Take her now, his inner wolf demanded.
Excellent idea. He lifted her and pressed her against the back of the SUV, delighted when she wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed. Her arms did the same to his neck, holding him close, trapping him as much as he trapped her.
Made for us, his wolf barked.
His cock as hard as steel, Evan swiveled his hips against her mound, enjoying the guttural sound the move elicited from her. Possessiveness pounded his pulse. My little mate.
He’d never in his life experienced such an overwhelming urge to claim. Or to kill.
He gentled his kisses and nuzzled her neck. He should never have left her alone. When he’d returned and discovered Mina in danger from some randy asshole wolves, he’d come close to extracting both bastards from their shitty truck and ripping them apart, limb by limb.
A growl erupted in his chest, and he nipped her skin, right over her speedy pulse. If he bit down a little harder, they’d both know he was claiming her. Right here, right now. The urge drove him hard, but a gust of frigid wind against his back battered some common sense into his bloodless brain. Not here. Not now. His wolf snuffled, disgruntled and, at the same time, in agreement. He must keep her safe, meaning out of the storm and into Lexi’s house in Los Lobos.
Mina cupped his head and massaged his scalp with her fingertips, the gesture so sweet he almost couldn’t stand it. “Hey. You still with me, Wolf Man?”
Big blue eyes glazed with passion. Pink lips plumped from his kisses. Damn, she looked cute. More than cute, a hot handful. One he might like to keep.
“Affirmative, Red.” He firmed his grip on her thighs and carried her to the passenger door. “I’m driving.”
Her husky laugh launched another round of lust through his body. “Yes you are, Wolf Man. Yes you are.”
She pleased him by hopping in and allowing him to attach her seat belt. Of course she could do it, but she seemed to sense his need to protect. When she bit her lip, and her rosy cheeks twitched, he suspected she also suppressed a snarky comment. Or two. He appreciated her effort almost as much as he wanted to hear whatever she had to say. Had to admit, her quick mind interested him as much as her body. More so, in fact. Intelligent women were sexy as fuck.
On the driver’s side, he eyed the seat she had cranked as close to the steering wheel as possible. He couldn’t even fit one booted foot in the SUV without adjusting it first. “You really are a tiny thing, aren’t you?” He found the switch and slid the seat back to its limit.
She smacked her fist into her palm, blue eyes sparkling. “Short but fierce, that’s me.”
He climbed in and shut the door. “Those assholes didn’t stand a chance,” he joked then sobered at the thought of anyone doing her harm. He started the engine and pulled them onto the road.
No surprise to him when she caught his mood shift. “Oh no, don’t go to the dark place again. I’m good, you’re good, and our kiss? Mega good.”
He started to understand what his feisty younger sister saw in her. Straight shooter, no nonsense, smart as hell, great sense of humor…. Yeah, all traits making her a good friend fit for Lexi. Good for him, too. Not that he hunted for a fit, however. “You don’t hold back anything, do you, Red?”
“Nope. My time is precious. I don’t waste it. Ever.”
He nodded, eyes glued to the snowy road. “Me, neither.”
“Lexi mentioned as much about you.”
“Yeah? You two talked about me, huh?”
She shifted in her seat, facing him as much as the seat belt would allow. “And I quote, ‘Mountain man tall with a perma-scowl from his workaholic ways.’”
He laughed. “I can hear her saying it. Anything else I should know?”
She clucked her tongue. “Well, there may have been some talk of a cell phone super glued to your ear.”
His grin widened. “Definitely something my sister would say.”
“Is she right?”
“I have never glued any technology to my body.”
Her husky laugh punched heat straight to his cock. Or perhaps the bolt of lust had more to do with the hand she rested all too briefly on his thigh. “No, dude, I mean about working hard.”
Dude. Very California of her. Out of her sensual mouth, it sounded hot as hell. He cleared his throat in a bid for time, willing blood to return to his brain. What had she asked? Work, something about diligence. “Absolutely. I do whatever it takes to get everything accomplished.”
