Wilde About Her (Wilde Pack Series)

by Daniels, Angie

  He was so alpha, it scared her. She had always been attracted to men who believed in taking charge with confidence and poise, and Jax Wilde truly possessed those qualities.

  Denim trembled just thinking about it.

  Last night, they’d made love so many times she’d lost count. The last round had been out on Pappy’s back porch with the stars sparkling down on them while she straddled his lap.

  Damn, it was going to be hard when it was finally time to say goodbye.

  * * *

  It was almost closing time when Jax stepped into the diner. A black t-shirt stretched across his muscular chest and blue jeans hung low on his hips and perfect butt. As she watched him move across the room, she felt weak at the knees. It wasn’t hard to figure out why. It was the sheer power he exuded. He was sexy, confident, determined and an amazing lover.

  Denim finished wiping down a table in back, then reached for a tray of dirty dishes and carried them toward the front with a corky smile.

  “Hey you. What brings you here?”

  Grinning, Jax leaned in and dropped a quick kiss to her lips. “I came to escort you home.”

  “It’s been three days. You still think I need a bodyguard?” She was teasing, but the look in his eyes said he wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

  “Until my father meets with the pack, I think it’s better if I keep making sure you get home safely.”

  Denim set the tray down on the counter and nodded. “Okay. Who am I to complain when a gorgeous man wants to escort me home?” She pressed her mouth to his, then sauntered over to the diner door. Deep down she was glad he was keeping a close eye on her. His presence had a way of making her feel safe and secure without a worry in the world. She would never admit it, but she was afraid of the she-wolf and what she might do to her the next time she caught her alone.

  Denim waved at the last customer as he stepped out. She then locked the door behind him and flipped over the Closed sign.

  “Busy day?” Jax asked.

  Denim turned around and shrugged. “We had our moments.”

  As he walked over to the counter and straddled one of the stools, he had this solemn look on his face. Denim gave him a sidelong glance. She didn’t want Jax worrying about her. She had a hard enough time trying to figure him out as it was. Personally, she’d rather see lust burn in his eyes.

  “Why don’t you leave your car here and I just bring you to work in the morning.”

  “Pappy will ask too many questions. I don’t want him to know anything about what happened that night.”

  Before she could step around him, Jax dragged her over to stand between his parted legs and murmured, “Tell him I’m protecting what’s mine.”

  Mine. Denim loved the way that sounded. Reaching up she locked her hands behind his head and pulled him toward her mouth in a kiss that was explosive, hot and fierce. Everything inside her came alive and she was aware of nothing else except the feel of Jax’s lips pressed against hers that sent her blood surging like a wildfire through her veins. She leaned in trying to get as close to him as she possibly could, body pressed against body, yet it still wasn’t close enough.

  Denim finally stepped away, her breathing coming hard and fast. “What in the world am I thinking? Pappy is in back.”

  Jax winked. “Come on. Let me help you clean up so we can get out of here. I desperately need to be somewhere private.”

  * * *

  Denim watched as Jax walked over to his Harley, slung a leg over the bike, then knocked the kickstand back with his heel. He waited for her to climb into the VW Bug and start the engine before he pulled off.

  She drove a few feet behind, pulse racing uncontrollably. In all the years she’d visited Justice, she had never been to Wilde Ranch and was actually anxious to see how the Wilde pack lived. No pun intended.

  As she followed him up the long windy road, she admired the way Jax hugged the bike and looked so comfortable as if the motorcycle had been custom-made just for him. Goodness, Jax was one sexy beast.

  Denim followed him onto the long private driveway through a thicket of trees. From the wood-lined road, there was no evidence of the ranch, or better yet, the Weres that owned it. And then after another windy turn, the trees cleared and she gasped at the house before her. It was like a Spanish hacienda. Large. White. And breathtaking.

