Taming the Alpha Read Free Page B

definitely growling now.
    She shrugged and for the first time since he’d caged her in with his body, she was nervous. Not because she was afraid of him, but because she didn’t like where this conversation was going and she felt trapped. “You’re my boss,” she whispered and instantly hated how shaky her voice was.
    He didn’t speak for a long moment. Just stared at her with those dark eyes, as if searching her face for something. Her heart pounded wildly against her chest and she cursed the heat that pooled low in her belly. Whenever he shifted that hot gaze her way, she turned to absolute mush. Even now was no different.
    She sucked in a deep breath when he leaned closer. His erection pressed against her belly but it was the only part of him that touched her. His face slid close to hers and his breath was hot against her cheek. But he still didn’t touch her anywhere else.
    “If you’d wanted to go to a bondage club, I’d have gladly taken you,” he murmured against her ear.
    Her nipples tingled at his words. She had no interest in ever going back there but the sudden vision of her tied up and at Grant’s mercy made heat surge through her like a tidal wave. He was so close she had to restrain herself from leaning in farther and inhaling that spicy, earthy scent that was all Grant and rubbing up against him like some sort of cat in heat.
    Before she could respond, he’d backed up and was across the room in seconds. She had to blink, he’d moved so fast. It almost seemed like the man moved with a supernatural grace and speed. Blinking, she shook her head. He palmed his keys and fixed those dark eyes on her again. “I’ll see you at the bar tonight.”
    Then he was gone.
    Her heart pounded erratically long after he’d left. She wasn’t sure what to make of his last couple comments. She hadn’t wanted to go to that bondage club last night and while it had been fun and something new, she had no desire to go again. Unless of course, she was with Grant. Then things might get interesting.
    But what the hell did he mean he’d see her at the bar tonight? She bartended Saturdays but he rarely came in. He had too many places to oversee. Yet something about his tone put her on edge. He’d sounded like he planned to hang out there but that had to be wrong.
    Or at least she hoped it was. Right now she felt so off-kilter the thought of being under that watchful gaze all night was too much to deal with.
    * * * * *
    Grant wasn’t looking directly at the bar Talia was working behind but he could see her in his peripheral vision. And he didn’t like what he saw. Sometimes he came in to see her on the weekends but it usually served a dual purpose. He liked checking up on all his businesses even though he trusted his various managers.
    When he and Talia had gotten involved he’d promised he wouldn’t bug her at work. Mainly for his own sanity. Even when they hadn’t been sleeping together he’d avoided visiting where she worked too much because watching her was addictive. He didn’t like the way men stared at her and his inner wolf always threatened to take over when he witnessed it.
    Normally she engaged in light flirting—which she denied and instead called being friendly to customers—but tonight, she was definitely flirting. Outrageously. With everyone. Because she damn well knew he was watching.
    “You and Talia have a fight or something?” Max, the manager, and one of his oldest friends, came to stand next to Grant as he lounged at one of the high-top tables near the main bar.
    He flicked a glance at him. “Is it that obvious?”
    A smile tugged at the corner of Max’s normally grim lips. “You’ve been glaring holes into the backs of anyone who gets too close to her all night. And she’s been effectively ignoring you— all night . Normally she can’t keep her eyes off you when you’re in here. Even before you guys started sleeping together she used to stare at you when she thought you weren’t