by Kate Douglas
It hadn’t worked. It appeared his art was worth the many thousands he’d asked.
Tuck was the only one who’d been surprised that anyone, especially their guests, put that kind of value on his talent.
Meg turned away from the view and walked up the steps to the door. Trak hoped she liked what she saw. Her opinion mattered to him, which was surprising. Usually he only cared if they were having a good time, but Meg was an attractive woman, and he liked what he’d seen of her in action with her friends. Caring and yet very organized. She struck him as a leader, the kind of woman who would make an excellent mate to an alpha like him.
Of course, there was that fiancé waiting in the wings.
But even if she’d been free, not promised to another man, Trak wasn’t reacting to Meg the way Brad had explained his first meeting with Cherry had felt. Brad had known she was his—his and Cain’s—and had set out that very first day to seduce her into loving them. Obviously it had worked or Trak wouldn’t be shuffling through pack members to find guys to cover for his two wayward wolves and their new mate.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy Meg’s company, couldn’t make it his job to ensure that she had a good time. With that thought in mind, he opened the door and stepped back to let her enter first.
She stood in the entry with her hands clasped against her chest and merely gazed at the small cabin with its tiny kitchenette, large armoire, and king-sized bed. He had no idea what she thought, hoped she approved, that she’d like the way it looked. Was it too rustic? Not what she was expecting? Finally, he stepped around her and carried her bags inside.
In a hushed voice, she finally said, “This is absolutely stunning.”
She turned and smiled, and he actually felt the warmth of her pleasure. Now that was promising.
“I’m glad you like it. We’ve worked really hard to make each of the cabins as comfortable as we could. I’m going to leave you here to unpack, but don’t be too long.”
“Thank you.” She walked over to the table and chairs that sat beneath a window in the tiny kitchen and checked out the small area. After a moment, she turned and smiled at him. She really was an extraordinarily attractive woman. “I don’t even know what time it is,” she said. “Do I have time for a quick shower before dinner?”
“Not a problem. This is your vacation. We’ll do our best to accommodate you in every way possible.”
He stepped out and quietly closed the door behind him. He was glad he’d paired up with Meg. He had a feeling she’d be a lot of fun without any hassles. He probably wasn’t going to get laid this week, but there were other things to enjoy with a smart, funny, good-looking woman.
CHAPTER 3
Dar followed the tall, athletic-looking man who’d openly stared when she was stretching. Usually guys who focused on her ass when she was bent over in a stretch came across with a pervy vibe, but Lawz showed nothing but pure, honest, male appreciation. It was hard to find fault with that, especially when he had the look of a guy she’d really like appreciating her.
She followed him along a well-maintained trail leading away from the main lodge. It was only a short distance, but she felt as if she were walking into another world. Ferns grew thick along the trail; tall pines and evergreens hid the other cabins. They rounded a bushy fir tree, and there it was, a little log cabin with a front deck just made for sitting.
“Oh! Wow.” She stood there with a stupid grin on her face, breathing in the aromatic scent of cedar. The cabin had to be new to smell this fresh, but the natural landscaping helped it fit into the spot as if it had always been there.
Lawz paused at the bottom step and smiled at her. “The architect is the guy who originally came up with the idea for Feral Passions,” he said. “Brad’s really talented, but this is definitely a homespun operation.”
“I love it.” She felt almost giddy now that she’d moved away from the car and had taken that short walk through the woods, especially after the long day of driving. There wasn’t any Internet, she didn’t have any bars on her phone, and the setting had her blood pressure falling and her stress levels dropping into the minus category.
Though she had to admit, the man had her hot and bothered.
“C’mon in and see the rest.”
He held the door for her, and Darian walked into what was the cutest little cabin she’d ever seen. Lawz followed and set her suitcase on a stand near a large oak armoire, her smaller bag on the bed. The furniture was all very simple—she thought it was a Shaker design, but did it really matter?
Not really. Not when she was so damned aware of the man waiting beside the door, standing there silently radiating pheromones. That had to be it, the reason she was so attuned to him, to the sound of his movements, the cadence of his breathing. His scent. She never really noticed a guy’s scent, at least not unless he absolutely reeked of sweat, and there were more than enough of those hanging around the gym.
No, Lawz had a scent like nothing she’d ever experienced, an intoxicating mix of pine and lemon, of herbs she almost recognized but couldn’t, but whatever it was, it was taking everything she had not to turn around and go back to him and just rub herself over his body like a cat in heat.
“I won’t keep you, Dar. I’m on the dinner crew tonight, so I need to get back to the lodge, but come down when you’re ready and let me fix a drink for you. We do a mean margarita here, if you like them.”
She turned, fully aware that she really didn’t want him to leave, and wasn’t that just the strangest thing? She never got like this around a man, but there was something about Lawz. He appealed to her. She meant to merely thank him for carrying her luggage, and she wasn’t sure how it happened, but she moved and he moved, and they were suddenly in a clinch that had her body on fire and her breasts begging for attention.
“Holy shit,” he said. At least that’s what she thought he said just before he dipped his head and absolutely captured her mouth. He took her forcefully; she immediately responded.
