JAMES
Why the hell wasn't he opening up?
Did he have one of the maids over? The bastard had the libido of a dog in heat but that could wait right now.
Pushing the heavy oak door open with a single, aggressive shove, I strode into the secluded room.
Standing near the edge of an ancient mahogany desk, Beta Lucas looked surprisingly flushed. Across his broad shoulders, his tactical uniform was slightly rumpled, missing the crisp military precision I demanded from my second-in-command.
Beneath his dark eyes, his breathing remained ragged, shallow, and fast.
Pausing in the doorway, a strange, cloying scent caught my attention.
Beneath the sharp, metallic tang of male sweat, a distinct, toxic sweetness lingered heavily in the stuffy air. Flowery and rich, the perfume struck a primal, fam
