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“Why did nobody stop him?”
The muscles in my dad’s jaw bunch and flex. The shame over his actions, or inactions, is palpable, and my heart would go out to him, except that it’s my mate they left there to deal with the chaos. Abandoned to the whims of a madman. To watch as her mother, and then her stepmother, were abused and probably killed.
“We should have, son. We should have.”
CHAPTER 14
MAYA
While carefully putting on my mascara and re-applying lip gloss, I try to convince myself that I’d make this effort no matter who I was going to work for. It’s my first day on the job. Of course, I want to look nice and make a good impression. As I slip into a pair of heels and stand up straight, smoothing my fitted pencil skirt down over my hips, I can’t even look myself in the eye. Such lies.
Slipping a purse over my shoulder, I head downstairs, trying to hold back the steady thrum of anxiety buzzing through my veins. I don’t know what I’ve let myself in for.
Kim never glances up from the document she’s reading as I walk into Nathan’s office. Knocking lightly on the door to signal my arrival, even though I’m sure she scented me coming, I wait for her to look up. Her eyes narrow slightly in confusion before she blinks rapidly a few times, shaking herself out of her thoughts, and smiles at me.
“Maya! Are you looking for Hayley’s office?”
Oh goddess, this is embarrassing. I have no idea how much everyone knows about what went on the night of the party. Wolf hearing makes most things hard to hide. Since she was in the apartment shortly after me, she must at least know I was in there.
“Erm, no. Rex said Hayley’s friend, Sam, I think, is going to work for her instead. I’m supposed to help Nathan now.”
“Oh. Nobody told me.”
Kim leans over Nathan’s desk, setting out stacks of documents in neat piles, and scrawling on the post-its she’s placed on top of each. Her blonde bob glistens in the shards of cool morning sunlight streaming through the window. Thick lashes frame her pale eyes behind chic, dark-rimmed glasses. She’s ridiculously pretty. Something ugly stirs deep within me as I remember her letting herself into Nathan’s apartment oh so casually.
Why does she have a key? Just how friendly are they?
“It was a last-minute thing. Rex didn’t want me to be bored while Hayley is off with the baby, and I’d prefer to make myself useful.”
She nods thoughtfully as she goes back to writing her notes. Dropping the pen onto his table and straightening, she turns to face me with her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She’s brusque, but friendly. There’s no sign of bitterness or animosity toward me. Maybe whatever she was doing in his room was completely innocent, and I’m being ridiculous getting upset about it.
Watching her easy efficiency, I know I’ll learn a lot from her. I’m used to dealing with Dean’s work back in our pack, but that’s all internal. I want to learn about dealing with other packs, businesses that aren’t all run or controlled by the pack. Seeing how things work properly in the outside world.
“Of course. Well, welcome to the team. Nathan is normally in by now… just give me a minute here and I’ll get you set up with a desk beside me and I can show you the ropes.”
Nathan’s office is bright and spacious. Pictures of his family cover the walls. One in particular catches my eye. It’s of him and his brothers, as teenagers. Their gangly arms are thrown around each other in front of a stunning waterfall. I’m drawn to it and his smiling face, so I edge closer, my eyes immediately focusing on his giant grin.
“I was a handsome devil even then, wasn’t I?”
Jumping when his deep voice whispers in my ear, goddess help me, a breathy little gasp passes between my lips, completely betraying my reaction to him. As he brushes by me without pausing, his fingers touch my hip so lightly I wonder if I imagined it. I watch as he walks to his desk and leans forward to look at Kim’s notes. His freshly washed hair is tousled, falling across his forehead as he reads. Nathan looks good enough to eat. An image of him in the shower flits into my filthy brain and I swallow hard to smother the moan that nearly escapes me.
Kim glances subtly back and forth between us, picking up on something. The energy crackling in the air? His flirty whisper?
“Kim, that won’t be necessary. Maya is going to set up here with me. She works for her brother, so she’s well able to jump straight in.”
He doesn’t look up. Just lifts the top page from one stack and continues to read. Kim’s head whips in my direction and I can’t help the pink spots I know are forming on my cheeks as I try to stay calm. This is a really bad idea. How am I going to cope with being alone, in this office, all day, with Nathan?
Clearing my throat awkwardly in the silence that follows, I move a little closer to the door.
“That’s okay. I’ll go sit with Kim…” My attempt at escape is thwarted though, when Nathan finally looks up, fixing me with a heated stare.
“No. I need you. Here, with me.”
The silence stretches out again and I’m trapped by those warm brown eyes. Goddess, I feel like my heart is going to pound right out of my chest. He doesn’t move an inch, waiting for me to obey his order. His long fingers rest on the surface of the table and other than his chest moving slightly as he breathes, he’s like a statue. A gorgeous one.
“As you wish.” Kim shuffles through the door, leaving it ajar on her way out, but the shortness in her tone indicates she is not happy.
“You need me?” My voice is teasing, and I realise I’m the one who’s flirting now. Damn it.
