Beauty and Her Beast (Iron Hills Pack, #2) Read online

Her eyes widened, and she thought her legs were going to give out. Zach lunged forward and wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. He helped her across the hall and eased her down onto the side of the bed. Maggie dropped her things onto the bed beside her, then blushed when she realized her panties were on top. Thankfully, whoever had selected her clothes had included a package of panties, but she was without a bra. Of course, as small as her breasts were, she didn’t absolutely have to wear one.

  “How are you feeling?” Zach asked.

  “Five d-days?” she asked. “I was a-asleep for five d-days?”

  “Yes. Whatever virus you had seems to have run its course though. I woke you periodically to sip some water and take some Motrin. I don’t think you ever completely woke up though. A few times I helped you stumble across the hall to use the bathroom.”

  Her cheeks burned brighter. “You h-helped me go to the b-bathroom?”

  “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Maggie. I didn’t see anything important. I promise, if I’m ever down with a fever, you’re welcome to help me get to the bathroom too.”

  “Th-thank you for t-taking care of me.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I should s-start cleaning.”

  Zach shook his head. “I’m going to make you some breakfast, and then you’re going to spend the day resting. You can watch movies or get back into bed, but I don’t want to see you cleaning anything today or tomorrow. You need more rest if you’re going to get back to one hundred percent.”

  She wanted to argue but held her tongue. As much as she wanted to start her new job, she knew deep down that Zach was right. If she’d been out for five days with a fever, it was probably better for her to rest for another day or two. Maybe he had some books she could read.

  Zach lifted her into his arms and carried her into the living room, setting her down on the couch. He handed her the remote and then disappeared into the kitchen. It wasn’t long before she smelled eggs. Her mouth watered and she realized her stomach was growling loudly. But if she’d been out for five days with a fever like Zach said, then it had been nearly a week since she’d last eaten anything.

  Zach came in a short while later carrying a plate filled with eggs and toast. She forlornly realized there wasn’t bacon or sausage on the plate. After he handed her the plate, he went back to the kitchen only to return with a cup of hot tea. He set the cup on the table before taking a seat next to her.

  “I thought eggs and toast would hit your stomach better than something greasy. And I thought the tea would hit your stomach better than juice. Maybe we’ll have sandwiches for lunch. I don’t think I have much in the fridge, but I can order something from the deli and have it delivered or run to pick it up.”

  “You don’t have to go to any trouble. I’m sure whatever you have here is fine.”

  He smiled. “I eat most of my meals out somewhere, so it’s no problem. The pack has delivered food here every day since you’ve been sick.”

  Maggie ate slowly and managed to finish every bite on her plate, along with the cup of tea. Zach took her plate and cup to the kitchen before easing down onto the sofa next to her again.

  “You don’t have to babysit me,” she said. “If you have to go to work...”

  Zach shook his head. “I work from home, and I got plenty done while you were sleeping. I’m actually ahead of schedule right now. It was hard to sleep the first two nights while I waited to see if your fever was going to keep going down.”

  Maggie curled into the corner of the sofa while she watched a movie on the TV. She’d picked a romantic comedy, not realizing Zach was going to stay in the room with her. It probably wasn’t the type of movie he usually watched, but he hadn’t uttered a word of complaint. When she stood to use the bathroom, he bolted to his feet and looked panicked for a moment.

  “I’m just g-going to the b-bathroom,” she said with some amusement.

  Zach sat back down, and she hurried down the hall. After she had finished using the bathroom, she washed her hands and splashed some cool water on her face. Even though she’d slept for days, she was starting to feel a little tired. Maggie went back to the living room and curled into the corner of the sofa again, propping her elbow on the arm. It wasn’t long before her eyes were drifting closed and she adjusted her position until her head was pillowed on the padded arm of the sofa.

  She felt Zach pull her feet across his lap and his fingers dug into the soles of her feet, giving her the only foot massage she’d ever had. It felt blissful as she drifted off to sleep. Maggie didn’t know how long she had slept, but when she woke again, Zach was watching the sports channel with her feet still in his lap.

