Growl

by Eve Langlais

  Brad’s eyes. She almost said she was glad he’d gotten back from town, but she wasn’t ready to go there. Not yet. Obviously, unless her imagination truly had taken her well beyond rational thinking and into the world of the truly committable, the wolves were keeping their secret for a good reason, and she really didn’t want to blow it for them.

  Besides, the fantasy was too much fun.

  Instead, she stepped back and invited him in. “You can stay,” she said. “But I just laid down for a nap, so you have to be quiet and let me sleep. I’ve had a really busy afternoon.”

  She wasn’t sure, but if this really was Brad she imagined Cain had told him what they’d done. Since he’d also suggested she’d be with both men tonight, she didn’t feel too guilty about making love with Cain, though Brad was the one who’d kissed her first.

  Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined issues with too many men. She almost laughed, but then she caught herself just in time.

  She didn’t want to give herself away. Not yet.

  She wasn’t sure what made her drop the towel, but she let it fall to the floor and lay down on the bed, pulling a soft afghan up over herself. The wolf stared at her and whined. She patted the spread beside her and he jumped lightly up on the bed and then stepped over her to the other side. The springs creaked from his weight, but he lay down close to her. Wrapped in the multi-colored throw, Cherry snuggled against his warm back and drifted away.

  * * *

  An hour later, rested and dressed in one of her comfortable long dresses, Cherry followed the dark wolf back to the lodge. It was almost six and the valley was already in shadow. The tips of the craggy peaks on the eastern side of the valley shimmered in sunlight as the sun dipped below the hills on the west. She paused in front of the lodge and just stared—it was all so beautiful, and the towering peaks gave the resort a true sense of isolation.

  She’d Googled it when Christa first sent her the link, and it wasn’t all that far from the nearest town, if you could drive in a straight line. Which, of course, you couldn’t, but there was such a powerful sense they were totally cut off from civilization, that this little community was entirely separate from the rest of the world.

  If her suspicions were correct, there was an excellent reason for the men she’d met so far settling here, for wanting that isolation, if they really were shapeshifters. And funny, wasn’t it, that she could think of them as shapeshifters much more easily than actually calling them werewolves! Amazing, how the human mind justified things. She wondered how long they’d owned this land, how long they’d been living in the backwoods of away and beyond, because it really did feel as if she and the other women had stepped into a totally different dimension, apart from the real world.

  It wasn’t as if the guys were totally isolated, though. Brad had studied architecture and environmental design and said he’d gotten his architectural engineering degree from a university in Southern California. She didn’t know about Cain’s education, though he spoke like a well-educated man. He’d told her he moved here from Idaho a few years ago. Trak was one of the owners of Feral Passions and also owned Growl, the bar the women had passed on the way in.

  She wasn’t sure about the other guys, though some of them were obviously employed by the resort. She’d seen Evan doing maintenance and some of the housekeeping, Wils and Ronan had led their hike, and the preserve probably required a certain amount of labor to keep it running.

  But that wasn’t her business, and she was on vacation. She had to shut that analytical part of her mind off if she was going to continue to enjoy herself. She glanced around, surprised to see that the wolf had disappeared. Probably got bored while she stood here woolgathering.

  “Hey, Cherry. I thought I saw you out here.”

  She glanced up and smiled at Brad. At least now she knew where the wolf had gone. “Hi. How was the trip to town?”

  “Long. I could go the rest of my life without shopping.” He laughed as he reached for her and pulled her into a quick hug.

  She just wished he hadn’t made it such a quick kiss.

  “C’mon,” he said, tugging her arm. “Cain’s got dinner on and you’re the only one we’re missing.”

  “Veggie lasagna?” She let Brad drag her up the steps, enjoying the tight clasp of his hand holding hers, the way his dark eyes twinkled as if he laughed at some secret joke.

  How would he react if she told him she knew his secret? That thought alone had her smiling along with him as if she were totally in on the joke.

  But wouldn’t she feel stupid if she was wrong?

