Then they could talk.
But she hadn't woken, sleeping peacefully through the long evening and well into the morning and, frankly, he couldn't wait any longer. He leant closer, brushing his lips softly over her nose, then her lips. She stirred, a single hand fighting its way free from the sheet to flick irritably at whatever was disturbing her.
Laughing softly, he held her hand, bending to kiss her properly. He let his lips settle over hers, softly at first, then gradually more demanding. He felt her indrawn breath, was aware of the instant she became fully awake. A moment's hesitation, then she was returning kiss for kiss, her mouth as demanding as his.
He could still taste the remnants of last night's… activities. The faint aroma of sex and sweat that the warm washcloth he'd wielded before putting her to bed hadn't quite erased wafted up to him, inciting him to take more than just a kiss. He'd already claimed her waking breath, but now he wanted to taste more of her, to possess her all for himself.
Physically, yes, he'd enjoyed last night. But the jealousy had been extreme, and it had gnawed at him all night, an acid burning in his stomach that filled him with dread. He doubted he could stand to share her again. If nothing else, that told him just how infatuated he was.
Reluctantly, he drew away from the temptation of her mouth. He knew the instincts of the wild animal were lurking deep within him. His wolf wanted to claim her. Now. If he didn't retreat, he might not hold onto his control for long enough to actually give her the choice. And, no matter what his feelings on the matter were, she had to have some say in the matter.
"Good morning, baby." He smiled down at her and perched on the side of the bed, nudging her until she squirmed over, making space for him beside her.
That unconsciously sexy little wriggle was almost his undoing. The sheet slipped and a single glimpse of creamy skin was enough to start the beast roaring, demanding he take her immediately.
He sneered at himself. And do what with her? Drag her deep into the forest, hiding out until he could convince her they really were fated to be together? As if that was going to happen!
Gina blushed, a delicious shade of pink that immediately reminded him of Rob's comment the night before. Did her bottom go the same shade when she was spanked? It wasn't something he'd ever really been into, but with Gina, he wouldn't mind experimenting a little.
"I brought you breakfast," he continued, desperately trying to ignore the frantic messages his hormones were sending his way. He nodded towards a tray he'd left on the dresser. "I was starting to think you were going to sleep the day away."
"What time is it?" Her voice was deep and slumberous.
"After ten."
She sat abruptly upright, grabbing for the sheet, and would have sprung out of bed if not for his restraining hand on her chest. The sensation of the sheet sliding over her skin had him quickly moving his hand to her shoulder. Even there, her skin was soft and tempting, and he couldn't help running soothing swirls over her thudding pulse.
"There's no rush."
Gina shook her head. "I have to get to work. I'm already late."
He smiled, his fingers still caressing her nape. "I rang the resort already and spoke to the general manager. He's not expecting you in for the rest of the week."
"What!"
So much for the undying gratitude he'd expected. Rather than thanking him nicely she was pushing futilely against his shoulders, still trying to get up.
"He's a friend of the family, babe. It was no problem."
She flung herself back against the pillows. "That's not the point! Just because I let you fuck me last night—" Her blush deepened and her eyes went slightly dreamy as memories overtook her, but she continued doggedly. "You have no right to just go around arranging my life!"
Nate sprang back from the bed as if he'd been struck. Was that all she thought last night had been to him? She'd let him fuck her?
He turned his back, staring out the window at the endless trees marching into the distance. A groan escaped before he could censor it. Maybe the ménage hadn't been the best way of showing her his commitment. But he was a sexual creature, and she'd enjoyed it… Aw hell, who was he trying to kid? He'd screwed up big time.
"What about the men who attacked you? You can't go home yet, not until we know it's safe." He attempted to be reasonable.
"Did you call the sheriff yet?" Gina sounded sulky.
"Rafe followed their tracks back to their vehicle; he also tracked them around your house. That's what he was doing yesterday evening."
"And?"
"It was your stepfather and his son."
"Damn."
He forced himself to glance towards the bed. That 'damn' hadn't sounded half as forceful as it should have. She was lying limp, her eyes closed, and he could have sworn he saw her lips trembling.
"Aw, babe, I'm sorry…"
"Don't." She attempted to brush away his sympathy, but her smile was shaky at best. In reality, it looked like it was taking every ounce of her selfcontrol not to break down and cry.
"I've been hoping it wasn't him," she said simply. "All the stuff that's been happening. Megan reckons I'm an idiot, closing my eyes to reality." She sighed. 'I guess I have been."
"Rafe said the threat would be gone as of your birthday tomorrow. You'll be in no danger if you stay here until then."
Her eyes flew open, and she pushed herself up onto her elbow. "How does he know that?"