  Denim pulled her car onto the circular drive and climbed out, then stared up at the amazing view. It reminded her of something she would have seen in Spain or Mexico or any of those places she had seen on television—a big white house with a red tin roof, palm trees and hibiscus all over the place. There were even a few cactuses, just as a reminder they were in Texas. From a distance, she heard the melody of a nearby stream. To the far right were two large stables where some of the world’s most exquisite horses were bred and raised.

  “Welcome to my home,” Jax said and he came up beside her. Denim looked up as his mouth curled into a wild smile. She didn’t know what was more mesmerizing, the house or his smile.

  “Wow! I had no idea your ranch was so beautiful.” Pappy’s land bordered the ranch and yet they were worlds apart.

  “Thank you,” he said, beaming proudly. “It’s all my grandmother’s doing. She was the creative genius. After my father bought the additional land, she added a few new wings to the house in the hope of her grandsons never leaving home.” There was this twinkle in his eyes and Denim could tell he still had a deep affection for his grandmother, who he told her had passed away last spring.

  “Come on, let me show you around.” With his hand at the small of her back, Jax led Denim into the house and down the long halls while she admired the rich furnishings and beautiful Spanish tile floor.

  “This is the main part of the house,” he said, as they passed through a wide, arched doorway into a grand, open-floor plan that had vaulted ceilings with wide wooden beams and large ceiling fans spinning over the magnificent space. Her eyes swept the beautifully decorated room of stucco and slatted wood that spanned back to a large sunroom with windows that covered the entire length of the room. Behind it was a view of the lush land that ran farther than her eyes could see.

  Jax took Denim by the hand and led her to the other side of the house where there was a second floor that they reached climbing a sweeping staircase. At the top, was a skylight shaped like a star that marked where the house branched off in several different directions.

  “There are five suites. Grand’Mere designed it so that each of us had our privacy.” Considering the size of the house, she could imagine it was like having their own apartment, which she was sure was bigger than any apartment she’d ever rent.

  “We all prefer the lower level of the house,” he explained. “It’s easier to get around in any shape or form,” he added with a wink.

  “This place is like a maze,” she said.

  Jax scratched his chin and smiled. “It can get a little confusing.” He signaled for her to follow him back down the stairs.

  Her eyes swept the space, admiring all of the fine craftsmanship. “I also noticed there are no handles or doorknobs. Why is that?”

  Jax nodded and appeared impressed that she had noticed. “It’s easier to get in and out with a push of a paw or nose.”

  She smirked. “I never thought about that.”

  He took her hand and they walked down a pair of wide stairs, past a massive library with more books than she could have ever imagined reading in her lifetime. They rounded the corner into a large family room and she spotted his brothers and an older man who had to be his father, standing behind a large polished bar.

  “Speak of the devil,” Aidan said with a grin as they walked into the room.

  “What did I do this time?” Jax said as he led her over to the end of the bar.

  “We were wondering where you were.” Chayton scowled. He was so serious Denim didn’t know what it was Quinn saw in him.

  Jax gave him a firm look. “I needed to make sure Denim was safe,” he replied,
then gestured toward the man behind the bar. “Father, I’d like you to meet Denim.”

  Her eyes snapped to the man and it was easy to see where they got their good looks. He had to be in his early fifties with the same golden eyes and sun-kissed skin. His blonde hair was practically gray and added a distinguished look about him. She could only imagine how magnificent his fur looked as a wolf.

  Mr. Jackson Wilde, Sr. stuck out his hand and gave her a tranquil smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Aidan snickered, like it was some kind of private joke.

  Denim shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve read about your horses in a magazine. I can’t wait to see them up close.”

  “Thank you.” She could see the pride in his face. “Make sure Jax takes you out to the stables.” His father poured dark liquor into a glass, then took a sip. “I am sorry about what happened with you and Troy in the forest.”

  Denim shivered at the reminder and lowered onto the couch. In all her excitement of being around Jax, she had almost forgotten about that particular incident. “I’m thankful Jax was there in time.”

  “So are we,” Chayton replied, stroking his chin between his thumb and forefinger as he gazed at her.

