his eyes. “I’m not sorry I kissed you though.”
“Good.” He nodded, cupping her cheek. “I’m going to kiss you again.”
“All right,” she agreed. “One more.” They could stop at just one more, right?
Chapter Five
Ryan studied the paperwork in front of him. He’d documented every instance of Tiffany’s abuse. Collin, as it turned out, was a whiz with computers and research. The natural tracking instinct was exactly what Zane fostered in the younger wolf. A pack Hunter, Chicago fell within Zane’s regular route. He’d diverted into the city at Ryan’s request to watch over Tiffany and her daughter.
The Taglionis had made a bid on the Wisconsin land tract. The news arrived that morning. Not an official announcement, no, the attorney had simply let Ryan know another interested party had made a competitive bid. Collin tracked down the Taglioni name. Steepling his fingers, he considered the filing he’d drafted. Once he set the wheels in motion, the hunt would be on.
Down the hall, he could hear the soft murmur of Tiffany’s voice. The low contralto soothed his wolf. Neither he nor his animal had ever been on edge. Discipline was something they both possessed, but the hunger he experienced when Tiffany was near threatened his control. Only the certainty that she was a deeply loyal woman who wouldn’t forgive herself for ‘betraying’ the man she married, even if he’d never been a real husband, stayed his passion.
Despite all her protests—and she’d piled on many self-recriminations during the revealing discussions about her marriage—she was a deeply loyal woman. Giles Taglioni didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her, much less benefit from the strength of her character. All Tiffany wanted was her freedom and her daughter.
“Ryan, I don’t care if he comes up on charges or if he ever pays for what he did. All I care about is Alexis. He has money and power, and he’ll take her if he thinks he can.” Her voice hitched. “So if I have to go on record with all of it, I will. I just don’t want her to know any more than she does already.”
Maybe Giles Taglioni could simply have an accident. Tiffany would be a widow, problem solved. His wolf liked it. If Ryan were perfectly honest, the man did too.
Not that way. Murder was murder unless it was a justified execution to protect the safety of the pack.
Or a mate.
The more time he spent with her, the more certain he grew. The attraction he’d experienced from the first moment he’d spotted her continued to flourish. Tiffany could be his mate. The need to claim her slammed him every time she walked into the room. Her desire equaled his. He’d tasted that in her first hesitant kiss. She’d turned him into an addict.
Laughter echoed down the hall, and he smiled. A week in the hotel, and his girls sounded better every day. Tiffany was a wounded woman and Alexis had been hurt as well, but he’d seen the signs of dominance in her little girl. The kind of dominance would create a fierce wolf, strong and protective. She might have been human, but she knew the power of meeting a gaze. That she could hold Ryan’s for as long as she did each time made him proud.
And, if he were honest, charmed him utterly.
The door to Tiffany’s suite opened, and he rose to his feet. Collin was in the hall; Zane had work elsewhere for Ryan today. He was heading to the attorney’s office to track his meetings with Taglioni. Legal business in Cook County was all about who a person knew—and what they had on them. If he gathered enough information, he’d throw the sale under the grind of the Cook County legal system, then use a shell company to sweep the land up.
It didn’t matter whose name was on the final deal so long as the pack benefited from the land. The room phone rang, and Ryan answered it even as he listened to Tiffany and Collin
“Alexis is watching a movie,” she said. “I’m going to talk to Ryan. Do you mind
“Good.” He nodded, cupping her cheek. “I’m going to kiss you again.”
“All right,” she agreed. “One more.” They could stop at just one more, right?
Chapter Five
Ryan studied the paperwork in front of him. He’d documented every instance of Tiffany’s abuse. Collin, as it turned out, was a whiz with computers and research. The natural tracking instinct was exactly what Zane fostered in the younger wolf. A pack Hunter, Chicago fell within Zane’s regular route. He’d diverted into the city at Ryan’s request to watch over Tiffany and her daughter.
The Taglionis had made a bid on the Wisconsin land tract. The news arrived that morning. Not an official announcement, no, the attorney had simply let Ryan know another interested party had made a competitive bid. Collin tracked down the Taglioni name. Steepling his fingers, he considered the filing he’d drafted. Once he set the wheels in motion, the hunt would be on.
Down the hall, he could hear the soft murmur of Tiffany’s voice. The low contralto soothed his wolf. Neither he nor his animal had ever been on edge. Discipline was something they both possessed, but the hunger he experienced when Tiffany was near threatened his control. Only the certainty that she was a deeply loyal woman who wouldn’t forgive herself for ‘betraying’ the man she married, even if he’d never been a real husband, stayed his passion.
Despite all her protests—and she’d piled on many self-recriminations during the revealing discussions about her marriage—she was a deeply loyal woman. Giles Taglioni didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her, much less benefit from the strength of her character. All Tiffany wanted was her freedom and her daughter.
“Ryan, I don’t care if he comes up on charges or if he ever pays for what he did. All I care about is Alexis. He has money and power, and he’ll take her if he thinks he can.” Her voice hitched. “So if I have to go on record with all of it, I will. I just don’t want her to know any more than she does already.”
Maybe Giles Taglioni could simply have an accident. Tiffany would be a widow, problem solved. His wolf liked it. If Ryan were perfectly honest, the man did too.
Not that way. Murder was murder unless it was a justified execution to protect the safety of the pack.
Or a mate.
The more time he spent with her, the more certain he grew. The attraction he’d experienced from the first moment he’d spotted her continued to flourish. Tiffany could be his mate. The need to claim her slammed him every time she walked into the room. Her desire equaled his. He’d tasted that in her first hesitant kiss. She’d turned him into an addict.
Laughter echoed down the hall, and he smiled. A week in the hotel, and his girls sounded better every day. Tiffany was a wounded woman and Alexis had been hurt as well, but he’d seen the signs of dominance in her little girl. The kind of dominance would create a fierce wolf, strong and protective. She might have been human, but she knew the power of meeting a gaze. That she could hold Ryan’s for as long as she did each time made him proud.
And, if he were honest, charmed him utterly.
The door to Tiffany’s suite opened, and he rose to his feet. Collin was in the hall; Zane had work elsewhere for Ryan today. He was heading to the attorney’s office to track his meetings with Taglioni. Legal business in Cook County was all about who a person knew—and what they had on them. If he gathered enough information, he’d throw the sale under the grind of the Cook County legal system, then use a shell company to sweep the land up.
It didn’t matter whose name was on the final deal so long as the pack benefited from the land. The room phone rang, and Ryan answered it even as he listened to Tiffany and Collin
“Alexis is watching a movie,” she said. “I’m going to talk to Ryan. Do you mind
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