Lily
After finishing eating breakfast with Eva, I’m not too surprised when Wesley strides into the kitchen while looking stressed. It seems like he just jumped into his suit without ironing it first. There are folds in it, and the upper buttons are open to reveal more skin and muscles that I’m comfortable with. It really confuses me how Wesley is both attractive and intimidating all at the same time...
“Wesley, darling, that suit is obviously too small for your shoulders,” Eva points out to her grandson. “You should head upstairs to get another one.”
“There is no time for that. I’m meeting with my client in ten minutes,” he glares around the room and runs a hand through his dark hair. It’s messy, like he hasn’t had time to fix it, but somehow, that only makes him look sexier. “Where is my breakfast?”
Eva lifts an eyebrow. “Honey, I think you’re old enough to make your own breakfast.”
Wesley glares at her. “You made breakfast for the rogue but not for your own grandson?”
“Her name is Lily,” Eva picks up her coffee cup and calmly takes a sip of it before adding, “And she actually thanked me for the breakfast I made her, unlike someone else who takes my kindness for granted.”
Wesley growls. “I don’t have time for this. Not only am I late, but I’m still missing a new secretary,” those green eyes of his meet mine as if I’m the one to blame. “And it’s all your fault.”
“What?” I croak. “How is it my fault that you don’t have a new secretary? I didn’t ask you to drop everything and take me to your mansion! You could have still gone back there to hire someone else since I obviously didn’t make the cut!”
Wesley glares at me and opens his mouth, probably about to bark something mean before his grandmother taps her spoon against her coffee cup to get our attention. Wesley immediately turns her way, and she smiles.
“Wesley, mind if I suggest something?”
Her tone takes me aback. Eva’s sentence might have come out as a question, but her voice is confident, and her eyes are determined. It makes me wonder if she might have been the Alpha of the Luan pack before Wesley. She has that air of importance around her.
“Go ahead,” Wesley says, sighing. “It’s not like I can stop you from speaking your mind anyway...”
Eva smiles. “That’s true...” She looks back at me, gives me a quick wink, and then turns her attention back to her grandson. “Hire Lily for the secretary position. We both know she is more than qualified for the job and as the mother of your future child, she needs a steady income. What better way is there to fix that problem than hiring her yourself?”
“Out of the question!”
My chest tightens when Wesley raises his voice. Why does he feel the need to keep acting as if I’m vermin? My heart hurts, and I want to defend myself, but Eva calmly places a hand over mine as if to tell me she will handle this.
“Wesley,” her tone is a warning. “Stop acting like…what is the word?”
“A jerk,” I say, which earns me another glare from Wesley, but I’m not afraid of him, at least not in the presence of his grandmother, who nods at me.
“Yes, that’s the word,” Eva lifts her nose into the air. “Wesley, stop acting like a jerk and hire Lily. We both know this is the answer to many of your problems.”
Wesley’s eyes widen as if he can’t for the life of him believe his grandmother is taking my side. He opens his mouth to say something, but Eva quickly motions for him to be quiet with her hand and continues talking.
“You don’t have to like each other, but it certainly would make things easier if you at least tried. You and Lily are about to raise a child together. It means she will always be a part of your life. Which is why I feel the need to ask if you really think your child is going to take a liking to their father if they notice how he is treating their mother?”
That shuts him up. Wesley’s mouth opens and closes as if he doesn’t know what to say, and I stifle a laugh by pressing my hand to my mouth. It seems I can count on Eva to hit her grandson where it hurts, but I immediately straighten up when Wesley shoots me a glare cold enough to make goosebumps prickle all over my skin. He is still scary, but it’s not his position or his size that frightens me. It’s the fact that I suspect he really hates me.
I swallow at the thought and watch as Wesley stands rigidly, his jaw clenched tight as he stares daggers at me. For a moment, the tension is thick, and the air crackles with a silent hostility that threatens to escalate. Then, he seems to come to some kind of decision, his expression hardening into one of detached indifference.
“Fine,” he says curtly, turning away with a dismissive wave of his hand. “You can have the job. But don’t expect any special treatment from me, Lily. You’re here to do a job, and that’s all. You will get paid just like any other employee, and you will do as you’re told. Is that clear?”
