Chapter Seven

Chapter 7

"I t was nice of GL to offer his conference room for our planning efforts, don't you think?" Mrs. Washburn said.

"Indeed. That and his funding." Mrs. Stockton laughed. "Without it, we'd have had to have the ball in some squalid concert hall instead of at a grand hotel. We've already sold out of tickets and the finest of Chicago society will be in attendance."

"Isn't the ball open to the public?" Selene dared to ask. Surrounded by the matrons of Chicago's wealthiest, she was outnumbered and feeling out of place. Perhaps she wasn't right for the costume-planning portion of this particular event, except she had the most popular dress shop in downtown Chicago and she knew her unique clothing and designs suited the fairy theme the ladies had chosen for this year's charity ball.

Mrs. Washburn's brows rose as she directed a stare down her nose at Selene. "Yes, but who can afford the price of the tickets? Only the most connected."

"And isn't that as it should be?" Mrs. Stockton said. "We want high-dollar contributors to come and give lots of lovely money."

"For the children," Selene reminded them.

"Of course." Mrs. Washburn tapped the paper in front of her. "How are the costumes coming?"

On the spot, Selene straightened. "I pick up the completed fairy costumes after our meeting is over."

"You can have the servants' costumes delivered directly to the hotel, and the Women's Aid Organization's dresses delivered to my house, please."

"Shall I schedule a seamstress to do any last-minute adjustments?"

"No, no." Mrs. Washburn waved her hand. "I'm sure none of us have changed measurements significantly in the past two weeks." She eyed the others in the room, as if sizing them up. "With the ball only days away, it would be foolish to scramble at the last minute."

"Very well." Selene nodded. "Whom do I submit my bill to?"

"Leave it with the man at the front desk on your way out of the building. Security will ensure it gets to GL for payment."

Selene exited, glad to be out of the room of stuffy women, full of themselves and what their husbands made. She would love to go to the charity ball, if only to see her dress designs on display, but she couldn't afford the ten-thousand-dollar ticket price and really didn't want to be stuck with a lot of Chicago's elite snobs, like the elusive GL of GL Enterprises.

Outside the conference room, she waited in front of the elevator. She could hear the car rising up the shaft. As it grew closer, her pulse quickened, her breathing growing shallower. If she wasn't going crazy, she could swear the person inside the elevator was the man she'd rescued from the side of the river. She could sense his presence.

She punched the button several times, but the car didn't stop at her floor. Instead, it continued upward toward the roof of the building.

It had to be him. Selene spun back toward the conference room and burst through the door. "Who owns this building?"

Mrs. Washburn frowned at the interruption. "GL, of course."

"Of GL Enterprises. One of the richest men in the city of Chicago," Mrs. Stockton added.

"What does he look like?" Selene demanded.

"Not many of us have actually had the pleasure of meeting the man. He prefers his privacy."

"However, I have." Mrs. Washburn straightened, lifting her nose to the ceiling. "Why do you ask?"

Her heart beating against her ribs, Selene backed out of the room. "No reason. Excuse me. I apologize for disrupting your meeting."

As she closed the door between her and the ladies, she heard Mrs. Washburn say, "Silly girl. Are you certain she's the best for the costumes?"

"With the ball only a couple of days away, you're asking now?" The other woman laughed. "We'll have to make do."

The woman's words hurt. She'd put a lot of time and effort into the design, planning and construction of the costumes. Not to mention fronting the effort with her own hard-earned funds. If they backed out now, she'd be out thousands of dollars and she still had to pay the seamstresses.

"She came highly recommended—" Mrs. Stockton said.

Selene retreated to the elevator and punched the up button. When the car opened, she stepped in and glanced at the control panel. The penthouse suite had its own button and a key card slot beside it. The only way she'd get into that suite was with a card, or if she accompanied a person with a card.

She hit the button for the lobby and rode the car to ground level.

At the desk, she paused in front of the security guard. "I'd like to see GL." She frowned, ashamed to admit she didn't know what GL stood for. If she had to guess, the G stood for Gryph.

Her stomach fluttered. Surely this couldn't be only a coincidence. How serendipitous could it be to have a meeting in a building Gryph owned?

