Own Me (The Wolf Hotel, #5)

by K.A. Tucker

“Don’t you start too,” he warns. “I would never. But out of curiosity, would you rather I call you Daddy or cutie pie?” I squeal as Henry seizes my hips and pulls me onto his lap, tucking my legs together against his hip. He grips the back of my head and pulls me into a hard kiss before whispering against my lips, “Which one would you rather be screaming tonight when I’m fucking you?” Beneath me, I feel him getting hard.

“It’s important to me that I have my closest, most trusted friends there.” “I don’t trust him.” “Yes, you do. You would never have allowed certain things to happen if you didn’t.”

“Henry. He brought me back to you. I’m having him there.” He sighs heavily. “As long as he doesn’t disrupt the ceremony.” “Why would he do that?” But Henry doesn’t answer me, his eyes narrowing on Margo. “I suppose I have you to thank for this?” “And so many other wonderful things in your life.” She blows him a kiss and then says something in rapid French. “No.” His tone is sharp. “Absolutely not.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Abbi.” “What?” What now? “You are not going to Ibiza with Margo and Ronan for your bachelorette party.” “I don’t even know where that is!” The emphasis on Margo and Ronan catches up to me. “And why not? You don’t trust me?” “Yes, of course I trust you.”

“Fine, go to the party capital of Europe, where everyone’s high and groping everyone else. I can’t wait to see what they plan for me.” He nods toward the bar. “But don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll be tame.”

“On second thought, I’d like to be placed in a coma for that weekend,” I mutter. Henry smirks. “Thought so.”

“By the way, here you go.” He sets his drink down. Slipping his hand into his jacket, he pulls out my black bottoms from my costume. “Uh … Thanks?” I grab them and stuff them into my purse, my face reddening. Henry leans over me. “You mean you’ve been walking around with those in your pocket all afternoon?” Merrick grins. “I’m impressed with the laundry service here.” Henry shakes his head. “Prick.” They’re both so at ease with each other. It’s a relief to see after what happened last night.

Violet: Hello, Henry Wolf. My grandparents told me. What is that saying? Oh yeah … I told you so. Henry: What is that other saying? Oh yeah … You’re welcome. Violet: If I give your invisible robotic eye the finger, will you see it? Henry: Yes. Stop giving your grandparents a hard time. Violet answered with a saluting emoji.

Autumn: Not to be the bearer of bad news on a Monday morning, but you did ask me to send you anything that comes up. I click on the celebrity gossip site link she included. And gasp in horror. Wolf Heir and Assistant Spotted at Exclusive High Society Sex Party with Friends Margo Lauren and Hedge Fund Playboy Preston Abbott.

“Yeah. You said you had a company, right? Soap or something?” “Yeah, I do, but …” I falter. “You know, Henry would be the better person to ask.” If anyone understands the business world, it’s him. There’s a long pause and then, “You know what, it’s okay. I’ll find someone else—” “No, no! It’s fine. I can help you with this. Or try, at least.” This is Henry’s daughter. She’s going to be my stepdaughter, a reality I haven’t wrapped my head around yet.

“Actually, I was going to ask you if you’d do something for me.” I hesitate. “Spit it out. It can’t be any worse than what you’ve already asked me to do for you.” My cheeks flush. “I did not ask you for that.” “You didn’t complain about it either.” He chuckles, but it dies off quickly. “Do you regret it?” After a beat, I shake my head. “Me neither.”

conversation. “So what do you need me to do?” “Be in my wedding party?” God, we’ve come so far. There was a time, only a few months ago, that I pegged him as a depraved soul, raised by criminals and drug addicts and only after one thing. He cocks his head. “What? Like a bridesmaid?” “I think the technical term is bridesman.”

“Why me?” he finally asks. “Because you’re one of my very best friends, and you’ve been there for me through a lot of this.” As a shoulder to cry on, a distraction, and a knight in shining armor when I thought I’d lost Henry for good. The most important people in my life—Mama, Jed, even Henry—have hurt me. But Ronan never has. “Do I have to wear a dress?” I giggle, sensing him shifting from a rare display of seriousness to the version of Ronan I recognize. “Yes, definitely.” “Are you asking Connor too?” “No.” “That alone is worth it.” He shrugs. “Sure, I guess I can do that.” “Gee, don’t sound too thrilled,” I mutter. “I’ll do it. Of course, I’ll do it. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere but there that day.”

