Allister, J. Rose - Disowned Cowboys [Lone Wolves of Shay Falls] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Allister, Rose J.

  Then he suddenly withdrew, sending a whimper of frustration out of her. “But none of that can happen now,” he said.

  “Why not?”

  “Tonight is the high moon.”

  Her breath came in shallow gasps. “So you’d lose control now, even though it isn’t night?”

  He gave a sexy little laugh. “It’s still the phase. Daylight or not, I’d definitely shift if I were to try and fuck you full-on.” He leaned down to her ear and moved her hair aside to whisper, “But that don’t mean you ain’t gonna come standin’ right here at this sink.” She shivered at the feel of his breath on her ear. “Take down the straps of your dress.”

  “You’re not going to bite me, are you?”

  “No. Let me see those full breasts.”

  She quivered at the thought of exposing herself to him here in a public restroom, and how she’d unwittingly fulfilled his fantasy. With shaking hands, she slipped her dress off her shoulders and bared her breasts for him.

  “Fuckin’ beautiful,” he said. “Jesus, look at those hard, pink nipples. Touch ’em for me.”

  She hesitated, but the unfulfilled need still pulsing through her clit prompted her to do as instructed. Pinching her nipples sent flickers of heightened pleasure to her cunt, and her breathing grew ragged again.

  Dillon sank down on his knees behind her, pushing her dress up over the back of her ass. “Open your legs wide for me, darlin’. That’s right.” He flicked a glance around her, up into the mirror. “Don’t stop pleasurin’ those perfect tits. And don’t look away. Watch yourself, Aimee. I want you to watch yourself in the mirror while you help me make you come.”

  With that, his head disappeared behind her again, out of view of the mirror. She faced herself there, watching her lips part in a silent O of surprise as she felt a flick of wet warmth between her legs. His tongue went to work on her slit, rubbing back and forth over the entrance to her pussy while his hands spread her ass cheeks wide. Without his wide chest to lean back on, her legs began to shake until she thought they might buckle. She used one hand to grip the sink while the other rubbed each nipple in turn.

  “You taste so fuckin’ sweet, baby,” Dillon said. “I could eat this hot pussy for a week.”

  Then his tongue found her hard, throbbing clit, and she was too lost in the erotic rhythm of her body to make out his murmured endearments anymore. Her face flushed pink in the mirror, dappled with glistening perspiration. She licked her lips, moaning louder while he brought her higher and closer to a state of uncontrolled madness. He spread her cheeks wider and made long strokes with his tongue, all the way from her clit to the pucker of her tight asshole. Juices ran down the insides of her thighs as he worked while she pinched her nipples harder, and their reflection in the glass reddened just like her cheeks.

  When Dillon’s tongue jabbed inside her pussy at last, Aimee felt her entire body stiffen. She tried to obey his wish to watch herself come, but her eyes squeezed shut as she cried out at the tumultuous waves cresting over her. She grabbed hold of the sink with both hands to ride out the orgasm, hearing nothing but the pounding beat of her heart while Dillon slid his tongue in and out and then around her clit. She was still climaxing when he pulled away, and as far gone as she was, she wasn’t aware of the full reason for the thundering sound at first. It wasn’t until an indeterminable number of moments later that she realized the pounding noise wasn’t solely from her wildly hammering heart.

  “Come on already,” someone was shouting while they beat on the other side of the door. “It’s a damn piss pot, not a motel room.”

  “Oh, God,” Aimee whispered, her face flaming hotter and redder than her orgasm had fanned it. Someone knew what she’d just been doing. “Come on, Dillon. We have to go.”

  He didn’t respond. She wriggled back into her dress and spun around to find him seated on the floor, holding his head in his hands. “Dillon? What’s wrong?”

  He lifted his face to hers, and she gasped aloud. His eyes were aflame in red-rimmed gold, but it was the long, unhinged lower jaw and needle-sharp fangs protruding from it that sent her into full alarm.

  “Oh, no.”

