by Elena Aitken
Starting at her neck, he kissed and rubbed his way down her body. Judging by the moans that got increasingly louder, Chloe was enjoying his attentions almost as much as he was. He moved to the soft globes of her ass and kneaded and massaged, occasionally slipping one hand between her legs to tease her clit.
“Luke, I can’t take it.” She wiggled her hips as she ground herself into the mattress beneath her, seeking release for the pressure he’d built in her.
Without pause, Luke delivered a smack to one cheek, just hard enough to make a point and leave a sweet pink spot that made his dick swell painfully. “I don’t think so, babe. Your release will be mine to give.”
She twisted her head around; she looked so goddamn sexy with her hair tousled, the need in her eyes heavy and her breath coming in pants, Luke knew he wasn’t going to be able to wait much longer. But first, he needed to make her his.
He slipped his hand between her legs again, finding her wetter than before. Knowing how turned on she was only increased his own need for her. She squeezed her eyes shut and groaned at his touch. He slid one finger inside her wet heat, and then another, rotating slowly. Torturously slowly. With his free hand, he rubbed her pink ass and gave it another light smack for good measure. Chloe’s body reacted instantly. She was close to climax, but he needed her to wait. Just a little bit longer.
Increasing his rhythm inside her, he bent to kiss the spot he’d reddened on her ass. The moment his lips touched her skin, Chloe’s body tensed around his fingers; his bear roared to life and he knew it was time. As she reached her climax and screamed out her release, Luke bit down into her sweet, soft flesh and finally claimed what was his.
Chapter Eleven
Waking up cuddled into Luke’s chest, his arm draped protectively over her, may have been the best thing Chloe had ever experienced. Well, close to the best thing. Her body vibrated just remembering the way they’d come together the night before. The sex between them had always been phenomenal, but last night was different. They were mated, and she wasn’t sure how it was possible, but everything between them now—every touch, every kiss, every…everything—was magnified. And finally her thoughts were clear. The cloud that had hung over her, muddling her thoughts ever since she’d met Luke, was gone. Her instincts were crisp once again.
She stretched her arms over her head and tried to wiggle away from Luke so she could slip out without waking him. She moved an inch and his arm squeezed her tight to him.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Chloe rolled over so she was half lying on his chest. “I was going to go see if you had any coffee in that kitchen.” She bent to kiss his cheek, but Luke grabbed her face and pulled her in for a completely different kind of good morning kiss.
“Good morning.” She drew out the words playfully.
“It absolutely is.” Luke squeezed her close again. “There’s nothing better than waking up next to you. My mate.” His hand slipped down her bare back and cupped her ass gently. “How does it feel?”
She narrowed her eyes in faux anger and smiled. When he’d bitten her the night before, she’d been shocked and also completely overwhelmed with the orgasm it elicited. Sure, she knew what mating entailed, but she hadn’t really thought about what it really meant, and she certainly hadn’t thought he would choose her ass cheek as his mark.
“It’s a little sore.”
He rubbed his hand over the spot, gingerly tracing one finger along the tooth marks. “Sorry about that.”
“No you’re not.”
“You’re right. I’m not.” He grinned and she smacked him lightly against the chest. “You’re mine, babe. All mine.”
The words once would have caused her panic, but so much had changed in such a short period, and the actual act of mating had left her feeling more content than she’d ever felt in her whole life. “And you’re mine.”
He growled and with an ease that took her breath from her lungs, flipped her over until he straddled her, his strong arms caging her in. “And the very first thing I’m going to do with my mate is—”
A sharp knock on the front door was followed by Kade’s voice. “Luke? Chloe?”
“Shit,” Luke grumbled in protest, but didn’t move.
“You two better be up.” Kade’s voice got louder as his footsteps approached. “And you better be decent.” There was a sharp rap on the bedroom door and it swung open. “Oh shit.” Kade shook his head but didn’t look away.
Chloe felt a blush burn up her cheeks, but she knew Luke’s body sheltered all but her face from Kade’s view.
