“Yee-ha to that!” Isabel said. The music switched to a Shania Twain song and Kara jumped down from the stage.
“Ok, this is it!” she said, grasping Isabel by the arm and pulling her towards the energetically-dancing crowd. Their arms were flailing around and the air was full of shouts and whoops. Isabel looked at them with trepidation.
“Wait up!” she called. “Maybe we need one more shot before we hit the dancefloor.” She pulled away from Kara and started to walk over to the bar.
“Uh, ok,” Kara, replied, standing stock still, hands on hips, staring at her like she was being weird.
As Isabel turned, she collided with someone. Her face brushed against a man’s broad chest, and she raised her head to find herself looking at the bright blue eyes and easy-going smile of Jed. He was wearing a cowboy hat and a leather vest, teamed with the faded jeans he’d had on before, and a blue, button-down shirt.
“Well, if it isn’t little miss accident prone!” he said, his grin widening as he looked down at her.
“Hey!” Isabel said. Her heart gave a little flutter, but she recovered fast. “That’s not fair. The first time wasn’t my fault at all; the second – ok, I did do something pretty dumb. And, right now, well – you clearly bumped into me!”
“That’s right, I totally wasn’t looking where I was going!” Jed said, his smile widening even more, his eyes gently teasing. They stared at each other for a moment too long. Isabel was suddenly tongue-tied. Jed looked great, and the look he was giving her indicated that he had a similar opinion of her too. She breathed in the scent of him, of the aftershave, the washing powder, and his own masculine smell. Her nipples stiffened beneath the black satin brassiere she was wearing and she felt a little dizzy.
“I had a feeling I’d see you here tonight,” he said.
“You did?” she replied softly. Just then, Kara bounded over.
“Hey there, I’m Kara, Bella’s partner in crime,” she said, extending her hand.
“Jed. Good to meet you,” he replied, shaking it firmly. Isabel saw an opportunity to escape and compose herself.
“I’m just going to the restroom. I’ll be back in a second,” she called, already stumbling her way through the crowd. She burst into the ladies’ bathroom. There didn’t look to be anyone else in there. The window was open wide, and she leaned against the wall in between the cubicles and looked out at the black New Mexican night. The coolness of the room was refreshing. She hadn’t noticed how hot it had been in the dancehall.
“Whew!” she said out loud. Only days ago, she’d been full of nervous excitement at the thought of seeing Peter, and now she was getting hot and bothered about Jed. What was going on? She conjured up an image of Peter in her mind. He was walking towards her, where she was waiting by the fire on her hands and knees, and he was naked, his desire for her evident. The image shot a bolt of heat through her clit and deep inside her. But her desire was mingled with anger at the way he’d left her, without any explanation. He seemed far away; already a memory. She forced him out of her mind and thought about Jed; about how safe he’d made her feel; about the nice, easy way he chatted and flirted with her, and her heart buzzed with electricity. She pushed herself off the wall. As she washed her hands in the basin, she recalled Kara’s favorite slogan.
“Ever onward and upward!” she said to the mirror. It had been Kara’s high school motto, but she generally applied it to her dating habits these days.
Isabel went back into the dance hall and found Kara and Jed dancing together. They were doing a jive that fitted bizarrely well with the country pop that was playing. Kara was an adept dancer, the product of years of lessons, and Jed was doing a good job of keeping up with her. Isabel had a pang of jealousy watching them. They looked good together, both tall and lithe, with blond hair and wide, white-toothed grins. At last, Kara caught sight of Isabel and disentangled herself from Jed’s grasp as he span her around, so she hurtled into Isabel. Isabel braced herself so she didn’t fall over backwards.
“You think I’m a crash barrier, or something?”
“Sorry,” Kara said, looking anything but. She was panting from her exertions. “Jed’s awesome! He’s a really cool guy!”
“Yeah, he is,” Isabel replied. Kara stared at her hard.
“Hey – no – you can take that look right off your face! He’s obviously really into you. I would never come between you and a guy.”
“I do know that,” Isabel replied. “I was just being silly, because you guys looked so good together.” Kara laughed.
