Harley tucked the crumpled ticket into her purse before she destroyed it completely. This was her last chance to get herself straightened out. In another few moments, they'd be boarding the small plane that would take them the rest of the way to the secluded resort. After that, she'd have to pull off an Oscar worthy performance--pretending not to be crazy about Cole while she pretended to be crazy about him.
Another pulsing migraine thumped behind her eye socket. Harley closed her eyes, fighting off the approaching ache.
Cole cupped the back of her neck, and she stiffened.
His warm breath caressed her ear. "Relax. If we catch it now, it won't get bad."
It wasn't the first time he had recognized the signs that she felt a migraine coming on and had massaged the pressure points at the base of her skull. But each time he did it, his hands lingered longer and she found it increasingly difficult to move away. Less than a month ago she had actually relaxed so much she leaned against him and drifted off. A couple hours later she woke up to find he'd fallen asleep, too. He jolted awake seconds after her and all but jumped off the damn couch with an excuse about being late for a date.
Cole's hand fell away as he glanced around the small airport.
Harley tried to zero in on what had captured his attention. "What? Hot chick at two o'clock?"
His lips twitched before he leaned back into the seat, but he didn't relax. He pushed his sunglasses down. Sleepy brown eyes took in every inch of her. "I only have eyes for you now, remember." Instead of the arrogant boast she expected, his voice washed over her, soft and sensual.
"I'll be back." Harley didn't look at him as she stood and headed towards the closest restroom. Once inside the small space, she studied her reflection. Loose strands of brown hair had escaped from her clip and curled against her forehead from the humidity.
She couldn't do this. She couldn't. Cole was too... sexy, smart, sexy, fun, sexy, thoughtful, sexy--Damn it.
Harley dug out her cell phone, relieved to see there was in fact a signal. She dialed her sister's cell number. With any luck she'd still be at work.
"How's it going so far?" Her sister's chipper voice came over the line and Harley relaxed.
Studying her amber colored eyes--nothing special about them--she groaned. "This was a mistake."
Kathy's indelicate snort made her chuckle. "It wouldn't be if you just told him how you felt."
"I tried that." And just look how good that turned out.
"So try again."
"Kath, we've been over this." Over and over and over. Harley sighed. Why was she still so hung up on this guy anyway?
"Then why are you calling me?"
She leaned against the countertop, facing the stalls. "I have no idea."
"Because you want to tell him. You know you do."
"It might ruin our friendship." Ultimately, she'd rather have Cole as a friend than not in her life at all. Given his initial response on that subject, Harley couldn't be sure that pushing wouldn't make things strained and uncomfortable between them.
"And it might be the smartest thing you've ever done. Take a risk."
"Easy for you to say, your risk paid off." What did it really matter anyway? This was an assignment, not a pleasure trip. Even if she had the balls to come right out and say she had a thing for him, this wouldn't be an appropriate time or place to tell him. "I'll call you when I get back."
Kathy sighed. "You should tell him."
"I know." But they both knew she wouldn't say anything.
"Have fun," Kathy said before she hung up.
Harley tucked the phone in her bag, splashed some cold water on her face and left the restroom. She could do this. She could. If Cole could play the game, then so could she. She was a journalist and journalists did what they had to, to get the story.
Not paying attention to where she was going, Harley collided with a solid chest, and nearly bounced off it. Two sturdy arms steadied her and she immediately stepped out of the way, barely acknowledging the dark haired man.
He leaned towards her as she passed--and sniffed her?
Some men were downright pigs. Shooting the man a scathing look, Harley headed back towards Cole.
* * * *
Where was Harley? The woman needed to explain a few things. He stared at the small terminal's sliding door as another small group of passengers filed into the room. Not good.
None of the pairs of eyes passing over him could be considered blatantly hostile, but that made little difference to him.
The airport was full of werewolves.
Even in their human form, Cole had no trouble picking them out and every one who approached the small desk at their gate was definitely capable of shifting. It couldn't be a coincidence that Mac sent Harley to dig up a story at a resort that appeared to cater to his kind if the crowd around him was any indication.
His gut tightened, his instincts pushing him to full alert. This was not good.
"Something wrong?" Harley slid into the seat she'd vacated a few minutes earlier, her golden eyes full of concern. Unfortunately, for him, she didn't miss much. Mac had made a good call sending her, but it was a shame they'd be getting back on the plane and going home.
"Where are we going?" Cole demanded. He hadn't bothered with the specifics before. It made no difference to him what resort they were headed to in Antigua. Noticing the speculative glances aimed their way since Harley's pure human presence drew some attention, their final destination became damn important. "Where are we going?" he repeated in a lower voice, knowing full well many could still overhear him.
"I already told you...."
She had? "When?"
"Last night when you stopped by while I was doing yoga."
Ah, well, that explained it. Some of those poses got him so hard he had difficulty concentrating. How could he not imagine sliding his hands over her pretty bare ass right when she slipped into another tempting position? Even thinking about it now....
Cole slammed the door on that thought before it got him into trouble. "Who owns the resort?" He had a nagging feeling he already knew.
