He was glad she wasn’t because he loved a woman with some flesh on her bones. A real woman like his mom.
“You’re as light as a feather.”
“You’re saying that to be nice.”
As he made his way over the rocks, he glanced at the pretty pink polish adorning her toes and the way she swung her feet back and forth. He imagined kissing each one of them before he worked his way up her calves. He almost howled again.
“I can assure you I’m not. When I was in the Marines, I carried guys that felt like they weighed a ton. Amber, I promise I’m not going to put my back out.”
She pushed her legs in tighter to his body as he maneuvered himself over some tall rocks, and before he knew it they were back at the truck. He set her down gently.
Her T-shirt had dried a little but her nipples still poked through its flimsy material.
“Okay, let’s head to our campsite,” he said.
****
Amber watched in admiration as Gabriel pitched both tents as if he did it on a daily basis. Sure, tent assembling was a lot easier than it used to be, but still he did it with finesse.
She flipped the burgers on the grill over the fire that Gabriel had started before he’d turned his attention to the tents. She smiled, recalling how he carried her through the stream. That was one, hunky, sexy body he possessed. Good thing her shorts had been wet from the spill she’d taken because it had hidden the telltale evidence of her excitement with having her legs wrapped around him. The added plus was he was such a sweet guy, as well as handsome. Things were looking better.
“How are the burgers?” he called over to her.
His question jarred her out of her train of thought. If he hadn’t spoken up the hamburgers could have ended up completely ruined.
She flipped them just before they blackened. “I think they’re just about ready.”
“Give me five and I’ll be right with you.”
Amber pulled out two plates and put a bun on one for Gabriel, plus some potato chips. She put some of the cut veggies she’d prepared for herself on hers, and then placed a burger on each plate.
Gabriel walked across to her and clapped his hands. “Our sleeping accommodations are up and ready.” He sat down beside her and she handed him his plate. “Oh boy, this looks great. I’m pretty sure my mouth’s watering.”
“There are containers of mustard and ketchup in that bag over there if you want some.”
“I sure do.”
He reached over, opened both bottles, and squeezed out a generous amount of each on top of the burger. Seconds later he bit into it and put his thumb up. “Best burger I’ve ever had, and no, I’m not just saying it.”
Amber had to admit they were pretty good, despite being slightly overcooked.
“Nothing like eating burgers cooked on the grill at a campsite,” he said.
“Do you think there are any wild animals around here?” She raised her hand up. “Okay, that’s a dumb question.”
“Just make sure you put everything in those containers like I showed you and I’ll lock all the food up in the truck for the night. Just in case a bear or two stop by to say hello.”
“How about wolves?”
“What about them?”
“Do they come calling for food, too?”
“They’d have to be really, really hungry. Or know what a great cook you are.”
He winked at her and she reached over and squeezed his knee.
The sun was starting to slowly go down behind one of the mountain ranges to the west.
“You know what I’m looking forward to tonight?” she asked.
“Sleeping in a tent for the first time?”
“That, and seeing stars.”
“Oh, you’ll see them all right. When I was in Iraq, I used to look up and see all of them twinkling and not feel so homesick, knowing my mom would see the same ones later that night.”
“You know all the constellations?”
He shook his head. “Almost, and I’m not going to make a joke about seeing Uranus.”
Amber laughed so hard a piece of carrot she’d been chewing shot out of her mouth and hit Gabriel’s knee.
“Sorry about that,” she said picking it up.
“Just glad I could make you laugh so hard that you spat your food at me.”
“Do you think that water will be too cold to swim in tomorrow? I mean early morning?”
“You going skinny-dipping?”
“I might, but I’m guessing I’d need to be brave.”
“Nothing like a little cold water to wake you up first thing in the morning,” said Gabriel.
“You want to join me…I mean for a swim, not skinny-dipping,” she added, not wanting him to think her mind was only on one thing.
“If I wake up early enough, I’ll definitely be joining you.”
****
The stars were out in force and they were putting on one hell of a show for Amber.
He hoped she didn’t mind him putting his arm around her so he could direct her to look at certain spots in the sky. Was she enjoying it rather than feeling sad that one day she’d never see such beauty again?
“We should have brought along a telescope,” he whispered in her ear.
“It’s so beautiful. I could stand and look at it all night.”
“You could always bring your sleeping bag out here, but I’m guessing the mosquitoes would eat you alive.”
“Yeah, I think they’ve already made a meal of me.”
They’d come out in force as soon as the sun had set. That was the only thing he hated about camping.
“You feel like going for a hike tomorrow? I think there’s a clearing over that hill and a good walking path that takes just an hour to tackle.”
“Says the ex-Marine…sure, I’ll give it a try.”
“I’ll always carry you back to camp if you get tired.”
“For an hour?” asked Amber.
He flexed one of his biceps and she playfully squeezed it.
“I suppose if I’m going swimming and hiking I should get a good night’s sleep,” said Amber.
“Yeah, I guess I should, too. I’ve already put a sleeping bag in the tent for you. It should keep you warm, but let me know if you get too cold because I have some extra blankets in the truck.”