  “We protect what’s important to us,” his father responded in a deep robust voice that made her shiver.

  Aidan, who was pacing the length of the room, walked behind the couch and placed a comforting hand to her shoulder. “Denim, don’t you worry. We plan to make sure something like that never happens again.”

  Jax nodded and took a seat at the bar.

  “The tension between the two families has to be dealt with immediately.” Denim noticed the way Chayton’s eyes glowed like Jax when he was upset. It must be a family thing or better yet, a werewolf thing.

  Jax sighed. “This is my problem. If you—”

  Mr. Wilde held up a hand, silencing him. “We’ve already discussed it. Now we just need to contain the situation.”

  Chayton sent her a wary look. Something was wrong.

  Denim looked from one man to the other, with her brow raised in confusion. “What are you all talking about?”

  Aidan snorted a laugh. “Why doesn’t someone enlighten this poor girl?”

  Mr. Wilde took a sip from his glass and looked like he was trying to choose his words carefully before saying, “Were business is private.”

  “What my father means is… Weres pick their mates for life. And it appears my brother has chosen you,” Chayton replied.

  Me? Jax has chosen me?

  “Which is why Troy is so pissed,” Aidan explained.

  “Actually she’s pissed because Jax called off their engagement,” Chayton added.

  “What?” Her head whipped around.

  Barely contained tension radiated from Jax’s body as he tried to explain. “It really doesn’t have anything to do with you. This has been going on for months now. At first we thought it was just Troy’s temper tantrums, then Chadwick Distributors suspended exporting our horses until further notice, and now the Chadwick pack is causing trouble.”

  “What? Oh, no!” That couldn’t at all be good for business.

  His father raised a dismissive hand in the air. “I’m confident all of this will pass. Chadwick is a businessman and I’m certain he and I will come to a new agreement.”

  “But in the meantime, his daughter is taking her revenge out on junior,” Aidan replied with a sheepish grin. “I thought she was finally over him until she spotted the two of you at the party.”

  Denim’s head was spinning. “She was there?”

  Jax nodded. “We never saw Troy, but I caught her scent, and then her pack arrived, which was why I had to leave so soon. She was probably in the forest, watching us.”

  “As a she-wolf,” Denim muttered. It wasn’t a question and she swallowed just thinking about those intense dark green eyes glaring at her.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it,” Aidan assured her and then he was sniffing her like a dog, again.

  Chayton nodded and also chimed in. He, too, was standing entirely too close. “Jax is the son of an alpha, so it’s all of our responsibility to protect you.”

  Protect me? Denim got up, moved to the other end of the couch and blew out a breath of disbelief. “Do I really need protecting? I mean… Is this Troy chick that crazy?”

  “She’s cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs,” Aidan mumbled under his breath.

  “You saw what she tried to do the other night.” Jax paused and punched his right fist in his left palm. “Troy’s still angry at me, and I’m afraid she’s trying to take her rage out on you.”

  So I’m a sitting duck until then.

  She hadn’t forgotten those vicious eyes or those long teeth ready to bite a chunk out of her ass. No wonder he was adamant about keeping a constant eye on her.

  It took a moment before Denim realized Aidan was speaking. “… and until my father can speak to her pack leader, she is out stalking the forest waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.”

  Great. Nothing better than being stalked by a werewolf.

  Mr. Wilde walked around the bar and came to take a seat on the chair across from her. Denim waited for him, too, to do that sniff-sniff thing, but to her relief he didn’t. “My son assures me our secret is safe with you.”

  His eyes were focused on hers and she felt pinned beneath his stare. Unable to look away. Denim had to nod to clear her head. “Yes, definitely. I know what devastation it would cause if I ever said anything to anyone, including my grandfather.”

  He nodded and seemed to relax slightly on the chair. “And I thank you for that. We have lived in this town for generations. And you understand if people were to find out Weres lived in Justice it would be bad for pack families all over the country.”

