She couldn’t deny it was satisfying to see his jaw drop.
Chapter 13
Luna had rendered him speechless, and that didn’t happen often to Colin MacDowell, pack alpha and Laird of Glenbarra. When he finally spoke, it was with a disconcerting stammer. “T-tomorrow?”
“Unless you have plans.” Triumph danced in her green eyes. She’d gained the upper hand, and she knew it.
“No, I just… ”
“Didn’t come prepared. Neither did I. No extra clothes. Although for some of the time, we won’t need any.”
He couldn’t believe she’d said that. He assumed the limo driver was discreet, although he’d have to count on Knox’s discretion, too, because once he called Knox, the helicopter pilot would know… Bloody hell, the entire staff at Whittier House would know, too! Not a soul would believe he and Luna had spent the night in separate hotel rooms.
He swallowed. “I assume you’ve thought this through?”
“As a matter of fact, I have. When we get back to the city for our book shopping, we can stop by a department store and pick up a few things. I’ll be happy with some jeans, a blouse, and a change of underwear. I can still wear my sandals, and I can go without makeup for a day. I have lipstick in my purse.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Are you worried about toiletries? If we’re staying in a luxury hotel, which seems to be the way you roll, then it should have everything else—shampoo, toothpaste, things like that.” She shrugged. “Easy.”
“I’m not worried about any of that.” For a chance to spend the whole night with her, he’d sacrifice any number of grooming essentials. “I’m thinking of… ” It sounded old-fashioned, but he’d say it anyway. “Your reputation.”
“My reputation ?” She placed a hand dramatically on her chest. “This can only improve it. Everyone thinks of me as a shy and boring virgin, and now they’ll know I’ve finally taken the leap, and with a fine specimen, too.”
“Thanks for that, but I wouldn’t say that I’m such a fine—”
“Don’t be modest. Every female at Whittier House is in agreement on that score. You’re gorgeous. Fact is, you should be worrying about your reputation.”
“I should?”
“Important laird, pack alpha, consorting with the help, a female Were who doesn’t even belong to a pack and has a very murky history. How will that play in Glenbarra?”
“So long as I’m not mated, and it’s consensual, nobody cares.”
“In that case, I need to get while the getting’s good, before Colin MacDowell is all mated up with a bonny lass and a pack of wee MacDowells.”
“You sound mighty cheerful about that prospect.”
“Why shouldn’t I be? Isn’t that what you want?”
It wasn’t a question he cared to answer at the moment, because with Luna sitting inches away, her scent teasing him as much as her saucy words and outrageous suggestion to chuck everything and openly spend the night together, he couldn’t seem to think about anything else, and certainly not about a life without her in it.
Moving closer, he slid his hand under her silky hair to cup the back of her neck. “Right now, all I want to do is kiss you.”
“Right here in the limo?”
“No, right here on the mouth.” Leaning forward, he made good on that statement, and he couldn’t remember a sweeter kiss than this one, because he’d given up all hope of ever doing it again.
He kissed her with gratitude for her plump lips that tasted like raspberries, and for her nimble tongue that gave him such pleasure during this kiss, and would, if he was very lucky, give him pleasure elsewhere on his body later tonight. That prospect made his cock swell in anticipation. Reluctantly he concluded that unless he planned to take her here in the back of the limo in broad daylight, thus providing a peep show for the driver in his rearview mirror, he’d better stop kissing her.
He pulled back, and was gratified to notice that her pupils were huge and her breathing as jerky as his. “I don’t mind if the world knows we’re lovers,” he said in a low voice. “But I’m not willing to put on a public demonstration to prove it.”
“Are we in public? I totally forgot.”
He smiled. “What a nice compliment. As I said, you’re very good for my ego.”
“No matter what our differences may be, Colin, you’re the best kisser I’ve ever known.”
“And my competition is who? The cretin who backed you up against a wall without asking and stuck his tongue down your throat? Face it, Luna, you don’t know if I can kiss worth a damn. I’m just better than the Neanderthal who grabbed you years ago.”
“I may not have kissed very many males in my life, but when someone can make me dizzy with only the pressure of his mouth, then I’ll bet he’s a good kisser.” She leaned toward him and lowered her voice. “And besides being dizzy, my panties are wet.”
Colin groaned softly. “You shouldn’t have told me that.”
“I’m only trying to prove my point,” she murmured.
“Yes, but… ” He put his mouth close to her ear. “We just pulled into the parking lot of the hot tub dealership, and I’m not sure I can get out of the car.”
Her glance flicked to his lap and her smile was pure female. “Want to carry my purse?”
“No, lass, I do not.” He closed his eyes and ran through a few football stats to get his penis under control. By the time he opened his eyes again, the limo driver was leaning in through the passenger door, staring at him.
“Motion sickness,” Colin said. “I’m fine now.”
“Yes, sir.” The driver ducked his head, but not before Colin saw his knowing grin.
No matter. Colin was Luna Reynaud’s lover and didn’t care who knew it, including—no, especially —Knox Trevelyan.
