Restlessly, she uncurled her legs from where she rested on the sofa and paced the small office, wondering what to do next. Realizing it had suddenly gone quiet, she stopped and frowned, straining for a sound. Surely they hadn't given up and gone away already? Did they have no backbone?
She opened the door slightly and peeked out. Her shoulders slumped as relief flooded her on hearing the soft strains of the television. Judging from the noises that now drifted towards her, they'd found a sports channel to watch. Then she scowled. Seriously? They moved in and took over her television? She made a small moan of annoyance and shut the door again.
What was she supposed to do? Hide in the office then sneak up to bed in her own house? Or did they expect her to go sit with them in the living room like that was totally normal? Her, Cade, and his big tiger friend.
Clara closed her eyes at the thought of Luke. Throughout dinner she had felt him contemplating her and she couldn't help being curious what he thought of her. Did Cade talk about her to him? Was she what Luke expected? Maybe he thought she was horrible. Or indecisive. Or maybe he thought she was some silly female who could be bossed around? She huffed at that.
Except Luke didn't seem to harbor any hostile thoughts towards her. Actually, he'd seemed kind of nice. Plus he'd offered her company and help, not to jump her bones. Her eyes widened as she flopped onto the desk chair. It seemed like she was thinking nothing but sex thoughts ever since she'd seen the two of them. Her wolf had practically insisted jumping them before she passed out.
She missed sex. Missed the intimacy, the feel of skin on skin, the way it made her feel. She and Colton had enjoyed a wild and varied sex life, just the two of them though, just another thing that had crashed to a halt when she lost him. She closed her eyes for a moment trying to remember his touch, how he felt when they were together, limbs wrapped around each other, making love; hot, sweaty, frantic sex; quickies in the shower and out in the open. He was her first and only and it had been wonderful.
She wondered what Luke would be like in bed. She was sure he would be a take control type who could deliver one orgasm after another as his powerful muscled body moved above her, or below, or, decadently, behind. He probably knew a thousand ways to lick with that tiger tongue.
"Stop it." She slapped a palm against her forehead. "Bad, bad, Clara." She must be sex starved. That was it. She was way too young to be living such a drought, that was for sure. Maybe if she just got... "Aarrgh!" She thumped the pillow in her arms. She would not think about sex with Luke. Or Cade.
Damnit! Now she was thinking about Cade's lithe body sliding against hers, the feel of his powerful body covering her...then inside her, filling her and driving her wild.
She made a frustrated noise and pouted. It wasn't them, she told herself. It wasn't Cade and Luke. It was the situation...and she missed Colton. Of course she was. It was as simple as that. Unbidden, the thought slipped into her head...and they were both fine, fine, looking men and she was a red-blooded female with a pulse who could look all she liked. It wasn't a betrayal to look after all.
And there it was, the problem that always stared her in the face.
How could she ever move on, when ever step away from Colton felt like a betrayal? How could she possibly live again? Love again? How could she even think about letting another man take her husband’s place?
But she could live. She could try, couldn’t she?
For starters, she couldn't do any kind of living holed up in the office. Wrenching the door open, she stomped noisily from the little room. In the kitchen, she tugged open the refrigerator and after getting over her surprise that they'd stocked it full of fresh produce, she found the half bottle of wine left over from a family visit and poured herself a glass. Then she begrudgingly grabbed two bottles of beer for the men who, from the sneak peeks she took through the doorway, showed no signs of leaving. If anything, they were perfectly comfortable parked in front of her television. Luke had kicked off his shoes, his long legs stretched in front of him. And Cade? Cade had his socked feet on her coffee table, each foot resting on a coaster. She held back a laugh at the absurdity of it.
Stomping through she dumped the bottles on the table without a word, making sure they were on top of coasters because Colton hated ring marks, not that he could complain but she stuck to their rule anyway. Refusing to sit between them on the couch, she dropped onto the armchair and ignored them. Well, except for a quick little look from the corner of her eye.
