CHAPTER FOUR
Stetson woke up covered in sweat, completely erect and throbbing. He looked down, confused that he was in his human form. Stetson remembered his journey through the woods, followed by what must’ve been a great transition back into human form. He also recalled a dream, an erotic imagining of him and Poppy, together. He was exasperated by the lust he felt and how he lost control of his body in the current of it. Stetson didn’t bother shifting into his wolf form but rolled over and tried his best to sleep again.
Wednesday night, Stetson had been parked down the street for over an hour before he was supposed to arrive. Noticing the time, he called Brett to confirm the security detail had checked out the venue for the evening. Stetson was accompanying Poppy to a charity benefit she planned for a wildlife preserve. He and Brett coordinated to be sure there would be extra eyes during the ceremony.
Satisfied that everything was in place, Stetson pulled down the street to the valet lane in front of her building. He walked inside to her elevator, acknowledging the classy finishes. It was certainly a nice place, so she did alright for herself in the ‘party planning world’.
Once he was on her floor, he inhaled deeply, already able to smell her scent. It made him think of her at the gym again and flashes of his dream blew through his mind. He quickly dismissed those thoughts and steeled himself again. He rang the bell and waited.
When the door opened, he could see that lights in her apartment were turned off and she was cloaked in shadow. Even though he had brilliantly keen night vision, it still took a moment for his eyes to adjust. Poppy took one quick step out into the lighted hallway and seemed to explode into view. Stetson felt his heartbeat elevate immediately. From her high heeled shoes, to her curled hair, she looked ravishing. He was so distracted, that he failed to answer her greeting.
With the door locked behind her, Poppy stood there with an expectant look on her face. Stetson jolted back to awareness of his surroundings and said, “I’m sorry. You look amazing. You literally blew me away for a second.” As he spoke, his lips betrayed him and crooked to a half smile.
Poppy’s cheeks blushed slightly as she smiled. “Thank you. You look nice too.”
He looked down at his black suit, hoping that he did look fine. He wasn’t used to having to deliberate over something as mundane as clothes, but looking over her black dress, he realized that she used clothes as both armor and to accentuate her already seductive look.
He’d never been insecure about his own looks, but knew that he wasn’t classically handsome, not like the other guys he’d been reviewing that she’d dated. She obviously had a thing for pretty boys, and he was the farthest thing from that.
Even as he tried to stuff down thoughts about their ‘date’ and focus on work, he couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking, her beautiful eyes casting downward over his appearance.
***
Poppy couldn’t control the frisson of awareness and shock that coursed through her body. He was damn good looking. She’d knew it before, but now, looking at him dressed for her, she was so attracted to him that it was almost a tangible thing. He was so handsome.
That night he wore a black suit that made him look sleek even though he was a mountain of a man. The black suit was cut to his body much better than the blue suit had been. His muscles still strained against the soft material of the shirt, but not indecently so. It made her think of rendered fabric and flying buttons as she pondered what it would be like to see him without clothes.
“Thanks,” he begrudgingly admitted. She almost laughed. Clearly, he wasn’t as interested in fashion as she was, but it didn’t bother her. She actually enjoyed his masculinity, the difference between the two of them interesting and unusual.
As she swayed down the hallway, she could feel his eyes on her back. It was thrilling. She matched the picture of him standing at her doorway to the sensations in her dream. Matching the firm hold of strong arms on her hips to the sight of his massive shoulders in his black blazer. The pure power of his thrusting to his tall and impossibly well-built frame. She felt a heat growing under her dress as she pondered it, unable to keep her thoughts about the event that they were going to.
“Thanks for picking me up,” she said, her voice low and throaty, turning around so he could hear her words.
When he responded, she shivered at his impossibly low voice. “No problem. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She acknowledged the old-fashioned respect with a smile. It was sweet, actually, that he had been so insistent that he would pick her up instead of meeting her there. It was unlike the other dates she’d brought along to events like these, but she didn’t mind.
Once in the elevator, she felt his sheer size. Stetson was bigger than any guy she’d ever dated, but not unattractively so. She liked feeling small and feminine in his presence. She took a deep breath to steady herself, but instead, was filled with his masculine scent. The smell of him was intoxicating. Masculine but simple.
“Do you normally attend all your events?” He asked, his deep voice sounding from just behind her ear. She shivered with the sensation.
