“Use me as bait,” Nina said.

“No.” He rounded on her, fixing her with a glare.

“Why? Lex, it could work. You make it known that Gabriel’s sister is around. That there’s a laptop with information on it. We see if we can draw them out, if they try and grab me. They might tell me what they’re up to if they think they’re going to kill me.”

Lex looked utterly incredulous and threw his hands in the air. “Oh my god! Could that be any more of a sitcom plot? Why wouldn’t they just shoot you in the head like they did your brother?” Lex demanded and then felt immediately sorry as she winced. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to come out like that.”

She waved it away. “You’re right. I just thought of a better idea anyway. Still bring me around the Pack but leave me alone with the three prime suspects. We can let it be known that I was with Gabriel when he was killed, see if anyone approaches me for information.”

“This is over your head. You’re a florist, for god’s sake!” Lex exclaimed.

“First of all, I was running scams when you were at keggers at Kappa Kappa Werewolf. You don’t know much about me but I am way smarter than Gabriel was. I’m a consummate liar. I can street fight with the best of them and I can cheat at cards like nobody’s business. This on top of my computer skills. I may not howl at the moon and have superhuman strength but I can hold my own.”

“Whoever this person is, they are ruthless and dangerous. I don’t want you in danger,” Lex said, trying not to order and not to plead, knowing neither would work with her.

“This person murdered my brother. That makes me ruthless and dangerous. Plus, they’re up to something that is akin to bioterrorism either against humans or your own kind. Something has to be done and this is a good plan, the best you’ve got.” She said this emphatically. She wanted him to see how necessary her presence was to the situation.

“She’s right, Lex,” Cade said. “We have to expose her to the suspected parties just to see what they’ll do. You’ll have backup on her the whole time.”

“I will not ask you to risk your life,” not when I’ve finally found you. His wolf pressed against his conscience, demanding that he protect her.

“You’re not asking. I’m offering. Lex, Gabriel may not have been an exemplary citizen or anything, but he was all I had. He was my brother and I loved him. This guy can’t be allowed to get away with it.” Nina looked into his eyes, pleading.

He let out an explosive breath. “Nina, I don’t want to get you hurt. Can you understand that?” He couldn’t help but implore her to be safe.

“Lex, I know and I appreciate that. But you have no other choice.” Nina said this with finality and he accepted it. It was that or have her go off and try this stupid plan of hers on her own. He may have only known her for a brief time, but he didn’t doubt that she would take matters into her own hands if she felt she had no other choice.

He threw his hands in the air in defeat. “Fine. But we do it tomorrow. After some planning. Nina, you are too tired to carry it off right now.”

“All right. We’ll do it tomorrow.” She didn’t want to push her luck. She’d obey him. For the time being.

The moment stretched out between them and she started to speak when Cade interrupted. “I think I’m going to fire up the barbecue for dinner.”

“I think I’ll take a nap,” she said. She closed the laptop and headed up the stairs to the guestroom.

“That’s fine, hon. It’ll be about two hours before we eat. I’ll come get you when it’s ready,” Cade called out and she thanked him over her shoulder.

Leaning against the closed door she sighed deeply, trying to calm herself. What the hell was going on with her anyway? It wasn’t that she didn’t like sex, it was just that sex came attached to men and men were trouble. She had her battery operated boyfriend and a handheld showerhead, and those had been fine until Lex Warden had lumbered his way into her life.

“Argh!” she hissed and her head banged against the door. “Stop this!” she ordered herself and pushed into the room. Telling herself to get a grip, she pulled off her jeans and slid into bed.

Of course, all she could do was think about the kiss in the parking lot. The way he’d felt with his hands and mouth on her earlier that morning. The way he made her lose her head in the tide of hormones he seemed to evoke.

She lay there and tried to sleep for the better part of half an hour, tossing and turning and trying not to think about the fact that she was wet and horny and that she ached to have him inside of her. Finally, with a sigh of frustration, she sat up, threw the blankets back and rolled out of bed.

But before she could even reach her jeans there was a tap on the door and she knew who it was.

* * * * *

Lex watched her take the stairs with a sexy sway of her hips. She probably wasn’t even aware of how sensuous she was with those big brown eyes, those lush lips and that long hair that hung ever-so tantalizing just above her heart-shaped ass.

Cade turned to him once her door closed. “What are you waiting for?”

“She needs to rest,” he said gruffly. “She’s had a hard few days.”

Cade rolled his eyes and pushed his brother toward the stairs. “Your wolf wants to claim her. She’s getting ready to do something dangerous and if you don’t mark her, you won’t be able to concentrate with her around all of those other wolves.”