Chapter 1 1

COLE My mind conjures up the memory of the stench of acrid smoke in the air as I thumb through the photographs of the charred, skeletal remains of the Sparrowhead apartment complex. Two months ago, a fire took down the entire building, blazing out of control until only ash and rubble remained. The destruction was so severe that the cause of the fire was only recently determined, and this file landed on my desk this morning courtesy of my connections with the local P.D. The police chief knows I like to keep a pulse on what goes on in the city, so he doesn’t question when I request files from him. Not that I would disclose the reasons behind my requests if he did. As long as I grease his palm with quarterly donations, he seems satisfied with our arrangement and doesn’t pry into my personal business. Why would he when I’m a respected figure in the community, the proprietor of a dozen bars and night clubs with a well-rounded real estate portfolio to boot? I didn’t amass all of this on my own. My family put down roots in Denver generations ago, and when my old man chose to retire several years back, I inherited his empire- both the business holdings and the sprawling, gated compound on the outskirts of the city that’s comprised of thousands of acres of homes and forest. The police don’t enforce the laws on the citizens within these gates, I do. I’m pretty sure the chief thinks I’m in the mob or something, given my situation, and sometimes I wonder if he’d find me to be more or less intimidating if he knew the truth. My money’s on more because people tend to fear what they don’t understand. In folklore, werewolves are savage beasts that go bump in the night, but in reality, wolf shifters are just like regular people- except for the fact that we’ve got a wild animal inside of us we can transform into at will, of course. It can be a little touch-and-go when our wolves first come in, but once we’re fully integrated with them, our human side remains in control, so it’s not like we pose a danger to the general public by virtue of what we are. Especially since our cardinal rule is to protect our secret at all costs; to never reveal our true nature to non-shifters. A lot of shifter packs around the country choose to keep to themselves and live more off the grid, but my own pack is fully integrated into the community here, blending in seamlessly with the human population. We have a few safeguards in place for our own security- no humans are permitted to pass beyond our gates, and we don’t shift into our wolf forms unless we’re on our own land- and so far, that system works. My pack is happy here, and my job is to keep it that way. I jerk my head up from the file spread out on my desk to the sound of someone clearing their throat, Sam poking his head around the door to my office and peering inside at me. “They just arrived at the gate, Alpha,” he provides, and I nod in affirmation, flicking my head to beckon him to come in. Sam’s my beta; my second in command. He also happens to be my best friend since we were raised here in the packhouse together. Like me, he inherited the position from his own father, though I wouldn’t have selected anyone else to fill the role if given the choice. I trust him implicitly, and trust is of the utmost importance in a position like mine. “Thanks,” I mutter, flipping the file on the Sparrowhead apartment fire closed and eyeing the other three police files spread across my desk. I’ll have to get to them later. Sam’s boots scuff against the hardwood as he steps into my office, pausing when his eyes fall upon the pair of high heel clad feet poking out from around the side of my desk. His lips curl into a smirk as he glances back up at me, arching a brow. “That’s enough, Rosie,” I murmur, looking down at the woman with her head in my lap currently swallowing my cock. I grab a fistful of her hair to pull her off, her lips making a popping sound as my dick slips free of them. Disappointment clouds her eyes, but she doesn’t object to my dismissal- she simply rocks back to sit on her heels as I tuck myself away, zipping my fly and buttoning my pants while she wipes saliva from her chin with a thumb. “Should I come back later?” she asks hopefully, blinking up at me. “I’ll let you know,” I grumble, not sparing her another glance as I turn my attention back to Sam. Rosie scampers to her