He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, then took her hand and started back toward her cabin. Things were definitely looking up.
* * * *
Maddie nearly jumped out of her skin when Remus knocked on the door the next evening. Even though she’d been expecting him, her heart raced and her stomach did somersaults when she saw him through the window.
Oh God, this is it. My first date. What would he think if he knew I’d never been out with a man before?
Looking at the door, Maddie thought she was going to be sick. What would he expect tonight? Could she trust him to keep his word and not push her into anything she wasn’t ready for?
Well, now that’s the problem isn’t it? Your body is ready. It’s your mind that’s having trouble catching up.
Maddie was startled out of her thoughts by another loud pounding on the door and Remus’s voice calling her name.
Maddie opened the door and gazed into his smiling face. “Hi.” She felt herself begin to flush. “Um, you’re a little early.”
She watched as his smile became a frown.
“I’m sorry, am I too early?”
Maddie laughed. “Oh, heavens no. I’ve been ready for quite a while. Just let me grab my purse and we can go.”
As Maddie turned to go back into the cabin, Remus grabbed her hand and pulled her into his embrace. Before she could say anything, his lips covered hers and his tongue plunged into her mouth. For just a moment, Maddie let go of her inhibitions, turned her head slightly, and kissed him back with all the passion in her heart.
She felt Remus stiffen slightly, then his arms tightened around her and he took over their kiss. His mouth devoured hers, and she felt his hands slide around her waist. They drifted down until he gripped her bottom tightly, and he pulled her tight against the bulge in his jeans. Panicking slightly, she pushed against his chest and was relieved when he immediately let her go.
“Sorry, baby, but I’ve been thinking about doing that all day.” The look on his face made her think he was worried about her reaction.
“It’s okay, Remus.” She decided she needed to be honest with him as well. “I have to admit that I’ve been thinking about kissing you ever since our walk yesterday.” She looked up at him and was annoyed to see the shit-eating grin he had on his face. It was very much like the looks she got from Michael whenever she admitted to something he already knew she was guilty of.
Maddie pulled completely out of his hold with a laugh. “All right, you wicked man, your ego has definitely had enough stroking for one night. I still need to get my purse and we can be off.”
She was stopped by Remus grabbing her hand and placing a wet kiss on her knuckles. “Maddie, I’ll never get enough of you stroking my ego, or anything else you want to stroke.”
Maddie watched his smile widen as she felt her face get flaming hot. Without another word, she went and grabbed her purse. She came back out onto the porch, closing the door behind her.
Remus frowned. “Don’t you lock that door when you go out?”
She glanced up at him in surprise. “Gosh, I, um, well, this is the first time I’ve been away except to walk since Michael was staying here with me. I guess I haven’t given it any thought.”
“Maddie, you need to be locking the door every time you leave, even if it’s only for a walk.”
“Remus, that’s crazy. I’ve never seen another living soul up here on the mountain except for you. As far as I know, nobody even lives anywhere near me.” She definitely didn’t like the look of anger that came over his face.
“Every time you leave to go anywhere you need to lock this door. There are several other families that live here on the mountain. I’ll make sure that I take you around and introduce you soon.”
Maddie started to say something but was interrupted when Remus took her by the shoulders.
“Please, baby, for me. Lock your doors from now on.”
With that intense look on his face there was no way Maddie could tell him no. “Okay, Remus, for you, I’ll lock the door.” Pulling out of his hold, she checked her purse to make sure she had the key and then went over and locked the door. When she turned back around, the look on Remus’s face nearly took her breath away. She could see the passion simmering in his eyes. She gulped and took a step back.
“Come on, girl, time’s a-wasting. We’ve still got shopping to do before we can get to our dinner date.” He held out his hand for her to take.
After only a moment’s hesitation, Maddie took Remus’s hand and allowed him to lead her to his truck.
* * * *
Maddie and Remus had been walking through the market, combining their purchases in a buggy, when Maddie felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She slowly glanced around and saw a young woman standing at the end of the aisle. When she gazed into her eyes, she was shocked. She’d never sensed such hostility coming from anyone before. She unconsciously took a step back to distance herself and ran into Remus.
“Maddie, what’s wrong. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
When she glanced back down the aisle, Remus turned and looked toward the young woman. Maddie was surprised when she felt his entire body stiffen.
“I’ll be right back.” Those were the only words he said before stalking off toward the woman. Maddie watched as he stopped to talk to her.
She couldn’t hear anything they were saying, but she’d have to have been blind not to see how angry Remus was. It didn’t look like he was going to let the woman say much of anything. He was doing all the talking, and Maddie gasped when he grabbed her arm roughly and shoved her in the direction of the front of the store.
Maddie watched him carefully as he turned and walked back toward her and their buggy. He smiled at her, but it didn’t seem very sincere.
So what was that all about? Maybe an ex-girlfriend?
“Sorry, Maddie, I wish you hadn’t been subjected to that.” Remus looked very uncomfortable.
“Old girlfriend, Remus?”
Now he looked positively shocked. “Absolutely not, she’s never been my girlfriend. Hell, I’ve never even dated her.” He sighed and looked away. “But you should probably know that she’s always wanted to be with me.” He stared intently into Maddie’s eyes, and she got the impression he was waiting for some kind of reaction from her.
