Chapter 3
Every waking moment filled Shaw’s brain with thoughts of the girl. On the night of the full moon, something happened. As he and his pack brothers hunted, Shaw’s wolf took to doing a bit more after filling his belly with freshly killed deer.
When the wolf took over, Shaw got left in the far reaches of their mind. With only the slightest bit of control over his beast, Shaw’s reprimanding had gone unheard by the wolf as he started hunting the girl.
Shaw found him going back to the park where he and the girl had met. He circled the picnic table they’d sat on and sniffed every last inch of the ground she’d walked on. The wolf ended up in the parking lot where the girl had gotten into her car, and that’s where the trail grew cold.
Furious, the wolf howled for much too long. Shaw grew worried his whining would get them caught. The wolf didn’t leave that parking lot until the pack caught up to him and urged him to go back into the woods to play while they still had time. When Shaw woke up, naked in the snow, the girl was the first thing on his mind. Not just the wolf’s mind. Shaw’s too.
Making himself busy with anything and everything he could, Shaw tried like hell to put the girl out of his mind. She’d never make a good female for Shaw in any way. Not purely sexual, the way he’d take a human female from time to time. And not as a mate, the way his wolf wanted.
When you made a human your mate things got out of control. Shaw hated for things to get out of control.
It was his mission to keep things in control at all times. Himself, his pack, their lives. And no human female was going to make Shaw do things any differently than he always had. Or so he kept telling himself.
All along, Shaw kept looking for her. Seeing her gorgeous face on every woman who passed him, he found himself sniffing their scents. It was the only thing that would bring him out of his hallucinations, letting Shaw know it wasn’t his girl.
He scoured the internet, looking for anything he could find on dog trainers in the Loveland area. And that’s where he found her. The elusive beauty who wanted nothing to do with him.
She thought Shaw was some hoodlum gangbanger, not the man he was in reality. If she met Shaw in a different state, would she like him then?
He had to know. He had to find out if she could like him. Not that he had any intention of losing control by taking her, making her his own in any way. But he just had to know if she’d like him.
He’d never cared if anyone liked him. Not ever. And he kept telling himself that all the time. For four days, Shaw recited that over and over again to himself, I don’t care who likes me and who doesn’t.
But it couldn’t change the actions Shaw took. Once he had found her website, he sent her an email, the only form of contact she had on the site.
Robin Winters,
My name is Shaw Lykan, owner of Luna Enterprises. My company owns most of the spas and resorts in Colorado. The hospitality industry isn’t the only thing Luna Enterprises is into. That said, I’d like to meet with you to discuss another venture I might be interested in. Guard dog training is a thing I’d like to talk to you about. I saw your website and the reviews of your work with dogs are off the charts. I’ve attached my business card. I’d love it if you’d give me a call so we can set up a meeting.
He ended the email there, not sure what else to say. He’d sent that to her more than twenty-four hours ago and had yet to receive a call. It had him pacing and hating the fact that she wouldn’t do so much as make one phone call to tell him she wasn’t interested.
Was she even trying to be successful? he wondered.
Looking out the glass doors that led out to a back patio, Shaw saw the first few flakes of snow falling. Night was near, and it seemed there would be a fresh blanket of snow when he woke up. He’d been pacing, so he took a deep breath and took a seat on the overstuffed leather sofa that sat right in front of those giant glass doors.
Shaw loved the outdoors and made sure almost every room of his estate had a clear view of the land the massive home sat on. The ten acres went all the way to the forest. A place he’d end up a lot of nights, taking his wolf form at times, staying in his human form others. In both forms, he loved being outside.
Shaw dropped his head back as the young woman filled his mind. Her curves were astonishing, so supple yet firm. He knew her skin would feel like satin under his hands. Her heart would race, he knew it would when his lips grazed hers.
“Ugh!” Shaw shoved his hand through his dark hair and started to get up. But his cell rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket. He didn’t recognize the number but swiped the screen anyway. “Shaw Lykan.”
“Mr. Lykan, this is…”
Shaw didn’t let her finish; he knew who it was, “Robin Winters.”
Her breath caught in her throat, “Yes, how did you…”
“I sent you an email,” he cut her off once more. “Left you my number.”
