So I Married a Werewolf (Entangled Covet) Page 8

  “Everything dog-related from toys, treats, exercises, and training techniques to humane animal shelters located by area and map.” She snapped the laptop shut and placed it on the coffee table. “I’m building an audience fairly quickly. I’ve already got eight hundred followers. It takes me at least an hour every night to answer questions posed at the end of my posts.”

  Humperdinck flew around the corner from the direction of the bedrooms in a flash of black and white. He headed for Carter’s ankle, but when Carter snapped his fingers, the pooch stopped and turned toward the kitchen.

  “What’s the point of the blog?” Carter asked, but when she glared at him, he retracted. “I mean, what’s your goal? Is this for fun, or are you looking to make money at it?”

  “Both, maybe.” She paused, thinking over the possibilities. “Why not both?”

  Why couldn’t they have both? The friendship with the relationship? Love with sex? Why did everything have to be either or? Black or white? One or the other?

  “I wouldn’t know.” He downed the noodles, then leaned back into the cushions, swiping the back of his hand over his forehead. “Aren’t you going to ask your future husband how shitty work went today?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, honey,” she crooned, swiveling toward him. “How was work, my hardworking, dedicated, enforcing fiancée?”

  His smile fell. “Two people saw me today.”

  “Make that three.” She grinned. “I see you, too.”

  “Hardy-har. I meant two non-shifters saw me in all my furry glory.”

  “That’s not good.” She ran her fingers through her hair, scrubbing her scalp as she went. This wasn’t going to fly at all, especially because he was an enforcer. They were held to a stricter standard than the rest. “Have you met with your captain yet?”

  He shook his head, looking paler than he had minutes ago. “Nate was there and cleaned up everything as best he could. I’m sure he told the captain the second he dropped me off at home. I wouldn’t be surprised if I were called in first thing tomorrow.”

  She tucked her feet beneath her. “Maybe you’re not giving Nate enough credit. He knows the kind of pressure you guys are under to close cases and bring rogue wolves in. I’m sure if you shifted in front of humans, it was because you didn’t have another option.”

  He shrugged. “It was a reckless move. I should’ve played it safe.”

  “Do you really think Nate would rat you out?”

  “Faith, he’s up for the detective position, too. This is the perfect opportunity to throw me under the bus and take the job for himself.”

  “Is that what you would do to him?”

  “Yes. No.” He cracked his knuckles. “Hell, I don’t know.”

  “If the captain did find out, it’d probably put you two on a level playing field.”

  Carter squinted at her. “How do you figure?”

  “Since Nate’s not going to make it to the trip this weekend, you’re going to have the chance to get closer to the hiring members in the bureau. Nate will be missing out on dinners and meetings…you don’t think he’d be there if he could?”

  “You’re right.”

  “Put that in writing, would you?” She beamed, her heart doing a little dance. “You may have outed yourself, but you’ll have opportunities to network this weekend that Nate doesn’t have. The way I see it, you’d be even stephen.”

  He seemed to chew over her words, and when he looked at her again, his eyes shone with something she’d never seen before. It almost seemed like adoration. Certainly a far cry from the look he’d given her all the other nights when he’d crashed on her couch or stolen a few beers from the fridge.

  “You’re one smart cookie,” he said with a wink and a smile.

  And then he walked out the door, taking her heart with him.

  Chapter Eleven

  After a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Seattle to Port Angeles, Carter and Faith boarded the ferry to take them to Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It rained most of the trip, but when the weather finally lightened up, they strode out to the bow of the Princess Clipper.

  “So what happened with your captain?” Faith asked Carter as they stared out over the Olympic Peninsula, the sound of the waves gently slapping against the side of the ferry. “Did you get written up or a slap on the wrist or whatever?”

  “After I left your place Wednesday, I went straight to the captain. I beat Nate to the punch,” Carter said. “The captain respected the fact that I came to him first. Nate showed up an hour later, ready to spill everything. You should’ve seen the look on his face when he found out I copped to it. He looked like a two-year-old who got his lollipop stolen.”

