The Beast in Him

CHAPTER 10

Jess sat at her desk, staring out the big office window, her feet up and resting on the small ledge. She had no idea how long she’d been sitting there. How long she’d let herself waste precious business hours by thinking about the disaster that was her life. But she couldn’t stop herself. She couldn’t stop thinking about that goddamn kiss and the goddamn wolf who’d done this to her. She really should hate the man. If she had any sense, she’d keep as far away from him as humanly possible. But something told her it wouldn’t be that easy. Smitty wouldn’t let it be. Not because he cared about her or wanted her for his very own, but because his ego wouldn’t allow for anything else. He had something to prove, and he seemed intent on proving it with her.

She knew she couldn’t let that happen. She knew she couldn’t let her heart take over here. Bobby Ray Smith was and always would be the one man who could break Jess’s heart. He’d done it once; she wouldn’t let him do it again.

“Jessica!”

Jess blinked and looked away from the window. She had no idea how long May had been standing there calling her name, probably a while. “Hey, hon. What’s up? Are you okay?”

It had not been an easy night for May either, but Danny had taken care of her. Like he always had. The two of them fit together so perfectly Jess found herself happy for them and sometimes bitterly jealous. After all these years and five kids, they still meant the world to each other. Jess, however, had a very healthy relationship with the Pack’s pet dogs. They were very good snugglers.

“I’m fine. You scared my daughter to death, though.”

Jess winced. “Sorry about that. I just... I just couldn’t have her yelling what she saw across the room in front of all those people.”

May dropped onto a chair. “What did you do?”

“The ol’ snarl and snap. It’s still quite effective.”

“That it is.”

“Sorry about that. Is she okay?”

May waved her concerns away. “Don’t apologize. Y’all have spoiled her. She needed a good snarl and snap. Of course my question now is what exactly did my baby see... and should we get her therapy?”

Jess cringed and looked down at her desk.

“That bad, huh?”

“Nothing she’ll end up on Jerry Springer for, but... ” Jess’s eyes crossed.

May rested her elbows on the desk and her chin on her fist. “Can I make a suggestion?”

“Does it require me to humiliate myself any more than I already have?”

“Jessica Ann—we’re dogs! Tolerating humiliation is what we do.”

And Jess knew May was only joking... a little.

“Do you think I’m pretty?”

Smitty glanced away from the computer screen he’d been staring at for the last three hours, looked at his sister, and shook his head. “No.”

“What do ya mean no?”

“You asked. Sorry if you didn’t like the answer. I always thought you were funny lookin’. Asked momma, ‘What is that thing laying in your bed?’ And she said, ‘I found it hiding under a car, you be nice to it now.’”

“Bobby Ray Smith! What is wrong with you? You’re as mean as a cat.”

“Is there a reason you’re here, Sissy Mae? I thought we sent you out on a job.”

He wasn’t in a good mood. He’d been up all night thinking about Jessie. Worrying about her and what she might be hiding from him. And worst of all, thinking about that goddamn kiss. Not surprisingly, thoughts of that kiss led to all sorts of other thoughts about Jessie Ann and what she could do with that mouth of hers.

His sister stretched across his desk, heedless of the file folders under her, and reached into the Navy mug he had filled with Hershey’s Kisses. “That job’s boring. I want something more interesting than checking out some company’s safety.”

“That’s our bread and butter. So stop whining and do your job.”

“I did. It took me no time. And I’m bored. How come you don’t give me anything more interesting?”

Smitty sighed and leaned back in his chair. “You don’t want to have this conversation, Sissy Mae.”

“Yes, I do. Spit it out. I can handle most of this bullshit better than you and Mace. So what’s your problem?”

With a shrug, he answered, “You are.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. I’ve never known anyone who could start shit faster than you do.”

“That’s not fair, Bobby Ray.”

“Maybe not, but we both know it’s accurate. I love you, baby sister. But you are trouble. I need people who can defuse situations and get everyone out safely. You, however, are an instigator. You turn complicated situations into national news.”

“That was not my fault!”

“Whose fault was it?”

She didn’t answer the question and instead said, “And I got everyone out safely.”

“Yes, you did. After you got S.W.A.T. involved.”

“Well, I—”

“And I really hope that wasn’t so you’d be able to widen your dating pool. How many of those guys did you finally go out with? Four? Or was it five?”