feet, buttoning her blouse and smoothing her dark hair. A furious blush stains her cheeks as she makes her way out of my office, avoiding eye contact with Sam along the way since he’s still smirking like an asshole. As soon as she’s gone, he makes his way over to the desk, rounding the side and dropping down onto it. “Did you get a chance to go over those expense reports?” he asks in a low voice, folding his arms across his broad chest and getting right down to business. I push back in my desk chair with a grunt, my unsatisfied dick straining against my zipper. Rosie’s always eager to please but her blowjobs leave a lot to be desired. “I did,” I grit out, scrubbing a hand over my buzzed hair and glancing up at Sam. “You were right, money’s been going missing for the past three months.”“You think it’s Evans?” I nod slowly. “All roads lead to him.” Fucking Tom Evans. I purchased Jokers night club a few months back, and against my better judgment, I retained him as the manager rather than staffing it myself. The club was already doing well, so I figured it’d be easier to keep the status quo for a while instead of passing the reins over to one of my own guys. Apparently Evans saw that as an opportunity to try to pull a fast one on us and dip into our profits. “I fucking knew it,” Sam mutters, his blonde curls swaying as he shakes his head in disgust. “So what’s the plan?” I heave a sigh as I mull it over. This is the last thing I wanted to deal with today, but I’m not about to sit around and let the guy continue to steal from me, either. Some things just can’t wait. “Cut him loose,” I instruct with the wave of a hand. “Send a couple enforcers out to collect what he stole, and we’ll put Jason in his place starting tonight. He’s been doing well training under Jerome over at Club Zodiac for the past year, I’m sure he’ll jump at the chance to manage his own club.”“Consider it done,” Sam quips, pushing off from my desk with a satisfied grin on his lips that tells me he’ll take great pleasure in the task. He never liked Evans. “They should be here any minute,” Sam reminds me as he turns to stride toward the door. “You comin’?”“Yeah,” I breathe, shoving up from my chair. Sam pauses in the doorway to wait for me, then the two of us head down the long hallway in the direction of the foyer, passing by the other offices lining this wing of the packhouse. It’s funny, when we were kids, this wing was completely off-limits to us. We’d dare one another to venture down here without getting caught, though only my sister Astrid was small and sneaky enough to actually get away with it. She’d spy on the adults’ conversations and report back to me and Sam on what she overheard. Back then, we couldn’t wait to be in charge, but now that we spend the bulk of our time in this wing, it has lost its luster. We fall into step with one another as we reach the end of the corridor, turning down another. All the hallways here are bathed in light courtesy of the floor-to-ceiling windows lining them. One of the first things my father did when he became Alpha was to have the packhouse undergo a full remodel and expansion, transforming it into a sleek, modern structure; all clean lines and natural light. The place is massive, but it has to be, considering all of the people that live here. There’s me and Sam, his mate Shay, my advisors, and about twenty of the pack’s top warriors and enforcers- all under the same roof. Not to mention the staff that keeps the packhouse running. People tend to cycle out of here periodically in favor of getting their own places once they settle down with a mate, but new ones are always eager to claim any vacancy. For the young, single guys of our pack, having staff here to cook and clean is a major perk. And while the other residents of the packhouse may change, Sam and I remain constant- this is where we were raised, and this is where we’ll raise our own families someday. I hear the front door of the packhouse opening as we approach the foyer, voices echoing around the large space punctuated by a feminine giggle. Rounding the corner, I spot two of my security guys dragging overstuffed suitcases and leading our guests inside, my gaze drifting to the familiar face of Jax Anderson, the alpha of the Westfield pack across the state. “Jax,” I drawl, striding over to greet him and offering a hand. His lips pull into a