The dogs race out, barking, followed by Dane, his bushy gray brows slanting down like a grizzled guard dog, himself.
“Expecting someone?”
“No. But that’s my chopper.”
I put August down. “Run inside, bud. Uncle Brick needs to figure out why his pilot flew back in the middle of a snow storm.”
And then I see her.
My fucking assistant in the cream-colored coat I bought her. She ducks her head against the wind, jogging through the thick snow in her knee-high boots, her window dress whipping around her legs.
* * *
Madison
My knees shake as I run toward the huge estate house in the middle of the woods. The ride got choppy at the end. Choppy enough that I could see sweat dripping down the pilot’s face as he fought the controls against the wind, and he told me about twenty minutes ago that we wouldn’t be flying back tonight. Not in this storm.
It’s freaking freezing out. The wind cuts through me, snowflakes hitting my cheeks like tiny razor blades. I hunch into it running toward the two figures standing out by the doorway.
Three beautiful dogs come racing to chase me, but when I holler a greeting at them, they turn and flank me like they’re ushering me in.
I didn’t wait for the pilot to follow, but I’m guessing he’s coming in, too, since we have to stay the night here.
Oops.
I guess I shouldn’t have risked my life to get these papers to Brick.
A few more people gather at the door by the time I reach it. Brick and Eagle. Billy and Vance.
Sheesh. Like they don’t get enough of each other at work, they have to spend Thanksgiving together, too? Where’s the work life balance, dudes?
“What in the hell are you doing here?” Brick snarls when I reach them. Even in casual khakis and a navy sweater, his cheeks flushed bright from the cold, he exudes power. He looks so angry, so sexy, so
Brick, my core clenches.
An older man throws open the door to the… lodge? Woodsy mansion? Whatever you call it, and gestures with his arm to indicate I should go in. Everybody follows me except for the old man, who is possibly waiting for the pilot. He seemed like a butler or servant of some kind.
“There was a document you didn’t sign-their fault, not ours-and the sale couldn’t go through without it,” I explain breathlessly when I’m inside. The sudden warmth hits my cheeks like another assault, and I’m suddenly boiling hot. “Your phone was off, and I couldn’t get a message to you to have you sign it electronically. I figured I’d better bring it myself. They said if it didn’t go through today, the sale was off. Honestly, I think they were trying to make sure this didn’t go through, banking on the holiday screwing things up.” I flip open my laptop, which is open to the page he needs to electronically sign.
He ignores it. “You just flew through a snowstorm.” Brick raises his voice. It has that wind-up quality like he’s getting ready for a tirade. I’ve witnessed plenty of them and been on the receiving end of my share, too, but call me foolish, I was expecting a little more gratitude from him. “For fuck’s sake, it looks like he barely landed that helicopter!”
I mean, here I am going way above and beyond to make sure his business needs are taken care of. I probably just gave up my own Thanksgiving because who knows if I’ll even be able to get back tomorrow, and holy shit-the flight scared the crap out of me. I thought I might get a gold star pinned on my jacket or something, not a classic Brick dress-down.
“I know, and John says we’ll have to spend the night because the storm is too bad to fly back in.”
“Spend the night?” His upper lip curls in horror. “You can’t spend the night here.”
I draw back. Something about it takes me back to freshman year of high school. To Rebecca Whaling’s look of horror when I invited her to my place to study, and she found out where I lived.
Like Blackthroat can’t believe he’s going to have to have the help staying at his gorgeous manor.
I suddenly can’t breathe, but I don’t let it show. I lift my chin. “I’m sure there’s a couch or sleeping bag somewhere. I don’t have to join your holiday festivities or anything,” I snap.
“I’ll make up a room,” said an older woman who I hadn’t noticed until that moment.
“
Not in the main wing,” Brick snarls. “Put her in the East wing. Away from the family.”
My stomach twists up even more. Jesus. He’s never made me feel so beneath him before.
My eyes burn. What a dick.
