naughty. She looked away from him, not wanting him to see her desire, focused instead on Sarah.
Sarah’s eyes narrowed.
But before she could speak, Seth moved between them. “I’ll thank you not to harass my employees any more. Not my men, which you and your lawyer have tried to do. Including Walker.” He glanced at Teri, something heated still in his gaze. “And not my housekeeper.”
Teri found his protectiveness sweet, unnecessary, but endearing. She did take exception to his emphasized ‘housekeeper’ word choice, although that was her position. But what else was she to him? Not his lover, which was kind of too bad. Not his friend, which he didn’t seem to have many of. No, she really was a temporary employee, a woman passing through his life. Oddly, that made her sad.
“I’ll make an appointment for you with my lawyer for tomorrow. His secretary will let you know the time.” Sarah gifted him with a challenging look and started to move away.
“No.”
She faced him, mouth tight as she bit out, “No?”
He stretched to his full intimidating height. “I’m done with your manipulations. The divorce papers were signed months ago. I was much more generous than I needed to be, and I’ve given you money since then that was not required.” He blew out a deep breath. “We. Are. Done.”
Sarah’s eyes flashed in fury. “You can’t talk to me this way. We--”
“We nothing! Stay away from me. Stay away from my men, my friends, and Teri.”
Teri moved next to him and put a hand on his forearm, where his muscles were tight. He glanced down at her, his nostrils flaring, eyes darkening. She saw the same wild edge she’d seen in him earlier. She could even smell it, something indescribable but potent. “I really need to go check out now. Some of this is refrigerated stuff.” An excuse to break up this prickly party.
He seemed to calm down, the tenseness draining away. “Yes. Go ahead. I’ll be right there.”
She didn’t like the idea of leaving him alone with his ex-wife. Jealous? Well, yes. But she also didn’t like or trust the other woman. “Why don’t you come with me now?”
At first he frowned, that whole I-don’t-like-being-told-what-to-do-thing. Then he gave a curt nod and pushed the basket toward the front of the store. Sarah tried to call after him, but he ignored her. Teri trailed after him, smiling.
Until he stopped for a second, lowered his voice, and said directly to her, “Enjoy sitting on the way home, because you won’t later.”
“What did I…” She gave up questioning him as he headed for the check-out counter. It would be a waste of breath anyway. He’d made up his mind to spank her and that would be that. Stubborn man. Still, she tingled all over in anticipation. Good and bad.
* * *
Seth put the last of the canned goods away in the pantry. Only a few feet from him, Teri closed the lid of the chest freezer at the end of the small room off the kitchen. Being this close to her was driving him slowly crazy. Her scent was almost more than he could stand at the moment. Arousal. Even after he’d all but said he planned to spank her. She wantsme. He knew it with every fiber of his being and it was making his wolf dangerously close to bursting free. He should have stayed away longer, until the beast in him no longer skimmed just below the surface.
“Are you all right?” She stepped beside him, touched his arm with her small, delicate hand.
He jerked away. Hell! How could he punish her for leaving him—okay, she hadn’t really, but that was beside the point—when he couldn’t stand even her lightest touch? He couldn’t put his hand on her bare bottom without… He growled low in his throat and strode out of the too small room.
She was right behind him. “Did you just growl at me?”
He couldn’t look at her, couldn’t let her see the animal in him too near coming out. The man in him wanted to toss her to the floor, spread her legs, and drive into
Sarah’s eyes narrowed.
But before she could speak, Seth moved between them. “I’ll thank you not to harass my employees any more. Not my men, which you and your lawyer have tried to do. Including Walker.” He glanced at Teri, something heated still in his gaze. “And not my housekeeper.”
Teri found his protectiveness sweet, unnecessary, but endearing. She did take exception to his emphasized ‘housekeeper’ word choice, although that was her position. But what else was she to him? Not his lover, which was kind of too bad. Not his friend, which he didn’t seem to have many of. No, she really was a temporary employee, a woman passing through his life. Oddly, that made her sad.
“I’ll make an appointment for you with my lawyer for tomorrow. His secretary will let you know the time.” Sarah gifted him with a challenging look and started to move away.
“No.”
She faced him, mouth tight as she bit out, “No?”
He stretched to his full intimidating height. “I’m done with your manipulations. The divorce papers were signed months ago. I was much more generous than I needed to be, and I’ve given you money since then that was not required.” He blew out a deep breath. “We. Are. Done.”
Sarah’s eyes flashed in fury. “You can’t talk to me this way. We--”
“We nothing! Stay away from me. Stay away from my men, my friends, and Teri.”
Teri moved next to him and put a hand on his forearm, where his muscles were tight. He glanced down at her, his nostrils flaring, eyes darkening. She saw the same wild edge she’d seen in him earlier. She could even smell it, something indescribable but potent. “I really need to go check out now. Some of this is refrigerated stuff.” An excuse to break up this prickly party.
He seemed to calm down, the tenseness draining away. “Yes. Go ahead. I’ll be right there.”
She didn’t like the idea of leaving him alone with his ex-wife. Jealous? Well, yes. But she also didn’t like or trust the other woman. “Why don’t you come with me now?”
At first he frowned, that whole I-don’t-like-being-told-what-to-do-thing. Then he gave a curt nod and pushed the basket toward the front of the store. Sarah tried to call after him, but he ignored her. Teri trailed after him, smiling.
Until he stopped for a second, lowered his voice, and said directly to her, “Enjoy sitting on the way home, because you won’t later.”
“What did I…” She gave up questioning him as he headed for the check-out counter. It would be a waste of breath anyway. He’d made up his mind to spank her and that would be that. Stubborn man. Still, she tingled all over in anticipation. Good and bad.
* * *
Seth put the last of the canned goods away in the pantry. Only a few feet from him, Teri closed the lid of the chest freezer at the end of the small room off the kitchen. Being this close to her was driving him slowly crazy. Her scent was almost more than he could stand at the moment. Arousal. Even after he’d all but said he planned to spank her. She wantsme. He knew it with every fiber of his being and it was making his wolf dangerously close to bursting free. He should have stayed away longer, until the beast in him no longer skimmed just below the surface.
“Are you all right?” She stepped beside him, touched his arm with her small, delicate hand.
He jerked away. Hell! How could he punish her for leaving him—okay, she hadn’t really, but that was beside the point—when he couldn’t stand even her lightest touch? He couldn’t put his hand on her bare bottom without… He growled low in his throat and strode out of the too small room.
She was right behind him. “Did you just growl at me?”
He couldn’t look at her, couldn’t let her see the animal in him too near coming out. The man in him wanted to toss her to the floor, spread her legs, and drive into
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