Once again, Britt spoke close to her ear. The faint scent of his soap reached her before his words. “Still too dark.” He nuzzled her earlobe, and Randi angled her ear toward him for greater contact. “Listen.”
Listen? How could she hear anything past the pounding of her heart?
Randi pushed her senses to go beyond the man beside her. It took several seconds before she heard the excited play of wakening pups below them. She smiled at the happy noise—part impish yips, part fierce growls.
She itched to pull her binoculars from her bag, but the sun was only now starting to crest the mountain. So she lay there with her eyes closed, listening. Doing her best to ignore the large male body next to her.
“Randi.”
He said her name in a low, thick voice. The kind a lover uses when on the verge of release. She sent him a sidelong glance, though her attention never made it beyond his full, achingly close lips. She wanted to taste them, nip at them, drink from them.
Pluck a biscuit. She was going insane. Lust-induced insanity.
He tilted her cap back, and his amazing lips drew closer and closer until they molded hers into a warm, erotic embrace. Randi did not allow herself to think. In that direction lay only sexual frustration.
Instead she pushed into his kiss, taking it deeper, more demanding. His tongue swept inside her mouth, teasing hers to come out and play. She did. The kiss became bolder, yet neither moved to touch the other. Only their lips and tongues made contact. Luscious, hot, soul-stimulating contact.
Sunlight sprayed across their faces, warming their flesh, their blood, their breaths. Try as she might, she could not break away or stem the need pulsing through her veins.
Britt’s willpower proved stronger than hers. He slowed the kiss, bringing it to a sweet end. Then he rested his forehead against hers, their labored breaths mingling with each other’s.
Pressing his lips against her forehead, he asked, “Did you bring binoculars?”
She nodded, unable to form words against the tightness in her throat.
“Now would be a good time to put them to use. Skooch up a bit more, then look to two o’clock. The den is at the base of a giant oak tree.”
After moving closer to the bluff’s edge, she unbuckled the front pocket of her rucksack and retrieved her binoculars with a shaky hand. She snapped off the lens protectors and positioned the soft rubber eyecups against her face.
Finding the focus wheel, she rolled the knob until the landscape below became crisp and so close it felt like she could reach out and touch the leaves on the ephemerals below. She scanned the area Britt indicated in a methodical back-and-forth motion until she located the exposed roots of a large tree, a two-foot dark hole tucked within.
“Found it,” she whispered. “But I don’t see the pups.”
Britt peered below with his set of binoculars. “They might have gone back inside. Right now, they don’t venture too far from the safety of the den.”
No sooner had he spoken the words than a pair of pups crept to the opening. Their little faces, so innocent and curious, surveyed their surroundings with an intentness learned from observing their parents. Deeming the area free of danger, they moved a few more feet into the clearing. One of the pups crouched down, following his sibling. When the other pup came within a few feet, the crouching pup pounced.
They rolled and ran and cried and glanced around. Their energy had no limits, and soon the other pups joined their antics. When an adult came into view, their joy trebled.
“That’s the breeding male,” Britt whispered. “Apollo.” An adult emerged from the den. “And that’s the breeding female. Calypso.”
The two greeted each other, nose-to-nose.
Randi had no idea how long she lay there with her eyes glued to the red wolves. It could have been hours or only minutes, so mesmerized was she. When Britt tapped her on the shoulder and motioned for her to back away, Randi’s chest contracted painfully against the loss.
She snatched one last, long look before saying good-bye.
* * *
The trip back to Old Blue turned out to be as silent as their hike to the den. Britt had expected Randi’s obvious pleasure at having viewed the wolves to have intensified after leaving their perch at the top of the bluff. He waited for her to pepper him with questions about their research or when the pups would start hunting on their own. Anything. Hell, he wouldn’t have minded if she’d brought up that mind-blowing kiss. But she asked nothing. If she had any thoughts on what she’d witnessed, she kept them to herself.
As for him, a million probing questions sat on the tip of his tongue. Somehow he managed to keep them from emerging in order to give her time to process whatever was troubling her.
When they stopped in front of his cabin, he couldn’t take it any longer. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
He gripped the underside of the steering wheel, hard. “What did you think about the pack?”
Her serious expression transformed into a grateful smile. “I never thought I’d see red wolves in the wild. Thank you for sharing such a precious gift. I’ll never forget it.”
“Does this mean you’ll sell the property to me?”
The moment her smile faded, Britt’s stomach crashed to the ground.
“Do you have the funds now?”
“Dammit, you know I don’t.” He threw his door open with such force that the entire truck shook. “Nothing’s changed since yesterday. Not my financial situation, or your cold heart.”
Randi grabbed her belongings and rounded the truck, pausing near the front fender—a good distance away from him. “I’m sorry, Britt. I wish I could give you the time. I have my reasons. And they're important. Believe me, this isn't an easy decision.”
The red haze clouding his thoughts obscured the sincerity in her words. “Unless you really screwed the pooch with your business, the amount I can offer you should more than settle your debt. So I can only assume you’re motivated by greed.”
“What do you know about the state of my business?” Fury shook her words.