  “It would also be bad for the ranch,” Aidan added with his arms crossed.

  “No, I would never tell anyone. Cross my heart, hope to die.” Denim slid her fingers across her chest, then pointed a pinky finger up toward the sky. She probably looked ridiculous doing that childish ritual, but at least they each looked relieved. “I care way too much about Jax to ever bring harm to him or his family.”

  Chayton gave his first real smile. “Thank you, Denim. You protect the pack and we will always be there to protect you.”

  Mr. Wilde tilted his glass, downed his drink, then said, “The moon is full tonight and the horses are restless. I think it’s a perfect evening for a ride, don’t you think?”

  “I agree.” Jax slid off the stool and reached out for her hand. “Come on. Let me introduce you to the horses.”

  The sun had just started to set on the horizon when they strolled out hand-in-hand across the backyard to a whitewashed stable. It was huge and modern, nothing like the red barns she was used to seeing. Denim stepped inside and was met by the smell of horses and fresh hay. Her heart was pounding with excitement as she peeked inside each of the stalls and spotted the tall, powerful horses. Seeing them from a distance was one thing, but up close and personal, they took her breath away. There had to be more than fifty, all tall, strong and proud. They passed young stable-hands brushing down horses and others shoveling hay or sweeping out the stalls. Everyone was friendly, laughing and talking. Jax introduced her to the horses. Each had a name proudly displayed on a plaque on the stall doors. One of the stable-hands allowed her to brush Titan, a handsome black horse, who’d belonged to Jax’s younger cousins.

  “Titan is a gentle horse. Aren’t you, boy?” Jax cooed, as he stroked the mare’s thick, shiny black mane.

  “He’s a beaut,” Denim replied as she gently ran the brush across his strong body.

  “Would you like to ride him?”

  Her eyes lit up. “I would love to.”

  Jax nodded, then turned to the young boy. “Luke, please get Titan ready.”

  He bobbed his head, eager to please. “Yes sir!”

  Once the horse was saddle
d, Luke took her hand as Denim put a foot in the stirrup and climbed on. It had been a long time, but she figured it was like riding a bike. It started to come back. She gripped the saddle with her thighs and held on.

  “You think you can handle him?”

  Denim was smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. “It’s been awhile, but I think I still got it.”

  He winked. “Good.” Within minutes, Jax had climbed onto a strong brown horse and led her out of the stable.

  The sky was almost dark now, but the moon bathed the fields. Jax galloped away on his horse, reminding her of Tristan from the movie, Legends of the Fall. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him, or ignore how gorgeous he looked riding ahead of her with his hair bouncing around his shoulders. Denim followed, not at the same speed, but Titan obeyed nonetheless. She felt so alive and free.

  Jax looked over his shoulder with that gorgeous wolf-grin of his, then dashed off. She increased Titan’s speed and together they traveled across the wide fields surrounding the house, past a grove of trees to the area she had seen from the treehouse. They rode carefree for a while before Jax circled them back toward the house.

  “You having fun?” he shouted.

  “Yes,” she said while laughing at the same time. “I’m having a ball.”

  Jax chuckled, then raced his horse to the top of the hill. She watched as he raised a hand in the air and whistled a command. Within seconds Denim heard, then saw, a stampede of horses thundering across the field. Oh what a sight! She felt dazed, like in a dream, as she watched the famous horses racing across the gold-colored fields beneath a moonlit sky. Jax then galloped off and disappeared into the forest.

  “What’s he up to?” she mumbled as she slowed Titan to a trot and waited for his return. Through a thicket of trees his horse came thundering, hooves pounding as he joined the others, and a few seconds later, there was Jax. He had shifted into his Were form and was racing around the horse, showing off. Denim sat on top of Titan, in awe, as she watched him. With his large paws pounding the ground with each step, she didn’t think she’d ever seen anything so beautiful in her life. Even as a wolf, Jax’s presence caused a shiver of heat that she felt spread across her spine.