Declaration of Courtship

by Nalini Singh

  Cooper's wolf huffed with laughter as both women cracked up, but damn it, he was jealous. He wanted to sneak a certain deliciously sexy engineer away for a lunchtime snack of his own, carpet burns optional. "Leaving aside Shamus's sex life," he said when the laughter subsided, "what about the novices?"

  "I like how they listen but still ask questions," Margot said. "Shows they're thinking for themselves without getting cocky."

  Vitoria nodded. "We were saying we could take the next class--we've taught that one before."

  "Great." It'd give him more time to court Grace. "I'll let Shamus know."

  When the women continued to look at him, he put down the water bottle he'd drained and raised an eyebrow.

  Margot's responding smile was playful. "Aw, come on, Coop. You know."

  "I know you two are best friends," he murmured, "but if you're offering what I think you're offering, I didn't know you were that close."

  Vitoria snorted. "We're not. We just figured we'd play fair and give each other the same shot. So?" A warm invitation in eyes of jade green brilliant against skin the color of pure, unadulterated coffee. "We've noticed you've been abstaining."

  Damn pack. Nosy as hell. "It's by choice," he said bluntly, knowing the women wouldn't take it as an insult, as he hadn't their affectionate offer to assuage his increasing touch hunger--a hunger focused on one woman and one woman only. He wanted Grace's hands on his body or no one's. "I'm taken."

  Two pairs of eyes lit up in unholy delight.

  "Do tell." Margot sidled closer. "We'll keep it a secret."

  He was the one who snorted this time. "Wolves gossip like old women." It was the flip side to their incredible loyalty--everyone wanted to poke his or her nose into everyone else's business. "I'll tell when I'm ready to tell." Not that it wouldn't become obvious soon enough. He didn't plan to pursue Grace in secret; he wasn't the subtle type. Though since he was meant to be on his best behavior, he'd try to give her a fraction more breathing room to get accustomed to the idea of him.

  "This should be fun." Vitoria actually rubbed her hands. "Who would dare give Coop the runaround?"

  "None of your business." It was a growl.

  Rising on her toes, Vitoria kissed him on the cheek, bracing her hand on his shoulder. "You know we only care because we love you."

  Another kiss on his opposite cheek, this one from Margot, the soldier tall enough that she didn't have to reach like Vitoria. "Soooooo...her name starts with...?"

  Laughing at their playful teasing, he snapped his teeth. "Out. I have things to do." A certain submissive wolf to catch.

  Vitoria and Margot made faces at him but obeyed the order. It left him alone in the training arena. The first thing he did was walk to the service door and pull it open. The luscious scent of ripe peaches warmed against a certain woman's creamy skin whispered into his lungs, strong enough that he knew she'd been here not long ago.

  His lips curved.

  His mood more cheerful than it had been for six long months, he shut the door and headed to his quarters to shower. Pulling on a pair of black cargo pants and an olive green T-shirt afterward, he ran a hand over his chin, felt the stubble, and decided to shave. That done, he slapped on some aftershave, figured it was the best he'd ever look. Pretty he wasn't.

  What if Grace liked pretty?

  Biting back a growl, he grabbed the little box he'd been hoarding for over seven weeks. He was about to walk out the door when he realized that the moment his packmates spotted the shimmery blue wrapping paper and silver bow, they'd stalk him with brazen relish. Digging out the small backpack he used to carry his water and food when he wanted to go into the forest in human form, he stowed the box inside and slung the pack over his shoulder.

  Several people said hello as he walked through the den, and he returned the greeting but didn't stop. No one paid him much mind when he knocked on Grace's door--everyone was used to seeing him talk to people from different parts of the den, and in the absence of her two immediate superiors, Grace was the one in charge of her department.

  "Just a second!" In spite of her words, it took Grace at least two minutes to open the door, and from her flustered expression and damp hair, she'd been in the shower.

  The image of her creamy skin soap slick and slippery wasn't good for Cooper's self-control. Patience, he snarled at himself, wrenching so hard on the reins that his wolf yipped in protest and his voice came out a near growl. "Can I come in?"

