Taken By the Pack

This was taking forever.How the hell was Rebecca making this meeting last a freaking life time? I was constantly having to resist the urge to check the time because I didn’t want to be rude, but I needed her gone already. I had made it clear that I was more than happy for Rebecca to do whatever the hell she wanted, but still she seemed to want to consult with me on everything.

“Okay, I think that’s it.” I sat up a little straighter in my seat as Rebecca finally said the words I’d been wanting to hear for hours. “I think I have everything I need now. But I will be in touch if there is anything else.”

I breathed out a sigh of relief. “Sure thing. Thanks for everything, Rebecca. That means a lot. I’m really happy with everything you have done.”

Did she believe my smile? At this point, was I even concerned whether she did or not? I just couldn’t wait for us to be done so I could get on with my day. Not that there was much of it left. I’d been starving for so long, and I couldn’t wait to get something to eat. I shook Rebecca’s hand and walked her to the front door before she finally walked out of view, giving me a moment to breathe. Thank goodness that was over.

“Oh!” But I wasn’t alone in the kitchen. There was someone there who I really didn’t expect to see standing at the oven, pulling out a tray of something that smelled absolutely delicious. My mouth started watering and my stomach growled. “Wes?”

It didn’t make sense to see the tattooed, dangerous-looking beefcake of a man with a shaved head holding a tray of cookies. It was such a strange sight that I remained in the doorway, leaning up against the doorframe.

“Renee, I’m so sorry.” He actually looked embarrassed, and I wasn’t sure why. “I hope you don’t mind me using your kitchen. Your mom said it was okay…”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” I waved my hand dismissively. “It’s no trouble whatsoever. The cookies you’re baking smell delicious.”

“This is just my first batch.” Wes carefully rested the tray on the kitchen counter. “I’m making a whole bunch. I haven’t had a chance to bake for a while, and I want to get a lot done.”

I nodded silently and made my way over to the fridge to grab some cold cut sandwiches. Not that I wanted to eat these while the kitchen smelled so delicious. I could hardly take my eyes off Wes as he started to whisk some batter. The juxtaposition between his rippling muscles as he whisked and deftly handled the baking equipment and the pale green apron covering his body was intoxicating. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

I couldn’t stop my mind from wondering what it would be like to have him handling me. I could only imagine that he would be able to throw me around the room with ease, and touch me just as expertly as he could handle the whisk. Heat trickled through my body, fizzing delightfully through my veins. My eyes raced all over him, eventually to his lips, where, to my horror, I realized that he was trying to talk to me.

“Oh, sorry.” My cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Did you say something?”

My heart fluttered as he caught my eye. There was something so sweet about his smile it made me turn to mush. “Yeah, I just wanted to know if you have been painting some more.”

Did he know about my nude artwork? Had Toby said something? I couldn’t imagine it, but then I hadn’t had much time to get to know any of these guys properly. I knew that Toby was kinder than his twin brother, with more self-confidence. I knew Wes intrigued me; he was nothing like he seemed on the surface. Lucky seemed flirtatious and mischievous, something I would know more about when we attended the art show together. And Stark…well, I didn’t know much about Stark at all. He was short and sharp, very efficient. I wanted to know more, but he seemed to keep a very professional distance between himself and my family. Most of all me.

“I have been painting a bit,” I admitted. “But I don’t have much time.”

“Right, wedding planning. Of course. That must take up a lot of your time.”

“Not as much as you might think,” I laughed. Maybe this was a little too honest, but I didn’t think Wes would rat me out. “A lot of the decisions are being made for me.”

“And you don’t mind that?” Wes distracted me from any worries about being truthful as he handed me one of the cookies he’d baked. “Not having much of a say?”

I bit into the cookie and immediately groaned with pleasure. “This is amazing, oh my goodness.” Not only was he a baker, but he was a phenomenal one. “You are really good.” But Wes didn’t say anything. He was staring at me expectantly, waiting for my answer. “No, it doesn’t bother me too much. I’m not too worried about the wedding.”

“Just looking forward to married life, huh?”

I didn’t have an answer for that, but my silence spoke volumes. Wes could clearly see right through me, but he was kind enough to just offer me another cookie rather than advice. There was no advice he could give me that would change things, because the business deal was all done. The Vaughns and the Vanderbilts wanted this for their own end, and there was nothing I could do about it.