Nate shrugged casually, hoping she wouldn't notice him skirting the truth. She didn't need to know that Rafe had visited her stepfather and brother late last night—and she definitely didn't need to know he'd scared them shitless. "He's FBI. It wasn't too hard to get a look at your mom's will and the conditions on the trust fund. Greed's a pretty common motive."
Fear was a damned good motivator, too, and that, more than anything, was likely to make her family keep their distance. Questionable they may have been, but Nate wasn't about to argue with Rafe's tactics.
Gina frowned, a tiny line of concentration marring the smooth skin of her brow. He couldn't help himself: he had to reach out and smooth it away with his thumb. He could see her sifting through what he'd just said, watched as she relaxed again. She'd barely even noticed his light touch.
"Do they know where I am?"
He shook his head. "They'll think you were taken by werewolves."
"I was taken by werewolves," she muttered sotto voce.
Nate waggled his eyebrows, and she couldn't help smiling. "Good thing we gave up snacking on tasty young women a few decades ago, hey?"
"Yeah." Gina wrinkled her nose. "Speaking of snacking and stuff, I need a shower. I can't believe I'm still sticky."
A clear vision of Rob licking her pussy, savoring every drop of her cream invaded his thoughts. "I can."
She batted a playful arm in his direction. "Out."
"Nope." He stood back, leant nonchalantly against the wall, and crossed his arms, grinning at her look of disbelief.
"Off you go. Shower's that way." He pointed helpfully towards the ensuite door.
"I seem to be naked under here," she told him.
"I hope so."
Her eyes gleamed, and she threw the covers off huffily, exposing every inch of bare skin to his gaze. "You," she pointed at him, "stay right where you are."
His voice dropped to a rumbling growl. "Spoilsport."
She smiled sunnily, practically dancing to the bathroom. "Yes." The door slammed behind her.
* * * *
Damn. Damn. Damn. And double damn.
This was not happening as easily as he'd expected. Okay, so he'd only known the woman a few days, but that didn't mean he was wrong about her. She was his. Fate had decreed it. He just knew.
Unfortunately, that didn't mean he was doing a very good job of explaining it to her. All he'd wanted to do this morning was jump her bones, then she'd gone all teary and he'd had this urgent need to wipe the tears away and make everything all right in her world. Telling her about
her stepfather hadn't been quite the disaster it could have been, but it was obvious to an idiot that she wasn't seeing yours truly in the proper light. If everything was going the way it was supposed to, by now she should have been staring at him with stars in her eyes.
And she wasn't.
She was staring at him like she'd happily jump his bones. Or Sebastian's. Or Rob's. Hell, she might even be curious about what she'd missed out on with Rafe last night!
Well, if he had anything to say about it—which he did—she wasn't going to find out!
* * * *
The shower was exactly what she needed. It gave her a few minutes by herself, time to reflect on just what she'd done last night. Try as she might, she couldn't find it in herself to regret it. She'd enjoyed herself, and the pleasurable ache between her legs reminded her
of that every time she moved.
By the time she entered the kitchen, she was relatively relaxed in her freshly laundered jeans and shirt, but couldn't help the blush that stole up her face as soon as she realised she wouldn't be alone. Rob was just turning away from the counter, sandwich in hand, when she paused in the doorway.
He smiled. A genuinely welcoming smile with not a touch of lust or lechery.
"Good morning. Sleep well?"
Her blush fairly sizzled as she thought about the connotations. "Uh, yes, thank you."
"That's good." He jerked a chair back from the table that filled the centre of the kitchen, setting down his plate and beckoning her over. "Can I get you some toast?"
Toast! Who was he trying to kid? She looked at him and remembered that same distant voice suggesting they blindfold her, the clinically cool hands holding her down while Nate and Sebastian fucked her… And he was discussing toast!
A faint smile creased his lips, almost as if he could read her thoughts. She wondered if he could—after all, vampires supposedly had that ability, so why not werewolves?
His smile broadened. "Peanut butter?"
She nodded mutely, for some reason unwilling to take her eyes off him. There was something about the way he was looking at her…
He settled back into his own chair, pushing the coffee pot across the table and taking a mouthful of his sandwich before speaking. "Okay."
Gina looked up, then looked back to the neat little
pile of toast crumbs in front of her.
"Nate is obviously not doing a good job at explaining himself, is he?" He smiled sardonically. "So much for my cousin the silver-tongued salesman."
He took another bite of sandwich, drawing out her curiosity. "Firstly, no, werewolves can't read minds." He grinned as she squirmed. "Usually. You're projecting your thoughts so loudly, anyone could read them this morning."
Gina watched him rock back in his seat, fascinated by how at ease he was. "Secondly, Nate was as jealous as all hell last night. You saw how he reacted when he found Sebastian on your lap during the game. He's head over heels for you."
