N. Walters - Alexandra's Legacy

Joshua tugged her to a halt and she forced herself to look at him. The corners of his mouth turned up the tiniest bit and her stomach flip-flopped. Her nipples pebbled and moisture seeped from between her legs. His smile died, his eyes darkened, their pupils enlarging.

Oh, God. He could smell her arousal. Her father had mentioned heightened senses. She waited for some kind of crude comment, but it never came.

Reaching around her, he tugged open a door and urged her inside. “Come on. Let me buy you some breakfast.”

Alex swallowed hard and stepped over the threshold.

Joshua watched the woman sitting at the table across from him, unable to pull his gaze away. Alex was on her second cup of coffee already, having practically inhaled the first one. He rubbed his hand over his mouth, hiding his smile. It faded when she took the first sip of the second cup. Her eyes were closed, her head tipped back, her expression one of pure bliss. She looked like a woman in the throes of sexual release. He swallowed hard and shifted in his seat, trying to adjust himself so that his balls weren’t squashed and his cock didn’t hurt.

They hadn’t spoken, except to place their order, since they’d taken their seat in a quiet back corner of the small, yet surprisingly busy, restaurant. By unspoken agreement, they’d both decided to wait until they had their breakfast in front of them before they started talking. Less chance of interruption that way.

The waitress hurried up to the table and deposited his bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast in front of him. It smelled delicious. He watched Alex all but grab her plate out of the waitress’s hands. Once she’d realized she was going to get a chance to actually sit down and eat, she’d opted for blueberry pancakes and bacon instead of a toasted bagel.

He quietly thanked the waitress as he watched Alex pour warm syrup over the hot cakes. Some of it dripped from the spout of the small metal jug, running down her fingers. Switching hands, she kept pouring as she brought her fingers to her mouth, licking the sweet syrup from them.

Joshua groaned and shifted again. She was the picture of sensual enticement as she popped one finger in her mouth and sucked it. Her lips were full and pink and he longed to taste them. They would be sweet from the syrup and warm. She pulled her finger out slowly, making sure she got every last drop.

She glanced over at him when he groaned again, freezing when she saw the look in his eyes. Her eyes were a misty gray, framed by long, dark brown lashes. She raised one of her slightly curved eyebrows in question. He shook his head and she shrugged, plunked the jug back down on the table and picked up her utensils. Without another glance at him, she dug into her meal.

Joshua wasn’t sure he’d survive breakfast.

To save his sanity, he concentrated on eating his meal. In spite of what Alex might believe, he hadn’t had time to eat this morning either. He’d spent all last night searching every privately owned garage in the city, as he’d done for the past two nights, while laying down false trails for the rogue wolves that were hot on his tail.

It had troubled him to see the area of Chicago in which James LeVeau Riley had raised his daughter, but from what he’d seen of the man and his daughter, James had obviously known what he was doing. Alex was confident and capable, more than able to hold her own with him or any other male.

The bacon was crisp, the toast golden brown and the eggs cooked to perfection. Even the hash browns weren’t greasy. No wonder this place was busy. It might not look like much, but the food was exceptional. They shouldn’t really have stopped for breakfast, but it was worth the risk to witness Alex’s obvious enjoyment as she ate and drank.

He glanced at Alex and wasn’t surprised to see her sopping up what was left of the syrup on her plate with the last bite of pancake. When she finished, she placed her utensils carefully across the plate and sat back with a sigh.

“That was excellent.” She picked up her mug of coffee and took a sip before placing it back on the table. Clasping her hands over her stomach, she eyed him carefully. “So where exactly is it we’re going and what will happen when I get there?”

The question and her posture were both casual, but he could see that her knuckles were white she clenched her hands so firmly. Alex was feeling anything but casual at the moment. Picking up his mug, he took a fortifying mouthful, draining the last drop.

“Wolf Creek is in North Carolina. It’s about a ten-hour drive from here if we don’t’ stop and everything goes our way. He set his mug back on the table. “It’s a beautiful area in the mountains. We bought up the land about a century ago and have a compound there where the main family stays. Once we get there you’ll be safe and have time to meet with all the eligible males from the pack.”

“Main family?”

He noticed she avoided any mention of meeting the males of the pack, but he answered her question. “The alpha, Ian, and his mate, Patrice. My brothers and I stay there as well.”

“You said something about being in charge of security or something.” He could tell she was sorting through her memory, trying to recall bits and pieces of this morning’s earlier conversation.

“Yes. A Striker is always the head of security. Our loyalty to the pack is unquestioned.”

“So it’s a big deal.”

He tried to think of a way to make her understand. “Amongst our people, we are the judge, jury and executioner when there is a dispute. We are like the police, making sure the pack is protected from any outside violence as well as any upheaval from within. Our job is to protect the pack at all costs. To ensure its continued existence.”

“That can’t be an easy job.” Her voice had softened. “Nor is it fair to put so much on one person. You know what they say about absolute power.”

“That it corrupts absolutely.” He tilted his head slightly, acknowledging her point. “Yet it is necessary. Besides which, my brothers help me. I am merely the head of security, not its only member. And Ian is still the alpha. His word is final.”

Alex motioned the waitress over, thanking her profusely when she refilled the coffee mugs. She added sugar and stirred before picking up her mug and taking a taste. She licked her lips to catch a drop that beaded on her bottom lip. Joshua wanted to lick her lower lip, take it into his mouth and suck on it. Instead, he focused on Alex, waiting for her next question.

“Tell me about your family. You have brothers?”

He cleared his throat and kept talking, hoping to hide his growing discomfort. His erection, which had been under control, had swelled again the moment her tongue touched her lips. “My parents are both dead, but I have four brothers, one older, three younger.”

“Really.” She sat forward, resting her elbows on the table and propping her chin in her hands. “I always wanted a sister or a brother. It’s always been just Dad and me.”

“It was great to have brothers growing up, although sometimes I wished I’d been an only child.” Thoughts of his siblings brought a reluctant smile to his face. “Isaiah is the firstborn, then there’s me, Micah, Levi and Simon.”

She stared at him, fascination in her gaze.

“I had a sister.” It had been years, but he still didn’t like to talk about it. “Rachel disappeared when she was a teenager. We never found her body. She would have been about fifty years old now. She was the baby of the family, about thirty years younger than me.”

Alex’s eyes were as big as full moons, amazement shining out of their depths. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it again. She swallowed hard. “You’re saying you’re eighty years old?” She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was eavesdropping.