“I’m glad you like it.”
Kara was barely aware of Justin exiting the truck. Before she could even blink, he was opening her door and reaching for her hand.
“Would you like to come inside the house, or are you good just standing here in the driveway.” Justin was laughing softly when she finally brought herself to look away from the wrap-around front porch that was the focal point surrounded by burgundy bricks. A porch swing even creaked softly in the breeze.
“Justin? Why do I get the feeling you own this place?”
“Umm, of course.” He looked at her quizzically. “What did you think?”
“You said you worked on a farm. I … I was picturing pastures, milking or … or, something.” Shit. Literally. I was picturing grunt work. Kara bit her bottom lip to avoid sticking her foot any further into her mouth.
Luckily Justin just laughed harder. “Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart. Trevor and I own the farm. We have for about three years. It’s hard work sometimes, but business has been good and we’ve really enjoyed it.”
Justin grabbed Kara’s forearm and let his fingers slide down until he had a hold of her hand. Goose bumps erupted all over her skin at the gentle and increasingly familiar contact. He was almost constantly touching her in some way. Perhaps it should have seemed too personal, possessive even, but coming from him it just seemed … perfect.
She actually loved his continual contact.
Justin tugged on Kara’s hand and motioned toward the house with his head. “Come on. I want you to meet Trevor.”
He quickly swept her through the front door into an enormous family room. The area was so … warm. Welcoming.
The lived-in feeling of the self-proclaimed bachelor pad struck her immediately. A large sectional sofa formed a giant U-shape in the center of the room in a pattern of rust and browns. The area rug extending from the couch was a luxurious shaggy beige. Kara found herself wanting to take her shoes off and sink her feet into the tall pile.
“What do you think?” Justin’s voice was surprisingly eager.
Kara glanced at him to see an expression of hope staring back at her. He seemed to be holding his breath as though it mattered a great deal to him that she liked his home.
“It’s wonderful, Justin. I just love it.”
What was not to love?
A soft shade of brown covered the walls and met up with hardwood floors. Pillows in a variety of autumn colors were strewn around the sofa and in front of it, begging someone to lie down on the carpet and relax in front of the enormous flat-screen TV or listen to the stereo system filling the built-in wall-to-ceiling shelves.
“Would you like something to drink?” Justin continued to pull Kara through the living area and into the largest kitchen she’d ever seen. Clean. Modern. Sleek. Weird.
How do a couple of bachelors keep their kitchen so tidy? “I don’t have mineral water, but…” He pointed to the sink and faucet teasing her.
“Ha ha. I’m fine.”
Kara stared at Justin as he gathered her into his embrace. He lowered his mouth to hers in another mind-boggling kiss, taking her breath away.
A sudden noise to Kara’s left made her jump and spin in the direction of a screen door to the backyard banging closed. Heat suffused her face at having been caught kissing.
Standing in the doorway, gasping for air, was the second perfect male specimen Kara had met in two days. His blond hair was darker than hers, wavy, and hung across his forehead, disheveled. He seemed to have run to the house. Emerald eyes stared at her …
trapped her. A shiver ran through Kara’s entire body. Had they met before? She had the oddest sensation she should know him. Then again, she’d felt the same reaction with Justin last night. How peculiar. Incredibly strange.
What the hell is wrong with you, Kara?
When she licked her lips, tasting Justin’s kiss, her senses returned slowly. Her mouth felt suddenly dry. Her heart beat rapidly.
She realized she had turned in Justin’s arms to face away from him and still stood in his embrace, staring like a madwoman at his friend. His roommate, for Christ’s sake.
“Kara, this is Trevor.” Justin pulled Kara tighter against his chest, his arms wrapped around her almost stiffly. She leaned back against him. And prayed whatever freaky part of nature screaming at her to get a taste of Trevor too, would pass. Quickly.
“Hi.” Trevor approached Kara slowly. His swagger was hesitant. Sexy.
Stop it.