  Christa waved as Cherry and Brad stepped through the door. The other women sat at the big table—Fred, Suni, and Darnell on one side, Steph and Christa on the other. “We saved you a spot,” she said, patting the bench seat next to her. “Where have you been all afternoon?”

  Damn. She should have been expecting that question, shouldn’t she? “Tell you in a minute. I want to grab a plate first.”

  She turned away and hoped they didn’t see her blush, but Brad certainly noticed. He smiled and raised an eyebrow. Then he leaned close, gave her a quick kiss, and walked over to the bar as Cherry stifled a growl and went to the buffet table. She glanced toward the pass-through window. Cain waved to her from the kitchen. He wore a white chef’s apron and had a hat on with his dark blond hair tied back into a stubby ponytail. She thought he looked way too cute for words and not nearly as intimidating as she knew he could be, naked and aroused in a clear mountain pool, but even the bad boy had to follow rules in the kitchen, it appeared. She smiled, waved, and then turned away, fully aware she’d probably just gone another shade darker.

  But it wasn’t embarrassment causing her skin to flush. Not this time. Thinking about Cain naked, about making love with him, had her aroused all over again.

  She hoped his nose wasn’t good enough to scent her in the crowd.

  Back at the table with her lasagna, salad, and French bread, Cherry sat beside Christa. The three from L.A. were in the midst of a heated discussion over a movie that had just been released, one that Darnell had worked on and Suni hated. Fred appeared to be playing devil’s advocate.

  At least that was better than her usual litany of complaints. Fred was not a happy guest, though Cherry wondered if she might be the type who complained about everything.

  Christa and Steph listened avidly, which gave Cherry time to eat. The lasagna was delicious, as was the salad, and she’d cleaned her plate and was mopping up sauce with the French bread when it hit her that she’d been eating like an absolute pig the past few days they’d been here and enjoying every bite.

  This was the first time she’d thought about her weight or how many calories she was eating since Cain had tempted her with the chocolate and port. She’d fallen hard and fast, giving in to temptation, and she hadn’t looked back.

  She didn’t realize she was grinning, thinking about the joys of falling, until Christa called her on it.

  “What’s so funny? You look like you’re cracking up inside.”

  Cherry set her last bite of bread on the plate and smiled at her sister. “Well, I’m certainly not crying on the inside. Just thinking about this afternoon.” Which was the truth, wasn’t it? Though she wasn’t ready to dish, at least not with the three from L.A. suddenly watching her with more than a bit of interest.

  “What’d you do?”

  “Cain took me to see the wolf pups. They’re adorable.”

  Darnell focused on Cherry. “Wow! Where are they?”

  Shaking her head, Cherry said, “Not far, though the area is off-limits. Cain was headed out to check on them and let me come, but the mother is really shy, not at all friendly like the males hanging around the lodge, and you have to crawl inside the den. Claustrophobia, anyone?”

  She gave an exaggerated shudder. “Cain went first and I followed him in, but believe me, I was checking for creepy-crawlies the entire time.” Which wasn’t at all true, but she honestly didn’t want to
encourage any of them to try to find the den.

  “Well,” Steph said, “you can count me out. I don’t like small places or spiders.”

  “Me, either,” Darnell said. “Especially the spiders.”

  “For me, it’s snakes.” Suni hugged herself, and the conversation took off.

  Cherry grabbed her plate and carried it over to the bar to save anyone having to clear her stuff from the table. Christa and Steph followed suit and then went out the front door. Cherry followed them. “What?” She poked her sister’s arm. “Not waiting for dessert?”

  “It’s later. They’re going to have a campfire and we’re having s’mores.”

  Steph gave an exaggerated moan. “Marshmallows, graham crackers, and gourmet dark chocolate.” Fluttering her eyelashes, she added, “Be still, my heart.”