“I’m sure we look like brother and sister. Unless incest is your jam! And, guess what – he was talking about you the whole time, girlfriend!”
“He was?” Isabel said, smiling.
“Uh huh. He was asking all about our friendship and how long we’d known each other. So, you were going for shots, and then you were off to the restroom. What’s up?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I was having a moment. I do like Jed, but I feel like I’m still, you know, attached to Peter.”
“No, I don’t know. Number one, he’s gone disappearos, and number two, you were just hooking up with him, so you were never obligated to any kind of exclusivity thing!”
“I guess,” Isabel said, her eyes finding Jed. He was dancing with a petite, gray-haired woman in her fifties, doing twirls. The woman’s cheeks were flushed with pleasure, and her eyes sparkled.
“Your move down here is all about enjoying yourself, not mooning over some pain-in-the-ass guy!”
“You’re right. Isabel said. “Ok, shots!” She pulled Kara over to the drinks table.
They came back with three Tuacas and handed one to Jed.
“Thanks!” he said, flashing Isabel a grin. As he came close to her, she picked up the faintest hint of fresh perspiration. It was appealing; intimate, somehow. Briefly, she wondered what his body would look like glistening with it in the middle of making love. They knocked the shots back, toasting Kara’s visit. “This is hot work!” Jed said, taking his hat off and wafting his face with it. His hair was damp and mussed, and Isabel had an overwhelming urge to reach out and smooth it over.
“Yeah, I don’t think air-con has made it to the church hall yet,” Kara said. The music changed abruptly to Crocodile Rock and Jed extended his hand to Isabel.
“Can I have this dance?” he asked, with exaggerated formality. Isabel hesitated, her heart screaming yes, at the same time that a tidal wave of shyness hit her. The prospect of being so close to him was too much.
“Ah, you’d be disappointed after dancing with Kara,” she said, shaking her head. She took a large step back, but didn’t miss the disappointment in his eyes. He shrugged good-naturedly.
“Looks like it’s you and me, pardner,” Kara yelled, catching his hand. She pulled him into another jive dance, and they were soon spinning each other around at crazy speed. Isabel watched them, laughing. They were causing quite a stir, with other couples backing to the edges of the area and watching them too. Kara hooked her arm into Isabel’s elbow as she hurtled past and pulled her in between them.
“You looked like you could use a sandwich!” she said close to Isabel’s ear, not loud enough for Jed to hear. Isabel pulled a face at her and relaxed into the rhythm of the music. She sensed Jed had eased away from her, the perfect gentleman, and Kara took the opportunity to twirl Isabel round and round, letting her go so she was facing Jed. Her head spinning, she staggered forwards, and Jed steadied her with his hands around her waist. His touch brought instant heat to her body. They carried on dancing together, and he didn’t let her go, one hand remaining on her waist, the other holding hers.
The music became much slower – some country track she didn’t recognize.
“Ever danced a two-step before?” Jed whispered in her ear.
“Nope,” she said, eyes shining.
‘Well, you’re just about to learn,” he said, and began to show her the simple steps. She picked up the technique quickly and enjoyed the slow, g
entle rhythm. They had moved into the corner of the room, and they were no longer two-stepping; they were swaying, closer and closer together. Isabel’s breasts pressed against Jed’s body and she had to throw her head back to see his face. He was looking at her intensely, his earlier joviality gone. She realized that his eyes weren’t just blue, but had a hint of amber, like a star around the pupil. As the pupil dilated, flooding the iris, it virtually disappeared, but when the light shone in his eyes, the amber color burst out like a sunbeam. It was at one of these moments, as one of the lights was directly overhead, that they regarded her with such intensity that she had to break eye contact and cast her glance down. Jed’s finger touched her chin, and very gently lifted her head again. Now, the spotlight had moved again and his pupils were dilated with what she recognized as desire. The scent of him was strong in her nostrils and his muscular arms pressed around her body. Slowly, he bent his head closer and closer to hers. Isabel’s heart was pounding, and her skin tingled all over. She tilted her jaw minutely, and, finally, his mouth was on hers. His lips were soft, impossibly soft, and his kiss was cautious, as he took his time, making sure that she wanted it. Of course she wanted it! The tingling that began on her skin ran all the way through her body, rushing through her veins. He put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and she reached up, feeling the muscularity of his shoulders. He began to kiss her more confidently, his lips parting, the tip of his tongue seeking hers. She opened her mouth to him, and felt the softness of his tongue sliding into her mouth, finding hers and dancing around it. A small sound escaped her, in appreciation of the sensuality of his kiss. His hand moved into her hair, twisting it around his fingers, while his other hand pressed lightly on the bare skin of her back, his fingers caressing.