Luke glanced over, a smile on his full lips and took a bottle, and her heart melted a little. He has beautiful lips.
As if they'd planned it, Cade immediately passed the TV remote before picking up his beer, but just as she made to change the channel, she had an attack of the meanies.
They'd driven a long, long way. It was only polite to let them have a drink and watch a game, especially as they made dinner and cleaned up. They could bunk on the floor and go in the morning. Maybe she would make them breakfast, just this once.
Actually, maybe it would just be nice knowing she wasn't the only one under this roof tonight. Already she felt a little less alone.
Chapter Six
Clara yawned widely and indiscreetly as she woke. First she pushed her arms above her head, clasped her hands together and stretched, then she pointed her toes and stretched her legs too. With a roll of her head, she looked towards the bright sliver of light peeking through her curtains and blinked. It was far too bright for early morning.
Turning her head to the nightstand, she gaped at the time. How had she slept until mid-morning? And what was that rhythmic racket coming from somewhere below her? Tap, tap, tap. Pause. Tap, tap, tap. Then what sounded like a male voice swearing. What the heck were her two unwelcome house guests doing now?
Whatever it was, it didn't make her want to leap out of bed and go storming downstairs in a rage.
Strange as it was to admit, she'd slept better than she had in months and all she could put it down to was that it was comforting to have the two big men in her house. She didn't have to worry about finding one of her laborers poking about the property where he shouldn't be—not that she had any workers anymore—or the panic she always felt on hearing the developer's truck bump along the gravel driveway, ready for another voice-raised round of why she should sell her property when she didn't want to.
"I'm turning soft," she muttered to herself. "I'm a big girl. I don't need anybody." Except she did. She did need people, only she'd shut herself off for so long that she didn't know how to ask for help anymore.
Still, curiosity niggled at her. What were they doing?
Rolling out of bed, she quickly took care of her bathroom needs and pulled on denim shorts and a loose sleeveless top, a concession to the growing heat, and padded downstairs, following the noise into the living room. There, her doors were folded back and for a moment she just stood there, drinking in the sight of the two shirtless men bent over her deck, hammering the wood into place.
Cade, she'd seen shirtless countless times but his body had certainly developed and filled out nicely over the past couple of years. He'd always been tall and broad, but on the slighter side. Now his body was buff and muscled, his jeans slung low so she could just see the waistband of his boxers. His back shimmered with sweat and she had the urge to grab the tube of suntan lotion from the basket by the doors and rub it in with her own hands.
A hot flash ran through her at the thought of running her hands over him and she gulped.
And next to him...what a sight to behold. Taller and broader, his head bent so that his shaggy blonde hair curled over his forehead and slightly damp at the nape, a couple of nails protruding from his lips was her Luke.
There her wolf went again, putting a proprietary claim on the man. She watched as Luke took a nail from his lips, positioned it and hammered it into place. Just for kicks she watched a while longer, taking in his shoulder muscles that lowered into thick biceps and sinewy forearms. His jeans were slung just as low as C
ade's and as he leaned back and stretched, his eyes closed to the sun, she took in muscled abs that descended into a v that disappeared to places she had a brief moment of wondering about. With the top snap undone, Clara was fairly certain he hadn't bothered with boxers at all, a realization that made her breath hitch and her wolf yip in excitement.
She turned away quickly before they could see her staring at them, probably with a slack jaw, and walked into the kitchen.
So, they were hot. So what? For the second time in two days, Clara had to remind herself that she did have a pulse. It didn't mean she wanted to claim them, unlike her wolf who was fairly dripping at the jaw with the idea.
Peeking out from the open kitchen doorway she kept her eyes firmly off their delectable bodies and onto her deck. A smile sprang to her lips when she realized they'd finished more than half of it while she slept in
How nice of them. She shook her head. No, it was exactly what they should be doing, given that they'd barged into her home and refused to leave. Well, now that she thought of it, it wasn't like she'd really insisted. It was probably the pasta coma Luke's cooking had put her into. It had made her placid. Or maybe it was the two glasses of wine she'd imbibed before stomping off to bed and slamming her bedroom door.