  Chapter 4

  CONSCIOUS AT ONCE that he might just have screwed up his attempt at a gentle courtship, he said, "Or we can go outside." Where he could talk her into skin privileges of the sinful kind.

  Cheeks flushed with soft color he wanted to lick up, she stepped back. "No, here's fine."

  Not giving her time to change her mind, he slipped inside and nudged the door until it was almost closed, creating the privacy he craved. "Hey." Finally alone with her, her scent caressing his skin, he felt a fraction more in control.

  Grace tucked the damp curls of her hair behind her ear, her smile shy. "Hey."

  Pulling off his backpack, he unzipped it to retrieve the box. "I got this for you." He'd never courted anyone before, didn't know if he was supposed to work up to this, but he wanted to give her a present and didn't see the point in pretending otherwise.

  A startled look out of chocolate brown eyes before her lashes shaded her expression again. He couldn't wait until she held his gaze anytime she felt like it, though he knew it would take staggering trust on her part--an acceptance that he'd never see any such eye contact as a challenge on the pack level, even were they in the midst of a blazing fight. It was a significant accommodation, but one his wolf was more than willing to make. Neither part of him wanted his woman to feel at any kind of a disadvantage in a relationship.

  Of course, he thought as she accepted the gift with a husky "thank you," if she felt the urge to challenge him on the private male/female level, he'd pick up the gauntlet in a heartbeat. The thought of Grace trusting him enough to play with him on such an intimate level made his entire body tighten in need.

  "Here." He held out his hand for the ribbon she'd untied.

  When she handed it over with a deeper smile, he dared step an inch closer, his wolf brushing against his skin. She proved as impatient with presents as he was--the paper tore, and a few seconds later, she held the box in her hands.

  Taking the paper, he watched as she removed the lid of the box. Nestled against the white satin within, the blue glass of the bracelet almost glowed, the tiny daisies captured in each of the square links appearing to have been picked but a moment ago.

  "Oh!" A captivated gasp. "How did you know?"

  He grinned, smug, and shoving the used paper and ribbon into his backpack, let it drop to the floor. "I have my ways." He'd seen daisies in the vase she kept in her office, had noticed she sometimes wore a dress patterned with the same flower--a floaty, summery thing that made him want to tumble her into his lap and demand a hundred laughing kisses. "You want me to do it up for you?"

  "Thank you, Cooper."

  He could listen to her lips shape his name forever. Muscles taut against the urge to cuddle her close, his own personal bundle of warm, trusting woman, he went to do up the clasp. His fingers appeared too big, too clumsy for the task--as they appeared too rough to touch Grace. He knew differently, knew he'd never hurt her. "There." Keeping hold of her hand, he brushed his thumb over her skin.

  She shivered, but didn't pull away. "I shouldn't keep it. It's too much."

  Her skin was so soft, so appealing to stroke that he did it again. "It's normal to give flowers during courtship."

  "I can't lie," she admitted with a delighted smile that hit him straight in the heart, "I love it already. I'll wear it all the time."

  God, but he wanted to cover that luscious mouth with his own, taste her long and deep. Slow goddamnit, slow. "Will you come for a walk with me?" he asked, keeping his eyes scrupulously off the bed he could glimpse behi
nd a shoji screen patterned with shoots of green bamboo. "We can sneak out through the access tunnel to the back entrance." Though he wanted everyone, particularly the unmated males, to know she was off-limits, Grace wasn't the hard-ass he was, would find the attention difficult to deal with.

  Smile turning a little shy, she said, "Let me tie back my hair and change."

  The thought of her silky-skinned and naked beyond the thin barrier of a single doorway annihilated his attempt at good behavior. "I think you look edible." Since he'd already blown it, he surrendered to need and took a deep breath, barely resisting the urge to nuzzle at her throat. "Peaches. You smell like lush, ripe peaches. Can I take just a little bite?"

  Grace's skin glowed with color, but instead of shying or backing off in fear, she pointed to the door. Grinning because his submissive wolf had just proven she could handle him fine even when he was bad, he went. "I'll be waiting."

  *

  GRACE leaned against the door after Cooper exited, taking jerky breath after jerky breath. God, he was dangerous--even more so when he turned on that rough charm.

  "Can I take just a little bite?"

