Belle’s brows rose as she threaded her arm through Chela’s. As much as Belle denied it, the cold weather bothered her hip more than she wanted known. The inner circle had taken it upon themselves to always make sure their Luna appeared strong, even on days when she wasn’t. “Okay. C’mon, Ms. Mendoza. Let’s go meet Ben’s friend Steve.”
She swallowed hard, her heart suddenly racing. There was something wickedly decadent about him that had her wolf panting in expectation of what he’d do, how he’d move next. She needed to hear if his voice was as rich as his laugh, see if his hair was as soft as it seemed. His cheeks were still rosy from the cold, and his mouth was full, the lines around it more from laughter than frowns. This was a man you wanted to walk up to and lean on, one you hoped lived up to the promise of his appearance.
She allowed Belle to tug her toward Ben and Steve, wondering why she had such a fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was so nervous she thought she might throw up. She fought to keep her eyes from changing the closer she and Belle came to the man in the hooded red jacket.
Come on. He’s hot, but he’s not that hot.
A couple came in from the cold, laughing and shaking snow from their hair. The breeze that followed them blew past Ben and Steve, causing the blond to shiver dramatically.
The most delicious scent assaulted her senses, causing her wolf to whine in need. The scent was warm, musky and male, with a touch of cold and sunshine. She wanted to roll in that scent, be covered in it until she couldn’t tell where she began and he ended.
Sapphire-blue eyes locked on her, warming her from the inside out.
Chela came to a dead halt, stumbling only when Belle continued forward. She swallowed, hoping no one could tell how dizzy she’d suddenly become. “Belle?”
“Yes?”
She knew what this meant, what her future now held. She only hoped he’d be able to accept who she was and everything that went with it. “He’s my mate.”
Belle’s answering grin would have made the devil run and hide in fear. “I thought he might be.”
She shot Belle a look, part horrified, part resigned. “He’s human.”
“Yes, he is. Did I mention the Halle Curana, Emma, was human before she was mated by Max? Don’t worry. It will all work out just fine.”
For someone in pain, her Luna sure was strong. Belle literally dragged Chela across the lobby to where Ben stood with Steve, watching their progress. Ben looked ready to bolt, but Steve’s expression was full of mischief and a touch of heat that sent a wave of flame to her cheeks.
Belle smiled, waving vaguely between Steve and Chela. “Steve, let me introduce Graciela Mendoza to you. Chela, this is Ben’s friend Steven Hoode.”
Chela looked into the eyes of her mate and felt the world around her come to a halt. “Hi.”
When he lifted her hand to his lips she thought she might melt on the spot. “Hello to you too, Graciela.”
That roguish grin of his should have been registered as a lethal weapon. “You can call me Chela. Everyone does.”
One golden eyebrow flew upward. “I’m not everyone.”
She shook her head, taking in his scent. She wanted to purr like one of the cats did, curl up in his lap and let him pet her all over. She bet those big hands of his would feel absolutely marvelous. “No. You’re not.”
From the way he held her hand, maybe he knew it too.
Chapter Two
“Steve?”
She opened the door of their cabin, his scent filling her senses with its warmth. He was in her home, his scent mingling with hers, his shoes resting by the front door. She shivered, hard, at the knowledge that her mate was finally hers.
She could hardly wait to pounce on him.
The snap of wood in the fireplace distracted her for a moment. It was night outside, the fire a welcome warmth as the snow fell in the darkness. She took off her jacket, hanging it in the closet before toeing off her own boots.
She tiptoed toward the bedroom, where her mate’s scent was strongest. If he was asleep she didn’t want to disturb him.
He lifted his gaze from the book he’d been reading. He held out his arms, his expression warm, welcoming. “Graciela.”
