nt tugged him back to the here and now. The stroke of her fingers along his hips set off warning bells. It was his fault. He’d pulled her close, putting them both in harm’s way.
Her arousal, the flush of her skin, the rigid tips of her fantastic breasts brushing against his chest. It took everything he had not to give in. Not to press her against the wall, wrap her legs around his hips, and bury himself deep. He groaned at the thought, gripping her wrists and holding her hands still—away from him.
“Hollis?” Anders’s voice drifted in. “You in there?”
Anders’s voice was a hell of a lot more effective at snapping him out of it than the cold shower he’d been attempting to take.
With a stern look at Ellen, he released her, grabbed a towel from the hook, and marched from the shower room into the gym.
“You said you wanted to check on Jessa and the baby when they woke up.” Anders waved him forward. “They’re awake.”
Hollis ran a hand through his wet hair. “I’ll be there as soon as I get dressed.” He glanced back at the shower room but thought better of it. Once Anders left, so would his resistance. He’d never been so helpless beneath someone’s touch—so hungry for more.
The smartest thing to do was stay away from her. Today had put everyone on high alert, multiplying every sensory experience and reaction. Tomorrow would be different. A return to sanity. Until he’d found his self-control, he’d do his best to stay away from Ellen.
Chapter Six
Hollis watched the interplay between his packmates, his cell phone to his ear. While they were swapping jokes and laughing, he was trying to get work done. Important work. He cleared his throat, again, hoping they’d take the hint and leave the room.
“Did you get the attachment?” his assistant, Kim Su, asked.
Anders punched Dante in the shoulder. Dante pushed Anders off the arm of the chair, sending him onto the floor.
Hollis sighed. “I did. I wasn’t expecting the numbers to be this good.” He scrolled through the spreadsheet, highlighting cells with the highest numbers. “Great work.”
Kim laughed. “Thank you, Dr. Robbins.”
“If I’ve been sparing on the praise, I apologize.” He clicked through the other attachments.
“‘Sparing on the praise’?” Anders asked from his place on the floor. “Who the hell talks like that?”
Dante and Mal laughed.
Thankfully, Kim didn’t seem to hear them. “The paycheck makes up for it. Please email or IM me if you want to go over any of the data or have questions,” she said.
“Will do.” He hung up and sat back. “You guys are a pain in the ass, you know that?”
“Yep,” Mal agreed, tossing a wadded-up piece of paper at him.
“What are you working on?” Finn asked, working on his laptop across the table from him.
“Stem cells. I’m beginning to think they might save the world.” He shook his head. “You?”
“Sending all the information we’ve collected on the trafficking ring to Gentry’s man in the FBI.” Finn ran a hand over his face and yawned.
Hollis frowned. The Others’ involvement in sex trafficking had been one more black mark against the pack. Werewolf or not, they could choose to be good. Finn had. Their pack was. They had incredible strength and heightened senses, but, for the most part, they were still decent people trying to do good things. The Others didn’t seem to understand that concept. Kidnapping, trafficking, murder—Cyrus and his pack weren’t discriminating. If it got them what they wanted, they did it. Now that Finn’s pack knew that, they were doing what they could to stop him. Like preventing his trade of women to the highest bidder.
“Gentry? Our gun-loving, shoot-em-up, explosives guy?” Mal was skeptical.
“You mean he’s good for more than destruction?” Anders asked, leaning over Finn’s shoulder.
“Wait, Gentry has someone on the inside at the FBI?” Dante asked. “I thought the FBI was the best of the best. How the hell did that happen?”
Anders laughed.
“He’s smart. Very smart.” Finn sighed. “He was recruited by the FBI but went Special Forces instead. We’re damn lucky to have him on our side.”
Hollis nodded. He didn’t always get their weapons expert’s sense of humor, but he’d proven his loyalty time and again. Considering the Others vastly outnumbered them, they could use all the support they could get.