“That’s okay, Remus. You’re a good-looking man. It would be foolish for me to think that you haven’t had women in your past.” She almost laughed when she watched him perk right up when she called him good-looking. She decided to feed his ego a little more. “I’m just glad you’re with me now.”
Maddie squeaked when she found herself grabbed up into a tight hug. He’d picked her clean up off the floor. “Remus, put me down. We’re in the grocery store, for heaven’s sake.”
He laughed and set her back on her feet, then lowered his head and placed a quick kiss on her lips. “I’m right where I want to be, baby, and don’t you forget it.”
Maddie laughed and shook her head. “Are you done with your shopping?”
“Absolutely, how about you?”
“Yep, all done.”
“Then let’s get the hell out of here. I’m getting hungry.” Remus gave her an evil grin that caused her to laugh. She grabbed his arm and pushed him toward the checkout stands. She was looking forward to dinner.
* * * *
Remus watched as Maddie pored over the diner’s menu. She made him feel so happy just to be with her.
She’s so beautiful, and she doesn’t even realize it.
“What are you gonna have, Remus?” Maddie smiled and laid her menu on the table.
“I’m wanting a steak, a nice rare steak.” He waited to see what her reaction to that would be.
“Yum, that sounds perfect.”
He looked at her doubtfully, hoping she wasn’t just trying to please him. “Are you sure you want it rare? I like mine pretty bloody.”
She didn’t even hesitate. “The bloodier the better. It�
�s the only way to get the real flavor of the beef.”
Remus could hardly believe his ears. The more he discovered small things about her, the more certain he was that they belonged together. Of course, there had never been any real doubt. He’d known the first time he’d scented her that she was his mate. But now he could understand what Victor tried to tell him. Their relationship was going to be so much stronger with the bonds they were creating now.
“Are you ready to order?”
Remus’s thoughts were interrupted when the waitress came to take their order. He looked over at Maddie. “May I?” he asked.
“Be my guest.” She smiled at him.
He quickly gave their order and turned his attention back to his beautiful mate.
“So tell me, Remus, what do you do?”
“I’m Alpha of my pack.” Remus responded before thinking and then winced.
What the hell am I thinking? Now how am I gonna explain that?
Maddie frowned. “Okay, what’s an Alpha do, and what is a pack?”
Remus sighed. Well, hell, now he’d have to tread lightly. “Sorry, Maddie, those are kind of internal names for the corporation I run.” Boy, he hated lying to her. Even stretching the truth didn’t seem right. Well, he’d tell her what he could and then fill in the blanks once he could tell her about his wolf.
“The Alpha is just what it sounds like. I’m the top dog that runs things.” Inwardly, he cringed at calling himself a top dog. He was glad neither of his brothers were there. They’d have never let him live it down.
“The pack is what we call our corporation. I’m responsible for overseeing all the management, all the jobs we take on, and all the safety protocols we have established.”
“What type of jobs does the corporation take on?” Maddie asked.
“Well, we have our hands in pretty much everything. There’s construction, land management, investment counseling. I even run a string of halfway houses for troubled teens from around the country.”
“Wow, I’m impressed. It must be very rewarding being able to help out the kids in need.”
Remus smiled. “Yeah, it’s definitely my favorite part of the job. We round up strays from all over the country and give them homes, re-train them, teach them what they need to know. I’m only sorry that it requires me to travel every so often. It’s bound to take me away from you soon or later.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I’m not looking forward to separating from you, even for short periods.”
Maddie’s face turned a bright red, and she tried to pull her hand back. “Um, I don’t think I’m looking forward to your taking off, either.” After a brief tug of war, Maddie succeeded in reclaiming her hand. “So, Remus, what do you do for fun?”
Remus blinked, not quite believing she accepted what he said so easily and now had changed the subject. “Um, okay, I like to fish and hunt. I like watching old movies and going to the local school plays.”
Maddie smiled. “You go to school plays?”
“Sure, it’s great fun to watch them put on plays. They put so much of themselves into the parts. Don’t you think you would enjoy something like that?”
“Oh, I’m sure I’d like it a lot. I missed out on doing things like that when I was young. It would be great fun to see what all I missed growing up in the clinic.”
Remus had to force himself not to growl when she talked about the clinic. It made him see red to think about her being locked up for so long.
“What do people do here in the winter, Remus? Grandpa told me about the snows you get here, but we never visited him in the cold months.”
“We’re pretty much like anybody else. We like playing in the snow, running, building snowmen with the young ones.”
“Is their skiing around here? Or maybe snowmobiles?”
Remus shook his head. “No, that’s something you won’t see on the mountain. None of the people who live on the mountain do anything like that.” He looked at her and grinned. “Don’t you think you’d like running around in the snow, maybe having snowball fights?”
Maddie snorted. “Oh, yeah, I’m sure I’d just love being pummeled by little round balls of snow. Something tells me that you could bury me before I got too many shots off toward you.”
He gave her a little grin. “You could always use your gift to even out the odds.”
