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Wanted by the Alphas(9)

By:Dawn Steele


The trouble is she hasn’t brought many clothes with her. Most of her clothes have been left behind in Tupelo because Jared and she were in such a hurry to leave – with good reason. What she has is functional. Not meant for a real date with a handsome, sophisticated multimillionaire.

Oh, the age old bane of a woman! I have nothing to wear!

She dumps her entire suitcase on her bed and peruses each article of clothing with scrunched nose scrutiny.

The red top has too much of a plunging neckline. Nope.

The green strapless dress is too tight at the bust, and can only be worn without a bra. Nope.

The blue blouse with the sparkly neckline has too much bling and probably looks too cheap for the likes of Lucien Walker. Nope.

In the end, she settles for her most expensive piece – a lavender dress with an asymmetrical hemline for its skirt. It brings out the violet of her eyes and the blackness of her hair. She clips on some of the very few pieces of costume jewelry she brought with her – a pair of sparkly amethyst earrings against a cluster of small diamante stones.

She appraises herself in the mirror. She has to admit she is beautiful. But her looks have never been a problem. It is . . . the other thing.

A knock comes on her door. Her heart leaps.

So soon?

But I’m not ready!

“Coming,” she says frantically. Why is she all a-flutter? Why is her pulse suddenly tapping at her neck like a persistent, excited drum?

She opens her door without peeking through the peephole.

“You’re early,” she begins, and is deflated to see Jared standing out there.

“All prepared for your date, huh?” he drawls as he saunters in.

“Jared, I have to go soon.”

“Yeah.” He flops his long body on the couch. “Nice suite, courtesy of your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

Jared lifts her feet and plunks them on the long glass table in front of the sofa. “The way he looks at you . . . it’s like he wants to eat you. Which mightn’t be a bad thing.”

He gazes at her out of narrowed eyes. He grins wolfishly.

“I remember the way I used to eat you.”

Her cheeks burn.

“That was a long time ago and it was a mistake.”

“Not from what I remember. I remember you moaning and begging me not to stop.”

“It was experimental and we were very young. Please don’t refer to it anymore, Jared.”

“Why ever not? Just because you don’t want to talk about it doesn’t mean it never happened. You don’t have to feel so embarrassed about it. It isn’t as if we are blood related or anything. And even if we were – ”

He lets it trail as his gaze lingers on her breasts and curves under the pretty lavender dress which shows them off so elegantly. She squirms under his watchful gaze.

“Don’t do that, Jared. You know you agreed not to do that ages ago.”

“Doesn’t mean I won’t be tempted from time to time, especially when the time of the month gets me.”

Another knock comes on the door.

Lucien!

Flustered, she tries to temper her walk to the door. She does not want to show Jared her seeming haste to answer it.

Lucien stands out there this time. He is in a casual blue shirt with the top two buttons undone and a pair of brown slacks. He is so tall that he almost fits into the entire doorframe.

“Hi,” he says, staring at her.

His blue eyes are as startling as ever, and her stomach does a little fluttery hop. She has not been appreciated by such a handsome man in a long, long time, and the sensation is simultaneously enervating and empowering.

“God,” he says, “you’re beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Her cheeks have not stopped burning since five minutes ago. She wonders how she will get through this night.

“Good evening to you too,” Jared calls from the couch.

If Lucien is disappointed to see him, he does a great job of masking it. “Well, hello, Jared. How did you find the suite?”

Jared doesn’t get up, which itself is a telling message to Lucien that he considers the hotelier lesser than he is. Shannon is disappointed at her adopted brother’s lack of manners to whom she considers a very gracious host.

“Not too shabby, Lucien,” Jared says.

Shannon grabs her purse and her jacket. “I’ll be leaving now. You plan on staying here?” she says pointedly to her brother.

He grins. “Of course not. I’ll be cruising the town myself.”

“Be careful,” she says with a hidden meaning.

Be careful not to antagonize anyone . . , and be careful to stay under the radar.

“Of course I will, sis. Aren’t I always?”

“I’m going,” she says again.