His mouth was on hers, his lips molding to hers, and she was with him every breath, every lick and touch and taste. He feasted on her mouth, dipped his head to nip at her throat, and she bared herself to him, inviting him to taste her.
Dar was tall, but he was so much taller, and he lifted her up against him, cupping her bottom in his big hands when she wrapped her legs around his waist. He ravaged her mouth, her throat, and then dipped his head and captured her nipple through the soft cotton of her cami top.
She hadn’t worn a bra for the long trip, and the suction when he wrapped his lips around her nipple had it standing hard and erect within the wet circle of fabric. He worried first her right and then her left, nipping with his teeth, tugging the sensitive nub, taking her higher, farther, faster than any man had done before, touching nothing more than her breasts.
He bit down on her nipple and tugged, and the sweet pain shot like a bolt of lightning straight to her clit. She cried out and pressed herself against his abdomen, her inner muscles spasming and clenching, climaxing from nothing more than his mouth on her breasts.
Gasping for breath, she leaned her head against his chest. Her body still rippled with her release, and her hands trembled until, from absolutely nowhere and with no intelligent reason, she started giggling. Burying her face against the broad expanse of his chest, she laughed while tears flowed and Lawz just held her. Finally, when she was fully beyond embarrassment and well into utter humiliation, he tilted her chin up and forced her to meet his eyes.
She hiccupped. He kissed her. “That was fun,” he said. “Want to try it again?”
“Yes.” She sucked in a breath. Her lips were actually trembling. She wasn’t a giggler or a trembler, thank you. “In a bed,” she said. “Preferably naked, with you as an equal participant and both of us with plenty of time. Not when you have to go cook dinner.”
“Agreed.” He let her feet slide slowly down his legs to the floor and held her while she got her balance.
Sh
e looped her arms over his shoulders and stared at him for a long moment. He stared right back at her without flinching. His eyes were dark, dark brown, but she saw flecks of gold in their depths. His nose was long and straight, his lower lip fuller than the upper, and she wanted him so badly it was all she could do not to drag him to the bed now.
“I’ll be down in about fifteen minutes, okay?”
“That works.” He leaned close and kissed her. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a woman the way I want you. Please don’t change your mind. And I realize begging isn’t manly, but I think I’m already desperate.”
She laughed. “S’okay. Desperation works. I don’t intend to—change my mind, that is. I’m curious, though. Is this the way you greet all your guests?”
Slowly, he shook his head. “Never. I’m really picky about women. Don’t know what it is about you, but I’m going with it.”
“Good. I hope you’ve got protection, because I didn’t bring any. I had no idea what the extracurricular activities were like here.”
He kissed her quickly and stepped away. “Neither did I. I have to admit, this is a new one for me.” Then he turned away and went out the door without looking back. She was glad of that. If he’d turned to her again, she had a feeling she’d be dragging him to the bed, protection or not.
She wanted him that badly.
Elle followed this mountain of a man through the woods. He’d said his name was Kentucky and told her to call him Tuck, but he didn’t say much more beyond the introduction. A few words about the resort, that there was less than a month before they closed for the season. She wasn’t really sure what else he’d said, because she’d stopped listening to his specific words within a few sentences, too mesmerized by the deep growl of his voice to actually pay attention to the content.
She really hoped it wasn’t anything important.
Walking a few steps behind him was its own kind of torture. His shoulders were so broad that she didn’t think she’d ever seen a man this large, this impressively built. They tapered down to one of the finest butts she’d ever followed in her life, and it was all she could do not to reach out and touch. Realizing her fingers were actually twitching had her biting back a bad case of inappropriate laughter, but she couldn’t wait to see what the other girls thought of him.
Elle thought he was the hottest thing she’d ever seen.
He led her into a small clearing, and she stopped dead in her tracks and laughed. “It looks like the Three Bears’ cabin.” When he turned and smiled at her, she just shook her head. “Does that make me Goldilocks?”
He surprised her then, turning and taking a step closer to her, looping a long, loose curl of her hair around his forefinger. It was naturally dark brown, but she’d added some auburn highlights last time she colored that turned it deep burgundy in the sunlight. Tuck held it up and stared at it as if this were a major decision.
“Not gold,” he said, rubbing the curl between his fingers. “But it’s really unique. I think you’re our first guest with burgundy-colored hair. I like it. It fits you.”
She stood there, speechless, shaken by both his words and her response. When he’d touched her hair, she’d wanted to lean into him. Wanted him.
Then he turned as if he’d felt nothing at all and went up the steps. Sighing, Elle followed.
The cabin was adorable, all rich-looking cedar logs with a nice little front porch, a table and a couple of chairs, and forest-green mini blinds at the windows. Practical and comfortable. Elle followed him as he opened the door and stepped aside so she could enter first. She walked through the doorway and stopped in her tracks to get the feel of the absolutely wonderful space that would be her home for the next week. This was even better than the photos on the website. She turned, and Tuck was right there, so close that her breasts brushed his chest.
They both stepped apart. “I’m sorry,” he said. He dipped his head and actually flushed a deep red. “I didn’t mean to crowd you.”
