The Wolf’s Billionaire by Layla Silver

Chapter 10 – Ainsley

In spite of my warm clothes, I felt cold as I locked the door to my suite and walked down the sidewalk toward the entrance to the hotel’s main lobby. Bas’s phone going off had jarred me badly and the stark change in his demeanor when he’d answered it had made a chill that I couldn’t shake settle in my chest.

Who did that distinctive ringtone belong to? Why had he answered his phone at all? What horrible thing could have happened that he’d go so rigid and leave without any kind of explanation?

If this were a romance novel, I thought ironically, this would be the part where I find out he’s already got a wife and kids somewhere.

But this wasn’t a novel or a movie. This was real life and I trusted Bas. We hadn’t known each other long, but he’d held me last night as I sobbed and come back this morning at a moment’s notice. He’d liked my dressing gown rather than scoffing at it and he’d made me come twice before he sought any pleasure of his own. Those weren’t the actions of a man with a family somewhere else or a man who didn’t care.

And anyway, that call could have come from anyone. He’d mentioned a sister and he might have cousins or even friends he considered family. Or maybe the ringtone was an inside joke—a business associate’s favorite song or something.

The point was, I just didn’t know. And until I did know, all I could do was trust that he’d call me again when got things sorted out and explain.

In the meantime, it wasn’t like I had nothing to do with myself. Sure, making and eating breakfast alone after planning for two was awkward, and getting ready for the day with the feel of Bas’s touch still on my skin had left a sick, lonely ache in my stomach, but it was hardly the end of the world. Even in stable, long-term relationships there were bound to be things like this, weren’t there? Small emergencies or disruptions that interrupted the flow. It was fine.

I had a lunch date with Kaia and Bianca shortly and I’d stop by the front desk before I went over just to check in. I’d feel better after seeing my friends and then I’d get some work done this afternoon. I had plenty to keep me busy until Bas got back to me.

Squaring my shoulders and lifting my chin, I went inside. Mary was back and manning the front desk. She smiled at me as I approached.

“Hey, Boss.”

“How is everything? Any problems?”

“Nope.” She frowned. “We had one early checkout without warning—the guy used the in-room checkout service, but everything else is ticking away, right on schedule.”

That was odd. “Did they leave any notes about the change in the checkout form?”

“None.” She shook her head.

“Okay, well, tag it for me and I’ll follow up when I’m back on shift tomorrow.”

“Sure thing!” She grabbed the mouse and clicked a few times. “You headed off-site?”

“Yes, I’ll have my cell if you need anything.”

“Sounds good. Have fun!”

“Thanks.” I forced a smile and a wave and headed out. I wasn’t sure how much fun I was going to have with so much anxiety roiling inside me but I wasn’t going to drag down the mood of my lunch with my friends, either.

The Italian place I liked made surprisingly good subs and I grabbed one on my way through town to the courthouse. It took longer than usual and I was running a bit late, but I told myself it wouldn’t matter. When I got to our usual room, I summoned an expression that I hoped combined the exasperation of being late with the happiness of seeing my friends while also totally covering my strain. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, I opened the door.

Two familiar faces looked up with perfectly matched expressions of surprise.

“Ainsley!” Kaia’s expression shifted to confusion. “You didn’t have to come, you know.”

“What?” Closing the door behind me, I curled my fingers tighter around the takeout bag, my heart starting to hammer.

“We thought you’d be with Bastian,” Bianca prompted. She waggled her perfectly-shaped brows. “You know. Celebrating?”

“What are you talking about?” Bastian? Had Renly assumed that Bas was short for something? Were we supposed to be celebrating the great photos he took?

My friends glanced at each other, a look that sent my heart into a tail-spin. I knew that look—had seen in on too many faces, too many times. Whatever came next was going to be awful. Just the thought made me want to spin around and run, as if not hearing it would somehow spare me.

“Bastian didn’t talk to you about moving to town and joining the pack this morning?” Kaia asked carefully.

I goggled at her. “What?” I repeated, stupefied. “No, of course not! I haven’t said anything to Bas about being a shifter. Why? Wait—what have you heard? And why are you calling him ‘Bastian’?”

Kaia’s face took on a horrified pall. “Ainsley,” she asked gently. “Did you see him this morning?”

“Yes.” I felt my skin go hot. “He came over for breakfast.”

“Breakfast?” Bianca clarified, her eyes narrowing. “Or breakfast?”

“He—we—” I was a grown woman and I couldn’t get the word sex out in front of my two best friends. Mortification joined my fear and I thought I might vomit.

“Did you leave him at your place?” Bianca demanded, wiping her hands hastily on a paper napkin.

“No,” I whispered, further mangling the takeout bag as I clutched it with a death grip. “He had to go. He—I invited him for breakfast but we—” my voice hitched and I just kept going, “—instead and then he got a call and had to go.” My heart was racing now and my head started to swim. “Tell me what’s going on!!”