  Maggie sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “I’m s-sorry I fell asleep.”

  Zach smiled at her. “No worries. I told you that you needed more rest. It’s about lunchtime, if you’re hungry.”

  She nodded.

  “I have a menu for the deli in the kitchen. Give me a minute and I’ll get it.”

  She watched him walk out of the room and waited for his return. When he came back, there was a bright green sheet of paper clutched in his hand. Zach handed it to her, and she perused the items listed. He’d said she should stay away from greasy things, which meant any sandwich with bacon was probably not a good idea. And spicy mustard probably wasn’t a wise decision either.

  “I think I’ll h-have a turkey on wh-wheat with light mayo,” she said.

  “Do you want lettuce and tomato on it?”

  “Y-yes, please.”

  Zach picked up the phone resting on the coffee table and placed their order with the deli. Then he made another call to ask one of the wolves to pick it up and deliver it to his home. She didn’t know why he didn’t go get it unless he was worried about leaving her alone in his home. Despite the fact she was feeling better, he still seemed concerned. It was touching, and she couldn’t remember the last time anyone had cared about what happened to her.

  She watched as Zach settled himself on the sofa again, and she wondered if he intended to watch over her all day and night. Despite his claim of having nothing better to do, she knew he had a life outside of his home. He’d been at the bar the night they’d met, so he obviously went out with friends or on dates. And yet, he’d been stuck in his house since he’d brought her home.

  “You sh-should go out,” she said.

  “I’m fine right where I am. Unless you want me to go?” He frowned. “I guess you’re used to being on your own all the time. It must be odd having someone here with you.”

  She smiled a little. “Wh-what’s odd is b-being inside and s-sleeping on a b-bed.”

  “I don’t want you to think I’m being presumptuous, and I’m not trying to say there’s anything wrong with you, but I have a book in my office that’s supposed to help with stuttering. A friend of mine had a son who had a bad stutter, and after he had worked on the exercises in the book, he stuttered hardly at all.”

  Her cheeks burned.

  “I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” he said softly.

  “I st-stutter when I’m n-nervous.”

  “And I make you nervous.” His lips thinned. “I promise, I’m not going to hurt you.”

  She wasn’t about to tell him that it didn’t have anything to do with him harming her, and everything to do with how gorgeous he was. He’d been nothing but kind to her, and she couldn’t figure out why he was still single. For all she knew though, he had a girlfriend, but he didn’t seem like the sort who would proposition a woman in an alley if he was seeing someone.

  “What can I do to put you at ease?” he asked.

  Turn out the lights so she couldn’t see how perfect he was?

  “I’ll b-be fine once I’m u-used to you.” She hoped.

  The doorbell rang and interrupted their awkward conversation. Zach got up to answer the door and returned a few minutes later carrying a paper bag from the deli. It smelled good, and she followed him into the kitchen. He put the san
dwiches on plates and set them on the table, along with a container that looked like it held chicken noodle soup. Zach placed a spoon next to her plate and the soup container before pulling glasses from the cabinet. Wanting to feel useful, Maggie took the iced tea from the fridge. Once everything was ready, they sat down and dug into their food. Maggie’s stomach rumbled, but she tried to eat slowly. Somehow, she managed to finish her sandwich and the soup.

  She helped Zach put the plates in the dishwasher and wiped off the table, despite his protests. Draping the wet cloth over the side of the sink, she paused in the doorway of the kitchen. Zach looked deep in thought, and she wondered if his mind was on work. He hadn’t told her what he did, but obviously, he worked from home, if not all the time, then part of the time.

  “You should g-go work in your o-office.” She smiled. “I’ll be f-fine on my own.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  Maggie nodded.

  Zach kissed her on the cheek, then froze, his eyes going wide. She shooed him out of the room, but his small gesture had warmed her from the inside out. It had been so long since someone had kissed her, even if it was just a peck on the cheek. She touched the spot and smiled as she went back to the living room.

