Growl

by Eve Langlais

  “I heard Ronan was taking you to the bat cave.”

  Christa was right behind her, and she giggled. “He did, though while I was thinking Batman, he was obviously thinking of little brown bats. Gazillions of them.” She grabbed a margarita off Brad’s tray and sat next to Cherry.

  Steph was right behind her. “And you know what you get with a gazillion bats? A gazillion tons of bat poop.” Brad laughed and handed her a drink.

  “You gonna make it up the steps, Darnell?” He held the glass out, tempting her.

  “Oh, yeah,” she said, staggering up the last two steps. “That was absolutely frickin’ unbelievable.” She plopped down in the last of the chairs at the small table and sighed when Brad put one on the table in front of her. “Bless you. I think Ronan tried to kill us.”

  “Was the near-death experience worth it?”

  “Actually, yes. It was.” Darnell took a swallow of her margarita and sighed. Brad pulled up a chair from the next table over and sat beside Cherry. “What’d you think of the cave?”

  “It was beautiful.” Shaking her head, Cherry took another sip. “I’ve never been in a natural cave before, and while the bat guano is pretty stinky, the cave was amazing. We could hear the bats squeaking, and Ronan used a shielded light that wouldn’t startle them so we could see how many there were.”

  “A lot.” Darnell looked at Cherry. “I am so glad you guys wanted to go see that. I’m pretty fed up with Suni and Fred. They haven’t done any exploring at all.”

  Brad shrugged. “They’re having the kind of vacation that works for them—quiet time by the pool with drinks on demand and nothing they have to do—but I’m really glad you’re enjoying the chance to see some of the country up here. It’s a beautiful area.”

  “I forgot to ask you.” Steph sipped her margarita and grinned at Darnell. “How was your head this morning? I saw Evan hauling your skinny butt back to your cabin.”

  They all laughed when Darnell hid her eyes behind her hand. “Don’t ever, ever let me drink a Long Island Iced Tea again. Never. They’re evil. My head’s fine, but Evan spent the night, and I didn’t even know it. I woke up with him on top of the blankets, sleeping beside me on the bed. Can you imagine that? I wasted a perfectly good night with an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous guy, and all he did was babysit me.” She sighed.

  “I was a perfect gentleman.” Evan bounded up the steps, grabbed a chair, parked his butt next to Darnell, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Tonight, however, I intend not to be quite so gentlemanly. I will, however, be sexy as hell.”

  Everyone groaned, but Cherry laughed. So often she’d seen groups of friends sitting together, laughing, teasing each other, and just kicking back in the cafeteria at work or in the park near her apartment, but she’d never really experienced the sense of camaraderie she was feeling now. She sipped her drink and slipped into observer mode for a few minutes, watching how everyone interacted, but it wasn’t long before she was drawn right back into the teasing.

  A few minutes later, Ronan and Wils showed up, and Cain wasn’t all that far behind. As the group grew and the laughter escalated, she knew she’d be taking home memories that would stay with her forever.

  Except it was only Wednesday and she still had a massage coming. And more, if things worked out the way she hoped.

  Trak wandered in a bit later, about the time Brad and Evan went into the kitchen to get dinner together. Cherry looked around for Suni and Fred, but they weren’t with him. Trak leaned against the deck railing. “Where’s Evan?”

  “Inside helping Brad fix dinner.” Christa leaned back in her chair and looked at Trak upside down.

  “Thanks. He’s going to have to take over the bar at Growl tonight.” Trak went on into the lodge.

  Darnell put her head down on her arms. “Damn. I was really hoping to get laid tonight.” She raised her head and stated at the others out of one eye. “Don’t all go all teary eyed with sympathy, guys.”

  They were all laughing when Trak came back outside. “Darnell, if you want to go hang out at Growl while Evan works his shift later tonight, I can give you a ride to the bar. It’s only a quarter mile, but I understand Ronan took you ladies up to the bat cave. I bet your legs are all walked out.”

  Darnell’s head popped up. “They are, but I’d like that. Anyone else want to go?”

