by Jane Jamison
Reese Rawlins quirked an eyebrow up as though surprised by her question. He shifted in his seat as the bay horse blew out its nose then lowered its head to nibble at the grass. He rode bareback, his long, hard body looking as though he was a part of the animal.
“I could ask you the same question.”
She wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he was even better looking on top of a horse. He leaned back, put one hand on his leg and held the rein in the other hand against the mane of the horse. The sun shone through his golden locks, giving him the appearance of a halo effect. But she doubted he’d wear any angel wings unless he was playing the part of Gabriel, the avenging angel. She could easily imagine him, sword in hand, hair flying behind him as he vanquished the enemies of God.
“Do you have a hearing problem?” He frowned, dropping his eyebrows between the piercing blue eyes.
He was every woman’s dream of the perfect man—until he opened his mouth.
“No. Why would you ask that?” She mentally pulled up her defenses, determined not to let him rattle her.
“Then why don’t you answer my questions?”
A brief breeze swept over her, reminding her that her bra and panties were the only things she had on and they were sheer even before getting them wet. She crossed her arms over her chest and saw him blink. Heat that had nothing to do with the sun rushed into her. He wanted her. She could almost smell it on him, but she didn’t need to. The look he gave her said it all. She nibbled on her lower lip then forced herself to stop. Nibbling on her lower lip always gave her away, telling whoever was paying attention that she was either nervous or horny as hell.
“See? You’re doing it again.”
She broke out of her thoughts to stare at him. Who did he think he was? The hero out of a Wild West movie? She took in his wide shoulders that draped to the lean waist. With his legs straddling the horse, she got a good look at the tent forming in his jeans. She was right. He wanted her in a big way.
“What? Oh, yeah. My pickup broke down a few miles back, and I was hot.” She was hot, all right. But just not from the heat any longer. Reese was the one making her hot.
“Don’t you have a cell phone?” Reese slid off his horse and dropped the reins, but the horse stayed where it was, happily munching on the dried grass.
She eased lower in the water to cover her breasts. “Of course I do. But I couldn’t get any bars out here. This isn’t exactly civilization, you know.”
He picked up the gun, raised it to look through the sights, then lowered it again. “What’s the gun for? You planning on hunting?”
She narrowed her eyes and tried to keep her composure. He had her gun. Would he use it? “Maybe.”
“What’re you hunting for?”
The way his jaw worked as he spoke fascinated her. She could imagine his jaw muscles working as he shoved his cock into her pussy. “Whatever.”
He laughed, but it sounded more like a snort. “You can’t go around hunting whatever you want to shoot. You have to pick your game and get the right license. Providing it’s in season.”
She didn’t like the fact that he still had her gun. “What would you suggest I hunt? What’s in season now?”
“Don’t know. I don’t hunt unless it’s for food.” He picked up a stick on the ground and slid it into the side of his mouth but didn’t put the gun down. “We’ve got all kinds of game from rabbits to pheasant to”—he paused and zeroed in on her— “wolves.”
Her throat clogged up and made it hard to get the word out. “W–wolves?”
He tilted his head and stared at her just like he’d done back in town. “Wolves aren’t game unless they cause a problem for the ranchers. But I’ve heard some people like to shoot them for sport. Do you want to kill a wolf, Candy?”
At first, she’d forgotten she’d given him a fake name. “It depends.”
He was at the water’s edge, his gaze slipping from her to the water then back to her. His ocean-colored eyes locked on her face for a second then slid down to settle on her breasts. If she hadn’t known better, she’d swear he could remove her bra with that look. Despite the cool water, her pussy tightened, and she had to resist the urge to plunge her hand beneath the water and rub her clit.
“Depends on what?”
Was he toying with her? Did he know why she was here? “If I thought one or even two wolves were hurting me or my sister then, yeah, I’d kill them.” She’d emphasized the word sister just to see if she’d get a reaction. The reaction she got, however, wasn’t what she’d expected.