She could not rein in her thoughts. He was at least as big as Justin. Built. Did the two of them spend the entire day working out? Did steroids fill the water out here? Surely even the physical labor of a farm wouldn’t be enough to turn ordinary men into mouthwatering gods.
As he got closer, Kara tensed. His gaze narrowed in on her, wandered over her entire body like a predator. When he finally arrived to within a foot of her, he stopped. Kara froze in her position tucked under Justin’s chin.
Trevor reached for Kara’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard … well, not much actually.”
Kara tentatively took Trevor’s hand. Sparks raced up her arm. The electricity shooting between them muddled her mind on so many levels.
What the hell is going on here?
With his free hand, Trevor reached for Kara’s forearm, the endearing gesture only managing to add to Kara’s confusion over her seemingly emotional instability. He, too, seemed to have an affinity for touching as much of her skin as possible, even for this simple gesture of greeting. She was acutely aware of both men’s possessive hands wrapped around her arm, her fingers, her stomach … and she wanted them to. In fact, she wanted more.
How could she possibly be this attracted to two men?
She desperately wanted Trevor to lean in closer. His scent was as arousing to her as Justin’s. Distinct, but equally masculine. Woodsy.
“Nice to meet you, too.” The greeting sounded tight and high-pitched to her ears.
Trevor was standing incredibly close to Kara, but Justin didn’t seem to notice, or care.
“How was dinner?” Trevor stepped back and released his gentle hold on Kara’s arm and hand. Immediately she felt the loss of his heat, his energy, but not the attraction.
“It was great,” Justin responded.
Thank God, because Kara didn’t really think she could speak again without squeaking. Embarrassment at her strange erratic behavior flooded her and she felt the same flush rise to her cheeks that always managed to give her away.
“I promised Kara some cows,” Justin continued.
“Cows?” A perplexed look came over Trevor’s rugged face, a slight chuckle escaping from between his lips, one side of his mouth reaching up in a half smile. His gaze never left hers.
Kara wanted to touch his skin, feel the smooth angles of his jaw against the back of her hand. Not for the first time, she shivered.
“I’ve never…” Well, that was articulate.
“She hasn’t seen cows up close before. I figured we could remedy that.”
“Well, then. Let’s head to the barn. I think I can muster up a few cows easily enough.”
His sexy smile must be a Trevor’s trademark.
Kara wanted to taste his lips at least as much as she had wanted to devour Justin’s just moments ago. When she glanced up at Justin, instead of jealousy, Kara thought she saw … relief?
Justin released his possessive hold on her just enough to take her right hand and begin pulling her toward the back door Trevor had just come through. Thank goodness, because if he let go she’d probably trip over her own two feet, refusing to get with the program.
*
“Are you coming, Trevor? Trevor? The cows?” Trevor could hear Justin’s words ringing silently in his head but could not yank his attention from Kara. He’d merely spun slowly around as Justin dragged her through the kitchen. The magnetic energy was palpable. Could she feel it? Of course she could. He could smell her arousal. He’d seen her squeeze her thigh
s together when he reached for her.
“Man, put your tongue back in your mouth. You look like a cub standing there.
You’re going to scare her off before we even have her.” Justin looked impatient as Trevor finally glanced up into his face.
The two of them had been able to communicate telepathically for as long as they had been friends. Not all wolves possessed the ability, but certain ones seemed to have a special affinity. Especially bonded wolves, husbands and wives. Perhaps they had always been destined to bond with each other in a mating with one shared woman, which explained the special ability to converse without speaking.
“Cows. Right.” Trevor followed behind Kara out the door, the proximity of her body in front of his an ever-present thought. He had to grip his hands into fists at his sides to keep from reaching out to touch her. Justin had run his hands down her arms and now held her fingers in his. The contact he had with her was going to drive Trevor bonkers before he got to have his turn. “Can you … I don’t know … touch her a little less? You’re killing me.”
Justin’s laugh rang into Trevor’s head, audible only to him. “You’ll get your turn, and then some.”
