by Elena Aitken
“Put me down!”
“No.”
A sense of calm that he hadn’t felt since he’d arrived a few days earlier, and her sexy ass had walked into that campground shower, washed through him. He walked toward the river.
“Nash! Put me down right now!”
“No.”
“So help me…” He held her tighter with his arm, enjoying the feel of her ample breasts pressed against his back, the core of her squirming against his shoulder. It was a feeling he could get used to. Not that she would let him carry her around again. But, you never knew what could happen…
Nash strode into the river until the water, still icy from the mountain runoff, hit the top of his thighs. The cold water did nothing to dampen his desire, but he knew it would have the desired effect on Kira. Before she realized what his intentions were, Nash released his grip on Kira and dumped her into the rushing water.
He would not do it!
By the time Kira’s brain caught up with her body, and she realized that not only would Nash dump her in the water, he had just done it, it was too late to form any other thought. All she could see was a haze of red anger in her vision as she splashed and sputtered in the cold river.
Fortunately for Nash, the river flowed fast enough that Kira moved quickly downstream from where he’d so unceremoniously dumped her. If she’d surfaced, sputtering and pissed off, anywhere within striking range of him, he wouldn’t be standing there with that grin that, at that particular moment, looked a whole lot more annoying than it did sexy.
“What the hell, Nash?” Kira hoisted herself up and gained her footing in the quick-moving water. “Are you trying to lose your job?”
His grin only got bigger if it was possible, and with a ridiculously quick stride, he closed some of the distance between them. But not all of it; he was smarter than that. “If you could take my job, you would have done it already. Am I right?”
Kira clenched her hands into fists at her side. Water dripped down her face. Damn him for seeing right through her. Damn him for getting to her. And damn him for knowing there wasn’t a goddamn thing she could do about it. What was more, the icy water had done nothing to erase the surge of desire that had been pulsing through her body from the moment he picked her up and pressed her against his shoulder.
Dammit.
Afraid she’d say something that would give her away, Kira took a moment, ran her hands through her hair, pasting the wet strands against her head, in an attempt to regain as much composure as she could before she turned and attempted to gracefully stalk out of the river to the opposite bank. It would take her farther away from the camp office, into the woods, but there was no way she was going to go back to face her staff when she was soaking wet. Especially not considering Nash would most certainly be right behind her and more than willing to tell the tale of how she’d ended up that way.
No way.
“The office is that way.”
“I know exactly where the office is,” Kira spat over her shoulder. Her boot slipped on a rock and she almost went face-first back into the river but Nash’s strong hand on her upper arm held her fast. She straightened up and shook him off. “Let go of me.”
“I was just trying to help.”
Kira stepped quickly out of the river and onto the safety of the bank before she spun around to face him. “Really? Is that what you were doing by throwing me into the river? Helping me? Because if you were, you have a pretty messed up way of showing it.”
Before he could respond, she turned and stalked into the trees.
He didn’t say anything, but Kira could feel his nearness. Her entire body was ice-cold from the water. So why did her skin feel as though it were burning up? What was it about this wolf?
She needed to get farther away. She needed to get as far away from him as she could. If she shifted into her bear, she might be able to outrun him, or at the very least challenge him. There was no way a wolf would be able to go up against a grizzly. Not even one as cocky and arrogant as Nash.
But she wasn’t going to shift. There was no point and it would only do more harm than good in the long run. Besides, she’d decided months ago to stop even attempting to get in touch with her bear.
And her brother.
She wouldn’t even try to deny that after leaving Ryan and his clan, shifting into her animal had more to do with trying to reconnect with her twin brother and her clan back home than anything else. It had everything to do with that.
But she wouldn’t. Not anymore.
The only way to get rid of this asshole would be to confront him. Anger welled up inside her to the point Kira thought she might explode. As soon as she was in the protection of the pines, she whirled around to face him.
“Leave me alone.” She forced the words out through gritted teeth.
His lips flicked up into what might have been the start of a smile. Fortunately, he was smart enough to stifle it, or Kira would have wiped it right off his face.
“I’m not trying to piss you off, Kira.”
He almost sounded genuine. Maybe he was, but she was definitely not in the mood to figure it out either way. But something about his voice stopped her. Or maybe she was just tired of being mad and trying to keep this feeling from completely consuming her. Either way, the fight sank out of her and she dropped her hands to her sides.
“Then why are you following me? Just leave me alone.” She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. The very last thing she wanted to do was show any kind of weakness to Nash. She’d learned to swallow her tears very early on, growing up with three brothers. “I just want to be alone.”
Nash took a step toward her. “I don’t believe that.”
She shook her head. “I don’t care what you—”
“I think you do.” He took another step closer but she didn’t back away. “I think you care a lot about what I think.”
It was such a strange and intimate thing for him to say. Especially considering from the moment they’d met, she’d tried to push him away.
Maybe that was why? Maybe Nash knew exactly what had been going through her head from the moment Kira had laid eyes on him.