She shook her head. Was she thinking right? Gryph, the man she'd found shivering beside the river, half-dead and wounded, was a multimillionaire? A member of Chicago's elite? A man of great wealth and assets? If that was the case, why had she found him wounded by the river?

Unless he'd been wounded by the attacker that killed the woman or...the woman he'd killed.

Her mouth tightening, Selene waited for the guard on duty to respond.

"I'm sorry, he's not available for meetings."

Selene turned away, disappointment and frustration bubbling up inside her. She could walk away and never know if the man passing her in the elevator shaft had been Gryph or she could stay and try again to get to the penthouse. Full of determination and not willing to take no for an answer, she pushed guilt aside and turned back to the guard. Instead of reading his thoughts, she stared into his eyes and said, "You want to take me to GL."

"I do?" The man chuckled, shaking his head. "'Fraid not."

Selene gathered a deep breath, focused all her energy into her next words. "You will take me to GL."

The security guard tipped his chin downward, his gaze clouding. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let me see if he's in."

She maintained her focus, as if applying steady pressure to get a ball rolling. "He's in."

His hand left the phone and he stood. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you up to meet with GL."

"Thank you." Selene stepped into the elevator and waited for the guard to slide his card into the slot and punch the penthouse button.

"You don't need to go with me," she said.

The guard smiled politely and stepped out of the elevator, saying, "I don't need to go with you."

The door slid closed and Selene was on her way up to the penthouse, guilt, elation and a wicked sense of power flooding her. She'd manipulated the security guard's mind. A thrill shivered across her skin. She'd never done that before. Able to sense thoughts and emotions, she'd never attempted to plant ideas in another person's brain. Until now. Had she pushed the boundaries of right and wrong?

The elevator rocketed to the top. The closer she got, the more certain she was that she'd find Gryph. She could sense his presence, feel his emotions, and knew without a doubt it was him. As the elevator slowed, her feet grew cold, her nerve slipping down the shaft. Though she'd found him irresistible in bed, he might not have been as taken. Not that she was going after him to finish what they'd started. She told herself she only wanted answers. Nothing more.

As the elevator doors slid open to reveal an opulent suite of offices, Selene shrank against the back wall, suddenly afraid of his reaction to seeing her. Would he be angry that she'd found him? Would he deny having ever set eyes on her? Would he call security and have her thrown out?

An older woman rose from behind a large mahogany desk. "Are you lost?" she asked, stepping forward.

"N-no." The elevator doors started to close, sparking life into Selene's limbs, she stepped through into the office suite. "No, I'm not lost," she said with more conviction. "I'm here to see GL."

"I don't have any appointments scheduled on the calendar for him." She stood in front of Selene, her small stature no less intimidating.

When Selene couldn't come up with a reason why she was there without an appointment, she clamped down on her bottom lip.

"I see. Perhaps I should call security." The older woman backed toward her desk and lifted the phone.

"No." Selene stepped forward and focused on the woman, channeling her thoughts toward her.

The older woman frowned and pressed her fingers to her temples. "I'll just call..." She glanced up at Selene, her eyes narrowing, the irises flashing a deep red.

A stabbing pain ripped through her own temples and her mental push slammed back into her, making her stagger backward and hit the closed elevator doors.

What the hell? Selene pressed her fingers against her throbbing temples, but refused to give up. "Please. I need to see your boss. I need to know—"

"Marge, I hear voices out there. What's going on?" A tall man in a black suit stepped through the doorway to the adjoining office. His tawny blond hair, thick and full, was combed back from his forehead and hung down to the top of his collar.

"Gryph." Selene's knees wobbled at the startling pushback from the seemingly gentle Marge, and from seeing the man she'd been thinking about nonstop since she'd found him by the river.

"I was about to call security to escort this woman out of the building." The older woman lifted the phone on her desk.

"No." Gryph held out his hand. "I'll deal with her." His gaze never left Selene's. "Please, come into my office."

Marge stared from her to him and set the phone back in the cradle.

"Aren't you supposed to run an errand or something?" Gryph turned to Marge as Selene gave the other woman a wide berth and slipped by him into his office.

