by Chandra Ryan
“Because he is a cheating bastard. It’s fortunate somebody convinced poor Haley to dump his ass before she walked down the aisle.”
“Poor Haley, huh? Last time I heard you talking about her you were using a more colorful description.” That’d been the night James broke up with Erica for Haley.
“What can I say? I got it wrong. She wasn’t to blame. He was.” Her shrug was a little too nonchalant to be innocent. “In the end, they all got what they deserved.”
“Your saintly attitude is exactly what I’m talking about. You can’t pull those kinds of stunts with Wolves. When we play, we play for keeps.”
“What do you want me to say? I’m sorry the bastard got caught? I’m not. And yeah, I paid the whore to stop by his room. But he didn’t have to screw her. I didn’t do that. He did.”
“But you set it in motion.”
“Answer me one thing. If I sent a whore to your place, would you fuck her?”
“Of course not. And watch your language.”
“Because you’re a good guy. Had he been a decent guy, he would’ve sent the girl on her way and there would be no story. But he wasn’t. He did this to himself.”
“I’m serious, Erica.”
“Good. That makes two of us. I’m all grown up. I can take care of myself.”
She was anything but. She was young, idealistic, and naive as a virgin on her wedding night. The combination made him thankful her vacation was almost done. He just had to keep her out of trouble for three more days. Shouldn’t be very hard.
“I’m going out. Don’t wait up.” She strode out the door.
Yeah, the three days would be easy. The three nights, however, were a different story. They were going to give him gray hairs. He made a mental note to keep a better eye on her. But first, he had other business to attend to. He had a freaking sculpture to deliver and, as large as the piece was, keeping it a secret wouldn’t be a small feat.
He’d rented a large pickup truck from the city for the occasion. After he drove into his bay, he disassembled the pieces and put them into the bed before he covered the piece with the tarp and tied it down.
As he drove out to the woods surrounding the town, he tried to keep as low a profile as possible—which wasn’t easy to do in such a small village. But, he’d only gotten a couple of funny looks as he drove past. No one had tried to stop or follow him. He’d considered the trip a success.
He didn’t want to drag this thing through the woods. But he had to. Otherwise, he would never accomplish what he’d set out to do. He tried to fight a moan, but the sound escaped him as a whimper as he stepped out of the truck’s cab He would see this done. He needed to show Aimee he wasn’t trying to replace her first love.
His stiff muscles burned by the time he got the last piece into the clearing. He would have to get a good massage after he’d reassembled the sculpture. He couldn’t stop his happy smile, though. The hardest part of the job was finished. He only needed to put the work back together. He looked up at the sun as he wiped the sweat off his brow. He’d be done before dusk. That was good. He needed the sun to provide enough light to work. Thankfully, he managed to fasten the last bolt as the sky took on the oranges and pinks of dusk.
“In memory of Maxwell Crest.”
He turned at Aimee’s voice. How were so many people sneaking up on him today? Yes, he may have been preoccupied, but he needed to do a better job focusing.
She continued reading the small plaque at the bottom of the sculpture without addressing him. “May his love of nature and his fight to protect it never be forgotten.” She sniffled as she finished. “Short but sweet. And sincere. He would’ve loved it.”
“How long have you been watching me?”
She smiled even as her eyes glassed over with unshed tears. “Longer than I should’ve been.”
“Touché.”
“Several people saw you leaving in a truck with a tarp over the back. They thought maybe your patience had run out and you were hightailing it out of here.” She wiped away a tear. “They thought I should know.”
He hadn’t realized some of the town’s people thought he would pick up and leave. “I guess that’s why they didn’t follow me.”
She took the few steps separating them and punched him in the arm. “You had me worried half to death.”
“I wasn’t leaving.”
“I didn’t know that.”
He smiled. “You would’ve if you’d called.”
“Yeah, yeah. Everything is always my fault.” She sat on the tarp covering a large section of the ground and stared up at the sculpture. “The piece is amazing.”
“Thank you.” His chest must have puffed up with all the pride from her words. “I looked him up. He did some pretty cool stuff.”
She smiled wistfully. “That he did.”
“I never wanted to replace him, Aimee.” He sat down next to her. “I don’t want to compete with his memory, but I don’t want you to forget him either. He was a large part of you for a very long time. And I love you.”
She turned from the sculpture to stare at him. “You do?”
“Of course I do. I’ve loved you from the moment I found out you lied about your wedding ring. Takes balls to lie to a Wolf and expect to get away with it.”
She looked down at her ring. “I guess I should take this off, huh?”
“You can take it off when you’re ready. I’m not going anywhere.”
“A very smart man once told me hiding behind the ring diminishes what it once stood for. I think he might have been right.” She took the band off and walked over to the sculpture. When she was in front of the piece, she placed the ring in the center of the medal petals. She secured it with some extra twine then took a step back to look at her work. “Looks good there.” She sat back down next to him, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“I think you found the perfect spot.” He pulled her closer as they stared at the piece for a moment longer.
“Jackson?”
“Yes.” He didn’t trust himself to look at her. He feared any move would break their unofficial truce.
