Shifters and Spice: A Shifter Romance Box Set

by Desiree Holt

  The flickering firelight made it seem as though Sam’s hand was reaching toward her in slow motion. And then, suddenly, it was resting against her cheek, gently cupping her chin.

  “Cara…” his voice was low and husky.

  “Yes,” she breathed. Not just answering him, but answering the unspoken question.

  He leaned forward and kissed her. For a moment, their lips pressed against each other, almost hesitantly. And then kiss, kiss, kiss… each one a little more certain, a little harder. A tongue flicked questioningly against closed lips and they opened in answer. The wolf in Cara growled in pleasure. She hadn’t thought it was audible, but the cheetah snarled back.

  The acknowledgment of their animal sides was the point of no return. Sam’s hands clenched in her hair. Cara thought it might have hurt, but the tightness on the scruff of her neck excited the she-wolf. She grabbed Sam by the hips shoved him back to the ground and climbed on top, never letting their lips part.

  They nipped at each other’s lips and ran their hands over each other’s bodies. Sam pulled her down onto him and rolled. Cara’s hands slid up his shirt, nails scratching pleasurably along his back and sides. He broke their kiss, just long enough to yank his shirt up over his head and toss it aside. Cara did the same. The temperature of the cave was just enough to send a shiver up his spine, but it was quickly forgotten as Cara pushed him down and attacked his pants.

  Pine needles poked their bare skin and stuck in their hair, but neither seemed to notice. Cara’s mouth closed around his penis and Sam’s surprised yelp turned into a groan of pleasure. For a moment, he just basked in it. Then, he grabbed her by one thigh and tugged. Her brows narrowed in confusion. Sam undid her pants and pulled her around. She started to settle into traditional shifter-style position, but he remained under her and pulled her down over his face, immediately going to work with his tongue.

  “Oh god!” she cried, bucking against his mouth.

  He laughed at her reaction and the vibrations sent another wave of pleasure through her. She rocked against him, then bent down and took him into her mouth again. They writhed and moaned together. It wasn’t long before they came hard and fast.

  Cara flopped down next to him, still trembling. The only sounds were the crackling of the fire, the howl of the wind, and the sound of two shifters panting.

  Maybe it was the full moon or maybe it was the undeniable chemistry between them, but when they regained their breaths, they rolled toward each other and started kissing again. Sam took her shifter-style this time, biting down on the back of her neck as she howled with pleasure, voice rivaling the wind.

  And then, they did it again.

  Chapter 9

  Night Fourteen

  “I can’t believe this is our last night,” Sam said softly.

  He and Cara were leaning against the back wall of the cave, perfectly positioned to see the stars out of their small doorway. She was rested against his chest, absently playing with the fingers of the hand he had draped over her.

  “Neither can I.”

  The storm had lasted three days. When it was over, their wall was still standing and they had turkey to spare. Thanks to Sam’s pine bark trick, they had stretched their turkey not only to the final night, but they had enough for several more days. Cara had caught a couple of squirrels shortly after the blizzard, which had helped them extend their rations even more.

  “Think we’ll pass?”

  Cara nodded. “After the time we’ve had? I’m sure we will. We’ve got your brilliant water cups, we’ve got food to spare, a pretty damn sturdy shelter… and we’re… getting along.”

  Sam chuckled. Getting along was an understatement. Not only had they had great sex at least once a night, they were still talking until they fell asleep. He felt like he knew more about Cara than anyone he had ever dated. And he had only known her for two weeks.

  “Yeah, I think we’ve got this in the bag,” he agreed.

  The she-wolf turned around and kissed him. Even though their sex drive had slightly waned with the moon, he eagerly returned her kiss and pulled her into his lap.

  Knowing it was their last night, they went slowly. By the time their pants came off, the two were trembling with anticipation. Cara started to turn, but Sam stopped her.

  “Wanna do it human-style?” he asked.

  No. Cara hesitated. Human-style was more for mates, lovers, not for a few hot nights with a near-stranger. Nevermind the fact that she felt closer to him than anyone before. She was, she hated to admit, falling for him. Could he feel the same way? Every time she wanted to ask, she chickened out. She didn’t want to open herself up to rejection. Maybe it would be better to take away nothing but happy memories from the challenge. She had never expected to want to see her partner after the fifteen days, why couldn’t it stay that way?

  If they did it human-style, she’d find herself looking into his eyes and all of that nonsense. She’d fall harder, regret more…

  “I like shifter-style better,” she lied.

  “Oh… okay. Just… thought you’d want to switch it up.”

  He returned to fondling her breasts and positioned himself behind her. Embarrassed for asking, he turned his mind over to the cheetah, who only cared about the sex.

  It didn’t take long before Cara was writhing in front of him, human-style debacle forgotten. The pair quickly fell into the rhythm they had established after several nights of sex. Sam seemed to know exactly how hard Cara liked her nipples played with and she knew he liked when she pulled his hair.

  It was hard and fast. Cara howled and Sam snarled against the back of her neck as they came. They slid down to the pine needles together, one last time.

  “Goodnight,” Sam murmured, face still against her neck.

  “Night.”