wide grin, pale blue eyes meeting mine. “Cole, how’s it going man?” He steps forward and wraps his knuckles with my own, pulling me into a half-hug and clapping me on the back. I stiffen, quickly pulling out of the embrace and forcing a tight smile to my lips. I’ve never been big on physical affection outside of my own family. “Good,” I reply with a nod. “How are things over at the six-pack?” Jax’s pack is part of an alliance with five others that all reside in the same territory, hence the ‘six-pack’ moniker. My sister lives down there now, mated to the alpha of another pack in the alliance. Her mate Brock is a surly motherfucker, but as long as he makes my sister happy, he’s alright in my book. “All good,” Jax says, pushing back his blonde hair with a hand as his mate shoulders in next to him and flashes me a winning smile. “Hey, Cole,” Quinn greets, her hazel eyes gleaming. Jax is a good enough looking guy, but he definitely outkicked his coverage with Quinn. While brunettes aren’t typically my first choice, I’d have to be blind not to notice how stunning she is. “Astrid wanted me to let you know that she sends her love,” she offers. I can’t help but smile at the mention of my baby sister. She’s the one female I have a weak spot for. “Tell her I send it back. And that she’s overdue for a visit.”“I’ll be sure to pass that along,” Quinn winks. “Ahem,” comes a voice from behind Jax, a dainty finger reaching up to prod him in the back of the shoulder. He rolls his eyes in response, shaking his head in feigned exasperation and stepping aside. “This is my sister, Juliet,” he provides, tossing a thumb in her direction as he moves to reveal the blonde girl standing behind him. Her ice-blue eyes meet mine and my breath catches, my heart tripping over its valves. She’s… gorgeous , and suddenly I’m just standing there staring at her mutely, my brain short-circuiting. She’s tall, slender, with blonde hair and a sunkissed tan, looking as if she was plucked from a California beach and dropped on my doorstep. I’ve always had a thing for blondes, and with her little blue sundress and bashful smile, this one has a sweet, girl next door quality that just so happens to embody my dirtiest fantasies. When Jax asked if his kid sister could stay here while studying at Denver University, I expected her to be… well, a kid . Not a fucking knockout. I find myself immediately doing the math in my head- did he say she was nineteen? I’m a few months shy of thirty, so she’s entirely too young for me, but… fuck . Juliet cocks her head to the side demurely as she extends a hand in greeting, those clear blue eyes sparkling and her plush lips parting to offer me a breathy “Hi”. I just stand there like a fucking moron until Sam elbows me subtly, yanking me back to reality while I mentally bitch-slap myself. This isn’t me. I don’t get caught off guard, especially not by an attractive woman. Girl. Kid. Fuck. I quickly regain my composure, pushing all unwelcome thoughts out of my head as quickly as they’ve entered and offering Juliet a tight smile as I take her hand in mine and give it a brief shake. “Nice to meet you,” I say politely, keeping my eyes trained firmly on hers so they don’t wander down to take another peek at how the fabric of her sundress is straining to conceal her breasts. “Likewise,” Juliet replies sweetly, batting her lashes. She squeezes my hand gently with her fingers and I flinch back as I feel a little zip pass between our skin, my wolf perking up in response. I yank my hand back with a barely contained scowl. Nope. Not today, Satan. “Erm, Shay’s gonna show you around and help you get settled in,” I mutter, whipping around to Sam with a silent question in my eyes. This was the plan, but his mate’s conspicuously absent from this little welcoming committee. Sam nods to me in understanding as he pulls his phone out of his pocket, presumably to call Shay, while I turn back to Jax and Quinn. “Should we go talk business, get that out of the way?”“Sure,” Jax replies, stepping closer and clapping me on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’re dying for an update on the shadow pack loyalists our security squad has been hunting down.” I grunt in affirmation as I turn to lead them to my office, stealing another glance in Juliet’s direction and wondering why the fuck the devil picked today, of all days, to tempt me.