She smiled, fully aware that if Belle could see her expression, Chela would never hear the end of it. She loved that Steve called her Graciela. Only her family called her that, and even if her parents didn’t get along, she knew deep in her bones that all three of them adored her. A rare mating even among wolves, her father had two female mates. Neither woman was mated to the other, however, and when they’d tried living together it had been a disaster. After much discussion, some of it at volume, her father had chosen to live with his second mate and visit his first, Chela’s mother, on a monthly basis. It was an arrangement that surprisingly suited everyone involved, including Chela.
She could hear that adoration in his voice, knew he felt the same toward her as her father felt toward his mates. She’d craved that more than she’d realized, that neediness to be near her one special person. It thrilled her to know that Steve felt the same pull.
She crawled onto the bed and into his arms, snuggling as close as she could. She didn’t even realize how cold she’d been until his arms were wrapped around her. “Hi.”
He buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. “Hi.”
“Belle’s been keeping me busy.” And wasn’t that the truth. Belle was insane when it came to running Lowell’s, the restaurant she managed at the Lodge. While Chela adored working for her, there were times when she wished Belle had a full-time assistant instead of one very tired Omega. They’d discussed hiring someone Dave and Belle could share, and rumor had it Dave even had a friend who was willing to take the position.
The fact that the Beta laughed like a lunatic whenever he said it, however, had Chela worried. Apparently Charlie and Belle were a lot alike, a thought that both intrigued and terrified the Omega.
“Not too busy for me, I hope.”
She turned her attention back to her mate and cupped his cheek. “Never too busy for you, amorcito.”
He shivered. “No?”
She kissed him, eager for the taste of her mate. “Nope.”
He rolled them until he was over her, cradled between her thighs. “Want to show me how much you missed me?”
Chela grinned and pulled him down for another kiss. And another. God, she could kiss this man all day and consider it time well spent.
She shifted, arching her back so that he could raise her shirt over her head, tossing it somewhere on the floor. His own shirt soon joined it as he continued to kiss her. He was touching her all over, long strokes that left her skin sensitized. If she were a cat she’d be purring as he petted her sides before burying his hands in her hair.
The kiss turned more heated, more passionate as the heat between them erupted. Slow, lazy kisses turned devouring. He sat them both up, pulling her into his lap, her legs wrapped around him. Her bra joined their shirts, her hard nipples dragging through the soft hair on his chest.
She’d always liked her men smooth before, but Steve’s chest, with its light pelt of golden hair, mesmerized her. She dragged her fingers through it, using her nails on his nipples, smiling through the kiss when he hissed in pleasure.
She rubbed against him, the hard length of him tempting her even through both their jeans. She wanted them naked, needed him inside her in the worst way.
He pulled on her hair until she arched and bared her neck to him. He bit down, his human teeth dull, vaguely unsatisfying. She almost demanded the mating bite, wanting to feel his teeth slide beneath her skin, claiming her, but this wasn’t the time.
When he fucked her, she’d demand it. Only then.
He pushed her back down on the mattress, her skin mourning the loss of his, but not for long. Steve began massaging her breasts, paying special attention to her nipples. He tugged and pulled, rubbing his palms over the tips until she was squirming beneath him.
H
e watched her with the same ferocity a tiger showed its prey. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful.”
She arched a brow at him, smiling when he laughed.
He pulled back and began yanking off her jeans, licking his lips as her pussy was exposed to his view. “Oh, sweetheart. You know I love it when you go commando.”
She grinned. “I was hoping to be a late lunch.”
“Good thing, because I’m starving.”
Chela shivered as Steve ran his hand down her chest and over her stomach, petting her once more.
His thumb brushed against her clit, driving her insane with butterfly soft touches. “I guess it’s a good thing I skipped lunch.”
“Mm-hm.” Chela moaned as he kissed her inner thigh. The slight sting of teeth surprised her as he sucked up a mark, his blue eyes darkening as he watched her.
Chela quivered under his gaze. It wasn’t the mating mark, but it was a start. God, she craved the bite, needed it, was even willing to take it there if that was what he wanted.
