Melinda's Wolves Page 14

  That might have been a calculated error since she was now more concerned with her exposure and the panties she wore that were already wet from the drive to the job site.

  The door opened behind her, and she twisted in her seat to find Keegan striding in. When he shut the heavy metal with a snick, she flinched. “Everything okay?”

  She swallowed, her gaze running up and down his body. He was solid. Built. So fucking sexy, any woman would fawn over him. “Yes.”

  Please tell me you didn’t catch any of that conversation…

  He came straight to her, and before she could protest, lifted her out of the hard chair and set her on the desk. His hands landed on both sides of her hips. He met her gaze and held it, his face serious. “Do you know how much you mean to me?”

  She nodded. It was true. She was well aware of his feelings. Hers were no different.

  “I’m sorry about this job. It’s my current project, and it’s huge. I have to work here for months. Perhaps longer. Some days I go to other assignments, but most of my time is spent here. This place is a calamity of problems. It looks like there were indeed issues with the initial foundation, and until everything is ironed out with the concrete poured before the earthquake, construction can’t proceed.”

  She nodded again. It was so difficult to focus with him in her face like that. She didn’t know how he did it.

  Apparently not any better than her, since he righted himself and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m trying to apologize here.”

  She could see that. “So, you think that email might have had some truth to it?”

  “Maybe.” He pursed his lips and then continued, “I haven’t done enough research yet to be sure. But I’m very concerned based on the files I pulled so far this morning.”

  “Um, Keegan, I don’t mean to be a bitch, but something isn’t right here.”

  He looked back toward her. “Don’t I know it.”

  “No, I mean something is really not right.”

  He angled his head to one side, looking at her quizzically. “Like what? We just got here. You already have a suspicion?”

  She lowered her gaze. “I don’t know for sure,” she muttered. And then she straightened and took a deep breath. “Look, I know you don’t know me well yet, and my quirky abilities are foreign to you, but when I get feelings, I just know things. They aren’t always specific. And this is one of those times.”

  “So you’re saying something is wrong with this casino project, a project you’re conveniently opposed to? And you want me to do what? Call the guys in and stop everything?” He set his hands on his hips, his chest rising and falling with his aggravation.

  He’d been in the middle of a pseudo-apology, and now she’d pushed him away again.

  It couldn’t be helped. She wasn’t the kind of person to hold her tongue. “Well, when you put it that way, it sounds absurd.”

  “What way would you like to put it?”

  She tucked her hair behind her ears and met his gaze. “I don’t know. I’m just warning you.”

  “Warning me about what, Melinda?” He lifted both hands in the air and glanced at the ceiling.

  This was not how she wanted the conversation to go. She’d known him two days now, and so far they’d managed to fight more than not. “Keegan,” she jumped down from the desk and stepped closer, setting her hands on his chest. “I’m not a fool. I get there’s nothing you can do differently right now. But in my experience, when something creeps up my spine, it means business. When and if I know more, I’ll pass on the details. In the meantime, it would be negligent of me to keep my feelings to myself.”

  He stared at her, blinking.

  She couldn’t blame him. If she were him, she’d be just as skeptical. Lifting up on her tiptoes, she leaned closer to his lips until she hovered an inch away. She smoothed her hands up his chest and around his neck at the same time.

  Please, God, let him close the distance. She carefully pleaded with whatever higher being was listening while keeping her thoughts blocked from him.

  “I want you to stay in my office for now, okay? I know it’s a lot to ask. But I feel better having you here.” He rubbed his hands up her back. “Maybe I’m being greedy. Maybe I have a little bit of your eerie mojo floating around in me too. In any case, I want you close. Tell me what you feel. I promise to try to be open minded. I know you must be bored.”

  Someone knocked on the door.