  Swallowing her whimper, she put herself in motion, changing out of the sweats she'd thrown on at Cooper's knock and into jeans paired with a soft cashmere cardigan in a rich raspberry shade that felt exquisite against her skin. If she planned to play with a wolf as strong and aggressive as Cooper, she had to learn to cope with the fact that he was going to push. Hard. It was in his nature.

  "I did cope," she muttered, tying the laces on her boots with jagged moves after quickly braiding her hair. "I didn't turn tail and run, did I?" No, she'd made her opinion plain...and he'd listened. The big, teasing wolf who outranked every single person in the den had obeyed her silent order without the least protest.

  It was a gift as wonderful as the whimsical bracelet on her wrist.

  Hope a rich spice in her blood, she walked out to discover he'd moved to the end of the corridor, was chatting with Shamus, who--from the container in his hand--had made a run to the kitchen to pick up a slice of key lime pie. While Grace didn't know the senior soldier well, she'd become close friends with his mate, Emma, after meeting the sweet maternal dominant at the book club Vivienne organized once a month. So she knew the pie was Emma's favorite, as was lipstick in a particular shade of vibrant red, a trace of which marked Shamus's jaw. It made Grace smile, seeing how crazy they were for one another.

  "Off for a walk?" Shamus asked with an inquiring glance when she halted beside Cooper.

  Cooper answered before she could become flustered. "I thought I'd point out one of the evacuation routes to Grace in case of emergency."

  Shamus threw back his head in a belly laugh, his thick brown hair catching the light. "And I was about to say it was a romantic night. Have fun."

  Waving good-bye, they waited until he was out of sight before entering the narrow access corridor that led to a rarely used exit. Though kissed by a cool wind that promised rain, the night was as lovely as Shamus had said, the satin black of the sky dotted with what appeared to be a million stars.

  Cooper's hand closed over hers. "First, so I'm not a liar, there's the start of the evac route." He pointed northeast. "Okay?"

  "I already know the routes," she said, heart thudding at the skin-to-skin contact. "It's part of the welcome-to-the-den module for submissives." Submissives were the ones charged with evacuating the pups should it ever become necessary to abandon the den because of hostilities, while the soldiers held the line of defense.

  "Good thing Shamus doesn't know that," he said as he tugged her into the trees, stroking his thumb over her skin in that maddening, arousing way. "I think you'll like this."

  Her wolf wide-eyed and watchful, she walked quietly beside him through a natural passageway created by two near-perfect rows of trees, their branches twining to form a lacy canopy, the stars visible in glittering glimpses. However, it wasn't the velvet night that held her attention, but the predator by her side. The one who'd claimed her hand, claimed skin privileges, in a way that shouted possession.

  The thought of belonging to Cooper made her wolf pad around her skin in a confusion of panic and delight once more. But neither part of her wanted to be anywhere but here, in this exhilarating, exquisite instant. Maybe this courtship was ridiculous and impossible and bound for failure, but she wasn't going to give up on it, give up on Cooper, without trying her damndest.

  "Here." His body brushed hers as he brought her to a stop in what appeared to be a small clearing. "Do you smell it?"

  "Yes." Ripe, juicy blackberries.

  Reaching out to pluck a berry from one of the canes that surrounded them, he brushed it across her lips. "Open for me, beautiful, sexy Grace."

  Her toes curled inside her boots at that low-voiced request, a liquid kind of heat in her abdomen. Parting her lips, she allowed him to feed her the plump fruit, the juices bursting inside her mouth. When he picked off more, fed her decadent berry by decadent berry, she didn't protest. And when he spread his legs and tugged her closer, she went, her wolf quivering at the risk.

  He ran a berry across her lower lip, painting it with the juice as the masculine heat of his body seeped into her every cell, and his face blocked out the night. "I'm going to kiss you." His voice vibrated where her breasts pressed against the strength of his chest, making her nipples ache. "Don't say no."

  Releasing her hand when she remained silent at the rough-voiced request, he tipped up her chin with his fingers and suckled on her juice-drenched lower lip. The sweet, hot sensation was over almost before she knew it, her eyes fluttering open. He returned for another suckling taste, coaxing her closer as he did so. "Mmm." It was a sound of deep male pleasure, his hand sliding from her chin to cup the side of her neck. "You taste delicious." This time, his lips covered hers, the kiss an intimate seduction.

