pure romantic nonsense. Did Samantha feel the same way he did?
He could understand her wariness. She was such an independent, modern woman that it made sense she not want to let any man in too quickly. Yet much as his gut had informed him that Bella had been keeping something from him at the dinner, so too did he feel most strongly that there was something else nagging on the edges of Samantha’s mind.
“Ah-HA!” she cried out, scattering papers everywhere on the floor. Callum smiled, relieved she had found something. His mind had shut down over half an hour ago. He looked at his watch.
Shit! Nearly three a.m.!
“What did you find, baby? My eyes started crossing a while ago.”
“Look here. Monique Thomason signed for the cubs when they handed them over to her! I couldn’t make out the scrawl earlier. I knew he had to have something to do with this. It was all just too pat.”
Callum frowned, not sure if Samantha was speaking gibberish or if he really was just so tired her words weren’t making sense.
“He? But Monique—”
“Is a woman’s name. My middle name. Thomas is Alexander’s middle name. When we were kids and needed aliases—or an imaginary friend to blame some mishap on to our parents—we always came up with Monique Thomason. We thought we were so clever.” He watched as she chuckled and shook her head. “Our parents could see right through us the whole time. I don’t know how they coped with the both of us.”
Callum frowned, his mind clicking into gear.
“But if Alexander signed for these, or even if someone signed this form for him…”
His eyes widened as the possibilities hit him. Samantha’s eyes were also large, showing she was likely thinking the same as he. “Then Alexander and likely Bella were in on this from the beginning. Which leads me back to where I started from. When Alexander called me, he told me to keep an eye on you too. He said he wanted me to closely watch every move you make, as it was your project. He wondered if…well…”
Callum felt anger sear through him. “Your brother thought I had something to do with this?”
He felt a cool, light hand touch his wrist. Samantha had stood up and crossed over to where he sat.
“No, I think he was baiting me, piquing my interest. He knew between two missing wolf cubs and you being under suspicion I wouldn’t let up, that I’d follow you around like the lamest of puppy dogs. In my professional opinion…” Callum felt his cock rise back to attention as she lowered her voice and leaned into him, her chest pressed enticingly against his, her lips mere inches from his ear and neck.
His pulse pounded as she continued. “In my professional opinion, Callum, I do believe we have been set up.”
“Really?” he croaked hoarsely, all his blood having headed south and his brain scrambling to keep up with what she said. He tried to gauge how Samantha felt about this. Personally, a part of Callum was pissed off at such a juvenile setup that could have easily ended in disaster. Truth be told, though, he was too happy with Samantha to bother reaming his cousin right now.
“So where do we go from here?” he asked softly, searching Samantha’s face and eyes intently.
He looked deeply into the bluest eyes he had ever found, knowing exactly what he wanted to do now. The pole wedged in his poor tuxedo pants clearly explained where his mind was at.
“I am going to seriously kick my brother’s ass,” she said fiercely. Callum was trying to figure how to reply to that when she continued, “But without his and Bella’s scheming it might have taken us both so much longer to sort this out for ourselves. That doesn’t negate the fact they both deserve to be yelled at—but I think I’m feeling too satisfied to be bothered right now.”
Samantha smiled and kissed his cheek, grabbed his shoulders and sat him up. Callum beamed, elation washing through him.
“I do believe it’s time to go home.”
“Mine or yours?” he
He could understand her wariness. She was such an independent, modern woman that it made sense she not want to let any man in too quickly. Yet much as his gut had informed him that Bella had been keeping something from him at the dinner, so too did he feel most strongly that there was something else nagging on the edges of Samantha’s mind.
“Ah-HA!” she cried out, scattering papers everywhere on the floor. Callum smiled, relieved she had found something. His mind had shut down over half an hour ago. He looked at his watch.
Shit! Nearly three a.m.!
“What did you find, baby? My eyes started crossing a while ago.”
“Look here. Monique Thomason signed for the cubs when they handed them over to her! I couldn’t make out the scrawl earlier. I knew he had to have something to do with this. It was all just too pat.”
Callum frowned, not sure if Samantha was speaking gibberish or if he really was just so tired her words weren’t making sense.
“He? But Monique—”
“Is a woman’s name. My middle name. Thomas is Alexander’s middle name. When we were kids and needed aliases—or an imaginary friend to blame some mishap on to our parents—we always came up with Monique Thomason. We thought we were so clever.” He watched as she chuckled and shook her head. “Our parents could see right through us the whole time. I don’t know how they coped with the both of us.”
Callum frowned, his mind clicking into gear.
“But if Alexander signed for these, or even if someone signed this form for him…”
His eyes widened as the possibilities hit him. Samantha’s eyes were also large, showing she was likely thinking the same as he. “Then Alexander and likely Bella were in on this from the beginning. Which leads me back to where I started from. When Alexander called me, he told me to keep an eye on you too. He said he wanted me to closely watch every move you make, as it was your project. He wondered if…well…”
Callum felt anger sear through him. “Your brother thought I had something to do with this?”
He felt a cool, light hand touch his wrist. Samantha had stood up and crossed over to where he sat.
“No, I think he was baiting me, piquing my interest. He knew between two missing wolf cubs and you being under suspicion I wouldn’t let up, that I’d follow you around like the lamest of puppy dogs. In my professional opinion…” Callum felt his cock rise back to attention as she lowered her voice and leaned into him, her chest pressed enticingly against his, her lips mere inches from his ear and neck.
His pulse pounded as she continued. “In my professional opinion, Callum, I do believe we have been set up.”
“Really?” he croaked hoarsely, all his blood having headed south and his brain scrambling to keep up with what she said. He tried to gauge how Samantha felt about this. Personally, a part of Callum was pissed off at such a juvenile setup that could have easily ended in disaster. Truth be told, though, he was too happy with Samantha to bother reaming his cousin right now.
“So where do we go from here?” he asked softly, searching Samantha’s face and eyes intently.
He looked deeply into the bluest eyes he had ever found, knowing exactly what he wanted to do now. The pole wedged in his poor tuxedo pants clearly explained where his mind was at.
“I am going to seriously kick my brother’s ass,” she said fiercely. Callum was trying to figure how to reply to that when she continued, “But without his and Bella’s scheming it might have taken us both so much longer to sort this out for ourselves. That doesn’t negate the fact they both deserve to be yelled at—but I think I’m feeling too satisfied to be bothered right now.”
Samantha smiled and kissed his cheek, grabbed his shoulders and sat him up. Callum beamed, elation washing through him.
“I do believe it’s time to go home.”
“Mine or yours?” he
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