by Rayna Tyler
I cringed because anyone listening to her describe my actions would think I was a stalker. “Exactly.”
“Uh-huh.” She uncrossed her arms and padded toward me, then stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to my jaw. “Thanks for the rescue, but it still doesn’t change anything. We aren’t going to mate.”
I watched her saunter back toward the lodge and willed my wayward cock to relax.
Chapter Eight
REESE
I sat in my office staring out the window at the blue sky peeking through the treetops and musing about my dilemma with Jac. If she thought she could tell me I didn’t have a say in my future, then give me a chaste kiss and expect me to simply let her walk away, she was wrong.
The best way to win a battle was to understand the opponent. It was the most valuable thing I’d learned from my time in the military. I didn’t want to conquer or control Jac, but I did want her to change her mind and choose to be with me. In order to prove to her we should be together, I needed an advantage. I needed to learn a lot more about her, which meant I needed to spend more time with her.
Berkley had first mentioned her friendship with Jac when she’d proposed adding the wedding travel packages to the resort’s list of accommodations. After seeing the shots Jac had taken at the construction site, I agreed her photographic skills were amazing. Besides being strong-willed and the sexiest female I’d ever seen, with or without clothes, I knew her father was a colonel and that her animal was a uniquely beautiful feline.
After a brief conversation with my sister and a new plan of action formulating in my mind, I pushed away from my desk and headed for Jac’s room. I knocked on her door, hoping she didn’t slam it in my face.
“Come in, it’s unlocked,” Jac’s voice echoed from a distance.
I walked inside, not sure what to expect.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” she called from the bathroom.
I moved farther into the room, careful not to trip over the two open suitcases filled with clothes and several pairs of shoes littering the floor. If she hadn’t bothered to unpack, was I right about her leaving after the wedding? It was a troubling thought, one I would worry about later. I pushed aside the clothes strewn across the end of the unmade bed and took a seat.
From this vantage point, I could see the back of Jac’s partially naked body as she got dressed. She had finished putting on the bikini bottoms for her bathing suit and was hooking the clasp for her top. I also got a better view of her tattoo. It was a jungle cat, the image stretching along her hip, the tail curling along her butt cheek.
It was all I could do to suppress my wolf’s growl when she bent over to tug on a pair of cutoff shorts and presented me with an even better view of her ass. I should have looked away, but no amount of willpower was going to keep me from admiring her shapely curves.
The few functioning brain cells I had left, the ones that hadn’t been compromised by desirous thoughts, kicked in once she covered the upper half of her body with a T-shirt.
I’d barely lowered my gaze to the floor and clasped my hands to hide the evidence of my arousal when she appeared in the bathroom doorway and froze.
“What the...” She frowned and leaned against the doorframe. “You’re not Berkley.”
I couldn’t resist the taunt. “Nope, but I’m glad you can tell the difference.”
She pursed her lips. “That’s not what I meant. What are you doing here, and why are you sitting on my bed?” She grabbed the clothes next to me and tossed them onto the dresser.
“I came here to see if you were ready to go.” I got to my feet, determined to take control of the situation before she could find an excuse to kick me out.
“Go where?” she asked.
I ignored her suspicious scowl and flashed her an innocent grin. “To give you a tour of the falls.”
She crossed her arms. “What happened to Berkley? I was supposed to be going with her.”
“She had to take care of some guest issues and asked me to take you,” I said, stretching the truth somewhat. Surprisingly, when I’d asked my sister what the females had planned for the day, she’d been more than happy when I volunteered to be Jac’s guide.
“Uh-huh.” She warily glanced in my direction as she strolled across the room to the small wooden desk in the corner. “I thought you were busy with all your construction projects. I’m pretty sure I can find the falls by myself.” She smirked, picking up a set of keys and a cell phone, then stuffing them in her pockets. “After all, I did manage to travel across several states and find the resort all by my lonesome.”
I found her sarcasm amusing and clamped my lips together to keep from laughing. “I’m sure the contractors can survive a few hours without me.” I didn’t mention I’d already asked Nick and Preston to take over at the sites for me. “Besides, this is your fault.”
“My fault,” she stammered. “How is this my fault?”
“I decided to take your advice.”
“And which one of my worldly words of wisdom did you decide was important? Because clearly you weren’t listening when I said you and I were a bad idea.”
“The one about making time to have fun. With you.”
“That wasn’t what I meant when I...”
It was the first time I’d seen her get flustered, and the rosy color blossoming on her cheeks was an added bonus. “Coming?” I snatched the bag containing her camera and tugged the strap over my shoulder. I opened the door, pausing long enough to glance over my shoulder and get a glimpse of her stunned expression. “Unless you’re too afraid to be alone with me.” I tossed out the challenge hoping it would convince her to come with me.
“I’m not afraid of anything.” She defiantly jutted out her chin and opened the door. “Especially you.”
“If you say so.” I closed the door behind me, then watched her stomp down the hallway. The sway of her gorgeous ass was an appealing sight, and I considered finding more ways to make her angry.
