Page 40 of Werewolves Don't Howl
“Mm.”
“I…” I squinted as I ran over the society events calendar in my head. “Oh. This isn’t the Frederick’s Gala, it’s the fundraiser for your party. I don’t come to political events.”
“I see. In that case, we’ll go to the gala. Henrick, we’re at the wrong event.”
I put a hand on his arm while my whole soul shriveled up. “I really hate you. This is important for your senator cover.”
“It’s not a cover. I really am a senator. It was a surprising turn of events. I was in this undercover position as a gambler between various levels of political…”
I pressed my hand to his supple mouth while I tried not to listen to him. “Don’t tell me details, Cross. Don’t tell me anything.” I got out of the car like a devil was after me, and of course, he was, but he had long legs and caught up before I’d reached the main doors.
He held his arm out for me to take.
I gritted my teeth and grabbed his arm, hanging on tight and thinking about shots and angles that would get me the most bang for the buck. I was definitely doing an exposé of him. I had to do something, and I couldn’t do much to sabotage him, but I could do that. And I would.
ChapterTwelve
“When are you coming down?” my mom asked the second I picked up my phone.
I put my arm over my eyes and tried to shut out the rest of the world. I was lying on the lounge chair in my knitted bikini while Cross swam laps in swimming shorts, almost like he wanted me to see him mostly naked. I was eating cookies with Lynx, but there weren’t enough in the world to make everything okay.
“I’m not sure if I can make it.” I winced as soon as I said the words, because that was ammunition to my mother.
Her voice was arch. “Oh. Well, if you can’t leave your boyfriend, I guess Bram’s just going to have to understand.”
I sat up, dropping my phone on my lap for a second before I scooped it up and turned to the side so I wasn’t facing Cross. “What do you mean?”
“The Senator! Are you really dating him?”
“No. Absolutely not. I mean, yes, but it’s not serious.”
“Yes!” she squealed, and I had to take the phone away from my ear. “Your father is looking forward to meeting him! Imagine, you marrying an elf after all this time.”
“Marrying? I’m not marrying him. We’re just casually dating. He casually dates lots of people. It’s not like we’re serious.”
“But if you’re not coming to your own brother’s wedding because you have to stay with him, how can it not be serious?”
I opened my mouth and closed it a few times. Disaster. This was the worst disaster ever. “I mean, I guess I don’t need to stay here.”
“Oh, good! And you can bring him here to meet everyone! I’m so glad we had this little chat. I’ll put you down for the fifteenth. You can stay in your old room. I’ll be sure to change the sheets.” She hung up, leaving me with a headache behind my eyes.
I slumped down, staring at the stone paving beneath my chair.
“Everything okay?” Cross asked from the side of the pool.
I made a point of ignoring him when we were alone together. I hated him. I couldn’t look at him without my chest filling with tightness and anxiety. That’s why I wouldn’t look at him when he gave me his therapy hugs.
I spoke shortly. “I need to go home for my brother’s wedding.”
“On the fifteenth of July. I know. It’s on my schedule. I have a reservation for us in the nearest bed-and-breakfast, as they don’t have any hotels nearby.”
I whirled around to stare at the monster. “No. You aren’t coming with me.”
His dark hair was slicked back, leaving his body looking even more massive and powerful in contrast. “No? But I’m your protector. I suppose I can escort you in a glamour, so no one knows that I’m with you if you’d be more comfortable that way.” He went back to swimming, like that was decided.
I stared at his body moving through the water like a knife through hot butter. “Or,” I said quietly. “I take you as my boyfriend and let my mother torture you.” That actually had a lot of potential. She’d feel so much better knowing that I wasn’t alone in the world. And if it was a rich, powerful elf, that would be even better.
I kissed Lynx’s head, gave her a bit of cookie and then I walked over to the pool and put my legs in, waiting for Cross to stop swimming so he could see me wave at him. He came over to me, coming up out of the water directly in front of me so his bare chest brushed my knees.
