, took one look at them, and knew exactly what had happened. “If you wanted to stay here, you should’ve told me,
Grandma
.”

Gran pursed her lips. “Don’t say grandma like it’s a curse word. You’re the one acting crazy and erratic.” She punctuated each word with a stab of her umbrella.

“Losing all your money, getting a concussion, and having to deal with…” Lennox gestured at Garrett and gasped, “…with
that
would make anyone crazy.”

“I’m not a that,” Garrett intoned.

The dig made Gran particularly peevish. “That’s right. He’s not a
that
. He’s the man you—”

“Fine,” Lennox screamed. “You stay. I’ll go.” She gesticulated wildly. “Everybody does whatever the hell they want to anyway. I’m the only one playing by the rules. Well, my good-girl days are over.” She slammed out of the room. Gran whipped out behind her with Garrett following.

“Don’t you get huffy with me, hussy.”

Lennox stalked down the hallway full speed. “I’m sorry,” she yelled louder. Gran stopped to lean on the wall. Garrett patted her back to soothe her. Gran’s lungs were doing more wheezing than breathing. She’d gotten old while Garrett wasn’t looking. She’d recently suffered smoke inhalation too. He couldn’t let her get overexcited.

“I’ve got this, Gran. Go lie down and relax.”

She whirled on him. Garrett rubbed her arms. “I’m not telling you what to do. I’m just worried about you. Plus, I think I have a better chance of getting Lennox to stay if we talk one on one.”

Gran nodded, allowing him to escort her to the bed. After tucking her in for a nap he headed out in search of her wild-child granddaughter.

He found Lennox in the living room saying her goodbyes to Cash and Nox. Although his son never cried he looked as though he might start at any moment. Garrett growled. The sound echoed across the room. Before anyone could say a word he stalked over to Lennox, grabbed her by the wrist, and dragged her into his office. If she protested or even resisted, he didn’t notice. Lennox might be able to out arm-wrestle most wolfen but Garrett was too amped up to be defied.

He yanked her past him and spun her into the office. Keeping his eyes on her, he closed the door and turned the lock. They faced off, both of them breathing hard and fast. He couldn’t take much more of this. Everything about her amplified his emotions. He had no self-control when it came to Lennox. He needed to get away from her but he’d be damned if he’d let her go.