Private Release Read Free

affected by the weather.
    Hello, Nanook of the North.
    “Can I help you?” he asked, his voice deep and gravelly. This was definitely someone she didn’t want to meet down the back alley. She would profile this guy as a hardened criminal, but that aspect of the job was not her forte.
    “I’m here to see Jared Stevens. I have an appointment.”
    Shock briefly crossed his stone-hard expression. “Who are you?”
    “Who are you?” Adele countered.
    “Security for Mr. Stevens. No one gets in without clearing with me.”
    “I’m Adele Banks. I’m the private investigator Mr. Stevens hired.”
    He cocked an eyebrow, his gaze raking her from head to toe, making her extremely uncomfortable and a bit pissed off. She knew his gaze was lingering on her crutches and she wanted to defend herself. Scream at him for making his silent assumptions, but she kept her mouth shut.
    She didn’t like this guy very much.
    After what seemed like an eternity the security guard turned and the doors slid open. “Follow me, Constable Banks.”
    “Just Ms. Banks. I’m no longer a member of the RCMP.”
    A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Fine, Ms. Banks.” He stepped aside and let her walk ahead of him.
    Adele didn’t really relish the idea of turning her back on this guy, but what choice did she have? Once the door slid shut behind her, the security guard punched in a code, apparently locking them in.
    “Follow me,” he said gruffly, walking past her and heading straight toward a gilded bank of elevators.
    Adele followed him, but let her gaze wander over the lobby. It struck her as odd, but this didn’t look like the lobby of a company. It seemed much too residential to be in the financial district.
    They stopped at the elevators. Once again the security guy popped open another panel and entered a code. The elevator doors slid open.
    “After you, Ms. Banks.”
    Adele shuffled as quickly as she could into the plush elevator. He followed her and the doors snapped shut. He pressed the button for penthouse and the elevator began to rise, giving her that queer sinking feeling she always experienced when riding express elevators.
    He said nothing more to her on the ride up and she was thankful. It would give her time to collect herself to make a good impression on Jared Stevens. She didn’t even know what he looked like. The press had been trying for years to get pictures of the Stevens family, but with no luck, and standing next to their security guard she began to understand why.
    The elevator slowed and stopped without so much as a bump. The doors opened and Adele had to stop herself from gasping when she saw the elegant apartment laid out before her with a three-sixty view of downtown Winnipeg.
    “Mr. Stevens will be joining you shortly. Make yourself at home.”
    “Thanks,” Adele said. She stepped out of the elevator and when the doors closed she breathed a sigh of relief that she was away from that man.
    She wasn’t sure where she should go and she felt a bit odd ambling around Jared’s apartment when she hadn’t even met the man. She headed for a bank of windows close to the elevator so she could take in the sight of Winnipeg from so high up, and could see when Jared Stevens entered the room.
    Adele set her attaché case down on the parquet floor and shimmied out of her parka. Drat, she needed to find a place to hang it and stat. There was a door just off to the left from the bank of elevators and she hoped it was the closet
    * * * * *
     
    Jared was as hard as a rock.
    After his meeting with the elders he headed straight for his shower. He was hoping the water would take the edge off his hard-on.
    It seemed he was perpetually in an aroused state when he was alone, but when he was around other females, especially of his kind, he had no reaction.
    For fuck’s sake, he was just in a meeting talking about his future mate, who was present and gorgeous. If it had been a year ago he’d be ready to mount her and