“Girlfriend,” he replied.
She stared at him in silence for a moment, long enough to make him uncomfortable. Was she offended? Had he just ruined any chance with her?
“When can I move in?” she asked.
Ramsey released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Is tonight too soon?” he asked half joking.
She smiled. “No. I think tonight would be perfect.”
Hunter observed the two of them with a smile on his face. “I had a feeling about you two. Things are just moving a little faster than I’d anticipated.”
“You know I won’t do anything to hurt her,” Ramsey assured him.
Hunter nodded.
“There’s something I should tell you, Harper, so you’re walking into this with your eyes wide-open. About six months ago, I thought I’d found my mate. But there was a misunderstanding and now Chloe has been mated to the alpha’s younger brother. I’ve been gone since the wedding, pretending to be someone’s mate while trying to forget Chloe. I was successful at pretending to be Luna’s mate and she lives here now, in the apartment over the garage, but I haven’t been very good at getting over Chloe.
“The thing is, while I was pretending to be mated to Luna, the two of us had to become intimate in order to convince her pack. I don’t think of her as more than a friend because I couldn’t get Chloe out of my head, but I think Luna loves me.
“So my life is a little screwed up right now. I want you to move in here with me, more than anything, but I don’t want you to come in here blind. I thought you should know all of that before you take the step of actually moving in.”
Harper looked a little stunned. “That’s a lot to take in.”
“If you don’t want to move in tonight, or ever, I’ll understand.”
She shook her head. “It isn’t that. It’s just… we’re going to have to face the alpha as a united front. And if we’re going to convince him we’ve been dating since you returned, it’s going to take some work. Especially if he knows that you still love his sister-in-law. And Luna living so close doesn’t help things any, since you said she has feelings for you.”
“Let me handle Gabriel. The two of you need a night or two together away from the pack. That alone should start some talk,” Hunter said. “Ramsey, why don’t you head to the lake for a few days? I can tell Gabriel about my sister and let him know that you’re MIA at the same time. I can say that the last time I saw either of you, the two of you were heading off together.”
Harper stood and began clearing the table. “Let’s get the dishes put away so we can get my bags and set the plan into motion. Most of my stuff was left in California so there isn’t much to pick up.”
Chapter Four
True to her word, Harper hadn’t taken long to pack. Ramsey hauled her bags into the house and sat them on the floor. They hadn’t really discussed sleeping arrangements or the plan, and he hated to make assumptions. Should he take her bags to a guest room or his bedroom? He knew where he wanted her to sleep, but that didn’t mean she wanted the same thing. His definition of her being his girlfriend might be different from what she had in mind.
Harper threaded her fingers with his. “Which way is your room? I figured I could get some things put away and just pack what I need for two nights.”
He nodded to the hall on the right. “Straight down there. Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. Now come on. I don’t know about you, but it’s been a long day and I’m ready to hit the road so we can crash at a motel before too long.”
“Harper, we just met. Maybe we should take things slow. I don’t want you to do anything you’d regret later.”
“I don’t think we can afford slow. Besides, I’m eventually going to end up sharing your bed anyways. Why prolong the inevitable?” She grinned. “Why torture both of us when I can start out by sleeping in your arms tonight and every night hereafter instead of keeping separate rooms?”
“You do realize normal couples don’t start out this way, right?”
“We’re not normal. Besides, this is better than what would have happened to me in my old pack. I get to choose, and by choosing I get the best the pack has to offer.”
He grinned. “So you’re just going to jump in with both feet? What happened to dating?”
She smiled back. “The kiss. Once we kissed, I knew dating wasn’t necessary. I’ve never felt that way before. I probably shouldn’t say that, but it’s true.”
Ramsey stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. “That kiss was the first time I didn’t think about Chloe. When I hold you in my arms, you’re all I think about, all I want.”
“And it wasn’t like that with Luna?”
He shook his head. “I thought about Chloe all the time when I was with Luna, even at night when we were in bed. Chloe was never far from my thoughts. I won’t lie. I still love her, but with you, I forget for a little while. I think with time, I can put her in my past… with your help.”
She placed a hand on his cheek. “I’ll do anything I can. I meant what I said earlier. I’m here as your girlfriend, and everything that entails.”