  “Sorry.” His voice had a distorted, odd rasp to it. “Guess any excitement where you’re concerned is more than I can control.”

  The pounding on the door grew more frantic. “Open the hell up already, or I’m gettin’ the manager.”

  She crouched down in front of him. “Can you change back? Someone’s about to break the door in. They’ll see you like this.”

  “I’m tryin’.” He gave her a pointed look. “You might want to step off a bit. Your scent ain’t makin’ it easier.”

  Aimee jerked backward. “I’m so sorry.”

  The edges of his skin began to ripple, and she swore under her breath. Would he shift right in the bathroom? What would he do to her if he did? How could she explain it to the patrons in the bar?

  She whipped around to the sink and turned the water on full blast, then pumped the hand soap trigger repeatedly to get several squirts in her palms. She scrubbed her hands, then her arms, sticking both under the faucet to rinse off the suds. Next, she moved to her face, neck, and chest.

  “What are you doin’?” Dillon asked weakly.

  “If my scent is the problem, I’m going to try and get rid of it.”

  He chuckled softly. “That ain’t gonna help you.” He pushed up to his feet. “Then again, it might help me.”

  She moved out of his way, clutching her hands together in front of herself while she watched him splash cold water on his face. He closed his eyes, his lips moving with rhythmic, indecipherable words that he whispered under his breath. Mercifully, his jaw began to retract.

  “Dillon, you did it,” she said, her pulse fluttering with gratitude.

  “For now. Let’s get out of here.”

  She nodded, and he yanked the door open to find a pair of goggle-eyed women, one of whom had her fist raised for another round of door beating. “My humblest apologies, ladies,” he said, layering thick charm into his tenor. “I am terrible sorry for intrudin’ where I don’t belong.”

  They just stared as Aimee tailed Dillon out of the back. She refused to meet any of the eyes she could feel burning through her while he grabbed his coat and hat, and she her purse. Her food sat cold and untouched, and Dillon dropped some bills onto the table.

  “I can give you a ride to the ranger station,” she said when he pushed open the door. Outside, the waning light and first strains of cricket song announced the day’s descent into early evening. The temperature had cooled down, too, and she grabbed her keys from her white handbag to open the car and pull out her coat. “It’ll make the trip to the cave a lot quicker.”

  He tugged on his hat before laying his jacket on her car hood to help her slip on her coat. “Appreciate the offer, but I don’t think that’s such a great idea.”

  “It’s a long walk from here.”

  “I think you’ll find that I’m in pretty good shape.” He took a couple long steps backward, away from her.

  “Where’s Kyle, by the way? You never told me. He should be here helping you.”

  “Ain’t seen him since you left. He’s off with his real pack.” The twinge of bitterness was evident.

  “But you shouldn’t be alone tonight.”

  “Alone is pretty much what I am, thanks to my old alpha.” He offered her a sad smile. “He made us a bunch of lone wolves.”

  “I saw a picture of him in the bar,” she said. “Kade.”

  Dillon nodded. “Oh, yeah. Kade’s considered a real upstandin’ rancher in these parts. Course, normal folk don’t know the truth about him and his pup, Chaz. That they grow their own livestock so they can ravage ’em to bloody bits. And the rest of us don’t know exactly how the hell he managed to keep his ranch runnin’, since livestock don’t take to weres. That’s why most of us can’t find ranch work no more. I ain’t been able to do it since Blaise turned me.”

  “Ca
n’t you ask Kade how? He is, was, your alpha.”

  “Kade ain’t interested in the pack he took over. Only reason he done it was to keep us from claimin’ a share of the herd and to deny us rights to his woman.”

  The latter twisted hard in her stomach, and she tried to keep her voice even. “A woman?”

  He shook his head. “It’s ancient history.”

  “A few months ago isn’t entirely ancient. Who is she?”

  “She’s nobody. Don’t be jealous, Aimee. I’ve had bigger problems than feelin’ a draw to another pack mate’s female for some time. It don’t bother me anymore. Especially now that I’ve found the one who is truly meant for me.”