  Melinda sighed as Keegan turned his head. “I have a meeting to get to.” He eased out of her embrace and left her standing there. With his hand on the door, he hesitated, but then he proceeded, leaving her once again alone in his office.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Keegan sat in the small conference room at the other end of the trailer from his office with his boss, Mitch Highland. Mitch held the email Keegan had printed out. Mitch reread it for the tenth time. “And you have no idea who this came from?”

  Keegan shook his head. “Not a fucking clue.” He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair.

  “Does anyone else know about this?” Mitch’s hand shook.

  Keegan nodded at the paper and shrugged. “I can’t tell you who else that guy has spoken to, but no, not from me. Yet. I wanted to do an inspection of his specifics this morning and see for myself if there’s any truth to these accusations. If this is for real, there will be hell to pay. I’ve already gone through several files. I’m afraid the guy may be right.”

  “No kidding.” Mitch scanned the page again. “The fucking foundation? That’s huge. And a serious accusation. If the builder used shoddy materials and subpar concrete, the casino might as well be built on sand.” He jumped to his feet, his chair screeching across the linoleum floor like nails on a chalkboard. Both hands in his hair, he paced. “If it hadn’t been for the earthquake setting this site back more than a year, that casino would have been open by now. People would have died in that quake.”

  “Fuck, people could still die in another quake if this wrong isn’t righted.”

  “Thank God the standards were changed.” Mitch stacked the pages in front of him and stuffed them in his briefcase. “Can I keep these?”

  “Yep. I can always reprint if we need.”

  “Right. I think we should keep this to ourselves for now. If we start spreading rumors, people will get nervous. The men working on this project are already scared out of their minds it could come to another halt if anything goes wrong. Most of them are just now getting back to work after the quake. They can’t afford to lose their jobs again.”

  “Good point. I’ll start going down this list and see if there’s any validity to these accusations. No one will raise an eyebrow at me inspecting anything. After all, it’s my job. Hell, if I cried wolf for every email I’ve received threatening this job, we would all be running in circles.” Keegan grinned.

  “True. We get dozens of emails. Hopefully this one is just blowing smoke like the others. I think I’d like a short tour now,” Mitch said.

  “Thank God the reservation was so divided over this. Their stalling tactics could have saved lives.” Keegan stood as he thought of his mate down the hall. Perhaps there was something to that premonition she was having…

  “Yep. Without the disagreement, the town council wouldn’t have insisted on extra building inspectors, you and I wouldn’t be here, and the casino could have been erected before anyone knew what might lie beneath.” Mitch lifted the strap of his bag over his shoulder.

  “Why do you think this guy is just now coming forward?”

  Mitch shrugged. “Maybe he was scared? Maybe he’s been watching the construction and hoping it wouldn’t progress. Now that it is, he’s fired up.”

  “Or,” Keegan added, “maybe his entire email is a hoax designed by some environmentalist who wants to slow progress or stop the building altogether.”

  “Could be, but either way our responsibility is the same. We have no choice but to take the threat seriously and look into it.” Mitch grinned, incongruent with the seriousness of the conversation. “Now, I believe congratulations are in order.”

  Keegan beamed. “Yep.”

  “When did you mate?”

  “Yesterday.”

  Mitch’s eyes went wide. “And you’re here?”

  “Well, the job doesn’t do itself.” He opened the door and stepped into the hall.

  “Huh.” Mitch followed behind him. “Your mate is also here. How did I miss that?”

  Keegan turned around and walked backward, approaching his office. “One of them. You want to meet her?” He opened the door without waiting for a response.

  Melinda stood at the window. She whirled around to face him as he stepped inside. He went right to her in two strides, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her neck. “Sorry, honey,” he whispered. He took her hand as he turned back around. “Mitch, this is Melinda. Melinda, my boss, Mitch.”

  Mitch smiled hugely and stepped forward, hand extended. “So nice to meet you, Melinda.” He turned toward Keegan. “Did you say ‘one of them?’ You have another mate?”

  “Yes. Apparently.”

  “That’s so rare. I don’t think I know anyone with two mates. Anyone I know?”

