Maid for the Alpha

Chapter 16

I owe all of my lovely readers an apology.  I hope you all can forgive this extremely long delay in updating.  And I want to thank you all for your patience!

I truly have the best readers ever!!  I hope this chapter has been well worth the wait, and I will do my best to update on a more regular basis for you all.

Thank you ~Nikki Hudak~

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This was not at all what Liz had expected would happen. So many emotions warred within her, swirling and twisting until her insides felt like a pretzel. Somehow this British wolf-man wormed his way into her heart... and up her skirt. How had he managed to break through all of her defenses? Oh yeah, the man's tongue should be registered lethal, is a seduction strategical genius, and overall is an absolute sex god.

Still breathing heavily she desperately grasped at the remaining shreds of sanity she had left. Pull it together! She scolded herself. It suddenly became very clear that reality was a bitch that loved to slap its unsuspecting victims, like Liz, right in the face. While still wrapped in the strong, comforting embrace of Leland Moore, she remembered that he was not single, and she had just become the "other girl". The realization was a sickeningly shameful feeling.

"What is wrong?" Leland's raspy voice broke through her thoughts. He knew something had changed but was unsure as to what or why. In the span of one minute Liz had gone from soft, supple and sensual, to chilled, distant and wary.

"I... I just need a minute," she couldn't look him in the eyes as she gently pushed him away. He allowed it, she knew, for he was strong enough to prevent her. It was a tender gesture on his part, which only made it more difficult to do what she knew she needed to do.

She was surprised to find that she was trembling as she adjusted her clothing, nothing to be done for her undergarments, but what about her pride? She could only imagine what her mother would say if she were here right now. You lose your head, you lose your life! It was her mother's mantra. She often heard it as a little girl and then it was drilled into her head as an adolescent.

Mama was especially diligent when the boys started coming around. The woman would get a pained, distant look in her eyes as she would warn her only daughter, Men are liars and thieves. They come into your life, promising you the world, just to steal your soul and leave you with nothing but pain.

Closing her eyes tight for barely a second Liz attempted to shut out the familiar voice that had become her strict conscience. And as the battle raged on for control over her heart, Leland stood there watching her. He was as still as a statue with his own pain etched into his features. She desperately wanted to know what had caused his hurt, though it seemed simple enough that she may be the source. Maybe this was new to him as well. She had heard through the grapevine that Mr. Moore went through girlfriends like marathoners go through shoes, but not once did she hear that he was a cheat. She had merely assumed he was the type. But what if this was his first time? What if he really felt something for her? She could only hope.

However, whether he meant to or not, he had hurt Liz. Somehow he had reached beyond her barrier and left a crack in it, a very painful crack. And right this moment she needed to heal. She needed the fog in her brain to lift so she could think clearly. Especially after having his hands do those wickedly magical things to her.

So the only option for Liz at the moment was to leave. Her body stiffened and it almost seemed as if a part of her was fighting to stay, to be with the mysterious wolf-man and just melt into him. It took all of her strength to look into those brilliant blue eyes of his and say, "I need to go..." Boy this was harder than she thought, "...I have to drop off the purse at Ms. Vaughn's house," she nearly choked out the words. The feel of her bitch-boss's name on her lips stung, and the pain spread down through her chest, leaving an ache in her heart and a question in her head. Why does this hurt so much?