by Jane Jamison
“Yeah, well, he can be a bit intense at times. But if you like him…” She shrugged. “I mean, everyone has a mate, right?”
“A mate?” Could she get Laney to tell her more about the shifters? “Don’t you mean wife?”
“That’s right. A wife.” She giggled nervously. “Or a husband. Depending on which one you’re looking for.”
“Are you trying to ask me if I’m gay or straight?” Willa knew how to throw people off. And sometimes when she managed to throw them off, they’d let their guard fall and say more than they wanted.
A flustered Laney looked to Betsy, but she was still busy at the register. “No, no. It doesn’t matter to me. How did we get off topic, anyway?”
“Beats me. So tell me more about Fate. I get the feeling that Moses is a big deal around here.”
“Is that important to you?”
Now it was Willa’s turn to be careful. “No. I don’t care if a man has money or not. It’s what’s inside that counts.” How hard would she have to push to get Laney to open up?
“I agree.” Laney bit her lower lip. “Which is why you might want to think twice about hanging around Moses if you’re planning on staying in town for long.”
“I am. But what’s wrong with Moses?”
Laney was really biting her lower lip now. “Nothing.” Her gaze jumped to the window again. “But there are other men in town you might find out are better company.”
Ooh. Interesting. “Really? Like who?”
“Well, I heard you were at the Wolf’s Den last night. And that you met Grant and his friends.”
“I see the town’s rumor mill is running on full steam.”
“Fate is a small town, so, yes, word gets around.”
Willa couldn’t blame anyone for talking. She wasn’t a stranger to gossiping, either. “So tell me. What are Grant, Ryan, and Thomas like? Are they men I should hang around with?”
“They’re great guys. Really great. A woman couldn’t do any better. Unless, of course, she had my men, but they’re taken, thank you very much.” Again, Laney’s attention went to whatever was going on outside the store.
“Too bad for me.” Willa ached to glance over her shoulder and see what Laney was so interested in. “So you think I’d be better off with them than with Moses?”
Laney stalled, her gaze finally coming back to Willa. “It’s not my place to say. If you feel strongly toward Moses, then go for it. But if you don’t…”
“If I don’t, then I should go for the other men, right?”
“Maybe. Again it’s not for me to say. Just know that if you do, then you need to make sure Moses isn’t anywhere in the picture. He isn’t used to others getting what he wants.” Laney blinked a couple of times. “How did we get off onto this subject? I don’t usually butt into people’s business, especially right after meeting them. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t let it bother you.” At last, she had to see what Laney was looking at. Pivoting around, she checked outside the window but turned toward the door when the entrance bells chimed. She almost groaned aloud when Moses strode into the shop.
“Listen, Willa, if you need anything, you let me know.” Suddenly, Laney seemed as nervous as a worm on the end of a hook. “It was nice meeting you, but I’ve got to run. Oh, hi, Moses.”
Laney skirted past Moses, looked back once before rushing outside.
“She sure left in a hurry.”
Willa did her best not to let her reluctance to see him show. “She had to get going. Errands and stuff.”
“Yeah. Anyway, I wouldn’t have come in here, but I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight. I’ve been trying to ask you, but you’re always running off.” He frowned, perhaps at last realizing that she was trying to avoid him.
“Dinner? Tonight?”
“Yeah. At my place.”
“Wouldn’t you rather go to the diner? I wouldn’t want you to go to any trouble on my account.”
“Nah. I want you all to myself. I’ll swing by Henrietta’s and pick you up around seven. All you have to do is look pretty.”
Before she could think of a plausible reason to say no—I need to wash my hair?—he’d placed a quick peck on her cheek.
“See you at seven, sugar. And dress sexy.”
She brought her hand to her cheek, not to savor the feeling but in a wave of disgust, aching to wipe his touch from her skin. A noise brought her attention to Betsy, who gave her a pitying look then turned back to the customer at the counter.
Shit. Dinner with Moses.