He lowered his head to kiss her, savoring the taste of her. As his mouth moved over hers, his lips caressing, teasing, he inhaled her scent, losing himself in her. Ramsey gave himself up to the kiss and the feelings Harper evoked. He didn’t remember feeling this way, not even with Chloe. The thought startled him and he pulled back.
“Come on. Let’s get our things together for our trip. It’s about two hours to the lake,” Ramsey said.
Harper kissed him once more before grabbing one of her bags and walking down the hall to the bedroom. Picking up the remaining two bags, Ramsey followed her. When he put her bags down, he showed her the drawers that were still empty from when Chloe had used them last. It didn’t take long for Harper to put her things away and for the two of them to pack a small bag.
When they got back outside, Harper laced her fingers with his. “Mr. Tucker, I do believe we have an audience,” she said softly.
“Luna’s watching?” he asked.
“From her window.” She reached up to caress his jaw. “Should we start laying the foundation for our story?”
Ramsey grinned before lifting her into his arms and kissing her. When he felt her melt against him, he knew the kiss was more than just for show. Every time he kissed her, he lost all sense of time and place. He’d never experienced anything like it before. If he didn’t know better, he’d say he’d found his mate. But that was ridiculous. Only an alpha could sense a mate. And besides, Chloe had been his mate. Hadn’t she?
He set her back down on her feet and opened the door for her. Once she was settled in the Hummer, he closed the door and picked up their bags. Walking around to the driver’s side, Ramsey stowed the bag in the backseat and got behind the wheel. He didn’t know what the next two days had in store for them, but he was anxious to get on the road so they could find out. From the few encounters he’d had with Harper, he knew they had chemistry, but he was hoping it was something more than that.
There was one truth Ramsey had to face. With the way things stood between him and the alpha, he had no doubt he would either be mated to someone soon, or would be finding a new pack. And if he had to have a mate, he wanted her to be of his choosing. So far, Harper seemed ideal. She was beautiful, funny, smart… if the stories Hunter had told him were to be believed, she was sweet, too. She seemed to be everything he looked for in a mate.
The first part of their trip was silent, but an hour after being on the road, Ramsey broke the silence.
“You haven’t said a lot about your life in the Los Angeles pack. Hunter has talked about it a little, but not much.”
“I was nothing more than a possession there. After Hunter left, things got worse. There were two wolves who wanted me as their mate, one was relentless, and the new alpha was going to force me to choose. I knew I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want either of them. So I packed my things and left.”
“Is that why you left so much behind?”
She nodded. “I brought only what I knew I needed. It was hard leaving so much behind, but I knew it was necessary if I wanted to escape. I loaded the car while no one was watching me and I took off.”
“Watching you?”
“Once two of the guys showed an interest, they assigned someone to watch me at all times. I don’t know if they were afraid I would elope with someone, or if they were worried about the guys. Either way, they made my life hell.”
“Well, I’m glad you came to Ashton Grove.”
“Me, too.”
Ramsey grinned. “Of course, now you’re right back where you started. We might not be mated, but you’re still stuck living with someone.”
“I’m not stuck with you, Ramsey. I choose to be with you. There’s a difference.”
He reached over and laced their fingers together. He had to admit that it was nice having someone in his life again. He’d been a part of Luna’s life for six months, but it hadn’t been the same. He’d only been pretending with her, but with Harper it was the real thing. They were starting a relationship. He should have been terrified, jumping into something so quickly, but he was fascinated by Harper and couldn’t wait to learn more about her.
Another hour later, they pulled into the parking lot of the motel. Ramsey leaned over and kissed her.
“Wait here. I’ll get our room key and be right back.”
She smiled and nodded.
He got out and dashed into the lobby. It had been such a long day that he was anxious to get to bed. And he was sure that Harper felt the same way. He’d noticed her yawning more and more the closer they’d gotten to the motel. He had no doubt they would both sleep well tonight.
After giving the clerk the appropriate information and signing the credit card receipt, he went back to the Hummer with the room key in his hand.
“We’re on the first floor,” he told her.
“Good. I don’t think I’d make it up any stairs tonight.”
He grinned. “That makes two of us.”
He stopped in front of their motel door and got out. Getting the bag from the backseat, he made sure the Hummer was locked before joining Harper at the motel room door. He quickly unlocked it and walked inside.