Selene caught the older woman's frown and the dark red that flared in her eyes. What the hell had just happened? She'd never had someone slam her thoughts back at her. Nor had she run in to anyone whose eyes could change from plain gray to bloodred in a heartbeat.

"I guess that means you want me to disappear." Marge rolled her eyes. "Just say so." She grumbled as she gathered her purse from a desk drawer. When she straightened, a small smile played at the corner of her lips. She patted Gryph's face. "I hope you remember what I said." She turned toward Selene and poked a finger at her, her smile fading. "Hurt him, and you'll answer to me." Her back to Gryph, her eyes flared red again, then she stepped up to the elevator, the door slid open and she disappeared inside.

"What did she say that you're supposed to remember?" Selene asked, a shiver shaking her.

"Nothing." Gryph closed the door to the office and stood silent, staring down at her.

Selene's stomach turned cartwheels and her gaze focused on his mouth. Her tongue slipped across to moisten her suddenly dry lips. She wanted him to take her into his arms so badly, she could practically taste him. Kiss me.

In one smooth movement, he gathered her into his arms and crushed her lips with a breath-stealing kiss that rocked Selene all the way to her core. She ran her hands up his chest and curled them around his neck, pressing her body as close to his as was possible with her clothes still on.

He cradled the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding past her teeth to stroke hers in a long sensuous caress. His free hand slipped down her back to cup her bottom, pressing her pelvis against the growing ridge beneath the fly of his trousers.

When he finally set her back on her feet, he was breathing hard and so was she.

"I shouldn't have done that," he said.

"Why not?"

"I'm not the man for you. You have to understand."

A horrible thought insinuated itself into her mind. What if her longing had pressured him to kiss her? And now that he'd done it, he was regretting it.

Her knees shaking, afraid she'd gone too far by following him up to his office and possibly pushing thoughts into his mind, she opened her mouth to apologize but what came out was "You left without saying goodbye."

He leaned his forehead against hers. "I had to. I couldn't let you be accused of harboring a murderer."

"You didn't—"

His finger pressed against her lips, warm and gentle. "I know, but the sketch they're circulating is pretty damning. You and the redhead who helped me into your apartment were the only humans who could identify me and place me close to the scene of the crime."

"I wouldn't have turned you in." She shook her head. "And my sister..." Selene bit her lip. "I'd like to think she wouldn't have, either."

"I couldn't bank on it. I don't know you well enough." He smoothed the hair back from her face. "And I couldn't count on your sister's silence. When everyone showed up at your place, I knew it was time for me to leave."

"Those were my sisters."

"And the guy?"

"My sister's fiancé." Selene's lips quirked. "He's a cop. And two of my sisters are consultants for the Chicago PD."

Gryph pushed a hand through his thick hair. "Wow. I believe I'm in up to my eyeballs in trouble. Are they going to show up any minute to rescue you from me?"

Selene shook her head. "They don't know I'm here. They think I'm at a meeting for a charity ball. Which I was until I...found you." She'd been about to tell him that she'd sensed him.

His thumb brushed across her lips and he bent to sweep his mouth across where his thumb had been. "And will you tell them where you found me?"

"No," she whispered into his mouth. "At least not until we find out who killed the woman."

"And then?"

"If you want me to." Right then she didn't want to tell anyone she was with him. That way she could have Gryph all to herself. Maybe she'd rekindle those feelings he'd inspired, the hot, lush lust she'd never before experienced in any other man's arms. She hadn't been able to push him out of her thoughts since she'd discovered him.

"I haven't stopped thinking about you," he whispered against her lips.

If he hadn't been so close, the heat of his body spreading fire through her veins, she might have paused to consider his words mirroring her own thoughts. But she couldn't think past his lips sliding across hers in a slow, intense attack on her senses.

Coarse hands slipped the strap of her dress over her shoulder and his mouth trailed kisses down the column of her throat to the curve of her neck and across her bared shoulder.

Urgent need drove her to shove his jacket over his shoulders.

He shrugged free and let it drop to the floor.

Selene fumbled with the buttons on his shirt until she had them all loose down to where the tail disappeared into the waistband of his trousers. She yanked it free, finishing the job, and the shirt joined the jacket on the floor.

