“Sometimes.” She waited for it. The way other Lycans always reacted when she told them she worked in a traditionally male-dominated field. It was either disbelief, or they thought the only reason she got in was because she was the Alpha’s daughter.
“I don’t like it, but I have to respect that you wouldn’t have that job if you weren’t capable.”
Disbelief stunned her. She had thought he was going to go ballistic and demand that she stop putting herself in danger immediately like some possessive he-man jerk. “Thank you.”
It unnerved her though that he still wouldn’t look at her. Her wolf, too, was crying out, wanting to make sure he was fine. “Is there anything I can do to …” What exactly? Help him?
“Well, now that you mentioned it.” He turned around quickly, nearly bumping into her. “How about going on a picnic with me?”
“Picnic?” That came totally out of left field.
“Yes. Later today, for lunch.”
“But—”
“I saw Elise and Reed this morning and mentioned it to them and that I wanted to show you all the grounds. They’ve already said yes.” Without waiting for her to say anything, he walked toward the door. “I have some work to do before then. I’m glad we had this talk. We can speak more about the alliance later.”
She stared at him, her jaw dropping. Hold on. Did he just—
He did, the bastard.
Just who did he think he was? Who the hell was he?
“Ugh!”
Reaching for a morning roll, she stuffed half of it in her mouth, then swallowed it down with a gulp of coffee. At least she wasn’t going to be alone with him. He really was confusing. Last night he had been charming, this morning he oozed with raw sexuality, and then he acted like he cared what happened to her and upset that she had almost died.
Sexist jerks and childish men, she could handle. But if he kept switching up on her like Jekyll and Hyde, she didn’t know how she would handle him.
It was cool in the Highlands, but Julianna didn’t need to bundle up as her Lycan body naturally adjusted to the weather. Still, it was nice, after the long hot summer, to be able to put on her flannel shirts, leggings, and boots for this picnic Duncan had somehow manipulated her into going to. She wasn’t sure where to meet, so she ended up downstairs in the foyer just before noon. Elise and Reed were already there waiting for her.
“Did you have a good morning?” Elise asked.
“Yeah.” She updated them on what happened during the meeting with Duncan.
“Looks like your first foray as an envoy went well,” Reed commented. “Not that we had any doubts, of course.”
“Thanks.” Her troubles with the stubborn Lycan aside, the meeting really wasn’t that bad. In her years as part of the special investigations division, she’d met all kinds of people and was comfortable speaking to almost anyone. While she preferred fieldwork, if this is what it took to unite the rest of the Lycan world and defeat the mages, then it was something she was willing to do.
“Oh, good, you’re all on time.” Duncan strolled up to them looking so relaxed in the same outfit he wore this morning.
“Thank you for inviting us,” Elise said. “Although I won’t be able to walk too far or too fast.”
“No worries, I’ve taken care of our transport.” He looked at Julianna. “Ready?”
She swallowed, trying not to let that sensual, lazy grin affect her. “As I’ll ever be.”
They followed him outside where, much to her surprise, there was a golf cart waiting, the back loaded with two large baskets.
“It’s much more comfortable than walking, and this way we can cover more ground.” Duncan walked over to the driver’s side as Elise and Reed climbed into the back. Seeing as there was only room for two in the rear seat, she climbed up front next to Duncan. He flashed her another grin that made her heartbeat pick up. Turning her body away from him, she looked out to her side, admiring the beauty of the Highlands, the rolling hills, and the purple-gray heather dotting the landscape. Though she did her best to ignore him, she couldn’t help but feel Duncan’s eyes on her every once in a while. Fifteen minutes later, the golf cart stopped right by a line of trees.
“Here we are.” He turned off the engine, then walked to the back of the golf cart to grab the wicker baskets. “This way.”
He led them through a small forest of trees, and they came out on the other side to a beautiful clearing. Being early fall, everything was still green though there were some dots of orange and red in the distance. Above them, the sky was a perfect blue, with big fat clouds floating by.