JAC
Of all the times I’d given a guy advice, why did Reese have to be the first one to actually listen? I shook off my frustration by rushing ahead of him. I told myself the entire way down the hall, through the lodge, and even after I’d planted my ass in the passenger seat of his truck that the only reason I’d gone with him was because he was holding my camera hostage. It had absolutely nothing to do with how badly my cat—not me—longed to sidle up against him and mark his too-sexy-for-his-own-good body with her scent.
Snapping the seat belt into place was a good way to keep the wanton feline under control and put some distance between us. Though it didn’t help once Reese was settled inside the cab. His enticing male scent teased my nose and continued to tempt my cat. He hadn’t even left the parking lot and I was ready to follow my cat’s lead, crawl into his lap, and purr.
As it was, I had to feign a coughing fit to disguise the desirous rumble rising from my chest.
“You okay?” Reese tapped the brake and stopped the truck.
“Fur ball,” I said, smacking my chest hard enough to hurt.
“There’s bottled water in a backpack behind the seat.”
Why did he have to sound so concerned? And why was I appreciating it so much? I cleared my throat again. No amount of water was going to cool the heat coursing through my body. “Thanks, but I’m good.”
He let up on the brake, then drove out of the lot, turning left instead of right as I’d expected. “I thought you said we were going to the falls.” All the signs I’d seen when I’d driven the long winding road leading to the resort had indicated the popular tourist attraction was in the other direction.
“I know a short cut.” He turned left again, putting us on a worn dirt road, the ruts worse than the ones Berkley and I had traveled over the day before.
“I think I would have preferred taking the long way.” The truck bounced again, forcing me to grab the edge of my seat and keep a firm grip on the overhead handle near the door with the other. I
wanted to ask him if this was his way of torturing me for refusing to be his mate.
Reese seemed unaffected by the jostling and manned the steering wheel like a pro. “Trust me, where we’re going will be worth it.”
“It better be, otherwise you’re paying for my next visit to the chiropractor,” I teased. We both knew being a shifter blessed us with enhanced healing abilities. Any aches I incurred today would most likely be gone by tomorrow.
He chuckled, then changed the subject. “How did you meet Berkley?”
“She never told you.”
He shook his head. “Nope, but I’m sure there are a lot of things my sister hasn’t bothered to tell me.”
I wasn’t surprised. The way Berkley and I had met wasn’t something you picked up the phone about and immediately shared with your big brother. “We met when she was attending the university.”
“You were in the business program too?” Reese shot me a curious glance.
“No, I was on a photo assignment. The school was working on improving their social image and hired me to take shots of some of the buildings, staff, and students.” The bumps in the road were less invasive, and I released my grip on the seat. “While I was there, I heard about a bar close to campus that was supposed to be a lot of fun, so I decided to check it out.”
“And was it...fun?” he asked.
“Let’s just say the atmosphere and drinks were outstanding. It was the guys who didn’t like to be told no that caused me problems.” I remembered the young males in their early twenties who reminded me a lot of Shane. Arrogant examples of walking testosterone that still needed work on refining their charm.
“Berkley stepped in to help, didn’t she?”
I grinned, amazed at how well he knew his sister. “Yep, best bar fight I’ve ever had. Berkley and I have been friends ever since.”
“You’ve been in more than one fight?”
“A few, but nothing worth mentioning.” The few I was referring to involved military males and part of the reason I refused to get involved with them. I was enjoying my time with Reese and didn’t want to ruin it by talking about things from my past that might direct the conversation to the topic of us not mating.
He drove the truck into a small grated clearing, then stopped. “There’s a secluded area not far from here the tourists don’t know about. Feel like going for a hike?”
“Sure, a walk sounds great.” It was exactly what my cat needed.
Whether out of habit or the need to maintain control, Reese reached for the handheld radio sitting on the seat between us.
“I thought you said you knew how to have fun?”
“I do. Why?”
I glanced at the radio in his hand. “Prove it,” I tossed out nonchalantly. He was a leader, had to be in control. I didn’t expect him to accept my challenge. Though I was certain I’d made my point, I refrained from letting my smirk reach my lips.
When he narrowed his eyes, I could almost imagine the internal argument he was having with himself.
“Fine.” Reese placed the radio back on the seat and got out of the vehicle.
Just because he’d won this round didn’t mean I was going to change my opinion, or my mind, about our nonclaiming situation.
He tilted his seat forward to retrieve the backpack containing the bottles of water he’d mentioned earlier.
I grabbed my camera bag off the floor near my feet, then got out and walked to the front of the truck. “Where to now?” I enjoyed a good hike and was looking forward to the exercise. The area was beautiful, and I planned to take some pictures.
I’d worn my bathing suit under my T-shirt and shorts because Berkley had mentioned there were places near the falls for swimming. With Reese in charge of the outing, I wasn’t sure if taking a dip was on the itinerary. I guess I’d have to wait and see.
