Chapter Seven
Christoph sat behind his desk, making the last few calls he had to before leaving. Sandy had come in to talk him out of taking off. It was time though, he and Wilhem had been connected at the hip for years. They were their own men. Thirty-five, today as a matter of fact. Shouldn’t they want to be individuals instead of twins?
He rubbed his chest where his heart lay, hating the idea of leaving Wilhem behind, but what more could Christoph do? They couldn’t share a mate. They had never truly shared anything before. He was the afterthought for his parents. Though they loved him, he never held their attention.
Shit. Now he sounded like a spineless bastard, crying about his mommy never loving him or caring about him. His parents were good people, caring people. They did everything in their power to make both him and Wilhem happy. None of this was their fault. Their father deserved to live out the rest of his days in happiness.
Christoph frowned. Why couldn’t he have fallen for their new assistant? Why did he have to fall for his brother’s mate? He could go around and around on this subject, but nothing would change. He’d continue to ask the same damn questions and get the same damn answers every time.
Still, the niggle at the back of his neck told him he made a mistake trying to leave. He should stay and fight. However, laying claim to the alpha-aparent’s mate could also end in his death. Shouldn’t he at least consider it? It would be better than throwing his life away. He’d die with dignity. Some peace in knowing he stuck up for himself.
Yet, he couldn’t do it. He’d already tucked his tail and gave up so much. To put this out there could backfire in his face. What if she didn’t feel it too… No. She did. The way she pressed against his body, each of her curves molded to him, engulfing him in a warmth he’d never experienced before. He groaned. Just remembering last night, the fleeting moments with the woman who turned him into a spineless lion, turned him on to the point of pain. He had to get the fuck out of there. Soon.
“I’m sorry you can’t go in there,” Sandy called out. “He’s busy.”
“He’ll see me,” a woman… the woman. The velvety sound of her voice had his dick throbbing behind the fly of his slacks. “He has to.”
He pushed away from his desk as the door opened, and there she stood. His breath left him on a whoosh. She was dressed in black pants and a white silk blouse. His mouth went dry. Today she left her hair down. The spring curls begged for him to run his fingers through them, and the hint of something more in her dark-brown eyes had his gut knotting with anticipation.
Last night she’d been stunning. Standing there now, she left him utterly speechless. He followed the deep line of her shirt’s lapels and swallowed hard. His heart thundered. His palms were sweaty. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.
“Miss, you shouldn’t be in here,” Sandy implored, knocking Christoph out of his stupor.
“It’s okay, Sandy. I know her.” He motioned for the chair in front of his desk. “Please. Sit.”
Sandy gave him a look. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Yes. I must speak with her.”
“Samiyah,” the woman answered.
“Yes, Samiyah,” he replied. “Sandy, why don’t you order some lunch, and we’ll discuss the other business later.”
“Of course. Right away,” she replied, hurrying from his office.
When the door finally closed, he turned his attention to Samiyah. “What are you doing here?”
“To apologize for last night. I believe I didn’t explain myself well enough. Maybe.” She folded her hands and laid them on his desk, sitting forward slightly. “We got off on the wrong foot.”
“The kiss and the spell. I understand. I didn’t tell my brother if that is your worry.”
She shook her head. “No. The spell didn’t affect you. I played with the humans last night.”
“And the kiss?”
“Incredible,” she answered.
Christoph growled, not wanting to entertain her follies any longer. “Do not play with me.”
She arched a brow. “Careful, kitty. Don’t insult me with your disdain.”
Christoph frowned. “You caused unrest last night. Threw my body out of whack, and now I need to be careful of what I say? Like you were careful with what you did to all of us? Was any of it real?”
“All of it,” she murmured. She sighed. “You and Wilhem are my mates. I can’t explain how or why, but it is the truth. You realize this, but you fight it. Why?”
“Because you messed with us. You cast a spell and messed with everyone’s libidos. Made it so everyone would fornicate. How do I know you didn’t do the same to me?”
“I would never.”
“So if we would have fucked last night, you would have stayed by my side and told my brother?”