At last, he broke away from her, only to whisper,
“Bella, you’re so beautiful,” before kissing her again, even more deeply than before. Isabel kept her eyes shut, having no idea if the two of them were attracting any attention, and not wanting to know. She was lost in the passionate kisses of this strong, yet gentle man. His fingers ran along her jaw, her collarbones. She shuddered, finding the soft touch of his callused hands deeply erotic. If he kept touching her like that, she might have to drag him back to her house. She started to kiss him more fiercely, and he held back for a moment, but then matched her passion with hard, searching kisses that filled her with excitement. He moved away from her mouth and kissed the side of her neck, then nibbled her earlobe. With his face buried in her neck, she opened her eyes at last. They were indeed attracting attention. Some people were watching them openly, others more discreetly. Kara caught her eye and waved her hand in a fanning motion. It took Isabel some seconds to notice that Kara was looking at her from over some guy’s shoulder. Was that Dan, the bartender? How had they hooked up so fast? The music was coming to an end. One of those wind-down songs was playing, and the people who weren’t gawping at her and Jed were gathering up their things.
“Hey, I think it might be home time,” she said to Jed.
‘Huh?” he replied into her neck. She laughed.
“Hey! I said it’s time to go.” Jed pulled back and looked at her, his gaze a little unfocused. He looked around the room, and embarrassment flickered in his eyes. Lifting his wrist and checking the time, his eyebrows rose.
“Wow. I think I got a little carried away there. I’m sorry,” he said. Isabel grinned at him.
‘Don’t be,” she replied.
“Hey, lovebirds! Kara yelled to them. She walked over, with Dan in tow. “Wooh, well I won’t need to get my porn fix for a while, that’s for sure!”
“Kara, shut up!” Isabel hissed, and couldn’t bring herself to check Jed’s expression.
“What’s the plan now?” Kara said.
“I need to get home as I’ve got an early shift tomorrow.” Jed said. “Maybe we could share a taxi if – ”
He didn’t get to finish his sentence. At that moment, something large and black burst into the hall and smashed into Jed. Attacking him from the back, he was taken unawares, and went down hard, with the something landing on top of him. Isabel and Kara screamed, Isabel covering her mouth with her hands. Jed had a man on top of him, dark-haired and dressed in motorcycle leathers. Jed’s arm went out to the side and he landed a punch in the man’s head. The man’s head snapped back, and Jed took the opportunity to lever himself up and flip the man over so he was now on top. As the man was turned, his face came into view.
“Peter?” Isabel screamed. “What the hell are you doing?” Peter didn’t seem to have heard her. He was busy doing his best to punch Jed, while Jed was trying his hardest to fend off the blows and hold him down.
“That’s Peter?” Kara said in a tone of wonder.
“Unfortunately,” Isabel shouted, running towards the two men. She was trying to get close, so she could get them to stop, but their flying fists were dangerous. They seemed to be evenly matched in strength; both powerful men. Isabel flinched at every blow, her emotions boiling over. Now, Jed had Peter by the collar.
“We’re taking this outside!” he bellowed. Peter seemed to agree, as they got off the floor together, moving as one body, a strange, violent creature with thrashing limbs. As they dragged each other towards an emergency exit door at the rear of the room, Isabel got a good look at the face of each and shuddered at the wildness in their eyes. It was a look she’d seen in Peter’s eyes several times, and she’d seen a hint of it in Jed’s earlier that night. The remaining people in the place were staring at the retreating figures, their faces frozen in shock. Isabel and Kara followed Peter and Jed out of the door, but they were disappearing fast, into an area of brush. And they were gone. Isabel ran to the brush and peered through. It was dense, and she couldn’t see anything at all.
