Her Wolf

“So what do your parents think about the work you’re doing for Snow Drift?” Catherine asked, tucking her hands beneath her chin. “They must be pretty proud of you for all the non-profit work you do in general.”

“My parents died twenty years ago,” he responded in a monotonous voice. “Though I’m sure if they were here they would be proud.”

Catherine swallowed the lump that had risen in the back of her throat and she winced. She knew what it was like to have people ask questions about parents that were dead. She also knew what it was like to hear the endless, awkward apologies that came after it. They were always a formality more than anything else.

“I would say I’m sorry, but I know how aggravating that can be to hear,” she said quietly, peeking up at Ryan through a thick splay of black lashes. “I’m sure they’re still very proud of you. Who wouldn’t be?”

Ryan’s eyes lingered on Catherine’s for a moment and they found themselves caught up in a web that they couldn’t get out of. It was like a challenge.

Whoever looked away first wasn’t interested.

The weight of Ryan’s stare became too much for Catherine to hold up and she cleared her throat awkwardly and reached for her glass of wine to break the tension. She stayed silent for a few moments, allowing the bittersweet taste of her Cabernet to roll over her tongue.

“It was a long time ago. No apologies are needed,” Ryan said. “So how are you holding up with the way things have been going on our project?”

Catherine swallowed back the generous mouthful of her wine and blinked.

“I didn’t think we were talking about business,” she countered. “Isn’t that why you brought me to this restaurant? Isn’t it your no business zone?”

Ryan shrugged.

“I changed my mind. I think it would be a good idea to get a head of things. Alan really is grinding my gears and ruining every chance of finding out who this damn developer is.”

“You can’t really believe that one man is ruining everything and is the sole reason we have hit so many dead ends,” Catherine said, easing back in her chair as Isadora brought their food around. “That’s impossible. Why would he care?”

“Trust me, he cares,” Ryan replied before he thanked Isadora.

“That’s the second time that you’ve said that, but if he really is ruining everything, then I think I have a right to know,” Catherine cut a small piece of her chicken. “It is my money that’s funding this project and the longer it takes, the more I am spending.”

“If you’re worried about the money, don’t be. It’s not like it isn’t tax deductible.”

“I’m not worried about the money, money isn’t the point,” Catherine rebutted. “The point is that we are partners and if there is someone who is purposely making things difficult for you, that means he is making them difficult for me too and I have a right to look into it.”

“I will deal with Alan. He’s my previous business partner and if anyone is going to get through to him, it’s me,” Ryan said, cutting into one of his meatballs. “You should stay out of it. Besides, you don’t know anything about him. He’s not a nice guy.”

Catherine remained quiet for a few minutes and focused her attention on the delicious plate before her. The chicken was cooked perfectly and drizzled in the same sauce that coated her butternut squash ravioli and the flavor of the wine only enhanced the taste the more she ate. The small ache in her stomach that was brought on by hunger was beginning to dissipate, but her irritation was growing the more she thought about Ryan’s inability to let her help.

“If you give me his last name, I can easily have a favor called in and have him distracted long enough for us to get the information that we need, Ryan,” Catherine offered as she blotted the corner of her mouth with her napkin. “This isn’t just about you.”

Ryan closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath of air that was undoubtedly for calming purposes. The vein on his forehead was protruding and it was evident that his aggravation was beginning to match Catherine’s.

“I do not want you doing anything that involves looking into Alan, as I said, I will deal with it. Eat your meal,” Ryan practically barked.

“Excuse me?” Catherine’s tone was incredulous and she stared dumbfounded at Ryan who was refusing to meet her eye contact. He had spoken to her like she wasn’t a self-made success and like she wasn’t capable of holding anything together without him there. “I don’t know who you think you’re talking to like that, or who you think you’re giving orders to, but this is a partnership. If you can’t accept that, then I suggest you write a check refunding the money I have spent and find a new partner.”

Catherine clambered from her seat and grabbed her purse irritably. She tossed a few twenties on the table and stormed out of the restaurant without another word.

The soft breeze that hit Catherine’s face as soon as she stepped outside caused her body to relax slightly. She inhaled deeply and allowed the sweet scent in the air to further wash over her senses, lulling her to a complacent state.

“Sh*t,” Catherine thought to herself as Ryan’s black Range Rover stood out. “I didn’t drive here.”

The sound of the front door of the restaurant opening caught Catherine’s attention and she veered on her heels to face a very obviously angry Ryan.

“What the hell was that?” He asked, his arms folded across his chest. “I don’t need your money to pay for dinner.”

“I wasn’t paying for your dinner, Jackass,” Catherine replied harshly. “I was paying for my dinner and the rest was a tip for Isadora. I figured she would need it for having to spend the rest of the afternoon dealing with someone who has more dick in his personality than what he probably has in his pants.”

Ryan laughed and took a challenging step towards Catherine; his black brows rose in amusement.

“Nice to know you’re thinking about what’s in my pants,” he said. “I didn’t think someone as uptight as you are thought about anything but work.”

“One of us needs to do the thinking because it sure as hell isn’t you,” Catherine retaliated with a response. “If you had just let me do things the way I wanted to do them, we would have the information we needed and your fake enemy who is causing you to fail wouldn’t even be a figment of your imagination like he is now.”

“I already told you I will handle that,” he replied.

“A real man can admit when he is doing something the wrong way. A real man can take a step back when things aren’t working out and let a woman offer her help,” Catherine inched forward, showing she wouldn’t back down to his challenging stare. “A real man would make something happen. The only thing you’re doing is taking my money. How manly of you.”

Silence hung between Catherine and Ryan and both of their chests were heaving with adrenaline. Catherine had never spoken to someone like that before and she felt invigorated.

Catherine gasped suddenly when Ryan lunged forward and shoved her against the brick wall of the restaurant.

“Take me back to my place,” Catherine uttered quietly after conjuring enough strength to push Ryan away. “I want you to come home with me.”