CHAPTER EIGHT
Caine stared at the tiny, steely-eyed brunette in front of him with both fascination and desire. Tia was beautiful, and she didn’t conceal her natural beauty under layers of makeup. There was only the sheerest hint of lip gloss on her full, plump lips.
Tia wasn’t like any of the women he’d been with before. She didn’t wear a ton of make-up and perfume, and her hair was soft and natural. It wasn’t styled to death with a whole can of hairspray holding every strand in place. Only the scent of soap lingered on her skin. No overpowering perfume or deodorant.
Her gray eyes were sharp and assessing, and he knew that she’d noticed his designer watch and cuff links, but she didn’t seem impressed by all the material evidence of his wealth and success. These things meant nothing to her. She was watching him, studying his face and expression, seeing the man behind the designer clothes.
Caine found himself studying her back. Tia was curious about him, but she was also guarded. But from her scent, she was definitely interested in him. She had her arms folded stiffly in front of her, but she wasn’t immune to his charms.
But Tia wasn’t just a woman he wanted to charm into bed. She was different and special. He wanted her. God, he wanted her with a hunger that was so fierce and unrelenting, he could almost hear his wolf growling for release.
He leaned towards her and whiffed her scent again. A frown furrowed his brows. Her scent was human, yet she carried a faint scent of wolf.
Caine tensed as his wolf rose in fury. Did this female belong to another wolf? Was she...taken?
“Tia,” he said, keeping his voice as steady as possible. “Are you a wolf shifter?” He took a sharp breath and asked what he really wanted to ask. “Do you belong to a wolf shifter?”
Tia laughed and shook her head. Her laughter was achingly, hauntingly beautiful, and Caine knew that it was a sound he would never forget. He wanted to hear that lovely, musical laugh every day.
“No. I’m not a wolf and I don’t belong to anyone.” She canted her head and said, “My brother-in-law and niece are wolf shifters. My niece is only four, but she’s a great hunter,” she added proudly.
Caine let out the breath he had been holding. That would explain her scent. She had wolf shifters in her family. If she had been playing with her niece earlier, the little girl’s scent might have rubbed off on her.
Tia eyed him curiously. “You are a shifter, right?”
“Yes.”
“Wolf,” they both said together.
Tia chuckled. “I knew it.” Her blush deepened as she crossed her legs tightly. She probably realized that he could scent the wetness between her thighs.
Caine didn’t want her to feel embarrassed and awkward. He gestured towards the grand piano and said casually, “The guy’s a maestro, don’t you think?”
A bright smile spread across Tia’s face. “Yes! He totally is! I’ve been sitting here listening to him play, and the time just flew by. This bar is great.”
Caine grinned. “Yeah, I come here after work when I can.”
“You’re not staying in this hotel?”
“No. But I have a suite here. So I can shower after I hit the gym, and get dressed before the morning meetings start.”
“You’re an early riser.”
Caine smiled wryly. He wanted to tell her that he had no reason to linger in an empty bed.
He needed a vigorous work-out to release all his pent-up energy and drive. He had a high sex drive, but he refused to keep a woman on hand just to fulfill his sexual needs. One night stands were fine, but now that he was a dad, all his priorities changed. Sarah came first, before anything else.
“Do you come here often?” he asked instead. “I haven’t seen you here before. And I’m here pretty often.”
“This is my first time here,” Tia said, taking a sip of her drink. “This is a very nice hotel.”
Caine stopped himself just in time. He didn’t want to reveal to her that he was the owner of this hotel just yet.
“You should try the desserts in the cafe,” he offered. “The chocolate cake is to die for.”
“Really?”
“That’s what my mother says.” Caine laughed. “I try to get a slice for her when I can knock off early. Which doesn’t happen often, but I’m working on it.”