John, the pilot, comes in at that moment, stomping the snow off his boots and looking around at the huge mansion with appreciation, like he’s never been inside even though he flies here every weekend.
“You flew her here in this weather?” Blackthroat booms.
“I didn’t want to, but she told me you’d be pissed as hell if I didn’t. Promised me a bonus and everything. But we’re going to have to hole up here for the night. There’s no way I can get that bird back up in this weather. I barely got us down safely.”
“I noticed,” Blackthroat growls. His eyes look strange in the light. Almost golden.
“Not to piss you off even more, but I have fifteen minutes to get this form signed and submitted.”
“Why didn’t you just sign it for me?” Blackthroat explodes.
I hate that everyone is still standing here like watching me get abused by my boss is a spectator sport.
“Because it requires your social security number to get in and Genevieve in HR is tighter than a vault when it comes to giving out personal info about you or your team.”
Blackthroat lets out a low growl and snatches the laptop from me, striking keys angrily as he scrolls through and completes the paperwork. He snaps the lid down and thrusts it at me. “There. It’s done.” He glares at me. “I don’t know what you’re going to do here until the weather clears. You can’t join us.”
I bite back the “Wow,” that’s on my lips because I don’t want it to seem like I expected to join him. Instead, I straighten my spine. “I will stay out of your hair until it’s safe to fly. You’re welcome, by the way. For making sure you didn’t lose the deal.”
“I’ll show you both to the East wing,” the older woman interjects politely, enabling me the exit I so desperately crave.
I give my short hair a toss as I clutch the laptop to my chest like a high school student carrying her books and follow her down the hall and away.
My eyes burn as I walk. It’s the first time Blackthroat has ever made me feel like crying. I sort of prided myself on not letting his tantrums get to me, but something about this one did. At MoonBase, I don’t mind being the outsider. Of course, I am an outsider-Wall Street isn’t my jam. I took the job to serve as an observer. But here in Blackthroat’s country residence? Here it seems more personal.
And the feeling is a familiar, crippling one. That one where I know that no matter how smart I am or how hard I work, I’ll never compare to a blueblood. The rich kids with pedigrees and trust funds and the assumption since the day they were born that they’d someday be boss over everyone they worked with.
She shows John to a room and then takes me to mine where she gives me a towel and washcloth for the bathroom. “I’ll see if Ruby has some clothes you can borrow while you’re here. You two are probably around the same size. The kitchen is back toward the main wing on your left. You can come in any time, and I’ll fix you something to eat, all right? My name is Liz if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Liz. I’m Madi. Mr. Blackthroat’s assistant.” I hear my voice wobble a little and hate myself-and him-for it.
“Yes, I gathered.” She gives me a thoughtful look. “Flying in here was dangerous.”
I wilt even more under that observation, but she hurries to add, “You went beyond the call of duty. You’re obviously very dedicated.”
I sniff and shrug because honestly? I think I might be done. I don’t like the way I feel right now, and I’m not sure I’ll recover from it.
Up until now, this job has been entertaining, but it just lost a lot of its luster for me. Plus, Brayden’s tuition has now been paid.
But I’m probably just hungry and tired. I shouldn’t make any decisions when I’m in this state.
“Thanks,” I say and go into the bedroom and shut the door. Of course, the first thing I do is double check to make sure the paperwork has really all been submitted and is ready to go through. Then I call Blackthroat’s agent to let her know.
I’m not the type of person who can do a less than perfect job. Even if I quit tomorrow, I need to know this thing gets tied up with a bow.
A light knock sounds on the door when I get off the phone, and I find Ruby at the door with an armful of clothing.
“Hey, I heard you got stranded here for the weekend.” She gives me a one-armed hug I didn’t know I so desperately needed. “I brought you some clothes.” She enters and puts the pile of neatly folded clothes on the bed.
“Not the weekend. I’ll leave tomorrow if the weather clears. My mom’s going to freak out as it is that I can’t come over tonight to help bake pies.” I wince, realizing I still need to make that phone call.
“Well, I’m sorry, but you’re more than welcome here.”
