With Abandon: With or Without, Book 4

here.”
    The elevator dinged and slid open. Aubrey said a silent thank you. He hated listening to that crap. As
    the other men filed into the elevator with their backs to him, Aubrey closed his eyes for a moment. It wasn’t fair. If he remembered correctly, Dennison was unmarried. It wasn’t like he’d been committing
    adultery. That was big business in the South for you though. Aubrey willed his anger to recede and
    followed the others.
    As the doors slid closed, Boskie cleared his throat and pushed the number one on the control panel.
    He focused his attention past Aubrey to Carson. Boskie was quiet for several seconds. His gaze strayed downward, lingered slightly and ambled back up. “How do you like being assistant manager here at the Macon Buchanan, Lopez?”
    What the—? The hair on the back of Aubrey’s neck and arms stood up, making him suppress a shiver.
    The air was suddenly way too thick to breathe, and Aubrey cleared his throat. It’s coincidence.
    “I like it very much.” Carson fidgeted, rustling the fabric of his suit. “The staff here is fantastic, a pleasure to work with.”
    Aubrey rolled his shoulders to release the tension in them. Boskie may have his offices here, but he
    couldn’t possibly know about Carson’s sexual preference. Carson was as careful as Aubrey was.
    “It’s always been my favorite of the chain as well.” Boskie brought his briefcase in front of him,
    holding on to it with both hands.
    Shifting his laptop bag to the other shoulder, Aubrey took a deep breath. Inside the closed area,
    werewolf sense of smell was more of a curse than a gift. Katchum had applied a little too much aftershave this morning and Carson’s nervousness reeked in the small space. There was also a hint of arousal…and it wasn’t coming from Carson. Aubrey swallowed hard, trying to keep the surprise off his face. Good grief, he’d stepped into The Twilight Zone .
    Somehow, Carson ended up right behind Aubrey. The heat of his body radiated against Aubrey’s back
    and a breath of warm air flowed over his neck. Boskie stared at them, but when he noticed Aubrey
    watching him, he looked away.
    Why was Boskie acting strange? Aubrey’s palms grew sweaty, and his throat clogged up. Had he
    given himself away? He put distance between himself and Carson. This uncertainty wasn’t like him. All that talk about Dennison being forced to resign had him jittery. He tugged at his tie. He had to do
    something to cover the scent of his unease. “It’s hot in here.”
    Katchum nodded. “It is.”
    Aubrey glanced at Carson. He wore a blank expression and outwardly no one would know he was
    uncomfortable.
    Stepping forward, Aubrey nearly mashed himself against the control panel. He needed space.
    12
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    With Abandon
    Finally the elevator stopped and the doors opened.
    Aubrey couldn’t leave soon enough, but he allowed Katchum and Boskie to exit first. They moved
    aside for Aubrey and Carson to follow. Before the execs left, both turned and offered their hands to Aubrey to shake.
    After Katchum made his escape, Boskie slapped Aubrey on the shoulder and stretched his neck,
    baring it slightly. The move was nearly imperceptible. No one watching would think anything of it, but Aubrey noticed the sign of respect. As Boskie left, he called over his shoulder, “Tell your old man I said hello and to give me a call. We should plan an outing of golf.”
    “Will do.” Aubrey gritted his teeth. The asshole had just cut Carson, pretending like he didn’t even
    exist.
    Carson sidled up to Aubrey again. “Let’s do golf,” he mocked quietly.
    God, Aubrey hated golf. “Let’s not. Why do old men think golf is the end-all be-all to business
    associations?”
    Laughing, Carson started them moving. His unease had evaporated entirely. “No clue. What is it
    you’re dying to get back to Atlanta for? You seem distracted.”
    “I have to meet a friend.” Aubrey should ask Carson about what happened back there, but he wasn’t
    quite sure how to bring it up. Would Aubrey have even noticed Carson’s anxiety if not for his werewolf senses?
    “Uh-huh.” Carson’s smile widened.
    “Not that kind of friend.” Of all people, Carson should know Aubrey didn’t have those kinds of
    friends. It was safer that way. All the rest were one-night stands. No names, no ties. Aubrey liked it that way. Carson was an exception, but still he was only an acquaintance. They didn’t hang out or