The Werewolf Wears Prada (Entangled Covet) (San Francisco Wolf Pack) (4 page)

His stoic demeanor cracked as he smiled into a laugh. “Somewhere in the middle. How about…mayor of San Francisco? Would you trust me to run the city?”

Her first instinct was to laugh off his question—where was he going with it, anyway?—but the serious set of his mouth and the hard clench of his jaw made her think the answer somehow meant something to him.

“No, I don’t think I would,” she answered honestly. “I’ve seen the stories about you in the papers. Responsibility doesn’t suit you well. But that’s why I’m here, right? I’m assuming people on your staff hired me to clean up your image so you can take over one of your father’s businesses?”

“Something like that.” He nodded. “If you had to get me to the point where I’d be unequivocally trusted with a leadership role, what would you suggest to get me there?”

Picturing Hayden in politics was all kinds of backwards. He needed to star in movies and be the romantic lead. He’d win hearts of women across the country, hers included.

“If political prowess is your goal, there’s an image reconstruction plan I can share with you that’ll help you focus on what’s important,” she offered. “It’s something I put together on the side for the celebrities I’ve covered so far. If you want to see it, if you think you’re ready to take it seriously, I can email it to you when I get back to my computer.”

As the Cardinals scored—a deep pass to the corner of the end zone—and the crowd screamed in one uniform roar, Hayden stood and dug through his pocket.

“How long does this usually take?” He pulled out his wallet, removed a business card and slid it across the table in front of her. “The image consulting and improving thing couldn’t take that long, right?”

She chuckled. “Are you in a hurry?”

“I have an important ceremony coming up at the end of the month. It’d be ideal if things improved by then.” He shrugged, though his eyes shone with determination. “So? How long?”

“I can pack everything into a week or two,” she said, sliding off the barstool and pocketing his card. “The first draft has to be finished early next week, so that gives you plenty of time to improve your image for the ceremony. But it all hinges on one very important thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Your willingness to change.”

On a burdened exhale, Hayden turned his attention to the field, where a flurry of red and white scurried to the sidelines.

“A field goal will tie, but a two-point conversion will win it.” His words were deep and raspy. Nearly a growl. “It’s risky, but some say ‘no guts, no glory.’ Do you think they’re going for it?”

“I would.” She finished her drink. “If you want something bad enough, you should go after it.” She paused and studied the man beside her. Hayden looked tight. On edge. As if he was holding his breath. He didn’t look at her. “And if your competition tries to take it from you, you should fight to the bitter end,” she said. “This is the Cardinals’ game if they really want it. And your father’s companies could be in good hands, if you had the desire to work as hard as he did.”

At the mention of his father, Hayden averted his attention from the field and eyed her with dark intensity. If she wasn’t mistaken, desire sparked behind his eyes. It was the same look he’d given her in Starbucks last year, when she’d mistakenly believed they had a connection. Her insides tumbled and squirmed, and her core warmed under the heat of his glare.

“You are one special woman, Melina. I can see why they chose you for this assignment.” He licked his lips and caught the bottom one with his teeth. He eyed her mouth, and the temperature in the suite hit an unnatural high. “There’s fire in you. It’s a rare quality.”

Wow.
The world fell away beneath her feet and her heartbeat kicked into overdrive. Nothing existed beyond the walls of the suite. The football game could’ve been replaced with World War III and she wouldn’t have been able to tear her gaze away from his.

“I need your help.”

Her heart stuttered at the sound of her name on his lips.

“I need someone beside me, guiding me through this, and it has to be someone who’ll be honest with me, no matter the cost. Someone who doesn’t work for my father’s lackeys so their opinion isn’t tainted by the business. I need someone who can see what needs to be done to get me that position—job.” He stuttered, and then seemed to catch himself. “But more than that, if we’re going to work together, we have to set up strict guidelines. What’s going to happen between us is business and nothing personal.”

“Fine with me,” she snapped, folding her arms over her chest. “I wouldn’t have any reason to suspect it’d be otherwise.”

Oh, she heard him, loud and clear.

“Nothing personal” translated to “not interested.”

He was only going along with the article because she was good at her job, and knew how to get him out of a bind. He wasn’t happy to see her, as she’d secretly—and stupidly—hoped. Nothing had changed since last year.
He
hadn’t changed. He’d do anything, and use anyone, as long as it meant he could get ahead.

Playing with women’s emotions had clearly become a game to him.