  She sighed. “I should get back. It’ll be dark soon.”

  He cocked his head. “Why did you come back, Aimee? Really.”

  She looked up at him from under her lashes. “Everything felt so rushed at the ranger station that I didn’t get a chance to thank you two properly for helping me. I wanted to be sure you knew how much I appreciated it.”

  The knowing grin returned. “Well, now, I suppose our visit together has shown me your heartfelt appreciation.”

  “That wasn’t what I came up here for.”

  “Sure it was.” He glanced at her hand. “When are you gonna stop pretendin’ you’re still thinkin’ of marryin’ another man?”

  She lifted her chin. “I’m not pretending. I am still thinking about it.”

  His eyes narrowed. “After what you just let me do to you?”

  “I didn’t ask for it.”

  Dillon’s eyes slid over her. “I might be inclined to argue that, what with you wearin’ that dress. Either way, you didn’t exactly fight me off.” He stepped closer, every inch of him enveloping her senses. “You want me. Admit it.”

  She retreated until her back was pressed against her car door. “I’ll admit there’s a certain chemistry between us. But chemistry doesn’t pay my bills.”

  A sour expression crossed Dillon’s face. “My fantasy didn’t include the fact that my mate turns out to be a gold digger.”

  She fisted her hips. “Don’t you dare make this sound like it’s about me living a fast-lane lifestyle. It’s about responsibilities I’ve had to shoulder since I was still in high school.”

  “What responsibilities?”

  “My mother’s medical bills, for one.”

  That seemed to soften his expression. “What’s wrong with your mama?”

  She leaned back against the car with a sigh. “I started noticing her forgetfulness in my freshman year. By the time I was a senior and they’d diagnosed her with early Alzheimer’s, she couldn’t work anymore. I had to get two jobs to pick up the load. She progressed to where I couldn’t leave her home alone and had to hire caregivers on top of paying for her medication and handling our regular bills. Now she’s in Applewood Hills, a special care facility for Alzheimer’s patients. They keep her safe and give her therapy to help extend the time she’s got left.” Her eyes burned with threatened tears. “I visit every Wednesday night and Sunday afternoon. She doesn’t remember me most of the time.”

  A tear dripped down onto the front of her coat, and Dillon swore under his breath and pulled her into a warm embrace. “I am sorry, Aimee,” he said, tucking her head under his chin. “I had no idea. I didn’t mean to judge you like that.”

  The urge to break down in his arms and sob out the frustrations pent up over the past eight years was almost overpowering. She swallowed down her fast-rising emotion. “Yes, you did mean to judge me. But that’s not the point.” She pulled away from him and searched his pale blue eyes. “I wasn’t making ends meet until David came along. He has been there for me, helping pay her bills. He told me it was because my performance as his assistant would suffer if I had to keep working multiple jobs. But I know it was really because he’s a giant softie.” She paused, watching a muscle quirk in Dillon’s jaw. “How can I turn my back on that to pursue chemistry with you in the hope it leads to love? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Love don’t make sense. It overwhelms our senses. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

  “Love doesn’t fix my problems. What kind of life would I be offered if I wanted you to overwhelm me?”

  He folded his arms. “All I have to give you right now is everythin’ that I am.”

  “Exactly. And it’s not enough.” A bitter tang accompanied the words, but they were out. That didn’t stop her from flinching at the pained shadow crossing his features.

  Maybe she did sound like a gold digger, but what else could she do? Throw her entire life to the wind and live in a cave with a man with a dark secret he could barely control? She would have to be five kinds of insane to want an existence like that, regardless of how he made her feel.

  “I’m not good enough for you,” he said, and the bitterness she expected in his tone was absent. The echo of haunting regret she heard in the words was far worse.

  “I didn’t say that,” she whispered, trying to ignore the gnawing in her gut that was only in part because she hadn’t gotten around to eating.