She remained quiet for a moment. Wind whistled around the car, and the wipers thumped a steady rhythm as they battled the falling snow. She let out a breath. “Me, too.”
“I know.”
“You do?” Her husky tone swung upward.
“Sure. When I finally found you at the airport, you were so lost in your work, I worried for your safety.”
“Hm. I seem to recall a pissed-off wolf stalking off in a huff and leaving me behind.”
Well, hell. Blunt and correct. “Right. Sorry. I could have handled the situation differently. Should have, in fact.”
“Thank you. And I apologize for dismissing you like some dive-bombing mosquito.”
Amusement tugged his lips upward. “You sound like my sister.”
“Ew! You did not put me in the sister zone. Tell me you wouldn’t kiss your sister like you did me.”
“Never.” The mere thought made him cringe.
“Phew. So then, are we going to have a weekend wedding fling?”
If he’d been drinking something, a spit-take would’ve occurred. “Fling?” he echoed.
“Sure. It’s clear we have the whole physical, potential-mate chemistry thing going on. And now that I know you’re not all bark and no substance, why not?”
“Why wouldn’t you want more?” Did those words leave his mouth? His head spun at the turn their conversation had taken.
“Must I point out the obvious?”
Hell, yes. “I think you should.”
“First, you live and work, um, wherever you live. Where, actually?”
“Indiana.”
“Right. My business and home are in California. Second, I work pretty much 24/7. Lexi tells me you roll the same way, too, and you confirmed. Ergo, we’re total fling material.”
Evan gripped the steering wheel so hard it surprised him when it didn’t crumple into a mangled mess. He scanned the roadside for any subtle landmark indicating the distance remaining to Los Lobos and escape from their conversation. Did he want her? Hell, yes. He’d like to taste every inch of her pale skin, settle between her thighs, and feast on her like a Thanksgiving banquet.
But, she’s Lexi’s best friend. His sister would serve him his balls in his morning coffee if he hurt Mina. And though the spunky, sexy woman sat there insisting a fling made sense, he couldn’t do it. Intellectually, it made sense, given all the reasons she’d so eloquently enumerated. But she made light of the most important element. They were mates. Would their wolves let them walk away after experiencing each other?
“No.” The word exploded in the silence between them, causing Mina to flinch and frown. He answered himself as much as her. He couldn’t risk an attachment.
Potentially the right woman, most assuredly the wrong time. His wolf whined in his head, When is the right time, asshole?
He didn’t have a fucking clue.
Chapter Three
The scents of grilled bacon and baked bread woke Mina from a solid sleep. She rolled off her stomach and onto her side in the bed, breathing in the delicious food smells, her tummy growling.
Hold on. Bed? She bolted upright with a gasp, blinking hard to clear her bleary eyes.
A spacious room came into focus, bright despite the pale-blue curtains drawn over near floor-to-ceiling windows. Honey-colored hardwood floors, king-sized bed, large armoire and matching dresser, knotted-pine doors to her left and another door across the room straight ahead….
�
�Lexi’s house.” No other explanation made sense, especially given the pieces of framed anime art gracing the walls. She’d recognize her friend’s work anywhere.
How on earth had she ended up in a bed in Lexi’s house with no memory of arriving here? She bunched up the sheet and blue duvet cover, clutching them to her chest. Last thing she recalled, Mr. Serious had refused her suggestion they have a weekend wedding romp. They’d fallen into a tense silence and…oh, wow, she’d fallen asleep. Evan must have carried her into Lexi’s house and put her to bed.
“Ohmigod!” She threw off the covers. Hurray—fully clothed in her travel jeans and shirt minus her boots and jacket, both of which sat on the floor next to a puffy blue chair and matching ottoman. Someone had settled her bags around the chair, too, but no sign of the garment bags holding the precious wedding dresses.
“Crap.” Her tummy twisted. She shoved off the bed and hurried to the armoire. The dresses hung inside, encased in their transparent, protective, plastic covers.
Precious cargo safe. “Phew.” Okay, time to dress for the day and say hello to her BFF.
