She cleared her throat. Get it together, Avery. “What can I do…for you?” Fuck. The question was just fine, but it came out all wrong. “I mean….how can I help you? Are you lost?”
Mr. Beefcake closed the space between them in a couple of strides and put out a giant hand. She stared at it, befuddled for a couple of seconds, before she finally recovered and realized he just wanted to shake her hand.
“I’m here to rent one of your cabins for the next couple of weeks. I’m Chase Randall.”
Usually quick on the uptake, she found it difficult to think with him standing so close to her. Chase Randall. “Oh, right. You rented the place across the lake.” She put her hand in his, and tried to ignore the tingle that raced up her arm. “Avery. Avery Montgomery.”
“Good to meet you, Avery.” He squeezed her hand then, reminding her that he still held it, and she forced herself to pull it back.
“I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear on the phone, but you weren’t supposed to come here. If you go back up the hill, turn right onto the main road, and turn right again at the second road that comes up, you’ll find it—no problem.” She was relieved that she’d managed to say all of that. What she really wanted to do was invite him in for a late lunch, with a plate of her for dessert. Then again, eating was overrated.
He smiled at her. “Okay...thanks.”
His smile was way too sexy for the bright light of day. An answering smile crept over her face and stayed there for way too long while neither of them said a word. Their mutual attraction was not merely evident. It was also paralyzing, at least on Avery’s part, and when he stopped smiling, his stare did nothing to improve her condition.
Having a man stare at her was nothing new, but this one didn’t gawk at her full breasts, which were very easy to spot in the loose tank she wore braless. He’d looked, and he’d given her legs, bare in a pair of short shorts, some attention, too, but he didn’t linger there. No, he stared into her eyes, making her feel more naked and exposed than if he’d torn her clothes off. Worse, she wanted to be naked just then. Naked just for him.
Avery cleared her throat again. What the hell was wrong with her? She’d certainly seen a hot man before, just maybe not one so built, this up-close. Her eyes darted to her wooden picnic table and her mind went dirty, thinking of all the ways he could have her on it. Who cared about a few splinters? She needed to make him leave before she did something stupid. “You’d best get going, so Gus can get you set up.”
He blinked as if just as lost as she was. “Want to take me instead?”
Did she ever! “I don’t keep the keys or the paperwork here. You’ll have to go to the office. Lila will take care of your paperwork, and Gus will show you to the cabin. We have a pretty big parking lot, but it’s a hike to your rental.”
“I don’t mind a walk.”
He kept that penetrating gaze on her, making her think he saw more of her than he should.
“Okay, then…good. That’s the cabin over there.” She pointed across the lake to the large cabin on the other side. It was set well back from the water, as was her cabin, but still easy to see from her front door.
He turned to look at the rental briefly, but all too soon, he turned his gaze back on her. “It’s big.”
She bet it was. Avery gave herself an internal shake. She’d come too close to saying that out loud. Fuck her stupid dirty mind. He meant the cabin, damn it. Still, her eyes flicked down his body before she could get her head together to stop the reflex, and that set off a whole chain of reactions. Her eyes flew back up to meet his, and he smiled knowingly at her. He could have let it go. He could have pretended not to know her mind was deep in the gutter. But no. He had to go and acknowledge it.
“I meant the cabin,” he said. “The cabin is big. Not just the cabin, but…yeah.”
Her nipples hardened at this little speech, and his gaze immediately found them. Avery waged a brief inner battle with herself not to cross her arms over her breasts. She shouldn’t let him know that she’d noticed him noticing her reaction to him. Of course, she promptly lost the battle and crossed her arms, willing her body not to do anything else stupid, like blush again. She was way too old for blushing.