He tossed the stick to the ground. “You’d kill to protect you and yours? So would I.”
Was he threatening her? Or was he simply agreeing with her?
“Candy? Or whatever your real name is, you might want to get out of the water.” His face showed no signs of any emotion.
He knew. But she’d be damned if she’d admit she’d lied. She couldn’t tell him her real name. If she did, he could link her to Shannon and her sister’s werewolves might find out she was there.
“Why? I know the water’s not very clean, but it’s cool. I got very hot walking.”
He picked up her T-shirt and whirled it around on his fingertip. “I figured as much. But it’s not the dirty water you should worry about.”
She inhaled as a fish swam by, brushing against her calf. “What should I worry about?”
The tips of his lips lifted into the briefest of smiles. “Rattlers.”
“Rattlers?” She froze, suddenly aware that the fish that had touched her might not have been a fish at all.
“Yeah. As in rattlesnakes.”
She widened her eyes. She’d never even thought that something like a snake might be in the water. But was he telling her the truth or just trying to scare her? If he was trying to scare her, he was doing a damn good job of it. “Are you serious?”
“Don’t move too fast, but turn your head to the right. He’s about five feet away from you floating on top of the water.”
She held her breath. At first, she didn’t see anything. Then a ripple in the water drew her attention to a long gray snake resting on top of the water. It was about thirty inches long with a triangular head and darker diamond-like patterns on its body. She let out a slow breath.
“Are they poisonous?”
“Yep.”
She couldn’t move. “What should I do?”
“Don’t move.” In one swift motion, he lifted her rifle to his right shoulder, aimed, and pulled the trigger.
She yelped and saw the snake’s body flip into the air then land with a splash into the water. Without waiting to see if the snake was still alive, she did her best to run through the water. She made it to the shore and scrambled onto land.
Panting, she raced to stand behind him then leaned around his broad frame. “Did you get it? Is it gone?”
“Yeah. He’s gone.”
He lowered the rifle to his side, turned, and pulled her into his arms. She leaned against him, grateful he’d been around when she’d needed him. She shuddered, more from fear than from the warm breeze on her wet body.
Then it hit her. She jerked away from him. “How long was that thing there? I felt something rub up against my leg, but I assumed it was a fish. Why didn’t you warn me sooner?”
He shrugged and handed her the gun. “Didn’t need to. He wasn’t bothering you.”
“He could’ve bitten me!”
“Did he?” He skimmed his gaze along her body, lingering at her breasts before moving to her face.
“No. But he could have.” She should’ve covered herself, but she didn’t. She liked the way he looked at her. Her nipples stood at attention for him and her pussy screamed for his touch.
“Naw. Most snakes won’t bite unless you make them mad.”
“How do you make a snake mad?” She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was playing with her again, but the invisible sizzle she’d felt earlier kept her close to him. She gazed into his blue eyes an
d wondered at the amber flecks she saw there.
“You bother it, like taking a stick and poking it.”
“You sound like you like snakes. If you didn’t think it was going to bite me, why’d you kill it?”
Reese studied her like he hadn’t figured out exactly what she was. Yet the desire in his eyes never died. “I didn’t. I just gave it a reason to stay away from you.”
“Did you miss? Is that why you didn’t kill it?”
The strange look intensified, unsettling her. “Why would I kill it? It wasn’t bothering you. Besides, it was a young one.”
“A young one? Are you kidding me?”
“Yeah. The old ones get way bigger.”
She reached for her shirt and jeans. Turning her back to him, she tugged them on as fast as she could. Her body betrayed her by aching to have him hold her hips and shove his cock into her ass. She let out a pent-up breath and smothered her crazy need for him as best she could. When she turned around, he was already on his horse. Disappointment flooded her.