  Sam could tell from her breathing when she finally fell asleep, but he stayed awake, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. He couldn’t believe she had turned down human-style and was kicking himself for asking. Damn it all, he was in love with her. He had been hoping she felt the same way, but couldn’t think of a reason she would have turned down the more intimate mating position if she did.

  He was tempted to just go ahead and tell her he loved her… but then that would put her in an awkward position on national TV. Just as he drifted off to sleep, he resolved to catch her when the cameras were finally off to confess.

  * * *

  Day Fifteen

  The day started almost like any other, but instead of snuggling in bed, they got up earlier and stoked the fire. It felt almost somber as they ate their last breakfast together.

  Sam wrestled with his decision to wait to confess his love. Every once in a while, he glanced up certain he had almost caught her looking at him with a smile. As soon as the cameras stop rolling, he promised himself. He’d tell her as soon as they were actually, totally, alone.

  They were debating running down to the stream one more time, just for the sake of it, when a familiar voice called.

  “Knock knock! Can we come in?”

  And suddenly, their solitude erupted into chaos. Alina, Shane, and a whole slew of cameramen appeared. They didn’t even all fit in the cave.

  They were interviewed and both found the entire thing overwhelming. Sam could tell Cara was freaked out by the mass attention and sudden change from privacy to chaos, and tried to shield her as much as possible. It meant that he was doing so much talking, he lost track of her.

  They were taken to a hotel and instructed to shower, change, and then meet back in the lobby for a final post-wilderness interview. All at once, they were alone in the elevator; the only moment they had gotten together all day.

  “You wanna get dinner tonight?” Sam asked Cara. “In the hotel restaurant? After this all calms down?”

  “Yeah,” Cara said quickly. “Great, I gotta…” She didn’t like crowds to begin with. After two weeks alone with only one other person and the complete isolation of the mountain the craze of the interviews an
d had her reeling. The elevator doors opened to Sam’s floor.

  “I understand,” he said stepping out. Cara smiled in thanks as the doors began to close. “Oh! Seven?” he cried. The doors shut just as she opened her mouth.

  Sam thought she had agreed, but wasn’t sure. He figured he’d catch her at the interview and headed on to his room. Minutes later, Sam found himself thawing out in a hot, hot shower. He changed into clean, dry clothes, and headed for the lobby. To his dismay, the interviews were being conducted separately. When his was over, he was told Cara had gone back to her room. Sam asked a man at the front desk to call up, but she didn’t answer.

  It was nearly seven, so hoping Cara had heard their dinner meeting time, he headed to the restaurant to wait. But seven came and went. No Cara. At seven-thirty Sam started to wonder if she had heard him or if she didn’t actually want to have dinner with him. At eight, he decided she had either forgotten about dinner entirely or had no interest in dinner with him. Then again, she was obviously done with crowds for the day, maybe she was waiting until the dinner rush was over. She’d have to come down to eat eventually. Sam was starving, so he grabbed a small to-go meal, and settled into the lobby to wait. He could see the restaurant, the main entrance, and the elevators from his chair. Cara would be down for dinner sooner or later, even if she just grabbed a snack at the bar. And if, for some reason, she had left the hotel altogether, he’d see her when she came back in.

  But the hours ticked by: no Cara. Sam was exhausted after the long day, so he finally gave up and resolved to find her in the morning. He left a message with the bartender, just in case Cara came down after all.

  He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d regret it, but he headed up to his room and went to bed. Sam slept in, far later than he intended to, the next morning. He called and, once again, Cara didn’t answer her phone. This time, he went to her room and knocked, but nobody answered. Worried, he went down to the lobby and asked if they could check on her.

  She had already checked out.

  Sam was devastated, not to mention baffled. He thought they had a connection. Had Cara felt nothing for him? All that time together and she hadn’t even wanted to say goodbye?

  * * *

  It was more than a little disorienting to wake up in a fluffy, comfortable bed. Cara sat up in confusion, blinking in the sunlight. She was in a hotel room, but knew immediately it wasn’t one from her own chain. Oh, right. The challenge was over. She and Sam had won and been taken to a nearby hotel that felt downright luxurious compared to the cave.

  She frowned at the light streaming in through the curtains. It seemed like the short nap she had intended to take had turned into an all-nighter, and then some. With a start, she realized she had completely missed dinner with Sam.

  For a moment, she was absolutely mortified. But then, she wondered how she could possibly have missed it. Wouldn’t he have called or knocked on the door? Cara was sure she wouldn’t have slept through it; she was usually a fairly light sleeper.

  What if, when she didn’t show for dinner, Sam had assumed that she was standing him up? Could he have thought it was some sort of passive-aggressive way of Cara letting him know things were over? Not that there had been “things” to begin with.

  Cara got out of bed and paced the room. This was the worst possible situation. There were too many what-ifs, too many ways of interpreting Sam’s actions. Had dinner been an invitation as friends or something more? If it was something more, why hadn’t he made more of an effort to find her when she missed dinner? That thought led her right back to wondering if he had taken her absence the wrong way and been hurt.

  If there had been any hidden agenda behind the invitation at all.