It's because they're your mates, her pesky wolf whispered, it's because they've come to claim you.
"Oh shut up," she said out loud, and grabbed cans of pop from the refrigerator. Keeping them hydrated was the least she could do seeing as they were finishing her odd jobs. On second thoughts, maybe she should feed them too. She grabbed a handful of apples, courtesy of their kitchen-stocking too, and made her way outside, coughing politely when she reached the deck.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," said Cade, looking up and grinning at her before he finished hammering another nail home. "Thought we'd save you twenty years of labor and get this thing finished."
"I appreciate it,” she said sincerely.
Luke got to his feet and held out a hand to her, a hand she took without hesitation. "Step out. See how it feels," he said, the low timbre of his voice sending shivers through her despite the heat.
Setting the drinks and apples on the floor, Clara stepped out. His fingers tightened around hers and he didn't let go even when her feet were flat on the smooth deck. For that matter neither did she. It felt so nice holding a male hand. Another rush of indecision passed through her. "I can't believe you guys did all this," she said, sweeping a hand through the air.
"Least we could do," said Luke, his thumb stroking hers.
She resisted the urge to say 'Yes, it is', because, really, her mother had not brought her up to be so snippy and it was pretty thoughtful of them to take on a job that she'd been struggling with alone. Being determined wasn’t always the best replacement for brute strength and another pair of hands.
"Well, thank you."
"Those for us?" Luke nodded at the pop.
"Uh yeah, I thought you were hot, uh, that is, getting hot out here," she said, stumbling over her words.
"Thanks." Luke let go of her hand and she almost snatched it back before he reached for the cans, passing one to Cade who took it, tapped the top and pulled the ring, raising it to her in a thanks before drinking.
"Oh, you're getting sunburned," she said, catching the light red patch blooming on Luke's shoulder. "Didn't you put any sun lotion on?" She stepped back inside, and rummaged in the wicker basket by the door, pulling out the lotion she always kept there and passed it to him. "Sunburn is a bitch."
"Well, now," said Luke, turning the bottle over and looking at it. "I can't reach my back so well." He passed it back to her. "You'll have to do it."
"I, uh..." Clara felt her face growing hot. Looking and remembering she had a pulse was one thing. Running her lotion-creamy hands all over his body was quite another. She gulped as Luke turned around and sat down, running a hand over the light red patch and grimacing. She gazed down at the muscled back presented to her, and darted a quick glance at Cade who'd taken that moment to stretch out flat on his back, his chest turned to the sun. Typical wolf. He was just like her, finding a warm sunspot to stretch out in, even in his human form. And by the end of the morning, she realized, she would have the whole deck to stretch out on. The thought warmed her as much as the son did.
Then she looked down and realized she was caught.
She could toss Cade the lotion and tell him to sort his friend out, or she could get on and do it herself and get a finished deck. Pronto. That decided it. With a sigh that she hoped they took to be annoyance rather than a reflection of the butterflies in her belly, she snapped open the top and squirted the lotion into her hand, kneeling behind the big tiger.
If seeing him the day before was enough to cause her to faint, and inhaling his scent through the evening was intoxicating enough, then she could only describe the moment her hands made contact with his hard flesh as electrifying.
"Are you cold?" she asked as he shivered.
"No, but that lotion is. Rub it in, will you? You don't have to be gentle."