“I’m going to guess by the…well…” Kade waved his arm in their direction. “Well, are you mated or what?”
“We are. Now if you wouldn’t mind, I have things I need to be doing to my mate, if you could close the door on your way out.”
Kade bent and picked up a t-shirt from the floor before he threw it at Luke. “No can do, big brother. We have that little matter of the wolves to deal with. I assume you both have clear heads, so we can get started.”
Chloe and Luke groaned at the same time.
“I’m sure you guys will survive.”
“Give me ten minutes while you get Axel.”
“No deal, Luke. Axel isn’t coming. Something about Harper being sick.”
Chloe was instantly worried about her friend, but Kade kept talking.
“She’ll be fine, but Axel thought it was best if he stayed with her. So it’s just us.”
Chloe patted Luke’s chest. “He’s right. We’ll have time later for…well, for everything.”
He kissed her hard and thoroughly. “You bet your sweet ass we will.” Right in front of his brother, Luke jumped out of the bed, being sure to keep Chloe covered from Kade’s eyes, and pulled the t-shirt over his head before bending for his jeans. “Okay,” he said to Kade. “Let’s do this. What’s the plan?”
“I don’t like it.”
Luke paced the great room in front of the fireplace. Kade had just laid out the plan for setting up and busting Darryl Ackerman about his role in the setup and Luke didn’t like it. Not one bit.
“It’s the only way.” Axel had joined them for the planning session and Chloe had gone to sit with Harper for a few minutes to let the brothers sort things out.
“Bullshit.”
“Okay,” Axel conceded. “It’s the best way.”
“No.” Luke shook his head. “There’s no way I’m letting you put my mate at risk like that. If it were Harper, there’s no way you’d let her risk herself like that. And you know it.” There had to be a better plan because so far the only thing they’d come up with involved way too much risk on Chloe’s part.
“Luke.” Kade stepped in front of him, stopping his pacing. “It’s the only way. It doesn’t have to get dangerous.”
“It doesn’t have—”
“It won’t get dangerous,” Axel jumped in. “I mean really. If this Darryl wanted to take it to that level, he would have. It seems to me that he’s taking a very mellow approach to sabotage.”
“Mellow?”
Luke felt anything but mellow. Especially if it meant his mate was going to have to be anywhere near the asshole who’d started all of this. He didn’t want anything to do with it. Axel was right: now that he’d mated, his instincts were crystal-clear and they roared for him to keep Chloe far away from the wolves.
“Luke, we need to put an end to this right now.”
“The sooner the better.”
His brothers stood before him, a unified front. Luke trusted them both with his life. He knew they’d never make a decision that would hurt him or his mate. Not intentionally. But that was fine in theory. It was a different thing completely to put into practice now that it wasn’t only himself he had to think of. “No.” He crossed his arms over his chest in a showdown. “I don’t care what the fuck you say. It’s not happening. Chloe’s not doing it.”
“I’m not doing what?” She came up behind him and wrapped her
arms around his waist. “What am I not doing?”
“It doesn’t—”
“Meeting with Darryl,” Kade cut him off. If Chloe hadn’t been holding onto him, Luke would have torn his baby brother’s head off for saying anything. Kade continued as if he hadn’t noticed Luke was ready to take him down. “We have a plan to get Darryl to confess to planting the garbage. It’s the easiest way to get it done quickly without much drama.”
“But?” Chloe aimed the question to Luke.
It was Axel who answered. “But Luke doesn’t think you can handle it.”
Luke growled, baring his teeth before he pulled it together. “That’s not true,” he said to Chloe. “I know you can handle it. I just don’t want that mangy wolf anywhere near you.”
Chloe smiled and swallowed a laugh. “I can do this, Luke.” She turned to the brothers. “And if it’s the easiest way…”
“It is.”
“Then let’s do it.”
“Chloe, no—”
She spun around so she stood in front of him, and gently tipped his head down to hers. “Luke, I’m a big girl. I can do this.” He opened his mouth to object, but as he was doing it, he knew there was no way he would change her mind. She was stubborn and strong and so damn capable. But she was also…his. He kissed her hard.