Luna was so glad she’d decided to put aside her misgivings and enjoy being Colin’s temporary lover. Shopping for a hot tub was way more fun when she could subtly taunt him with how they could make use of it. They actually might do those things, too, because the salesman promised delivery by motor launch the following afternoon. She and Colin chose an above-ground model, so it could be installed in a few hours.
While the salesman drew up the paperwork, Colin pulled Luna aside. “You’re a devil. You do know that, right?”
“Me?” She batted her eyelashes at him. “I simply wanted to make sure the benches would be the right height and the jets were positioned well. And we needed a demonstration of the pulsing action. That’s very important.”
“I’m sure it is for what you have in mind. You don’t play fair, Luna Reynaud.”
“Poor Colin. Bless your heart, that vein popped out on your temple when our salesman was explaining the pulsing action.”
“I hope you realize that we’re obliged to test that hot tub tomorrow night. I wouldn’t feel right letting a guest use it until we’re… completely satisfied.”
“As they say down in the French Quarter, touché. ” Now she was the one feeling hot and bothered as she imagined them both naked in the hot tub.
He’d agreed with her that it should be positioned beyond the croquet area on the edge of the bluff. Anyone sitting in it would have a view of the sea but be screened from the house by a row of tall hedges. Yet when she envisioned enjoying the tub with Colin, she wondered if they’d even care about the view. They’d have to make sure they tested it long after everyone else went to bed.
Colin signed the papers and wrote a check out of Geraldine’s retirement account. She’d made him the beneficiary of that, too. If he’d sold the island and everything on it, he would have ended up with a sizable amount of money. Instead he was spending money to make Whittier House more attractive to guests.
Luna thought about that as they climbed inside the limo. “I’ll make this venture profitable,” she said. “In the long run, you’ll make more money this way than by selling.”
He reached over and took her hand. “Don’t worry.” He stroked her palm wi
th his thumb. “I won’t regret hanging on to the place.”
“I hope not.” The languid movement of his thumb reminded her of how he’d caressed her so intimately the last time they’d made love, when he refused to risk chafing her. She dropped her voice to a murmur. “I’m not sore, by the way.”
His thumb stopped in midmotion. “You have the damnedest timing. Just when I was beginning to establish some control, you wreck it.”
“I thought you’d want to know before we… do anything.”
“Oh, I do want to know. Believe me. It’s been on my mind ever since you mentioned staying overnight in Seattle.” He squeezed her hand and released it. “Which reminds me that I need to call Knox and let him know our change of plans.”
“You sound quite pleased about that.”
“I am.” He pulled his cell phone from an inside pocket of his jacket and punched in a number. “It will give me great pleasure to inform Knox that you and I will be spending the night together.”
“Hey.” She poked him in the ribs. “You’re not allowed to be possessive.” He had no right to lay a claim considering everything, but knowing he wanted to was gratifying.
“I know I shouldn’t feel that way,” he said softly. “But I can’t seem to help— Knox? Colin here. Listen, we’ve decided to stay over. Could you meet us at the helipad around… ” He glanced over at Luna and lifted his eyebrows.
“Noon.”
“Around noon,” Colin said. “You can? Thanks. See you then.” He disconnected the phone and tucked it inside his jacket. Then he settled back with what could only be described as a triumphant smile and recaptured Luna’s hand.
“I have no sexual interest in Knox,” she said. “I probably shouldn’t tell you that, because it’s sort of fun to watch the Laird of Glenbarra get jealous.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Ha.”
“I’m not. I was, back when you were making eyes at Knox and he was showing off with his helicopter skills, but I’m—”
“He was not showing off. He knows I love orcas and when he spotted a pod of them he simply made sure I got a good view.”
“Because he wants your body.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do, lass. Male Weres know these things about other male Weres. Knox has noticed you. You’re beautiful, funny, and smart. Any male with half a brain would want you.”
Warmth spread through her. Other females might be used to hearing this kind of thing, but she’d spent a lifetime avoiding such conversations. She drank in his compliments. But that didn’t mean she had an interest in Knox.
She liked him as a friend, and she valued the way he’d tried to save Geraldine, but she’d never reacted to him the way she had to Colin. From the moment Colin had walked into the entryway of Whittier House, she’d been entranced by him. She knew he wasn’t a real possibility in the long run, but for the next few days, he was all hers.
And if he thought he had a rival in Knox Trevelyan, maybe she should keep her mouth shut and pretend that was the case. She didn’t know much about male-female relationships, but instinctively she understood the advantages of being desired by more than one eligible Were. With Knox potentially hovering in the background, Colin would try harder to please her. That could be good.
“Are you still up for a meeting with George Trevelyan?” Colin asked as they neared the business district.
“Yes.” She extracted her hand from his grip. “But I need to repair my lipstick. Someone kissed it all off.”
“Does it have a raspberry flavor, or is that just you?”
She glanced at him. “What if I said my mouth tastes naturally of raspberries?”
“I’d believe you. It’s not a stretch to think you’re delicious all over.”
She wiggled happily in her seat as she imagined him enjoying every inch of her in their shared hotel room. “I’m really starting to enjoy this whole sexual thing. I wish I’d learned about it sooner.” Opening her purse, she located her lipstick and a small mirror.