Chapter 2 2

JULIET I drag in a deep lungful of fresh air as Shay leads me out the tall sliding glass door and onto the terrace, chattering away about the packhouse and all its amenities. The air smells different here in Denver. It smells like sweet, sweet freedom. “I mean, you grew up in a packhouse, so all of this is probably normal to you,” Shay tosses over her shoulder as she treads a path to the edge of the terrace. “But it was a huge change for me when I came here. It took some getting used to. And hey, if you-”“Holy shit,” I interrupt, pushing past Shay as a huge pool area comes into view. “There’s a pool?!” Her lips pull into a grin, her chin-length hair bouncing as she nods. “Yeah, girl. There’s a pool.” She starts to say something else, but her words are lost to me as I rush forward to get a closer look at the large swimming pool, the crystal-clear water beckoning me in the sweltering summer heat. I might’ve grown up in a packhouse, but the one in Westfield pales in comparison to this place. The Denver packhouse feels more like a luxury hotel than a home, and the impressive pool deck is just further proof of that. The whole thing is lined with wooden lounge chairs topped with luxurious looking cushions that I bet my tush would just sink into, the water of the pool taking on a bright blue hue reflected from the tiles beneath. It’s like a damn paradise out here, complete with towering metal palm trees and a little straw-thatched tiki bar set up on the far end of the pool deck. “Is this heaven?” I ask dreamily, the hem of my sundress floating around my thighs as I spin back around to face Shay. She titters a laugh, stepping closer and flinging an arm around my shoulders. “Pretty damn close, girl. I mean, the six-pack will always be home to me, but this place is a hell of an upgrade.” I’ve known Shay for years, but I’m not sure if I’d classify us as friends. More like casual acquaintances. We both ran in our own circles back at home, but I heard about it when she found her fated mate in the Denver pack’s beta, Sam, and moved here last year to be with him. This is my first time seeing her since then, and life in Denver must suit her, because she seems more relaxed and carefree than I remember. She even looks different- she’s chopped off her long dark hair and added fuchsia streaks to it like a punk rock princess, a bold choice that she totally pulls off. Everything about her screams ‘wild and free’, and I can only hope that the move to Denver will have the same effect on me. “So you’re enrolling at Denver U?” Shay asks, and I nod enthusiastically. “I’m still kinda shocked that my parents agreed. Quinn helped talk them into it, and it’s only on the condition that I stay here while I take classes, which is fine by me,” I say, gesturing to the pool. “This place is a palace!” She laughs again, linking her arm with mine and steering me back toward the patio doors. “C’mon, let’s finish the tour. I’ve still gotta show you your room!” I grin from ear to ear as I follow her eagerly, my mind spinning with the possibilities of the new life spread out before me while still reeling over my newfound freedom. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’ve had a charmed life up until now. As the eldest daughter of our pack’s alpha, I grew up with more advantages than most. I’ve always been doted on, well looked after, cherished by my family and my pack. My father’s position granted me a lot of privileges that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. It’s also made me feel like I’ve lived in a fucking bubble for the past nineteen years. I’m almost out of my teens, but I never really got to be a normal teenager. Everyone in the pack knows who I am, so it’s not like I could get away with anything without it getting back to my father. I couldn’t slip into the local bar with my friends and try to convince the bartender to serve me while underage. I couldn’t sneak out of our well-secured packhouse late at night to run amok with my peers. Hell, I couldn’t even date because my older brother threatened every guy my age in the pack with violence if they so much as glanced my way for more than a fleeting second, and now that he’s taken over for my father as our pack’s alpha, they won’t even hazard a glance. My charmed life has been more like a gilded cage, which is why I jumped at the opportunity to leave when it presented itself. Back home, I couldn’t explore, I couldn’t be free. Here, the possibilities are endless. The room Shay leads me to is equally as impressive as the rest of the packhouse, clean and modern with sparse furnishings and neutrally decorated in various shades of grey. I find my suitcases already in there resting beside the door to the walk-in closet and waste no time in exploring the rest of the space, complete with a huge ensuite bathroom featuring a giant soaker tub and marble tiled shower. After rushing around the room to take it