She knelt by her belongings and dug out fresh lingerie and clothes along with her toiletry bag. Lexi had mentioned giving her a guest suite with private bath, so she bet the door by the bed led there. She’d made it two whole steps when the door in question opened, and Evan stepped out in nothing but a towel. Mina froze, soaking up the sight of suntanned skin stretched over rock-hard muscles. Wide shoulders. Trim hips. Golden hair dusted long sculpted legs. Miles and miles of delicious leg.
Holy moly, the man redefined hot. Mina swallowed and attempted to keep her jaw from crashing to the floor. Her gaze lingered on what the white bath towel hid from view. What a large man. Everywhere. And boy oh boy, remembering the feel of his erection pressing against her when they’d kissed against the car—
Evan cleared his throat. Her attention shot to his face. His cheek creased in a lopsided smirk, sending heat flaming over her skin. Argh, he knew where her mind had wandered, didn’t he?
“Good morning, Miss Snores a Lot.”
She blinked. Had he cracked a joke? Come on brain, get with the program and stop ogling the unwilling dominant. “I don’t snore.”
“True.” He stalked toward her.
She stumbled back and out of his path. “Wait. How do you know I don’t snore?”
He rounded the bed, picked up a bag she hadn’t noticed during her room check, and tossed it on the bed. “Because I slept next to you.”
“You what?” Her heart thundered in her chest. Had he changed his mind about a fling? And how interesting Lexi had let him sleep in here. Nothing about the situation made a smidgeon of sense.
With his back to her, Evan pulled fresh jeans from his bag and stepped into them. Every speck of moisture abandoned her mouth and fled south to her core at the sight of his toned legs and muscled ass disappearing inside his pants. Commando, the man went commando. Good Lord, how could she focus on wedding work knowing he sauntered around in nothing but denim?
“Lexi ran out of space, so she needed us to double up.” He pulled on a navy T-shirt with a logo she didn’t recognize. Probably his company logo.
“But she told me her place is huge, with plenty of space for everyone.”
“Jake’s parents are in one of the three extra rooms. The last one contains floor-to-ceiling boxes of my sister’s stuff and not a single piece of furniture or available floor space.”
“This is nuts. We can’t be roomies.” Mina’s mind spun. Knowing her friend—and said interfering friend was privy to Mina’s lackluster love life—Lexi had quite possibly set them up. She backed toward the bathroom. “I call dibs on the room, so find somewhere else to crash. Sort it out with your sister, while I shower.”
She shut the door, ignoring his stunned and annoyed expression. Yep, she’d knocked their interactions back to butting heads, but how could she not? He’d already rejected her, so she refused to be tortured by his sexy presence in the bedroom.
She dropped her belongings on the vanity, undressed, and hurried into the shower, half-disappointed when Evan didn’t make an appearance. She’d expected Mister Bossy to storm in and pick a fight with her since she’d basically ordered him—a dominant—to do her bidding. While she soaped up her hair, her mind filled in the details reality lacked…the door slamming open, one hot, naked man stalking into the shower, pressing her against the tile, shoving his muscled thigh between her legs and rubbing against her needy folds.
Her clit throbbed, and a groan escaped her. Now she’d done it with her sexy thoughts. Did she dare take time for a solo quickie? Probably not. Later, though, when she had the room to herself….
Forcing her mind to focus on the wedding work ahead, she ignored the ache between her legs, finished her shower, dressed in sparkly jeans and a pullover pastel-pink sweater, and applied makeup. A little powder to smooth out her freckles, a dab of brown mascara, and a touch of pink lip gloss. She might not have bothered with any except for the fact Evan made her feel she required a bit of armor. Darn man.
She stepped into the bedroom. Evan lounged in the armchair, typing on his laptop. Nearby, the armoire door stood ajar, revealing a tux and assorted other men’s clothing not there before. Her brows collided. Well, if the clothes in the closet weren’t a declaration of war, her name wasn’t Jasmine Carver.
She cleared her throat. He ignored her, his gaze glued to his computer screen.
The tapping of his fingers on the keyboard grated on her last nerve. She stomped over to him and nudged his ankle with her bare foot. “My room. Vamoose, buddy.”
