Primal Heat(Wild Lake Wolves Book 3)(19)

"I don't know. Yes. Of course he does. But, God. Maybe this is just like  every bad relationship my mother has ever been in. She's all hot and  heavy and thinks these guys are the moon and the sun. And then they  aren't. I can't be like her. I can't afford it."

Kendra had her chin in her hands, and I swear stars filled her eyes.  "Negative. You can't compare Bas Lanier with any of Lori Winslow's  losers. I'm sorry to be so harsh, but you know I'm right. This guy might  still end up being an epic douche, but he's in a different league. That  doesn't mean he's worthy of you. Because, you're pretty fucking  incredible, Abby. You know that, right?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Yeah. I do, actually. Still doesn't mean epically bad taste in men isn't part of my birthright."

"Well, let's give the guy a couple more days. If he doesn't call, then  cross him off the list. His loss. If he does call, then you immediately  call me and give me every single detail. I mean it. I'm going to need  something to distract me from the mountains of discovery materials I get  to sift through and engineering schematics. I'm counting on you."

I laughed in earnest and we walked toward the parking lot together. It  killed me that I wasn't going to see Kendra for four whole months. I'd  met her less than a year ago, but we'd just survived one of the hardest  years either of us had ever lived through. I knew she'd be my friend for  life.

Later that evening, we said our goodbyes at the airport and Kendra took  off for home. She gave me the keys to her apartment and told me I could  crash there whenever I needed to. Her lease ran through the end of the  year and she hadn't wanted to sublet it while she was home for the  summer. I didn't know if I'd need it, but having the option of a hideout  sounded more than a little appealing. I tried to give her money, but  she said she'd take her payment in the form of spying. It was my job to  keep tabs on Darby through the spring and summer to make sure he didn't  get into any trouble while she was away. It was more than a fair trade. I  swallowed past a lump in my throat as I watched her plane pull away  from the gate.





Chapter Fourteen

The next morning, I headed into the office. Grace was waiting for me  with a worried look on her face as soon as I stepped off the elevator.

"Thank God you got here in time," she said through gritted teeth. Her eyes darted sideways toward the conference rooms.

"In time for what?" I tapped my phone screen. It was only eight thirty. I wasn't technically supposed to be here until nine.

"They moved the congressman's meeting up to eight forty-five. Dale just  stormed through here asking for you. He wants you in on it."

"Well, he could have told me." Shit. Little things like this had been  going on ever since our meeting a few days ago. He'd moved up deadlines  with no warning, changed assignments mid-stream. I think it was his  version of hazing and making sure I knew just how much power he had over  me. So far, I'd been able to bob and weave and keep up with his  demands.

"Conference room A," Grace said. "Hurry."

She took my messenger bag from me and handed me my laptop. I'd been  issued a secure one on the government server. I gave Grace a  two-fingered salute, mouthed thank you, and headed into the room. Foster  already sat at the head of the table with Dale on his right. Dale gave  me scowl as I walked in and tapped his non-existent watch.

"Cutting it a little close there, Miss Winslow."

Fucker. He was trying to make me look bad in front of Foster. I smiled  and slid into the seat across from him. Foster looked up from his  newspaper; the guy still liked the traditional paper kind with his  morning coffee. He didn't seem to register Dale's dig at me. I fired up  my laptop as Grace walked in with a pot of coffee. I put up a hand to  stop her when she offered to pour it. It irked me to no end that Dale  made her serve him like that. I poured my own coffee.

I wanted desperately to figure out what this meeting was about. I looked  for an email from Dale but found nothing, not that that surprised me.  Then, I heard the elevator doors open down the hall, and the hair on the  back of my neck stood on end as it always did when he first came near.                       
       
           



       

Bas.

