Chapter One
Christine Morrow was ecstatic. She stared at the phone in her hands for a few seconds with a broad grin on her face. Thank God, I got it. There was no doubt that she was in desperate need of the job that had just fallen into her lap. Looking upward she heaved a sigh. She could breathe easier now that she had a sure way of paying her half of the rent.
“By the look on your face, I assume you got some good news?”
She spun around to see her roommate and best friend, Keira, eying her expectantly. “I just got a job,” Christine stated, more than pleased.
“Well alright, congratulations are in order. We’ll celebrate tonight.”
Christine’s heart dropped. “Uh, I would rather not.”
Keira folded her arms. “Why not? Now that you have a job, this might be our last night to really get turned up.”
“Keira, I have no desire to get turned up, as you put it. And this will most certainly not be our last night to hang out. All I did was get a job. I’m not moving to the other side of the world.”
With a sigh, Keira held up both hands. “Fine, I’ll leave you to think about it. Boredom might just kick in and you’ll change your mind.”
“I doubt it.”
Christine watched Keira turn away and smiled. It was Keira’s life mission to force her to enjoy her twenties, as she always said. According to Keira, without her, Christine would slip into a life of uneventful nothingness. She’s probably right, Christine mused. She was definitely the type to stay holed up at home and let life pass her by. She had no desire to go out and socialize. Why would she? Society had never treated her with kindness, so she wasn’t eager to go out into the world and mingle.
Besides, she was tired. She had spent the last few weeks job hunting day and night, pounding the pavement early every morning. Now, she would use the weekend to rest up for her big day on Monday morning. She clapped her hands and let out a gleeful shriek. She had given up her previous job and her entire life to take care of her mother for three long months. Now that she had her life back, she had to start from scratch. She had blown through all of her meager savings and had just a few pieces of furniture in the apartment to her name.
A sliver of sadness passed through her at the thought of her mother. She was gone now. They never had the best relationship -- in fact, they had a very unconventional and toxic relationship, with Christine on the receiving end of a lot of hate. But, she liked to believe that she had grown accustomed to her mother's awful treatment of her since she had dealt with it since she was a child. Who am I kidding? It never got any easier.
She frowned. So what if she was a bit chunky as a kid and she was still on the curvy side now? Her mother had no right to rip her self-esteem to shreds every moment she got. Christine sighed and got up from her seat on the couch. Now was not the time to relive the past and wallow in self-pity. She had every reason to be happy. At twenty-four years old, she was about to get her life started once again.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come, Chrissy?” Keira stood in the doorway of Christine’s bedroom, dressed to the nines for a night at the club.
Christine let out a low whistle, taking in her friend’s edgy blond cut and tall slender figure. “You look hot.”
Keira did a turn and batted her eyelashes, “Thank you, thank you, I try.”
“Please, you don’t have to try hard. And yeah, I’m sure I don’t want to join. I’m good.”
Keira sighed, “Pretty please, Chrissy. You can’t let me hang solo tonight.”
Christine’s brows furrowed, “Solo? What happened to Nick?”
“He called thirty minutes ago to let me know he couldn’t make it. Something about being held up at his parents’ house. I don’t want to waste a good Friday night so I decided to go out anyway.” She widened her eyes and batted her lashes. “I thought you might want to come along and keep your home girl company.”
Christine groaned but she pondered the possibility. “Well… alright. I guess I could come along. I don’t like the idea of you out alone tonight.” She let out a breath. “Give me thirty minutes.”
“Yes!”
She watched Keira do her happy dance with amusement.
Half an hour later, Christine stepped into the living room. “Okay, let’s go.”
“Not so fast.”
“What?” Christine asked, confused.
“That huge t-shirt hiding your hot body has got to go.”
A long groan escaped Christine’s lips. “Can we not do this?”
“We’re going clubbing, not to play bridge with the golden girls. Now, get rid of it. Don’t make me come over there and help you.”
Christine growled, irritated. She grasped the end of the shirt and pulled it over her head, mumbling, “This is what I get for doing you a favor.”
Keira stepped closer and gave her a once over. With her finger on her chin, she murmured, “Hmm, tight jeans-check, tight tank top-check, major cleavage-check. What’s missing?” She reached for Christine’s top and hiked it up an inch, revealing a sliver of skin. She then released the high ponytail and ruffled her fingers through Christine’s long auburn locks. “There, now you’re ready to party.”
Pulling self-consciously at her top, Christine frowned. “I feel overly exposed.”
“You look hot. God, if I had your hour glass figure, I would flaunt it non-stop. I so hate you,” she added playfully. “Let’s go.”
With an uncertain glance down at her ample bosom, Christine grabbed her cell and purse and followed Keira to the door. She’d been working on her body image issues for years. Now that her mother was no longer in the picture to disrupt every progress she made, perhaps her self-esteem would rise.