“Ainsley,” Kaia shoved her chair back and got up. She spread her hands like I was a frightened kitten as she approached. “Bas’s name is Bastian Howe. He’s a venture capitalist from Baltimore. The firm he works for has financed a huge chunk of Renly’s mother’s projects. That’s why he was here—Allegra told him that she thought the Inn project was a cover for fraud. He came to look into it.”

“No,” I choked. Tears burned behind my eyes.

It couldn’t be true. I’d told him so much about the resort and he’d never said a word. Just pretended it was all new information, like he had no idea.

“Renly shifted in front of him last night,” Kaia continued, her face contorting at my distress. “And explained about the pack. He told me that Bas said he loved you and that he was going to stay and join the pack. We just assumed that he’d have told you this morning—”

The first sob broke out of me like the cracking of a dam. I clapped a hand over my mouth.

I’d been right. I’d been right all along. Bas was too good to be true. He wasn’t a photographer and he wasn’t looking for a new direction. He wasn’t even in love with me. I’d been a quick, easy lay in Arizona and then a serendipitously convenient venue for ferreting out the information he wanted when he’d gotten here.

He’d read me like an open book and then played me for all I was worth. He’d gotten all the information he needed from Renly last night and then taken advantage of my breakfast invitation to get one more lay out of me this morning. He was the guest who’d suddenly up and skipped town without talking to the staff, I was sure of it.

He’d probably manufactured the damn phone call, too. Set an alarm on his phone with something that sounded like a ringtone, then pretended it was someone calling with an emergency so he’d have an excuse to take off without ever breaking the news to me that I was a fool.

How could I have been so stupid? So unforgivably desperate and blind?

A vise closed around my chest and the next sob lodged in my throat. You know better, I screamed at myself. You’ve always known you weren’t meant for a happily ever after. You weren’t meant for love—you’re not fit for it! This is what happens when you try to take things you’re not meant to have.

“Ainsley!”

Kaia was right in front of me now. I was shaking and the takeout bag was gone somehow. Kaia braced a hand on my shoulder, her other hand catching and squeezing one of mine.

“Ainsley, you need to breathe.”

Bianca appeared on my other side, both her hands fisted, her expression pinched.

You’re making a scene, I thought, woozily. The world swayed around me. You’re being ridiculous and dramatic and only making things worse.

“Breathe, Ainsley!” Kaia commanded.

My body twitched, impulsively trying to obey my Alpha, but the vise around my chest wouldn’t let go. Part of my mind was screaming, a long, uninterrupted screech that made it hard to think. Tears scorched my eyes and carved hot rivers down my cheeks.

This was my fault, all of it. I’d put my pack in danger by failing to show even the smallest bit of caution or common sense. Black spots danced in my blurry vision.

“Ainsley!”

I’m sorry, I tried to say. I’m so sorry I ruined everything.

No words came out and the floor rushed up to meet me.

***

My first conscious thought was that everything hurt. My head pulsated with hot, sharp throbs and my throat and eyes were raw and gritty, as if I’d screamed for hours. Even my joints ached. I was breathing again but there was a weight over me, holding me down. Dredging my eyes open, I winced away from the painful light.

“Ainsley?”

Kaia’s voice was soft and I braced myself against the pain to slit my eyes open again.

“Hey.”

She was on her knees beside the couch—my couch, I recognized, as the room came more squarely into view. She knelt up a little and adjusted the edge of the blanket draped over me. That was the weight I’d felt, I realized belatedly.

“I’m not going to ask how you feel because I’m pretty sure the answer is awful.” She made a face, self-reproach wrinkling her nose. “I didn’t handle breaking the news to you well at all. I’m so sorry. If I’d had any idea—”

“S’okay,” I slurred. “My fault.”

Her eyes widened. “No, no, Ains, it’s not.” Her expression hardened and she pressed her hand over mine through the blanket. “There was no way you could have known! He fooled Renly, too, and he’s got lots of experience with people like that.” Her mouth flattened. “If he comes back or tries to contact you again, we’ll take care of it, okay?”

“He won’t come back,” I rasped. “No reason now.”

Kaia’s grimace told me she knew it was true. “Can you sit up? You should drink some water.”

The idea of moving at all seemed horrendous but I’d been enough of a problem already. I nodded and let her help me up. She readjusted the blanket around my shoulders, keeping me shrouded as if worried I’d be cold, and hurried to my kitchenette. I was cold—freezing. But no amount of blankets or hot showers or warm clothes would fix it. This chill came from the empty hollow of my heart.

Kaia returned with water and I struggled through a sip before asking, “what happened?”

“You passed out.” She rubbed my back clumsily.

I tried not to think about how safe and cared for I’d felt in Renly’s arms. Had it really only been last night?

“We got you home and arranged for you to have a couple of days off.”

“No.” Time off was the last thing I needed. A distraction would be better. “Need to… work.”

“You need time to heal,” Kaia countered firmly. “Broken hearts are real, Ainsley, you know that.”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat, refusing to cry again. “Can’t sit here and mope,” I mumbled. “I can’t.”

“All right.” Kaia patted my back and nodded, though she still looked uncertain. “Then we’ll find somewhere else for you to go.”