Should she ask him to fix her pickup? Or maybe give her a ride back into town? But going into town would erase all her efforts to stay out of sight. She really only had two choices. She could either ask him to help with her pickup or ask him to give her a ride to the rental house. She doubted she could walk back to the rental before dark, and no way did she want to get caught out alone at night. Rattlesnakes would be the least of her worries if that happened.
Preparing to hear the rejection he’d no doubt give her, she picked up her rifle, tossed her hair over her shoulders and took a step forward.
* * * *
He waited for her to ask as he watched her silently debate what to do. At last he gave in and put himself, as well as her, out of misery. “Hop up and I’ll give you a ride home.”
“I don’t know. I’ve only ridden a horse once before, and that was with a saddle.”
“I don’t like saddles. I don’t like anything between me and the animal.”
She paused then grasped the hand he held out for her. He pulled her up, her weight being nothing for him to lift, then swung her onto the horse. He glanced back and saw the heat lighting her eyes as their bodies touched. His cock had roared to life at the first sight of her, but now it was straining the front of his jeans. If he didn’t get between her legs soon—the Holms cousins be damned—he’d go insane.
“Go on. Move closer. But do me a favor and put the safety back on. We wouldn’t want either of us losing any vital body parts.” He nodded at the rifle resting across her legs.
She flipped on the safety then hesitated before scooting her crotch against his butt. The sizzle he’d felt before, the sign that she was their mate, coursed into him, making him even more turned on than before. He’d almost lost his control when he’d happened onto her and had seen her rise out of the water looking like a mythical water nymph. He hadn’t been able to resist watching her.
The water had clung to her body, shiny crystals of light reflecting off her skin. Her bra had hidden nothing, and he’d had to swallow hard at the sight on her brown peeks just begging for him to take them between his teeth. Her lace panties had clung to her hips, but he hadn’t seen any bush covering her mons. Which meant, of course, that she was clean shaven, just the way he liked.
She was his mate. He’d heard enough stories to know the reaction he had to her was more than just physical. He’d had enough women to know she was different.
She wiggled behind him, trying to get more comfortable. Her movements were making him anything but comfortable, but it was the kind of discomfort he liked, as long as it ended with his bringing her pouty mouth to cover his cock. If he didn’t do something soon, his zipper would carve its tracks into his dick.
“Wrap your arms around me and hold on.” When she didn’t do as he’d told her, he craned his neck around and gave her a questioning look.
She darted her gaze from his. “That’s okay. I’m fine.”
Why did their mate have to be so damn stubborn? “Suit yourself. But don’t blame me when you fall off the back and crack your skull open.”
“I’m sure I’ll be—”
He gave the horse a quick prod with his heels. The horse burst forward, cutting her sentence off as she yelped. She clung to him, closing her arms around his chest and pushing her breasts against his back.
He had to admit he’d enjoyed scaring her. He clucked to the horse again once they were away from the pond and in the middle of the pasture. Pointing the horse toward his ranch, he urged it into a gallop and smiled as she let out another frightened squeak.
Traveling under the bright sun and the blue skies with his future mate was a joy he wanted to last a while. Instead of taking the direct path to his house, he took the longer way home, skirting the edge of their property. She began to relax her death grip on him as they neared the ranch.
Giving the horse free rein, he leaned back, pressing his body harder against hers. He could feel her nipples against his back even through his shirt as the hard buds rubbed up and down with the movement of the horse. Her crotch against his butt was warm and inviting, making him think of long nights lying between her legs and drinking her cream.
The horse took them straight toward the barn. She straightened up, her fingers splayed across his chest as she got her first look at her new home. “Hey, wait a sec. This isn’t my rental house.”
“Relax. I’ll get you there.”
Reining the horse to a stop, he lifted his leg over the neck of the animal and slid off. Rupert, the boy he’d hired to clean the stables and feed the horses, came running out of the barn then slid to a stop when he saw the woman.
“Mr. Rawlins, is this who I think it is?”
Reese shot him a warning look. “This lady’s pickup broke down, and I’m giving her a ride. Her name’s Candy Cane.”