Unfortunately, he didn’t just leave like she wanted him to. He stepped even closer and sucked all the air out of the atmosphere. “You don’t have to hide yourself from me, Avery. You’re attracted to me. That’s normal. There’s no need to be anxious or embarrassed. What you’re feeling is expected because you’re—”
“Look, I’ve told you where the office is, and now it’s time for you to go.” Avery wouldn’t say she didn’t know what he was talking about. She had a feeling her body would find a quick way to reveal that as a lie. But he needed to go. It was not okay for a strange man, a trespasser, to stand there making her pussy wet and talking about her being attracted to him. Damn, at least pretend not to notice. “Seriously. It’s time for you to go. This is private property, and I don’t deal with campground guests here.”
Roscoe came trotting back over, barking anxiously, probably in response to her slightly raised voice. The hulk of a man stepped away from the door then, and Avery fought to get her wits together. At least she could slow her breathing down. He kneeled down to pet Roscoe, saying something to him that she couldn’t quite hear. Roscoe jumped happily then stood still for Chase to pet him, seeming completely at ease with the man.
She watched him pet her dog, wrestling to block out thoughts of how those big hands would feel touching her. That was all easy enough to tolerate, but when thoughts of inviting him in to bend her over her kitchen table returned, she squared her shoulders. “Mr. Randall—”
“Chase,” he said, standing up again and reminding her of his impressive height.
“Chase, you really need to—”
He cut her off again. “I know. I’ve worn out my welcome. Don’t hold it against me.” He was already walking away.
Avery followed him to his truck, needing to see that he got in and drove away. He didn’t frighten her. For some reason, she didn’t think he’d try to hurt her, but he definitely threatened her. She needed to know he was gone, so she could go back to being the relatively normal Avery who didn’t get wet for random strangers.
Chase turned around but didn’t stop, walking backwards to his car. “When I see something I want, I go after it.”
Was that a threat or a promise, and which one did she want it to be?
“Good-bye, Mr. Randall.”
“Chase,” he said over his shoulder.
She watched as he climbed into his truck, started it and drove away. She looked down at Roscoe, who sat at her feet watching the truck disappear. Avery had to shake off the silly feeling that Roscoe was disappointed, too.
Chapter 2
Chase couldn’t believe what had just happened. He’d only meant to introduce himself to the woman he’d been sent to spy on, but he’d ended up meeting his mate. It had been hell to stand so close to her and not be able to take her right then and there. She’d smelled like heaven, and then when her body responded to his, the scent of her arousal had nearly driven him out of his mind. He was to be commended for holding it together.
In his world, a female wolf usually gave herself to her mate without needing any explanation, but this one, this human wouldn’t just let him mate with her. She’d been aroused, that much had been obvious, but her body language said she’d fight it. He’d have to show her that her reaction hadn’t been a fluke, that she really did want him. How long would that take? One day? Maybe two. It had better not take long, because his cock was so hard it hurt, and his wolf was pissed as hell that he’d walked off without her.
He quickly found his way to the White Oak Run office. The woman inside, Lila, was friendly and flirtatious, and Chase was polite but all business. He signed all the paperwork and Lila handed him the key.
“Gus’ll be along any minute. He’s over at the store.” She smiled up at him. “Go on and have a seat. Or if you’re
in a hurry, I can take you.”
“Thanks, but no, I’m fine waiting. Go ahead back to whatever you were doing.” The office smelled of nail polish.
“It wouldn’t be a problem. I wouldn’t mind getting out of here for a while to show you around.”
Chase’s wolf silently growled in frustration, wanting to race back to his mate. Lila was the type of woman he’d normally go for, but not now. “It’s okay. I’m going to head over to the store and check it out.”
The store was visible from the office, but was a longer walk than it appeared. It took him a good ten minutes to get there. When he opened the door and walked in, he was immediately engulfed by the pungent smell of perfume. Now he could see what was taking Gus so long.
The man behind the counter—Gus, according to his name tag—was flirting with a heavily perfumed woman who had two tiny tykes in tow. While she smiled and made what seemed like polite conversation with Gus, her kids, a boy and a girl, occupied themselves with examining the items on the shelf and piling many of them on the floor. The little girl almost toppled a can onto her head, and Chase squatted to help her.