  After another two hours of mindless TV, she went exploring and found Zach’s office. There were wall to wall bookshelves full of paperback and hardback books. Her lips parted as she stared at what could only be described as paradise. She’d always dreamed of having a house with a library one day. It was doubtful he carried any romances, which were her favorites, but any book was better than another hour of TV. There were only so many daytime shows and movies that she could handle at one time, especially after not having access to a television in a long time.

  Zach looked up and smiled. “Maggie, did you need something? Have I been working too long?”

  “Could I b-borrow a book?”

  He gestured toward the shelves. “Help yourself. Most are horror and thrillers, but there are some mysteries thrown in. I’m afraid I don’t have any girly books though, unless Abril snuck a few onto the shelves when I wasn’t looking.”

  “Your g-girlfriend?”

  “My sister-in-law. She’s a writer, but her books are mostly in e-book.”

  Maggie had heard of e-books and had seen people reading on those tablets, but she’d never had access to one before. What would it be like to have thousands of books in your hands all at once? It was a luxury she probably wouldn’t experience anytime soon. For now, she would content herself with exploring Zach’s selection of books. It didn’t take her long to choose a mystery and return to the living room, where she curled up on the sofa and read until Zach informed her it was time for dinner.

  Chapter Five

  Zach wasn’t sure how much longer he could handle the torture of having Maggie so close and not being able to touch her. It was obvious that he needed some sexual relief if he was going to survive another moment, but the thought of heading to the bar to hook up with some nameless woman made his beast growl in protest. He was staring blankly at the screen in front of him when she appeared in his office doorway as if his very thoughts had conjured her.

  “My pajamas are d-dirty. Could I b-borrow a shirt to s-sleep in?” she asked.

  Oh, hell. Now he’d have the image of her naked underneath his shirt to torture him. He stood and walked with her to his bedroom, pulling his softest tee from the drawer. Zach handed it to her, their fingers slightly brushing, sending a shockwave through his system. There were sparks with every accidental touch, and it made him wonder what it would be like to make love to her.

  Fuck me. Make love? He hadn’t thought in those terms since Delfinia was alive. He’d had his cock sucked plenty of times, but he’d never once thought of joining his body with a woman who wasn’t Del. Until now. His wolf was insistent that Maggie was theirs, but Zach didn’t understand. A wolf only had one mate in his lifetime, didn’t he? Del had been his mate. So why was his beast so persistent when it came to Maggie?

  “Th-thank you,” she said softly before scurrying into the hall bathroom and closing the door.

  Zach ran a hand down his face before heading back to his office. Not that he was going to be able to focus now. Having Maggie around wasn’t as horrible as he’d thought it would be. Now that she was awake though, she would be even more distracting. Before, he’d only been distracted by his worry for her. With her up and moving around, her scent would fill every room. It wouldn’t be long before he would go mad from need of her. His beast was convinced that Maggie was theirs, and the wolf wanted to claim her, to mark her, and to tie her to them forever. And he wasn’t sure how much longer the human half of him could stay in control.

  She’d tried to send him out of the house before. Maybe he really did need to get away for an hour or two. It had been nearly a week since he’d gone to the bar. The pack hadn’t commented on the change in his routine, but he knew they were curious about the woman in his house. Word had spread quickly, and now everyone knew about Maggie. They just didn’t know if she was going to be their alpha female, or if she was just a passing fancy, and quite frankly, Zach wasn’t sure which she was either.

  He went back down the hall and tapped on her bedroom door. She cracked it open and peered out at him.

  “I’m going to change and go out for a little while. I’m going to write my cell number down in the kitchen in case you need me.”

  She nodded and eased the door shut again.

  Zach went to his room and showered. After pulling on a clean shirt and jeans, paired with his favorite boots, he grabbed his wallet and keys and headed out. It felt strange leaving the house while Maggie was still inside, but he pushed the feelings aside and drove to the other side of town. The place was packed, if the parking lot was any indication. He ended up parking on the street a half block away and walking to the bar.