The short walk to the barn behind the house was silent. For Kara at least. Had the barn moved farther away from the house than it had been just moments ago? He could see it perfectly well in the evening shadows, but Kara would be ambling blindly toward the red frame ahead.
Trevor was completely unable to control the increasing level of desire consuming his body. He stared at Kara’s fine ass as she swayed in front of him. The tight fit of her dress defined the muscular globes that would nestle perfectly against Trevor when he took her from behind. Thank God he was bringing up the rear because he had to adjust his growing hard on several times behind the confines of his jeans.
“You didn’t mention she was so … fucking hot.” Trevor didn’t take his gaze from Kara’s butt.
“Oh, I’m sure I did. You just weren’t listening.” By the time they entered the barn, the cool evening air seemed to have grown warmer. “Is it hot out here?”
Silent laughter was the only response from Justin.
When the three of them reached the first stall and leaned over the gate, Trevor could see Kara was definitely fidgeting. She was as attracted to the two of them as they were to her. The concept would be foreign to her. Unheard of. She attempted to focus on the gigantic animal inside the stall, but her shifting gaze told him she centered her awareness on the men. Justin, on her right, wrapped a possessive hand around her shoulder and grasped the fence on the other side. Trevor stood incredibly close to her on her left allowing his biceps to rub against hers, creating an electric current between the three of them.
“This is Bessy,” Justin began, his voice completely calm as though not one strange thing was wrong with the universe. “She’s our oldest. Retired. We’re rather attached to her, so we kept her. She lives a life of luxury here on the farm.” Justin chuckled and reached his right hand out into the stall, making a smacking noise with his mouth luring the tame animal over to receive a pet.
“You can touch her if you’d like. She won’t bite.”
But I might. Trevor looked over his shoulder at Kara’s face, just inches away. So close he could feel the heat of her exhale against his face as she turned toward him.
She kept licking her lips. It was driving Trevor mad. He wanted to lean just those last few inches and trail his own tongue over her ripe pink mouth. “Dude, her tongue is …
is…”
“I know. Maddening, isn’t it? Wait ’til she wraps it around yours,” Justin teased.
Kara yanked her gaze toward the cow. Did she think staring at the large mammal would dampen the emotional charge? Not. She shuffled her feet and Trevor glanced down to her legs which she clenched tightly together. He couldn’t help the smile spreading across his face. She was aroused. Undeniably. He could smell it in the air.
Justin described the cow, what type she was, how much she weighed, how long they’d had her. On and on. Trevor knew his pal was buying time. Giving Kara the opportunity to get comfortable in their presence. His grip on the wooden fence tightened in an effort to keep himself from reaching under her dress and feeling the results of her excitement with his palm. Too soon.
“So, Justin tells me you’re a gymnast,” Trevor finally managed to direct the comment at her. “Man, she is so aroused. And she has no idea what to do about it. Can you smell it on her?”
“Of course I can. Why do you think I’m spending so much time talking about fucking cows? Thought it might take my mind off the hard on threatening to explode in my jeans here.”
Justin was nothing if not eloquent.
“I am. Well for another week anyway.” Kara tipped her chin up in Trevor’s direction once again, her eyes locking with his. “I’m too old … for the sport, that is. My days are numbered.” Her smile was so lovely. Dimples broke out on both cheeks. Trevor wanted to nibble around them. And he would. Later.
“I’d hardly consider you old.” Here he was thinking of all the ways to thoroughly debauch this woman and worrying about how inexperienced she was for the sexual ideas running through his mind.
“By gymnastics standards,” Kara continued. “I’ll probably never leave the sport completely, but my competitive days are just about over.”
“It sounds very … um, dangerous. Isn’t it?” Great, Trevor. You sound like her dad.
Kara laughed, a sweet light sound tinkling in the air, sending a chill down Trevor’s arms. “I guess. I never really think about it anymore.”
“Hmm.” No way was he going to be able to support the idea of her continuing on this deadly path. “When are you planning to tell her this gymnastics gig is not going to work for us?”
