Free A Wolf of Wall Street (Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance) by Joanna Wilson

 
    A Wolf of Wall Street
     
    I slowly crawled out of my sleeping bag, my nose wrinkling. After a month of occupying Wall Street, the smell of Zuccotti Park was starting to get to me. The aroma of coffee flooded my senses as a white paper cup was thrust in front of my face.
     
    “Thank you Carly, you’re a god send.” I smiled gratefully.
     
    “No problem, babe.” My best friend Carly replied brightly “C’mon!”
     
    Dragging me by my wrist, Carly led me through the crowds to the police barricades. Hot coffee splattered against my wrist as we moved. “Slow down, woman.” I said. “I want to drink my coffee, not wear it.”
     
    Without slowing, Carly replied “We need to hurry if we want to get good spots. Big Baddie waits for no one!” She finished with a flourish of her hands.
     
    Big Baddie was their nickname for Justin Blakenship, the banker everyone believed was singlehandedly responsible for the collapse of the US economy. At precisely 7:30am every morning, including weekends, he could be seen walking down the streets to his office and the protesters didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to harass him.
     
    I released a little sigh as they finally came to a halt at the front of the barricade, taking my first sip of coffee of the day. Yes, I definitely needed that. I knew the moment he arrived in his town car. My body was humming like a tuning fork. His driver opened the door for him and his huge frame unfolded from the back seat. My eyes were drawn to the way his ass clenched as he came to his full six foot something height and started walking into the building. A familiar warmth pooled in my lower abdomen.
     
    “Bad Marie.” I scolded myself “ No getting turned on by the asshole with no morals. You know better than that.”
     
    As if he heard me, he looked over his shoulder directly into my stormy gray eyes. I was jolted by the bolt of arousal as his attention focused on me. I was frozen like a frightened animal until he broke eye contact and entered the building.
     
    “Say what you want about him but that is one fine ass.” Carly fanned her face. I couldn’t help but stare in disbelief.
     
    “Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow at Carly even as my own face flushed. "Just last week you said that man was the fucking devil who has no qualms about ruining other people’s lives and careers to get the top.”
     
    Carly shrugged. “Doesn’t mean he’s not smoking hot.”
     
    I turned back towards the office doors, gripping my lucky pendant. It felt like it was burning red hot when he had me in his gaze and the gold was still warm to the touch. My fingertips traced the engraved letters. J.B.
     
    Carly nudged my shoulder, pulling me out of my thoughts. “You should get going if you want to make it to class on time.”
     
    “Yeah, I’ll see you later today for the protest.”
     
     
    As I boarded the M5 to get to the New York Academy of Art I reflected back on my time protesting with Occupy Wall Street. When Carly first recruited me to make signs for them, I thought they were a little crazy to think they could change the world. What started as a grassroots movement seems to now be on the path of a worldwide movement and I couldn’t help but feel a little proud that I was one of the many who contributed to the movement.
     
    I greeted my fellow MFAs when I entered the studio space and when I opened my sketchbook, I was faced with my latest subject, Mr. Blakenship. My desire to sketch and paint the man was now bordering on an obsession. His planar facial features and defined lines would make any worthy artist drool. As it was, my mouth watered as I imagined getting an up close and personal view of his body. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “Focus woman.”
     
    I started my sketch, defining his features through shadowing. In my latest rendition of the man, his lines were blurred, almost as if he was an apparition. It gave him some mystery. I snorted. Like he needs more