Then all thought fled. He finally licked her pussy, marks forgotten in the wet heat of his tongue. He held her thighs apart, keeping her spread for him as he lapped at her. He slid his tongue over her clit with rhythmic strokes and she bucked against him, the pleasure building as he slid his fingers inside her, letting her feel the stretch.
Her thighs quivering, she came, crying out her pleasure as her whole body shook for him.
He kissed her once more, the tang of her climax flavoring it, before sliding his cock into her.
He hadn’t even taken off his jeans. The rough material brushed against her legs with every stroke, his ass and cock the only things bared as he plunged inside her over and over again. She held on to the edge of the bed as he rode her. The sound of the headboard banging against the back wall grew louder and louder as he took her.
They were gasping, moaning into each other’s mouths as he kept kissing her and fucking her. She’d wrapped her legs around his, wanting the feel of cloth against as much of her skin as possible.
When he tilted his head she struck, her fangs sinking deep into his neck right where it joined his shoulder. He did the same to her, and the orgasm that roared over her when he claimed her blinded her. The feel of his pleasure as her Omega gifts took over made her whole body seize with ecstasy.
He roared, his head thrown back, his blue eyes wolf-gold, his fangs tipped with her blood, and poured himself into her.
It was the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen.
Steve stretched, groaning as every muscle in his body complained because he was no longer under the nice, warm covers. He’d dreamed of rolling around on pristine white sheets with a certain brown-eyed girl all night long on that king-size sleigh bed. He’d woken twice to finish himself off, the urge to find Graciela and fuck her until she screamed so strong he’d almost left his room to stalk the poor girl.
Strangely enough, he’d never slept so well. He felt rested, ready to face the day.
More importantly, he was ready to find his brown-eyed girl and see if reality could ever match up to dreams.
He scratched his chest and opened the brown curtains. The entire room was a study in beige and brown, with dark wooden beams and dark-stained wood around the window. But instead of going kitschy, like he’d seen in other ski resorts, Rick had gone classic, with sturdy, dark wood furniture, warm tan walls and golden light that made the entire room feel more like a home than a hotel. There was even a gas fireplace surrounded with fieldstone right across from the bed.
Of course, there was also a television in a cabinet that doubled as a dresser, a small desk with a coffeemaker, and all the other amenities of a standard hotel room. But the room itself was lush, a place he wouldn’t mind calling home for a month. If the rest of the rooms were anything like this, no wonder Red Wolf Lodge was developing a reputation as a quiet retreat from the city.
He made his way to the bathroom, nodding approval at what he found there. The fixtures might have been bright white and chrome, but the tile beneath his feet was the same tone as the fieldstone around the fireplace, and the walls were a darker shade of taupe than the bedroom.
He brushed his teeth and showered quickly, eager to check out the restaurant’s breakfast buffet. If it matched the quality of the room, he’d be recommending this place to all his friends despite the cold.
He chuckled quietly to himself. Ben had been shocked that he wanted to use his free month during Christmas, but Steve and his accomplice had secret plans for his best friend’s wedding. Ben wasn’t going to know what hit him by the time he was done.
He toweled off and began to get dressed, grinning as he thought about the surprise he’d brought for his friend. It was going to be a very merry Christmas, at least for Benjamin Malone.
His cell phone rang, the private tone he used for his friends and family. He snatched the phone off the side table, pretty sure he knew who was on the other end. “Hello?”
“Good morning, sunshine!”
Steve grinned as that cheerful voice echoed over the line. It was his partner in crime. “Hello, Charlie.”
“So. Everything in place yet?”
“Not yet, but it’s getting there.” He almost dropped the phone as he struggled to do up his jeans with one hand. “Besides, I just got here yesterday.”
She sniffed dismissively. “I’d have stuff done by now.”
“Because you’re Supergirl.”
“Yup.”
