“Maybe this will help my cause,” Cale said in a voice a little on the husky side.
The light scent of her arousal perfumed the air around them and he felt his mating urge ride his ass harder. One taste, that’s all he needed. His steps slowed as he met her gaze, letting some of the desire he felt for her show in his eyes. But not so much that they would glow, something he had no control over when he became very aroused or angry.
Her tongue came out and licked her lips again. It was more than he could bear. He brushed his mouth across hers, then pulled back to see what Sierra’s reaction was. Cale let out a grunt of surprise when she sank her hands into his hair on either side of his head and kissed him as if there were no tomorrow. With all the blood definitely now rushing to his aching cock, Cale halted his forward movement. If he kept going he was liable to walk right smack into a tree.
As she devoured his mouth, he pushed his tongue inside hers. The taste of his would-be mate caused him to moan in pleasure. Pounding need coursed through him. The scent of Sierra’s arousal became stronger, making him long to strip her naked right there and then and go down on her, taste her pussy as he now tasted her lips.
Sierra’s grip on his hair tightened, pulling his face even closer. She sucked on his tongue as one of her breasts rubbed against his chest. Their kiss became more carnal, the sounds of their moans and groans filling the air around them. Things were heating up so quickly between them Cale was surprised they hadn’t set any of the trees in the vicinity on fire.
The idea to put Sierra down, let her slide along the length his body until she stood on her feet, popped into his head when the sound of raised voices reached his ears. They weren’t very close, but with his sensitive werewolf hearing, he could just make out what was being said.
With a reluctant groan, Cale broke contact with Sierra’s mouth. They were both breathing heavily, as if they’d just finished a marathon. “I think I hear your brother, and from the sound of it, the husband found him first.”
Chapter Two
It took Sierra a few seconds to unscramble her brain and figure out what Cale had said. “My brother? I can’t hear anything.”
Cale put her on her feet, and said, “I can. Come on.”
He took her hand and led her out of the trees and into one of the castle’s gardens. Sierra had to quicken her steps to keep up with Cale’s long strides as they followed the path that took them to the Japanese Garden, which was a tortoise-shaped island. As they neared the arched bridge, Sierra finally heard two male voices raised in anger. One she recognized as Trevor’s.
Arriving on the scene, Sierra saw it didn’t bode well for her brother. The husband was practically up in his face, yelling. Demanding to know what the hell Trevor thought he was doing out here alone in the dark with another man’s wife. The woman stood near her husband with a guilty expression on her face.
Sierra pulled her hand out of Cale’s and rushed toward the men, not wanting things to go any further than they already had. “Trevor, enough,” she said loudly enough to be heard over their raised voices. The two of them stepped away from each other and turned in her direction.
Her brother scowled at her. “Sierra? What are you doing out here?”
She gave Trevor a hard stare. “Looking for you. Get your ass back in the reception.”
“Just wait a minute,” the husband said. “He’s not going anywhere until he tells me what the fuck he was doing with my wife.”
Sierra turned her attention on him. “Maybe you should be asking your wife why she came out here with my brother. She might be drunk, but I don’t think she’s that far gone that she didn’t know what she was doing.”
“Leave my wife out of this for now,” he snarled. “I want an answer from your brother first.”
From behind Sierra, Cale cleared his throat. “Why don’t you just let this go? There’s no reason to make a big scene out of it.”
“And why don’t you keep your opinions to yourself, asshole? I don’t know who the fuck you are, but you’re getting on my nerves. After I teach this other jerk a lesson or two, maybe I should do the same for you.”
In a blink of an eye, Cale had shifted around Sierra until he stood between the husband and her. She’d thought the other man was big, but seeing Cale in front of him, she realized he was bigger. Cale had to stand at least six-foot-five, so he towered over the husband by about three inches. He was also broader of shoulder and had a bigger muscle mass. If it came down to a fight, Sierra had a feeling Cale would wipe the floor with the other man.
