Page 4

Chapter 4

MADELINE

I enter the office and see Nate standing with the guy I'm supposed to deliver papers to. "Graham Miller?" I ask for confirmation, trying not to look at Nate.

"Yes, that's me. You’re Cora's intern?"

"Yes, and also her niece. I came to drop these off for you." I hand him the papers and he takes them with a curt nod.

"Thank you. I'll get right on them. Where is she?"

"She's out right now, but I'm sure she'll be back soon."

Graham sits down at his desk, giving me enough time to offer Nate a polite smile. He returns my greeting with a frown, which only makes me curious about his reaction.

Graham glances back and forth between us. "Nate, aren't you going to say something?"

"I know who he is," I say calmly.

"We've met," he states.

"Interesting," Graham says, amused.

“You have a really nice office,” I say, attempting to change the subject.

For some reason, this really gets to Nate. I see his expression change as he reaches for my arm and pulls me into the hall. “You're coming with me,” he commands.

“Of course,” I say. Graham's amusement is priceless, and the only thing I can do to help is close his door as we exit.

Nate doesn't say a word as he tugs me down the hallway. I’m tense trailing behind him until we reach the door to his office. He pushes it open and drags me inside, not bothering to shut the door.

“What is wrong with you? What are you doing?”

“Huh?” I ask, surprised. “Did I do something to upset you?”

His hand moves to my waist and pulls me close, making my breath catch. The air between us is now intensely thin. His eyes lock onto mine, searching.

“Are you that nice to everyone you meet?” he demands.

The sudden possessiveness and willingness to be so close to me makes perfect sense. The surprise of seeing me so suddenly must have his wolf going mad.

I can tell that Nate is having as much trouble keeping his needs in check as I am. With him so close, all I want is for him to kiss me. just a kiss. Maybe more.

“What are you trying to ask, Nate?”

The wolf shifter gets even closer and breathing becomes a distant memory. I brace myself for the feeling of his lips on mine after so long.

“Have you been with anyone since me? Have you slept with anyone since the last time you and I were together?”

I can't even stop the shock that flashes on my face. “Why do you want to know? Do you care?”

“That's not an answer.”

“Didn't we part amicably?” I query. “You were the one who said I should live my life without you, didn’t you?”

Nate's hand slips from my waist as he mutters something inaudible. He takes a step back, moving away slightly. I immediately miss how close we had been just a second ago.

“Is this what you do now?” I question. “Get jealous as soon as I talk to others?”

Nate looks a little surprised. He takes a deep breath, but before he can respond, his eyes widen. I can tell the scents emanating from us have just filled his lungs. Lust flashes in his eyes, and Nate finally releases all his inhibitions.

He kicks the door closed before turning to me. The space between us vanishes as Nate's lips lock with mine. The man kisses me with a ferocity that I've been missing.

I sink into the kiss as his hands move back to my waist, only this time, they travel lower.

He grabs a handful of my ass, sinking his fingers into my clothes. I can't help but smile against him as he pulls me closer.

Yes! Yes!

Nate’s tongue travels into my mouth and I let him explore happily, tugging at his shirt, fighting the urge to just rip it off.

“Have you been with anyone else?” he asks, pushing me to the wall.

I reply with a bright smile. “Why don't you try getting that information out of me?”

His lips move to my neck, placing soft bites on the side. My eyes close as my wolf revels in the pleasure and rightness of this moment. This is everything I've been looking for.

Nate seems less interested in keeping the integrity of my clothes than I am. He moves his hand into my shirt through the buttons, squeezing my tits as he feasts on my neck with his tongue.

“Hmm …” I moan. “More, please.”

“You haven't answered my question,” he says, letting go of my breasts and dropping his hands to my thighs. He digs his hips into me and I feel his length through my clothes.

My mouth waters hungrily as I imagine it filling me again like it did so many years ago.

Nate slips his fingers between my legs, moving past my panties. I drop them in anticipation, waiting for him to move into me.

Yes!

Three quick knocks meet the door from the outside, making us pull apart immediately. They sound again when neither of us answers.

“Madeline? Are you in there?” My aunt's voice slices through the door like a knife.

Nate and I quickly try putting our clothes in order, trying not to make what we were doing obvious. I pull my skirt down, as Nate fixes his shirt.

“I'll be right out, Aunt Cora.” I turn to Nate and quickly say, “I haven't been with anyone else.”

The tension in his shoulders eases visibly, and it even looks like the corners of his lips are about to break into a small smile. I walk out of the office where my aunt stands outside. “Aunt Cora, you're back,” I remark.

“Uh huh,” she replies, giving us a suspicious glare. “Can I have my key back?”

“Yeah, sorry,” I hand the key back to her. She gives me one last look before she walks away. I breathe a sigh of relief and follow behind her. Thankfully, she doesn't mention Nate for the rest of the day.

Aunt Cora drops me off at my apartment at the end of the day. She waits for me to enter before her driver zooms off.

I chuckle as I see her car go down the street and then make a right turn until they’re out of sight. It's sweet that she's so protective.

The thought takes me back to Nate and our brief time together. I want to return to him more than anything so we can finish what we started. My body already aches for him, just hours after we parted.

My smile remains as I turn the key in my front door and walk in. I stop after only a step, when I realize there's something under my feet.

“What the—”

I pick up the small envelope, flipping it over to observe both sides. No return address, No stamp. Someone must've slipped this under my door .

I peek outside to see if anyone’s there, but the only people who immediately catch my eye are an old couple walking hand-in-hand. The heartwarming sight almost makes me forget the whole point of searching outside in the first place.

I finally regain myself when I feel the envelope in my hands.

Is it from Nate? I know it's a long shot, but I bring the envelope to my nose to try and get a whiff of him. This only leads to disappointment. While the envelope is scented, it's nothing near Nate’s intoxicating scent.

I tear it open to reveal a small note inside. It's handwriting I don’t recognize, leaving me with even less to go on. All I can work with is the message on the paper.

“You looked extra beautiful today. I love the outfit.” I frown, despite the compliment.

What the hell is this? The fact that I know this isn't from Nate makes it feel creepy. I tear the paper and crumple it into a ball. I take it with me as I go inside and dump it in the trash can.

By the time I went to bed that night, I had forgotten everything about the envelope. When I woke up the next morning, it was to start another day of work.

My tired eyes open slowly, and I get up with a groan, upset that my alarm has loudly interrupted the amazing dream I was having.

Unlike what happened in real life, Nate and I were enjoying ourselves and I woke up when I was so close to climax, but I know a wonderful dream is no substitute for the real thing.

I walk mindlessly to the kitchen and start the coffee, watching the ebony liquid of life fill the pot. My gaze drifts and somehow rests on the trashcan in the corner of the kitchen.

I look at the little bits of brown and white paper, promptly remembering the envelope under the door last night.

Who was that from?

I can’t come up with any reasonable theories before my coffee is ready, so I push the question to the corner of my mind once more, leaving it there to be forgotten.