His cheek twitched with a hint of a smile. “Vamoose? Such a way with words, Red.”
Of all the insufferable, stubborn, cocky…she crossed her arms. “This is war.”
“Bring it, Short Stuff.”
Mina could almost feel steam exploding from her ears. Oh, no he didn’t call her that. She slammed a lid on some irksome childhood memories and opened her mouth to really lay into him then clamped it shut. Anger wasn’t working. Time to switch gears.
She gave him one slow blink and licked her lower lip.
His gaze shot to her mouth.
She planted her hands on the arms of his chair and leaned in close, exposing a generous heap of cleavage in her V-neck sweater. “Oh I will, Tough Guy. Watch me.”
His nostrils flared as he scented her. He leaned forward a smidge, almost closing the distance between them, but she straightened, spun, and headed for the door, swishing her hips for all she was worth.
Chew on that, Mr. Rejection. Her inner wolf harrumphed in agreement.
A wave of dominant power smacked her in the back. Evan’s large hands snagged her by the waist, and he turned her to face him, pinning her against the door. His mouth took hers in a fierce kiss, frying her brain and boiling her blood. She growled and kissed him back with equal aggression. He lifted her higher against the door, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, squeezing hard. Damn, the things the man did to her. No one had ever made her feel so out of control, needy, and angry all at the same time.
She grabbed his head, broke off the kiss, and glared at him. “I still don’t like you.”
“Right back at ya, Red.”
“Good.” You sexy jerk.
“Fine.” He claimed her mouth again, swallowing any further words.
What the holy hell? He’d surely lost his goddamn mind, holding the hot, little, curvy bundle of fierce redhead against the door.
He’d decided to stay away from her, and yet one look from her baby blues as she leaned over him—providing him with the best show ever of plump, pearly breasts—coupled with her floral scent had sent his libido into overdrive. She was fucking lucky he hadn’t taken her down and claimed her right on his sister’s hardwood floor.
Her strong legs clenched his sides, and her mouth tasted like minty toothpaste and heaven. He kissed a path along her jaw and down her neck, nuzzling the
hollow of her shoulder, the skin softer than the fuzzy sweater she wore.
“You’re such a jerk,” she complained, but her nails scratched his scalp, and she wriggled in his arms, grinding her jean-covered groin against his likewise clothed and aching cock. He jerked against her, cradling the back of her head. This is crazy. He needed to stop, but nothing short of the house falling down around them would stop him now.
A sharp rap sounded right next to his head.
Or, hell, someone knocking on the blasted door.
“Wakey, wakey, people. Brekkie is gettin’ cold.” Leave it to his sister to have impeccable timing.
Evan cursed and stared at Mina. Her well-kissed lips, blue eyes glazed with lust, chest heaving as if she’d run a marathon. With her hands clutching his head and her hips twitching against him, she seemed in no hurry to disengage. All of it made the caveman side of him howl with male pride.
“Dude and dudette, I can hear you both breathing like two wolves in heat. And don’t even get me started on the scents wafting under the door.”
Mina’s eyes widened, and a flush flooded her pretty face. “Oh my God. Put me down.” She raised her hands and straightened her legs.
Mood kill complete. Evan released her and stepped back, noting the slight tremor in her hand when she pivoted to open the door to his nosy sister. He shouldn’t be so pleased by his effect on her. He needed to stay away.
“Mina! My sister from another mother!” Lexi whooped and hurled herself at the smaller woman, making her stumble.
Evan pressed a hand to Mina’s lower back to steady her, a move his sister noted with a smirk. “Hey, big bro.” She eyed him while she hugged her shorter friend.
“Hey yourself, Trouble.”
“That’s my name. Feel free to wear it out,” she chirped, and he laughed. His sister was a challenge, her fiancé Jake the only man on earth he’d ever known capable of handling her.
Lexi flung herself in his arms next with her usual vigor, but he anticipated her move and swooped her into the tight bear hug she expected. “Missed you, sister mine.”
Jasmine Moon Page 3