“Okay, here goes my first night sleeping rough.”
“Sweet dreams, and if you need anything I’m right next door.”
He watched her head for the tent, unzip it, and then walk inside and secure it. Gabriel walked over to the fire they’d lit and made sure it was out before heading to his own tent. Knowing she was so close and sleeping just yards away from him did little to quell his libido. He continually wanted to hold and touch her. He’d never quite felt like this in the early stages of a relationship before.
Gabriel unzipped his sleeping bag and took off his shorts and T-shirt. He’d sleep in his boxers and if it got too cold, he’d put them back on. He took one last glance outside the tent to make sure everything was okay. Amber’s tent was backlit by the moon and he could see her standing up, undressing. He tried to look away but he couldn’t. The silhouette of her breasts made him hard again. He swallowed, thinking he should get to sleep before he needed to jerk-off.
Snuggling down in the sleeping bag, he felt that sort of woozy feeling coming over him.
Shit, he was going to shift. Maybe it’s because he was sexually aroused. He willed himself to stop but he hadn’t quite got the hang of it yet. The tent spun. He couldn’t shift here just in case Amber saw him or needed him. He hurried out of the sleeping bag, unzipped the tent, re-zipped it to keep the bugs out, and then headed over the rocks and out of sight as the wolf inside him sprung forth.
****
Amber peeked her head out from the top of the sleeping bag. Someone or something was moving about outside her tent. She’d first detected it about an hour ago.
Her heart beat faster. Would Gabriel hear her if she called to
him? But what if whatever was lurking heard her too and ripped its claws through the tent? What if Gabriel came running and the beast attacked him?
Suddenly feeling hot and panicked, she took another peek, this time hearing heavy breathing outside the door of the tent. She felt like she had when she was six and frightened of anything that went bump in the night, too scared to even get out of bed and run into her parent’s room for safe cover.
More noises, more heavy breathing.
Bear, it had to be a bear. They’d locked up the food after placing it in critter-proof containers. Gabriel was adamant about doing it.
She bit the top of the sleeping bag. She’d done that as a child. Maybe once the bear found they had nothing to offer in the way of a midnight snack, he’d look elsewhere. Why had she assumed it was a male bear?
Amber peeked out again.
Holy shit. The outline of the beast was now clearly visible through the backlit wall of the tent.
She’d been wrong. It wasn’t a bear. It was a wolf. She could see its tail and the distinct jawline that said lupus. Little Red Riding Hood had been the scariest of all the fairy tales.
It howled. She covered her ears. Maybe it was calling for its buddies. Maybe they’d come calling and eat both her and Gabriel. No, that was a myth. Wolves were one of the least aggressive predators toward humans. Well, that’s what she’d read.
“Teacher and ex-Marine savaged by wolves while they slept.”
She could see the headline in her mind’s eye. Trouble was, she wasn’t sleeping. She was wide awake and experiencing the whole nightmare firsthand.
The wolf howled again. Gabriel surely would have heard it. Had he brought a gun with him? Not that she wanted to see the poor thing shot for no good reason.
“Gabriel,” she called, deciding to take her chances that the wolf knew she was inside. Of course he knows, you idiot. He can smell you.
More heavy breathing, and Gabriel hadn’t come to her rescue.
“Gabriel, there’s a wolf outside my tent. What should I do?”
No response, but another howl, this one louder and longer than the last one.
Shit, the thing was pawing at the door on her tent.
“Gabriel, it’s about to attack me!” Maybe it wasn’t but she was desperate.
Still no response. Still no Gabriel.
He was either an unbelievably heavy sleeper or the wolf had already attacked and injured him, maybe killed and eaten him. She swallowed.
The beast pawed at her tent again. She could feel her heart beating so hard it rattled in her ears.
She was going to be attacked by a wolf.
End of story.
Chapter Eight
She was calling to him for help and he was the one outside her tent scaring her. How ironic was that?
He tried walking away from their camp but her scent had pulled him back. He’d smelled her like she was standing right next to him. He couldn’t see her inside the tent but her smell was driving him wild. Not just the odor coming from her body, but the sexual aroma originating from between her legs.
How did animals stand this sensory overload? This desire to fuck, no matter what.
Gabriel guessed it was because they didn’t fall in love. Or did they? Nature had to be the driving force to get them together to mate, therefore insuring survival of the species.
All he wanted to do right now was rip open the tent, drag her out of the sleeping bag, pull off whatever she was wearing, part her legs, and dive deep inside her pussy. Mate with her and claim her as his.
Gabriel paced up and down. He had to figure out how to change back into his man half because she was calling out for him. She needed him.
He howled again, hearing another wolf howl back this time. He couldn’t risk howling again just in case a pack came calling and increased her fear.
Damn, if he could have sex with her, maybe this wouldn’t happen.
He turned, hearing the zipper on the tent opening. Amber was coming outside.
Run, run, run.
He quickly jumped over a rock and couched behind it. She peeked her head out of the tent. How was he going to explain not saving the day? He’d look like a loser and a wimp. Maybe she’d think he was afraid of the wolf and was letting her deal with this all by herself.