“Here, let me get that.” He caught the can of spinach before it could brain the little pigtailed human. “A vegetable lover, I see. Personally, I prefer meat and potatoes.”
Chase loved kids and couldn’t wait to have pups of his own. As the second youngest of seven, he hadn’t expected that to happen anytime soon, but now that he’d met his mate, it was a possibility.
The little girl’s smelly mother realized what had happened and turned around to grab her hand. “Thanks. They get into everything.” She turned back to the counter, grabbing her bag. “I gotta go, Gus. We’ll catch up later. C’mon, kids, Daddy’s waiting.” She winked at Chase as she passed. “Be careful. He’ll talk your ear off if you let him.”
Not likely, Chase thought. If he hadn’t immediately been able to tell the man was a poon hound, he could by then. Gus glued his eyes to the woman’s ass as she walked away, despite the kids and the mention of Daddy. Only when the door shut behind the trio did Gus even acknowledge his presence, though Chase was far too large to miss.
“Help you?” Gus finally asked.
“I rented the cabin over by the lake—number six. And you’re my guide.
Gus nodded at him. “I’ll just lock up here right quick and take you up. You might need some provisions since it’s a long walk back, but I suggest we get your bags up there first, and then you come back down and buy what you need. Best to get the hard part out of the way on the first trip. You got a lot of stuff?”
“Nope. Two bags and some fishing gear.” Chase had to look the part, and, well, he did fish.
* * * *
It turned out Chase’s cabin was over a mile from the store. According to Gus, Avery liked the lands as natural as possible, and like the previous owners, refused to put roads in. For Chase, that was no big deal. He was used to walking and enjoyed being outdoors in the fresh air. Too long inside and he started to feel stifled. He did wonder, though, how far away the other cabins were, thinking specifically about the woman Gus had been flirting with and her kids.
Gus confirmed that all the cabins were a good distance from the office but said most people used sturdy carts or wagons to pull their shit around. Apparently, backpacks were the way to go, too. While Gus seemed to approve of his backpack, he glared at Chase’s suitcase as if it were the enemy.
It took them about twenty minutes to get to the cabin, and Gus set his fishing gear down just outside the cabin door, pulled some maps out of his back pocket, and thrust them into Chase’s hands.
“Want me to show you where everything is?” Gus asked.
Chase turned the key in the lock, shaking his head. “I’m good.” All he wanted was to be left alone to figure out how to convince Avery to let her big bad wolf inside her cabin. What did humans do when they found their mates? Ask to borrow sugar or something? Besides, the man had resisted his attempts to grill him about Avery, so he was of no use to Chase.
Gus expressed no disappointment at his dismissal, waving offhandedly as he hurried away. “Store closes at eight. If it’s locked up before then, come by the office and one of us will let you in.”
Right. He would need to grab some things. It had been shortsighted of him not to bring food with him. And it probably wasn’t the best idea to hunt out there where someone might see him.
He set his bags down inside the spacious living room, all wood-paneled walls and rustic furniture. There was a rather large fireplace that would probably be nice in the winter months. Not so much in the current summer heat. Grabbing his fishing gear, Chase walked into the kitchen to set it down on the round table, noting the cheery yellow-and-white décor. He’d check out the rest of the place then go grab some provisions from the store. Gus said they even sold beer and bait, so he’d be set for the time being. Then, he could concentrate on more important things.
His mission had changed, but it was no less important. Chase was fully committed to Operation Claim Your Mate.
* * * *
Avery wasn’t ashamed, especially since she didn’t have to admit it to anyone but herself, but she watched for Chase. She tried to distract herself, but ended up returning to the front window of her cabin again and again, waiting to see when he would finally arrive. Then, when she spotted him walking up with Gus, she did something even worse. She ran to get her binoculars.
Her view of him was frustratingly short. He stood at the door of his rental talking with Gus about something. Damn. Why couldn’t she read lips? Then Gus handed him some folded-up papers, most likely maps of the property, and walked away without going inside to give Chase a tour of place. She’d have to give Gus a talking-to about that. Everyone was to be given the tour, whether Gus felt like it or not.