“Jackson.” The irritation in her voice made him sigh.
“What?” He still refused to look at her.
“You are the most stubborn, cocky, kindhearted, patient, confusing, considerate, sexy, infuriating, bossy Wolf I’ve ever met.” She reached up and forced him to look at her. “And I love you.”
He stared at her for a moment, waiting for the “but” in the statement. But I’m not ready yet. But I don’t have room in my life for you. But I never want to see you ever again. There had to be a “but.”
“Well? Are you going to kiss me?”
Aimee stared up at him, and her heart stuttered. Confessing her feelings had taken all of her nerve. She’d gone as far as she could. She needed him to make a move.
“Yes. I think I am.”
Her whole body relaxed as he leaned in and captured her chin in his hand. She closed her eyes. Anticipation left her breathless. She’d missed him over the last three days, but she’d needed the time to get her life and her head straightened out. She would be forever grateful he’d given her space. The time was more than she could expect from most men. That a Wolf had given her the gift had been a miracle.
“I love you.” The words were a mere whisper before his mouth brushed against hers.
The kiss was much too tender. She needed more. She had to feel him. This moment needed to be branded into her mind. She wrapped her arms around his back and buried her hands in his hair so she could pull him closer to her. When she ran her tongue over his bottom lip, he moaned. The sound was the sweetest, most anguished noise she’d ever heard. Then he kissed her in earnest.
The raw hunger and possession in the kiss made her stomach clench with desire. Apparently, the dam holding his emotions at bay had broken. He nudged her back with his torso as his hands tugged at her shirt.
She allowed herself to be guided down until she lay fl
at against the tarp’s rough surface. The sun had set, but enough light remained for her to see him, and the scent of fresh lemongrass and cloves filled the air. Being there with him was one of the happiest moments in her life.
He wore a plain T-shirt. Pulling the shirt over his head wouldn’t have been any trouble for her, but she opted to tear it open. She found the rending noise the fabric made as she pulled it apart more satisfying. Plus, they didn’t have to stop kissing for her to undress him. “Hope that wasn’t one of your favorite shirts.”
The popping sound of buttons flying through the air filled her ears before the cool night air hit her exposed breasts. “Hope that wasn’t one of yours.”
They would have to wear the tarp home if they continued down this path, but she couldn’t care less at the moment. “Nah. I always hated it.”
“Good.” He kneaded her breast with gentle hands. “No bra. Have I ever mentioned how much I love your sense of style?”
“Aren’t you going to ask if it’s a matched set?” She arched her back to rub her breasts against his chest, and he froze.
“You’ve been sitting next to me in a skirt with no underwear under it and you didn’t tell me?” His hand skimmed up her thigh as he spoke. After a second of exploration, his fingers brushed against the curls surrounding her sex. “Fuck. Me.”
“That was kind of the idea.” She let him run his finger over the seam of her pussy before wiggling out of his embrace.
“Where are you going?” He reached out to grab her, but she moved too fast. She used his confusion and momentary lack of balance to push him onto his back.
“It occurs to me you got to taste me.” She tugged his boots off as she spoke. “But you didn’t return the favor.” His pants unbuttoned with ease, and she pulled them and his boxers off in no time. As soon as he was naked, she took a moment to appreciate his body. His perfectly sculpted muscles had the right amount of hair to provide texture.
Unable to resist the temptation, she rubbed her naked torso against his. Damn he felt good. She needed get the rest of her clothes off, too. Jackson must have had the same thought because, as soon as she sat up, he started to unbutton the skirt. With a quick wiggle of her hips, she shed the light garment then stretched out on top of him—every inch of her skin touching his. “I love the way you feel under me.”
“It’s the craziest thing, but I just want to rub against you until I smell like you.”
She laughed. “Me, too.” But as much as she wanted to smell like him, she had other activities in mind. She made her way down his body leaving kisses. When she reached his navel, she explored its contours with her tongue and nipped at his skin.
Her breasts brushed his erection, and she couldn’t resist rocking against him a couple of times before moving on. She loved the way his cock felt. He was hard and smooth and the coarse hairs made her nipples bead.
When she arrived at the patch of hair around his cock, she kissed his abdomen and then caressed his balls with her palm. He moaned and bucked his hips. She allowed herself a second to appreciate his erection then licked him from the base to the tip.
“You taste good.” She took him into her mouth so she could savor more. He filled her, his head hitting the back of her throat before she worked her way up his cock, swirling her tongue around his staff as she went. His weight felt good in her mouth, and he tasted a little tangy.
“Jesus.” He pushed more of his cock into her mouth.
She took everything he gave her and moaned with desire. She enjoyed sucking and licking him, but her pussy felt very empty. She wanted him to be everywhere—which was impossible. She understood the unreasonable nature of the desire. But she still wished she could make it happen somehow.
“Sweetheart, you need to stop. I want to be buried deep inside you when I come.”
She trailed her tongue over him a couple more times then straddled his cock. She was already wet and ready for him, so she positioned his erection at her entrance and slid down his length. She needed him so badly her soul burned with the hunger, but she wanted to enjoy each second.
