Page 9 of Laken's longing

Chapter Four

Isley

Keeping it casual, Isley knocked on Hollis’s door and then strolled into his office. Hollis barely spared him a glance, nodding to the seat in front of his desk as he pushed up his dark-framed glasses while typing at the keyboard one handed. It was a skill, for sure.

Although they were a similar age, Isley always felt like Hollis was much older than him. Dressed in smart suits, he seldom did casual. The dress code for the office was smart casual, and Isley went for more of a preppy look as it was what he was most comfortable with. Hollis was the suit wearer out of the bunch of them. He also was far more serious than any of them.

“What's up?” Hollis asked, sitting back in his seat once he’d finished whatever he was doing. All of Isley’s thought-out speech fled at Hollis’s searching look and accompanying frown. “Are you still having issues with Laken?”

How did he do that?

He was but not in the way that Hollis meant, only he couldn’t tell him that his animal had claimed Laken as their own and scent marked him as a warning to other animals. No, that was not on the cards. He just needed some information about Laken’s love life. Like, did he have one, because Isley wasn’t one to step on anyone’s toes. His animal was a simple creature with simple needs, which meant when Isley had explained this to his pestering animal about working to get Laken naked and… he wasn’t listening to reason. So Isley needed help and Hollis, being able n a relationship with Laken’s brother, would hopefully have more insight into Laken’s dating history.

He fidgeted with the cuff of his shirt as he bit his lip, then blurted out. “Do you think you could ask Taylin if Laken has a boyfriend?”

He gave Hollis a pleading look when his hands came up as if trying to defend himself, head shaking before Isley had finished speaking.

“No… what… Oh gods, why me?” Hollis finished, running his hands through his styled hair, ruffling it out of place and revealing his agitation.

“Please? I just don’t want to make a fool of myself after my animal did something silly.”

Hollis gave him an alarmed look. “Silly? What kind of silly are we talking about?” he croaked out, paling.

Isley fidgeted some more, not quite able to meet Hollis’s gaze. “He scent-marked Laken at the cabin… like, in his mouth…” he mumbled, giving Hollis a pleading look, hoping to convey his desperation.

Hollis shook his head, the hands back to running through his hair.

Oh dear.

“What does that mean for your animal?” he squeaked, the alarm creeping into his voice. Never a good sign.

“Our scent will warn others off, like it’s our territory,” Isley explained, blushing hard enough to cause a layer of sweat to form on his skin. He took a deep breath, exhaling in a rush as he continued. “It won’t wash off because it’s inside him.”

Isley still wasn’t sure how long that would last despite what his animal said, and his brother was finding the situation far too funny to give him a proper answer.

“Good god, Isley, how could you?”

He hunched and gave him a soulful look. “I didn’t do it. Doesn’t your animal do stuff you don’t approve of?”

Hollis made a choking noise that Isley didn’t try to understand, instead giving Hollis another pleading look. “Could you find out for me, please?”

“How do I always find myself in these situations? How? Sex clubs, now this. What will be next?”

Isley kept the smile off his face as Hollis continued to rant, seeing that he’d already given in and would help.

The satisfaction he’d gotten from Hollis’s message to say Laken was single a day later had long since faded. Paris was beautiful, the architecture majestic, but there was a frantic beat to the city that left Isley fraught. Unsettled.

It’s not Paris, it’s that creep Louis.

Shush, not that again.

Why is he mauling Laken? This is a business trip, not a dating show.

Honestly, you have to stop. You’re giving me a headache.

Make him stop, and I’ll shut up.

And how do you propose I do that?