  A frigid gust of wind blasted into them as the ship cut through the water. Faith huddled into her peacoat and shoved her hands into the pockets. “That was quick thinking,” she said.

  “Thanks to you. You’re the one who sparked the idea.”

  He turned to her, and she lost her breath. He held her gaze for a moment too long, and those darn butterflies fluttered through her stomach again. She shifted her attention to the dark blue waters of the strait.

  “What’s the plan for tonight?” she asked, veering into comfortable territory. It was Friday, their good ole “date, yet not” night. “Do you think the hotel has pay-per-view?”

  “Pay-per-view?” His eyebrows pitched. “You feeling kinky?”

  Simply thinking about getting kinky with Carter made her thighs quiver and made her want to jump him. She smacked him instead. “No! I’m talking about new releases. You know, ones that haven’t come out in the theater yet.”

  “I’m not sure what’s going on with the council tonight,” he said. “I think we’re on our own.”

  Goose bumps covered her arms, and they weren’t rearing their pokey heads because of the cold.

  On our own.

  Nothing sounded sweeter.

  “I got a text from Simon, an enforcer who used to be my sergeant before he transferred to Auburn, a city outside of Seattle. He was Nate’s sergeant for a while too, from what I understand.” His tone was all business and no fun. “He wants to talk to me about something as soon as we check in.”

  The ship entered Inner Harbor, slowing to a gentle stop.

  “Where are we staying?” Faith asked, watching a few workers throw the moor lines onto the dock.

  “There.” He pointed off the port side, to a castle towering majestically above the harbor. “The Mistress Monarch.”

  Faith gawked at the intricate brickwork, the moss crawling up the towers, and the sparkling harbor steps outside the regal front doors.

  “It’s…breathtaking.”

  “Only the best for the council, apparently.” Carter nudged her arm with his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Once they were checked in and Faith had said “oh my God, look at that” more times than she had in her entire life, the bellhop took their bags to their room, leaving them standing in the lobby. Marble columns seemed to sprout out of the glossy tile floor. Gold-framed paintings came to life on the walls. Workers grinned, offering service. The hotel was more like a palace than a hotel and certainly the fanciest place Faith had ever been.

  “Carter!” someone called from behind them.

  “Simon Richards,” he said, shaking the balding man’s hand. “Great to see you again.”

  “Wish I could say the same.” The man’s cold gaze raked over Faith, from her Converse to her jeans, peacoat, and ponytail. “I hear you’re getting married soon.”

  Carter seemed to stiffen. “I am, sir. This is Faith, my fiancée. She’s—”

  “Not really your fiancée,” he interjected.

  Faith feigned shock, but didn’t peek at Carter for fear she’d give them away.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Carter said after a tension-filled pause.

  Carter’s fingers interlaced with hers, a warm, loving gesture, but his skin was as cold as ice.

&nb
sp; “Nate Ramsey seems to think otherwise,” Simon said. “He told me that you and Faith haven’t been serious until recently, and the only reason you’re telling the captain you’re getting married is because you think it’ll give you a leg up against him.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” Carter squeezed her hand. “We’re madly in love.”

  “Madly,” she agreed. She rose up on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. His skin was cool, with a shadow of stubble that grazed against her lips. “I don’t know why anyone would question this.”

  Simon eyed them curiously. “You don’t have to worry about convincing me. It’s the captain and the rest of the bureau. Nate has already alerted them to his suspicions, as well.”

  “Damn it.” Carter shifted his stance. “Why would he do something like that?”

  “Beating you to the punch, dear,” Faith said.

  Carter nodded, clearly catching her drift. Since Nate didn’t get to squeal to the captain about Carter shifting in the park, he thought he’d try another route to climb to the top. But how did he know their engagement was phony?

  “Thanks for the heads-up.” Carter took Simon’s hand and shook. “Will I be seeing you soon?”