  Steph and Christa shared a look. “Sure,” Christa said. “Cherry? What about you?”

  “I don’t know.” She finished her margarita and stood. “First I’m going to get a shower. The idea of sitting down to dinner reeking of bat poop doesn’t really appeal.”

  “Good point.” Christa stood and hauled Steph to her feet. “Shower and then dinner. And then we discuss a trip to the bar.” She glanced down at her dirty jeans. “Wonder if I should just burn my clothes?”

  “You can use the laundry service here if you like. Leave them in the basket in your cabin and Housekeeping will take care of them.” Trak shoved himself away from the railing and turned to go back inside the dining room.

  Christa, Steph, and Cherry all looked at one another and back at Trak. As far as Cherry was concerned, expecting one of these terrific guys to have to deal with her stinky clothes sucked. She shrugged. “Burning sounds like the best option.”

  Laughing, he threw his hands in the air. “Whatever. How do girls do that? You just look at each other and know what the other one’s thinking? No wonder guys never have a clue.”

  Steph was the closest to Trak. She leaned over, wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, and pulled him close for a kiss. He blinked, but he obviously didn’t object. Steph pulled away after a very long kiss and licked her lips. “You realize we do it just to keep you guys confused. I love that it’s working.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Trak looked a bit stunned. “Definitely working.”

  CHAPTER 17

  Darnell sat with the three of them for dinner, and Cherry was once again laughing more than not. It wasn’t long before Suni joined them, but Fred stayed with Trak and another guy Cherry hadn’t met. For some reason, though, he looked familiar.

  Wils and Ronan ended up at their table before too long and she forgot about the man, and then Evan showed up with a plate loaded with steak and salmon and two baked potatoes along with servings of everything else that Brad had put out on the buffet.

  Cherry had her salmon and a salad, which was more than enough, but watching the amount of food the guys put away was entertaining all on its own.

  Brad joined them once everyone was served.

  “Where’s Cain?”

  “He wanted to check on Mama and the pups.” Brad cut into his steak and took a bite. “They’re growing really fast.”

  Cherry glanced at the table across the room. “Who’s the guy with Trak and Fred? He looks a lot like Trak.”

  “Lawson. We call him Lawz. You’re good—he’s Trak’s older brother.”

  “I knew it.”

  They were just finishing up dinner when Trak, Lawz, and Fred left. Cherry glanced up and smiled, but Fred glared at her as she left the dining room with the men.

  Why would the woman give her such a dirty look?

  Had to be her imagination. Cherry placed her utensils on her plate and turned her attention to whatever Suni was saying.

  “… and I’ve really had it with her attitude. This is such a great place,” she said, “but all Fred does is find fault. There was a wolf on my front porch this morning and I was sitting out there on the step, petting him. He was so beautiful, I could have sat there all day with him, but Fred showed up and insisted I go to the pool with her.” She glanced at Darnell. “I really wanted to hike up to the cave with you guys, darn it.”

  “You should have.” Darnell sighed. “She can be really bossy. You don’t owe her anything. I mean, you’re paying for the same vacation she is.”

  “I know. I’m just not tough enough. I hate confrontation of any kind.”

  “I’m the same way. I’ll do anyth
ing to avoid it.” Laughing at herself, Cherry stood to take her plates over to the counter. She’d noticed that when she picked hers up the others did, too. It helped the guys out, if only a little, but then she thought of something totally out of context.

  “Suni, what did the wolf look like? The one at your cabin? I’m trying to figure out how many different ones are around here.”

  “He was beautiful, but really dark, like a charcoal gray with black tips and brown eyes. And he was really big, but when I stepped out of the cabin he rolled over on his back. Otherwise he might have scared me half to death.”

  “It’s hard to imagine them vicious when they do that.” Christa grabbed her plate and the others followed suit.

  Brad stood with the others and carried his over, but he glanced up as the largest man Cherry had seen at Feral Passions entered the dining room. Like the others, he was absolutely stunning.