She shook her head in denial. "Then why—"
"Why would he let us play with you? Because he thought you'd enjoy it. And you did, didn't you?" His voice lowered to a purr.
Another wave of heat surged over her cheeks, and she wondered how long it would be before she learnt to control the annoying blush. He laughed, and the blush disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.
"He did it for you, hon," he emphasized quietly. "Not for him, not for us. For you."
"Oh." The last person she'd expected to be having any kind of conversation with was Rob, and she especially hadn't been expecting to discuss last night with him.
She let her thoughts settle. Was he trying to tell her that Nate actually liked her? Wanted her for more than just a quick fuck?
"Hell, yes! Are you even listening to me, woman?"
He was reading her thoughts again and, apparently, she wasn't listening closely enough, for he leaned across the table, grabbing her hand in exasperation and shaking it to get her attention.
"Nate loves you. You are his Soulmate. That's very important to a werewolf. It's like the human equivalent of marriage, but even more." He hesitated, sudden worry wrinkling his forehead. "He did ask you, didn't he?"
Gina shook her head.
"Aw, hell! He's an idiot!" He dropped his head into a hand, staring down at the table. "Okay, well pretend I didn't just tell you this, all right?"
"Uh…"
"Just say 'yes' when he finally gets the guts to ask you, okay?"
"Uh…"
He shook her wrist impatiently. "Say 'yes'."
"Yes?"
"Good girl. Welcome to the family." He slapped a brusque kiss on her hair then stomped out of the room.
What the heck was all that about? He was rather… mercurial. One minute perfectly nice and offering toast, the next telling her she was going to marry Nate. Mad. That was what he was. And he was supposed to be a doctor. She could only be glad she wasn't one of his patients. There was something infinitely calming about an elderly doctor with a cheery personality—and Rob was the exact opposite.
She filled her mug, added cream and stirred idly. Still, it was a nice dream. She could even understand what he meant about Soulmates. There was
something about Nate that had just reached out and grabbed her the very first time she'd laid eyes on him.
Chapter Nineteen
Welcome to the family?
Reality landed with a whopping great thud. Pleasant daydreams aside, what the bloody hell had Rob meant by 'welcome to the family'? Nate hadn't asked her to marry him, she hadn't said 'yes'… She shook her head violently at the very idea. There were way too many unanswered questions before she could even think about it.
Such as? The evil little voice was back, and it was loud.
What's not to like? The voice was a hiss, a promise of sinful pleasure. Handsome, rich, good in bed…
Overbearingly arrogant, a salesman, and too good to be true. A werewolf.
Way too good to be true.
Besides, he hadn't asked her yet.
What would she do if he did? It was an interesting question. In one day she'd be financially independent, free from a threatening stepfather, and life could go back to normal. Was that what she wanted? Now she'd had a taste of what she'd been missing, it was going to be damn hard.
And damn boring.
She liked having Nate in her life. She even kinda
liked the idea of getting an instant family. A weird instant family to be sure, but a family just the same. She could probably even learn how not to blush every time she saw them. Mind you, that was going to be a lot harder now than it would have been, oh, twentyfour hours ago…
Gina paced the kitchen, thinking furiously. If Nate's behaviour to date was anything to go by, the chances of him giving her space to make up her own mind were about a million to one. In other words, she had to work it out now, on the off chance Rob was actually right.
She paused. Just imagine—a catch like Nate Moore actually wanting her. Plain, boring old Gina. Well, maybe not quite so boring now, she conceded with a wry grin as she resumed her pacing. Nate hadn't let her hide from reality for very long at all.
Okay, so the question was, did she—or did she not—want Nate Moore? She sank into a chair by the table, chewing her lip in agitation. This so was not the sort of thing she should be deciding this early in the morning. Even if she had slept in until something after ten…
She replayed the last few days in her mind, attempting to fast-forward when she got to the evening before. Her imagination, however, had other ideas, slowing down and reminding her of every fleeting touch from those hot male mouths and searching fingers, replaying in vivid detail her writhing in front of them, moaning and screaming. How could she have been so brazen as to be lying there with her ass in the air, every orifice filled, and have enjoyed herself so thoroughly?
Unsurprisingly, she blushed bright red, dropping her head onto the table and shaking it in dismay. The problem was, she couldn't imagine being so uninhibited wi
th any other man. Nate had been there with her the whole way, and she'd trusted him enough to accept his word that she'd enjoy what they did. Everything they did. And she had. She'd known plenty of men in her life, but Nate was the first one she'd trusted so easily. If he believed they were fated to be together, then maybe she should trust his judgment on that, too.
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