Gryph's hands found the zipper on the back of her dress and slid it down to the base of her spine.

Without hesitation, she stepped back and slid the straps down her arms. The dress fell, leaving her standing in front of him in a white lacy demi bra and matching white thong panties.

Gryph's gaze raked across her from the tip of her head, caressing her all the way to the apex of her thighs. His golden eyes flashed.

A cool air-conditioned draft brushed across her skin and made her pause for a moment, heat rising up into her cheeks. She raised her hands to cover her breasts. "I'm sorry. I didn't come to seduce you."

He chuckled, lifted her hand and drew her close. "I'm beginning to get a complex. I thought I was seducing you ."

Selene's gaze shifted to the wound on his shoulder and she frowned. "You'd never know you'd been injured so badly such a short time ago."

"Thanks to the magic in that poultice, I'm well on the way to recovery."

Selene stiffened at the reference to magic. Did he know that she was a witch? Did she dare tell him about her ability to sense emotions, sometimes read minds and now push thoughts into others' heads? He should know so that he could make a rational decision about where they were going with whatever it was raging between them. "About the poultice..." Her hands landed on his bare chest, his muscles flexed and all her logic flew out the window.

"Hmm?" Gryph nuzzled her neck, kissing a path down to the swell of her breast.

Intense pleasure washed over her in a tsunami of sensations, rendering her incapable of breathing properly. Her fingers skimmed across his chest, testing the strength and hardness of the muscles beneath the smooth skin.

His hands slipped down her back and grazed the rounded curve of her buttocks. Then he scooped her up, wrapping her legs around his waist, walking her across the room to the huge black desk in the center of the room. Gray light shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows from a storm-laden sky, the clouds dimming the vastness of the Chicago skyline, making the atmosphere more tempestuous, as well as intimate.

One hand balancing her against him, Gryph swept his other hand across the surface of his desk, sending papers and pens flying across the room. Then he settled her bottom on the cool, hard surface, laying her back until she was sprawled across the middle, her legs dangling over the side.

Her body was on fire, her mind caught in the blaze, unable to generate coherent thoughts. Selene rode a wave of lust so powerful she wanted nothing more than to be naked, with Gryph between her legs, riding her hard and fast.

The man-beast bent over her, pushing aside the bra's cup to take a beaded nipple between his teeth and biting gently. He swiped a raspy tongue over the taut nub.

Selene arched her back, pressing closer to his magical mouth.

He wrapped his lips around the taut bud and sucked, drawing it deep into his mouth. His hand slid down over her belly, angling toward the tuft of curls covering her sex.

Selene stilled in anticipation of his fingers finding and stroking her there.

Releasing her breast, he seared a path to the other breast, pushing aside the bra to shower equal attention on the opposite side, then continued his storm of passion across her torso and down to join his hand, sliding between her swollen folds.

Selene moaned, her body writhing against the wooden desk. She wanted more, wanted him inside her, filling her, stretching her channel with the huge member she'd born witness to when she'd undressed him.

Gryph parted her folds and, with one long finger, stroked the small strip of flesh packed with the most sensitive nerve endings in her body.

The force of sensations made her moan, her thighs spreading, welcoming him in. A wash of liquid coated her channel, warm, wet and ready to accept him.

Her fingers joined his and guided them to her aching entrance.

One long finger entered her, then another and another until he had all four fingers easing in and out of her.

It wasn't enough. "Please," she said, her voice raspy with her need. "I want you inside me."

His hand froze for a fraction of a second, then he ripped her panties down her legs and tossed them across the room.

Selene sat up and reached for his belt buckle, while he pulled his wallet from his back pocket and removed a small foil packet. He tore the edge with his teeth and removed the condom.

Selene unbuckled his belt and eased his zipper down. His cock sprang free into her hand, long, thick and hard. Her tummy tightened and her breasts tingled as she gauged his length and girth. Praise the goddess, he was big.

"Are you sure?" he asked, holding back. "What if I'm too big. What if I change?"

Her hands circled him, caressing him from tip to base, reveling in the feel of steel encased in velvet. "I'll take my chances."

