by Diane Leyne
She even told him a bit about herself. Seems she’d always worked, and she was taking a risk taking time off to write. So few books actually ended up being published. But it was her dream, and she had an opportunity, so she took the chance. She actually seemed a bit sad and he wanted to comfort her.
* * * *
Before he knew it, he’d finished that disgusting kibble and slurped up all of his water. Feeling pleased, he trotted quickly over to the dining room table and placed his muzzle on her leg. Time for my real dinner.
It was only then that he realized that she had already finished eating and was reading on her Kindle and apparently waiting for him to be done.
Disappointed, he followed her into the living room and sat down by the couch, sighing, looking up at Sam longingly. He saw her grin and reach down beside the couch. Holy crap. More dog food I’m going to be forced to choke down? Maybe this wasn't such a great idea?
“Hey, Fido. Want a treat? Be a good boy and maybe I’ll let you up on the couch to watch television with me.”
Gabe sighed and ate the damned treats.
* * * *
Gabe curled up at Sam’s side. If it wasn’t for the fact that she was watching a Jennifer Lopez movie, he’d really be enjoying this. She let him put his muzzle back on her leg as she rubbed his head and scratched him behind the ears.
He’d never really had this type of interaction with someone before when he was shifted. Usually it was just him and his brothers or some of the other shifters in town and they’d go out running and playing when they were younger. One of the advantages of growing up in a town with a number of shifter families was that you always had friends to play with. But since it was only the males who shifted, there was never really a sexual component when he was in wolf-dog form.
But he realized that lying on the couch with Sam was turning him on. He could feel the warmth of her body and the touch of her hand on his head. He sighed. He was stuck. He couldn’t shift now. It would freak her out. So he lay there for a while, letting the sensations sweep over him as he concentrated on not getting hard. That would seriously freak her out, possibly even more than if he shifted in front of her, so he tried to watch the movie to take his mind of what he’d really like to be doing with Sam.
But in the end, he could only take an hour of the movie she was watching. He had barked encouragingly when she’d talked about fixing the dog door. He’d definitely be back, but he couldn’t take any more of the film, or at least that’s what he told himself. He was leaving because of Jennifer Lopez, and not because he felt an overwhelming urge to shift and fuck Sam's brains out.
* * * *
Sam got up early on Wednesday. She decided she’d head to the gym and then stop by the McAllisters’ shop and ask about having them fix the dog door when they delivered her furniture on Thursday. She knew it would amuse them. She should be home by lunchtime, which would give her quite a few hours of writing before Fido visited again. There was a Brontë sisters marathon on tonight. He should enjoy that just as much as last night’s movies.
She got to the gym at nine, figuring that the pre-work crowd would be at their day jobs and the place would be quieter. She went up to the front desk and introduced herself. Within a few minutes, both Eddie and Andy were by her side, showing her around everywhere but the women’s change room. Then they sent her in to don her workout gear and were waiting for her when she came out. She insisted that she was experienced in gyms, but they insisted that it was part of the personal service to evaluate every new member and help set up a customized workout program for them.
It was Andy who spent the morning with her, testing and evaluating her. She had to admit he was very professional and knowledgeable. He was quiet and watchful, and he didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to touch her overly much, but he did touch her at every legitimate opportunity, and if his hand did linger a fraction of a second longer than it had to, it wasn’t so long as she felt uncomfortable or other members would comment. And he knew what they were doing. By the time they were done with her, she was sweating and she knew she’d be a bit achy in the morning, but good achy, not “I just got tortured at the gym by a sadistic trainer” achy.
When she came back out after she showered and changed, it was Eddie waiting for her.
“It’s eleven thirty. Perhaps I can take you for lunch?”
“What about your brother?”
“We did rock-paper-scissors. He won training you. So I get to take you to lunch. We’re hoping you will have dinner with both of us tonight. Please.” He smiled so sweetly at her that she couldn’t say no.
When she agreed, he captured her hand and kissed it. Then he held tight as he led her out of the gym and they walked over to the Sunshine Cafe. She could see Penelope smiling as she approached their table.
“What can I get you two?”
Eddie put down the menu. “I’ll have the Cobb salad and a diet coke.”
“That sounds good. But I’ll have a burger and fries. We can decide about dessert later.” Samantha smiled at Eddie as they handed over their menus to Penelope.
“You realize that you two have just ordered the wrong meals according to gender stereotypes,” teased Penelope.
“I own a gym,” protested Eddie. “I have to set a good example.” That good example didn’t stop him from stealing fries off Samantha’s plate. And by the end of the meal, they were talking and laughing like old friends. He was more outgoing than his twin and could talk enough for two. Maybe that was why Andy was so quiet. Eddie talked enough for both of them.
Reluctantly, he settled the bill and stood up. “I have to get back to work. I wish I didn’t have to.”
“I’ll walk you back.” She walked with him, her hand going automatically to his. When they got back to the entrance to the gym, Eddie surprised Sam by pulling her in close.