She sat there for a moment, studying him. He hated it. His lion clawed at his insides, demanding he be let out to show her the error of her ways. Instead, he gripped the arms of his chair and held himself in place.
“Yes, then I would have taken both of you to my bed and claimed you as mine.” The determined set of her jaw matched the challenging glare in her eyes. “Would you like to see for yourself, now?”
Fuck yes. “No. It does neither of us any good. I have a trip planned. Perhaps when I return, you and Wilhem will be established well enough to forget about me.”
“You’re a hard-headed male, aren’t you?”
“I am a lion after all,” he snarled. “You deserve my brother. He will take care of you. Love you. He will give you cubs and a happy life.”
“I don’t want only him,” she snapped. “I need you as well. I want your cubs as well. I want to be happy with you too.”
“Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. My brother is about to become the alpha of our pride, and his mate will rule by his side. I can’t interfere in this. I have to finally step aside so he can take his rightful place of honor.”
“You’re so full of shit,” she laughed. The sound rankled his nerves.
“It’s the truth. You might not understand what the truth means, but I do. I am doing this for him. I’m not selfish like you.” He winced when he was done. The anger coursing through him made him say shit he didn’t believe, however, in order to sever the ties between them, he had to destroy it.
“Chicken shit,” she said. The anger had bled from her. Her scent changed. Regret and sorrow wafted from her.
“No. Practical. I won’t take anything from my brother. He has already given up so much for me.”
She made an irritated sound. “You wouldn’t be giving up anything if you pick both of us.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I think you should leave.” Christoph stood. “My brother is the most important person in my life. He comes first before my own needs.
“Loyalty is great, Christoph.” She touched his cheek and a spark of recognition rolled through him. “Nevertheless, the minute your loyalty gets in the way of what can be, it is blinding you.”
“I will take it under advisement.”
She gave him a sad smile. “I’m afraid you won’t, and you’ll lose everything because you’re too stubborn to see anything in front of you.”
“I doubt it,” he replied, opening the door for her. “Take care of him. I fear I have done it for so many years, he won’t be able to on his own.”
“I will,” she answered. “At least speak with your brother before you do anything rash. Please.”
“I will,” he promised.
The minute he closed the door, he slid to the floor. He couldn’t watch her leave. He might have done something stupid like stop her. Throw her to the ground and take what was his.
He had to be strong for Wilhem. The ticket he booked to California would give them all some much needed distance. They’d talked about opening a US branch of their business. This gave him a reason to get away for a while. He could say it was all business. Then when he came home, he wouldn’t tell anyone.
As silly as it sounded, he did this for his brother. A true act of love and devotion. He had to give his brother the one thing he needed most. Freedom. To finally not have to worry about a clingy brother.
He walked back to his desk and sat down. He still had so much stuff to get through before the end of the day. His flight was supposed to leave at ten that night and arrive at six in the morning. At least he would be able to sleep for the majority of it. He hated long flights confined in a tin can. He’d endure it. For his brother he would do anything for him.
The door opened minutes later and Sandy stuck her head in. “I have lunch,” she said. “Are you hungry?”
He shook his head. “Not now. I have a few more calls to make and then I’ll eat.”
She stepped inside. “Christoph, I’m not sure what’s going on, but that woman didn’t appear happy, and you’ve been moping since last night. Do you want to talk about it?”
He chuckled. “It’s fine. A misunderstanding is all. Things will be fine. I promise. Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off? You’ve done so much in the short time you’ve been here. I don’t want you overworking yourself.”
She bit her lip and stared at him for a moment longer than she should have, however he didn’t reprimand her. “Sure. I could use a little time to get everything straight at home. Thanks.” She stopped as she placed her hand on the handle. “If you ever want to talk about anything, I am here for you.”
He nodded. “Thanks, everything will work itself out. I appreciate your offer.”
“You’re welcome and for what it’s worth, the lady appeared to be crying on the way out,” Sandy stated, while exiting his office.
Shit. He’d done it now. Wilhem was going to tear his ass apart for making his mate cry. Why me?