There was a king size bed that dominated the middle of the room and it looked incredibly inviting to both of them. Once Harper had changed into her silky nightgown, which Ramsey couldn’t stop staring at, and Ramsey had stripped down to his boxers, they crawled into bed. Even though the bed was large enough for both of them to sleep on separate sides and never touch one another, they both rolled to the middle and Ramsey pulled Harper into his arms.
“Good night,” he said, kissing her one last time.
“Good night,” she murmured, her eyes drifting closed.
The next day, dressed in their bathing suits, Harper and Ramsey went to the lake. They managed to find a quiet cove, surrounded by trees. With no one in sight, they felt as if they were the only two people on earth. Treading water, Ramsey watched Harper as she swam nearby. When she got close enough, he reached out and grabbed her, making her squeal.
“Ramsey! What are you doing?”
He grinned and kissed her. “It occurred to me that I hadn’t kissed you in a while and it seemed like a good time.”
“Anytime is a good time.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d feel that way since we aren’t in Ashton Grove. Since we don’t have an audience and don’t have anything to prove, I wasn’t sure if you’d still…”
She placed a finger over his lips. “Ramsey, you can kiss me anytime you want. I love your kisses.”
His mouth lowered to hers, searing her with a passion that she’d learned to associate with Ramsey’s kisses. His lips caressed hers and coaxed them apart so he could taste her with his tongue. As the kiss intensified, Harper found herself clinging to Ramsey as if her life depended on it.
Breaking apart, they were both breathless.
“Make love to me,” Harper said softly.
Ramsey looked around. “Here?”
“No one else is around.”
He nuzzled her neck. “In the water or on the beach?”
“In the water. Please Ramsey.”
He swam until his feet could touch the bottom. “If that’s what you want.”
She nodded and kissed him softly. “Forget the foreplay. I want to feel you inside of me,” she whispered.
“Are you sure? This isn’t quite what I had in mind for our first time together.”
“I’m sure.”
“Wrap your legs around my waist.”
Harper did as she was bade. He pulled his cock free from his swim trunks and pulled her bathing suit aside. With his eyes on hers, he thrust into her. When she flinched, he froze.
“Why didn’t you tell me I was your first?” he demanded. “We should have been in a bed for your first time.”
“I wanted to be a part of you. I didn’t care where we were.”
He kissed her tenderly. “We’re doing this in a bed later and taking our time. Understood?”
She nodded.
Ramsey began thrusting slowly, giving her body time to adjust. When her hips began to meet his thrust for thrust, he plunged into her harder and faster. A moment later, her legs tightened around his waist and her fingers locked in his hair as she cried out his name, finding her release. Knowing that he’d pleased her, he allowed himself to come deep inside of her.
“Ramsey, I… that was…”
He kissed her gently.
“That was the best moment of my life,” she finally finished.
“Do you want to stay here longer or go back to the motel?” he asked.
She kissed him again. “The motel. Definitely the motel.”
He chuckled and carried her out of the water. Now that he’d had a taste of her, he wanted more. What he hadn’t told her was that it had been one of the best moments of his life, too. He had a feeling that he’d never get enough of her.
Chapter Five
Back in Ashton Grove, Hunter approached the alpha’s house. He hadn’t been there much since first joining the pack, and he was nervous to be there now. How would Gabriel react to his news?
He rang the bell and waited.
Kiera opened the door with a smile. “Hunter. What a pleasant surprise. Come on in.”
He followed the alpha’s mate into the house with a smile.
“Is Gabriel home? I needed to speak with him about something.”
“He’s in the kitchen with Luna.”
Hunter nodded and followed Kiera. Before he stepped in the kitchen, he heard Luna begging to be Ramsey’s mate. He hesitated a moment to see what the alpha’s answer would be. When Gabriel didn’t give one, he went ahead and entered the kitchen.
Kiera smiled at her husband. “Hunter stopped by to talk to you.”
“I was about to head over to the shop,” the alpha said.
“This was more of a personal nature. And it concerns Ramsey, too.”
Gabriel glanced at Luna before looking at Hunter again. “Go ahead.”
“First I should start by telling you that I’ve kept something from you and I’m sorry for that but I felt it was in her best interest.”
Gabriel looked surprised. “You’ve found a mate?”
Hunter shook his head. “My sister is in town.”
“I didn’t realize you had a sister.”
“She moved here just before Ramsey came back.”
“And this has what to do with Ramsey?”
“She’s living with him.”
Luna gasped and paled a little, but stayed put.
Moonlight Savior Page 4