Downpour (Alpha Love - A Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance Book 1) by Olivia Stephens Page A
Authors: Olivia Stephens
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recovered after the recession. I’m sure they could do with a little help from Shale.” Luke chuckles lightly.
“It’s Beaumont.” Sofie knows it’s not worth her time to correct her boss, but she does it anyway, rankled that he can’t even be bothered to learn the name of the town that he’s about to use to get even richer.
“Whatever,” he responds. Sofie can almost see him waving his hand dismissively in his ludicrously ostentatious office in DC.
“Besides, we still have a whole heap of samples to take and tests to run. And even after all that, an ecologist will need to sign off on the site, to make sure we’re not disturbing any habitats when we start drilling,” she says, knowing that she sounds like she’s trying to talk Luke out of what looks like the most profitable oil deposit that Shale have ever found, but she’s just trying to be thorough. At least that’s what she tells herself.
“So dedicated. That’s what I love about you, Sofie. I know I can rely on you.” There’s a suggestion that Luke is talking about more than just work, but he doesn’t voice it. That’s how it always is with him. He towed the line with her, hinting, being inappropriate, and then passing it off as a joke.
“Right. But, what I was saying about the habitats—it’s important,” she barrels on, interrupting him—although she knows that he hates to be interrupted. She turns back to Finn to find that he’s looking at her curiously, like he’s not sure what it is that he’s up to. “Yesterday, when I was in the woods, I heard howling, like wolf howling.” She shuts her eyes feeling more and more like she must sound like a raving loon.
“Wolf howling,” Luke says the words slowly, as if he’s giving Sofie the opportunity to take them back. “And you don’t think that in your state of distress it could have been an owl or something else?”
“I know what I heard, Luke,” she says in a hard voice. Finn blinks at her, as surprised as she is by her revelation. “And if there are wolves there, it means no drilling. They’re under federal protection.”
“I appreciate your concern, Sofie, but we’ll make it work. One way or another we’ll do what we have to. How soon until you have the deposits confirmed?”
“At least a week, especially if the weather stays like this. So, are you going to send an ecologist?” Sofie insists—although she’s fairly sure that Luke is only half-listening to her.
“Yes, sure, whatever you need to get the ball rolling on this.” Luke seems to be missing the point of what she’s saying, but Sofie is at least appeased that he’s taking her advice. “Now, how about when I come up to Beatmont, as a token of my appreciation, I take you out for dinner?”
“You mean, the whole team?” Sofie asks the question although she’s already afraid that she knows the answer.
“Well, the whole team didn’t have a dangerous experience in the woods last night all in the name of Shale Corporation now did they? I think they’ll understand if it’s just the two of us.” The way that Luke says the words makes her stomach do somersaults and not in a good way.
“How’s your family, Luke?” she asks, before she has time to lose her nerve. Finn’s eyebrows shoot up, and Sofie can hear Luke’s anger in the silence on the end of the line. He keeps photographs of his beautiful wife and kids all over his office, but when he’s talking to Sofie he conveniently forgets all about them.
“They’re fine, Sofie. They’re fine,” he says, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. Sofie wonders if she’s succeeded in making him think twice about the way he behaves with her or if she’s just made him mad. “See you soon,” he says, but the words have an ominous ring to them, and Sofie is left with the dial tone as he hangs up.
“You going to tell me what that was all about?” Finn goes back to his videogame,
“It’s Beaumont.” Sofie knows it’s not worth her time to correct her boss, but she does it anyway, rankled that he can’t even be bothered to learn the name of the town that he’s about to use to get even richer.
“Whatever,” he responds. Sofie can almost see him waving his hand dismissively in his ludicrously ostentatious office in DC.
“Besides, we still have a whole heap of samples to take and tests to run. And even after all that, an ecologist will need to sign off on the site, to make sure we’re not disturbing any habitats when we start drilling,” she says, knowing that she sounds like she’s trying to talk Luke out of what looks like the most profitable oil deposit that Shale have ever found, but she’s just trying to be thorough. At least that’s what she tells herself.
“So dedicated. That’s what I love about you, Sofie. I know I can rely on you.” There’s a suggestion that Luke is talking about more than just work, but he doesn’t voice it. That’s how it always is with him. He towed the line with her, hinting, being inappropriate, and then passing it off as a joke.
“Right. But, what I was saying about the habitats—it’s important,” she barrels on, interrupting him—although she knows that he hates to be interrupted. She turns back to Finn to find that he’s looking at her curiously, like he’s not sure what it is that he’s up to. “Yesterday, when I was in the woods, I heard howling, like wolf howling.” She shuts her eyes feeling more and more like she must sound like a raving loon.
“Wolf howling,” Luke says the words slowly, as if he’s giving Sofie the opportunity to take them back. “And you don’t think that in your state of distress it could have been an owl or something else?”
“I know what I heard, Luke,” she says in a hard voice. Finn blinks at her, as surprised as she is by her revelation. “And if there are wolves there, it means no drilling. They’re under federal protection.”
“I appreciate your concern, Sofie, but we’ll make it work. One way or another we’ll do what we have to. How soon until you have the deposits confirmed?”
“At least a week, especially if the weather stays like this. So, are you going to send an ecologist?” Sofie insists—although she’s fairly sure that Luke is only half-listening to her.
“Yes, sure, whatever you need to get the ball rolling on this.” Luke seems to be missing the point of what she’s saying, but Sofie is at least appeased that he’s taking her advice. “Now, how about when I come up to Beatmont, as a token of my appreciation, I take you out for dinner?”
“You mean, the whole team?” Sofie asks the question although she’s already afraid that she knows the answer.
“Well, the whole team didn’t have a dangerous experience in the woods last night all in the name of Shale Corporation now did they? I think they’ll understand if it’s just the two of us.” The way that Luke says the words makes her stomach do somersaults and not in a good way.
“How’s your family, Luke?” she asks, before she has time to lose her nerve. Finn’s eyebrows shoot up, and Sofie can hear Luke’s anger in the silence on the end of the line. He keeps photographs of his beautiful wife and kids all over his office, but when he’s talking to Sofie he conveniently forgets all about them.
“They’re fine, Sofie. They’re fine,” he says, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. Sofie wonders if she’s succeeded in making him think twice about the way he behaves with her or if she’s just made him mad. “See you soon,” he says, but the words have an ominous ring to them, and Sofie is left with the dial tone as he hangs up.
“You going to tell me what that was all about?” Finn goes back to his videogame,
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