Was it just a coincidence?
Ava paced inside Matthew's office at GD Pharma. Sadly, when she arrived, Matthew was in a meeting. It was a good thing that Calida let her inside Matthew's office.
The absence of a burning smell in her room was enough to convince her that whoever took it didn't use magic.
It could be a human or a shifter.
Or it could be Phil.
She shook her head.
No. That must be a coincidence. She started chewing on her lower lip as she got up and walked toward the glass walls. She watched the buildings of anchorage that were mostly covered with snow. But instead of feeling better, she started to feel worse.
Phil.
She grew up in Anchorage with Phil.
It can't be Phil. It can't be him.
She took a step back and immediately froze in place when her back hit something hard.
"I can smell your agitation even while I'm in a meeting." The danger that lurked in Matthew's angry voice reached her. She flinched on instinct.
As much as she wanted to move, she couldn't. The support that his hard chest offered was too tempting, too comforting, she wanted to stay like this for a few more seconds.
"Tell me." He leaned forward and inhaled her scent. "What's bothering you?"
Earlier, she had been so occupied with Phil that she hadn't even sensed him approaching her.
"Are you ill?" he asked.
"No." For a few seconds, she struggled to find the words she wanted to say. After all, she practically asked him to leave yesterday when he gave her the file. Now that the file was gone just after Phil visited her, Ava started struggling to accept the fact that Matthew… might be right about Phil.
"I lost the file."
He said nothing. Instead, he moved to stand directly in front of her. His eyes found hers. "Was it Phil?" he asked.
"I— I don't know."
"But he… was there?"
She nodded and tried to avoid his gaze. However, he was quick enough to hold her chin, lifting her face towards his.
"Did he hurt you?"
She blinked. She lost the file. Why was he asking about her? She never intended to answer him. However, the worry that he felt for her was too real. It is making her struggle to breathe.
This man's emotions were as overwhelming as his presence!
Was this because he was a Lycan?
"No."
"Good. That's good. Don't worry about the file. I have other copies so— "
"I don't know if it's Phil." She interrupted him. "I'd like to believe it wasn't him."
His expression grew serious.
"But you are already doubting him."
"He— "
"Sit down," he said. To her surprise, he held her hand and led her toward the couch. The most surprising thing was actually the fact that she let him do it without even stopping him.
She sat on the couch and watched as he approached the bar inside his office.
"A gentleman would offer you tea." She heard him say as he turned towards her and smiled. "But I am no gentleman. So… wine?"
She snorted. "Make it whiskey."
"Getting drunk in the middle of the day, eh?"
"Aren't you drinking with me?"
Smirking, he opened the button of his dark blue suit. "Fair enough." He grabbed the Dalmore whiskey and brought two glasses to the marble table in front of the couch.
Then he sat next to her. In one swift action, he poured alcohol towards the glass and gave her one.
She downed it without saying anything. The whiskey tasted like cedar, oak, and molasses. She quite liked the taste.
"Another one," she said.
"Oh? Are you really intending to get drunk in front of me… Miss Woods?"
She snorted. She had been thinking about Phil all night. She knew that the last thing she needed right now was to drink herself to oblivion. But… a glass or two won't hurt.
Yes. What she needs right now is a drink.
"One more," she said. "It won't hurt me."
"Are you sure about that?" A dark brow lifted. It was the perfect companion to the smirk planted on his perfect face. She started to wonder if Matthew was trying to distract her with his looks.
Because he was succeeding.
Damn, he was clearly good at distracting women.
"A hundred percent," she confirmed.
"Well… " he poured her another glass before he finished his own. Ava blinked and tried to ignore how his Adam's apple bobbed from drinking the alcohol. Or the fact that he was sitting close enough, his knees touching her stockings. She immediately regretted taking off her long coat that covered most of her legs when she got in earlier.
"Stop worrying about the files." He loosened his tie as he placed his empty glass on the marble table.
"Then what should I worry about?" she asked and watched as he poured her glass. For some reason, the action looked slow and elegant in her eyes. Was she already drunk?
Her gaze strayed towards his face. And she wasn't exactly surprised when she discovered that he was already staring at her.
His intense gaze made her wonder if he was going to say she should worry about the missing witch.
Maybe it sounded cold-hearted but right now, all she could think about was her brother possibly killing the woman who raised them. She couldn't care less about her ex's wife.
"Trust me, Ava. You have more important things to worry about than the possibility of your brother being your mother's killer."
She lifted an eyebrow. "Important things like what?"
"Well… we can start with the fact that you are currently getting drunk with a Lycan."
She scoffed. "Yeah, right. Are you going to bite me, Mr. Lycan?"
Lycans might be strong but they have one small weakness. And that is magick. True, he could easily overpower her if he really wanted to. But Ava was trained to fight shifters. Aside from her magick, she could fight against any shifter and win.
"Funny how you always think that I would hurt you," he murmured.
"Should I think about something else when I am in the presence of a Lycan?" she answered almost immediately. Aside from fighting, she could think about fxcking him on this couch but… she would definitely prefer the former. Especially when Lycans could easily smell a person's arousal.
"I don't know Ava… " he smirked and stared at her. Somehow, it immediately made her wonder if he could read her mind. "Perhaps you should start thinking about… getting fucked by a drunk Lycan."