He reached out; his fingers wrapped around a thick, wet strand of hair that had escaped her braid. He tucked it behind her ear. At that exact moment, a flood of heat pooled between her legs. Kira’s knees almost buckled from the intensity of the simple touch and the explosion of sensation it caused within her.
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to shake her head, but his hand cupped around her cheek.
“Kira—”
“No.” She struggled to keep her breath slow and even. His proximity was wreaking havoc with her. She’d never experienced anything like it. Not even with Ryan, and he’d been her fated mate. At least that’s what she’d thought before he’d dumped her and left her with nowhere to go.
“Kira.” Nash’s voice was as tender as his touch had been. “Look at me.”
Despite herself, she did. His steely, gray eyes were inches from her. So close that she could see there were flecks of black and green in them. Like marbles. They were captivating, and they were staring directly into her soul.
“I’m sorry I threw you in the river.” He spoke softly and she believed him. “I just wanted you to stop for one minute and see that I’m not the enemy.”
“You’re a wolf.”
The corner of his mouth flicked up into a slow smile that caused another wave of desire to crash through her. “I’m aware.”
“I’m a bear.”
“Again,” he said. “I’m aware.”
“That’s…it…”
“What?”
What? How could he even ask that? How could such a casual question come out of his mouth when it was so obvious? He was a wolf. She was a bear. Two very separate and distinct species and although Kira honestly didn’t know how it worked in Yellowstone, where she came from, that was a problem. A real one.
“I like you, Kira.” His words
sent a sizzle through her veins. “And I get the feeling you might like me, too.” His eyes danced with mischief. “At least a little.”
She swallowed hard. There was no point denying anything. Not when it was so obvious to both of them. “That doesn’t mean it’s okay,” she said instead.
“Says who?” Nash took a step back and held his arms out. “Is there anyone around here telling us it’s a problem?” He spun in a slow circle. And then faster. “Hello?” he called out, his voice laced with laughter. “Does anyone out there object to a wolf and a bear being friends?”
Kira jumped at him and clasped her hand over his mouth. “Quiet.”
“Who’s going to hear?” Nash laughed and removed her hand, holding it in his. “We’re in the middle of the forest.”
For the first time, she looked around. They’d walked a lot farther than she’d intended. Kira always had underestimated how fast she could travel when her emotions were heated. And he was right; there was no one around to hear them. She’d really noticed that about Yellowstone. At least around the main campgrounds, the tourists stuck pretty close to the public areas and didn’t venture off the beaten track very much. The park services group did a good job drilling it into everyone’s head that the animals were wild and their area should be protected. Ultimately, it led to a lot of privacy, as far as shifters were concerned. And at that very moment, it meant that Kira and Nash were very much alone.
Her hand was still in his. The touch that should have been so simple was lighting her up and causing all of her senses to go haywire.
“In fact,” Nash said. “If I kissed you right now,” he tugged her closer, “no one would ever know.” His lips were so close to hers she could feel the warm puffs of air when he spoke.
“We’d know,” she said in a lame attempt to deter his advances.
He licked his lips. “Oh baby, I guarantee we’ll know. And it won’t be something either of us will forget anytime soon.”
Nash’s free hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her into him until her lips crushed against his. There was nothing soft or tentative about the kiss. It was all passion and need, and it only took a second before Kira’s hands found his shoulders, pulling him even closer into her.
His tongue pushed between her lips, exploring her mouth, twisting together with hers. She moaned, or maybe it was him. She couldn’t be sure and she didn’t care because it was the single best kiss she’d ever had.
For a moment—a long, delicious moment—she let herself fall into the sensation of it all. But when it got to be too much, Kira put an end to it.
She stepped back, pulling herself just far enough away from him that she could pull in a deep breath. Her fingers went to her lips. Confusion raced through her.
Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. At least it wasn’t just her who was trying to regain her composure. Nash was clearly just as affected by their kiss as she’d been.
Finally, he spoke first. “I knew there was something,” he said. “But…you…damn. You have every natural instinct inside me going crazy, woman.”
“Instinct?” She shook her head. That couldn’t be right. “But you’re a wolf.”
“I thought we already established that.” His cocky grin was back, but he softened it by grabbing her hand. “And you’re a grizzly. Remember?”
She tried not to smile. “But then how can your instincts be doing anything?” Kira shook her head, aware she wasn’t making any sense. “I mean…us…this.” She gestured between them. “It’s just—”
“It’s just whatever we decide it is,” he finished for her. “Why don’t we just leave it at that for now because I think we can both agree that there’s something between us—am I right? I mean, I don’t know about you, Kira, but bear or not, I’ve never shared a kiss like that before and I’d be more than happy for a replay.”
Leave it at that? Could she? Could she just stop thinking about the fact that he was a wolf and she was a bear and just let how she was feeling rule the moment?
Nash leaned forward, pressed his lips against hers again and the decision was made.
Hell yes. At least for the time being, if it meant more kisses like that one, she could definitely let things between them just be whatever.