His jaw was tight, his breathing ragged. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't." She gripped his arm with one hand. "Please," she pleaded, past caring that she begged, anxious to feel all of him inside her. She held out her hand for the condom.

He placed it in her open palm and threaded his fingers through her hair, his gaze capturing hers, the hunger in his eyes so real it burned through her.

Before she rolled the prophylactic over him, she scooted off the desk, dropped to her knees and ran her tongue across the rounded head, poking into the small hole, oozing come. Smooth and musky, he tasted good. Selene flicked the sides, running her tongue the length of him all the way down to the base.

His fingers dug into her scalp, pressing her down over him.

She took him into her mouth, swallowing him until the tip of his member bumped the back of her throat.

He withdrew and she grasped his buttocks, dug her nails into his flesh and pulled him back in, loving the taste, texture and feel of him in her mouth. The intimacy of the moment sparked a desire so powerful she lost herself to it.

He pumped in out until his body jerked to a stop and he yanked free of her lips. In one smooth motion, he had her seated on the desk again, his hands caressing her thighs, spreading them wider. "Tell me no, and it stops here."

She slipped the condom over his cock and guided it to her entrance.

With a low growl rumbling inside his chest, Gryph draped her legs over his sinuous arms and eased inside of her.

Selene struggled to breathe as his length and thickness seemed to push the air from her lungs.

He backed off a little until the muscles of her channel contracted around him, urging him closer. He leaned over her, sliding even deeper as he took one of her nipples between his teeth and bit down. The slight pain made her gasp. She caught his head in her hands and pressed his mouth down over her.

He moved in an out, slowly, at first. As the heat built, his body tensed and his movements became more fervent, ardent and all-consuming.

Rising to the edge, her thoughts jumbled, her being an inferno of lust. She forgot to breathe, forgot where she was, that the windows bared her to the sky and that she'd only known this man for a day.

He rammed into her, slamming hard, his thrusts deep, his grip on her ass bruising.

But she didn't want him to stop. She tightened her legs around his waist and rode the passion, wishing he'd thrust harder, rougher. Maybe even let out some of the animal inside him.

Tiny hairs sprang from his skin, his grunts became more guttural and primitive. As he reached his climax, he threw back his head and roared, his face covered in sweat and tawny hairs.

The large brawny fingers digging into her buttocks grew sharper, the extending claws scraping the flesh.

As the pain and pleasure mixed to fling her over the edge, Selene cried out, rocked by the most powerful orgasm she'd ever experienced. She locked her ankles around his waist and held on until they both returned to earth.

She was the first to take a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. Her legs slid down over his hips and dangled over the edge of the desk. She was shaking and spent.

Gryph's fingers loosened, the sharp pain receding as he let go of her bottom. Her skin felt warm and sticky against the desk.

When Gryph raised his hands, he stared at his fingertips, his eyes widening. "Oh, dear God." He rolled her onto her stomach, his hands smoothing over her rounded bottom. "My God, you're bleeding, and I did that." He backed away, leaving her on the desk.

Selene pushed to her feet and faced him. "I wanted it."

"This can't be." He shook his head, backing farther away, mentally as well as physically. "This can't happen again."

She crossed to stand in front of him, naked and feeling thoroughly satiated, but afraid he'd make good on his promise. "Gryph, they are only scratches." She glanced over her shoulder. "See? They've already stopped bleeding."

He stared down at his hands, the claws having receded, leaving only dried blood on his fingers. "I hurt you."

She cupped his face, her thumb brushing across his lips like he'd done at the beginning. "I wanted you. The pain only made my climax better."

"Making love shouldn't hurt."

"For me, it made it even more intense, more sensual." She smiled. "If we were to make love again, I'd want it the same."

"What if I went too far?" He shook his head. "I can't risk it. This ends now." Grabbing her wrists, he shoved her hands away from him. "Get dressed, I'm taking you home."

Selene could feel his anger and fear and she wanted to reassure him that everything was okay. She'd never been more attracted to another individual or more satisfied with sex than what she'd experienced with him.

The solid line of his jaw, the tightness of his lips and the way his brow furrowed made her clamp down on her words and gather her clothing.