IT DIDN’T TAKE US LONG to reach the area Reese had mentioned. Hidden within a clearing was a pool beneath a wall of boulders forming a small, secluded waterfall. I glanced longingly at the water’s translucent surface, contemplating his suggestion to go for a swim, then turned and waggled my finger at him. “Don’t you dare remove those pants if you aren’t wearing underwear.” Being embarrassed by nudity was something I’d grown out of shortly after I’d learned how to shift. If he’d been any other male, keeping his private parts covered while in the water would have been optional. But this was my mate, and the sexual tension between us, the need to be together, the need to claim, sizzled like a live wire stretching between us. Testing the boundaries of my willpower was not something I wanted to do, not with my cat pushing me hard to accept him.
Reese had the button undone and paused with his hand on the zipper. “Afraid of what you might see?”
I jutted my chin. “I told you before, I’m not afraid of anything.” Intrigued, yes. Afraid no. Actually, I was more than a little curious, but I refused to let him bait me. “I’m serious. No underwear, no going in the water with me.”
“I’d let you go in the water naked if you wanted to.” He pouted and tugged off his pants, exposing a tight pair of briefs that enhanced an impressive male package.
I hadn’t realized I was staring and holding my breath until he chuckled. “Change your mind?” He hooked his thumbs under the waistband. “Because I can...” He pushed the fabric a half inch lower.
I found the strength to jerk my gaze back to his face. “No.” I protested louder than I’d meant to.
He shrugged. “Your loss.”
Damn, full of himself wolf. His egotistical smirk was enough to remind me that I needed to stick to my plan. There would be no mating, claiming, or anything else happening between him and me. My cat thought differently, but I was doing my best to ignore her snarling arguments.
“You ready?” he asked.
“Go ahead, I’m right behind you.” I stepped out of my shorts and reached for the hem of my shirt.
He didn’t hesitate to run toward the water’s edge and dive beneath the crystal blue surface. With the falls in the background, the lighting was perfect, and I reached for my camera. I waited for him to resurface, then took several pictures. Where he was standing, the surface of the pool hit his waist. I got some pictures of him swiping the water from his hair, the drops trickling down his gorgeous chest.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” I said, snapping a few more shots.
Reese didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he was grinning. I didn’t need to see the digital version to know the photos would be droolworthy. I experienced a momentary bout of jealousy when I thought about other females seeing the pictures and panting over him. There was no way the photos would ever leave my private collection.
“If you need more, I could...” Reese said.
I had yet to meet a male shifter who had a problem with his nudity, and he was no exception. He taunted me by slipping his hands beneath the water.
My body heated as an image of Reese posing naked on one of the nearby flat rocks flashed through my mind. Those were the kinds of pictures that fulfilled my photographic fantasies and would definitely keep me awake at night. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
I set my camera back in the bag. My body was overheating, and I desperately needed to cool off in the water. I hesitated with my hands on the hem of my shirt, not sure if exposing my skimpy bathing suit was a good idea.
He must’ve guessed what I was thinking. “What happened to not being afraid?”
I’d never been one to walk away from a challenge, and even though I knew I should run from this one, I couldn’t. I decided to meet his dare and do a little taunting of my own. I tightened my grip, then slowly inched the fabric upward along my body until I’d removed my shirt. I didn’t bother to hold back my satisfied smile when I heard his low rumbling groan.
His appreciative noises emboldened my desire to continue torturing him. I padded toward the water, adding emphasis to the sway of my hips with each step. His gaze glowed amber from his wolf and his mouth was hanging open by the time
I reached the pool’s edge.
“Still think I’m afraid?” I asked, then dove into the water. What I hadn’t counted on was Reese finding a way to get even. I broke the water’s surface, opened my eyes, and found myself ensnared in his arms.
“Thanks for the show,” he murmured, his voice deeper, half human, half wolf.
I should have backed away, swum to the other side of the pool, anything to put some distance between us. But my cat, danger-seeking creature that she was, wanted to play. And if I was being honest, so did I.
“You’re welcome.” I pressed my palms against his chest, resisting the urge to knead the firm hard muscles with my fingertips.
It was all the incentive he needed to pull me closer, his thick, hard erection pressing against my belly. Desire filled his gaze. When he lowered his mouth and captured my lips, I surrendered.
Chapter Nine
REESE
No female had ever tempted, teased, and annoyed me all at the same time, not the way Jac did. I’d been proud of my restraint, but after her enticing display, I’d lost the ability to think clearly.
Once she was in the water, I wanted her in my arms. When she placed her warm palms against my chest, I lost control. One reserved kiss, encouraged by her soft whimpers, led to another and another, each taste of her lips more aggressive than the last. Before I knew it, I’d possessively conquered her exquisite mouth with my tongue.
Jac’s enthusiasm rivaled my own. With a surrendering moan, she slid her hands across my shoulders, her nails digging into my nape, her body seductively rubbing against mine.
I barely had the chance to cup her gorgeous ass and squeeze before the sound of a male coughing filtered slowly through my hazy, desire-filled state of mind. It was the second, much louder and irritating cough that forced me to end the kiss and relinquish the tight hold I had on Jac.