Harley tipped her head as though she considered how much to tell him.
He resisted the urge to strangle it out of her, his unease increasing by the minute. "Come on. I know you did your homework. Who owns the place, Harley?"
"A man by the name of Dash Windsor."
Cole dropped into the seat. Ah, hell. This was just what he needed. Why hadn't he asked her before this? That's right, he had. Only he'd been too busy thinking with his cock.
The announcement to board the waiting plane came over the speakers. Most of the gathered crowd headed for the gate.
Harley picked up her bag. Cole didn't move.
She started past him, and Cole grabbed her wrist. "We're not getting on the plane."
Confusion clouded her expression. "What?"
"We can't go to that resort." Knowing Dash owned the place only made the decision easier to make.
Harley perched on the edge of her seat and crossed her arms. "Why not?"
"Because ...." Think. Think. "Because I have a bad feeling about this." He tried not to wince at his brilliant attempt to convince her.
"Oh, well then, we better go back home," Harley teased before she stood up.
She took three steps before he caught up and sidestepped her. "I mean it."
The half smile fell away from her lips and the corners of her eyes narrowed. "You wanted to come with me, so we're getting on the damn plane."
Cole shook his head. "No, we're not."
If a cartoonist sketched her now, smoke would be steaming out of her ears. "Fine. I'll go without you."
"Your reservation is for two," he reminded her.
If looks could kill.... "Then I'll tell them I dumped my sad excuse for a lover on the plane and plan on leaving on the next flight. I shouldn't need more than a few hours to see if there is anything to Mac's vibe."
"Harley ...."
"Look, if you
don't want to go--and I frankly can't figure out why you've just changed your mind on me when we're nearly there--I'm getting on that plane with or without you." She picked up her bag and spun around, striding for the gate.
Cole reached her side the same time she pushed on the door. "What did Mac say about this place?"
Harley sighed. "Only that a guy named Reginald called him and said there was a huge story here."
Dash was not going to be pleased. "But this guy, Reginald, didn't say what the story was?"
Shaking her head, she adjusted the strap of her bag. "He disappeared before Mac could get any more details out of him. Thankfully, he'd already made the reservations for me and a guest."
Cole stared through the glass at the people--people like him--boarding the plane.
She arched a brow, her lips tight at the corners of her mouth. "You change your mind or what?"
He didn't bother to hide his annoyance. "Something like that."
Cole stayed close to her as they boarded. Harley seemed immune to the speculative glances the other passengers shot at her. He was thankful there were a few empty seats in both directions between them and the closest shifter.
Once Cole stowed their carry-on bags above their heads, he slid into the seat next to her.
Her eyes tracked his every move and Cole knew his edgy behavior only drew more of her attention. Not that it could be helped. Had he been paying more attention to his surroundings instead of thinking about how sweet that pouty mouth of hers would taste, he would have caught on sooner.
Harley gazed out the window. "I wonder what Reginald was talking about." She toyed absently with the hem of her skirt, and his eyes were drawn to the tempting shadow between her thighs. Any other time he would have gladly preoccupied himself with imagining the feel of her skin as he slid his hand under the edge. Right now his mind was focused on what would happen if Harley saw anything. A large group of wolves running around an island might be hard to miss.
He didn't like this. Why was it that every time he looked forward to getting to know Harley on a more physical level, something like this happened? Then again, if he had to keep her from digging around, what better way to distract her than coaxing her into his bed and keeping her there?
"What?" Cole asked, vaguely aware Harley had said something to him.
"I wish I'd spoken to Mac's source."
Cole tensed, knowing full well plenty of sets of ears could hear her.
"Maybe then I'd know what I was doing here," Harley added.
Intent on stopping Harley from saying anything else, Cole did the first thing that crossed his mind.
Her eyes widened a heartbeat before he leaned in and slanted his mouth across hers. For a moment, she didn't respond and he half expected her to shove him away or slap him.
His body jolted with surprise when she gripped the front of his shirt and held him close. Warm lips parted under his and he swept his tongue inside, a burst of lust tangling in his gut at the first deep taste of her. A groan built in his throat as he inched closer, and slipping an arm around her waist, he drew her closer. Her breasts pressed against him as she tilted her head back, giving him better access to her mouth.
Harley shuddered in his arms, the scent of her arousal snaring the wolf's full attention, and making his cock ache. She draped one leg over his thighs, the provocative gesture an invitation he couldn't refuse. Cole nipped her bottom lip, tugging it between his as he skimmed his hand under her skirt. Her thighs trembled, relaxed, then trembled again when he started to slowly inch upward.
Not even in his most wicked fantasies had he imagined she felt this good. Too good. And if he didn't stop now, he'd never want to.
Reluctantly, Cole drew back. Swirling amber eyes stared up at him. Questions burned in the heated depths, questions he didn't even know if he could answer.
Being the coward he was when it came to Harley, Cole leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes and mumbled, "Wake me when we get there?"
* * * *
Harley stared at him. Wake him when they got there?
No. He didn't just say that, not after giving her one of the most memorable kisses of her life. Hell, her muscles were still in meltdown and he was practically snoring.