Swallowing down what she
really
wanted to say, Melina shifted her attention to the game. The Cardinal’s center snapped the ball, except the kicker didn’t drop back to kick. He palmed the ball, cocked back, and threw to a receiver in the end zone. He was wide open! They were going for the long-shot win!

Melina gasped, the breath catching in her throat.

Distracted by the defenders rushing him, the receiver took his eye off the ball. It bounced off the tips of his fingers and dropped to the ground. As one team lowered their heads in defeat, the others leapt off the ground and ran to the sidelines, relishing in the crowd’s excitement.

“Raiders would’ve clenched the win.” Melina shrugged nonchalantly, and strode toward the door. “Maybe next time.”

“You’re just upset the Niners won,” Hayden said, swiveling to face her.

“They didn’t win…not really.” Melina waved, blew a kiss—Hayden’s own cheesy signature—and then whispered a single line that’d haunt any hot-blooded man. “The other team just
sucks harder
.” She spoke the last words slowly, drawing the primal meaning from them.

Hayden stared, his mouth falling open as she winked slowly and marched out of the room.

He wasn’t the only one who could play games.

Girl power,
for the win.

Chapter Five

As Hayden pulled his jet-black Bugatti into the underground parking at the Dean, Hyde, & Hammer building in the center of the bustling business district, he revved the engine and slid into the first
RESERVED
spot on the right.

It was noon, a full two hours before he normally arrived at the law firm. He didn’t practice law, but he kept an office in the building. Any San Francisco Wolf Pack business passed over his desk—as it had his father’s—and pack meetings were held in the Dean, Hyde, & Hammer boardrooms. Hayden didn’t come to the law offices unless there were pack matters to handle, but he’d be spending nine-to-five there once he was officially inducted as Alpha.

Today, he wanted to make sure Gabriel had followed his instructions: swipe everything from the top of Hayden’s desk into the top drawer so Miss Nosey wouldn’t be inclined to snoop.

She’d texted late last night, saying she wanted to tag along on his typical workday.

Little did she know, a part of her had tagged along with him long after the football game ended. He’d tossed and turned all night long, with two little words spiraling through his head.

Sucks harder.

Freaking woman.

He could still hear the way she’d said it. She wasn’t as innocent and fragile as she pretended to be
. Oh, no.
She was a pistol, that one. A firecracker that’d explode in his hand. Still, he’d risk losing his hand to feel her, to traipse his fingers over her smooth, fragrant skin.

Would touching her again elicit the same spark, or had it been a one-time thing?

When she’d pointed her finger against his chest at the game, he felt as if he’d been shocked with high-voltage power cables. Only the current that passed from her body to his had been fiercely sexual, and had sent sizzling rods of lust straight to his groin. Desire bloomed hard and fast, and if Melina hadn’t removed her finger as quickly as she did, he might’ve pinned her against the glass in the luxury suite and pleasured her until she broke apart.

Bet that would’ve been great feed for the Jumbotron.

Would’ve given “Kiss Cam” new meaning.

What made Hayden push her away wasn’t the thought of embarrassing her in front of the entire stadium. It was the fact that he’d heard Luminaries—the non-shifter equivalent of soulmates—felt the same zinging connection upon first touch.

Fated mates came around once in a wolf’s lifetime, if he was lucky. Some found their mates young, some not at all. And up until recently, Hayden had never heard of an Alpha finding his fated mate with a non-shifter. Not until Drake and Emelia Wilder from the Seattle Wolf Pack. They’d settled their differences and were blissfully happy and in love, from what he’d heard. But Seattle didn’t have the same stigma associated with being a turned-wolf. After Emelia Wilder’s transition, his pack accepted her with open arms.

The San Francisco Wolf Pack wouldn’t be so forgiving. With escalating tensions between born and turned wolves in the city, there was no way in hell the council would vote him in as Alpha.

Not with a non-shifter at his side.

The pack would be too divided.

If Melina was his Luminary—another touch and he’d know for certain—their lives were about to be forever intertwined. He’d force himself to tune in, to use his heightened werewolf senses to search out his mate within her.

As he killed the engine and exited the sports car, Melina’s scent assaulted him.

She was already here.

He spun, scanning the dark garage. With his keen eyesight, he spotted her immediately, striding away from a midnight-blue Jetta. Just when he thought she couldn’t be more beautiful, she showed him he was wrong.

