Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,19

the shell of my ear, and then my cheek - but he pulled away before it could go further.

"Morning breath," he grumbled before rolling out of bed and heading to the bathroom.

Yes, I watched. No, I wasn't even ashamed. That man was made to be looked at. His thighs were thick, his ass flexed with each step, and his shoulders were so broad. He wasn't pretty, but he was definitely all man - no, my man - and I liked it a little too much. Yes, all of my boyfriends were amazing to look at, but right now, Lane was the one in front of me, so I was going to enjoy this. I also didn't want to think about the warm feeling in my chest, because I didn't have a word for it yet. Lane's ass was much easier to deal with.

The moment he was out of the bathroom, it was my turn. I brushed my teeth, did my business, and found a nice skirt and blouse for work, but the moment was lost. Lane had pulled on his jeans, the rest of his clothes wadded up in one hand, and he was waiting for me. As soon as I walked out, he tilted his head toward the back door.

"I'm gonna go get changed so you can get to work. Thanks for last night."

I felt my cheeks getting warmer because I knew he meant the moment in the shower. "Maybe there are a few things that should be allowed, huh?"

He crossed the distance to slide an arm around me. "I am not going to pressure you. I'm also not dumb enough to say no. So, when you feel comfortable, tell us. We won't ask, Elena. You said no, and we can respect that."

"But it's not fair," I reminded him.

He just shrugged. "We're the ones with this disease, not you. No, it's not fair, but it is what it is, and I'm not with you because of sex." Then he bent and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. "Gabby's up."

Then he turned and left me to get dressed on my own. I found myself smiling, and nothing would make it go away. Not my daughter changing her clothes for a third time, making Roman wait. Not spilling the milk when I was pouring it into my coffee, and not even being ten minutes late to the office myself.

When I got to work, Ashley was sitting at my desk with the phone pressed to her ear. She smiled to make it clear she wasn't upset, but kept talking to the person on the other end. After promising to send them an email with all of the information she'd need, she ended the call, pushing back her chair with a heavy sigh.

"Rough morning?" she teased.

I wobbled my head from side to side. "Yes and no. Lane was human all night, Gabby couldn't decide what to wear, and I have a bad case of not being able to hold onto things today." And I gestured for her to get out of my seat. "Sorry I'm late."

But instead of moving, she just held up a finger. "Lemme just send this out. Believe it or not, I used to do this job."

Chuckling at her, I made my way around the back side of the desk, watching as she attached the necessary forms and sent the email on its way. She'd just stood up when the door opened. I took my chair before looking up, but when I did, my heart sank. The woman walking in was the same one I'd seen talking to Ian the day before.

"What do you want, Karen?" Ashley asked.

She simply smiled at me. "I came to change the card on my account." And then Karen offered me her card. "Hopefully, you can at least do that."

I took the little piece of plastic with the sweetest smile I had. "Why, yes, I can. I also know how to terminate your lease. Isn't that nifty."

Karen's top lip tensed, almost lifting, but she didn't make a sound. Instead, her eyes flicked over to Ashley while I pulled up her account and quickly updated the card on file. I also let my eyes scan her address, taking note of which street she lived on. Yes, I took my time about it, all but forcing her to stand there and wait in silence.

Finally, I gave her card back. "There you go, Miss Green. And if you don't keep your hands off my mates, I'll make