“Amazing,” Elise said. “It’s so beautiful out here.”
Beside her, Reed nodded in agreement. “Breathtaking.”
Julianna drank in the gorgeous view and allowed herself to marvel in what was around her. Having grown up in the city, she wasn’t used to this kind of landscape. Even New Jersey, her mother’s home base, didn’t have this wild beauty.
“It certainly is breathtaking.” She stiffened when she felt Duncan’s presence behind her, but that didn’t stop the thrill of sexual energy running through her when his warm breath caressed her cheek. “And the view’s good too,” he added.
Ugh, this man! Whirling around, she crossed her arms over her chest. “I was promised lunch.”
“Of course, darlin’.” His voice was like thick honey. “I always keep my promises.” Hauling the baskets to a shady area, he began to unpack them, taking out plates, napkins, and containers of food.
“I’ll go help him. Why don’t you two relax?” Reed walked over to Duncan, leaving Elise and Julianna alone.
“Are you really not going to give him a chance?” Elise asked. “You know he set this whole thing up for you.”
“Set this up for me?” Her nose wrinkled. “He said you guys had accepted his invitation this morning before our meeting.”
“Uh, no. He came to us about an hour ago and asked us to come.”
She crossed her arms under her chest. “That’s not what he said.”
“Ah, I see.” Elise’s mouth curled up into a smile. “You really don’t think you’re True Mates? Your wolf doesn’t feel anything at all? Doesn’t want him on any level? Doesn’t get distracted by his scent?”
She opened her mouth, then shut it quickly. “What does that have anything to do with it?”
“He’s certainly handsome. And so big and sexy and—” The involuntary growl coming from Julianna stopped her. “My, my, your wolf didn’t like it when I called Duncan handsome and sexy—”
“Oh, not you too!” Julianna put her hands up in frustration.
“I really don’t understand why you keep denying it.” Elise’s electric blue eyes sparkled. “He’s perfect for you.”
“It would never work out.” She puffed out a breath. Elise wouldn’t understand. Besides, how was this going to end up? Was she supposed to move here and start popping out babies? Did Duncan expect her to give up her job, her family? And what about the mages? No, every hand they could spare was needed in this fight. The moment the mages came back and threatened her family, she knew she was going to see this to the end.
“I think it’s time to eat.” Elise’s chin pointed toward the two men, who were waving them over. “I’m starving. Let’s go.”
They walked over to the picnic area and Elise, of course, sat down next to Reed at the edge of the large tartan blanket, which meant the only spare spot was beside Duncan on the other end. His smile was as wide as the Brooklyn Bridge when she sat down next to him, though she positioned herself as far away from him as possible.
As they ate the delicious prepared lunch of sandwiches and pastries, Julianna prepared herself to be assaulted by Duncan’s charm and cheesy lines, but to her surprise, he turned to Reed and began to ask him questions, drawing him into a conversation about possibly bringing Three Wolves Whiskey into the US market. In fact, he seemed to be ignoring her.
“… I could speak to my father-in-law.” Reed put his plate d
own. “His family’s company supplies a lot of restaurants in California. I’m sure he could get you some contacts.”
“That would be great.” Duncan poured some whiskey from a flask and handed it to Reed. “We’re getting noticed in Asia, but the US market would be big for us.”
“Do you travel to Asia a lot?” Reed asked. “I’ve always wanted to see the Orien—I mean, that continent.” Elise looked like she was trying not to laugh at her husband’s use of the very non-PC term, and Julianna bit her lip to do the same. It really was weird seeing Reed in modern clothes and interacting with other people in their time. She wondered if he had made any other faux pas when he first came here.
“As Executive Vice President, I have to,” Duncan said. “I go to Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul and a few places here and there, but I don’t really get to see the cities I go to. It’s mostly boring business meetings and dinners.”
“Reed,” Elise patted her husband’s arm to get his attention.
