Steel Beauty
Page 3

Unless Richard was independently wealthy, she’d need to find a job ASAP.
She heard the rustling of sheets. She could just picture that big body of his leaning against a woodenheadboard, the cotton pooled around his groin, his chest naked and lightly furred, just like she liked her
men.
Make that man.Simon had been her only, until his mating with Becky. Belle was over it, but the firstmonth had been rough, dealing with her broken heart, a broken hip, a broken arm,and  a new, unclaimedmate. Thank God she and Becky had overcome their differences. She now counted Simon and Beckyamong her few friends.
“What sort of things, my Luna?”
He used the term Luna the way other men used “sweetheart” or “honey”, growling it in that sexy as hellvoice of his. Goose bumps shivered up and down her arms. “Just…things.” She laughed at his low growl. “Girlthings, like shopping and haircuts.”
“Go get pampered then, Belle.” She almost sighed dreamily over the rough timber of his voice. Of
course, he had to go and ruin it. “Just remember: no one pets you but me.”
She rolled her eyes. “No problem,Dick  .”
He chuckled, sending a flood of heat to pool in her belly. “Good night, Belle. Sweet dreams.”
He didn’t wait for her reply, simply disconnecting, leaving her feeling empty. “Good night, Rick.” She setthe phone back in its charger, put the orange slices on the plate and headed for her bedroom, hoping hedidn’t find out that her special One-Fruit Fruit Salad had been dinner for the past three nights. Mr. Overprotective would have a hissy fit of epic proportions if he did.
I’d probably find a bunch of Wolves on my doorstep with doggie bags.She snickered as she settledin for the night, her water and orange on the nightstand and soothing music playing on her portable stereo. She wished, not for the first time, that Rick were there to share it with her.
“You’re joking, right?” Belle looked over at her Curana, Emma Carter, who would be Emma Cannon in two months’ time. Emma was staring up at the spa’s sign, a look of anticipation on her face. Becky, on the other hand, looked just as dubious as Belinda felt, but for different reasons.
“Emma, are you sure about this?” Becky pushed her long, curly hair out of her face, holding it back in
the cold February winds. She frowned at Emma. “Half the stuff they do here, we can do at home.”
“First off, I’m not touching your feet.” Emma laughed when Becky stuck her tongue out at her. “Second, trust me! What’s a better mating gift than a day at the spa?” Emma grinned at the two of them. From the look of things she was eagerly anticipating the coming wraps, lotions and facials. Becky still looked like she was going to a torture chamber.
Belle, on the other hand, was feeling a little ambivalent. She hadn’t been to the spa, one of her favoriterelaxation spots, in months. Not since the incident with Livia. The members of the Pride, despite Emma, Becky, and Sheri’s support, were still very much of the opinion that Belle had been in cahoots with herex-best friend. So on one hand, she was looking forward to a little pampering. On the other hand…
Marie Howard stepped out of the spa, a breezy, relaxed smile on her face. It froze for just a secondbefore sharpening. “Hello, Emma. Becky.” Those sharp brown eyes turned to Belle and all the warmthdrained out. “Belinda.”
Hypocrite. Marie had been a friend of Livia’s too. She just didn’t bear the stigma ofbest  friend. Shesmiled her toothiest human smile. “Marie.”
Marie turned back to Emma. “Are you and Becky planning on enjoying a day at the spa?”
Either Marie was stupider than Belle thought, or she just didn’t feel the chill in the air as Emma stared ather. “Thethree  of us are planning on spending the day here.” She smiled, her teeth a little sharper thannormal. “After all, tomorrow Belinda leaves for the Poconos and her mating with Richard.”
Belle smiled sweetly at her ex-friend. “That’s right. One more day and you’ll only have to deal with meone more time.”
“One more time?”
“Belinda has agreed to be one of my bridesmaids.”
Shock and, yes, hurt, briefly flashed across Marie’s face. Belle still wasn’t sure what had made her sayyes to Emma’s request, but it had been worth it to see the excitement in Emma’s eyes. The Alpha and Curana had booked a fairy-tale wedding in Disney World. How Max had managed to swing that in sucha short time when the usual waiting period was nine months, Belle had no clue, but he’d managed it, and Emma was ecstatic over it.
Marie’s expression was frozen as she nodded curtly. “Good luck, Belinda.”
“Thank you.”I’ll need it.
“I’ll see you in April, then.”
Marie turned to go without another word. Belle stepped forward, leaning heavily on her cane as shefollowed her Curana and Beta into the salon.
“I’m telling you, Sheri, those women hate me.” Belle sighed over her Coke, wincing as she tried to shift her legs and rub the irritation at the juncture of her thighs. The pain that shot through her hip made her hiss.
At least I can move my legs now without wanting to chop them off.Those first few weeks after thesurgery had been horrendously painful. Thank God Sheri and Sarah had been willing to be with herduring that time. She didn’t knowwhat  she would have done if it hadn’t been for them. The fact that Richard had allowed himself to be forced back to his Pack until she was well enough to deal with hernew position had caused some serious friction between them in the beginning, even if she couldunderstand why. At least Rick called daily, whether she could talk to him or not. It helped ease the stingof his not being there. And if he had been there, the big dope probably would have decked the physicaltherapist more than once by now, probably landing in jail or in the middle of a lawsuit.
Okay, maybe Max had the right idea, sending him away. Rick was overprotective on the phone. Inperson, he would have smothered her. She only hoped he’d gotten some of it out of his system by now.
If not, there was always the pepper spray.
“They do not hate you, Belle. I mean, they took you to a lovely day at the spa.” The pale woman sighed, resting one alabaster cheek against an equally white hand. “They never offered to takeme  to a day at the spa.”
Belle leaned across the table and held two fingers up to her new best friend. Her relationship with Sheriand her other friend Sarah was one of the few good things to come out of the fiasco of the last fewmonths. “I have two words for you: Full. Brazilian.”