“Selfishly, I’m glad you didn’t.”
She paused in the act of putting on her lipstick as she debated telling him the absolute truth. But he had been the first to give her an orgasm, so maybe he deserved the truth. “I think holding off was a good thing for me. You were the one I needed to learn from.”
“I’m flattered. But the way things are going, the student is liable to outpace the teacher.”
She shook her head. “There’s so much I don’t know, especially about… how it works when we shift.”
“I’m sure you can imagine.”
Her cheeks grew hot. In spite of all they’d shared, some subjects still made her feel shy. She was gaining confidence in human form, but as a Were, she felt inexperienced and tentative. “I can imagine, but I could be wrong.”
“Tomorrow night, after we test out the hot tub,” he murmured for her ears alone, “we’ll shift together and go for a run. Once we’re in the forest, I’ll… I’ll show you what happens between two Weres.”
Her heart pounded so loud she wondered if the chauffeur could hear it. “I’d like that.” She didn’t dare put on her lipstick now or she’d smear it all over her face because her hands were shaking.
“You will like it,” he said gently. “The other is good, but making love as Weres adds a whole other dimension. It is, of course, how Weres bond when they mate, but of course we won’t be doing that.”
“Of course not,” she said quickly. Still, she was curious about how a mating ritual was different from simply having Were sex. “I may never take part in that kind of bonding, but what happens, exactly?”
“I’ve never done it, either, obviously, but as teens we all learned what takes place, so we’d be ready. The actual sex is the same, but the two Weres circle each other beforehand while they pledge their eternal faithfulness.”
A lump lodged in her throat. “That sounds wonderful.” And she wanted such a bonding, but she could only think of one Were who would fill the bill. Maybe that was due to her lack of experience.
“When Weres are truly mates, perhaps even soul mates, it is wonderful, or so I’ve heard. Hey, you’d better fix your lipstick. We’re almost there.”
She’d been so wrapped up in the idea of mating Weres that she’d lost track of her original intention. Turning the base of the tube, she held the mirror in front of her mouth and outlined her top lip while doing her best to keep her hand steady.
“It’s the lipstick,” Colin said. “It smells like raspberries.”
“You found me out.” She moved to her bottom lip.
Colin put his head close to hers. “I think I could come just watching you do that.”
Hot desire shot through her veins, but she pretended to be unaffected by his comment. “Then you are easily stimulated.”
“By you, apparently. This isn’t the first time I’ve watched someone put on lipstick, but it’s the first time it’s given me an erection. I can’t stop thinking about you kneeling in front of me, with your mouth on my—”
“Stop it, or we’ll both be in trouble.”
“I think we already are.”
She would agree with that. Although her inexperience meant she couldn’t judge whether the passion between them was off the charts, he’d admitted that the simple act of watching her apply lipstick was enough to set him off. That sounded like a strong attraction to her.
The limo eased to a stop at the curb. Luna glanced out and couldn’t understand why they were facing the same way they had when they’d left. “Why aren’t we across the street from the office building?”
“He took a different route so he could deposit us right here and we wouldn’t have to cross traffic.”
Luna blinked. “Now that’s what I call service.”
“Knox told me that George runs a tight ship. Guess he was right.”
“Wait. Did you call to see if he’s in?”
“No, but I will once we’re on the sidewalk.”
The chauffeur helped Luna out first, and she thanked him for driving them around as Colin climbed from the limo and pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket.
Moments later he appeared at her elbow. “We’re all set with George.” Then he put some bills in the chauffeur’s hand. “I appreciate your fine service,” he said.
“You’re welcome.” The chauffeur’s eyes lit up at the sight of the money.
“And your discretion,” Colin added.
“Absolutely, sir. Will you be needing a limo any more during your stay in Seattle?”
Colin glanced at Luna. “If we decide to pay a visit to your grandparents tomorrow, then—”
“We’ll take a regular taxi,” Luna said. “I refuse to drive up to their house in a white stretch limo.”
“All right.” Colin turned back to the chauffeur. “Then I guess we won’t be needing you again. Thanks for everything.”
“Yes, sir.” With a smile, the chauffeur returned to his limo.
Taking Luna’s hand, Colin started toward the imposing entrance to the building. “While I was talking to George, I asked him to book us a room at his favorite hotel in the city.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Because if I hadn’t, he’d take one look at you and wonder what I was waiting for. As I said, single Weres are expected to enjoy their sexuality.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing I suggested spending the night.”
“Yes.” He glanced down at her and his eyes glowed with blue fire. “It’s a very good thing.”
Chapter 14
Colin had communicated with George Trevelyan several times through both e-mail and phone conversations, but this was their first face-to-face meeting. After the glittering lobby, Colin had expected more of the same in George’s office, but the alpha Were surprised him.
The room had a rustic feel, as if they’d stepped into a lodge built by one of the Pacific Northwest tribes. An intricately carved totem pole stood in a corner to the right of George’s desk. Not surprisingly, it contained a stylized wolf’s head at the top. Other pieces of Native American art decorated the walls, and many of those depicted wolves as part of the design.
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