Chapter 10
Max closed his condo door behind him, locking it immediately. After escorting Wade and Naomi from the property, he’d assigned two packmates to tail them out of the state. Normally he would have handled that task himself, but he needed to be with Lauren. He’d already been away from her for too long as it was. For the past couple hours he’d been dealing with the entire pack, answering questions about what had happened and why two of their packmates were now gone. No one seemed to mind that Naomi was gone, but he could tell many would miss Wade. It was a tough situation, but they were lucky to be alive. Naomi had basically attacked Max’s mate. Didn’t matter that it wasn’t official yet, the whole pack knew what his intentions were.
He’d heard from Derrick that the jaguars had all left—minus Lauren. That news, he hadn’t been expecting at all. He’d assumed he and Lawrence Hayes would be getting into it as soon as Wade and Naomi were gone.
Lauren must have been pretty damn convincing to get them to leave. He wanted to ask her how she’d managed it, but more than that, he wanted to kiss her, to mark her as his.
The need building inside him was so raw it was hard to wrap his head around it. Max stripped off his shirt as he headed for the guest bedroom, but stopped in the doorway. The bed was made and all Lauren’s stuff was gone. He could still scent her, strongly, though.
In his bedroom.
He hardly remembered moving as he made his way to the end of the hallway. His throat tightened as he saw her stretched out in the middle of his giant bed, the covers kicked almost all the way to the end of it. She had a book open on her chest as she slept. Her breathing was light, barely audible—and she wore only panties. His cock instantly hardened, pressing against the zipper of his pants with insistency. Clearly she’d been waiting for him and fallen asleep.
Max didn’t want to disturb her after the day she’d had. He just wanted to hold her, to comfort her. Okay, that was a lie. He still wanted to bury himself inside her, to cover her with his body and scent.
Her honey brown hair was spread out over the pillow, just begging for him to run his fingers through it. Unfortunately the hardcover book covered her nipples.
But he’d seen the light brown, tightly beaded tips and the image was seared—Lauren’s eyes flew open as if she knew he was watching her.
For a moment she tensed, her entire body going bowstring tight, but then all her muscles relaxed as she stretched her arms over her head. “Hey, didn’t mean to fall asleep.” Her voice was raspy.
Watching her intently, Max tossed the shirt to the ground then started unbuttoning his jeans.
Lauren chuckled and sat up, but still clutched the book to her chest even as her gaze roved over his body with barely concealed need. “Not wasting any time, huh?”
“I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable being the only one naked.” He shucked his socks, shoes and jeans in seconds. No boxers for him. Not with Lauren around. He had a feeling he’d be going commando forever.
She snorted as he sat on the edge of the bed, but made an almost strangled sound as her gaze zeroed in on his hard length. She licked her lips and he knew it wasn’t because she was trying to tease him. Her swallow was audible as she finally met his gaze, her pupils dilated. “How did everything go?” she finally asked before glancing at the clock on his nightstand. “Did they just get out of here?”
More than a few hours had passed so he understood the question. It was already past dark. “No, they were gone within the hour, but I had to field a hundred questions from pack members about their departure, then I had to deal with regular pack stuff at one of the bars and the hotel.” Max seriously wished Grant would get back to town. Being in charge was a pain in the ass. He’d never realized how whiny some of his packmates could be.
She watched him for a long moment, her eyes filled with a mix of hunger and something he couldn’t define. “Do you guys have any pack owned day spas in town?”
He was confused by the change of subject, but shook his head. “Not really. There’s a spa with limited amenities at the hotel, but that’s it. Why?” He still sat on the edge of the mattress, his cock aching between his legs. He wanted to take her right then, but more than that he wanted to discuss what had happened and to make sure she was truly okay. And she seemed a little hesitant so he figured pouncing wasn’t the smartest options.
She shrugged and after a brief hesitation tossed her book aside, drawing his gaze right to her breasts. “I’ve been thinking about expanding my business and opening up another location.”