He chuckled. The first time he met Charlene Lowe, the woman had marched past his secretary and into his office. Slamming the door shut behind her, she’d smiled at him sweetly and asked the one question guaranteed to make him tell his secretary to cancel the call to security.
“Have you ever banged Ben Malone?”
He was pretty sure if he’d said yes, he’d be in a New Jersey landfill in tiny little pieces. Charlie Lowe was just as protective of Dave as he was of Ben. After a moment of startled silence he’d laughed so hard he’d started crying. Instead of dying that day, he’d made friends with the blonde whirlwind, agreeing to her plan to surprise Ben and Dave but adding his own little Ben-induced tweaks that had her laughing maniacally.
Ben and Dave had no idea what was coming their way. He couldn’t wait. It was almost too bad the men had put the kibosh on any bachelor parties. Oh, the plans he and Charlie had been forced to abandon.
It would have been sweet.
“When do you think you’ll get here?” He picked up his shirt. “Hold that thought.” He pulled it on over his head, aware she was speaking but unable to hear her through the material of his sweater. “Damn it, Charlie. What part of ‘hold it’ don’t you get?”
“The part where I stop talking. Anyway, I have an interview with Belle Lowell for a position at the lodge in two weeks, so I’ll be up the day before that. We can meet for lunch and go over our evil plans.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and started pulling on his socks as she did her best evil genius impression. “An interview with Belle Lowell?” He started laughing. He could picture the two blondes working together. By the time they were done, the lodge would either run like a well-oiled machine or collapse under a metric shit-ton of estrogen and fury.
“Hey, now. I have it on good authority she and I will get along like gas and fire.”
He paused, his knee bent, rolled sock in hand. “That’s a good thing?”
“It depends on your point of view, I suppose. How do you feel about arson?”
He rolled his eyes and finished putting on his socks. “I like this place, so let’s try and leave it uncrispy, okay?” He tugged on his boots and stood, reaching for his red coat. He put it on while Charlie nattered about their surprise for Ben and Dave, the plans they’d already made behind the men’s backs. He made all the appropriate, precaffeine noises, letting her know he was listening even though she was going over things it was too late to change.
By the time she was done he had the beginnings of a headache. It had take
n her half an hour to go over everything, and now he was not only decaffeinated but starving. “So I’ll see you in two weeks.”
“And I’ll be bringing that stuff we talked about.”
“Good. See you then.” He hung up after saying good-bye to his coconspirator, eager to head into the main part of the lodge and find some food. He glanced out the window at the snow, smiling at the sight of white covering the dark branches. They’d put him on the second floor, a pair of double doors leading to a private balcony that overlooked the pristine landscape. The slopes used by the Red Wolf Lodge were beyond the tree line, obscured from sight. He left the room with an eager step, ready for his first cup of coffee and some really good food. He nodded good morning to some other guests as he stepped into the elevator.
One woman in particular would normally have caught his eye. She was shooting him some serious come-hither looks out of deep golden eyes. Her blonde hair was caught up in a ponytail, and her red sweater showed off her assets nicely. She was a beautifully packaged gift of willing female, just the kind of snow bunny he’d hoped he’d find when he came up here to relax and unwind.
He wasn’t tempted in the slightest.
Huh. Now wasn’t that interesting.
He waited for the woman and her friends to get off the elevator, making a point of watching her hips sway as she walked away and toward the lobby. She had a truly mouthwatering backside that should have had him sitting up and begging.
Nothing. Not even a twitch of interest.
What the fuck? He stared down at his pants for a second in shock and almost wound up going back up the elevator. He stepped out into the hallway, ready for a good cup of coffee and possibly some therapist bills. He wasn’t a man-whore by any means, but he’d never had a problem showing interest in a pretty girl before. Especially one who was showing interest in him first.
Maybe he just needed some caffeine?
“Morning, Chela.”
Mr. Red Riding Hoode pp-2 Page 2