Page 112 of Dominion
Cody nodded. “Yeah. The wolf community is small.” He’d finished his steak and salad and now he wiped his mouth again and set his fork and knife on the plate, like he was at a restaurant. “The Wyoming pack is coming to Estes Park next month for the annual games. Maybe you should go.”
She gaped in surprise. “Are you going?”
A muscle in his jaw jumped. “No. It’s my father’s gig, and we don’t get along.”
She filed that information away to chew on later. Somehow it didn’t surprise her that he didn’t get along with his dad. Even though he must be nearing thirty years old, he carried that ‘rebel’ vibe like a badge.
It was in her nature to serve, even a male who didn’t deserve it, so she stood, picking up both their plates from the coffee table and carrying them to the kitchen. Without checking, she knew Cody’s heated gaze followed her and she had to admit she loved it. She’d never been with a guy who made her feel so desirable. The fact that Cody seemed unable to control his desire—despite his obvious dislike for her—gave her a sense of pleasure and power.
5
Cody put the gun in the waistband of his jeans again. “Come on, princess.”
Melissa had just finished hand-washing all the dishes, a sight that nearly undid him. Her acts of domesticity made him harder than stone. Hell, everything about her made him hard. But her willingness to pitch in pleased him, and not because he cared about those things.
It went against his initial impression that she was just a spoiled stuck-up human. But also something more primitive approved—his inner wolf found it proof she was mate-worthy.
Too bad his inner wolf was wrong.
A quarter wolf still meant three-quarters human. He’d grown up in Estes Park, Colorado, where the entire mountain town was made up of shifters. He hadn’t had to deal with humans. Even after being kicked out at age sixteen, he’d stuck with his own kind. Apart from random gratuitous sex with human females, he didn’t find them good for much. And his father’s parting taunt had made him certain he’d rather die single than mate a human and prove his father right.
Melissa turned from where she was wiping down the countertops for the second time—who double-wiped down countertops? He wondered if she did that after every meal.
“Where are we going?”
“To the mall to buy you some clothes.”
Surprise flickered over her face. “Oh.” Then her expression clouded. “Listen, I don’t have my purse, so I don’t have my credit cards or anything.”
“I’ll take care of it.” He didn’t put it off on her brother-in-law this time. He was starting to get the idea she didn’t ask for money from him, which he could understand.
She arched a dubious brow and annoyance flashed through him. She thought he couldn’t afford it. If she knew he had a half million dollars sitting in the bank and close to another two-and-a-half million currently tied up in properties, she might not act so snobby around him. But he didn’t want to impress her with his money, mainly because she was exactly the type whowouldbe impressed. Somehow, her superficial snobbiness made him want to be relentlessly himself—rough, crude, and blue collar.
“Aren’t you worried about me being seen out?”
He held open the front door. “A little. But I’ll be with you.”
She walked past him and turned up her little button nose. “You have a pretty high level of confidence in yourself, don’t you?”
He slapped her ass as he followed her out. “That’s why I’m alpha, baby.”
She snorted, then halted on the sidewalk, staring at the CJ Steele Construction lettering on his pickup. “You work for CJ Steele?”
He only hesitated for a moment before answering smoothly, “Yep.” It was not a lie. He was Cody Jack Steele—only he went by Cody, not CJ. So, yes, he owned the company and certainly worked for himself.
She swiveled her gaze to him, something akin to awe shining in her eyes. “Really? You restore the Old North End houses?”
He tried to ignore the fierce pleasure her admiring tone stirred. It must be his inner wolf, still angling to get laid by the leggy human. “Yeah.”
“Wow. What’s it like? Does he direct the vision and his workers execute? Or is there a formula… like a stylebook you use? How long have you worked for him?”
Annoyance over the fact that she assumed he was some menial laborer on the projects warred with appreciation for her excitement. He thought his company did good work, and the market seemed to think so, as well, but the reverential way she spoke made him feel like a goddamn hero.
“I’ve been with the company pretty much since the start.” He held the door open for her, mainly because he knew she didn’t think he had it in him. “Steele directs it all, I guess.”
He walked around and sat in the driver’s seat.
“My first deal as an agent was with CJ Steele.” She sounded rueful. “I got my ass handed to me.”