Maddie laughed out loud, a full belly laugh. “Oh, my gosh, I never thought of that. I could just picture you in the snow, nothing showing but your head!”
Remus laughed but cringed inside. She could probably do exactly what she described with her gift. It was a thought he didn’t want to dwell on. He was saved from making a response by the arrival of their dinners.
* * * *
Remus carried the bag of Maddie’s groceries into the cabin and sat them on the table. Turning, he looked at Maddie standing by the door. She looked nervous and unsure. Dinner had gone really well, and he guessed that now she was worried about how the evening was supposed to end.
He crossed the room and quickly took her in his arms. Lowering his head, he licked across the seam of her lips. His pulse sped up when she opened her mouth to accept his kiss. With a small groan, he covered her lips with his and thrust his tongue inside her mouth. He could taste a hint of the wine they had with dinner and a flavor that was unique to Maddie herself.
When he felt her tongue began to play with his, Remus pulled her body close and backed her against the door. When she didn’t try and push him away, he deepened the kiss and pressed his erection against her stomach. He was thrilled when he heard her tiny moan and felt her hands tighten on his shoulders.
Remus broke off the kiss and trailed his lips across her jaw to nip on the lobe of her ear. “God, Maddie, you’re so soft and sexy. You’re driving me crazy.”
“Remus,” he heard her whisper.
He brought his mouth back to hers and began nibbling on her lower lip. When he felt Maddie’s hands rise up and curl into his hair, Remus allowed his hands to slide up from her waist to rest directly under her breasts. Maddie made a harsh sound and bit his lower lip. Encouraged, he allowed his hands to close gently over her breasts, his thumbs stroking back and forth across her nipples.
Oh, Maddie, what I wouldn’t give to be able to taste your breasts. I want to suck on these hard buttons and drive you crazy with lust.
For just a moment, Maddie gripped his hair tighter and thrust her breasts even further into his hands. Then, suddenly, she lowered her hands and pushed against his chest.
“Remus, please, we have to stop. It’s too soon. I can’t do this, I’m sorry.”
Remus slid his hands back to her waist and pulled back enough to look into her eyes. He was shocked to see tears forming in the corner of her eyes. “Baby, it’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry for anything. I told you I’d stop whenever you told me to, and I’m keeping that promise.” He raised his hands and brushed her hair away from her face. “You excite me, Maddie, like no woman has ever excited me before. I want you, I won’t lie you, but I’m willing to wait for the right time.” He smiled and brushed her tears away. “I’m willing to wait until you’re ready, until you want me as much as I want you.”
He watched the look of relief that came over her face, then felt her body relax in his hold.
I know you desire me, Maddie, but do you think you can love me?
“Thank you, Remus. I’m glad you’re not angry. I feel a bit overwhelmed by you. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before, and it’s a little scary.”
Remus pulled her close and hugged her. “Don’t be scared. There’s nothing to be scared about. You’re feeling desire, and who knows, maybe the beginnings of love.” He pulled back so he could see her reaction to what he said.
She sighed and gazed into his eyes. “Maybe, who knows. I definitely feel something special for you. But you have to be patient with me, Remus. Love is something I don’t have any experience with. I don’t want to rush into anything. I kind of
want to enjoy these new feelings. Is that gonna be okay with you?”
“You bet it’s okay with me, baby.” If you only knew how happy your admission has made me. “We’ll take all the time you need. There’s no rush, I’m not going anywhere.” Boy, that was a damn lie. He didn’t know how he was going to stand the wait. He was ready to make her his mate now.
“Maddie, I think it’s time I said good night. I understand your need to wait, but my body is telling me that it’s waited long enough.” At her look of alarm he was quick to add, “I’m not gonna let my body rule me, but I think it’s time to take it home and let it cool off.”
Maddie smiled. “Okay, Remus, you’re right, it’s definitely time to say good night. I had a wonderful time tonight.”
“Oh, Maddie, tonight was wonderful. I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed spending the time with you. Will you let me take you on a picnic tomorrow? I’ll take care of everything.”
Maddie’s wide smile told him she was as anxious to spend more time with him as he was to spend time with her.
“I’d like that a lot. Are you sure you don’t want me to make any food?”
“I’m sure. This is gonna be my treat. It’ll be a surprise. I’ll pick you up around noon if that’s okay.”
“Perfect, I’ll be ready.”
Remus kissed her one last time and then let himself out the door. Tomorrow couldn’t get here fast enough.
* * * *
Remus arrived at Maddie’s cabin around noon, picnic basket in hand. He’d been in conference with the Elders all morning, and his patience was running a little thin. They were supposed to be meeting in order to finalize the travel arrangements of four young pups that had been picked up in Montana. They were runaways, and it was important to get them established into packs before they were considered rogue. Instead, they’d used the time to give him the third degree about his relationship with Maddie.
All of them knew she was his destined mate, and they didn’t understand why he hadn’t already claimed her. They were from the old school that believed that when you found your mate, you claimed them, no matter where you were when it happened. It didn’t matter if the young woman was willing or not, it was just a fact of life. They hadn’t begun to understand his promise to Victor.
Discovering Their Wolfen Heritage Page 5