“Love?” Reed immediately placed his hand on her stomach. “Are you all right? Is it the pup?”
“No …” She whispered in his ear and his face changed.
“Oh. Right.” He turned to Duncan. “I don’t suppose you have any … er, facilities near the area?”
“’Fraid not. Sorry, I didn’t think about that …” He scratched his head. “Er, why don’t we go back? We can have some fresh, hot tea and finish dessert inside.”
“Oh no! It’s such a lovely day,” Elise said. “How about we just quickly drive to the castle and come back again? No need to interrupt our lunch.”
“There’s a shorter way back,” Duncan said. “Shouldn’t take more than five minutes if we take that path.”
Julianna got up and brushed the crumbs off her lap. “I’m gonna take a walk.” It was a beautiful day, and she wasn’t ready to go inside. “I ate way too much. I’ll meet you all back here in half an hour.” With a wave of her hand, she trudged off in the direction of the sloping hill on the east side of the clearing.
Glad for the time alone, Julianna took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air and the scenery. When she got to the top of the hill, she saw a small body of water not too far away and decided to investigate. A few minutes later, she reached it and realized it was a pond. While it seemed clean, the dark blue water indicated it was much deeper than it first looked.
“Ah, you’ve found my favorite spot in all of Caelkirk.”
“Jesus Christ on a bicycle!” Her heart nearly burst out of her chest in surprise. “What the hell are you doing here? Are you following me?”
Duncan gave her another one of his mega-watt grins. “I do live here, you know.”
She pointed back to the direction of the picnic area. “I thought you were driving Elise back to the castle?”
“I was, but Reed was keen to drive the golf cart. I told him it was much easier than drivin’ a car, and after I showed him the basics, he felt confident enough to go back without me.”
That traitor. And she bet Elise didn’t really have to go to the bathroom. “Well, I have to go too, so maybe we can—”
“What’s the matter? Are you afraid to be alone with me, Julianna?”
God, she wanted to wipe that smirk off his face!
He laughed and reached over to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I know I’m irresistible, but I can trust my virtue is safe in your hands.”
Callused fingertips brushed her skin, making heat coil in her middle. “Look here, Duncan. I’m not here to play games.”
“And who said I was playin’ games?” His tone lowered. “I’m serious, Julianna. Serious about you.”
“Stop! This is crazy.”
“Crazy?” He took a step closer to her. “What do I have to do to prove to you how serious I am about you?”
“Prove to me …” He really was mad! “There’s nothing. Nothing you can do.”
“Och, darlin’ you wound my heart.” He placed his hands over his chest. “If you don’t care about me, then this life isn’t worth living.”
“Now you’re mocking me.” The way he changed from charming to serious to mocking made it hard to figure out what his deal really was.
“I’m not.” Looking around, he cocked his head toward the pond. “In fact, I’m so serious about you, I’ll jump in this pond.”
“Jump in the pond?” she said incredulously. “Do you even know how to swim?”
“We’ll find out, won’t we?”
“Find—” A loud splash cut her off. Idiot! He really did jump!
She tapped her foot as she waited for the dumbass to surface. Small bubbles formed over the spot where he’d jumped, but the water remained unbroken. A few more seconds passed before panic began to seep in. “Duncan?” Oh God, what the hell was happening with him? Did that idiot not know how to swim? “Duncan!”
Before she could change her mind, her body propelled forward. The cold, icy water hit her like a thousand little needles, but she ignored it. Her wolf clamored for her to find him and make sure he was okay. Kicking her feet, she dove down further—how deep was this fucking pond?—and as her Lycan eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a figure inches away. Reaching out, her hand grasped a solid, muscled arm. She held on tight and kicked for the surface as hard as she could.
After a few strokes, she broke the surface, taking in a large gulp of air, then swam toward the edge. With her Lycan strength, it was easy to drag Duncan up to the muddy shore, but his bulky, wet body made it an awkward task.