When he was fully seated inside her, she clenched the muscles of her sex around him. He filled her to perfection. As she wiggled her hips, her clit rubbed against him, sending another spark of desire through her.
“Dear God, woman. If you don’t start moving, I’m going to flip you over and teach you how this is done.”
She smiled down at him. “You think I don’t know how this works?” She wiggled again, providing enough friction to tease. She wanted to torture him a little. Anticipation would make the release so much sweeter.
When he growled, her stomach cramped with need and her Wolf pounced at the challenge. Fuck teasing. She wanted to take him hard. Her thighs flexed and her back arched as she rode him. He was her mate and he would submit to her. If he proved worthy, and lucky, she would return the favor later—much later.
Sweat made her body glisten, and his fingers held her hips tight enough to bruise, but she refused to give him any quarter. Not until his body trembled under her and he called out her name in surrender. Only then did she allow herself to tumble over into the abyss of sensations and ride out her own release.
Peace and contentment filled her. The emotions sapped the strength from her muscles, dissolving what was left of her energy. She couldn’t even support her own weight anymore. But she didn’t care. She had a comfy pillow of man under her to relax on.
She listened to his heart pound and revealed in the feel of his chest rising and falling as he breathed. She hadn’t realized how much she missed these small things. She enjoyed sex. Being connected to another person in such an intimate fashion made her feel alive. But this—these precious moments of being held and treasured—were what made life worth living.
“I love you.”
One month ago, she’d accepted no one would ever say those words to her again, and she’d been okay with that knowledge. She couldn’t imagine her life without Jackson any longer, though. “I love you, too.”
“Good.”
A mosquito buzzing around her head reminded her of where they were. “We should get up and out of these woods before the bugs make a feast of us.”
“Probably.” He didn’t seem as if he were in a big hurry, though. She needed to up the stakes.
“If we go back to your place, I can teach you how to make proper French toast.”
He rolled her over and nipped at her ear, her taunt doing the trick. “I make the best damn French toast you’ll ever have the privilege of putting in that delectable mouth of yours.”
She smiled up at him. “Care to place a wager?”
“What have you got in mind?”
Her heart skipped a beat at the stakes she wanted to wager. Would he be ready for it? Hell, would she? She looked over at the sculpture and a sense of rightness filled her. “If yours is better, we have a spring mating ceremony. If mine is, the ceremony will be in the fall.”
Chapter Seven
The evening grass felt cool and damp under her paws as she broke to the left around a group of trees. He was chasing her. He’d been on her tail since they’d shifted, but she refused to let him catch her.
He howled behind her, and she returned the call. He sounded closer than she thought he should be, so she ran faster and bolted to her right to throw her scent a bit. Tomorrow was their mating ceremony. The entire pack and his family were going to be there. So tonight, they needed to blow off some steam and work out some of the stresses of the past couple of weeks.
She didn’t know why everybody freaked out when it came to major occasions. If the ceremony had been up to her, she and Jackson would’ve had a small gathering. She wanted just the two of them in the clearing with their new Alpha, Drew, presiding. But Drew convinced them the pack needed as many wins as possible. They were still rebuilding after the mess Magnus had left them in, and nothing made a pack feel better than a mating ceremony.
She made another turn and was surprised to find herself
in the clearing. She’d been so deep in thought she lost track of her surroundings. The clearing wasn’t as big a surprise as when he tackled from her left, though. She rolled with the contact, managing to come up on top.
Her victory wouldn’t last long, however. The black Wolf under her used his larger body to push her off and pinned her in a matter of seconds. She didn’t mind. This was how the chase was supposed to end. The scent of lemongrass and cloves surrounded her as he caged her body. He was her mate. She rolled over and showed him her throat. He’d won. This time.
With the chase over, another scent tickled her nose—chicken. But she couldn’t get this aroma to make any sense. Why on earth would there be chicken in the middle of the woods? As she sniffed the wind in search of the meat, he shifted back to his human form.
“The chase is over by seconds and you’ve already lost interest in me?”
She shifted under him. “I smell chicken.” Even in her human body, the air smelled of the savory aroma. “Is this it? Has all this mating drama finally driven me crazy?”
He laughed so hard his entire body shook. “No. The pack hasn’t driven you insane—yet.” He rolled off her, and she missed his warmth. “I had Erica pack us a picnic. I’m always starving after a run. Figured you would be, too.”
“That’s really swe—” The implication of the gesture hit her midsentence. “Wait. That wasn’t a chase. You were herding me. I thought I was one step ahead of you right up until the moment you caught me. But you were leading me all along.”
“Would it make you feel better if I told you it took a full half an hour longer to get you here than I’d planned?”
“Maybe.” In truth, she felt a lot better after his confession. Her Wolf liked the fact her mate had bested her, but her human side enjoyed making the chase difficult for him. And he had been right. The run had left her famished. Something her stomach let the entire woods know as it grumbled loud enough for him to notice. “You were very sweet to think of food.”
He stood and offered her his hand. “And allowing me to catch you so we could eat was very kind of you.”