  More than once, she started for the door, determined to go to Sam’s room and apologize for missing dinner and, just maybe, tell him how she felt. Every time, the memories of past rejections and heartbreak stopped her. What if he didn’t feel that way?

  Cara couldn’t believe she was doing it, but she finally left her room… and headed for the lobby.

  If by some miracle Sam wanted to pursue a relationship, he knew how to find her. If not, he’d get over not saying goodbye.

  And yet, as the cab drove away from the hotel, she couldn’t shake the feeling she had made a terrible mistake.

  Epilogue

  Two Weeks Later

  Sam felt almost like a student, sitting in the waiting room by the Dean’s Office. Of course, that was because there were students all around. With his luck, the one seating right next to him was carrying on a loud, annoying phone call about a party or something. Sam was on his fourth read through of the school newsletter, trying to tune her out.

  He technically had another week off, but wanted to see if he could return early. Nothing else he did was taking his mind off of Cara. He just couldn’t understand why she had skipped dinner and then just … just left.

  “I love him so much, he’s like the sweetest guy. I could seriously spend the rest of my life with him!”

  Sam rolled his eyes and glared at the newsletter. That had to be the worst conversation he could possibly hear. He paused his reading to go over his cover story again in his mind. The human university officials certainly couldn’t know what he had been doing. They thought he was on a human reality TV show. He’d wait a few months, then tell them his part had been cut.

  “I can’t tell him I love him!” the girl cried.

  The odd statement caught Sam’s attention. “Why not?” he blurted.

  “Excuse me?” The girl looked at him in confusion.

  “Why… why can’t you tell him you love him?”

  “Hang on,” she said into the phone, glaring at Sam like she was upset he had interrupted the private conversation she had been loudly holding in public. “What?” she demanded.

  “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help overhear… I was just wondering why you can’t tell him you love him.”

  “Cause I don’t know if he loves me,” she said, like it was obvious.

  “So?”

  “So, what if he doesn’t feel the same way? I’m happy with him. I’d rather, I dunno, be happy like this for a while and see what happens, than tell him I love him, freak him out for moving too fast, and have him reject me.”

  Sam stared at her. Was that it? Had Cara just been afraid of rejection? Of course, she was! That was why she had started teleworking in the first place! What if she had wanted to avoid dinner because she was worried he just wanted to be friends and couldn’t risk the rejection?

  “I’m an idiot,” he said.

  “Um…”

  “Thank you!” He kissed the shocked human on the forehead. “Thank you!”

  “Sam?” The Dean’s secretary said. “It’s your turn…”

  Sam bolted out of the lobby to the Dean’s room, leaving behind the confused humans.

  * * *

  “Have a wonderful vacation,” Cara said, hanging up the phone. She sighed and looked out over the sea. It was peaceful, beautiful… and yet she would have preferred a raging blizzard with Sam by her side than the crystal blue waters and white beaches without him.

  Her phone started to ring again. She took a deep breath and put on her cheeriest customer service voice.

  “This is Cara, what can I do to make your next trip your best one?”

  A man laughed. “I’d like to plan a big vacation.”

  “Of course! I’ll just need a few details to get started. Would you tell me where you’re thinking of heading, how long you’ll be there, and your travel dates?”

  “I’m heading to whatever hotel you’re in right now.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’d like to stay there for as long as you are and then I want to move on to the next hotel with you. And then the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that, for as long as you want me around. Because I love you.”

  Cara’s mouth went dry.

  “I hope you’re the right Cara,” Sam continued.
“Otherwise this phone call just got really creepy.”

  “Sam,” she laughed. “Are you… are you serious? You…”

  “I love you, Cara. I should have said it sooner. I know you might not-”

  She laughed, hardly able to believe it. “I love you too! I’m sorry I missed dinner. I just…!”

  Even though Sam laughed, the sigh of relief was audible. “I hoped you did. We’ll talk all about it later. Now, I’m at the airport as we speak. I’ve got my backpack and I’m ready to buy a plane ticket. Where am I going?”

  “Oh my god, Sam. I… what about your job? Your students?”

  “I applied for a sabbatical. It was last minute, but they let me do it. I have eighteen months off. I want to spend it with you and then… then we’ll go from there. See where it leads us. Now, where are you?”

  Cara started laughing. Was this really happening? “I’m in the Bahamas.”

  “Really?”

  “After two weeks of snow? Hell yes!”

  Sam’s familiar chuckle echoed in her ear and she couldn’t believe she hadn’t recognized his voice sooner. “Sounds amazing. I’ll go buy a ticket then.”

  “Wait wait, I am a travel consultant. Tell me what airport you’re in and I’ll book you on the next flight out and arrange a cab to the hotel. And then I’ll…” A breathless giggle, bordering on joyful sob escaped her. “I’ll meet you in the lobby!”

  “No wonder you have so many repeat clients, what service!” Sam paused and then softly added. “I love you, Cara.”

  “I love you too, Sam.”

  * * *

  Three Years Later

  Shane stuck his head into the hotel room, waving a phone. “Guess what, Alina!”

  His partner turned away from the screens she had been watching. “We just lost a camera,” she said, pointing to a black screen. “I think the rain knocked it out.”