***
The music pounded and a sea of clubbers gyrated on the dance floor. Christine sat at the bar and glanced around uncomfortably. This is not my scene, she mused, sipping her cocktail. Her lips lifted as she watched Keira on the dance floor, moving energetically. She caught Christine’s gaze and motioned for her to come over.
Christine grimaced and shook her head. There was no way she was getting on that dance floor. Keira glared and started taking steps toward the bar.
“Oh no,” Christine whispered.
“Chrissy, come on. You have been sitting in that same spot for an hour. This is a club for goodness sake, get up and shake it.”
“I’m not good at shaking anything nor do I have any desire to.”
Keira grasped her hand and pulled her off the stool. “Just pretend that it’s only you and me in our apartment jamming.”
Christine dragged her feet, reluctantly following. She wouldn’t let Keira force her into anything, but she followed because deep down she wanted to dance. She wanted to break out of her timid, insecure shell. Keira was just giving her the shove she needed.
Standing in the middle of the crowd, she nibbled her lower lip and began to mimic Keira’s movements. She flushed, knowing that she wasn’t the best dancer. Realizing that no one was paying her any mind, her confidence mounted and she began to move with more vigor. A smile spread across her face. This is nice. She let herself go as she dipped and twirled to the music.
***
Ethan sighed heavily. He was royally pissed that his youngest brother, Micah, had coerced him to join him for a night out, once again. He scowled and watched the crowd broodingly from the VIP section of one of Washington‘s hottest clubs. He shook his head when he saw Micah flirting with the fifth woman in less than an hour. With his enhanced hearing, he could also hear every word above the deafening music.
Hearing his brother sweet talk the woman made him sick. Letting out a huff, he slid out of the booth and stalked over to stand at the edge of the balcony. Several women gave him second, even third glances. They were drawn to his dark good looks and imposing stature, not to mention the danger he exuded. Women always seemed to be attracted to his bad boy type. He usually took great pleasure in a woman’s company, but lately, he received no pleasure from women or much else. It was as if his ability to feel was slowly dissipating.
He continued to stare, unseeing into the crowd of people below him. Various scents assailed his heightened olfactory sense and he was forced to shove them aside before he got overwhelmed. He reached out to his brother telepathically.
This is ridiculous Micah, I’m leaving.
Already? We haven’t been here an hour.
I’m bored.
Nothing ever excites you, big brother. Micah sounded annoyed. Leave if you must. I’m staying. I have found something that I like.
Ethan glanced over his shoulder to see his brother whispering in a pretty brunette’s ear. She let out a girly giggle and batted her eyelashes. Ethan rolled his eyes and grunted. He straightened and turned to leave, but stopped when he saw a flash of red. His gaze narrowed and he drew in a sharp breath. He stared at the curvy redhead in the center of the dance floor. Her fluid movements and the seductive swaying of her hips seemed to hypnotize him. His gaze lifted to her face and he swallowed hard. She had a pretty face enhanced by slanted eyes and perfectly bowed lips. Lips that any man would fantasize about kissing.
The woman beside her said something, eliciting a laugh from her. He could hear the sweet husky sound clearly. His eyes widened as his heart began to beat faster. She was a burst of color in his dull world. His Wolf rippled beneath his skin and he gripped the rail tightly, fighting to maintain control. The animal inside of him had already claimed the woman as his. He warned his Wolf about the danger of claiming a human.
I thought you were leaving.
Micah’s voice shimmered in his mind. Uh, yes, I’m going.
He shook his head slightly, breaking himself from the strange trance the vision below had caused. He frowned as a swirl of unknown emotions rose in him. Abruptly turning away, he stalked off and headed to the stairs. The last thing he needed in his life was another woman. They always thought they could change him, bring him over from the dark side. It was something he found very irritating. He wouldn't see the redhead again anyway, which was probably for the best. But, for some strange reason, he felt a deep regret at the thought.
He aimed for the club's exit. He was tempted to look back at the dance floor, but resisted the urge, holding his head straight. Stepping out into the mid-July air, he inhaled deeply, relieved to get away from the stuffy atmosphere of the club. He strolled slowly to his black Porsche.
“Hey.”
Ethan turned around at the sound of the female voice. He had picked up her scent, knowing that she followed him out of the club but hadn’t bothered to acknowledge her. His gaze swept over the scantily clad blonde.
“Hi,” he responded gruffly.
“Pardon my bold come on, but you caught my attention inside.”
His eyes bore into hers and she shifted, sensing the darkness in him. But his powerful magnetism pulled her in. His lips lifted.
“I see. How about a ride?”
She smiled and sauntered toward him.
Ethan should have sent her packing, but he felt the need to wipe his mind clean of the woman that had captured his attention earlier, along with the unfamiliar feelings that had been stirred.