She looked directly into his eyes—they were a dark, cloudy gray with a burst of gold, so mesmerizing she could easily lose herself in his calm gaze. “You didn’t crowd me. I’m actually enjoying this unusual sense of feeling almost petite.” She laughed when he smiled at her. “So often when I’m around a man, I feel like an absolute moose. You make me feel normal.”
He carefully set her bags on the floor and cupped her shoulders in his big hands. “You’re never going to be anything as average as normal, Elle. You’re much too special. You are an impressive, beautiful woman, one I’d like to get to know a lot better.”
His words startled her, but she did her best not to let it show. He was a spectacular man—big all over, with those broad shoulders and long, strong legs. His hair was dark, lying in soft curls much longer than it appeared at first glance. He was bearded, though it was neatly trimmed and framed his strong jaw in a most attractive manner. The sleeveless T-shirt he wore exposed muscular arms and a vivid tattoo that stretched around his right shoulder and upper arm. Dark hair covered his forearms, and he was, without a doubt, the most attractive man Elle had ever seen.
And he wanted to get to know her better. “I think I’d like that,” she said. “Very much.”
He smiled almost shyly, picked up her bags, and set the large one on a luggage rack near a simply designed armoire, like all the furniture, obviously built by craftsmen. The smaller bag went on the end of the bed. “I’m helping Lawz with dinner tonight, so I need to get back to the dining room. Take a few minutes to relax, but come back to the lodge as soon as you can. I’ll fix you a drink and make sure you’ve got something to snack on while we get everything going. Does that work?”
“It does. Thank you.” She wanted to kiss him, wanted to see what that beard would feel like against her cheeks, what his lips would taste like, but that was silly. They didn’t know each other, but she smiled and realized she was biting her lips, noticed he was focused on her mouth, and she wanted him to kiss her so badly she almost ached.
He must have gotten the message. He actually groaned when he reached for her, and she moved into his embrace as if they’d been lovers for years. She’d never been held by a man as large as Tuck, never found a man who fit so well with her, who held her as if she were spun glass, a precious thing to be cared for. He kissed her carefully, his mouth coming down on hers as if he feared damaging her, and she realized that, as big as he was, he’d probably only been with normal-sized women, and it was awkward for him when a woman was so small next to his huge size.
There was no awkwardness with the two of them. She wasn’t that much shorter than Tuck, yet he was so much larger than she was, a big man with a strong body, sure of himself, and yet in an endearing way, so obviously unsure of her. She loved it, loved that small sense of vulnerability in the way he held her, the way he kissed her.
And it was so unexpected, to be in this remote lodge with her very best friends, meeting a man who was her ideal—at least in size and appearance—more than any man she’d ever met.
He ended the kiss, slowly, almost regretfully, and leaned his forehead against hers. “Don’t take too long,” he said. “I’m going to be waiting very impatiently for you.”
She watched as he left the cabin, and she didn’t close the door until he disappeared along the shadowed trail beneath the trees. Then she rushed into the bathroom to get a quick shower so she could chase him down at the lodge.
Jules really wished she could get past the nerves because the man leading her through the woods was someone she really wanted to get to know better. But it wasn’t going to happen, not the way she was shaking. No doubt in her mind at all, he was the sexiest guy she’d ever seen, but she figured the source of her nerves was a little like PTSD, which made sense.
She had an excellent reason to fear a man she didn’t know. She’d known Andrew, and he’d still done a number on her. She’d never had the courage to tell her friends the truth about her old boyfriend. He’d looked great when she’d listed his qua
lities—he was sharp looking, personable, successful. They’d all liked him the one time they’d met.
They had no idea that she’d discovered the hard way that there was another side to the man. One not nearly as much fun or as likable. Now, following Armando through the woods, she wasn’t certain if the chills along her spine were fear or arousal.
You’d think at this point she’d be able to tell the two apart.
They stepped out of the shadowed trail into a tiny glen, where a beam of sunlight illuminated the log cabin sitting in the middle of the woods as if it sat under a spotlight. It was so utterly peaceful, her nervousness fled and a sense of calm settled over her shoulders like a warm shawl. “This is where I’m staying?”
Armando merely turned and raised an eyebrow. “Of course. What do you think of it?”
“I love it. It’s so much better than I imagined. It’s peaceful. Welcoming, even.” She stepped around him and walked up the front steps to the small deck.
“I actually helped build this one.” He sounded justifiably proud as he carried her bags up the steps.
Jules opened the door for him and followed him inside. The cabin was small, but very comfortable with a large bed and very simple oak furniture. Everything fit the rustic setting with impeccable style. “I think I’m really going to love it here. I swear I feel more relaxed just walking through the door.”
He set her large case on a suitcase rack and placed her smaller bag on the foot of the bed. “You’re supposed to feel relaxed. That’s the purpose of your visit, isn’t it?”
“You’re right. It is.” She smiled at him and realized her nerves had settled to a low hum. Yeah, this was definitely more arousal than fear. The sense of relief had her smiling. “Well, that and spending a last week with our friend Meg as a single woman. She’s not getting married until October 2, but this was the only week we could all swing time off.”
“Are any of the others of your group married?”