She’d go, reluctantly, but only because she was determined to hear more about the Garrett Pack. With any luck, she’d find out more about the sexy cowboys she’d cornered in the hallway.
* * * *
“Tell me more, Moses. And, please, let’s sit down and finish our dinner.”
He’d welcomed her at the door, then tugged her into the kitchen to show her the table set with the food he’d prepared. Although the dinner was the typical meat-and-potatoes fare, he’d seemed incredibly proud of his culinary achievement. She’d eaten most of the meal in silence as he’d rambled on about everything under the sun except werewolves and the pack.
Getting up to grab another beer from the four sitting on the kitchen counter had been a bad idea. He’d jumped at the chance to pin her against the counter.
“I’m hungry for more than dinner.”
She held back a groan and slipped away from him. “Seriously, Moses, sit back down. Please.”
Damn, I sound like his mother.
Willa did her best to keep the irritation out of her voice, but it was getting harder and harder with each passing moment. She’d known it was a stupid idea to have dinner with Moses, especially in his home, but hadn’t found a way to get out of it. Besides, right now he was her best connection to learning more about the pack. She’d already decided to become a werewolf and have werewolf mates. With Grant, Ryan, and Thomas part of the Garrett Pack, she might end up being part of it, too.
I have to get him to tell me about the pack.
Asking others, including Henrietta, had gotten her only so far, and they weren’t going to be her ticket into the pack. Until she could get to know Grant, Ryan, and Thomas better, she was stuck with dealing with Moses.
He snagged her arm and she pushed him back for the umpteenth time. Giving him a warning look that was tempered with a little flirtation, she slipped onto her chair again then nodded toward his. “Please. Sit.”
“Like I said. I’m hungry, sugar.” His eyes glittered with amber as he reached to pull her onto her feet again. “And not for food.”
She smiled, hiding the revulsion she felt and playfully slapped his hand away. “Knock it off, Moses, or I’ll get up and leave.”
He was working hard to be on his best behavior, to pretend to be a nice guy, but the strain on his face, the gritting of his teeth, gave him away. “Girl, a man needs what a man needs.”
“And a man, a real man, has restraint.” She stuck her fork into a carrot, and popped it into her mouth. “Tell me more about your… what did you call it? Your group?”
He took a long drink of his beer. “There’s not much to say. People around here look up to me. I’m a natural-born leader is what I am.”
“Oh, yes, that’s easy to see.” I should win an Academy Award for this performance.
“I tell them what to do, and they do it.” He leaned toward her and rested his hand on her knee. “I give the orders, and they follow them.”
“And everyone in town follows your lead?” She couldn’t resist taking a little stab. “I heard that there are other…groups…that don’t.”
His lips lifted into a sneer. “Like I said, I call the shots.”
“Have you ever seen anything strange around town?”
She felt his guard go up even as he chuckled. “Everyone around these parts is a little strange, sugar.”
“You know what I mean. Strange as in really strange.”
He narrowed
his eyes, growing more suspicious. “What are you getting at?”
“Strange as in able to do things other people can’t.” Did she dare come straight out and ask him about shifters?
“No one around here is special, if that’s what you mean.” He grinned, the gesture lacking any real warmth. “Except me. And you, too.” He came on harder. “You’re real special. You know that, right?”
“I’m just little old me.” She averted her gaze and focused on her plate. “But back to the order thing. There are others like the Hardwick men and the like who don’t answer to you, so not everyone—”
He growled, startling her. “All you need to know, sugar, is that I’m the one who’s in charge. You’d better remember that.”
“Of course. I understand.” She forked another carrot into her mouth just as he tried to give her a kiss. And almost laughed at his angry expression as he abruptly sat back.
“Good.” He downed the rest of his beer. “Fetch me another one, sugar.”
She had her mouth opened to tell him she wasn’t his maid before she caught herself in time. Besides, she knew what he’d do once she stood up. But what else could she do? She answered the only way she could. “Sure thing.” Fast wasn’t fast enough as she leapt for the beer and tried to get back to the table.
“Here you go.”
