ChapterNineteen
I only leftthe bedroom when I heard the knock on the door. It was a little past six, but the crew was already here. Dominic didn’t mention to them what he’d said to me.
I don’t need to be thinking about keeping you safe.
Guess what, wolf-ass? I don’t need anyone to keep me safe.
I never had. But I was prepared, and the moment he even mentioned something to the crew about leaving me behind tonight, he was going to regret it. I’d make sure of that, even if it was the last thing I did. I’d give him the biggest reason in the world to hate me, just like he wanted.
But lucky for him, he never said anything. He never even looked my way, which was for the best.
And when I saw Sandra and her assistants walking into the room, I breathed a sigh of relief. There was a good chance she’d say no to what I was about to ask her, and honestly, I didn’t even know for sure that it could be done, but I was going to ask, anyway.
We went to the bedroom and the dress I was going to wear didn’t look as beautiful to me as it had seemed that morning. The lingerie, too—I’d already ruined the panties, but I had my own very ordinary pair, and I doubted Sandra would mind if I was wearing the bra.
They sat me down on the couch and proceeded to do my hair and makeup, and I held perfectly still until they were done.
“Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous,” Sandra murmured to herself when she was done doing my brows. “You look good enough to eat, sweet girl.” Her wolfish grin brought out my own.
“Do you think we could talk for a minute? I can put the dress on myself. No need for help from the girls,” I said.
“Of course, honey,” Sandra said, and she didn’t need to tell her assistants anything. As soon as they packed their cases, they left the room without a word. I was starting to think both of them were mute. I had yet to hear a single word come out of their mouths.
“Tell me,” Sandra said, taking me by the hand to bring me in front of the mirror. Once again, she’d made me so pretty, it was hard to believe my own eyes. She’d put black eyeshadow on me, with pink shimmer all over it that I probably couldn’t have gotten to work myself. A really pale, almost colorless pink gloss was on my lips, and my features looked sharper somehow, more defined. Damn, I really needed to learn how to highlight and contour.
“Something’s bothering you. I feel it in your aura,” Sandra said, her hands on my shoulders as she looked at me through the mirror.
“There’s just…” I started, then shook my head. “I just need a favor.”
“Of course,” she said without missing a beat, making me feel less guilty instantly.
“I need perfume—a lot of it. Something that’s the farthest scent away from spring,” I said.
“Oh,” she said, like she hadn’t expected that at all. “That’s very…specific.”
“I also need your magic, Sandra. I need something—anything to mask, erm…certain scents from others.” My cheeks flushed, and suddenly I looked so different in that mirror.
“I see,” Sandra said with a knowing smile. “Why don’t you just tell me what’s bothering you?”
I rolled my eyes. “I think you know.” She’d smelled it on me the first time we met.
“The wolf boy, isn’t it,” she said with a chuckle that was sexy and sweet at the same time.
“I call him wolf-ass, actually.” She laughed harder. “He’s just so infuriating. He keeps trying to block me, to push me behind his back, hide me. Earlier today, he told me that he didn’t want me at the dinner because he didn’t need to be thinking about protecting me.”
There it was again, the anger, turning the blood in my veins hot.
“Come, let’s sit,” Sandra said, and holding me by the hand, she took me to the bed again and sat with me. “Werewolves are very stubborn creatures. It’s in their nature, Teddy. They can’t help themselves, especially when there are feelings involved.”
I flinched. Feelings. Ugh.
“They’re very protective creatures, too. When they care about someone, they take it upon themselves to be their own personal guard. I know how you feel, and you have every right to be angry. It’s difficult enough for a woman in this world. Adding an overprotective werewolf to the mix can be a bit much, I’ll admit.” She wrinkled her nose. “But I don’t think he meant it the way you think he did. I hear something else in those words he said.”
“You do?” What else was there to hear?
Sandra nodded. “I hear that you’re more important than whatever you two are doing and that your protection comes first for him.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s true. You don’t know Dominic—his work is his life. They talk about it a lot back home. Everyone knows it.” I knew it, too. All he’d ever cared about were his missions.