all in like an excited little kid, I can’t contain the contented sigh that leaves my lips as I flop backwards on the king-sized bed, the plush white down comforter billowing up around me as I land upon it. “Okay, it’s official. I’m never leaving.” Shay laughs, plopping down beside me on the bed and pulling an elbow up underneath her, resting her chin upon her hand. “Maybe you’ll find your mate here, too. Then you won’t have to,” she winks. “Hmm…” I muse, rolling onto my side to face her. “Alpha Cole, perhaps?” I waggle my eyebrows, licking my lips suggestively. We hadn’t officially met until today, but the Denver alpha caught my eye months ago at his sister’s Luna ceremony celebration. I noticed him right away that night because Cole Bauer is hard not to notice. He’s pushing six foot four and dripping in hard-earned muscle, his very presence oozing authority and commanding respect. His prominent jawline, lickable caramel skin, and dark eyes are just the cherry on top of the already delicious man sundae, and meeting him today only confirmed what I already knew- that the man looks even better up close. “Trust me, you don’t want to go there,” Shay snorts. “Why’s that?”“Besides the fact that he’s pushing thirty?” I roll my eyes, waving her off. “Whatever, older guys are hot. Isn’t Sam in his late twenties?”“I mean yeah, but…” Shay heaves a sigh, sitting up and leveling me with a stare, her demeanor suddenly shifting from playful to serious. “Cole’s different. He’s not warm and fuzzy like my Sammy. He’s stone cold, the guy’s practically a robot. Not to mention the fact that the females in this pack are rabid over him since he hasn’t claimed a mate. They’re all convinced they’re just one blowjob away from becoming his luna.” I bark a laugh, pushing up on my elbows and shaking my head at the absurdity of that statement. “Besides, wouldn’t your brother lose his shit?” Shay points out. I shrug a shoulder. “What Jax doesn’t know can’t hurt him.”“What doesn’t Jax know?” Quinn asks, and I glance toward the doorway of the bedroom to see her stepping inside, sliding me a conspiratorial smirk. “That his sister’s not a little girl anymore,” I reply with an eyeroll, sitting up and waving her over to join us. Quinn may be my brother’s mate, but the two of us have our own bond and I know I can speak candidly around her. Plus, she has her own overbearing older brother, so she knows firsthand how suffocating a brother’s ‘protectiveness’ can be. “He’ll have to wake up and realize that someday,” Quinn sighs, plunking down on the edge of the bed. “At least living here will give you a little space. Just don’t give him a reason to haul you back home before you even get the chance,” she warns, pinning me with a knowing stare. “Oh don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behavior until he leaves,” I groan with another exaggerated eyeroll. “Which is when, exactly?” Quinn clutches a hand to her chest like she’s offended. “Trying to get rid of me already, sis?”“Never,” I laugh, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “But since you and Jax are a package deal, I’ve gotta make sacrifices. Unless you want to camp out here with me for the rest of the summer?”“We’ll be out of your hair tomorrow morning,” Quinn sighs, predictably declining my offer in favor of remaining joined at the hip with my brother. “We’re gonna try to hit the road before breakfast.” My lips slide into a devious grin as I start calculating a mental countdown to my freedom. “Perfect.” ~ Although Shay gave me the impression that most meals at the packhouse are informal and communal, Alpha Cole set up a stuffy sit-down dinner for us in the dining room, complete with a two-person waitstaff to deliver each course. The whole display is pompous and over-the-top, in my humble opinion, but I grin and bear it, playing the role of a perfect angel to the point of exhaustion. My cheeks hurt from all the smiles I’ve forced throughout dinner, and I swear my tongue must be bruised from biting it against every sarcastic comment I’ve held back. Cole barely acknowledged my presence from the other end of the table, wrapped up in conversation with Jax and Sam, but I still played my role well for my dear big brother, giggling like an airhead at every joke and playing demure and sweet whenever questions were directed my way. I totally pulled it off- at the expense of my own dignity- because I’m not about to screw this up. I’ll play the game tonight, and I can officially drop the act tomorrow when Jax is long gone. When all the food has been served and I physically can’t force myself to fake one more laugh or vapid comment, I excuse myself from the table, slipping out onto the terrace for some air. I immediately duck around the corner out of sight, collapsing back against the stone wall and dropping the fake smile from my face at long last. I’ve spent all night holding back and I can’t take it anymore- I throw my