Chapter 21
Like he’d promised, just over ten minutes later, there was a knock on my door.
“Elizabeth?” Abraham’s voice whispered from the hallway. I could tell it was a whisper, but it still sounded like he was in the room with me speaking conversationally.
“Come in.”
Abraham McCoy stepped in my office looking larger than life. He had on a plain white t-shirt that stretched across his broad chest, a worn-in pair of jeans, and boots on his feet. He couldn’t look less like he belonged in this office if he’d tried. And I was captivated.
“El?” he asked softly.
My eyes snapped up to meet his. Seeing the gentle concern in his gaze reminded me of why he was here. “Why is everything so loud?” I whispered.
He sighed and crossed the room to envelope me in his arms. A week ago, being hugged would have sent me into a panic, but his embrace was nothing but comforting. Well, and maybe a little exciting, but I didn’t have time to entertain those thoughts right now. It had been hard enough to keep my mind off our midnight rendezvous, I didn’t need to add more fuel to the slow burning fire in my core.
“You’re becoming a werewolf, El. This is one of those changes I told you about.”
I pulled away to look him in the eyes. “So, this is how things sound to you all the time?” He nodded. “Then why the hell is Evey always screaming if your hearing is so great?”
His head tipped back with a loud laugh, and I pulled away to slap my hands over my ears again. I shot him a glare that he responded to with a huge grin. It was almost as if he knew I couldn’t stay irritated at him when he flashed me that gorgeous smile of his.
Damn man.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly, the contrition obvious in his voice. If I hadn’t already forgiven him, his apology would have forced me to. “Evey’s always been… exuberant.” It was my turn to laugh at his description of his bubbly younger sister. “After a while, you’ll acclimate to your new hearing, and things won’t be as loud anymore.”
“How long?” I asked desperately.
He shook his head sadly. “There’s no way to know.”
My shoulders slumped.
How long could I go on like this before I went crazy?
Even now, I could hear full conversations from what must have been rooms away. The voices and sounds were piling up in my head, like a mountain of sand threatening to drown me.
Abraham’s calloused fingers grasped my chin. “It shouldn’t be too long though, and in the meantime, I can help a little.” I furrowed my brows in confusion as he picked up the phone on my desk and fiddled with the settings. The dial tone went from blaring, to a more manageable sound in small increments. “Can I see your phone?”
I handed over my cell and watched him adjust the sound settings there too. When finished, he passed it back, and held out two little tan-colored cylindrical pieces of foam. When I looked at him questioningly, he answered, “Earplugs.” I took them and stuffed them in my ears. Immediately the conversations from down the hall quieted, and I smiled with a sigh of relief.
“Thank you so much.” I looked up to find Abraham’s eyes on me, his expression gentle, and kind, and something else. I looked away before I could take a guess as to what it was.
“It’s what I’m here for.” Amazingly, the volume wasn’t earsplitting, but instead sounded like it used to before my hearing went crazy. “The ear plugs won’t drown out everything, but they’ll help reduce the volume until you can acclimate to your new hearing.”
“I wouldn’t have even thought to get ear plugs. Actually, I couldn’t think at all. The noise was too much, I couldn’t hear my own thoughts. I’m sorry I bothered you, I just didn’t know what else to do, or who else to call. I suppose I could have tried Evey–”
“Elizabeth,” Abraham interrupted, placing his large hands on my shoulders. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to call anyone else. I’m here to help you. I always will be, no matter what it is.”
His denim blue eyes burned with sincerity, and I lost myself in them. “I–”
A loud knock interrupted us, followed by the door opening. I was equal parts disappointed and relieved.
What was I going to say? How could I have responded to that?
“Montgomery, I’m taking you out this Saturday, and I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer,” Ben’s nasal voice preceded him. When he saw Abraham there with his hands on my shoulders, his expression instantly changed. Where before there’d been a slimy look that I think he thought was charming, now there was one full of suspicion, and distrust.
“Ben, usually when one knocks on a door, they wait for an invitation to enter,” I told him sternly, stepping away from Abraham. His hands fell to his sides, expression torn between looking at me with hurt, and at Ben with irritation.
“Well I didn’t know you had company. Didn’t realize it was visiting hour. Don’t you have more important things to do now that you’re a senior associate?”
A low growl came from behind me that I might not have been able to hear yesterday, but today was crystal clear. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. “Ben. It doesn’t matter if I was alone, or had twenty people in here. Do not come into my office again without an invitation. Got it?”
Ben stiffened, eyes flashing with anger, but he nodded. “Of course. I just stopping by to ask to go to dinner with me this weekend.”
“El,” Abraham growled behind me. I could feel the anger radiating off him.
My colleague clenched his fists and squinted his eyes. “Who’s this? A new boyfriend of yours?”
“No,” I answered.
“Yes,” Abraham grunted.
I turned to glare at him, but his eyes were still trained on Ben. I gave him a hard poke in the chest that probably hurt my finger more than it hurt him, but it got his attention. His angry eyes turned to me, and I raised my brows expectantly. He got the hint and relaxed the tiniest bit. I sighed. Clearly that’s the best we would do with Ben here.
“He’s not my boyfriend, and I can’t go out with you this weekend. I have plans.”
“With him?” Ben asked belligerently.
“No–”
“Yes,” Abraham interrupted, placing a claim-staking hand on my back. I wanted to shrug him off since this caveman routine was working my nerves, but I had a funny feeling he was right at the end of his rope, and that small rejection would be the last of his control.