“Yes, I just saw it. I hope I’m not too late in calling you. I’ve been away from my computer,” she said with great haste. Shaw could tell she was mad at herself for making him wait.
Inwardly, he thought, Good girl.
“I understand.” Shaw sat up, stroking his dark beard. “I’d like to meet with you tomorrow.”
“Oh, I’d love the chance to meet with you. I can meet you tomorrow. It would be an honor to get to talk to you.” She paused. “I looked your company up before I called you. I wanted to make sure it was legit. And boy is it!”
Shaw smiled and leaned back as he thought, She looked it up. Smart girl.
“Thank you. Since you’ve checked me out, would you feel comfortable meeting me at one of my spas in Loveland? That is where you live, right?” His thick, long fingers drummed on top of his wide thigh as he waited for her answer.
“Yes, it is. I can certainly meet you anywhere you’d like, sir.” She took a shallow breath. “This is my dream career. If I had a contract with your company, well, I could really make this thing happen for me.”
“It’s good to know your heart is in this. I’ll send my driver to get you. He’ll bring you to the spa, and we can make a day of it. Can you free up your entire day, maybe your night too?” Shaw couldn’t believe he was crossing his fingers like a damn fool. But he was, and they refused to uncross, no matter how hard he looked at them.
“All day? And night?” she sounded a little apprehensive.
Shaw got up, pacing again as he thought he might’ve scared her off. “It’s just because I want to go into great depth about everything. Every little aspect of what you can do and what I can do. The idea has been in my head for a while,” he lied. He’d barely come up with the idea when he had found her website.
“Oh, well, then yes, of course, I can free up my time tomorrow. It’s nice to know you’re considering this and want to talk so extensively about everything.” She sighed, and it sounded so damn sweet, Shaw’s cock thumped in his jeans.
What will her sexual sigh sound like? he wondered. He shook his head as he silently scolded himself, No, Shaw, you can’t have her like that.
If Shaw couldn’t have her in any way at all, then what the hell was he doing?
His mind must be playing tricks on him where the human female was concerned. Or was it the mind of his wolf? The creature who lurked inside of Shaw could access his thoughts the same way Shaw could do to his wolf’s. The wolf had a minimum of power. Until the moon was full, Shaw had control over everything.
But could his wolf’s desire for the girl be overriding Shaw’s ability to make good decisions where Robin Winters was concerned?
“Um, you still there, Mr. Lykan?”
He’d been lost in thought too long. “Yes. Can I have your address?”
“I’ll text it to you, so there are no mistakes. When can I expect your driver, sir?”
His heart began to pound as he thought, She’s coming!
“I’ll send him for you about ten. Is that okay?” Shaw held his breath. He didn’t know why he did that. He had her.
Did he have her?
No, no, he did not have her. He only wanted to give her something. A future. A chance to make it big in the career she was sure to excel at. Shaw could do that for the female who intrigued both him and his wolf.
Shaw would leave Robin be, sexually. He just wanted her to like him.
Damn, you’re pathetic, Shaw! he reprimanded himself silently.
“Ten’s fine with me. So we’re meeting at one of your spas, should I wear anything special?”
“No, your normal attire of jeans and a sweater will be fine.” He slapped his hand over his mouth just after the words had left it.
Idiot! he thought.
But she only laughed. “I know the pictures of me on the website show me wearing that kind of attire. I assure you, I do own more than jeans and sweaters.”
“I’m sure you do.” He rubbed his forehead, aggravated at himself for being such a fool over this human. “Wear whatever you’re comfortable wearing. You’ll be putting on a robe once you get to the spa anyway. I’m giving you the full treatment, on the house. If you and I make a deal, you’ll have free access to all of my spas and resorts.”
“Really? Wow,” she sounded excited. “See you tomorrow then, Mr. Lykan.”
“Robin?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Call me Shaw. And I’ll see you tomorrow. You have a nice night.” He ended the call before she could say anything else. And when his phone beeped letting him know he had a text, Shaw found she’d already sent him her address.
Tomorrow he’d finally see her, and she’d see him for more than just an MC gang member.