It takes me a moment to find my voice, my stomach churning with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. “Yes,” I say, holding his gaze levelly. “That’s clear.”
Wesley doesn’t smile, and neither does he shake my hand, but the curt nod he gives still feels like a slight victory. “Good,” he turns around. “Our car is leaving the courtyard in five minutes. I would suggest you get dressed.”
I blink and look down at my clothes. “B-but I am dressed.”
His eyes zero in on my attire, and he wrinkles his nose as if disgusted by what he sees. “You’re dressed in a jeans jacket and a pair of shorts that barely cover your ass. How is that fitting for a secretary?”
I can feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment as I realize that he is right. No one will take me seriously if I enter an office looking like I’m headed for the beach. I quickly stand up from my chair with an apologetic smile.
“Right, I’m sorry. I will change immediately.”
Wesley nods sharply before glancing at his watch. “You have three minutes. Don’t be late,” he turns on his heel and leaves the room, the sound of his footsteps echoing down the corridor.
When he is out of earshot, Eva turns towards me with a comforting smile. “Don’t worry, dear,” she says, “he’s just got a lot on his plate right now. Once he’s had some time to adjust, he will come around. Just be patient with him.”
“I doubt things between us will ever change.”
She giggles and changes the subject. “I have some clothes you can borrow. How about wearing something casual like a cardigan and some khaki pants?”
I stare at her. “Won’t that piss off Wesley?”
“That’s the plan,” she smiles. “But don’t worry. There is actually no dress code at his office. Brooks Industries is supposed to accept everyone, so you’re fine wearing a cardigan. I also suspect that’s your outfit of choice. Something comfortable.”
“You would be right.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get you dressed, child. Come with me upstairs.”
Eva helps me find less revealing clothes, and after I’m done changing, I rush down the stairs not to miss the limousine. While doing that, I slip on the last step and fly forward while screaming like a pig stung by a bee. I’m convinced I’m going to hurt myself and fall headfirst onto the floor, but Wesley is there to save the day.
He catches me effortlessly, his strong arms wrapping around my waist to pull me back up. I gasp in surprise at his strength, my heart racing as I realize how close we are. His scent envelopes me, making me dizzy with desire while my hand rests against his firm chest.
Timidly, I look up at him to gauge his reaction. I’m convinced he is going to be angry with me for falling, and I slowly take in his chiseled jawline and piercing green eyes as he stares down at me with an...unreadable expression. I have no idea what is going through his head. He doesn’t look angry, though.
“Are you okay?” he asks gruffly, and I nod my head, feeling flustered and embarrassed at the same time.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I say, and he sets me back on my feet, dropping his hands from my waist as if he has been burned.
“Be more careful,” he admonishes before gesturing toward the door. “The limousine is waiting.”
I nod my head, feeling shaken by the close call, and follow him outside. The limousine is parked in the courtyard, gleaming in the sun, and I can’t help but feel a sense of awe at the extravagance of it all.
Wesley opens the car door for me, which is...surprising. I have no idea why he isn’t barking at me, yet somehow his silence is almost scarier. His eyes are intense, and I squirm under his scrutiny. He seems to be sizing me up, trying to figure me out, and I wonder what he sees. Am I just a failure of a werewolf he knocked up and has to take care of now? Or does he see something more?
I can’t tell, but I do know that I feel both nervous and excited at the prospect of working for him. Part of me wants to prove him wrong, show him that I can stay clear of my addiction, be an excellent mother and make him regret rejecting me. That part of my brain also wishes for revenge. But another part of me wants to get closer to him, to understand why he is so closed off and distant from everyone else.
As the limousine pulls away from the estate, I steal a glance at Wesley from the corner of my eye. I admire his strong shoulders and clean-shaven face and feel a flutter in my chest when his eyes meet mine.
“What?” he growls.
I look away, feeling embarrassed for staring at him and checking him out. “Nothing,” I say quietly, feeling an uncomfortable heat rise to my cheeks.
He grunts in response, turning his attention to the passing scenery as we drive through the city. I can tell he doesn’t want to talk, so I remain silent, staring out the window at the world rushing by while stroking my stomach. Will Wesley and I always be enemies?