I didn't have to see him or hear him to know he was near. Gooseflesh  covered me and my heart seemed to flare to life anew. Dale stared hard  at me over the monitor of his own laptop. I spread my hands flat on the  table and focused on keeping my breathing steady. God, he planned this.  The corner of Dale's mouth twitched as he watched me struggle to get a  hold of myself. I felt like a bug under a microscope with Dale's cold  eyes penetrating mine. Bas's presence loomed behind me, and the air in  the room seemed to crackle as I felt him grow closer. I didn't have to  turn my head to know how quickly he approached.

Grace came back into the room. "Congressman, Mr. Lanier and the others are here. Are you ready for them?"

Foster smiled and crumpled his newspaper, setting it on the credenza  behind him. He flicked two fingers at Grace, gesturing for her to let  the men in. I let out a breath and tried to keep my composure as the air  shifted behind me and they filed into the room.

"Gentlemen," Foster said in a bright, booming voice. Though he smiled  wide, I knew it was all for show. Bas had taken the upper hand by making  him wait. I turned, trying to keep my posture as casual as possible  even though my nerve endings felt shredded.

Bas leaned across the table, just inches from me, and shook the  congressman's hand. His eyes flicked to mine, and I watched his pupils  narrow to pinpoints. As much as I was trying to control my physical  reaction to being this close to him, it seemed equally difficult for  Bas. Except he had the advantage of preparing for it.

"You remember my associates, Mr. Brogan and Mr. Martel?"

"Of course," Foster said. "Good to see you again. Have a seat. My girl brought in some coffee."

I bristled in indignation for Grace. Foster at least at the decency to  turn a little white when he remembered I was in the room. He cleared his  throat then plastered his smile back in place. Then, Bas took the seat  next to mine. The world became the few inches of space between us. I was  drawn to him like a magnet and had to sit on my hands to keep from  reaching out to touch him.

Mr. Brogan sat next to Dale, and Mr. Martel opposite Bas. Brogan looked  at me, and I couldn't help my escaping smile. He gave me a lightning  quick wink, and I recognized him immediately. This was Eli from the  other night. His golden wolf eyes had settled to a warm amber, and he  brushed an errant lock of dark brown hair away from his face. A hint of  silver colored his temples.

Martel was simply breathtaking. Nearly as big as Bas, he had jet black  hair with a shock of white at the crown. He fixed his cold, blue eyes on  me and I shuddered at the intensity with which he stared. There was  something different about him, more feral than Eli. He was more like  Bas. He adjusted his silk tie and seemed to bristle and chafe at the  fabric, as though his wolf strained to get out. My blood simmered as he  reached across the table and shook my hand, holding it a beat longer  than I would have.

Bas made a low noise. To anyone else, it may have sounded like throat  clearing. But, it was a sharp command. Alec went instantly still, let go  of my hand, and sat. He folded his hands together on the tabletop.

"I appreciate your coming on such short notice. I've just gotten back  from the Hill and have to leave again in a few hours. I'll cut right to  it."

On cue, Grace came back into the room bearing a stack of blue  portfolios. She placed one in front of each of us, then left again. I  didn't wait for the others to open mine. Partly because I was apparently  the least informed about what the hell we were doing here. Also, I  needed something to occupy my mind and hands with Bas so close to me.

My eyes blurred and the words ran together. I squeezed my lids tight and  tried to shake off the buzzing in my ears. Bas took a breath. When he  let it out, it tickled the tiny hairs on my wrist. Then, his foot slid  under the table. I coughed to muffle the involuntary gasp I made when he  touched his toe to mine.

Bas and the others flipped through the portfolio. It was the same  language from the conservation bill Thorp had me bring to Bas a few  weeks ago. As far as I could tell, none of the changes Bas had asked for  had made it into this draft. He slammed his shut and slid it a few  inches away from him.

"Sebastian, hear me out before you lose your shit," Foster said. "This  is a good bill. It has the best chance of passing in this form, and we  need it. You need it."

"What I need is for you to give up the idea that any part of Wild Lake  is yours to do anything about. There is no federal interest here. These  are state lands and private property. I don't need another layer of  bureaucratic bullshit in my backyard."