* * * *
His mouth met hers in the sweetest of kisses, which deepened when he felt her responding. His hand started to slide down her back toward her butt when the door opened, and he reluctantly let her go.
“We’ll pick you up at seven, if that’s okay. Dress casual.” Then after she nodded, he opened the door, paused to give her a quick peck on the cheek, and went inside with a jaunty wave.
He looked up and saw Andy waiting. He gave him two thumbs up.
“I told her we would pick her up at seven.”
“And she’s okay with both of us taking her out to dinner.”
“Didn’t bat an eye. Hot damn, Andy. We’re in!”
“Don’t count your chickens yet, especially in front of your inner wolf. It’s just dinner. What if she’s just being nice? She’s new in town. Are you sure she realizes you were asking her on a date with the two of us, and not just a ‘welcome to town’ meal?”
“Damn it, Andy, you worry more than a little old lady. She knows that we took turns, you training and me with lunch. She has to know we’re a package deal. And if she doesn’t realize it yet, she will over dinner or when we have her sandwiched between us in bed.”
“Yeah, well, you don’t worry enough. She’s smart and funny and beautiful and I don’t want to fuck this up. She’s not from around here. What if she doesn’t want to date more than one guy? I like her Eddie, I really like her. That hour I spent training her was…well, it was all I could do not to have a hard-on. She must have thought I had some kind of stomach virus. Twice I had to go to the bathroom and rub one out because my dick kept standing at attention.”
Eddie looked over at his brother. All of their lives, they’d thought that whole wolf-dog sharing mates thing was a load of bull. They were identical twins and often shared women for fun, both their own and the woman in question, but had never wanted an actual dating relationship with the same woman. Hell, they’d never wanted a long-term relationship with any woman before either singly or together. There was something about Samantha, though, that called to him, and it was clear Andy felt the same way.
“We’re younger than she is, to
o. What if she thinks we are too young?”
“Yes, yes, Andy. And what if the sky falls or if a meteor hits or if she wins the lottery and starts dating Brad Pitt? Don’t borrow trouble. We are smart and hot and charming. How many times have we heard that?”
“I’ve heard it a lot. You usually just hear it from Mom because you are usually the ‘quiet brother.’” Eddie smacked his brother’s arm as Andy did the air quotes gesture.
“Seriously, Eddie. I’ve never seen you like this before. I mean we were both attracted to her immediately, but now…you really are smitten, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“Me, too. And Nick and Bart recognize her as their mate, too. Our only problem will be Gabe. He says he recognizes her as our mate, but we know big brother too well. He’s always been wary about this whole one mate for all of us thing and she’s human and he’s also a stubborn asshole who always looks on the negative side. I can’t believe he’s not planning to do something to ruin everything for us. And without the Alpha in the mix, the mating won’t work.”
“I don’t know, Andy. He called her our mate. I consider that binding. However, if he changes his mind, I say we just hit him over the head and tie him up. Then we can use some of those enhanced interrogation techniques I’ve read about in the newspapers until we convince him.”
They laughed and high fived and then went back to work but not before calling Gabe to let him know that they had dinner plans with Samantha. They managed to hold their laughter until they got off the phone. Big brother was not amused.
* * * *
Samantha found she was having trouble concentrating on her book. When doggy Gabe showed up unexpectedly around two, she decided that since she wasn’t making any progress, she should to take a walk to clear her head.
“Come on, boy. I need to burn off lunch. You know this area. Let’s go for a walk.”
He seemed eager. She wasn’t sure which way to go, but doggie Gabe seemed to have a destination in mind and determinedly led her deep into the woods. After about fifteen minutes, she heard the waterfall before she saw it.
She came out into the clearing, and it was perfect. The spot was magical. It was a big clearing around a natural pool and a small waterfall, formed with mountain run off, so she expected the water to be cold, but clean. It was perfect, almost like a painting. And the water looked crystal clear.
Impulsively she stripped down to her bra and underwear and jumped in. She could see Gabe watching her intently, before suddenly running off. She shrugged. Maybe the sight of her scantily clad body was too much for him.
She was going to enjoy herself. She’d become accustomed to the water temperature, and the sun was high in the sky. She turned on her back to float for a bit before getting out of the water. She’d just gotten out when she heard the sound of footsteps.
It was Gabe. Gabe in human form. He was carrying a blanket over his arm.
She treaded water. She was technically just as covered as if she’d been wearing a bathing suit, but there was something very different about semitransparent lingerie.
“Hello there, Samantha.”
“Hello, Gabe. Fancy seeing you here.”
“This is one of my favorite places. It’s a nice day. I came down for a swim. What are you doing here?”
“My dog, or rather the local stray who seems to have adopted me, led me here on our walk, but he seems to have run off. Have you seen him? Dark fur, almost black, a little mangy looking around the edges. Light blue eyes. Answers to the name of Fido. Not too bright, but very sweet natured.”
She could see Gabe’s eyes narrow at her description, but he couldn’t really say anything, could he? He just shook his head, but she could tell he wasn’t entirely happy by her description.