“I have as many friends in this town as you do.” Only a slight exaggeration. He had very few true friends, but many acquaintances. “People talk. Especially when a business as successful as yours suddenly goes down the drain.”
As if struck by buckshot, her eyes squeezed shut and her hand rubbed one side of her chest. Britt’s anger dissipated enough to grasp the harshness of his comments. What a dick. He never spoke to women in that kind of tone. His bluntness was reserved for idiots and his brothers. Since Randi was neither, she didn’t deserve such merciless treatment. If his mother ever caught wind of this…
He drove a hand through his hair, staring at the ground. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things—”
Something hard smacked against his forehead and flopped to the ground. “Ow!” Britt blinked hard at the item. “Did you just brain me with a power bar?”
“Yes, and I’ve got three more.”
He held up a staying hand. “Not necessary.”
She marched over to her Jeep and swung her pack inside, then paused. “Did you hear about my business from Carlie Beth?”
“No!” Dammit, he was an idiot. “I won’t tell you who I heard it from, but I promise you it wasn’t Carlie Beth. She’s your friend. She wouldn’t betray you.”
“Maybe she said something to Grif who conveyed the information to you.”
“The state of your business didn’t come to me via Carlie Beth.” He moved closer. “Say you believe me.”
She nodded. “I didn’t think so, but I’ve only confided in her and Aunt Sharon. So I suppose that leaves the gossip to either my creditors or vendors.” She scrubbed her temple against the hand she’d braced against the Jeep’s door. “I did, you know.”
Britt’s mind scrambled through their conversation for context. “I don’t follow.”
“Screwed the pooch with my business.”
With her body in profile
, he had to strain to hear her. He inched closer. “How?”
“Sank all my capital into a really bad investment.” Still she would not look at him. “My financial advisor assured me the transaction was safe. Only a little risk—less than I normally operate within.”
“All your capital?”
“And then some.” She dug her fist into her stomach. “At first, I refused. Several times, in fact. Something about it triggered my radar. But he kept sharing stats with me until I could no longer remember why I was so against it.” Finally, she met his gaze. “So it’s not because of greed that I’m selling to the highest bidder, it’s survival.”
Self-loathing, fear, and regret marred her beautiful features. The sight made him reach for her. “We’ll figure something out.”
“No.” She climbed into her vehicle and shut her door. “I’ve made my decision. At three o’clock today, the Carolina Club will hand over a check that will save my business.” Tears glimmered in her eyes. “There are too many people counting on me. Failure isn’t an option.” She turned over the engine. “I’m truly sorry. But I’ve run out of time.”
So have the wolves.
13
Britt stormed into his mother’s house.
Every second that had ticked by since Randi left his place two hours ago gonged in his head like an out-of-control ball peen hammer against a sheet of metal. He took the stairs two at a time and swung right after he reached the second floor. Throwing open the second door, he paused a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the absolute darkness. They never did.
He groped the wall until he found the light switch and flipped it on.
A well-toned arm snaked out from beneath the covers. An insistent hand waved toward the switch. “Light. Off.”
Britt picked his way around piles of clothes, game controllers, beanbags, and intimidating stacks of illuminated electronics. He whipped back the thick dark curtains to let in some natural light.
“Not. Better.”
“Get up, little brother. I have a favor to ask.”
Jonah’s head popped out from beneath the covers. “You need a favor from me?”
“And the sky’s not even falling. Up, lazy ass.”
Glancing at the clock, Jonah said, “I’ve only been in bed for five hours.”
“Then you’ve had enough beauty sleep.” Britt opened the closet door and rummaged through his brother’s clothes. Once he found what he was looking for, he twisted the wire hanger and hooked the items on the closet doorjamb. “Take a shower and put these on.”
“Should I go with Iron Man underwear or Superman?”
“Whatever’s going to make you look and feel like a billion bucks.”
Jonah’s smirk disappeared. “What’s all this about?”
“I’ll explain everything in the car.” He snatched a key fob off Jonah’s desk. “Tesla?”
Jonah nodded, eyeing him warily.
“See you downstairs in twenty minutes. I’m driving.”
“Twenty minutes?” Jonah rubbed the several-days-old scruff covering his jaw. “It’ll take me that long to shave this off.”
“You built a multi-bazillion dollar empire within a few short months. I think you can handle a beard in five minutes.”
Jonah threw off the covers. “This had better be good.”
I hope so, too, little brother.
“You want me to do what?” Jonah asked, nineteen minutes later.
Britt hit his turn signal and rolled to a stop at the end of their mom’s drive. “For someone whose IQ is off the charts, you can be thick, sometimes.” A minivan with a carry case fastened to the top toddled down the highway at a speed that would make a turtle look like a speed racer.
“Only when I’m being fed a bunch of garbled crap. Speak in ones and zeros, then we’ve got a conversation.”
Britt drew in a fortifying breath. “I need you to act the billionaire who’s in desperate need of a diversion. You overheard a conversation about the Carolina Club at a recent party and decided to check it out.”
“What kind of club is it?”
“They claim wildlife conservation. To what degree, I have no idea.”
Jonah pulled out his phone and started tapping away.
