Dimitris considered the new information. Having Cate as a party member meant he would have far more access to her this evening than if she were overseeing the food preparations. He could dance with her, and ply her with champagne, bid an ungodly amount on a private cooking lesson with her, and when the time was right, steal her off to his suite. As his mate, she would find it very hard to resist the physical pull between them, her actions by the pool had proven that.
Pulling his shirt over his shoulders he said, “Go find Mylo. Tell him to follow Cate to her home and guard her until she arrives at the party. Now that I’ve found my mate she must be guarded. Other males might see this as a prime opportunity to gain power and challenge my status by turning her first.”
“You don’t really think anyone would do that, do you?” Alek was appalled by the suggestion. “As you said, because she is a destined mate, anyone could turn her. But I cannot imagine there is anyone in our pack who would want to do that. The pack loves you, Dimitris. No one would want to challenge you or hurt you in any way.”
“I’d rather be safe than sorry. No matter who turns her, Cate will always be my mate, but her allegiance, at least some part of it, would always lie with whichever wolf changed her. I cannot have that. Eventually it would create a distance between us. Plus, as you said, everyone can smell me now. I cannot hide the fact that I have found her. Until she has shifted I must keep her safe. I trust you, Mylo, and Lukyan to help me do that.” Dimitris did not have many enemies, but he trusted his brother and two cousins, his closest confidants, to help protect his most valuable possessions. And nothing was more valuable to Dimitris than his mate.
Cate released the curling iron from the warm ringlet. She had chosen to wear her hair down for the party. The neckline on her simple black dress was low, scooping out to show the line of her collarbones. She had been tempted to wear her hair up, the better to show off the lines of her neck and shoulders, but her hair was her best feature and her pride convinced her that she should wear it down for Dimitris. I may have fine lines around my eyes, and my breasts might be bit lower than they were fifteen years ago, but by god, I have great hair.
She was embarrassed of her actions by the pool. Though she was no prude, she had never been easily swayed by sexual attraction, either. Even in her younger years she was slow to sleep with a man, and she had never once made out the first time she met someone.My god, she told herself,I almost fucked him. If Peter hadn’t yelled my name I would have fucked Dimitris right on the table.She lowered the curling iron. Currently her hair was styled in long Shirley Temple ringlets. She began running her fingers through the curls, loosening them until they fell in soft waves just above her shoulders. Her fingers worked of their own volition; her mind was focused on other things.
Just who is Dimitris Volkov? And just what does he want with a single mom who’s a solid ten years older than him?She knew that he was the successful leader of Volkov Investments, an investment firm run by Dimitris, his brother, Alek, and his cousin. But there was more to him than that. Cate had not lived in the area long, but she had heard enough to know that the locals found him to be smart, powerful, and according to many, intimidating. She wondered why no one had informed her of how deadly sexy he was. The ladies at Coyen had mentioned his brother, Alek, nonstop since his visit to the school to meet with her. Cate understood their fascination, Alek was very good looking and immensely charming, but to her eye, he had none of the dark, smoldering appeal of his brother. Both brothers were tall and muscular, but Dimitris was more powerfully built and his eyes, he body gave an involuntary shudder as she remembered. She tried to recall exactly how they looked as he stalked her from the pool. Technically, his eyes were hazel, with bits of green lining the edge, but in reality they were more golden yellow than anything. She had never seen eyes like his.
She studied her reflection. Her fingers had achieved the exact effect she had hoped for. She reached for her lipstick, a soft neutral color that would make her mouth look pouty and kissable. She looked good and she knew it, but her appearance did little to quell the nervousness in her stomach. Why her? The ladies at work had listed numerous women rumored to have had affairs with Alek, nothing had been mentioned about Dimitris’ love life. Cate felt a sense of pride knowing that she had turned his head.You’re being foolish, she chastised.He was naked, you were there, it is that simple. Something inside Cate told her that it was not that simple. There was something between Dimitris and her.
Cate gave herself one last scrutinizing look before putting on her dress. Her body had held up quite well over the years, thanks to regular runs and sessions in the weight room. There were small stretch-marks on her lower abdomen, but that was to be expected after having a child. Aside from that, her body held little evidence that she had ever given birth. Her breasts weren’t as pert as they had been years ago, and her ass wasn’t as high, but she still looked damn good and she knew it. She thought about Dimitris’ body, all hard muscle and sinew. He was perfect.He’s at least ten years your junior, Cate!She sighed. No matter how well she had held up over the years, she could not imagine that she could ever compete long-term with a twenty-something, the likes of which Dimitris must be swimming in. And after her disaster of a marriage, she wasn’t sure that she wanted long-term anyway. “Just enjoy it,” she told her reflection. “You don’t have time for romance, but a little bit of play will be good for you.”
Cate stepped into her dress and zipped it. Shoes and earrings were all that was missing. Since her hair was down, she opted for her dangling silver earrings. The set was made to look like a chandelier. She had bought them on a whim just after Peter was born, a rare luxury. Mike had recently informed her that he was leaving for Paris and she could come with him if she wanted, or stay. His lack of enthusiasm for one option over the other assured her that he had checked out of their marriage already and would not miss her when he left. Cate thought back to that dark time in her life. Alone, raising a baby in a big city, she had felt overwhelmed and tired. When she saw the earrings in the jeweler’s window, she had gone in and without a moment’s thought and purchased them, convinced that when she wore them she would feel as confident and powerful as she deserved to be. She had very few opportunities over the years to wear the earrings, but tonight she needed a boost of confidence and the earrings would provide that dose of magic.