She wanted to grin and say something outrageous to get him going, but she also knew she should move, get dressed or something, but she it was like her feet were paralyzed. She just stood there having a damned conversation like she wasn’t almost naked and his cock wasn’t tenting his pants. She found herself babbling.
“Does anyone ever adopt the wolf-dogs? Can they be tamed?”
“They’ll always be a bit wild, but yeah, some live quite happily with families. Why, are you thinking of adopting your visitor?”
“Yeah, I’m kind of partial to him. I figure he’d be nice and warm to cuddle with on the cold winter nights.”
The sun went behind a cloud, and suddenly she found herself shivering. She swam over to the edge of the pool. Gabe came forward and held out a hand. She let him help her out of the water but then wasn’t sure what to do next. She knew she was standing in front of him almost naked, and her nipples were hard, poking through the sheer material of her bra, and not totally because of the cold.
* * * *
Gabe stared at her amazing body, his cock aching to be inside her. When he’d been in wolf form, he’d had to leave so as not to show how much her near nakedness had affected him. As a man, he didn’t have to hide it. He knew she saw his arousal, and she wasn’t backing away.
She was wearing a delicate pink color that had become transparent in the water. He could see her nipples as tight as berries, jutting out against the fabric, and the dark curls at the juncture of her thighs. He didn’t know where he wanted to put his mouth first, but he knew he had to touch her, and he knew where he wanted her mouth. He reached out a finger to gently flick one of her erect nipples. She froze as if waiting for something. He closed his entire hand on it, enjoying the feeling of the hard tip pressing against his palm.
He waited, half expecting her to push him away. Looking over at her, he could see that her eyes were half closed and her breathing had sped up. He reached out to cup her other breast. He heard a hitch in her breath and then felt her lean in to his touch. He gently squeezed her breasts, his thumbs rasping against the nipples through the transparent fabric.
He felt his cock grow even harder, straining against the fabric of his pants. He saw her glance down and her eyes widen as she took in the size of him. He released one of her breasts, reaching down to take her hand and place on his cock, pressing her palm against it. He felt her gripping him lightly and held her hand, tightening and moving it up and down over his length, and he tightened his grip on her breast.
Just then, she shivered. He wasn’t sure if she was shivering with desire or from the chill of standing there in her wet clothes. He dropped the blanket he was still holding and reached out, pulling her close, his body heat chasing away the cold as he rubbed his hands up and down her body briskly until she was starting to warm up. Then his hands settled on her ass, pulling her close to him, pressing her against his erection, letting her again feel how much he wanted her.
Then he waited. As much as he wanted her, he was giving her the choice.
* * * *
She knew he’d leave her alone if she wanted him to, but she found that she didn’t want him to. He was waiting for a sign from her. She shouldn’t feel as close to him as she did. This was technically only their second meeting, but she’d spent two evenings with him in wolf form, and maybe that was why she felt so close to him.
All she knew was that she wanted him, all of him.
“Why are you still dressed?” she asked, her hands going to the hem of his T-shirt. “You are making me feel self-conscious.”
“Can’t have that.” He slipped his tee over his head, kicked off his shoes, and removed his pants. She found herself staring at his beautiful torso, well muscled but lean with defined pecs and a six-pack of abs she longed to run her fingers over. His torso was covered with a light furring of hair, but not too much. Just a dusting on his chest leading down to the treasure trail below his navel that then led to his very impressive equipment that was clearly fully ready for action.
And now suddenly she was the overdressed one. She reached for the fastening of her bra, but he stopped her.
She was surprised when he didn’t remove it himself. Instead, he moved away from her, but he was just pickin
g up the blanket and spreading it carefully on a grassy spot out in the sun. She watched his tight buttocks as he walked away from her, and then when he walked back toward her, her eyes were riveted by his huge erection bobbing with each step.
She fought to tear her eyes away from it, looking up. The look of intent in his eyes scared her a bit, but she wouldn’t break eye contact.
He smiled and reached out a hand to cup her breast briefly before reaching behind her to unfasten her bra. Then he led her over to the blanket, urging her down onto her back. She lay there, looking up at him with hungry eyes as he knelt beside her. She pushed herself back into a sitting position and reached for his cock.
It took all of his self control to grab her hand and stop her.
“Not yet. This first time is all about you.”
* * * *
Surprised by his words, she let him push her gently back down onto the blanket, before lying down beside her, and moving over her. He leaned down and kissed her, his mouth hard and his tongue invading. It wasn’t just a kiss. It was a statement of intent.
When he pulled his mouth away, she looked up at him, almost feverish with need. He leaned in and kissed her again, devouring her mouth, before moving lower.
He delicately licked each nipple before latching on to the right one, his mouth hard and aggressive, while his left hand gripped her left breast, gently kneading it. He removed his mouth from her breast, causing her to protest, but he flicked nipple with his tongue before gently tugging with his teeth. She tried to pull his head closer to her, but he pulled back.
“Place your hands over your head and leave them there.” He growled, his inner alpha demanding that he take control of his mate and show her who was in charge.