Chapter Four
Nash drove the nail into the two-by-four with only a few swings of his hammer before he moved on to the next one. He was on autopilot. Not that repairing a few broken picnic tables took a whole lot of brainpower. And it was a good thing, too, because the only thing he’d been able to think of for the last twenty-four hours was that kiss.
The kiss.
Damn.
It’s not as if it had been a stretch to imagine what kissing Kira would be like. The moment he saw her, he’d seen it. She was teeming with sensuality. The kind that she didn’t even know she was hiding from herself.
But even though he’d known it would be hot as hell, Nash had not been prepared for the reality of it. And now, it was all he could do to concentrate on the simple task of hammering a few nails; all he could think of was laying Kira down on one of the tables he was fixing and showing her exactly how hot that kiss had been and what he intended to do about it. Because he did intend to do something about it. Just as soon as he had even the slightest chance to get her alone.
That was the problem. They were never alone. If Nash thought that having the room directly next to hers in the tiny staff cabin they shared was going to afford him any time with Kira, he’d been wrong. Very wrong. A constant stream of people milled about the cabin, at literally all hours. Nash hadn’t even thought that many people worked at the Riverside campground. And truth be told, they probably didn’t. Staff throughout Yellowstone had a habit of traveling around the park on their days off and crashing wherever they could. Not that it mattered. Where there was a will, there was very much a way and Nash definitely had the desire to get Kira alone. Soon.
First, he had a job to do. As monotonous as repairing picnic tables was, Nash had chosen the task that afternoon with the distinct purpose of losing himself in physical labor. If anything could take the edge off his need and his animal straining at the very edge of control, it was working up a good sweat.
He finished with the table he was working on, propped his hammer up on the bucket of nails and easily lifted the table with only the slightest strain on his biceps. He carried it over to one side and grabbed the next one. He was alone behind the maintenance shack, but he should probably use a bit more judgment when it came to using his strength so openly. He wasn’t usually so reckless. But that’s because he didn’t usually feel as though he were on the edge of exploding. His wolf wanted out in a fierce way and the sensation was only getting stronger. Especially when he was around Kira
Nash knew exactly what it meant. She was his.
He needed her. The fact that she was a bear and he was a wolf— a Yellowstone wolf—didn’t matter. Not to his animal. The only thing that mattered was quenching the fire inside.
Nash let a growl slip from his throat and he picked up the hammer again, determined to focus his energies on something he actually could control.
“What exactly are people thinking when they stand on these things,” he muttered and grabbed a nail from the bucket. “They’re thinking they’re on holidays and they’re not going to have to worry about fixing it, so might as well,” he answered himself and swung the hammer, hitting the nail into the board.
It was an easy fix. Most of them were, and before long, he’d repaired all the broken tables. He was in the shack, replacing his tools, when his cell phone rang. His heart leapt until he realized Kira didn’t have his number. She would have used the radios if she wanted to get a hold of him. He almost ignored the phone altogether. And as soon as he looked at the number, he wished he would have.
With a sigh, he answered his older brother’s call.
“Nolan.”
“Oh, you answered this time. I feel honored.”
Nash bit back a sharp retort. Th
ere was no point engaging him. Besides, there was a reason Nash didn’t answer his brother’s calls, and they both knew it. “What do you need, Nolan?”
“You know exactly what I need, Nash.”
He rolled his eyes, thankful his brother couldn’t see him. Nash was a strong alpha male, but Nolan was too. The difference between them was that Nash had the sense to know it wasn’t worth it. Beyond some roughhousing when they were younger, the North brothers had never engaged in a real fight. And Nash had no plans to change that, because when two alpha males clashed, it never ended well. One of them would end up seriously injured. Or worse. Which was why Nash had left the pack.
Leaving everything and everyone he knew and loved was preferable to the alternative.
“I need to know if you’re done screwing around, Nash. The pack needs you.”
“The pack doesn’t need me.” He finished tidying up the workbench and flicked out the light behind him. “You only think they do.”
“Bullshit. You know as well as I do why the pack needs you. Come home.”
Nash shook his head. “You know I can’t, big brother. Not unless you’re cool with my choices.”
“Your choices?” Nolan all but growled into the phone. “Or your lack of choices?”
It always came back to the same argument for Nolan. He wanted Nash to choose a mate. That was why he had to leave. Nolan didn’t understand that he wasn’t about to pick a mate from a lineup, as if he were ordering up a new living room set. It was ridiculous. Just because Nolan thought that was an acceptable way to find a mate didn’t mean Nash did. Not even a little bit. Especially considering he saw firsthand how miserable his big brother was since mating with Julia. She was beautiful. And she was a pure wolf from a solid pack, which no doubt was all Nolan had needed to know before choosing her. But there was emptiness in her eyes and it was easy to see she was every bit as unhappy as Nolan was.
Pure bloodlines weren’t everything. There was no way Nash was going to put himself through that. He was not about to sign up for a lifetime of misery for the sole purpose of procreating.