Stashing her lipstick and phone in her small clutch, she went in search of her son and his babysitter. “Whoa, mom, you look hot.” Peter, doing his best version of a cat call, rolled a shrillWheet-wooooff his tongue.
Brittany, Peter’s seventeen year old babysitter, giggled. “I think I need to teach him to whistle.”
Cate rolled her eyes at the teen and focused her attention on her son. “Where did you learn that term? That’s not something a six-year-old little boy should say to his mother.”
“I just meant you look really pretty. I like your hair.” Peter’s boldness and lack of gall charmed her. She was often amazed and rather proud of his innocent impudence. He would give her a run for her money in a few years.
“That’s better. You should tell ladies they look pretty, not hot, it just sounds better.” She winked at him and ruffled his hair. “Now give me a kiss goodbye.” Cate bent to Peter’s level and turned her cheek for a sloppy kiss and hug.
“I need you to be on your best behavior for Miss Brittany, understand? And no sneaking treats from the pantry, you had enough sugar today in the Volkov kitchen. Got it?” She gave him her best I’m one-hundred percent serious mom stare. Peter nodded chastely which did not fool her for a second. She looked at Brittany. “I’m serious, Brit. He’s had enough sugar today to last him until Christmas. Nothing sweet tonight.”
Brittany agreed to keep him safely away from the cookies and cakes in the pantry. “I should be back by eleven, midnight at the latest,” Cate called as she headed out the door.
three
Dimitris checked his watch again, the third time in the past two minutes. “She will be here soon,” Lukyan whispered from his right. “Mylo messaged that she left her home twenty minutes ago. Give her time to drive here safely and park. He won’t let anything happen to her between her home and here.”
Dimitris nodded at Lukyan, his oldest friend and cousin. His head knew that Mylo would keep Cate safe, but his wolf was not as certain. The beast was feeling more territorial than Dimitris could ever recall, and he was confident it would not subside until he made Cate his mate.
“I was just telling Dimitris how thankful we are to have you as our client, Mr. Vaught.” Alek gently elbowed Dimitris in his side. Giving himself a mental shake, he put on his best smile.
“Yes, Alek, Lukyan, and I are very thrilled to have your business, Mr. Vaught. You do Volkov Investments a great honor by choosing to place your funds with us.” Dimitris beamed a genuine smile. The business had taken off as soon as the pack had established themselves in New York, but the past five years had known significant growth. With the added business of Mr. Vaught and a few other key investors, Volkov Investments was doing better than ever. This meant increased income for not only Dimitris, Lukyan, and Alek, but for the entire pack. “Normally, my family and I hold a harvest party to show our love and appreciation for our extended family and friends in the area, but this year we wanted to open it up to our investors, as way to honor your patronage and to let you know how very much we value you.”
“Well, Dimitris, you and Lukyan made a lot of sense when you proposed that I switch my investments to your firm. And you have chosen wisely, making me a lot of money in the past four years. So I guess I should be thanking you.” Mr. Vaught, a spry man in his seventies, extended his hand. Dimitris shook it first, followed by Lukyan, and then Alek. “Now if you’ll excuse me,” Mr. Vaught said, “I’m going to head into the ballroom. Don’t want to hold up your line any more than I already have.” Dimitris watched him leave and then, predictably, looked at his watch.
“Would you stop that?” Alek reprimanded in a harsh whisper. “Cate will be here soon enough. And no matter when she arrives, you cannot be excused from welcoming your guests. Plus, the more you fret, the worse you stink.” Dimitris looked to Lukyan for confirmation. His brusque nod affirmed that it was true.
“I can’t help it,” he whispered after Julia Thomas had left the receiving line. “My wolf is raging. I have to see her again, very soon. It’s killing me. The urge to mate is all I can think about.” Lukyan gave Dimitris a worried look but Alek simply rolled his eyes.
“It’s been two hours. You are in no danger of dying due to separation.”
Dimitris wasn’t so sure. The anxiety he felt being away from his mate was palpable. If his brother hadn’t supplied her name, he wouldn’t even know what to call her, and yet, just as his father and older brother had warned, he was in love. Deeply and truly. The phone in his pocket buzzed. After saying hello to Camille and Jonathan Knightly, he pulled it out to check the message.Just pulled in.It was from Mylo. Immediately his wolf’s disquiet lessened.
Dimitris messaged back,See that she gets in safe and then hurry to change. I need you here.He still worried that another shifter would find a way to turn Cate. He could not allow that to happen.
“She just pulled in,” he whispered to Lukyan and Alek. “Try to make a good impression. And you,” Dimitris turned to stare at Alek, “don’t say one negative thing about me. I want tonight to be perfect.”
Lukyan chuckled, “You are aware how mating works, right? The goddess chose Cate for you. You are destined to be together. Good impression or not, eventually the two of you will be mated.”