Rupert’s bemused expression told it all. No one in their right mind would believe her name was Candy Cane, but he wasn’t ready to let on that he knew who she really was. He gave Rupert another pointed look, warning him again to keep his mouth closed.
He turned toward her, and, once again, he had to stop and admire her. She was breathtaking, stunning even with her wild hair and no makeup. Or maybe it was because of her wild hair and lack of makeup.
Reaching out his arms, he offered to help her dismount, but he wasn’t surprised when she waved away his offer and slid off the horse. She hit the ground hard and stumbled forward. He caught her and pulled her into his arms.
To his delight, she didn’t pull away. She lifted her face to his, her full lips parted as if to say “oh,” her big eyes alive with need. “You all right?”
She held onto his arms as she took a step back. “Of course I am.”
He fought back a grin. “Just asking.”
She pulled away then pivoted toward the house. “Do you have a land line I could use?”
“What for?”
Her mouth turned down. “A tow truck.” She started toward the house. “I like your home.”
He tilted his head, loving the way her hips swayed from side to side. Catching Rupert watching her, he growled and smacked the young man in the arm. “Keep your eyes in your head until your own mate comes around.”
“But, boss. Candy Cane? Is she for real?”
He chuckled and started after her. “She’s for real, all right. Real and hot as hell.”
She stopped at the front door and waited for him to catch up. “Do you live here alone?”
He opened the door and strode inside, guessing she’d think it rude for him to go before her. He wanted to try and rile her. “Blane lives here.”
“Your older brother, right?” She followed him, her gaze scanning the interior filled with modest furnishings.
“Older by three minutes.” He’d never thought about the way his home looked before, but suddenly he wanted her to like it. The furniture wasn’t expensive, but the small living room led into a bright kitchen. Much like most of the homes in the ar
ea, including her sister Shannon’s, the bedrooms were upstairs and a wraparound porch complete with rocking chairs beckoned visitors to sit and stay a while. Still, any changes she wanted to make would be fine with him. As long as he had his easy chair, a table to eat at, and a bed to put her in, he’d think himself a lucky man.
He glanced at a photo of Blane. His brother would have a cow if he knew he’d brought their mate back to the ranch without him. They’d agreed to take things slowly, but, with her so near, he knew he couldn’t miss the opportunity to have her. Blane would just have to deal with it.
He watched her as she strode through the living room and into the cozy kitchen. Maybe now that their mate had arrived, they’d build a bigger, nicer house. He followed her, enjoying the way she reached out and touched one knickknack then another.
Leaving the kitchen, she strolled down the hallway that led to the den then on to the foyer and the staircase. She paused and studied a photograph of his fathers, mother, seven-year-old Blane, and himself.
“Who are these people?” She blinked. “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. I’m just curious, so if you’d rather not say, I’ll understand.”
She was nosy, inquisitive. A trait he’d never found appealing, but he didn’t mind it in her. “That’s my family.”
“Your family?” She frowned, clearly trying to sort out the different roles for each adult.
If anyone else had asked, he wouldn’t have explained. “That’s our mom, me, and Blane.”
“Is your father one of the men?”
“Yep.” He walked past her. She wasn’t ready to understand the dynamics of a household where three werewolves mated one woman.
He had to wonder. Could a woman like her, one who was used to the finer things in life, one who had limos and lived in a city like Boston, learn to like it in a small Texas town? She was a big deal in her parents’ company and used to making large sums of money every day with just one word. What would she do in the middle of nowhere, Texas? She couldn’t even sit a horse right. How would she fit in on a working ranch?
For the first time in his life, Reese Rawlins was afraid. What if she didn’t want to stay? He’d heard of only one intended mate turning down her werewolves. The men had no choice but to let her leave. No werewolf ever forced his woman to stay. The connection, the invisible bond that drew them together, usually prevented the issue from being a problem. But it had happened, and the men had never gotten over it. What if Charlie turned them down?