“Will you need me for the wedding night too?” “No! That is not happening again.”

“I’m happy for you, Red. Really. You deserve the best.” “So do you.”

“Abbi?” Henry’s deep voice booms from the penthouse entrance. “In the kitchen!” I call back, my heart skipping beats, both in excitement and apprehension. “You’ve got five seconds to take off your clothes before I bend you over the counter and—” “Look who’s here!”

Henry appears then, freezing momentarily as he spots Violet, mid-flip with a pancake. “Hi.” “Hi.” “I had no idea you were here,” he says slowly. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Henry blush, but his cheeks are flushed red. “Obviously not.” She wrinkles her nose as she returns to her pancakes. “I guess we’re not eating at the counter. Is the table safe?” He shoots me a “Thanks for warning me” look. “Welcome back.” I overcompensate with a wide smile. “I hope you’re hungry!”

“Henry left Alaska after the grand opening.” She doesn’t need to know the disastrous reason why. “And I moved to what they call the Outdoor Crew, which is groundskeeping.” “So you were his executive assistant and then you … cut grass?” I laugh. “I mostly maintained the gardens because the guys were terrible at it. It was very different but also great. I love working with my hands and being outside.” “Abbi was the only woman in a group of degenerates,” Henry adds.

“You even fucking blink at her in a way I don’t like and I will end you,” Henry warns as soon as the door shuts. “Come on. She’s a kid,” Ronan snaps. “And she looks like you.” Henry turns his scowl on me. “You told him?” “Of course, I did. How would I explain her here tonight? Besides, you should know by now Ronan can be trusted to keep quiet.”

Violet: Just wanted to say good luck with the big launch! “What’s that smile for?” Henry swoops in to pepper a kiss against my neck while he steals a glance at my screen. “Your daughter is wishing me luck today.” I punch out a quick reply. Abbi: Thank you! He hums, then snatches my phone from my grasp and quickly types out a message. Abbi: Get to class before I send you to boarding school. “Henry!”

Violet: Hey, Henry. I guess you graced Abbi’s office with your royal presence? And do they have hot teachers at said boarding school? Henry’s molars grind. I tuck my phone into my pocket before Henry can grab it to reply. “I think she won that round.”

“How long were we in there for?” Annie looks at her watch. “The sale started fourteen minutes ago, so …” We listened to you two fuck for fifteen minutes, give or take, is what that long silence after says. “This is … I can’t believe it!”

“I’ve never had someone roll their eyes at me so much,” Henry mutters, his arm roped around my waist. Daniel flanks my other side, a step behind us. It’s been two weeks since that stupid magazine article hit shelves, and the online gossip cycle has moved on to a senator caught on video having his diaper changed at a sex party. I want to send him a thank-you card.

“She’s a teenager. That’s normal.” “Did you do that?” “No, but I wasn’t spawned by sin,” I tease. “Seriously, I think it’s a good thing. It means she’s comfortable with you.” As a person, and maybe even as her father. “It’s a highly annoying thing.” But his lips curl with a smile.

“These are for you.” Henry holds out the roses for her to collect. “Thanks.” She grins. “For the flowers, Abbi.” “Are you suggesting I can’t be thoughtful?” Henry’s face is a mixture of amusement and annoyance. “Abbi, tell her how thoughtful I can be.” “He once rush-ordered a replacement vest for me when a grizzly bear tore mine apart.” Violet’s expression twists with horror, making us both laugh.

“Get out of here!” Henry scolds but his tone is pleasant. We turn to find Violet hovering over his shoulder like a nosy cat as he stoops to unload gifts under the tree. She inhales deeply. “Farm Girl Soap!” “I’m serious, I’ll put them all back.” “Violet! Help Gramps with the tea,” Gayle urges, waving her away with a shooing sound. “Yes, Gramma.”

Gayle shakes her head, but she’s chuckling. “She’s always been outgoing and energetic, but when Audrey’s health declined, she seemed to lose that spark. I haven’t seen her so full of beans in … well, a long time.” “That’s a good thing.” “Yes, I … I hope so.”

“I don’t have this color.” When Henry meets her eyes, his sparkle with something raw I can’t identify, and his jaw is taut. “It’s perfect. Thank you, Violet.” She blushes and then averts her gaze as if uncomfortable. I lean in. “And I’m thanking you, too, because your father looks hot in a beanie.” It’s the first time I’ve called him anything but Henry in front of her.