Closing his eyes, he willed himself to shift back into his human half. You can do it, just relax. Do it for Amber, if not yourself.
A few minutes later, he felt dizzy again. He laid on the ground, counting the stars as they zoomed by his head. He looked down to see that he had feet instead of paws. He’d done it. Now he had to make up some story about why he was out here.
He approached the tent. Amber was still peeking outside.
“You okay, Amber?”
“Oh, Gabriel. Did you see the wolf?”
She looked him up and down, and that’s when he realized he’d forgotten one little fact. He was naked. He put his hands in front of his crotch.
“I chased him away. I heard you calling and I didn’t have time to answer you because I wanted to get the wolf away from your tent.”
“So he’s gone?”
“Sure, he went over the rock formation there.”
Amber unzipped the tent and stepped outside with the lamp in her hand.
Gabriel clamped his hands over his dick but felt the mother of all erections coming on. She was only wearing a T-shirt that came to her mid-thigh. The wolf in him was still bubbling under the surface and he needed to gain control of himself and the situation.
“Wolves are friendly animals,” he said. “He was just being curious.”
“You sure?”
“Promise you.”
“Sorry if I woke you.”
“No problem at all.”
“I guess I can go back to bed…well, back to the sleeping bag.”
“It’s what I’m going to do. Sweet dreams,” he said.
“You, too.”
She went back to the tent, stepped inside, and zipped it up. Gabriel hurried into his and did the same. He slid into the sleeping bag, remembering what she looked like in the T-shirt. Remembering the scent of her. His hand slipped inside the bag. His cock was still hard. Gabriel moved his hand back and forth over his shaft, all the time picturing Amber and wondering what her pussy looked like, what it would feel like to be inside her.
He came. For the first time he’d jerked off since he’d shifted. Shit, it was good. Now he wondered if sex would be better, too.
****
Amber turned on the light and shone it onto her watch. It was morning already and she was tired, not only from the disturbance in the night, but since she’d spotted Gabriel naked, her mind hadn’t been able to focus on anything else. She’d gotten a good look at his cock before he’d covered it with his hands.
Every part of him was gorgeous, including his dick. She hadn’t been with a lot of men, but enough to know that Gabriel’s was longer and thicker than average. That thought became an obsession for the rest of the night. She’d tossed and turned, working herself into a sweat, and finally giving in to a little self-pleasuring.
It had helped…for five minutes. Then she had to repeat it, and then again, until she’d finally fallen asleep.
Now she was awake again, thoughts of the hunk sleeping just a yard away still playing on her mind and libido. A cold shower was what she needed, but there was none for miles around. However, there was a cold lake.
She grabbed the towel she’d brought with her and headed outside. No sign of Gabriel, and his tent was still zipped up. She’d go for a nice swim and then start making some breakfast.
Amber headed down the slope and set her towel on a rock. She kicked off her flip-flops and then took off her panties and T-shirt. The slightly brisk morning air felt good. She walked toward the lake and dipped her toes into the water’s edge.
Cold, but not as bad as she’d thought. She’d just hurry in there, put her shoulders under the water, and enjoy a morning swim. By that time, G
abriel might be awake.
Amber ran into the water, the coldness taking her breath away, but just as she’d thought, , it was heaven once she was in. She floated on her back for a bit, swam for a few minutes, and then splashed around a little.
This is so much fun, she thought. She should have done this more often. She floated on her back again and then decided to head for the shore. She needed to test her blood sugar and take her insulin.
She got out of the lake and headed to the rock where she’d left her towel. She patted herself dry and then rubbed the water off her thighs. Amber sensed she was being watched. The wolf—the wolf was back. He was standing on the hill watching her dry herself. She’d have to call out to Gabriel to come save her.
****
Gabriel had decided to take a morning stroll and let his wolf emerge as practice to learn to control his shifting. Innocent enough, but then he’d spotted Amber swimming. She’d been on her back with her boobs peeking out from under the water. And now she was naked, drying herself, rubbing the towel dangerously close to her pussy. Those beautiful, curvy thighs and hips, the black curls on her mound. He howled and ran toward the safety of the tents.
Change back and go get her. Take her as your mate.
He stood still, feeling like a jolt of electricity had been fired through his spine. Relax, breathe, just like Sadie had taught him. He went to the ground and felt his back tingle. He knew well enough by now that was the fur melting into his body. His canines were next, and then his paws. The wolf fully retreated. Gabriel was gradually getting the hang of this whole shifting thing. He was a man again. But that didn’t take the edge off wanting Amber.
He turned and headed back to the lake. Amber was still standing there. She didn’t cover herself and he didn’t mind that she was seeing him naked either.
“Did you see that the wolf came back?” she asked.
“You fascinate him. Just like you fascinate me.”
He took another step toward her, growing harder with each one, but not caring any more. He wanted her to know what she did to him, to see it for herself.
Gabriel took her into his arms, just as he’d wanted to since the first time he’d laid eyes upon her in Sadie’s office. He kissed her. Not just any old kiss, but one that sent his heart racing, blood pumping around his body, and his cock beating a steady rhythm against her belly.
Falling for an Alpha Page 5