"Uh, sure." She rubbed her hands together, warming the lotion slightly and smoothed it over his shoulders, taking care to be gentle over the sunburned patch while ensuring it was fully covered. Rubbing his back slowly, she sank the lotion in, trying not to sigh at the feel of his torso under her hands. How long had it been since she had touched a man so intimately? More than two years and more than two years since she had been touched in return. It felt strangely nice to be lay her hands on a man, to feel his muscles as they flexed under her touch. It took her far too long to realize she'd probably finished smoothing that lotion on a good few minutes ago, not that he'd said a thing. Damned tiger. He was probably enjoying this. She could almost feel him purr, the rumble seeming to vibrate through him though he held the sound in. Probably didn’t know how she would take it.
"Here," she said, slapping the bottle over his shoulder, only for him to catch it and her hand in one smooth grip. "You should, uh, do your chest."
"I'd rather you did it."
"I think you can reach," she said smartly and he huffed a laughed. Still keeping a hold of her, forcing her to tip forward on her knees, her arm around his neck, he flipped open the top and squirted lotion onto her arm. "What are you doing?" she squeaked.
"Returning the favor." He ran his hand along her forearm, up to her shoulders, his fingers just dipping under her top. She was paralyzed, unable to move as he held her still, her breasts pressed against his back, his hand smoothing and massaging her arm, the electric feeling shooting through her and heading south, her panties suddenly moist at the thought of him sliding his hands further down her body, slipping under the waistband of her shorts, laying her down...
This can't be happening, she thought, her eyes half closing as his fingers wrapped around her wrist. She sighed. Then her eyes flashed open when he lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a light kiss against the back of it before releasing her.
Half turning, he rubbed another squirt of lotion quickly along her other arm and flashed her a cheeky grin. "All done," he said and rubbed the last of the lotion on his hands over his chest before passing the lotion back to her.
For a moment all Clara could do was rock back on her heels and wonder what the hell had just happened. Didn't he feel the same surge of lust she just felt? Didn't he enjoy the feel of his hands on her bare skin? Or, was he... damn it. He was. He was teasing her. She scowled at him and resisted the urge to thump the bottle into his chest. If she didn't want her deck finished so badly, she would probably have ordered him off her property there and then and serve him right.
"Don't you look in a foul mood again," said Cade, dropping to sit beside her and making her jump. She'd been so engrossed in Luke that she hadn't even noticed him sneak up on her. Well, not that walking across the deck right in front of her could be considered creeping.
"Shut up," she snipped, rudely, and passed him the lotion when he held his hand out for it. No way was she getting c
aught twice. If Cade thought she was going to run her hands across his body, he could forget it. She already knew what effect he had on her, and she'd fought it for years.
No, she resolved, they could finish her deck then go home.
"Hey," Cade called. "You want to get the grill going out here later? I know a steak marinade that you'll love."
She inhaled, her nose filling with the mingling scents of sun lotion, skin, primal animal and imagined the scent of meat grilling under the dusky sky. "Sure," she said. "Sounds nice."
Fine. They could go home after dinner.
***
Cade hammered the last nail home and held up his arms in triumph, bowing when he got a short round of applause. So, she stayed, did she?
After delivering drinks and fruit, and being teased mercilessly by Luke with the sun lotion, Clara had wandered off, only to reappear again. Rinse and repeat a few times and finally she stuck around, actually chatting without biting their heads off. She still wasn't the same bubbly Clara he knew but at least she was looking a little less threatened by them being there.
She didn't even seem to hold the lotion incident against Luke. Actually, Cade thought, as he found a sunspot and rolled onto his back, she seemed to be warming to Luke quite a lot. That didn't really surprise him, because everyone loved Luke but he knew how prickly Clara could be. Especially when it came to men.
Or maybe it was just him.
For a moment he had a brief panic that maybe she just really didn't like him, that it had all been in his head, all this time. That she would still reject him. Maybe even take up with Luke. The idea burned and he felt a horrible nasty spark of jealousy at his friend.
Then she surprised him by sitting down then stretching out alongside him, only an inch of air separating them.
"You're so annoying," she said but she didn’t sound pissed. If he wasn’t mistaken, he heard fondness in her voice.
Second Chance Mates Page 5