“Okay.”
Chloe gave him the sexiest smile and turned around in his arms. “So, what do we have to do?”
He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to him, but he wouldn’t stop her from participating. Not if it was what she really wanted to do.
“It’s simple, really,” Kade started to lay out the plan. “We’re ninety-five percent sure that Darryl Ackerman is behind all this.”
“One hundred percent,” Luke clarified.
Kade ignored him. “So we’ll get you to call him and set up a meeting. Once you meet with him, you’ll show him the pictures of the garbage, make up a story about how a team is going to be coming up and doing a further investigation into the Ridge as well as surrounding properties.”
“Surrounding properties?”
Axel nodded and stepped forward. “Plant the idea that there was something suspicious in the findings that may link the surrounding properties to the problem. We want to get him flustered so maybe he’ll slip up.”
“He didn’t strike me as exactly the sharpest guy around,” Luke said. “He’ll panic.”
Chloe nodded. “Okay, that sounds simple enough. I assume I’ll be recording it all.”
“Absolutely. And we’ll be right outside to make sure nothing will go wrong.”
Luke glared at his little brother. “Nothing will go wrong.”
“Sounds simple enough.” Chloe stepped away from Luke’s arms. “Let’s get started right away. What are we waiting for?”
It did sound simple. But it was one thing to talk about something and another thing entirely when it was your woman who was the bait. It didn’t matter what anyone said—Luke didn’t like it.
The call was made. Darryl had agreed to meet with Chloe at the Station, the only bar in town. If he’d had his choice, Luke would have chosen any other number of places other than the sleazy bar. But it had been Darryl’s choice—of course it had—and when they thought about it, it meant there’d be enough other people around that Darryl wouldn’t be able to try anything, and Luke and his brothers would be close enough to step in if anything went sideways.
Not that it would.
But just in case.
Everything was set up and ready to go. Luke had come down to the bar early, to make sure everything was set up and ready to go. Chloe would have to drive herself just in case Darryl happened to see her, and Kade and Axel should be joining him any time. He glanced at his watch again. They still weren’t there and the meeting was set to start in less than fifteen minutes.
“Dammit, Kade.”
He’d set up camp in the bar’s kitchen, and made more than one mental note to never eat there again. He may have enjoyed a plate of nachos once or twice with his brothers, but after seeing firsthand the level of hygiene standards, or in this case, the lack of standards, that wouldn’t be happening again. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and was ready to dial his brother’s number when the kitchen door opened and he walked in.
Alone.
“Where’s Axel?”
Kade shook his head. “He wouldn’t leave Harper. She’s throwing up and can’t keep anything down. He’s almost as bad as you with his mate.”
Luke growled, but ignored him. He had enough to worry about. “Did you see Chloe before you left?”
“Oh, I saw her.”
“What the hell does that—”
“Look for yourself.” Kade deftly dodged his brother and pointed to the swinging door that led to the bar. With a grunt, Luke went to the grimy circle of glass and peered through it for a second before he pushed the door open just enough to get a better look.
“What the hell?” Kade yanked him back into the kitchen. “You can’t risk anyone seeing you. Get in here.” His little brother shoved him back and Luke had to stuff his hands into his back pockets to keep from hitting him. Or more likely, storming out to the vinyl booth where his woman sat, wearing the tightest, lowest cut shirt he’d ever seen on her. Hell, he could see every curve, even from a distance. It wasn’t that he objected to seeing any of her luscious body: he objected to Darryl seeing it.
“What is she…where did she…”
“Settle down, big brother, and control your bear before you cause a scene.” Kade gestured to the pimple-faced dishwasher who watched them with open curiosity. “She borrowed it from Harper. Something about her best blouse being ruined.”
Luke’s dick throbbed from the memory of ruining that very blouse. He shook his head and tried to focus. Darryl should be arriving in a moment and the sooner they got this over with, the sooner he could take his mate and get the hell out of here.
He took a breath and paced the kitchen again.