  Music blasted from the jukebox in the corner and smoke filled the air. His beast hated the stench, but Zach couldn’t think of anything he needed more than a drink right that moment. He perched on a stool at the bar and flagged the bartender.

  “The usual and keep them coming.”

  The bartender nodded, pulled a draft beer, and set the mug in front of him. Zach drained half of it before setting the mug down. A woman sat beside him and placed her hand on his thigh. His gaze traveled from her long, red nails to her overly teased hair and a somewhat familiar face. He couldn’t be certain, but he thought they’d shared a bit of fun before. It seemed she was back for more, as they often were.

  The wolf in his mind growled in protest, and revulsion filled Zach as he flung the woman’s hand away. She smelled wrong. Felt wrong. The smile slipped from her face, and her eyes narrowed as her lips pursed. Her make-up was heavy, and he wondered why he’d ever thought she was attractive.

  “I’m good enough for you when you want to stick your dick in my mouth, but I’m not good for anything else?” she demanded.

  “I’m not interested.”

  Anger flared in her eyes. “You don’t even remember my name, do you?”

  Her name? Hell, he barely even remembered her face. It wasn’t like he wined and dined the ladies who got him off. They provided a service and nothing else. He hadn’t been looking for a girlfriend or wife, and if they’d thought he was going to offer them such a position, they were dumber than he thought.

  “I’m sure you thought what we had was special,” he said. “But really, you were a convenience. I’d have thought you would have taken the hint when I never asked you out. If I wanted to settle down, it wouldn’t be with someone like you.”

  Her hand cracked across his cheek, but he merely turned back to his beer and took another drink. The woman, whoever she was, got up and left, taking the stench of her perfume with her. He’d never understand why women thought they had to spray on a gallon of the stuff. A natural scent was much preferred by his kind, and no amount of flowers was going to mask who they were. If they didn’t wash regularly, a wolf was
going to know, even if they doused themselves in half a bottle of perfume.

  One of his wolves settled on the stool next to him, a mug in his hand.

  “That was cold,” Mason said.

  “I have no use for a female, except the obvious.”

  Mason snorted. “Even the one hiding in your house?”

  Zach shrugged. Maggie wasn’t up for debate.

  “I know I’m a lot younger than you, and I’m not very high up the totem pole in the pack, but may I offer you a bit of advice?”

  Zach turned his gaze toward Mason. The younger wolf had piqued his curiosity.

  Mason twisted the mug in his hands, obviously nervous about whatever it was he wanted to say.

  “I was too young to have known Delfinia, but everyone talks about her. It’s said that the two of you were the perfect pair, and that you were a different guy back then. I know when Del died, something inside of you died too. I get it. You lost the other half of your soul. But this woman in your house, something that’s never happened, has everyone talking.”

  Just what he needed, the pack shoving their noses in his business.

  “Look. We’ve all seen how miserable you are. You exist from one day to the next, but you don’t seem to find any enjoyment in life. I bet those encounters in the alley only satisfy you for however many minutes they last, and then you’re left feeling empty and alone again.”

  The young wolf saw maybe a little too much. More than Zach was comfortable with. Did everyone in the pack see him that way?

  “There’s talk that if there’s a woman in your house, she’s someone special. Ryder even commented that you seemed overly concerned about her. I just wanted you to know that if you decide to take a mate, if you decide to move on with your life, you’ll have the pack’s support. We want you to be happy, Alpha. I think even Del would have wanted you to move on and not hang onto the past for so long. She wouldn’t want you to be miserable.”

  A growl rumbled from Zach’s throat, and the younger wolf bowed his head in submission before moving away. Was Mason right? Did the entire pack wish that he’d take a mate and settle down? While it was true he’d mourned Delfinia’s loss for many years, it didn’t make him any less effective as an alpha, did it? Even more puzzling, they didn’t seem to hate him for his behavior and callousness toward women over the years. If anything, Mason had seemed understanding. Did he really have that much support in the pack? He’d always thought they believed him to be a tyrant, and had often wondered when someone would try to wrestle the position of alpha from him.