She wore black leather pants, short black boots, and a gray fur coat with a collar that brushed her chin. She’d let her hair down, layered around her heart-shaped face, and had painted the brightest shade of red on her lips. Most surprising—and disturbing—of all was the closer she got, the more Hayden realized the color of her coat was exactly the shade of his fur in wolf form.

“Thought you said you had to work today,” she said as she approached, her hips swaying seductively.

He struggled to find his voice. “I do.”

“It’s noon, in case you haven’t noticed. Most people start work first thing in the morning. That’ll have to change for the next couple weeks, but we’ll go over my list later.”

“Your
list
?”

Nodding, she handed him a Starbucks cup. He hadn’t even noticed she held two in her hands. He grabbed the cup, and tried to brush his fingers over hers.

One touch.

That’d be it.

She slid her hand off the cup before he could touch her.

“I read that you like Starbucks’ Macchiatos,” she said. “It’s cold, since I bought it at eight this morning. You can trash it, if you want. I just didn’t want to leave it in my car all day.”

“No, thank you, this is great.” He took a sip and refrained from spitting the drink onto the concrete. “I like my coffee cold.”

She eyed him disbelievingly. He may have been lying about his coffee preference, but she’d been thoughtful to get him his favorite drink. People usually bought him drinks because they were told to. Not many did so because they
wanted
to.

She chucked her empty cup into the trash and said, “Do you usually start your day at this hour?”

No, usually it was later.
“Depends if I’ve got work to do or not.”

“With an empire as vast as Dean, Hyde, & Hammer, it’s hard to believe a day would go by where there
wouldn’t
be work to do.” They moved toward the elevators, their strides in-step. “I mean, you’re set to inherit the company that includes two hundred attorneys in the city alone, and another eight hundred worldwide. Aside from the law firm, Dean Enterprises owns an architectural company, a construction company, a financial corporation, and a magazine. It’s almost as if your father had a hand in everything in the city, from the buildings to the media outlets. It took hours of work for me to research his legacy last night, and I barely brushed the surface. I can’t imagine what you go through on a daily basis.”

He pushed the button to whisk them to the fifteenth floor. “You’ve really done your homework.”

“What can I say? I’m thorough.”

Keeping the truth about the wolf pack away from her was going to be more difficult than he thought.

“Here’s a question for you,” she said, leaning against the elevator handrail. “Why do you show up here at all? You’re not a lawyer, so what do you do all day?”

From the outside looking in, that was a good question.

As Alpha, wolf pack business was his father’s main concern. For that reason, the Dean, Hyde, & Hammer building provided a believable front. Inside the building’s doors, Angus had made sure turned wolves handled transitions appropriately, the wolves in the pack kept their world secret, and any rogue wolves were brought in and tried for their crimes against the pack. They’d spread roots in the city as deep as they could, and established their empire one corporation at a time.

A non-shifter wouldn’t know any of that.

“Even though I haven’t had any say in my father’s businesses to this point, he wanted me to be included from a young age so I’d instinctively know how to run everything when he died.” Hayden paused, listening to the hum of the elevator and the pounding of his heart. Tears stung his throat as memories of his father flooded him. “Now that he’s gone, I’m supposed to slip into my role, but it’s easier said than done.” He hadn’t expected to say the last part. “None of this should be included in—”

“I’m not writing any of this for the article,” she interrupted. “I’m just curious. It’s not every day I get a personal escort into one of the most diversified companies in the world.”

As the doors opened on his floor, Melina held her breath. He shouldn’t have been so in tune with her, but he couldn’t help it.

“Wow,” she breathed as the lights kicked on, illuminating the entire floor: the pool table and bar on one side, the free-weight gym that wrapped around the corner, and the piano lounge in front of them. “Bachelor pad office?” She nodded, smirking. “I should’ve expected this from you.”

He brushed past her, holding his breath so her scent didn’t follow him, and used the monitor near the elevator to turn off the security alarm.

“Is there some kind of bachelor magazine you used to order this stuff?” he heard her say while he punched in his code. “Leather couches, candles everywhere, grand piano… I bet you’ve got a bed in here, probably on the opposite side. It’s round and zebra striped, isn’t it?”

She was right. He did keep a bed here, though it wasn’t covered in zebra patterns. It was black satin, and where he brought his overnight guests, so he didn’t have to take them to his home. Better to keep everyone at arm’s length.

With a start, Beethoven’s Final Symphony echoed all around them from the surround sound system.