head back against the wall and dig the heels of my hands into my eye sockets, releasing a frustrated string of curses into the silent darkness. “That bad, huh?” comes a voice from somewhere nearby, followed by a low chuckle. I whip my head sideways in alarm, squinting into the shadows to see a guy with auburn hair and a killer smile step out of them and into the pale light cast from the packhouse windows. He’s taller than me, buff and broad-shouldered. Shit. My stomach bottoms out, my heart pounding against my ribs. “I didn’t realize anyone was out here,” I mutter, straightening and smoothing my hair back with a hand, quickly regaining my composure. “I won’t tell if you won’t,” he winks, lifting a half burned-out cigarette and tipping his head toward it. I give him an assessing once-over, concluding that he’s definitely over the legal smoking age. My gaze flits from the glowing orange end of the cigarette to his eyes, narrowing in confusion. “You trying to quit or something?”“Alpha frowns upon smoking on packhouse grounds.” He brings the cigarette to his lips, inhaling deeply before blowing a plume of smoke out into the air between us. “You rebel,” I tease. He shrugs, flicking ash off the end of his cigarette and leaning a shoulder against the stone wall beside us. “Can’t be good all the time.”“What fun would that be?” I smirk. His tongue snakes out to wet his lips as his gaze trails down my body, not even attempting to hide the way he’s blatantly checking me out. “So you must be Juliet, huh?”“I am,” I reply, unflinching under his wandering stare. I cock a brow when his eyes return to mine. “And you are?”“Tobias.”“Warrior?” He nods. “Among other things.” Our eyes remain locked as we both assess one another, a comfortable silence settling between us as Tobias continues to puff on his cigarette. “So why the late night venting sesh?” he questions. “Was the dinner that bad?”“Just tired of playing prim and proper,” I admit, choosing to trust this stranger with my truth. We’re both out here doing something we shouldn’t, so I feel a strange sort of kinship with him. He furrows his brow in confusion. “Why do you have to do that?” I blow out a breath, leaning back against the wall again and folding my arms across my chest. “My brother’s a little protective. Gotta be good while he’s here so he’ll actually let me stay.”“Alpha Jax?” I nod. “And when he’s gone?” My lips curl into a smile. “All bets are off.” Tobias grins back at me as he tosses his cigarette down, stubbing it out with the toe of his shoe and stooping up to pick up the butt, sliding it into his pocket. “I look forward to it, Juliet,” he says, his heated gaze dropping down my form once more before he turns away. The hunger in his eyes ignites something inside of me, making me feel all warm and tingly as I watch him retreat into the shadows. My heart races, my mind spinning. Less than twenty-four hours in, and I’ve already had a guy flirt with me unashamedly, without fear of retribution. Yeah, I could totally get used to this.

Chapter 3 3

COLE No matter what time I go to bed at night, I always wake up at seven a.m. to start my day. I value discipline and routine, and no matter what happens in a given day, each morning is like a reset. I never hit the snooze button when my alarm sounds, even if an extra ten minutes of sleep may seem tempting. It isn’t worth throwing off my whole day. Regardless of how exhausted I am, I haul my ass out of bed at seven on the dot, hit the gym for my daily workout, shower, then head to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast. The snooze button was more tempting than usual this morning, but I still dragged myself out of bed and went about my routine as normal. By the time I’ve finished my workout and showered, many of the warriors that reside at the packhouse are already crowded in the kitchen for breakfast, their voices carrying down the hall as the scent of fresh coffee beckons me closer. As always, Sam is seated at our usual table when I stride into the kitchen, a cup of coffee already poured and waiting for me upon it. There are three larger tables across the room that accommodate ten apiece, but this four-seater near the coffee pot is our spot in the mornings. I sink down into the chair across from Sam, eyeing the empty one between us. That was always Astrid’s seat, and the visit from her new friends at the six-pack has me missing her more than usual. “Morning, Alpha,” Sam greets with a tip of his head, raising his coffee mug to his lips and taking a slow sip from it. I grunt in response, unable to string words together until I’ve had my morning coffee fix. I reach for the cup in front of me eagerly, swallowing down a scalding gulp before relaxing back into my chair, breathing a contented sigh. “Morning,” I finally reply. Sam picks at a piece of bacon on his breakfast plate as he glances around, leaning in a little closer and dropping his voice