“Would you mind putting that thing down until I’m finished?”
“I’m looking up Carolina Club online.”
“Don’t waste your time. You won’t find anything listed on their website beyond wildlife conservation and education.”
Jonah clicked the screen off and shoved his phone back in his pocket. “So I’m going in blind.”
Britt tapped his thumb against the steering wheel, debating how much to share with his quirky brother. He was taking a big risk just inviting him along. Jonah could be unpredictable, at times. Unlike Britt’s predictably boring life. In the end, he decided to lay it all out.
“I suspect the club is a front for either avid hunters or unscrupulous trophy hunters. Both have access to a great deal of money.”
“How do you know?”
“Trust me on this one, little bro.”
“Why do you care?” Jonah pulled at the tie around his neck. “Sounds like a godsend for Miranda Shepherd.”
Again, Britt grappled with how much his brother needed to know about the situation. Conveying his thoughts on the potential buyer was one thing, revealing the location of a critically endangered species was another. He decided to keep it vague. “Barbara and I were working together to protect an endangered species on the property. I’d like to continue on with our project.”
As he’d hoped, Jonah’s eyes crossed the moment Britt started talking about conservation.
“And you think they’re misleading Randi about their intentions for the property?”
“I do.” Britt pulled into the club’s parking lot. “Even though Randi doesn’t have the same love of the environment as her mother, I don’t think she would want to see something so precious destroyed.”
“So we’re here to collect evidence to support your theory?”
Britt didn’t have every piece of the puzzle locked in yet. At the moment, he was operating on sheer instinct—and desperate fear. Something continued to niggle at him about the club’s appearance so soon after Barbara’s death, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He prayed he’d learn something useful during this impromptu meeting, because his backup plan was unthinkable.
“Sounds about right.”
“Have you considered what you’re going to do if this club is legit?”
“Yes.”
“Aaaannd?”
“Let’s take this one step at a time.” Britt cut the engine. “Ready?”
14
“I wish you would have given me more time to study up on trophy hunting.”
“You grew up around hunters—both family and friends. You know how hunters speak and what excites them. Take that knowledge and tie it to an obsessive-compulsive collector.” Britt slanted him a glance. “What would you do to get your hands on the original Luke Skywalker lightsaber?”
A flame of comprehension lit Jonah’s eyes. “Let’s do this.”
They rolled out of the Tesla and strode up to the lodge’s massive entrance. The doublewide wooden doors depicted a hunt scene in which a pack of snarling dogs accompanied several men on bucking horses. The bloodthirsty group cornered a large fang-displaying wolf.
“Looks like we’re in the right place.” Jonah pushed open the door. “I think I’m going to enjoy this.”
Britt raised a brow and followed his brother into a cavernous forest, er, foyer. Every square inch was covered in green shrubbery. Taxidermic animals were displayed at strategic locations to give the visitor a feeling of submersion into a forest.
The lifelike exhibit was strangely beautiful yet deeply disturbing. Britt located no less than seven endangered and critically endangered species scattered about the small space. Never would he understand the collect-at-all-costs mentality of some hunters.
“G
ood morning.” A man of about half Britt’s height and twice his girth entered the foyer. “How may I help you gentlemen?”
Jonah held out his hand. “Jonah and Britt Steele. We’ve come to inquire about membership.”
“Jonah Steele, you say?” The little man’s eyes sparkled with recognition. “Of Steele Trap Entertainment?”
“Formerly. I sold the company,” Jonah said in a refined voice that made Britt do a double take. “You’re familiar with our product?”
He shook Jonah’s hand, vigorously, then Britt’s. “Not just familiar, sir. I’m a huge gamer. It’s an honor to welcome you to Carolina Club.”
The guy didn’t look like any gamer Britt had ever seen.
“We didn’t make an appointment,” Jonah said. “I hope that’s not a problem.”
“Not at all, Mr. Steele. I would be happy to give you a personal tour and answer any of your questions.” He smiled. “By the way, my name is Hugh Donovan. I do whatever needs doing around here.”
“Sounds like we’re in good hands, then.”
Britt threw a who-are-you? glance at his brother, who merely smirked and followed their tour guide.
“The club has been in existence for nearly one hundred and twenty years. Descendants from our founding fathers are some of the most influential families in North Carolina.”
“My brother would be interested in meeting these descendants.” Britt forced his most charming smile. “He has some plans in place for the upcoming year and is interested in connecting with the right businessmen. He hasn’t built a billion-dollar empire by having the wrong people at his side.”
Donovan’s body began to vibrate at the mention of billion-dollar empire. “Indeed, sir. You are in luck, as a few of our distinguished members are lounging on the veranda at this very moment.”
“Sounds like karma’s on our side,” Jonah said. “Lead the way, Mr. Donovan.”
Their tour guide led them into various rooms labeled after the prominent trophies displayed within–Ursid, Bovid, Canid, Felid–before taking them outside onto an expansive flagstone patio. Thick wooden pillars separated by black cable railing allowed the observer to enjoy an incredible mountain landscape in the distance.
Loving Deep: Steele Ridge Series Page 10