“You act like I went out with them all at the same time.”

Smitty held his hand up. “This conversation is over. What Mace and I have going here is too important for me and the Pack to let you screw it up by being yourself.”

“That was just mean, Bobby Ray.”

“Check with Mindy. She’s got an assignment for you since you’re finished with this last one.”

“Yeah, yeah. She already gave it to me.”

Mace walked by the open door and glanced in. He scowled. “Get off his desk. I’ve got an important client coming in to see your hick ass, Smitty, and I don’t need this to look like we’re at a local hoedown.”

Sissy Mae slid off the desk before Smitty could push her off. “Okay, okay. Calm yourself,” she said before she proceeded to eat his Hershey’s Kisses.

Mace walked off, and Sissy Mae asked, “Who’s this important client?”

“I have no idea. And would you like a shovel for the rest of that chocolate?”

“Why you mean old—” Sissy Mae stopped talking abruptly, her nose lifting in the air. “Hey. Does that smell familiar to you?”

It sure did. And Smitty felt his body come alive, images of Jessie pinned up against that wall ravaging his sleep-deprived brain. And exactly who taught her to kiss like that? Wait. Bad question. He didn’t want to know. He never wanted to know.

His gaze rose from his desk and he watched Jessie Ann and Mace walk into view. She stopped in front of his office.

“Someone’s here to see you,” Mace announced.

Jessie gave a small smile. “Hiya.”

“Hey.” He stood. “Come on in.”

“I’m sorry to bug you at the office,” she said, stepping into the room, “but do you think you and I could—” She stopped abruptly, finally seeing Sissy Mae.

Sissy Mae’s face lit up. “Well, Jessie Ann Ward. As I live and breathe.”

Jessie stared at Sissy Mae for a good thirty seconds, a completely blank expression on her face.

He didn’t know how to read that look, but he sensed flashbacks, and the last thing he needed was to have to track Jessie Ann down under the bleachers at Yankee Stadium. So quickly moving around his desk, Smitty reached for her, but his sweet, innocent, “can’t survive without her Pack” Jessie Ann went and coldcocked his sister like a heavy-weight champ. Her small fist slammed into Sissy Mae’s jaw and sent his sister flying over his desk, her body crashing into the wall behind him.

“Holy shit,” Mace said softly in the silence that followed.

Jessie blinked, her hands covering her mouth. She’d shocked herself more than she’d shocked him or Mace.

“Oh, God. Oh... uh... ”

Smitty motioned to Mace. “Take her to your office.”

Mace gently took Jessie by the shoulders and led her out. Smitty knelt by his sister, grabbing a half-empty water bottle from his desk. He dumped the contents over her head and she woke up sputtering.

“Wha... what? Where... ?”

“You all right?”

She blinked up at him. “Yeah. Sure. I’m fine.”

Smitty raised his hand and lifted three fingers. “How many fingers you see?”

Sissy Mae stared thoughtfully. “Eighty thousand.”

Sighing, “Great.”

Mace crouched down next to Jess’s chair and handed her a bottle of water. “Here. Drink this.”

Jess gripped the water bottle, feeling like it might be her only anchor at the moment. Good God, had she actually done that? Did she actually just hit someone who hadn’t been threatening her or her pups or... something?

“I can’t believe I did that,” she finally managed, feeling like she had to say something with that lion crouching next to her and those scary gold eyes watching her.

“It’s okay, Jessica.”

“No, it’s not. I should have more control than that.” She looked at him. “But suddenly I was sixteen again, only this time... ”

“You weren’t afraid of her.”

Jess shrugged. “She was Pack-less. So I attacked accordingly.”

“If it’s any comfort, my sisters would be quite impressed.”

“Isn’t it nice to hear that cats would be impressed by my violent actions? That gives me much ease.”

Smiling, Mace stood. “Good point.” He walked around his desk and sat down in the big leather chair.

“From what I hear, though, Sissy Mae definitely deserved that.”

“That’s not the point. I’m supposed to be above it all. Because I’m better than her.”

“Oh, I see.”

She closed her eyes, then shook her head. “I’m leaving. It was a bad idea to come here.” Damn May for talking her into this. She should have stayed at the office and kept staring out the window until her Pack dragged her home.

Jess stood and reached out her hand.