“It doesn’t matter what I’m doing,” I glared at the both of them, “I won’t be in town.”
“Maybe next time,” Ben answered with a smug smile.
Abraham growled, and I jumped into action. “Thanks for stopping by Ben,” I said as I opened my office door, and ushered him through. “See you on Monday,” I placed my hand on his back to push him through the doorway faster. Abraham’s low growl increased in pitch with the contact, and I rolled my eyes.
When the office door closed, I spun to face the angry werewolf. “What the hell was that?”
Abraham’s eyes were still on the door, hands clenched in such tight fists his knuckles were turning white. When he failed to respond, I yelled, “Abraham!”
He finally snapped out of it, and his blue eyes found mine. There was still a hint of anger there, but it was quickly fading to remorse. “Sorry,” he said, his voice still a deep growl. I fought off a shiver and tried to convince myself that his gravelly voice didn’t do crazy things to my insides.
“What was that all about?” I tried again.
He shook his head. “I don’t like him.”
“You just met him. You don’t know him.”
“I don’t need to know him, I saw the way he looked at you, and I don’t like it.”
I scoffed. “How is it any of your business how someone looks at me?”
Abraham’s eyes flashed dangerously as he closed the distance between us. His
large hands gripped my hips and dragged me toward him. “You’re mine.”
I gasped and opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. “You’re a part of my pack, and mine to look after,” he amended. That was slightly better, but I wasn’t thrilled with his possessive tone.
Or was I?
“It’s my job to make sure you’re taken care of and safe, and that man,” he spat with a glare at the closed office door, “is not safe. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
I rolled my eyes. “I work with him, Abraham. What am I supposed to do?”
“Quit your job and come live at the lodge with me?” he asked with a million dollar smile.
I rolled my eyes again, but a small smile slipped out. “Not going to happen, McCoy.” I pulled away from him, and my body mourned the loss of his heat.
“I’ll make you a deal,” he proposed.
I raised an eyebrow. “Okay, let’s hear it.”
He took a step closer, and his clean scent engulfed my senses. “How about you make me a happy man and take the rest of the afternoon off? We can get packed and on the road to Asheville before rush hour.”
My initial instinct was to argue. I was a lawyer after all. Arguing was what I did best. But, I swallowed my first reaction and really thought about it. Would it be such a bad thing to take an afternoon off? I knew with the increased hearing thing, the situation with Ben, and having spent so much time this close to the man in front of me, that I’d be next to useless for the rest of the day.
“Let me check my calendar,” I conceded. “If I don’t have anything else important scheduled for the rest of the day, I’ll leave early with you.”
His answering smile was brilliant and made my heart miss a beat. “That’s my girl.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not your girl, McCoy,” I told him as I walked around the desk to my computer.
“Not yet,” he answered softly.
I spun to face him. “What was that?”
Did he really want me to be his girl?
Did I want to be his girl?
My rules about not dating were becoming harder and harder to follow.
With chagrin, he raised a hand to scratch the back of his head. “I’m going to have to be more careful now you’ve got werewolf hearing, huh?”
I shook my head exasperatedly. “I guess you will.” With a few clicks, I had my calendar loaded, and took a quick look at the rest of my afternoon. “Looks like you’re getting your way. I’m free the rest of the afternoon.”
He clapped his hands together. “Sounds great. Let’s get you packed up and out of here before Ben comes back, and I need to break his legs.”
I laughed until I saw Abraham was dead serious. I’d need to keep those two separate because I did not want to clean blood out of my new office’s carpet. “All right, Don Corleone, let’s get you out of here before you get yourself arrested. Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to assault a lawyer? Not a good idea if you want to keep your butt out of jail.”
He scoffed. “Please. If Ben and I had an altercation, I can assure you he wouldn’t be pressing charges.”
I stuffed my laptop in its bag and arranged some papers on my desk with a shake of my head. “I don’t think you know Ben that well then.”
“I don’t think you know me that well then,” he countered.
I looked up and met his serious gaze. “I guess you’re right.” Then without thinking I added, “What are we going to do about that?”
I winced internally.
Was I really flirting with him?
Did I even know how to flirt?
Was I doing it right?
With my eyes still glued to the unimportant papers in my hands, I heard Abraham move closer until he had both hands planted on the desk. “Well this weekend is a good start.” I nodded my head. “And, you could dance with me tonight,” he added.
“Dance?” My eyes met his.
“Dance,” he confirmed. “We’re going to Del’s gig tonight. I was hoping you’d grant me a dance with the prettiest lady there.”
I rolled my eyes, but felt my cheeks heat. “We’re not even there yet. How do you know I’ll be the prettiest one?” I couldn’t help asking.
Abraham leaned down until he was eye-level with me. “Because, you’re the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.” His eyes bore into mine for an immeasurable moment before he straightened up and smiled. “Don’t see that changin’ in one night at a dive bar,” he added with a wink.
I shook my head, but a big smile stretched across my face.
Damn, he was good.
“So, what do ya’ say?” he prodded.
Jeez, was there really a choice here?
“I’ll dance with you,” I told him softly.
He leaned down again and cupped a hand around his ear. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
I smiled, “I said I’d dance with you.”
“Sorry, El, you’re gonna’ have to speak up, it’s real loud in here.”
With a laugh I smacked his arm. “I said I’d dance with you, you impossible man.”
His smile practically stretched from ear to ear. “That’s my girl.”
“I’m not your girl,” I reminded him again, though the words were feeling emptier of conviction the more I said them.