  She clenched her hands on his chest as she rose toward his sinful mouth, felt the flex of warm, tensile muscle beneath the cotton of his T-shirt. Groaning, he licked his tongue across the seam of her lips, one of his hands coming to lie against her lower back, the rigid heat of his erection pushing against her abdomen--

  Claws pricking the insides of her skin, the wolf threatening to take control.

  Jerking back, she gasped in the cool night air. Her breasts felt swollen, the place between her legs damp, and she had no doubt Cooper had scented the musk of her arousal. But that wasn't the sole emotion in play, her wolf's sudden, wrenching realization of the violent strength of the predator who held her a visceral punch to the gut.

  The wolf didn't want to run. It knew such an action would never work, that it would only enrage the predator. Instead, it demanded she lie down, let Cooper do what he would, its deep-rooted survival instincts colliding against her human need to make a conscious choice. It was all she could do to hold back the impulse to bare her throat to the male whose scent lingered rich and wild in her mouth; to whimper in primal submission--a submission that would end this relationship before it began, because that kind of mindless surrender would humiliate her and horrify Cooper.

  "This isn't going to work." The words came out ragged, regret a hollowness inside her chest that caused a true physical hurt. "I'm too submissive."

  Cooper, having remained motionless thus far, shifted to pluck a berry off the plant near him and pop it into his mouth. She watched him swallow, wanted to trace the movement down the tendons of his neck with her lips, lick up the dark amber and rich earth of his scent. When she finally dragged her eyes back up to his face, his lips were curved. "It'll work," he murmured, eating another berry. "It might require lots and lots of foreplay, but it'll work."

  "Cooper." Turning away from the raw sexuality of him, she shoved a berry into her own mouth to give herself time to think. "If--"

  "No ifs," he murmured in a tone that spoke of the dominant he was. "Not yet. Even if you can't trust me in any other way, trust me in this--the instant your wolf overwhelms you without your conscious voli
tion, I'll stop."

  She felt him come closer, but he didn't bury his face in her neck as she craved, even though she knew her wolf was in no state to accept the searing intimacy of having him near her jugular. Even now, it buried its head in its paws, sad and scared and wanting all at once. "How will you know?" she asked, unable to hide the tremor of hope in her voice.

  "I guess it's part of what makes me a lieutenant--being able to sense when the wolf is close to a packmate's skin."

  She shuddered in relief. "Always?"

  "Always." The barest touch on her hip. "Have you eaten?"

  "No." Her stomach had been too full of butterflies after that scorching instant of eye contact in the training arena. "I'm hungry." A hesitant invitation, should he want to take it.

  Knuckles brushing down her cheek. "I can't wait to feed you." A low purr of a statement that made her breath catch, her heartbeat accelerate.

  "You earned your reputation, didn't you?" It came out husky.

  He tapped her lower lip with a finger. "Play with me and I'll teach you all sorts of bad, bad things...but you're only ever allowed to do them to me."

  Grace knew she was in trouble. Big, sexy, dangerous trouble.

  Chapter 5

  AFTER DRIVING GRACE home from dinner in the pounding rain that was the leading edge of an unforeseen storm front, Cooper had expected to spend the night tossing and turning as a result of extended sexual frustration. And hey, he wasn't against some hot, erotic dreams featuring his favorite engineer. However pleasure wasn't what awaited him when he fell into bed.

  At first, all he could hear was rain.

  He was sitting under a lee of rock outside the den, sheltered and snug from the cold droplets, enjoying its music. He'd always liked rain until that night. Every so often, he'd twitch his tail to shoo away a suicidal crow he couldn't be bothered to snap his teeth at--

  --and then he was in human form on a long, slick road, watching two huge lights bearing down on him. He wasn't afraid. He knew who they were, and that they'd stop.

  They did.

  Opening the door, he got into the backseat as if it was an ordinary thing to get into a car from the middle of the road. His mother turned, laughing at something his father had said as she reached out a hand toward Cooper, the pearl earrings she so loved flashing in the flickering firelight.