Chapter Four
Erica stared at the man, Caleb, and debated her options. The power in his voice was clear, and she’d be surprised if he wasn’t at least a Beta wolf. But experience had taught her powerful wolves were dangerous. Did she want to run away? Fight him?
Or fuck him?
God help her, she really wanted to fuck him. How that was possible, she didn’t know, but there was no denying the pleasant tingling low in her belly that had started the first time she saw him. And now? Her wolf wouldn’t let her run. Her wolf also thought fighting might be good foreplay. Even though she tried to reason with it, the wolf was winning. The memory of Tank and what he’d done wasn’t enough to dissuade the wolf, who insisted Caleb was someone who could be trusted.
In the end, the thought of a shower and a warm bed for the night made the decision for her. “Where are we going?”
Caleb’s warm, brown eyes lit up. “There’s a hotel not far from here with suites with a kitchen and separate bedrooms. Let’s head there.”
He helped her gather her few belongings and then led her to a spot a few blocks away, and a hotel swankier than any she’d stayed at before. The dirty looks she got from the hotel staff and other patrons held her back.
“I don’t belong here,” she said.
Slipping an arm around her shoulders, Caleb gave her a gentle squeeze. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course you belong.”
They walked up to the reception desk and the clerk gave them a once over. “I’m afraid we don’t participate in the shelter programs,” she said. “You’ll have to go somewhere else.”
Erica held back, but Caleb tugged her forward. He opened his wallet and withdrew two cards, his driver’s licence and an Amex Gold card. “We need a suite for the week.”
The clerk scrutinised the picture on the licence and checked Caleb over. “We’ll have to pre-authorize the whole amount, plus take a $500 deposit.”
“Go ahead.”
While the clerk processed the card and Caleb’s information, Erica glanced around the hotel lobby. A family in the corner caught her eye. A mother, father, and two small children, all laughing together at something. The mother held one child on her hip and the father had the other one sitting on his shoulders. They looked so happy, and Erica’s heart ached for her own boys. Leaving them had been the hardest thing she’d ever done, and it was the only part about her previous life she missed. She hoped they were doing okay.
“Okay, we’re all set.” Caleb gestured toward the bank of elevators on the far side of the lobby and set off. Tearing her gaze away from the family, Erica followed Caleb, not wanting to lose him in the crowd. When they reached the room, she was stunned by the interior. It was almost as nice as the penthouses at Tank’s hotel.
“Wow.”
“You take the master bedroom and en suite.” Caleb pointed her in the right direction. “I’ll use the main bathroom and smaller bedroom.
Still a bit shocked from the developments, Erica entered the master bedroom and closed the door behind her. She hesitated a minute before turning the lock. It wouldn’t be a match for Caleb’s strength if he really wanted to break the door down, but at least it sent a message and would give her a minute to prepare if he came in uninvited.
Erica dropped her small backpack beside the bed and headed into the bathroom. A large soaker tub took up one corner and she groaned. It had been weeks since she’d had a proper shower, let alone a soak in a luxurious tub. She started the water and stripped, avoiding the mirror. No way did she want to see what kind of mess she was in.
She wished she could brush her hair, but she didn’t have a brush and there wasn’t one in the room. She gathered the travel-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, and took a quick shower to get rid of the worst of the grime before she sat in the tub. When she finally lowered herself into the steaming water, she sighed, letting herself sink down.
The bath relaxed her so much she drifted in and out of consciousness, before finally becoming aware of a banging sound. Someone was pounding on the bedroom door. Shit. Caleb was probably wondering what had happened to her. Climbing quickly out of the tub, she grabbed the bathrobe from the counter and pulled it on as she headed to the bathroom door.
“Just a second!” She cinched the belt of the robe and then unlocked the bedroom door to find a relieved-looking Caleb.
“I was worried something happened,” he said. “If I’d had to wait much longer I would have broken the door down and I really didn’t want to give that clerk the satisfaction of not refunding the security deposit.”
Erica tucked her hair behind her ears and glanced down at her feet. “I fell asleep in the tub.”
“You should be more careful. You could have drowned.” God, he sounded angry.
“Give me a fucking break. My first bath in weeks and I fell asleep. So what? And it’s not like anyone would care if I drowned anyway.”
He gripped her chin and tilted her head so she couldn’t avoid his eyes. “I would care.”
They stood for a minute, gazing into each other’s eyes, before Caleb released her.
“So what was so important you tried to break down the door?”
“I wanted to know if you’d like to go for dinner.”
“Oh. That would be nice, but I don’t have anything to change into.” Erica tightened the robe around her. “I don’t really want to go out in the cold again.”
“Right. Okay, I’ll order room service.” He started to turn away, but before Erica could close the door, he stopped. “I can ask my friend’s girlfriend to bring some clothes for you. We still don’t have to go out, but at least then you’re not…” His voice trailed off as he allowed his gaze to wander over her.
Heat spread through Erica’s cheeks as she scented his arousal. She realized he probably smelled her, too. Clothes would be a definite bonus. “That would be great. And if it’s not too much trouble, I could use a hair brush and some proper conditioner. And a toothbrush.”
He grinned at her. “I’ll call Jake and then room service.”
After he disappeared into the main room, Erica closed the door and flopped down on the bed. Coffee, food, a place to stay, and soon clothes. He was being so kind, but she questioned his motives. Sure there wasn’t a huge werewolf population in a major city like this, which had drawn her here in the first place. So it would be odd enough for him to find a lone wolf, but there was no reason for him to go out of his way to be so good to her.
It was obvious he wanted her. Even grubby and half frozen, his arousal had been evident. While contemplating the motives of her rescuer, Erica drifted off to sleep.