Pack Dynamics by Julie Frost Read Free Book Online Page B

“How in the world does someone like you manage to keep her around?”
    “She claims it’s the piles of cash and killer benefits, but I think it’s my charm and personality.” At Janni’s snort, he shot her a wounded look. “What? I didn’t win you over at the party tonight?”
    Janni lifted an amused eyebrow. “If I hadn’t gotten the phone call when I did, I was prepared to run to the ladies’ room and hide there until you got distracted by something shiny.”
    “That’s my girl,” Ben said.
    Alex heaved a dramatic sigh. “Guess I’m spending the night lonely again.”
    “Poor thing,” Megan said, coming back in with an armload of laptops. “Such a hard life you have.” She helped him onto the bed, while he gave her an appreciative look, because damn if she wasn’t gorgeous, even dressed in oversized pajamas that hid everything. He wondered, not for the first time, how kissing her would feel, and then pushed the thought ruthlessly back. If he kissed Megan, she’d quit, and his schedule would be in ruins. More ruins.
    Megan correctly interpreted the look, rolled her eyes, and said, “I’ll get you some coffee. Looks like you’re going to need it.”
    O O O
    Megan got the coffee going, cringing at the fact that all they had was Kopi Luwak and deciding not to say anything to anyone about where that came from. She seated herself at the kitchen island and put her face in her hands, massaging her temples with her fingers while it brewed. The overwhelming smell of blood had the wolf within snapping at her leash, and Megan sat there and breathed for a few seconds, getting her under control.
    Janni came in and touched her shoulder. “You okay?”
    “Just another day in the life.” Megan smacked herself on the forehead with her fist. “Honestly, the man is impossible sometimes. He drives himself into the ground, ends up collapsing, and then I’m dealing with questions from reporters for days. And that’s not counting the times he gets hurt because he’s a risk-taker with lousy impulse control who plays as hard as he works. I only hope we can keep this out of the press. At least until it’s over.”
    “How long have you been in love with him?”
    Megan stared incredulously. “I’m not. Good lord, how could I be?”
    “I read the tabloids, and you didn’t see your face when you came in after you got the call, Megan,” Janni said. “It was equal parts utter fear and ‘I’m going to kill him.’ Believe me, I know the feeling.”
    “Ben too, huh?” They shared a look. But Megan wasn’t in love with Alex.
    She wasn’t.
    Janni sat down and shuddered. “Whoever had him did a real number on him. He’s going to have scars on top of his scars. I’d like five minutes alone with them. Just five.” She clenched her hand and inhaled slowly. “Dammit, he was getting better, and now …” Her face reflected some hidden pain. “He’s not quite like Alex, not an adrenaline junkie. But he’s got this misplaced sense of chivalry, and sometimes he’ll put himself in harm’s way to protect my mom, when they’re out on a case.”
    Megan stared. Ben was muscled like a whippet, but she’d met Pamela when Alex hired her firm, and … “She’s three inches taller and fifty pounds heavier than he is.” It was hard to believe that Janni was Pamela’s daughter, honestly. Where Pam was large and solid, Janni was small and delicate. Megan wondered what her father was like.
    “Tell him that.”
    The coffee finished brewing, and Megan put a couple of trays together. She handed one off to Janni, and they took them back to the bedroom, setting them on the bedside tables. “Thank you, Miss Graham,” Alex said absently, clicking away on his keyboard and grabbing the cup she handed him, trusting that she’d made it the way he liked without checking.
    Janni lay down on the bed beside Ben, wrapping her arm around his waist. She looked exhausted, and Ben wasn’t much better. He was somewhere in his