  “Hey, Tuck. You’re just in time. Kitchen’s all yours.”

  “You’re too kind to me, Bradley.”

  “Meet the ladies, smart-ass. And behave.” Brad took Cherry’s hand, almost as if he were claiming her. She liked that. “This is Cherry, her sister, Christa, cohort in crime Stephanie, Suni, and Darnell. Ladies, this is Dr. Kentucky Jones, otherwise known as Tuck. He’s our resident veterinarian, but he also has a practice that covers the whole valley. And tonight he’s doing dishes, which is as it should be.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, and you know how it is, Brad. I need to keep an eye on the kitchen, make sure you don’t poison any of these beautiful women.” He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck, and his focus was on Cherry. “I’ve got to start hanging around this place more often.”

  Brad wrapped his arm around her waist. “You go right ahead. This one is taken.”

  “Got the message loud and clear.” He grinned broadly, as if this was the biggest joke going, but Cherry didn’t feel any animosity from him. It was more a sense of approval, or was she merely seeing what she wanted to see?

  She and Brad walked out of the dining hall to the front deck. Christa, Steph, Suni, and Darnell sat at the big table waiting for their ride to Growl. Evan stepped out of the dining room right behind them. “Ladies, I think you’ve lost your ride to the bar. Trak’s, uhm … tied up for a bit.”

  Evan laughed when Suni rolled her eyes and said, “Knowing Fred, you might want to take that literally. Are you walking to Growl?”

  “I am. It’s not far. Why don’t you come with me if you’re not too tired, and I’ll make sure either someone walks back with you or we’ll arrange a ride.”

  “Works for me.” Christa stood and Steph was right behind her.

  Brad stood behind Cherry with his hands on her shoulders. “Do you want to go?”

  She shrugged. “When do you expect Cain back?”

  “Anytime. We can leave him a note, or we can just go to your cabin and kick back.”

  From the secretive smile that lifted his lips Cherry had a good idea what kicking back entailed, and it had a lot more appeal for her than hanging out in a bar. “You guys go on ahead. I’m going to hang around here tonight.”

  She hugged Christa, waved good-bye to everyone else, and then she and Brad went back inside, through the dining room, and into the kitchen. Tuck was at the sink, sleeves rolled up over powerful arms as he scraped dishes and loaded the commercial-sized dishwasher. Brad packed up a meal of leftovers for Cain but kept Cherry in hysterics as he and Tuck tossed insults back and forth to each other.

  They’d obviously been friends a long time.

  She was still laughing when she and Brad went out the back door and followed the trail to her cabin. Lights twinkled along the path and the night was absolutely still. An owl hooted nearby, and something small scurried through the grass. It hit Cherry then, how much she was going to miss this place.

  She’d only been here for four days, and already the beauty of the woods had seeped into her bones. She’d never felt this connected to San Francisco, even though she’d grown up in the Bay Area and had lived in the city since college. Somehow, she’d have to come back here someday, though seeing Brad and Cain and not having this same relationship would probably make that impossible.

  Why was it that it was easier for her to believe that men were werewolves than the fact that they seemed to want more than a vacation fling? They’d said over and over how much they wanted her to stay, that she was special, but her logical mind had to accept the truth that Brad was right, her parents really had done a job on her. When she thought of the lifelong emphasis on her weight, she realized that everything she did, every thought she had, was governed by the sense that she wasn’t pretty enough for anyone to love her.

  Including her mom and dad. If they’d loved her, wouldn’t they have loved her the way she was, not the way they wished she’d been? Her mind was still spinning when they reached her cabin, and she and Brad had barely gotten inside when he turned, set the box of food on the table, and wrapped his arms around her.

  “I’ve wanted to do this all afternoon. I missed you today.”

  His mouth covered hers, so perfectly, his kiss so sweet, the sense of being protected and loved by him so strong, that she felt herself go soft and pliable in his arms, as if everything about her wanted to merge with Brad.

  The oddest thing, though, was the sense that she missed Cain. She wanted him here to share this time every bit as much as she wanted Brad. She couldn’t help it—she smiled into his kiss.