  “That sounds like fun.” Cherry walked over and flopped down on a chair at one of the small tables. Of course, she really didn’t know. During the summers when Christa and Steph went off to summer camp, Cherry’s parents had made sure she attended fat camp. S’mores were most definitely not on the menu, but a weeklong course of intimidation and shame had been enough to ruin her appetite.

  “Good.” Christa sat next to her. “Now that we have that out of the way, where were you all afternoon? We walked over to your cabin to return some of your books, and you were gone.”

  “I didn’t see them there. Did you leave them?”

  “No, and you’re avoiding the question.” Steph took a seat across from Cherry.

  Surprisingly, Cherry didn’t blush, but that was probably because she wasn’t the least bit embarrassed over how she’d spent the afternoon. “I told you, I went with Cain to see the pups.”

  “For three hours?”

  Three hours? How did they know she’d been gone that long? “I don’t know how long I was gone, actually. Why? Did I miss something?”

  “We walked over at one, again at two, and then stopped by just before three.” Christa had a look of grim determination that was a bit unsettling.

  “I was with Cain.” Frowning, Cherry glanced from Christa to Steph and then back at her sister. “Why are you so concerned with where I was all afternoon? We went to see the pups and spent about an hour watching them, and then we cooled off in the creek, and had wild and crazy sex the rest of the afternoon. I was home by a little after three and took a shower and a nap.”

  She glanced from Christa to Steph and then back at her sister. Both of them had their mouths hanging open. Christa said, “Okay, Cherry. Would you repeat that, please?”

  She almost laughed. Suddenly she was enjoying this conversation a lot more. “Uhm, you mean the part about watching the pups, the shower, the nap—”

  Steph whispered with her jaw clenched and lips not moving. “The wild and crazy sex part.” She rolled her eyes and glared at Christa. “What is with your sister?”

  Cherry flopped her head down on her folded arms and giggled until her sides ached. When she finally raised her head, Christa was staring at her.

  “I thought you liked Brad? Why were you having sex with Cain?”

  Her poor sister looked honestly perplexed, but Cherry didn’t feel comfortable discussing Cain’s and Brad’s interest in her, or their personal relationship, so she shrugged. “Brad wasn’t there and Cain was. And he’s really hot and I am on vacation.”

  Steph threw her hands in the air. “But you never do that sort of thing. Not ever!”

  “Well, Steph, maybe it’s time I did.” Cherry said it gently, but this was getting a bit old. She was older than both of them and maybe she was less experienced, but she wasn’t an idiot. “Look, I’m having a wonderful time that will end in a few more days when I have to go back to the real world. Right now I’m enjoying the fantasy, okay? I don’t think I should have to explain myself to anyone, especially when I’m on vacation, so please, stop worrying about me and just enjoy yourselves.”

  Christa took her hand. “I’m sorry, Cherry, and you’re right. It’s just…” She took a deep breath. “I had just turned fifteen when that asshole uploaded those horrible pictures of you all over the Internet, and I’ve never forgotten the hell you went through. I almost lost you. I don’t ever want anything like that to happen again.”

  Cherry squeezed her sister’s hand. “At least that’s not a problem here—no Internet. I trust Cain, and I trust Brad, too. We’ve talked, I’ve gotten to know them, probably better than either of you know Ronan or Wils, and I’m having more fun than I’ve ever had in my life. Stop worrying. When the week ends, I go back to the day job, but with more than my share of incredible memories. I have both of you to thank for this amazing experience, so please, don’t waste your vacation time worrying about me.”

  She understood Cissy’s concern—her little sister had been as traumatized as Cherry by that bastard’s actions and she’d had to deal with the fallout all through high school, but it was time for both of them to heal and move past it. Cherry was tired of feeling like a victim and even more fed up with acting like one. She wasn’t about to waste any of this unbelievable week worrying. Not about anything.

  CHAPTER 14

  They’d all gathered on the deck as the sun went down—Ronan and Wils with Christa and Steph, Trak with Suni and Fred. Darnell sat in Evan’s lap sharing a Long Island Iced Tea that Brad had mixed for her and Evan had convinced her was such a strong drink it really should be shared.