  “That depends. Will you be going on the adventure tour tomorrow morning?”

  “Adventure tour?”

  “Every retreat, we start with some kind of adventure to get our blood pumping. This year the captain is keeping it a surprise, but we’re meeting out front at dawn. The itinerary should be in your room.” He smacked Carter on the shoulder. “You both should come. They’re always a riot.”

  “We will,” Faith interrupted, forcing a wide grin. “See you at dawn.”

  They didn’t travel to Victoria to sit in the hotel, although from the looks of the place, she wouldn’t mind living and dying here. They were going to capitalize on every moment they could. Talk to as many members of the council, as many sergeants and lieutenants and high-ranking officials they could find. If they were going on an adventure tour, she and Carter would, too.

  Simple as that.

  “Great,” Simon said, trudging toward the elevators. “Watch your back, Carter. There are people taking aim when you’re not watching.”

  “Thanks, sir.”

  “And Carter, if you’re serious about this lucky lady being your bride, I suggest you do something soon to prove it.”

  Carter nodded. “Will do.”

  Simon left, leaving them standing alone in the lobby.

  “Something to prove it,” Carter mumbled, raking his hands through his hair. “You’ve got a damn ring and we’re here as a couple! What more does he want? It’s not like we can get married here and now.”

  Stress lines burrowed into his forehead as he frowned. Faith hated seeing him this way. If only there were something she could do to make his stress disappear.

  “Excuse me,” a tiny voice said from behind them.

  They spun around. A woman no taller than five foot even peeked over the counter. She was dressed in a white-and-green suit, her golden hair pulled back into a bun. She looked like Hotel Service Tinker Bell.

  “You can get married here.” She smiled, her petite shoulders rising to her ears. “We have an elopement package at the Monarch. For two thousand dollars, you get an upgraded bridal suite with champagne and chocolate in the room, and breakfast in bed the following morning.”

  Sounded hasty and a bit ridiculous. But doing those things with Carter? Hand over the wedding contract with the hotel and it was as good as signed!

  “Two thousand dollars?” Carter looked paler than he had before. “Highway robbery.”

  Faith chuckled. “Yeah, but it’s robbery with chocolate.”

  She couldn’t imagine dropping $2,000 on a last-minute wedding, but that was probably because she’d been saving every penny earned from her dog blog to give to Dawson. Her blog hadn’t yet earned two grand…but soon. Hopefully.

  “If you want to book the package for tonight,” Tinker Bell continued, “I can arrange it. We have a balcony on the fourth floor open with a stunning view of Inner Harbor.”

  Tonight?

  Tension whirled through the space between them. As Tinker Bell spouted more details, the situation became insanely clear. They could actually do this. Would she want to? Would he want to? This wasn’t a fairy tale anymore. This was reality.

  Carter went palms-down on the reservations desk and lowered his head. “I can’t believe we’re going to do this.”

  She couldn’t either. She was seriously about to marry the man of her dreams. Her stomach tumbled at the thought. A squeaky, whiny voice warned not to get too excited, but she shut that voice up before it said something incredibly rude.

  There was only one solution to Carter’s problem. Though it was far from simple, it was exactly what she wanted.

  “Is it too late to have invitations printed up and delivered to a few guests staying in the hotel?” Faith asked.

  “No, ma’am.”

  Head bowed, Carter breathed hard, in and out, in and out.

  “Carter, sweetie.” Faith knelt and looked up at him. His head was low, hanging between his outstretched arms. The blood was rushing to his face, making his cheeks fire-engine red. “How bad do you want the job?”

  His light eyes burned with tenacity. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”

  What would that kind of determination feel like if it was directed at her? Just once, she’d like to experience that kind of passion. To know what it felt like to be desired and chased and wanted with that kind of fierceness.

  “Then let’s do this,“ Faith said. “What better way to prove to the captain that Nate was full of shit than to get married here and now with a few members of the bureau watching?”

