eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were flushed. The gloss made her lips look almost swollen. She angled her compact to see her breasts straining against the creamy linen of her dress. She hoped Julian wouldn’t guess how wanton she felt tonight.
All her life she had gotten what she wanted by playing it cool. If she could own the Manhattan luxury real estate market without a famous last name, she could certainly hold the interest of one handsome academic.
Without further ado, she smoothed down her skirt, tucked her hair behind her ears, and marched down the path and up a set of wide stone steps.
The cool air enveloped her as she entered Scott Hall. Her heels clacked on the marble floor. It was amazing how quickly she could come out of the hot, humid woods and back into crisp civilization.
The foyer was mostly empty. A few elderly townies stood by the refreshment table. It was stocked with what she knew to be stale crackers and sparkling apple cider in plastic cups.
There was a sign-in sheet on the lectern by the door, so she stopped and printed Ainsley Connor neatly. She had a sudden stab of panic about writing her real name, then laughed at herself a little. Erik’s earlier warning was pretty silly. Besides, everyone in town pretty much knew who she was anyway.
Chapter 16
A s if on cue , a great big blonde guy strolled up to her with a big smile on his face. He looked like every popular kid from an 80s movie – but twice the size.
“Hey Ainsley,” he boomed.
“Clive?”
“You remembered me.” He looked triumphant, though Ainsley wondered how even a nerd like herself could be expected to forget the star of the football team.
“How could I forget? What are you doing here?” She wouldn’t have pegged Clive for the type to read much Russian Lit.
Clive’s smile turned sheepish.
“I was sorta’ hoping to find you. I heard you were in town. When I saw a flyer for this talk I remembered you always liked this stuff, and thought I might bump into you here.”
Ainsley knew she should be annoyed, but she couldn’t help smiling back at him. His honesty was disarming. She surveyed his enormous body – he was even bigger than in high school, but somehow he’d found a polo shirt wide enough to encompass his shoulders. She refrained from brushing a cracker crumb off his chest.
“Why did you want to see me, Clive?”
His face grew serious and he took her by the elbow and led her behind a column.
“Ainsley, we need you,” he said simply.
“This isn’t my world, Clive.”
“They’re building an Inn. They’re bringing in the highway. There are going to be more and more people here.”
“This town might change, Clive, but it will be okay. Change isn’t always a bad thing.”
“We need real leadership if we want it to be safe. MacGregor is a good guy, but he’s not an alpha. Things are going to get really bad, Ainsley.”
“What do you suggest?”
Clive looked nervous. He wiped his big hands on his khakis and took a deep breath.
“Ainsley, you know I have an easy way with people. If I led the pack I could make everything right again. I’m not as smart as you are. Maybe I’m not the one you would want to choose as a mate. But I would protect this town. You wouldn’t have to get involved at all. And I’d do anything to try and make you happy.”
Wow. Nothing like the direct approach.
Ainsley could see how Clive would be a good leader. Although he had been a bit of a bully in elementary school, he was certainly brave and usually honest. And he had obviously grown up to be a more thoughtful person.
She knew that she was not the mate he would choose either. Though the way he was staring at her breasts made her think it wouldn’t be such a sacrifice for him.
“I don’t know what to say, Clive, that’s so kind of you. But I’m not cut out for this life. Why don’t you just ask the pack to vote you in as the alpha?”
Clive sighed, and smiled grimly.
“It doesn’t work that way,
All her life she had gotten what she wanted by playing it cool. If she could own the Manhattan luxury real estate market without a famous last name, she could certainly hold the interest of one handsome academic.
Without further ado, she smoothed down her skirt, tucked her hair behind her ears, and marched down the path and up a set of wide stone steps.
The cool air enveloped her as she entered Scott Hall. Her heels clacked on the marble floor. It was amazing how quickly she could come out of the hot, humid woods and back into crisp civilization.
The foyer was mostly empty. A few elderly townies stood by the refreshment table. It was stocked with what she knew to be stale crackers and sparkling apple cider in plastic cups.
There was a sign-in sheet on the lectern by the door, so she stopped and printed Ainsley Connor neatly. She had a sudden stab of panic about writing her real name, then laughed at herself a little. Erik’s earlier warning was pretty silly. Besides, everyone in town pretty much knew who she was anyway.
Chapter 16
A s if on cue , a great big blonde guy strolled up to her with a big smile on his face. He looked like every popular kid from an 80s movie – but twice the size.
“Hey Ainsley,” he boomed.
“Clive?”
“You remembered me.” He looked triumphant, though Ainsley wondered how even a nerd like herself could be expected to forget the star of the football team.
“How could I forget? What are you doing here?” She wouldn’t have pegged Clive for the type to read much Russian Lit.
Clive’s smile turned sheepish.
“I was sorta’ hoping to find you. I heard you were in town. When I saw a flyer for this talk I remembered you always liked this stuff, and thought I might bump into you here.”
Ainsley knew she should be annoyed, but she couldn’t help smiling back at him. His honesty was disarming. She surveyed his enormous body – he was even bigger than in high school, but somehow he’d found a polo shirt wide enough to encompass his shoulders. She refrained from brushing a cracker crumb off his chest.
“Why did you want to see me, Clive?”
His face grew serious and he took her by the elbow and led her behind a column.
“Ainsley, we need you,” he said simply.
“This isn’t my world, Clive.”
“They’re building an Inn. They’re bringing in the highway. There are going to be more and more people here.”
“This town might change, Clive, but it will be okay. Change isn’t always a bad thing.”
“We need real leadership if we want it to be safe. MacGregor is a good guy, but he’s not an alpha. Things are going to get really bad, Ainsley.”
“What do you suggest?”
Clive looked nervous. He wiped his big hands on his khakis and took a deep breath.
“Ainsley, you know I have an easy way with people. If I led the pack I could make everything right again. I’m not as smart as you are. Maybe I’m not the one you would want to choose as a mate. But I would protect this town. You wouldn’t have to get involved at all. And I’d do anything to try and make you happy.”
Wow. Nothing like the direct approach.
Ainsley could see how Clive would be a good leader. Although he had been a bit of a bully in elementary school, he was certainly brave and usually honest. And he had obviously grown up to be a more thoughtful person.
She knew that she was not the mate he would choose either. Though the way he was staring at her breasts made her think it wouldn’t be such a sacrifice for him.
“I don’t know what to say, Clive, that’s so kind of you. But I’m not cut out for this life. Why don’t you just ask the pack to vote you in as the alpha?”
Clive sighed, and smiled grimly.
“It doesn’t work that way,
Similar Books