  Cain and Brad had become Cherry’s personal bookends, one on either side of her, never intrusive, yet a sexy and highly entertaining presence. The guys were relaxing this evening while a couple of men she’d not met built a fire in the pit near the swimming pool and got a good bed of coals going.

  “I hope you like s’mores.” Brad had his arm around her shoulders and squeezed.

  “Doesn’t everyone?”

  She knew from the look in his eyes he’d easily caught her noncommittal answer.

  “Most everyone, but what about you?”

  What was the point of lying? Shrugging, she said, “I don’t know. I’ve never tasted one.”

  His eyes went wide. “Cherry, every little kid’s had s’mores.”

  She was really getting tired of being questioned over everything. First her sister and sex and now Brad and s’mores. Of course, until this week she would have backed down and done anything at all not to make a scene, but she was learning that it felt good to stand up for herself, even if she might offend the person currently questioning her life.

  Of course, she didn’t mean to sound quite so antagonistic, but she’d missed out on so damned much growing up as the fat kid in the family. “Not every little kid’s parents sent them off to fat camp when the other kids were eating s’mores at summer camp, so, no, Brad. I have never had a s’more.”

  Then she felt bad because he looked so sad at her answer.

  He cupped her cheek in his warm palm and gently kissed her lips. “I’m sorry, Cherry,” he said. “I really am, and I may be out of line, but your parents did a job on you. Little kids should be allowed to be just that—little kids. Some are fat, some are skinny, and they should grow up the way they’re meant to be.”

  “Yeah, well a lot of little kids don’t grow up with status-conscious parents concerned how their child might look while swimming at the club. My appearance was important to them and they worked really hard to make it important to me, too.”

  Then Christa chimed in, totally shocking her. “Yeah, Cherry, except I agree with Brad. Mom and Dad were totally wrong the way they badgered you about your weight. You got Dad’s bones—he has a heavier frame and so do you. I’ve told you for years, you’re not fat. You’re bigger than me because I’m built like Mom and you take after Dad, so quit picking on Brad.”

  “Christa!” Cherry laughed, but she glared at her sister and then put the evil eye on Brad, and Cain, too, even though he hadn’t said a word. “Look, everyone, get over it. Whatever my body is, it is most definitely not skinny like you and Steph, or the other women
here. I’ve tried to lose weight and it always comes right back, stops where I am now, and I’m okay with it.”

  “Well, you’re eating s’mores tonight.” Brad kissed her quiet.

  “I agree you’re eating s’mores, but you’re not fat. You’re sexy as hell.” Cain leered at her, and then he leaned close and whispered in her ear, “I know what’s under that slinky dress and she’s all woman. I plan to get my hands on her later tonight.”

  Cherry blushed.

  Brad whispered in her other ear. “So do I. Enjoy the s’mores. Cain and I are going to help you work the calories off later.”

  She was sure even the soles of her feet were red.

  The s’mores were absolutely delicious. She ate three of them—one from Brad, another from Cain, and one she cooked all by herself.

  * * *

  Cherry stuck around with Brad and Cain after everyone else had gone to their respective cabins. She almost laughed when Steph hooked up with Wils and Christa with Ronan and the four of them took the trail that led to Christa’s cabin. Cherry had made a point of not asking the details of their evenings, which she hoped might insulate her from giving out details of her night, though she was definitely curious to know if anything went on between Christa and Steph.

  That would be a not-so-unexpected development. Cherry had had her suspicions, but it was Steph’s and Christa’s business to share, not hers to speculate. She was still grinning when Trak, Suni, and Fred took off and laughing hysterically when Evan tossed a giggling Darnell over his shoulder with a disgruntled laugh and carried her off to bed. To sleep, he said.

  Darnell’s Long Island Iced Tea had just about knocked her out. “I had no idea she was such a lightweight,” he said. “If she asks for one tomorrow night, Brad, cut back on the booze.”