She tears open the thin rectangular box and pulls out a plastic card attached to a lanyard. “A ski-lift ticket?” She frowns as she reads. “Colorado?” “I thought the three of us could go there for a few days next week. I have a hotel there.” She reads the pass again and her face lights up. “That’s my birthday.” A soft expression unfurls on Henry’s face. “I know.” I hadn’t even thought of Violet’s birthday, so swamped with work and Christmas. But Henry did.

“I’ve never skied before,” she admits, looping the lanyard around her neck. “Neither have I. We can learn together,” I say. “I’ve already booked you both an instructor for the bunny hill,” Henry confirms. “And you’ll be on—” “The black diamond runs.” “Of course. Because there’s nothing Henry wasn’t born good at.” I throw my hands up in mock annoyance, earning his amused snort and a round of chuckles.

“Why are you staring at me?” he murmurs. “Am I?” I reach up to twirl strands of his hair between my fingertips. “I was thinking that you’re going to make a great father. I mean, you already do, but you know what I mean.” “I do, and I think we should start trying now.” “Now?” My heart skips a beat, not expecting that response. “I’m still on the pill.” “Stop taking it.”

“But what if it happens right away? The wedding is still four and a half months from now. I have to fit into my dress.” Which I still haven’t seen. “I’m sure the designer could whip you up a new one in no time,” he says casually, one hand resting on the steering wheel as he leans in to kiss me. “Let’s start trying tonight in our new bed.”

He hums. “That’s fine. The ways I plan on defiling your body tonight don’t make babies, anyway.” Those flutters are quickly replaced by a hammering heartbeat. “It’s been a while since I fucked your ass.” He flashes a sexy smile. A challenge. And I’m not sure he’s joking. “Henry …,” I warn. “I just want to give my future mother-in-law something to pray for. It’s my Christmas gift to her.” “Trust me, she already prays to the Lord for your salvation every day.” He throws the car into Reverse. “After this holiday, she’ll be crossing herself for me until Easter.”

She looks over her shoulder at Violet’s shut door. “Ever since she came back from that ski trip, it seems like he’s all she can talk about. Henry this and Henry that.” “He’s a big fan of hers too. We both are.” Colorado felt like the start of something special. We spent three days skiing, eating, laughing, and while Henry was there to check on hotel operations, we had his undivided attention. A rarity.

“Violet is a part of our family now and she will always be Henry’s daughter, no matter how many more children he has.” Gayle inhales sharply. “That’s a relief to hear, dear. Thank you for saying that.”

My stomach drops as Connor’s bare chest fills the screen, his beefy arm slung over Violet’s shoulders. She’s winking at the camera, holding up a shot glass filled with red liquid. Henry’s body stiffens. Oh no. “What the fuck are they doing?” he explodes. “I’m sure it’s not what it looks like.” What else am I supposed to say? Damn it, Connor. Henry scrambles off me and digs out his phone, takes a quick snap of my laptop screen, and then sends a text to Violet with one word: Explain.

might be a bit before she answers—” “It’s eight forty-two a.m. there. She’s walking to school.” He climbs to his feet and paces. “What the fuck was Violet doing there, anyway? She shouldn’t be anywhere near the kind of shit that goes on around them. She’s sixteen years old!” “She’s got to be messing with us.” I shut my laptop, afraid of what else might be in that folder. “If he touched her, there isn’t a goddamn place in this world he can hide from me, and I don’t give a fuck if those two crawled into that mine to—”

Henry’s phone chirps with a text, stalling his rant. It’s followed by a second message a beat later. He reads them and his shoulders sag. “Is that her?” Henry hands me his phone without a word, his laughter a relief to my ears. Violet: Welcome to parenthood! Violet: Chill, it was cranberry juice, and Ronan made me leave right after. Besides, they’re too young for me. I’m going to make my move on the ferry captain. I can’t help my giggle. “See? She’...

“Are you sure you want more?” I tease. I stopped taking the pill before the wedding, at Henry’s request—but I was happy to dump the packages. Considering how many times we’ve had sex on this trip, I don’t see how I won’t return to New York pregnant, reproductive organs willing.

“Right now, Mrs. Wolf? I’m sure I want to make my wife scream.”