“Ha ha. Just after you do.” Oh, so Justin was pawning the problem off on the current third wheel. “Besides, you heard her. It’s only for another week.” Trevor watched as Kara squirmed against Justin’s chest firmly pressed to her back.
With both men crowding her, they had to be invading her personal space. It wasn’t dampening her lust any. Her scent permeated the air between them. What would it feel like to be skin to skin with her? To have both him and Justin sandwiched against her naked body?
“I should go,” she blurted out, intruding on Trevor’s daydream.
Trevor gritted his teeth. After all, they couldn’t stand here forever posturing, but he sure didn’t want the moment to end. He knew she was aroused, but it would stand to reason she would be feeling awkward about her body’s reaction to the two of them. The irony of the situation was not lost on Trevor. He’d shared many women with Justin, and never had they had to tread so lightly before. Usually when they got home with a lady, they got right to business. The women they’d dated had known what the cards held. Hell, they’d asked for it. Now here they were with the one female they would spend the rest of their lives with, and she wanted to go home. He almost chuckled. Almost. They had no choice but to bide their time with her. Ease her into their lifestyle. Trevor just prayed that
“ease” was relatively short term.
“I mean, I have to get up early and it’s getting late.” She glanced at both men.
“On a Sunday? Do you have classes or something that meet on Sundays?” As much as Trevor hated the idea of ever having her out of his sight again, he forced himself to retreat a scant few inches.
“No. I have a mock meet tomorrow morning. Justin is coming to watch. You could come along also… If you want.” Kara bit her lip. So hard it turned white.
Oh, we are so going to get along just fine, the three of us. Just as soon as we break the news to her…
“Sounds interesting. I just might.” No need to sound over eager.
*
Kara stared at first Justin and then Trevor. There was an energy in the air. These guys were so close to each other it seemed as though they could read each other’s minds.
They reminded her of twins. Some people believ
ed twins could communicate silently with each other.
As though they had discussed the matter thoroughly and come to some sort of decision, they both pronounced “okay” at the same moment.
Kara didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed at their easy acquiescence to her departure.
“I’ll drive you back to your car.”
Kara turned her head to face Justin. “Thank you.”
No one moved.
Three mouths hung slightly open. Three sets of eyes scanned back and forth between one another. Three distinct levels of breathing filled the silent space, each heavily panting as though they had just engaged in a threesome and were now attempting recovery.
The emotions Kara felt were intense and she needed to break the spell before she made a fool of herself. Ducking from beneath Justin’s possessive arm, Kara made her way toward the exit. She called over her shoulder, “Coming?” Neither man spoke, but she sensed they were on her heels without turning around again. Facing them was too risky at the moment. Clearly she had lost her marbles.
As she rounded the house and approached the truck, only one set of steps continued to follow her. Justin’s aftershave lingered in the air, his own outdoorsy scent mixing with expensive cologne.
Kara turned finally when she heard Trevor address her from a few steps back, angling toward the house. “Nice to meet you.”
“Yes, you too.” More than you will ever know.
How could she ever see either of these men again? She couldn’t believe her traitorous body was actually creaming over two hunks.
Kara reached for the door handle as she arrived at the side of the black truck gleaming in the moonlight, but Justin was quick to lay his hand on top of hers and pull the lever for her. His heat immediately reignited the flames that had only barely begun to simmer during the short walk to the front of the house. “Let me get that for you.”
“Where did you learn such manners? Your mother must have had some influence over you.” Even Kara’s father was not as polite.
Justin’s deep rumbling chuckle resonated a few inches from her ear as he helped her into the pickup and reached across her to buckle her in. “She did actually. She insisted all her kids have manners. If we didn’t toe the line, we had to repeat the task until we got it right. You should have seen us leaving the kitchen table and returning over and over again until we could manage to keep our elbows off and chew with our mouths shut.” Before pulling away, he paused to press his lips once more against her mouth. It started as a gentle peck, but as soon as his mouth landed against Kara’s she tilted her head to one side. Unable to stop herself, she actually moaned.
Kara's Wolves Page 6