He snagged her around her waist and had her on his lap before she could react. “Sugar, you and I need to have an understanding.”
She squirmed, but his hold was too strong. “And we do. We’re friends.”
“Shit, no. We’re going to be more than friends, sugar. A lot more.”
Feigning interest was hard, but she did her best. She thrust the beer at him. “Good friends are hard to find. Really hard. Here. You wanted another one, right?”
He took the beer and set it on the table. Even with him holding on to her with only one hand, she still found it difficult to get away. His hand skimmed over her thigh on its way to the crease between her leg and mons.
Damn it. No way, Moses. No fucking way.
Without thinking, she grabbed his fork and brought it down on his hand.
“Shit!”
If she hadn’t been prepared, she would’ve ended up on the floor. Instead, she stumbled toward her chair for support. Moses kicked his turned-over chair away and came toward her.
“What the fuck?”
“Oh, damn, Moses, did I do that?” She scrambled to put the table between them. If he started shifting, she’d need time to talk him down. “I’m so sorry.” Not.
He held up his bleeding hand. His eyes blazed with amber, and fur spread along his jaw. The tips of claws replaced his fingernails.
Oh, crap. He’s changing. What the hell do I do now?
“You stabbed me on purpose.”
You bet I did. “Of course I didn’t. Do you want me to grab a towel? Maybe a bandage?”
He trembled, trying hard to keep his inner wolf in check. “Fuck. You clean up while I take care of this.”
But his hand was already healing. The blood had stopped flowing. More than anything else, he was trying to hide his healing ability from her. He scowled then pivoted on his heel and stalked out of the room and down the hallway.
She let out a hard breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Stabbing him had achieved two things. She’d gotten away from him, and she’d seen enough of a shift to know he was the real deal. Growls drifted from down the hallway. Had he gone ahead and shifted? Or were those his usual human-based growls? Suddenly, realization hit her. She was fooling around trying to get information, but if things went south, she’d have a werewolf shifting all the way. If he did, would he remember who she was? Would he even care? Or would he tear her apart?
“Um, Moses? I just remembered. I have a, um, thing I have to get done tonight. I’ll let myself out, okay?”
“What? You’re going to walk? That’s seven miles to Henrietta’s place.”
Shit. Why didn’t I drive?
“That’s okay. I could use the exercise.” Hearing him coming, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. “Don’t bother seeing me out.” His footsteps grew louder.
She flung the door open, ready to dash out of the house. Instead, she ran straight into Ryan.
“Hey, baby, what are you doing here?”
Had she mentioned going to dinner with Moses? She couldn’t remember. Besides, it didn’t matter now. All that was important was seeing Ryan, Thomas, and Grant. Their solid, hot bodies were a more-than-welcomed sight.
“What the fuck are you three doing here?”
Shit. Moses.
Slowly, she turned around. “Look. The guys are here.” Which sounded oh-so-good but oh-so-casual. As though she’d known them all her life. Yet, wasn’t it how she felt? Like she’d known them for a long, long time and had finally been reunited? Right now, they were both great guys she longed for and sexy heroes to the rescue.
“We came by to ask Moses a question,” said Grant. “How’d you hurt your hand, man?”
“Who are you? My fucking mother? Never mind about my fucking hand. You’re interrupting a private dinner.” Moses had placed a rag around his hand. “Get. Now.”
“But we need your help.”
Willa would’ve sworn that Thomas had almost choked on his words. She smothered back a grin. Had they come because they’d found out she was there?
Moses slipped his arm around her waist. She grimaced, a gesture the men didn’t miss.
“See, sugar, I’ve always got someone needing my advice. What’s the problem? And make it short.”
“We need you to handle a disagreement.” Ryan kept his attention on her and not on Moses. “We figured you could be the tie-breaker.”
Lame, guys. Lame.
“There are three of you. You already have a tie-breaker.”
Ryan looked sufficiently sheepish. “Um, I’m abstaining. That’s why we need you to decide the issue.”