Unfortunately, Chase didn’t linger in the doorway nearly long enough. He shut the door and left her pouting with her binoculars in hand. Surprising herself even more, she actually stood there, waiting for him to reemerge. It was pretty typical for guests to make a second trip back to their cars. She’d had a few complaints about the distance, but as far as she was concerned, it was good exercise.
Sadly, she waited a whole ten minutes without getting to see him again, finally deciding she was being ridiculous. She headed to her study to get back to the scene she’d been writing when Mr. Too Sexy had shown up. That failed miserably since all she managed to do was stare at her computer screen while remembering the size of the man’s arms and then imagining what it would feel like to have those big arms wrapped around her.
Roscoe came walking in before she could get too lost in her fantasy. He nosed her arm, whimpering. Her savior.
“All right, buddy. Let’s get some fresh air.” Avery was relieved for something productive to do that didn’t require too much brain power since a single visit from Mr. Randall—Chase—had somehow scattered her brains. Clearly it had been too long since she’d gotten laid.
* * * *
Chase’s first night in White Oak Run had been a true exercise in torture. He couldn’t get his mind off the woman who was his but didn’t know it yet. He’d gone down to the store soon after arriving and stocked up on enough provisions to last a few days. He’d eventually have to find a grocery store, but he had enough food to tide him over until he felt like going.
Food settled, he’d shifted and gone on a long walk as soon as night fell, keeping to the trees and brush as he scoped the place out. His exploration revealed that there was quite a bit of land between each cabin, with the rentals forming a loose circle around the office and store. What was it, a mile between him and his nearest neighbor? Maybe more. He could probably shift behind the cabin without having to worry about anyone spotting him. Of course, shifting out front was out of the question with Avery just across the lake.
He also noted another lake, which seemed to be the preferred hangout for guests, a playground, and a pool. It was all in the maps Gus had given over, but Chase wanted to see
for himself. Besides, he needed something to do to stop himself from banging on her door and telling her she was his, all his forever, starting tonight.
Once he finished his exploration, he ran harder than he needed to, wanting to tire himself out so he wouldn’t do anything stupid. Chase wasn’t a patient man in the best of circumstances. Having to wait for the right way to approach Avery again would surely kill him.
Canned beef stew was on the menu for dinner and he heated it up in one of the few pots he found in the kitchen. That was another thing he’d forgotten to bring along, despite the fact that the White Oak Run website mentioned bringing your own dishes, pots and utensils. He wasn’t much for cooking at home and either ate out or went to a family member’s for dinner. Sometimes he’d grill up a juicy steak or put on a burger if he didn’t feel like going out.
He ended up eating that night’s stew right out of the pot he cooked it in, standing up at the window, watching for Avery. Much to his disappointment, he didn’t get to see much of her. She opened the door twice after nightfall, once to let the dog out and another time to carry a trash bag around the side of her cabin. Fortunately, he didn’t have to go full stalker mode with binoculars and all. Wolf shifters had particularly sharp eyesight, even at night.
Once he realized his woman wasn’t likely to show herself again, he spent the rest of the night arguing with himself about just how to make his move. The wolf part of him wanted to skip all the bullshit, but the man knew human women had certain expectations. It didn’t escape him that he also had a job to do for his pack, but at the moment, Chase couldn’t care less about what Liam wanted. Besides, once he claimed his woman, everything else would fall into place.
Sleep didn’t come easy that night. Chase tossed and turned in a strange bed that held the lingering smell of insect repellent, all the while trying to come up with a plan that actually had a prayer of working on his timeline. He didn’t want to wait weeks or, God forbid, months for her to accept him. He finally decided he’d get up early to fish and hopefully catch something for dinner. Then, later in the day, he’d go over, knock on her door, and ask her to have dinner with him. It didn’t suit his need to take her right away, but it was a start.
Avery and Her Wolf [Shifters Revealed 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 3