She knelt next to him and pressed her hand on his chest. His eyes were closed and his skin was cold. “Fuckity, fuck, fuck!” Leaning down, she opened his mouth to check if he was breathing. “Duncan? Duncan, please don’t die!”
His eyes remained shut, but his lips trembled. “Och, you do care about me, Julianna.”
“What—” Her protest came too late as a hand snaked around her nape and pulled her down, her mouth pressing against his.
She struggled, but his grip was too strong. And his mouth was too warm. And his lips too insistent as they moved under hers. Yeah, that was totally the reason she didn’t stop him when he kept on kissing her or when his hand moved lower to her back. Before she knew it, Duncan had rolled her over so she was under him.
Despite the chill of the wet clothes, her entire body seemed to be on fire. His damned lips kissed her expertly, coaxing her mouth to open and let his tongue dip in past her teeth. She should have bitten it off, but his masculine scent was sending off signals in her brain like an overactive switchboard, firing off sensations all over her body she’d never felt before. And his taste … smoky and earthy like the fine whiskey he’d been drinking earlier, but mixed with something that she knew was unique to him.
No, I don’t want this.
Yes, you do, her slutty body replied.
A hand pulled her wet flannel shirt up, and fingers skimmed over her ribcage, slipping under her bra to cup her breast. He pressed his hips down, and she felt his hardness pressing up against her core, making her squirm. That only encouraged him, nestling him further until the ridge of his cock lined up perfectly against her, and zings of pleasure fired off across her body. Arching into him, she moved her hips, seeking that pleasure her body craved.
A discreet cough made them both freeze.
“Don’t mind me now,” said the familiar, masculine voice. “I’m just here for the free show.”
Duncan snarled against her mouth. “Fuckin’ Lachlan.” He pulled her up so fast that she nearly tumbled back when her head spun. His arm snaked around her and pulled her against his body. “What the hell are you doin’ here?”
Lachlan was sitting in the driver’s seat of the golf cart, an amused grin on his face. “Sorry to, uh, disturb your little outing.” He winked at Julianna, which only made Duncan tuck her tighter against his body. “Mrs. Carter sent me to find you. We’re needin’ you back at the house.”
His entire body tensed. “Is there something wrong? Anyone in trouble?”
“You can say that.” Lachlan chuckled. “Royally big trouble.”
Duncan’s brows knitted. “Royally big—fucker!” His hand scrubbed down his face. “Now?”
Julianna’s head ping-ponged back and forth between the brothers. What was going on?
Lachlan nodded. “From that dumbstruck look on your face, I can guess this was an unplanned visit.”
A string of curses flew out of his mouth.
“C’mon now,” Lachlan laughed. “Can’t keep our guest waiting then.”
Chapter Five
“I’m going to kill him,” Duncan muttered under his breath. “I’m really going to kill him.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Lachlan asked as he turned into the driveway leading to the front of the castle. “I thought he’s your best friend?”
“I don’t give a fuck.”
Talk about having the worst timing in the world. God, I should wring his neck! He glanced back to look at Julianna, who was sitting in the back seat, the picnic blanket wrapped around her. From the way her body and head were turned away from him, it was obvious she was still angry. Oh, and there was that murderous look she gave him earlier. But at least their relationship was progressing.
Sure, it was dastardly of him to trick her like that, but he had to prove to her he was serious. It was disconcerting that it took her a minute to jump in after him, but it was worth the wait. Especially now that he’d had a taste of her. And he wanted more, and he was going to get more. He would have her, all of her, soon, or he would very well go insane. At least he’d proved one thing: though she may deny it, Julianna definitely wanted him as much as he wanted her. Too bad they were interrupted by his unexpected guest.
The golf cart stopped in front of the castle, and Julianna dashed out. But Duncan was faster, and he reached her just before she slammed the door in his face.
Pushing through, he grabbed her wrist just as they both stepped into the foyer. “D’you think you could keep me out of my own bloody home, woman?”
“You lied to me,” she hissed.
Highland Wolf Page 6
