Page 55 of Wolf's Mark

“Something personal that you don’t want to share.”

His chuckle was just as dark as his demeanor. “A bond with my brothers. This merlot should be to your liking,” he said as he eased a glass around my shoulder for me to take.

“Thank you. You’re close with your brothers?”

“Yes, very close. The artwork is also a symbol of our family as well.”

“No wolf?”

“You’ll find that somewhere else. A symbol on the cars we have built.”

“Ah, yes, rich men and their toys.”

He laughed. “We need something to entertain ourselves with.”

Seeing him in the dark inside my house hadn’t allowed me to explore his body the way I would have liked. I hoped to do that later. I was turning into such a bad girl.

Wouldn’t Mattie and the other girls be oh-so proud of me?

He crowded my space and while we weren’t touching, every hair stood up on my arms. He managed to fluster me more than any man I’d ever known.

“This place is amazing. I love the feel of the city. Not just sky-high buildings where you can’t make out anything below. There’s such an old world feel to this area. I can only imagine the stories created inside the buildings.”

“This particular area has been around for a very long time. My mother had a hand in the renovations, including dozens of visual projects located in various locations in a ten-block radius. Local artists provided the medium.”

“You own the buildings,” I said, certainly not surprised.

“We do, including this one.”

Sighing, I realized why I missed the city, but I honestly wouldn’t want to move back. The quieter life did have its benefits. “Well, you are a very lucky man and this is incredible.”

“It’s okay, although I prefer my house in the woods back in Cartersville. However, I won’t lie that being here is much better than staying in a hotel when I have back-to-back meetings.”

“Ah, yes, the famous Wolfen Industries. I’m sure you’re considered an important man.”

“You’d need to ask my family and my best friend whether or not that is true.”

“Oh, I will. Give me their numbers.” I backed against the window, curious as to his reaction. “No one ever teases you, do they?”

“Not if they want to live. My brother Riker does. He’s a big goofball. The comedian in the family.”

“I have a brother like that. He was always cutting up when we were kids, dragging me into trouble. But he was my big brother and I adored him.”

“You’re close to your family as well?”

“Yes, although Rick is serving our country in the Army. We don’t talk nearly enough.”

“Your mom and dad?”

“Considering a move to either Montana or Florida since their little girl graduated and moved on from college. Granted, they’ve been talking about this for three years now, but they love the little house I grew up in.”

He quietly sipped on his vodka. His choice of drink was just as surprising as the man. With him, I liked surprises all of a sudden.

“Go ahead and ask, Jax. I know you’re curious.”

“About?”

“Don’t play coy. It doesn’t look good on you. I prefer the he-man barbarian in you.”

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