  “What’s so funny?” Brad nuzzled her throat, teased behind her ear with the tip of his tongue. She shivered.

  “Don’t take this wrong, please?” And then she blew it by giggling. “You’ll think I’m such a slut!”

  “You? A slut?” Brad leaned away from her, but his hands held her waist, kept their lower bodies perfectly aligned. “I don’t think so.”

  She rotated her hips against him, and he laughed. “Well, okay. Maybe a little, but mostly in the best possible way. So, why are you laughing?”

  “Because you’re amazing and hot and I want to get naked and rip your clothes off of you, and…”

  “And there better be more, because I love what you’re saying so far. Nothing slutty about it, either. Sounds like something that both of us want.” He leaned close, kissed her, and then leaned away again, watching her.

  She blushed. Damn! She’d been doing so well, too. “Except I want both of you. You and Cain. Last night with the two of you…” She sighed. “I have never felt so incredibly shameless in my life, or so, so…” She let out a huff of air.

  “Loved?” He went very quiet, watching her with a feral intensity so powerful it made her ache. “When the two of us were with you, loving you, did you feel loved?”

  She couldn’t speak. Her voice couldn’t make it past the lump in her throat. No one fell in love in four days. It just didn’t happen. It certainly couldn’t happen to her, which meant it definitely wouldn’t happen for Brad. What did he mean? Why did he ask her such a stupid thing?

  “Cherry? Why aren’t you answering me?”

  His gaze never wavered, and she saw in his eyes that same wolf that slept on her bed, the same light of the hunter in that searing intensity.

  “I can’t.” It was all she could do to get those words past her tight throat.

  “You’re not afraid of me, of us, are you?”

  She shook her head. Fear Brad and Cain? Absolutely not. “No,” she said. “Never.”

  “I hope not, Cherry. It would break me if you were afraid of us. You’re the most important person in our lives.”

  He kissed her then, and there was no hesitancy in the way he took her with his mouth, with teeth and tongue and lips, his hands clasping the fullness of her buttocks, pulling her close, breathing her in, and owning her with his kisses. With his strength.

  A knock on the door barely registered. Cain’s voice pulled them apart, both of them breathing heavily. With shaking hands, Cherry turned away from Brad and opened the door. She stood back
with her head bowed.

  “What’s wrong?” Cain quietly closed the door behind him and locked it. The sound of the latch slipping into place echoed in the quiet cabin. “Brad? What’s going on?”

  Brad shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m not really sure. I was teasing Cherry and she said she’d never felt so shameless in her life. That even though she was with me, she wanted you here, too. Personally, I think that’s a really good thing. But she…”

  Cherry sighed. “I freaked. Cain, here’s your dinner. You must be starved. Sit and eat. Brad? There’s wine and beer in the refrigerator. Would you pour me a glass of wine? Get whatever you want.” She grabbed Cain’s box of leftovers, checked to make sure they were still hot, and got some silverware out of a drawer in the tiny kitchen area. Brad brought a glass of white wine to the table for her, a beer for himself, and one for Cain.

  She stared at her glass of wine for a moment and thought of how she would have dealt with a situation like this merely a week ago. She wouldn’t have been able to. No, she’d have taken off like a scared rabbit, which was probably an excellent analogy, considering she was having this conversation with two men she was almost absolutely positive were wolves.

  “Give me some credit here, guys. I’m trying.” She raised her head and smiled at Cain and then at Brad, but her gaze locked on him. He looked utterly confused, which made perfect sense. “I hear the l word and react like I expect most men to react. I panic.” Shaking her head, she laughed. It was so stupid. “Brad, you asked me why I didn’t answer you? I couldn’t. My throat locked up. Froze solid. I think it’s the beginning of a panic attack, but I’ve got issues that go pretty deep.”

  “I’m sorry.” Brad wrapped her fingers in his big hand. Strong hands. She loved how they felt on her. Loved what they made her feel. “I had no idea and I pushed you,” he said.