“If I can make it. My events should all run smooth without me, but it’s fun to see my work come true, and sometimes there are adjustments I make before and during the party if I see something that would make it a better experience for my clients or the guests.” It would be stressful if she didn’t enjoy it as much as she did. It was like a puzzle with fifty different pieces all of different shapes and sizes. She just had to figure out how to get them all to come together seamlessly.
***
As they arrived at the wildlife preserve, Stetson kept a disciplined eye on his surroundings. He looked to the line of cars waiting at the valet stand, the crowd of people being ushered inside the observation building and, lastly, to the ridgeline behind it. Without consciously meaning to, he estimated the number of people gathered here and the distances between each of these points.
He got out of the truck and handed the key fob to the valet. He opened Poppy’s door, shaking his head at the valet to indicate that Stetson wanted to be the one to do it. She seemed surprised, but he enjoyed the tug that brought her up and out of the truck, against his body. For just a moment, he let himself think what it would be like to actually have a girl like that at an event like this. She was irritatingly charming, feisty, and incredibly sexy…and it was all a recipe for disaster.
He couldn’t afford to let someone in right now. He’d already accepted Bronte as part of the family, but that had taken a huge measure of trust, especially with a past like Stetson’s. Of anyone, he understood that no one could be trusted. Even someone as beautiful and innocent as Poppy.
“Shall we?” He asked, letting her see the heat in his gaze. Without responding verbally, she nodded. With her safely tucked into his arm, his mind traced their steps toward the door and matched them to the map of the preserve he had memorized in the days beforehand. Stetson was always very cool and collected, but he felt somewhat enflamed with his date holding his arm. His heart was still beating quickly, and his mind was frantic to stay on task.
He was amazed that he was still feeling this attraction. He’d initially been struck by her beauty, but he would’ve thought it would have worn off by now. But each time he looked at her, he noticed little beautifully intricate things about her – a freckle, a shade of color in her eyes, the softness of her skin. He was trying hard to stay professional and keep the expectations he’d had about her – that she was a spoiled, immature party girl. Even though there was relatively little that he’d learned about her that agreed with that thought. She didn’t seem like that at all.
“How many of these people do you know?” He asked her, leaning in closer under the guise of being heard. He breathed in the floral scent of her shampoo, even her scent driving him crazy with lust.
“Maybe half? Obviously, I see the guest list, but I don’t always recognize all the names,” she said, her eyes gazing out into the crowd and seeking out familiar faces. “But a lot of the ones I do recognize are from events like this, sort of like a networking engagement.”
He took in her words, saw the way her spine steeled as they walked in. He’d never really thought about how much work would go into a party like this, but was suddenly taking notice of the décor, the floral arrangements, the signature cocktails. It was a lot of work, and he started to see Poppy’s job through a new light.
Suddenly he saw some familiar faces in the otherwise unknown crowd. He viewed Brett and Bronte, who were obvious candidates for an event like this one. They were in their usual public appearance garb and mingling with a group of other likely outrageously wealthy couples from the city. Stetson and Brett caught each other’s eyes and silently understood that they were each ready for the night to continue.
He couldn’t see Darian, but he knew that he was close by too and ready to be called to action if the need arose. Brett and Stetson each carried two small capsules in their pockets. These capsules were filled with car freshener scents. One was lavender and the other was pine. With their heightened sense of smell, they could each break the capsule and the odor would alert the other without anyone else knowing. Lavender was the signal for all clear and pine was the signal to evacuate.
Stetson continued scanning the room and noted two of the high-profile people that were being sought after by Lila’s blackmailers. Making a mental note of what they wore and where they were in the room, Stetson turned his attention back to his date.
He felt Poppy gently squeeze his arm, whispering, “I hope you’re ready for a real dog and pony show tonight.”
He felt himself smirk at her mention of animals, especially of the canine variety. Oh, if only she knew. But she didn’t. And she never could.
She whisked him over to a group of well-to-do-women, clearly knowing who to invite to these events and, more importantly, who to make sure she was seen by at these events. She was obviously good at what she did, just like him. He felt bad for judging her so harshly originally.
“Maria, Sandra, and Amber, this is Stetson Hardy. Stetson, these three women have pretty much taken on the entire task of protecting the animals in the city from harm.” She introduced him to the circle of very pretty, obviously wealthy women. All three had heavy jewelry, including rocks on their hands that were the size of grapes. He was amazed they could even hold their hands up.
They shook his hand limply, allowing him to grasp their hands. He disliked their bird-like grips instantly but was careful not to let it show. “A pleasure to meet the three of you.”