“I’d like to see you try,” Cale said in a hard voice. “I’ve dealt with idiots like you before. You’re all talk and no bite.” He then got up into the other man’s face.
The husband must have seen something in Cale’s expression, because he quickly backed down. He grabbed hold of his wife’s hand and towed her away. Sierra watched until they disappeared from sight. Then she focused on her brother.
“When are you going to stop doing crap like this, Trevor?” she snapped. “One day I’m not going to make it in time to smooth things over.”
“I never asked you to save me, Sierra. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to have my little sis constantly watching everything I do?”
“Then grow the hell up and act like a thirty-year-old man is supposed to and I won’t have to do this.”
“Like you’re so perfect. At least I can attract a member of the opposite sex, unlike you who sits alone in her apartment every weekend.”
Sierra opened her mouth to lay into her brother, but ended up not having to. Cale did it for her.
“Watch what you say about your sister,” he said, an almost audible growl lacing each word. “And she had no problem attracting me. Now apologize to Sierra and return to the reception like she told you.”
Trevor snorted. “Go to hell.”
In a move that was almost too fast for Sierra to track, Cale had Trevor by the back of the neck and gave him a little shake. “Not going to happen, pup. Now do as I said. Unless you think you’re man enough to take on the likes of me. And believe me, you aren’t.”
Cale gave Trevor another hard shake, then shoved him away. Sierra easily saw the anger her brother must be feeling on his face. Trevor liked to think he was the top dog, and hated when someone showed him he wasn’t. He scowled one last time at Cale before he crossed the bridge in the direction of the castle.
Sierra turned to Cale. “Sorry,” she said. “He isn’t usually this much of a jerk. He had a lot to drink at the wedding. And knowing Trevor, he’ll be right back into the alcohol as soon as he gets to the reception.”
“Maybe I should go inside with you to make sure he doesn’t do anything else that’ll have you chasing after him.”
She ran her gaze over Cale, taking in his longish black hair, dark-green eyes and the jeans and t-shirt he wore. He was so good-looking she didn’t think she’d have any problem staring at him for an entire day. He had a face she expected to see in fashion magazines. And she’d actually kissed him.
Just thinking about how she’d practically devoured his mouth, taking over the control, made her cheeks heat. She’d be lucky if Cale didn’t think she was desperate, especially after Trevor’s comment about her being alone. The awful thing, though, was it wasn’t a lie. It’d been almost a year since she’d last slept with a man, and that relationship had lasted only a couple of months. Sierra never thought she’d attract a man like Cale. He looked way out of her league.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “If you do go with me, not only will you be subjected to my brother again, you’ll have to deal with my mother. She always turns a blind eye on whatever Trevor does.”
He smiled, making him look even more devastatingly handsome. “I think I can handle them. Just so long as you don’t think your cousin will mind me crashing her wedding, I’ll come with you.”
“I doubt she will.”
“Good.” Cale closed the space between them. “What are the chances of me bein
g able to slow dance with you?”
She stared into his eyes, feeling her heart race. An ache deep inside her pussy made itself known. Sierra fought the urge to squeeze her legs together to try to alleviate it. Her sex-starved body wanted Cale, all of him. While he’d carried her in his arms, it had turned her on more than it should have. Then he’d brushed her lips with his and she’d been lost.
“I think that can be arranged,” she said softly.
“I’ll have something to look forward to then.”
“We should really get to the reception.”
“First, I have to do this.”
Cale placed his hands on her hips and drew her closer until their chests touched. He bent his head and took her lips in a kiss that had her aching for a whole lot more. His tongue pushed inside her mouth, stroking hers, tasting. Sierra reached up and held onto his shoulders as he deepened the meeting of their mouths. Once again she found herself lost on a tide of arousal. Her nipples pebbled beneath her dress, making her wish there were no clothes separating them. Wetness pooled between her legs, intensifying the ache inside her pussy. Just a kiss and she was ready to strip naked and jump on Cale.