  “Probably. You’ve met my friend Trace before, haven’t you?”

  “One of the Masters boys, right?”

  “Yep. The second eldest.”

  Melinda leaned into Keegan’s side as he spoke to Mitch. Did she stiffen for a moment? Maybe he imagined it. Her body felt so right against him. He hated arguing with her and vowed to make amends and work through this disagreement. Besides, maybe she was right in a way. At least the part about the danger she sensed.

  “Didn’t Trace’s older brother mate last year?”

  “Uh huh. They have a third mate also. In fact, Melinda’s brother is one of them, Miles. And their female is human.”

  “Crazy times.” Mitch shook his head. He turned toward Melinda again. “Have you had a proper tour of the site yet?”

  “No. Um, Keegan’s been busy all morning.” She glanced down at her dress and sandals. “I’m not really dressed for it.”

  “True. At least jeans and closed-toed shoes would be helpful.” Mitch turned toward Keegan. “We can tour another time if you want to just step outside and point out the highlights.”

  Keegan hadn’t mentioned Melinda’s abilities or the fact she already knew about the email threats. He was also aware she didn’t need to get closer to the action to feel the bad vibes she felt. “No. You need to see the entire site. Melinda can walk out with us for a minute, and then I’ll take you on the grand tour.”

  “Sounds good. I’d love to see what you do. You can show me around another day,” she said with more enthusiasm than he knew she felt. She even looped her hand through his arm and hugged it against her side.

  “Laying it on kinda thick?” he asked through their connection. He couldn’t keep the smirk off his face, though. And he loved having her so close, even if she was being sarcastic.

  “What? Can’t a girl show interest in seeing where her mate works?” She batted her eyes and smiled with no words communicated out loud for Mitch to hear.

  Mitch cleared his throat. “I don’t even want to know what you two lovebirds are saying to each other. My breakfast is going to come back up soon,” he teased.

  Keegan wormed his arm out from her grasp and wrapped it behind her. He pinched her ass and gave her a stern look. “Behave.”

  “Mmm. I don’t think so.” She jumped out of his reach and fled the room before he could grab her again. This time she took Mitch’s arm on the way by. “It’s so nice to meet one of Keegan’s friends.”

  The imp. She was toying with him, trying to rile him. And it was working.

  “Honey, I suggest you get your hands off my boss before I embarrass you.”

  She didn’t turn around to communicate back at him. “You don’t scare me.”

  If he wasn’t mistaken, she nearly skipped from the room.

  “You’re acting strange. I could have sworn you flinched the first time you touched Mitch. Now you’re grasping at his arm? Is there something you aren’t saying?”

  “Nope. Just getting a vibe.”

  “And?”

  “Nothing specific. He’s nervous.”

  “He should be. This entire site could prove to be a sham.”

  “Exactly. So don’t worry about my senses on this one.”

  Mitch opened the door to the outside.

  Keegan grabbed two hardhats from the entrance room. “I think you should reconsider your flirty stance. This is a site full of men. No one will think anything of me plastering you to the side of this building and kissing you into submission. The only one who would be mortified is you.”

  She ignored him.

  His cock rose to attention at the silent challenge. Did she think he was kidding? Or was she goading him? Maybe she wanted him to claim her mouth in front of everyone. Hmmm.

  As soon as they all three stepped outside, Keegan handed a hardhat to Mitch. He decided to ignore her attempt to provoke him for now.

  As much as he hated to admit it out loud, his curiosity over her abilities was peaked. He wanted to get her vibe on the place, especially now that he had a heightened sense of concern about the stability of the initial foundation and framework.

  He wouldn’t take her on a tour. Hell, he wouldn’t take her on a tour even if she were dressed appropriately. He didn’t want to risk her safety. She may have had a bad feeling about the site, and maybe it was rubbing off on him, but he would swear he had the same bad taste in his mouth.