  His breathing slowed and he raised his head.

  “You’re right,” he said slowly. “You’re always right.”

  “You better stop saying that.” She slipped his wallet from his back pocket, took out his Visa, and then dropped it on the counter in front of Tinker Bell. “Or it’s going to go straight to my head.”

  As Tinker Bell ran Carter’s card, that squeaky, whiny voice piped up again. It whispered something about her feelings for Carter spreading from her head to her heart, and beyond.

  This time, she couldn’t tell the voice to quiet. Deep down, she knew it spoke the truth. Her feelings for Carter had rooted deeper than friendship. She wanted him every way a woman could want a man…and she wanted him for always.

  Chapter Twelve

  By early evening, wedding invitations had gone out to the captain’s room. Carter was too busy pacing through the lobby mumbling to himself to ask whether or not he’d responded. He’d parted ways with Faith after he’d put down the chunk of change for the “elopement package.”

  All along the plan had been to get married, but now that he was standing here, minutes away from getting hitched again, his feet were cold as ice.

  His first marriage had been a bust. He’d found his Luminary. He’d gotten stronger because of it and his lifespan had lengthened to a thousand years. But just because he’d found the person fate wanted him to be with didn’t mean that they wouldn’t fight, because they had. And it didn’t mean that his Luminary would be physically satisfied with him, because she hadn’t been.

  She’d argued to the end that physical intimacy was different and completely separate from spiritual intimacy. She’d cheated. More times than he cared to remember.

  This time, he wouldn’t get emotionally attached. He wouldn’t feel anything. He’d close off, be married for a few short months, and make a clean break.

  “Carter?” Faith said from behind him.

  He turned.

  “Don’t laugh.” She stood in the center of the lobby, her hands on her hips. “It was all I could find.”

  She wore thick white tights, white snow boots with a rim of brown fur, and a puffy white parka. Her dark hair was drawn over her shoulders, as she always wore it, and a light sheen of pink l
ip gloss coated her lips. She was a snow bunny, ready to kick back in a ski lodge and huddle by the fire with a warm drink.

  She wasn’t what he was expecting, not by a long shot, but Faith never was. She always managed to surprise him, to take him off guard.

  Where was the flowing white dress? The veil that hid her teary eyes? The bouquet of flowers?

  It was going to be easy pretending that this wedding was a sham.

  No emotional attachment.

  He coughed out a laugh. “At least it’s white.”

  “I look like the abominable snowman!” She charged up and smacked him in the shoulder as if he was the one who’d said it. “I searched every store within a five-block radius. Do you know how hard it is to find a white dress in the middle of winter? Let me tell you, it’s impossible. This was all I could find. Someone needs to design a blog the way I did, but for weddings. You know, with links to great dresses and flowers and things for local shoppers. All in one place.”

  Really was a great idea. The girl had brains, and beauty.

  “You should do it then. Dog trainer and wedding planner extraordinaire. You could merge the blogs into one and call it Matrimonial Mutts.” He grinned when she smacked him again, then flinched against her attack. For her effort. “I think you look great. Snowy, but great.”

  “Shut it.” But she smiled, and her entire face lit up. “Where’d you find the suit?”

  “I brought it.” He smoothed down his black slacks and double-checked that the white handkerchief was still poking out of the front breast pocket. “I was under the impression there were going to be some bureau meetings.”

  “Good call. Where is everyone?” She glanced around the lobby. “Have you heard from the captain?”

  “No, but I think it’s about time we head up.” He checked the time. It was nearly six o’clock, which meant they had a few minutes to get to the room reserved for their wedding. “Ready?”

  She sighed. “Consider me your snow-woman, ready for escort.”

  They didn’t talk on the elevator ride up. The air seemed clouded with tension, which was so unlike them. When the doors peeled open, Faith gasped and grabbed his arm, sending jolts of electricity shooting to his shoulder and down into his chest.