  He gazed down at her with pain evident in his eyes. “I’m sayin’ it. I told you when you first stumbled into that cave that you picked a hell of a time for us to meet. You are destined for me, Aimee. That’s the way of it with my kind. You just showed up for your appointment with fate at the wrong time.”

  Her heart thudded heavily, like it had been shot full of lead. “With the hand life has dealt me, I don’t honestly see how any time could be right.” Words stuck in her throat. “I’m sorry.”

  She climbed into her car and fumbled to get the key into the ignition. Dillon just stood there, staring at her. When she put the stick in reverse, he spoke one last time.

  “Make sure the money’s worth givin’ up on love,” he shouted through her closed car window. “Because I sure as hell don’t want to give up on you.”

  Chapter Five

  Night had fallen by the time Aimee carried a bag of groceries up to her ground-floor apartment. Between the dimly lit walkway and her jumbled thoughts, she almost didn’t see the tall figure step out from the shadows near her front door. The movement startled her into nearly dropping the paper sack in her arms.

  “Jesus, David!” she said, gripping the sack tighter. “You scared the hell out of me.”

  Dressed in a black jacket and jeans, David’s attire helped him disappear into the backdrop even with her staring right at him. “I suppose we’re even, then.”

  She frowned as she moved past him. He took the bag from her while she slid her door key into the lock. “Again, I’m sorry for getting lost yesterday. I know it must have been awful for you.”

  “I’m not talking about yesterday.” David followed her inside, down the entry hall and into the comfortable living room, where she paused to flip on a table lamp before heading to the kitchen to set her groceries on the butcher block counter. “I’m talking about right now.”

  Aimee grabbed a bunch of bananas from the sack and deposited them in a crystal fruit bowl that had been a wedding gift to her mother and father. “I don’t understand.”

  David leaned on the far counter in the U-shaped, wood veneer kitchen. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling your cell since two.”

  She yanked open the freezer door, effectively blocking his accusing stare. “You know Sunday is when I go visit my mother.”

  “You haven’t been with your mother,” he spat while she stuffed a flat of chicken in the freezer box and shut the door. “I called Applewood Hills. You left there hours ago.”

  Her mouth fell open. “You’re checking up on me now? You’ve never acted that way before.”

  “You never got lost in the mountains before,” he said, then hesitated. “And you weren’t my fiancée before.”

  “I’m still not, officially. I never gave you an answer.”

  He folded his arms. “Which is one of the reasons I came by tonight. I realized that with everything that wen
t on, we never got a chance to discuss it further.”

  Aimee’s heart picked up its pace while she put away the rest of her groceries. “I thought we agreed to give me time to think about it.”

  “You had all night.”

  Her eyes flew to his. “Yeah, all night being lost and cold in the mountains with no idea how to find my way back. I sort of had other things on my mind. Like survival.” Not to mention the two cowboys who introduced her to a part of her womanhood she had long ignored, but she banished that thought.

  A shadow flickered across his face, narrowing his sharp features even more. She hadn’t ever realized just how tapered his face appeared, how slender his nose was. “It was my fault,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

  “How is it your fault that I was too stupid to find my way back?”

  “I never should have let you out of my sight in the first place.”

  She snorted. “I doubt I’d have been able to relieve myself with you staring at me.” Her smile faded. “This isn’t like you, David, calling on the weekends and showing up at my place. You’ve only been here a couple of times.” She folded up her paper sack and tucked it along with others beside her fridge. “Is everything okay? Did something go wrong with the Jackson account? Is the breakfast meeting still on for tomorrow?”

  “Everything’s on target with that. This had nothing to do with the office.”

  “What, then?”

  “I can’t explain, exactly.” He shrugged off his jacket while they walked back to the living room.

  Aimee turned on the other table lamp and the ceiling fan light in the adjacent dining area, casting light on the solid earth tones in her living room. He gripped the back of her brown-and-yellow striped couch, and the way his eyes were following her stirred a sudden reluctance to shed her coat. She’d had enough bizarre male attention for one day.