  Mitch scanned the area and then turned back to face Melinda, using his hand to shield his eyes from the rising sun. “It’s a truly massive structure, isn’t it?”

  She nodded as she released Mitch’s arm. “Yes.” At least she didn’t start railing on Mitch for having the balls to step foot on the site of such a future abomination.

  Keegan set a hand on Melinda’s back and eased between her and Mitch. Even though it might have been completely irrational, he didn’t like his boss’s hands on his mate. He pointed toward the left end of the construction. “That’s the main entrance over there, followed by the bulk of the building, and the parking structure in the rear.” He panned his finger from left to right.

  “How tall is it supposed to be?” Melinda asked.

  Keegan turned to face her. “Way taller than you’d like.” He gave her a wry grin, knowing what she was really asking was if the entire view would be obstructed. The answer was yes.

  She narrowed her gaze at him, frowning. Or perhaps seething.

  Keegan lifted his hardhat toward Mitch’s free hand. “Can you hold this? I need to speak to my mate alone for a second. I’ll be right back.”

  Mitch grabbed the hat, chuckling under his breath. “Take your time.”

  Keegan calmly wove his fingers between hers and led her back into the construction trailer. He knew she practically ran to keep up with his hurried strides. Seconds later, he pulled her into his office once again, shut the door, and turned the lock.

  Two seconds after that, he spun her around to face his desk and pressed on her upper back until she leaned forward.

  “Keegan…”

  “Shh. You want to play? I can play.” Keegan separated her legs with one of his.

  “I don’t think—”

  “Yeah, I see that.” He chuckled, cutting her off. “Are you always this ornery? Or is it just my job that’s making you obstinate?” The question didn’t require a response, but he was sure she shivered slightly. He leaned over her and put his hand on the back of her head. “Set your forehead against my desk.”

  She complied with a soft gasp.

  Holy Christ.

  Keegan had to rein in his cock at the flood of arousal that wafted up from between her legs. She was going to kill him. He wanted to show her what would happen if she played games with him. But instead, she brought him to his knees with her arousal. He wasn’t going to “show” her anything. She had him by the balls.

  A soft moan escaped her lips, and her hips bucked slightly toward him.

  Keegan set his hand on her lower back to hold her steady. He lifted her skirt over her ass and tucked it under his hand.

  Jesus.

  Her thong was small, lacy, and wet.

  “Spread your legs wider, Melinda.” His voice sounded like someone else’s.

  She stepped out farther.

  “Good girl.” He stroked his hand down one thigh and then back up the inside until he reached her pussy.

  Soaked.

  She rose onto her toes and moaned louder.

  “Shh. Keep quiet. Someone could be in the outer room. Do you know how thin these walls are?”

  She shuddered.

  He pushed her thong aside and stroked through her folds, gathering her moisture and then spreading it forward. Instead of touching her clit, he grabbed her panties and tugged, tightening the lace over her sensitive nub.

  She jerked forward. “Please.”

  “You’re a bit of a hellion, aren’t you?”

  She didn’t respond.

  “Answer me.”

  “I, I guess.”

  “I work here, honey.”

  “I know.” Her voice was almost a whisper.

  He had to fight to keep from chuckling. “You don’t want me to fuck you in front of my friends, do you?”

  She shook her head.

  “Then maybe don’t tempt me.” He released the lace and reached around it from both sides to pinch her clit.

  “Mmm.” Her head rolled to one side so her cheek was on the desk.

  He released her clit and grasped her ass cheek, molding it in his palm.

  Melinda licked her lips. “It might be difficult to follow your advice if this is how you’re going to punish me?”

  Oh, she was so mistaken. He knew the low chuckle he emitted was menacing. “Oh, honey. You’re totally not grasping the situation.”

  She stiffened.

  He went in for the kill. If she thought she could toy with him verbally and mentally in front of his boss, she was in for a wild ride. He thrust his hand back between her legs, yanked her panties to one side, and pushed two fingers into her wet sheath.

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