I’m too snarky and offended by Blackthroat to hide my uplifted eyebrow. “I don’t think your brother feels the same. He sent me to the servant’s quarters, and apparently, I’m not to show my face in his wing.”
Oops. I probably shouldn’t have vented. If she tells me this is where I belong, I will literally hike home right now in the blizzard.
But Ruby shakes her head. “No, that’s not it. These aren’t the servant’s quarters. He’s just pissed at me, and you got the brunt of it. He needs some space to cool off. Don’t take it personally.”
“I don’t usually, but I guess this time it got to me.”
“That’s because you’re literally trapped in our domain with nowhere to go.” Her sympathetic gaze only makes it worse. “Seriously, if you want to just hole up and avoid Brick for the rest of your time here, this place is big enough that you don’t even have to see him again.”
Huh. Now I get the feeling she’s trying to keep me in the servant’s quarters too.
The warmth she kindled drains from me, and I’m left cold again.
“Yeah, I think I’ll probably do that.”
She drifts to the door, hearing the finality in my tone. “Well, let me know if you need anything. Or check with Liz or Dane-they’re the caretakers.”
“I will. Thanks, Ruby.” I shut the door behind her and lean against it, my stomach bunched up at my solar plexus.
Ugh.
I don’t like the way this feels. Now… I do want to go home and not just because it’s Thanksgiving, and my mom will miss me.
Because I’m suddenly uncomfortable and out of my element and feeling about as small and welcome as a rodent.
I flop onto the bed and throw my arm across my eyes to block out the light. I wish it was already bedtime, and I could just sleep this whole thing off.
Brick
“You all right?” Vance hands me a beer and stands beside me.
I’m at the great window staring out into the darkness made light by the white snow still falling hard.
I ate dinner alone then holed myself up with the pups for a few hours to try to keep my rage at bay. I checked in with Liz to make sure Madison had eaten. She told me she had and that Ruby brought her clothes.
I can’t believe Madison showed up here in my helicopter through a snowstorm. I want to wring her delicate human neck for it.
No, I want to spank her juicy ass like I did in the conference room a few weeks ago. And end the reprimand in the same glorious way.
And that might be my biggest problem of all.
Not the fact that my mother, who I would prefer remained dead to me, is here. Not the fact that I’d like to murder my pilot for endangering the only assistant I could ever stand.
No, it’s more that I don’t know how I will make it through the night with her delicious scent penetrating this entire lodge. That’s why I asked Liz to put her as far from my bedroom as possible.
“No.”
I answer Vance with a growl.
“Right. Dumb question. We’ve got two humans in the house to witness the most epic of shifter family dramas.”
I rub my forehead. “There will be nothing to witness.”
There’d better not be. “And hopefully they’ll be gone in the morning.”
Even as I say it, I know it’s impossible. This storm shows no sign of stopping, and if there’s even a shred of danger to Madison, I won’t let Acker put her in that bird.
“Question. Are you more pissed that she endangered herself to get here or that we have to all play human for the weekend?”
I hate that Vance sees me so well. I don’t answer, which, of course, becomes a confirmation that it’s the former. That I’m far more attached to my assistant than I should be.
“You were a dick,” he says mildly.
I turn to glance at him, surprised by the change of direction. “What’s new?”
“I mean, it bothered her this time. It usually doesn’t.”
Unease bleeds through my already jangled nervous system. But worrying about her emotional state isn’t my job. “She’s a big girl,” I snap. “She’ll handle it.” She damn well deserves it for scaring the hell out of me.
Except now that Vance’s planted it, the unease starts to grow.
But it’s late. There’s nothing to be done tonight, anyway. The last thing I need to do is knock on that girl’s bedroom door after hours.
The moon is nearly full. I doubt I’d be able to hold back.
And fuck, now I’m picturing her in bed. Wondering what she’s wearing. She didn’t have her own clothes with her. Does that mean she’s sleeping in the nude? In a sexy little black thong?
My dick stretches out to make my khakis tight, and I turn back to the window to hide it.
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