With a reluctant-sounding groan, he lifted his head. “We better go inside before I completely forget where we are.”
Sierra blinked open her eyes, still feeling lost in the spell that had come over her. “Or I do the same thing and let you have whatever you want.”
Cale groaned again. “You’re not helping.” He threaded his fingers with hers and turned them in the direction Trevor had gone. “Time to go.”
It wasn’t long before she guided Cale to the room where her cousin’s reception was being held. Loud music played and the lights had been dimmed. Quite a few guests were out on the dance floor. It seemed as if most of them were having a good time. Still holding onto Cale’s hand, Sierra led him over to the table where her mother and brother sat. As she’d predicted, Trevor held a drink. Her mom, of course, wouldn’t cut him off.
Trevor glared at Cale as Sierra and he took a seat in a couple of empty chairs. “What the hell is he doing here?” her brother slurred.
Yup, Trevor was still pissed off. Sierra really didn’t give a crap. “I invited him, and it’s none of your damn business.”
“Sierra, don’t be rude to your brother,” her mother said. “Introduce us.” Her gaze settled on Cale.
Of course her mom didn’t reprimand Trevor for his rudeness to Sierra. Sierra clenched her jaw to hold back the caustic remark she oh so wanted to make. What held her back was the fact it wouldn’t make a bit of difference. “Mom, this is Cale. Cale, this is my mother, Nancy.”
Her mom smiled at Cale. “When did you meet my daughter? I had no idea she was seeing someone. If I’d known, I would have told her to invite you to the wedding when she received the invitation, instead of bringing you on the spur of the moment. At least then you would have had a chance to dress appropriately.”
Sierra felt like crawling under the table again. If it wasn’t her brother, it was her mom saying something to embarrass her. She really couldn’t win when it came to her family.
Cale seemed to overlook what her mother said and replied, “Actually, Sierra and I just met outside while she was looking for Trevor. So she really couldn’t have asked me to come with her to the wedding any earlier.”
“Oh,” her mom said. “Did you ask her out on a date? Sierra desperately needs a man in her life. Her last boyfriend was a year ago. And with her track record, I’m not sure I’ll ever get to see her walk down the aisle or give me grandchildren.”
“Mother!” Sierra said in a shocked voice. She really wanted to disappear now. She couldn’t even look at Cale, afraid to see his reaction to what her mom had said.
As if he knew how embarrassed Sierra felt, Cale shifted his chair closer to hers and put his arm around her shoulders. “If I were to ask Sierra out, would I meet with your approval, Nancy?”
Cale smiled, and Sierra watched her mother return it with a coy one of her own, practically batting her eyelashes. She didn’t know what she thought was worse—her mom’s embarrassing statements, or her flirting with a man Sierra was more than interested in.
“Of course I approve,” her mother said. “I don’t think my daughter has dated a man quite as good-looking as you. If she’s smart, she’ll hold on to you before someone else snaps you up.”
Cale turned his head toward Sierra and gave her a look so heated she almost melted in her chair. Her pussy clenched in longing to be filled by a big cock. Having checked out the bulge in the front of Cale’s jeans, she had a feeling he’d be large enough to do the job.
The heat in Cale’s gaze seemed to increase as he took a deep breath through his nose. Without looking away from Sierra, he answered her mother. “I don’t think Sierra has to worry about another woman taking me away from her. We’ve gotten off to a great start, as far as I’m concerned.”
As she stared back, she really felt as if Cale thought she was the only woman he’d ever want. She had no idea if he did it on purpose to put on a show for her mother or not, but that didn’t stop her body from reacting to him. Arousal flooded through her, making her wish Cale and she were alone. Hell, she’d even risk running into the wolf again by going back out to the hiking trail with him.
Cale took another big inhalation through his nose, and in between blinks, Sierra thought she saw his eyes glow mutedly. She really couldn’t have seen that, though.