“Then let’s get this over with. Willa and I want to be alone.”
Please don’t let me hurl my dinner.
The men hesitated, obviously trying to soak in the idea of her being alone with Moses. Judging from their tight expressions, they weren’t happy about it.
“Thomas wants to halter break a new horse, and I want to saddle train it first.”
She didn’t know much about horses and nothing about breaking them, but even she could see through Grant’s lie. It was as though he hadn’t given the ruse any thought.
“You’re fucking kidding me.” Moses laughed. “Damn, Grant, I knew you were a lousy rancher, but I never knew you were that shitty. You have to halter break a horse first. How else are you going to lead him around while he gets used to a saddle on his back? You three are fucking stupid. Or are you drunk?”
Thomas beamed. “See? I told you. Problem solved.”
“Good.” Moses grabbed the door, starting to close it.
“Wait.” She eased out of his arm then patted him on the arm, placating him. “Like I was saying, I need to get home.”
Moses stared at her, his anger seething under the surface. “For that thing you have to do.” His disbelief was palpable.
“Right. Exactly.” She stepped over the threshold and put her body in between Grant and Ryan. “So, yeah, I need to go.”
“Then I’ll take you.”
“No, that’s okay, Moses. I’m sure the guys will be happy to drop me off at Henrietta’s. Besides, you haven’t finished eating your dinner. I don’t want your food to get cold.”
“Nah, sugar. You’re my date, and I’ll be the one to get you—”
“Shit, no, man. Let us help you out. After all, you helped us.” “Yeah, we’ll take her home. Besides, Henrietta’s place is on the way to our ranch. No use in putting you out.” Ryan took her arm and tugged her off the front porch.
She would’ve found the scene comical if she hadn’t wanted to get away from Moses so badly. Hurrying beside Ryan, she glanced over her shoulder to f
ind a confused and irritated Moses watching them. “Thanks again for dinner, Moses.”
They piled into the pickup as fast as they could. As soon as they pulled away from the curb, they started laughing.
“That was the dumbest damn excuse I’ve ever heard.” Ryan put his foot on the gas, speeding up as they drove away.
“Yeah, Grant, I thought you could lie better than that,” added a laughing Thomas.
She pretended to be serious. “Really? It was a lie?” Grinning, she added, “But really. Thank you so much for getting me out of there.”
“I’ll be catching shit for days about that lame excuse, but it was worth it.” Grant eased next to her in the back seat. “Anything to get you away from that asshole.”
“Oh, he’s not so bad.” She laughed as the three of them gaped. “Okay, he is. I’m really glad you showed up when you did.”
“Consider us your knights in a pickup truck, baby.”
“How’d you know I was there?” Had they been watching her? Or had Henrietta told them? Or Betsy or Laney?
“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” asked Grant. “Fate’s a small town. Everyone knows everything about everyone. And if they don’t, they’ll soon find out.”
She gnawed on her bottom lip. Would they soon find out about her reason for coming to Fate?
They drove on for a little while in a comfortable silence. Comfortable, yet hot as hell. Glancing at the dashboard, she verified that the air conditioning was on, but it didn’t seem to be helping the steamy atmosphere filling the cab.
Her pulse pounded in her ears. Her libido went skyward. A nervous excitement filled her, making her squirm. Heat flooded between her legs, getting warmer and warmer until she was sure she’d spontaneously combust.
By the time they’d parked the truck outside Henrietta’s, she couldn’t stand it any longer. Taking hold of Grant’s shirt, she pulled him to her. “This is really bad, but I can’t hold back a moment longer.” She crushed her mouth to his. Her touch triggered the same need as he worked at her jeans, his hands frantic to find her pussy.
She clutched his hair and straddled him the moment he had her legs free of her jeans. Shoving his jeans down, he lifted her on top of him and brought her down hard. She cried out, as much in joy as in his cock suddenly pushing at her vaginal walls, demanding she spread wider. His hands gripped her ass as he thrust his cock into her, his hips moving like a well-oiled machine, up, down, up down.