She dressed quickly, her body still tingling in the aftermath of mind-blowing sex, her bottom still burning.

By the time she was clothed, she was ablaze with desire all over again.

Gryph stood at the elevator door, his back to her. "Are you ready?"

Selene walked around to stand in front of him. "I am."

"Then let's go. The sooner you're out of my life, the better for both of us."

Selene stepped into the elevator and leaned her back against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest, her thoughts warring. On one hand, she didn't want this to be the end. But the more she reflected, the more convinced she was that her thoughts and desires had pushed their way into Gryph's mind, causing him to transform. He'd been fine and remained in his human form until the point at which she'd wished he'd let go of the animal inside.

Which begged the question: Had he really wanted to make love to her, or had she overlaid his common sense with her own needs and desires?

Gryph took her to the garage level of the building and exited onto a large open area with only a couple of vehicles taking up the space—a sleek silver Ferrari convertible with the top down and what appeared to be an armor-plated, foreign-model SUV that could be as comfortable on a red carpet as a battlefield. He waved a hand toward the latter.

Selene slid into the passenger seat and waited while he closed the door.

Gryph took the wheel and drove toward a closed overhead door. As he approached, the door slid upward and he drove through and out into the Chicago dusk that had arrived early due to the low-hanging clouds.

Selene sat with her hands in her lap, her insides still simmering from making love. She wanted to say something, but the solid granite of his jaw didn't bode well for conversation.

All too soon, he approached her shop building and came to a halt at the curb.

When he started to get out, she laid a hand on his arm. "I can open my own door."

He ignored her, dropped to the ground and rounded the SUV before she could locate the door handle. The door opened for her and he held out his hand.

She laid hers in his and that spark of desire engaged and sent a flash of desire through her that made her ache all over again.

When she was safely on the ground, he didn't let go of her hand, instead drawing her into his embrace.

"I don't know what it is about you," he growled. "But I'm finding it impossible to resist."

She smiled up at him, her hand resting on his chest. "Then don't." Whether he was feeling that way himself, or she was putting the thought into his head, Selene didn't want to know. All she wanted was to feel his lips against hers.

Gryph lowered his head, claiming her mouth in a long, hard kiss.

Selene melted against him, her body merging with his. As her hands snaked up to entwine around his neck, an angry darkness pierced the veil of lust surrounding her and Gryph, sending a shard of razor-sharp pain through her head.

Selene gasped and broke the kiss.

If not for Gryph's arms around her, she'd have fallen to her knees.

"What is it?"

"I don't know." She struggled to remain upright and forced a wobbly smile to her lips. "I must be tired."

"Let me help you inside."

"No." She shook her head, fumbling for the keys in her purse. "I'll be fine. I just need something to eat and a chance to rest."

"I'm staying."

"I thought you couldn't get rid of me soon enough."

"You're not well. I can't leave you like this."

"You don't have to bother. My sisters are supposed to be by soon."

He hesitated. "Then I'll stay until they get here."

"And risk being recognized by Deme?" Selene inhaled and let out a slow, cleansing breath. "I'm fine. Really." She stepped out of his arms, ignoring the wicked darkness pushing against her subconscious.

Gryph reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card. "If you need me for anything, that's my cell phone number. Call me." He placed the card in her hand and curled her fingers around it.

Selene wanted to hand it back to him. To tell him she didn't need it or him. That he'd been right when he said what they'd done had been wrong and shouldn't be repeated. She wanted to say she agreed with him, but it would all be a lie. What had happened between them had been so very natural and...right. She pocketed the card and turned away before she broke down and cried, or worse, begged him to take her into his arms and hold her until the evil went away.

Obviously reluctant to leave, Gryph remained standing on the sidewalk until Selene descended the stairs and unlocked her door. With a wave, she entered her apartment, shut the door and collapsed against the wood paneling, waiting for the sound of Gryph's vehicle leaving before she let herself slide to the floor, trembling.

Something heinous and hateful had been watching them kiss and hadn't liked it one bit. Its antagonism had been so palpable, it had sapped the energy from her body. The last time she'd felt something this strong, this life-depleting, she'd been at the hospital near the evil that had killed Amanda.