Page 50 of Ice Devil

“Hopefully put the fear of God into him.”

She swatted me on the butt, backing away as if she was going to run from me. I stopped long enough to shake my head. People were walking by, some stopping to gawk, others obviously unhappy in our choice of hockey team.

But in that moment, there was no one but the two of us.

“You do know what will happen if you run from me.” My voice was low and husky, likely drowned out by the noise on the street.

But whatever our connection, it was tethered so tightly that I was certain she heard me. “Only if you catch me.”

Her playfulness was everything I needed after worrying about my father. No matter his insistence, the heart attack had been terrifying and more than just an inconvenience. While he hadn’t needed surgery, his diet needed to change and he’d likely be on human medication for the rest of his life. Something he would fight with everything he had in him, but things were changing in our world in every way.

Including medically.

I was certain he’d been watching the game, even if he’d had to sneak around to do so.

She blew me a kiss and disappeared into the crowd. Did she really think she was going to get away from me?

Not a chance.

I was a wolf after all. I hung back, allowing her to believe she was getting away from me. All while watching every move she made, ensuring she was protected from the crazies walking the streets.

She spun around a couple of times and I could tell she knew right where I was. Which was exactly why I moved into a doorway and out of her line of sight.

Of course I continued paying attention to what she was doing, including feeling her momentary concern rippling through my body. How strange that the longer I knew her, the more connected we became.

A fleeting thought had entered my mind that she could be my mate. After all, Ford’s mate was very human. But he’d felt the pull right away. You bet my hunger had been off the charts with Sloane, but I couldn’t call it a mating connection.

Yet right now, my body was sweating from need and I could swear I honestly could read her mind even though I’d been teasing her earlier.

I popped my head out, unable to find her. Maybe she was onto me. It was about time I allowed my senses to take over and track her.

So that’s exactly what I did, using my keen sense of smell to hunt her. Once inside the lobby of the hotel, I took a deep breath.

If she didn’t think I’d simply break down every door until I found her, she didn’t understand wolf mentality at all. I even felt her pulse increasing, the pounding of her heart echoing in my ears.

I moved silently through the guests, constantly scanning the first floor. My need for my wolf ended when I noticed toned legs moving through the crowd. There was no need to run, but I took long strides and just before the elevator door closed, I stepped inside.

Her look of surprise was quickly veiled by a savagely wicked smile. The sexy Viking helmet she’d worn slowly came crashing down, but the cute blonde braids of the wig were still in place.

“You’re a very bad girl.”

“I aim to please.”

The hotel was older, only five stories with a rooftop bar. She’d selected the fifth floor. When I noticed her choice, I also discovered a handy dandy button that I could use.

With a step back, I laughed. “I think it’s about time you learned who is in charge.” She definitely wasn’t expecting me to press the stop button on the elevator or for the cramped steel box to jerk to a halt.

But both occurred between floors, which made what I was about to do that much more sinful.

“What are you doing?” The flash in her eyes created an even more powerful wave of hunger. I could eat the woman alive.

Sorry, wolfie. Not completely.

“Making good on the promise I made you. You ran so now you’ll pay the price.” All I needed was a single step and ended only inches from her. While I’d love to fuck her right here, I doubted the hotel staff would allow the elevator to remain out of operation for long.

My eyes caught a bottom rail surrounding the base of the elevator. Perfect. Without providing her with any additional warnings, I planted my foot on the thick piece of metal and yanked her over my knee.

“What is this?” She fought me as expected, but I wrapped my arm down across her back and yanked up the short skirt. When I revealed the slender string between her buttocks, I was pretty certain I’d need to get us behind closed doors as quickly as possible.