low. “So what did Jax want to talk about at the end of the night?” The corner of my mouth kicks up in amusement. Sam is too curious for his own good, and I saw the look on his face when Jax pulled me aside late last night for a private conversation. I’m sure it’s been killing Sam to be left in the dark, and he’s probably been impatiently waiting for me to come to breakfast this morning just so he could ask about it. “It was nothing,” I shrug, swallowing down another gulp of coffee and pushing out my chair. I leave Sam hanging while I head over to the buffet table to load up a plate with bacon, eggs, and breakfast potatoes, and when I return to retake my seat a few minutes later, the guy is practically crawling out of his skin. “C’mon, man,” Sam groans in exasperation. “Seriously?” I chuckle to myself as I pick up a strip of bacon and bite off a piece, enjoying prolonging Sam’s agony over something so trivial. His eyes are fixated on me while I chew and swallow, and only then do I finally indulge him. “He just asked me to look after Juliet,” I say before shoving the rest of the piece of bacon into my mouth. “As if that’ll be hard,” I grumble around it as I chew, then roll my eyes as I swallow. “She’s as naïve and sheltered as they come. I doubt she’ll be any trouble.”“Eh, I wouldn’t be too sure about that. She’s a good-looking girl, and the guys that live here aren’t blind. I’ll bet she has a fan club before lunch time.” Sam leans closer, a smirk creasing his lips. “Couldn’t help but notice that she’s also your type,” he remarks, helpfully pointing out the obvious. “So?” I play it off. I’m still embarrassed about how I reacted when we met yesterday, so I just fucking deflect. “Plenty of girls are. I’m not gonna be an asshole and go for some guy’s little sister.” I shoot Sam a pointed look and from his expression, I know my barb landed. Sam dated Astrid once upon a time, and though I came around to being okay with it, I’ll still never let him live it down. “Aw, c’mon, man,” he laments. “Isn’t that water under the bridge by now?” I smirk as I lift my coffee mug, taking a sip. The chatter in the kitchen dies down suddenly, and I realize that all the guys congregated around the tables for breakfast on the other side of the room are looking my way for some reason. No, not at me… past me. I swivel in my seat, turning to glance over my shoulder to see what all the fuss is about, and I nearly spit out my damn coffee at what I find. That naïve, sheltered girl I was just talking about? Yeah, she’s standing in the doorway to the kitchen wearing nothing but a little blue bikini, dripping water all over the floor beneath her. My brain fucking short-circuits at the sight of her scantily clad body, because holy fuck , the girl is perfection. She’s got legs for days, long and shapely and perfectly toned, every inch of her skin golden without a tan line in sight. She must be a runner or something, and all I can think of is how those legs would feel wrapped around my waist. Or my face. The flare of her hips and the snatch of her waist gives her curves a subtle hourglass shape, and her flat belly and prominent hipbones have me practically salivating to lick a path down them to the apex of her thighs. And let’s not even talk about her tits, because fucking hell, they’re gorgeous. Perfectly symmetrical and round and perky, her hard nipples pebbling up beneath the thin fabric of her swimsuit. My dick instantly springs to attention, and I’m sure every other hot-blooded guy in here is already sporting a semi thanks to her. I’m instantly agitated, balling my fists and gritting my teeth. I’m not sure if it’s because she has the audacity to strut in here and put herself on display like this for all to see, disrupting the natural order of things at the packhouse, or because every other male in the vicinity is currently mesmerized by the sight of her and mentally storing images for their personal spank-banks. I’m not exaggerating- every single warrior seated across the kitchen is fucking gawking at her, but she’s acting like she doesn’t even notice. She just scans the room, spots the coffee pot, and pads toward it with so much nonchalance that I practically grind my molars to dust in my mouth. “Someone get her a towel.” I bark out the order to nobody in particular, rising to my feet and eyeing the trail of water Juliet has left behind beneath where she’s treaded. Sam springs to action, hustling out of the kitchen, while I stomp toward the seemingly oblivious blonde, freezing in my tracks when she spins around, putting her back to me and reaching up to open the cupboard above the coffee pot. That ass . I raise a fist to my mouth, biting down on my knuckles to stifle a groan. Her ass is like a juicy fucking peach- round and tight and fucking begging for me to sink my teeth into it. Or grab it while she’s riding me. Or slap it when she’s bent over in front of me. Or fuck it… “A little help?” Juliet interrupts my filthy train of thought, glancing back at me over her shoulder as she struggles to reach for the coffee mugs on the top shelf. She’s up on her tiptoes, but they remain just out of reach, her fingertips barely brushing against the ceramic cups. If she’d come for coffee earlier, there would still be plenty of mugs left on the lower shelf.  