“Where the fuck are they?” Kara joined her and they both peered into the darkness. “They’re fighting in the bushes. Amazing!” Kara said, half sarcastic, half excited.
There was silence, until a loud howl pierced the night. It was followed by another one, and then a low, rumbling growl that seemed to make the earth shake. It was answered by a second growl, and a series of wild snarls.
“What the hell?” Isabel said, her voice rising in panic.
“Sounds like a pair of wolves are going at it, along with your suitors!” Kara replied. The growling and snarling continued for some minutes, and then stopped. As the night became silent again, Isabel strained to hear any signs of the two men, but there was nothing. More minutes went past. She wrapped her arms around herself, as a whisper of breeze chilled her flesh. She was afraid for both of them.
“What do we do now?” she said.
“I don’t think the horny teenagers are coming back,” Kara replied.
“But where could they have gone?”
“Who knows?” They kept staring into the blackness. “Maybe there’s a really excellent place to fight, just beyond the brush there.”
“Nope. It’s just more brush,” Dan said from behind them. Isabel jumped; she hadn’t realized he was there. She looked back at him with unease.
“This doesn’t make any sense.”
“The way those two were going at it, I don’t think there was too much thinking going on,” Dan said. “Hey, they’re big boys, and whatever beef they’ve got between them, I’m sure they’ll sort it out for themselves. How about I call a taxi for you ladies?” Isabel frowned. She couldn’t just leave them out there. Especially as she was the reason why they were fighting.
“Babe, I know you probably feel responsible for this, but I’d kinda like to get home sometime soon too,” Kara said. Isabel turned to her. She was pale, the skin beneath her eyes fragile. She’d had a long day, and flights were tiring.
“Of course. Sorry,” Isabel said. “Let’s leave those morons to their own devices.” They turned to go, but, at that moment, there was a rustling in the bushes. Jed burst through. He was breathing hard and his forearms were covered in scratches, a couple of them blee
ding freely.
“Jesus! Did you go fighting with the wolves out there?” Kara said.
“What?” His voice was almost a yelp. “No, of course not.” He looked at the group, not speaking, then realized that they were expecting an explanation from him. “Peter and I just had an old score to settle, that’s all.”
“And where the hell is he?” Isabel demanded.
“There,” Jed replied, pointing to a motorbike at the far end of the nearby parking lot. Its engine was revving, and, as they watched, it flew away, with a deep, vibrating roar.
“That’s Peter?” Isabel said, in disbelief. She shook her head. She looked up at Jed, and as their eyes met, she tingled with the memory of their passionate kisses. But, she’d had enough for one night. A taxi pulled up. Dan opened the door.
“There you go, ladies,” he said. Isabel took one last look at Jed. He was obviously embarrassed, and opened his mouth to say something.
“Let’s speak tomorrow,” she said to him, and she and Kara got into the taxi and left.
Chapter Three
They were half way along the poorly-lit road that led to Isabel’s house when a single headlight came into view, far in the distance. In no time at all, it was close, and then directly in front of them.
“What the hell?” the taxi driver yelled, stamping on the brake. The taxi squealed to a stop, a few feet away from a motorbike that had swerved into the right-hand lane and stopped at a diagonal angle. Illuminated in the car headlights, the rider removed his helmet to reveal dark hair and burning yellow eyes. The taxi driver jumped out of the car and walked towards him.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he bellowed. Peter climbed off the bike, walked past the guy, as if he was unaware of his presence, and opened Isabel’s door.
“I apologize for the events of tonight, but I’d like you to come with me. I have something important that I must explain to you.” Isabel stared at him.
“After the way you’ve been acting, why the hell would I do that?” she snapped.
Isabel and the Wolf: (Part 3) Page 3