Seduced by a Shifter(46)

Now she looked at him. “Oh.” She looked away with another shrug of her slim shoulders. “Just figured you had a lot of experience, thus perfecting your, um, abilities.”

“I see.” He drummed his fingers on the tile floor. “Willow?” He waited until she turned to look down at him. “You’re extremely attractive. Does that mean I should assume you’re as experienced as I am and thus have perfected your sexual prowess?”

Her face blazed almost as red as her beautiful hair and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. He’d swear she wasn’t well versed in the joys of sex. Then again, after some initial shyness, her lushly uninhibited responses to his touch kept him guessing. She was sweet, gorgeous, passionate, and sexy, and there was no way she was untouched.

And maybe he was as guilty of assuming as Willow was.

Her stammered response was cut short by Rome’s thundering, warning knock on the door. Seconds later he entered the room, followed by Scott and Joe, both wearing apologetic expressions, alternating with relief when they spied Ben and Willow not locked in a passionate embrace.

As if Ben hadn’t heard them coming five minutes ago. Then again, if he’d been buried inside Willow’s delectable body like he craved, he may not have.

His dick bobbed in agreement.

Stupid appendage.

Ben might have chuckled at that, not recalling a time he’d ever wanted to curse his manhood, but Rome’s worried features made him uneasy. “Willow, I need you to get dressed and come back to the cabin.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Ben demanded.

The cat shifter shot Ben an exasperated look. “I need Willow back at the cabin where it’s safe.”

“She’s safe with me.” Ben bristled at the implication.

“And she’ll be safer yet at the cabin.” Rome waved Ben’s rising anger away. “I may be acting like an overprotective father, but I need to leave and I want Willow tucked in before I do.”

“Leave?” Willow’s eyes went wide in confused panic.

Rome’s tone gentled. “Unfortunately. It’s that other case I told you about. Well, there’s been a problem and I have to fly out and fix it. I’ll only be gone a few days, four at the most. Joe and Scott will stay with you, and of course, you have Ben at your disposal.” The latter was said with a hint of mockery.

Ben made his way to the pool steps with the intent of pounding the cat into dust. Then it hit him: Rome was leaving. For several days. Suddenly those days got a whole lot more interesting, and his evening brighter when Willow looked at Ben, not Rome, in uncertainty, as if seeking his permission. His shoulders straightened and his chest swelled. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be right here when you get back.”

She fidgeted with the towel, his towel, a moment before she nodded and went into the girl’s room to change.

Ben rose from the pool and picked up Willow’s towel to dry off. “Is this really about another case?”

Rome sighed, the frustration clear in that loud exhale of air. “It is.”

Ben grunted and lifted Willow’s forgotten gray shorts. “And what’s happening with hers?”

“There’s been some movement.” At Ben’s raised brow Rome continued. “Valen and three of her lackeys were last seen in a black SUV heading east on I-90.”

“Last seen, huh?” Ben folded his arms.

Lips pursed in irritation, Rome admitted, “Suffice it to say our men lost them at a damn opera, their vehicle abandoned in the lot. My take? Valen is on her way here. She’ll drive—less conspicuous that way—and stop at small hotels to rest up, because she’s too much of a diva to drive straight through. Probably make Woodcliff by Thursday.”

“Perfect.” Not. “They’ll blend in with all the other tourists who start coming up for a long weekend.”

“Plus Thursday’s the full moon,” Joe added.

“Fuck.” Ben dragged a hand through his wet hair.

“And to make things even more exciting,” Scott chimed in, “we’ll have all those extra people coming in for Tess’s wedding.”

“Ah, double fuck.” Those upcoming days he thought were going to be so much better without Rome dicking with him just made a one-eighty.

Though his job at the ski lodge was a part-time gig, his job with Dean was much different. Ben normally found it a pleasure. Being his alpha’s eyes and ears of the pack mainly consisted of interacting with pack members in an informal way.

Tuesday mornings he had a regular group meeting with some of the town’s elders. Then lunch with Dean, followed by God knew what his alpha wanted. This week he could adding to the list ice hockey classes for a bunch of kindergartners in the afternoon. Then the night skiing lessons he promised Pete and a group the tour guide had booked several weeks ago.