I consider saying as much, but I refrain- it’s her first morning here, after all. She hasn’t got the lay of the land yet. I’m being too harsh on her; she’s sweet and innocent and it’s not like she’s doing any of this on purpose, right? Or maybe I’m just blinded by that gorgeous fucking ass. I step up behind Juliet, reaching over her head to retrieve a mug from the cabinet, but it nearly slips from my fingers when she suddenly rocks back into me, aforementioned bikini-clad ass pushing into my crotch. There’s no way it’s a fucking accident. My body tenses and I flinch back like she’s a fucking leper, a low growl emanating from my chest as I stumble backwards a step and she whirls around to face me. “Thanks,” she sing-songs as she plucks the mug from my hand, smiling sweetly in gratitude before turning to fill it up with coffee from the pot. As if she didn’t just grind her ass on my dick. What the hell is this girl playing at? I watch her for a moment with morbid fascination, remaining rooted in place to shield her body from the prying eyes across the room. “Go for a swim?” I murmur. She darts me a sly glance over her shoulder as she pours coffee into her mug. “What gave me away?” My fist clenches in response to her sarcasm, and it’s at that moment that Sam reappears with a fluffy white towel in hand. I snatch it from him as soon as he’s within reaching distance, shoving it toward Juliet. “Here.” Maybe I’ll be less agitated once she covers herself up. She sets the coffee pot and mug back down on the counter, turning toward me to take the towel from my hands. “Thank you,” she breathes, wiping at her wet swimsuit and dripping body as I try- and fail- not to track her every movement with my wandering eyes. I’m not the only one. Sam turns away politely, but every other fucker in the kitchen is practically salivating as they watch her dry off, despite my best attempts to block their view. Once she’s finished, I expect her to wrap the towel around her body and cover herself up, but no. Instead, she bends over at the waist in a move so sexy that I nearly lose it, wrapping the towel around her hair instead before slowly rolling back up and flashing me a wide smile. I just stand there gaping at her. Who the fuck is she and what did she do with the sweet girl from last night? A whistle sounds from across the room and Juliet’s cheeks flush pink as she glances past me toward the tables full of young men, smiling coyly as she raises a hand and flicks her fingers in a little wave. “You’re distracting my warriors,” I grit out. “What?” she gasps, feigning innocence as her sky blue eyes dart back to mine. “No I’m not.” Then, with a barely concealed smirk, she peeks around me again, raising her voice to loudly ask, “I’m not distracting you guys, am I?” They all trip over themselves to answer in the negative, and she turns her gaze back on me with a triumphant grin. “See?” she shrugs, turning at the waist and grabbing her coffee cup from the counter. “They don’t mind.” Her eyes spark with mischief as a sly smile pulls at the corners of her mouth, and I now know for sure that she was putting on a front last night at dinner. The girl standing in front of me right now is a far cry from the shy, reserved one that sat across the dinner table; she’s a walking temptation, draped in sin and dipped in deviance. The girl from last night, I could handle. This one is going to be fucking trouble. “Try to put some clothes on before you come in for breakfast tomorrow,” I grumble, turning away abruptly and stalking toward the doorway. I’ve barely touched my food, but for some reason, I’ve lost my appetite. “Sure thing, Sarge!” Juliet calls after me. I grind to a halt, pausing in the doorway and considering turning back to address her insubordination. To remind her who I am and put her in her place. I don’t. I recognize that I’m too wound up at the moment, and I’m better off walking away than escalating the situation. I decide to let it go, for now. I inhale deeply, continuing into the hallway without so much as a backwards glance. Swiping my phone out of my pocket, I start to type out a text message when I hear the familiar sound of Sam’s footsteps following behind, moving quickly to catch up. “Are we still heading downtown today?” he questions, falling into step at my side. My phone vibrates in my hand as I receive a near-instantaneous response to the message I just sent. “Give me an hour,” I grunt, sliding my phone back into my pocket and continuing toward my office. I just need to take the edge off to get this day back on track.