Trevor snorted, ending whatever moment had come over her and Cale. “I need another drink,” her brother said as he rose unsteadily to his feet.
It was her turn to snort. “Good luck with that. I’m sure you’ll be cut off soon, if they haven’t done so already. You’ve had more than enough.”
Sierra watched Trevor walk away, but soon found her attention on Cale when he stood and held his hand out to her.
“It’s a slow song,” he said with a smile. “And you promised you’d dance with me.”
She put her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to her feet. He then led her out to the center of the room where other couples danced to the music. Sierra put her arms around Cale’s neck as he took her in his arms, holding her around the waist.
They drew a few stares. Sierra figured it was because Cale was dressed casually while everyone else around them wore dressier clothes. She ignored the others as Cale started them dancing.
The heat from Cale’s body seeped right into hers as they swayed to the music together. His arms around her held her tighter, pulling her flush against him. Sierra sucked in a breath when the hardness of his erection brushed her lower stomach. He felt thick and long. Wetness pooled deep inside her pussy and her nipples grew taut, begging to be sucked on.
She lifted her gaze to look at his face. His eyes were heavy lidded and totally focused on her. She seemed to fall into them, where no one else mattered but the man who held her close. Sierra no longer heard the music or saw the people around them. Cale had become the center of her universe. Her body ached for his, the need to get closer to him was almost too hard to resist. Never before had she been drawn to a man quite like she was to Cale. And from the way his gaze seemed to eat her up, she had the feeling he felt the same way about her, which blew her mind.
Even though her mother had embarrassed her by saying Sierra hadn’t dated a man as good-looking as Cale, it was true. She didn’t consider herself ugly, but she usually attracted men she didn’t consider out of her reach, ones who were nothing really special. And she had to admit she felt safer going after men like that, which wasn’t what she needed when it came right down to it. Finding herself bored after a few months was the first stage of her wanting out of the relationship.
But with Cale, it was different. She had a feeling the boredom wouldn’t set in as it had with the others. And it wasn’t because he turned her on until she couldn’t think straight. The little time she’d spent with him, she knew she wanted to see him again, hopefully the next day.
; “Sierra,” Cale said in a husky voice. “The way you’re looking at me, soon I’m not going to be responsible for my actions. And I doubt you’ll want to give your mom and brother any more ammo to use against you later.”
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Are you saying you’d make a move on me in front of my family and the other wedding guests?” Cale rocked his hips into her and she bit back a moan when she felt his cock jerk inside his jeans.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. As is, I’m going to have a hard time walking off the dance floor without everyone knowing what condition I’m in.”
“Then maybe we should stop dancing.”
His hold tightened. “Don’t you dare. I like you exactly where you are.”
To distract herself from the arousal Cale’s words caused, Sierra asked, “How long are you here in Victoria? You never said when you were going back to Toronto.”
He gave her a crooked grin. “I guess that depends on you.”
“On me? Why?”
“Because you’ve put a new spin on my holiday. You might have thought I shot you a line when I said meeting you has made it more interesting, but I meant it. You are a pleasant surprise I hadn’t expected.”
The need to giggle like a silly teenager built inside Sierra. She squashed it before it could rise to the surface. She was too old to be acting like a ninny because a man showed interest in her.
She cleared her throat before she spoke. “Don’t you have to worry about your work? I’m sure your employer won’t take too kindly to the idea of you having even more time off than you already booked. I took next week off and I know my work wouldn’t be too thrilled if I took more.”
Cale grinned. “I don’t have to worry about that. I’m my own boss. I own a gym, and my employees are quite capable of looking after it while I’m away.”
And that would explain why Cale was so muscular. He had the build of a man who spent many hours in a gym lifting weights. “You’re lucky. I wish I could say my job was that interesting, because it’s not. I work at the call center for the local cable company. I get to take phone calls from customers all day, the majority of which are complaints.”
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