“If you can put your bear away long enough, we can get this done.” Kade pulled out his phone. “Let’s do a quick test.” They’d set Chloe up with a little mic that was linked to an app on both her phone and both of theirs that would allow them to listen in to the conversation but would also record it on her phone so they’d get the evidence they needed.
They opened the apps and immediately the sounds of the bar filled the kitchen. It was loud. Too loud. The brothers looked at each other, both thinking the same thing.
“Hey.” Luke waved at a waitress who was loading plates of greasy-looking burgers on her tray. “I need you to do something.”
She put the plate she was holding down and stuck her hip out. “I’ll do anything you want me to, handsome. Name it.”
A wave of something that felt strangely close to nausea washed through him at the idea of any woman who wasn’t Chloe doing anything at all to him. “Not like that, sweetheart. I need you to take an order for me.”
“I like orders.” She lowered her lids and thrust out her tits.
He heard Kade’s chuckle behind him. The little shit was enjoying this. “No,” he said more forcefully. “There’s a woman sitting alone in the booth out there and—”
“If you’re into that kind of—”
“No.” Luke crashed his hands down on the stainless-steel counter but the sound didn’t drown out Kade’s laughter behind him. He’d deal with him later. “Go take her order for a drink or food or something.”
Finally getting the point, the waitress straightened up, her seductive look totally replaced by the anger of being rejected. “Whatever.”
“Please,” he added, forcing himself to stay calm. “I’m sure my brother here would love to buy you a drink later as a thank-you.”
His words had the double and satisfactory result of shutting Kade up and making the waitress happy enough to do his bidding. She blew a kiss in Kade’s direction and with her hips swinging widely, left the dinner order behind and sauntered out into
the bar.
“I’m going to kill you.”
“Whatever.” Luke ignored him and turned his attention to his phone again. “Let’s see if we can actually hear anything.”
Kade swallowed back whatever he was going to say and pulled his own cell phone out.
The eighties metal music muffled most of the voices, but if they listened hard they could sort of make out the waitress asking Chloe whether she wanted anything to drink. Then Chloe’s voice, clearer, ordered a Sprite. And then, “Oh. You must be Darryl.”
“Hi…you…Chloe…beer…sugar.” The brothers looked at each other. The feed was too hard to make out. Kade went to the door and looked through the window. He turned around and nodded at Luke to confirm it. Darryl Ackerman was there and they couldn’t hear a damn thing.
The moment he sat down, Chloe knew they had the right guy. Darryl Ackerman was definitely responsible for setting up Grizzly Ridge and the Jackson brothers. She couldn’t say how she knew, but her instincts screamed at her that he was not only responsible, but he was also not a good guy. The way he squeezed her hand a little too long when she held it out to him in introduction and then stared a little too long down the cleavage of her shirt didn’t help her impression.
“I’m glad you could meet with me, Mr. Ackerman.”
“Darryl.”
“Darryl,” she repeated for the benefit of the recording that she hoped was working. “Darryl Ackerman.”
“That’s me.”
“Right.” She took a deep breath and tried to look a lot more relaxed than she felt. She hadn’t been nervous at all until the moment he walked into the dodgy bar. She could smell the wolf in him. He was mangy and more than a bit on the wild side. He made the hairs on the back of her neck bristle. But she wouldn’t let him see her discomfort. She could do her job. Play her role. “I wanted to talk to you about what I found on the Ridge.”
“You found something.” It wasn’t a question.
“I did,” she continued seamlessly and shifted in her seat in an effort to draw his gaze back up to her eyes. She knew Harper’s top probably wasn’t the best choice for the meeting. But it gave her a good spot to tuck the mic where it wouldn’t be muffled and as long as he didn’t look too hard, he shouldn’t be able to see it nestled between her breasts. It was more than a little disconcerting to have him so openly admiring her body, but Chloe wasn’t totally without skills of her own. If he was distracted enough, she could use it to her benefit. She leaned over slightly. Just enough. “But first I wanted to ask you a few questions that might help us understand what exactly we’re looking at.”