Ass.
Harley adjusted her seatbelt and tried not to recall how good it had felt when his hand slid up her thigh. With her skin still hot to the touch, she could have happily spent the rest of the flight imagining what might have come next if the jerk hadn't decided on a nap.
By the time they landed, she was still annoyed. More than annoyed really. She'd given herself a pep talk at three in the morning about this. About the danger of believing anything she shared here with Cole was more than for show.
Cole didn't seem to care that she was pissed off. He was too busy watching everyone else to pay attention to her. Trying to pinpoint the source of his interest, Harley quickly surveyed their immediate surroundings and frowned. Her white halter top and yellow skirt covered more skin than some of the other women, so she couldn't begin to guess why so many of the other vacationers stared at her.
Curious, she checked to make sure there were no rips in the skirt or toilet paper stuck to the bottom of her sandal. Most tried not to make it obvious, but she could feel their interest in her regardless. Whatever their problem was, she didn't care. Just like, she didn't care that Cole had dragged her headlong into one hell of a scorching kiss only to shut down on her seconds later.
After setting her bags down in the resort's lobby, Harley took a seat at a small cocktail bar while the others in front of them checked in. Cole went in search of a rest room, leaving her to think up at least a hundred ways to pay him back for his stunt on the plane.
Raised voices caught her attention, and she automatically tuned into the heated discussion while appearing to be absorbed in a stack of monogrammed cocktail napkins.
"I'll take care of it," a man snapped.
"The way Dash took care of Reginald? We needed him." The feminine voice was low, accusing.
"Reginald is long gone." Already the voices were fading as the couple walked away, the woman's response too low to hear.
Reginald? Mac's source, Reginald?
"Harley?"
She glanced up as Cole nodded towards the reception desk. Harley picked up her bag and walked the short distance towards the clerk, "Reservation for Harley McKinnon and guest." She shifted her attention towards the open door near the bar where the voices came from. A moment later a lanky blonde emerged from the same door, followed by a giant black-haired man on her heels.
Fingers tapping over keys brought Harley's attention back to the desk just as the young woman nodded politely. "One moment, please." She ducked into the open door behind the glossy black counter.
"Problem?" Cole stepped up beside her, not sounding surprised they had run into a problem.
Frowning, Harley leaned over to try and get a peek at the computer screen. "I don't know."
A moment later a striking man with blonde hair and eyes almost the same shade as Cole's emerged from the inner office. Dressed in casual island attire, his smile was polite, but tense as he approached them. Curious eyes passed over her with barely veiled appreciation then widened briefly as he noticed Cole beside her.
He returned his attention to Harley, held out a hand. "I'm Dash Windsor. I own Paradise Moon."
Beside her, Cole tensed as Mr. Windsor swallowed her hand with his. "Is there a problem with my reservation?" When the owner came out to talk to you that was never a good sign.
"Call me, Dash. And yes, unfortunately there is a problem. It seems we've overbooked, Ms. McKinnon. I'm afraid I don't have a room to offer you."
Chapter Three
Cole studied the man on the opposite side of the counter, not missing Dash's gaze lingering a little too long on Harley.
"I'm sorry about the inconvenience, Ms. McKinnon. We'll gladly reimburse your flight costs."
Harley raised a questioning brow at Cole before focu
sing every inch of her five-foot-seven annoyed self on Dash. "I confirmed my reservation yesterday. You mean to tell me you gave my room to someone else since then?"
Dash nodded regretfully. "I apologize for the oversight. New computer system. We're still working out the glitches."
Harley cocked her head, and Cole knew she didn't buy it. She recognized a bogus story when she saw one. And the more she thought there was a story here, the more she would dig her heels in. Harley might be sent packing, but if Mac didn't send her back, he'd send someone else until he was satisfied. Better for everyone that Harley remained with Cole to keep an eye on her.
Cole draped an arm around Harley's shoulders. He ignored the slight tension that snapped her spine straight and knew Dash hadn't missed it either. It didn't take a genius to realize she was pissed at him. "Maybe you should double check." Cole motioned to the computer. "Harley and I were really looking forward to this."
Dash's gaze slid from Harley to Cole, his head tilting in silent consideration. "All right then. Let me see if another arrangement can be made."
Harley relaxed into him and for a moment Cole let himself get distracted by the warm weight of her body resting against his. The breeze blowing through the wide terrace doors to their left gently lifted her hair, and the apple scent of her shampoo drifted on the air. The memory of her hot mouth, soft and pliant beneath his, stormed through him. He edged closer, letting his arm slip from her shoulder to her waist. Her breath sucked in as he grazed the side of her breast in passing.
Cole caught Dash's arched brow and ignored the curious amusement that flashed in his eyes. "Well?" Cole prompted.
"It seems I do have a couple of bungalows that may be suitable for you. I'll have Georgia show you the way."
Cole stepped away from Harley, forced his eyes not to linger on her mouth for more than a heartbeat. "You go on ahead. I'm going to make sure everything is in order here."
She frowned, but oddly enough didn't object as she followed a petite redhead out the terrace doors.
By the Light of the Moon Page 2