Melina spun slowly, glancing up at the speakers in the ceiling. “Classical?”

Frantic, Hayden jabbed at the buttons on the monitor to change the music to something more fitting…and less personal. He chose Stone Temple Pilots and prayed to God she didn’t probe about his music choice. He should’ve remembered to tell Gabriel to turn it off before they arrived.

“This way,” he said, turning along the wall housing the elevator shafts. It was the only wall in the office. Not a single wall blocked one room from another, and the glass on the outside wasn’t glass at all. It was a huge one-way mirror. The entire face of the building was reflective, which meant Hayden could shift in his private office anytime he wanted without feeling as if someone was going to peek inside.

“These are great,” she said from behind him. “I bet they’re originals.”

She must’ve been talking about the artwork on the central wall. She was right on that mark, too.

“I’m starting to think you’re in the wrong business,” he said over his shoulder as he opened the glass door to his office. “You should’ve been a detective.”

“Nah, too much pressure. My deadlines are about all I can take.” A smile spread over her face as she strode through the door, keeping her distance, and plopped into the leather chair across from his desk. She dropped the bag from her shoulder, set it at her feet, and then pulled out an iPad. “I sent over the image improvement plan while I was waiting for you to show up. Do you mind if we go over it before you get started for today? After that, I swear I’ll disappear. You won’t even know I’m here.”

“Sounds great.” He sat in his chair, rolled back, and rested his feet on the empty top. “Hit me with it.”

“I wish I had a hard-bound copy to take you up on that, but I emailed it to you.”

Hayden rolled close to the desk, and then cued up his email. “Hayden Dean’s Image Improvement Plan” in the subject line stared back at him.

He opened the mail and scooted closer for a better look. “Phase One deals with the traits on the outside that scream laid-back and non-committal,” he read aloud, “Clothes and hair should reflect business attitude. Schedule appointment with a stylist. Suit and tie, and briefcase suggested.” He met her expectant gaze. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

“It’s got that tousled look, like you just rolled out of bed,” she said. “It’s sexy and wild. Not the vibe you want right now.”

“You think my hair’s sexy?”

She rolled her eyes, though a rosy pink blush bloomed over her cheeks. “Keep reading, would you?”

“Car of choice should be responsible instead of fast and fun.” His world spun. “After work, time should be spent out of the public eye, in reflection or some private activity that does not involve bars, women, parties, or anything destructive.”

He stared. She stared back, batting impossibly long lashes.

“You want me to be a monk?” He forced out a laugh. “Not happening.”

“It’s only for a month, right?” Her lips twitched as if holding back a smile. “Keep reading. You haven’t reached Phase Two.”

He’d agreed to let Melina follow him around and improve his image, but damn. Wasn’t there anything he’d done right on his own?

He scrolled past a long list of To-Do’s, Shouldn’t-Do’s, and Never-Do’s. “Phase Two deals with change on the inside, that reflects on the outside. Learn to unwind using acceptable forms of relaxation such as mediation, yoga, and acupuncture. Work hard, after hours, taking on extra projects. Learn to compromise. Make time for friends and family. Trust your instincts, as long as they reflect the new and improved image.”
Holy shit.
“You want me to trust my instincts? They say delete this email and never think about it again.”

“I was thinking about you last night, and…”

Hold the phone.
She thought about him last night?
Was she in bed when the thoughts struck her?
He wondered. Did she toss and turn and dream of him, too? He went hard at the thought of her in his bed, tangled in his sheets.

Shit
, she’d been talking as his thoughts veered into the gutter. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, what?”

She groaned. “I’m supposed to improve your image with my article, but if nothing has changed in your life, from the outside or the inside, the business associates you want to impress will see through it. You’ve got to make changes to how you live your life if you want to earn their respect.”

Gabriel had been telling him the same thing for years, long before his father had passed on. Sad truth was, Melina’s words sank deeper than Gabriel’s ever had. Maybe it was the fact that the council had threatened to take the Alpha seat from him. Even though Hayden knew he could handle pack business, if he didn’t prove it to the council within the month, his opinion wouldn’t matter.

“There are so many things wrong with this email, I don’t even know where to start.” His head ached. “Firstly, we’ve got to address—“

The elevators
dinged
, silencing him.

He wasn’t expecting anyone, and although Gabriel came in and out, he always left a message stating when he was coming up, and for what purpose.

“Be right back,” Hayden bit out. “Stay here.”