“Thank you so much for having me,” she said, then winced when she realized what a stupid thing it was too say. It’s not like he’d invited her over for tea. Hell, no one had invited her anywhere.

“Are you going to be okay, Jessica?”

“Oh, yeah, I’ll be fine. I just want to go home now. You know, before I get in a fistfight with your assistant or take on a school bus full of nuns.”

“My assistant is a cheetah. You’ll never be able to catch her.”

“Gee. Thanks, Mace. That helps.”

Jess turned and reached for the door, but it opened and Smitty walked in.

“Well, little Jessie Ann Ward, that’s quite a right hook you’ve got on you, darlin’.”

She wanted to get good and mad. She wanted to tell him to shut the hell up. But she couldn’t do it. Not after decking his baby sister. To be honest, she was lucky he hadn’t kicked her ass himself. She’d seen him do all sorts of terrible things to other wolves who’d hurt his sister.

“Oh, God!” she finally burst out. “Smitty, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. You hate me, right? I can totally understand if you hate me.”

“Darlin’, I don’t hate you.” Smitty shrugged. “Even my momma says that every once in a while Sissy Mae needs to be punched in the head.”

Jess frowned, seriously confused. “Um... ”

“And don’t worry,” Mace added, “she has a really hard head.”

“Uhhh... ”

Mitch Shaw walked by the door, stopping and staring at the three of them. “Bruh, who decked Sissy Mae?”

“Little Jessie Ann here,” Smitty said, motioning to her.

The lion grinned at her. “Nice work, Mighty Mite.”

“Hey,” Smitty demanded, “did you leave her alone?”

“You did.”

“I have a guest.”

Mitch shrugged. “Eh. Ronnie Lee’s with her.” Apparently already bored, Mitch wandered away.

Jess shook her head. “I better go.” They were freaking her out. How was this sort of behavior okay? It wasn’t. Then again... maybe it wasn’t okay among the wild dogs but it was everyday livin’ for the rest of them.

Thank you, but she’d stick with the dogs.

Jess stepped around Smitty, but his hand lightly gripped her forearm, halting her.

“I thought you came here to see me.”

“Changed my mind. Running away now.”

“You can’t avoid me, darlin’.”

And she knew he was not talking about the situation with his sister. The look in his eyes made it clear he really wasn’t that worried about Sissy Mae.

“Yeah, Smitty, I can avoid you. Watch.” Then she pretty much ran.

Smitty pushed out the front door and past the people coming out of the surrounding businesses on their way home. He caught sight of Jessie making a beeline for the subway. Typical. She couldn’t be a little princess and wait for a freakin’ cab. She had to be “everyday girl” and go for the public transportation. He took off after her, but by the time he made it to the stairs leading to the subway, she’d already gone inside.

At least that’s what he thought until he was halfway down the stairs and Jessie’s scent faded. He stopped and sniffed the air. She’d looped back around.

Tricky little She-dog.

Turning right around, Smitty headed back up the stairs and down another street. Midway along the second block he stopped—and let out a sigh.

“Tell me you’re not hiding from me.”

“I wouldn’t call it hiding per se. More of a ‘casually standing behind a pillar hoping you’d pass right on by’ sort of thing.”

Smitty grinned. She was just so dang cute. He waited and she reluctantly stepped out from behind that pillar.

“Jessie Ann, you know I’ve got the best nose in ten counties.”

“I thought the lovely funk of the city would distract you.”

“Nah, just makes you easier to find ’cause you smell so sweet.”

Jessie, rarely fooled by his charm, sneered in disgust. “Oh, please.”

“Fine. Don’t believe me.” He grabbed her hand. “Let’s just go then.”

Taking a step back, Jessie stared at him. “Let’s just go then where?”

“You wanted to talk. We’re gonna go talk.”

“No, I said I changed my mind.”

“Too bad.”

Smitty took firm hold of her wrist and proceeded to drag her the ten blocks to his apartment. She didn’t struggle and she kept quiet until they walked into the building and headed to the elevator.

“You know, we can talk another time.”

“Nah, we’ll talk now.” He dragged her into the elevator and pushed the button for his floor. When the doors opened, he dragged her down the hall and to his apartment. He practically tossed her inside, slamming the door behind them and locking it.

Smitty leaned against the door and grinned. “Now, Jessica Ann... we can talk about that kiss that just melted your sweet heart.”