Winter Solstice Menage

by Louisa Bacio

  Hell, he’d never forget meeting someone like her.

  “Just in time,” Yas said. “I was just showing my sister, Sugar, what needed to be done inside.”

  “Sugar?” Tyler said. “Good to meet you. How long are you visiting?”

  “A few weeks,” she said. She bit her lower lip, checking him out from behind half-masted lids.

  Suddenly, he wished he’d worn something besides his beat-up jeans and grungy shirt. Her stare gave him the feeling he didn’t pass inspection. But renovating was dirty work, and he might as well not destroy his good clothes.

  “Well, come on in. You two will be working on the kitchen, and I plan to tackle the back bathroom.” Yas stopped and gave them both an evaluating look.

  Tyler tried to think of anything but Sugar naked. Damn. He averted his eyes.

  The siblings walked in front of him, and the sashay of Sugar’s ass mesmerized Tyler. What was her brother thinking, pairing him up with her for the day? Didn’t he know how hot his little sister was? He probably still saw her as a baby, and she was anything but. She’d have the unmated males of Black Hills all over her. The thought created a flash of jealousy.

  Oh, he got it. That’s what he got for being the “nice guy.” Yas probably thought Sugar would be safe with him. Sure, he wouldn’t attack her, but, hell, he was still a man and a Wolf, and fuck that shit. He was tired of being underestimated.

  Sunlight streamed in through the kitchen windows. The floor had been cleaned of all debris and fresh walls installed. Either Yas had torn out the old sink or someone else had because it was missing. It appeared as if they place had been vandalized. A giant hole gaped where the sink should be, and there were deep gashes scrawled across the cabinets.

  “Know how to work one of these?” Yas held out an electric sander.

  “Yep. You have power already?” Tyler asked.

  “Sure do. It’s one of the first things I hooked up. Still working on some rooms, but it makes the construction go easier. Plus, I like to listen to music while I work.”

  “How come he gets the power tools, and I’m stuck with manual labor?” Sugar pouted. In her hands, she held some sandpaper.

  “Because you do the fine-tuning. Make sure the edges are smooth,” Yas said. “Now, get to it. If you need me, I’ll be in back.”

  The moment Yas left, Sugar turned to Tyler. “Thanks for playing it cool back there. Sometimes he can be overprotective.”

  Her choice of words threw him. “No problem. I can understand with someone like you as his sister.”

  “Someone like me?” The space between her eyebrows furled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Heat radiated along his ears, and he knew he must be blushing. He didn’t mean for it to come out sounding like that. “You know, being as beautiful as you are. I can see why he might worry about you.”

  “Oh, well thank you.”

  He nodded. If she kept staring at him like that, Yas would have something to worry about right away. His cock tightened in his jeans. Damn. A pretty woman paid some attention to him, and he couldn’t control his emotions.

  “I’m going to start on this other side, so as not to kick up so much dust your way,” he said. And to get a bit of distance between us. After pulling on protective glasses—perfect to be a hell of a lot less attractive to the opposite sex—he turned on the sander and got to work. A couple of particles burst through the air, and he coughed. Better cover up his mouth, too. He removed a bandana from his back pocket and tied it over his nose and lips.

  A laugh broke his concentration, and he directed all attention to his co-worker, who was definitely not living up to her title. “What’s so funny?”

  “You look like a wicked bank robber,” she said. “Plus, you already have sawdust in your eyebrows from that blast.”

  With a growl, he got back to work. He’d like to give her something else to laugh about. Tyler tended to get seconds to his older brother. Granted, he was only senior by a few minutes, but he enjoyed bossing him around. If they both wanted something, that usually meant Derek won out.

  It was more their difference in personality than anything. Twins, they both had the same basic build and features, but while Ty was more laid back and let things happen, Derek pushed the limits. When they were in their teens, Ty got in the way of the henchmen of Magnum, the former leader. He’d been smacked across the face, and the guy’s ring split Tyler’s eyebrow. Derek stepped in and defused the situation before either of them had been hurt further. They were both lucky to come away with their lives. But Ty’s scar was one way to tell them apart.

  The sander vibrated in his hands, and he did his best not to think of the woman sharing the space with him. Not too easy when her mere presence jolted his system. It was too bad her family had to flee Los Lobos. His stayed safe because of his father.

  It was a good thing Papa brewed a good moonshine, and Magnum appreciated his drink. Not that Ty often drank it. The hard-hitting liquor took on a whole new meaning when made by shifters under La Luna. She ruled the night.

  Shifting came easily for Tyler. It was a magical part of his life, where he felt comfortable in his fur. It was so unlike this moment, where he’d rather be anywhere but here.

  He moved on to the next set of cabinet doors, and Sugar squatted beside him, rubbing down the edges. The toned muscles in her thighs captured his attention as she squatted to get a corner. To have those wrapped around him. He wanted a mate, and something about Sugar called to him. Yes, she was hot. But it was more than that. Look at him all but drooling over her.

  A thought struck him. He needed to stake a claim before Derek met her. Otherwise, he’d be SOL. With all of her sparkle, her personality seemed more in line with his brother. Despite their differences, they were very much alike and Derek would be all over her.

  No way he was losing out on this one. The sweet bit of Sugar before him tempted him like no other. For the next hour, they worked side by side, moving down each section in unison.

  “Dammit, that hurts,” Sugar shrieked, loud enough to be heard over the noise of the sander. Tyler caught the fresh scent of blood, and his Wolf came to attention.

  “Gah, why am I doing this?” Sugar stuck her index finger into her mouth. A splinter had jammed under the nail. There went her manicure, and she’d probably lose the whole fucking nail, too. She’d been all right with Mr. Hottie from the hot springs playing aloof with Yas around, but after her brother left, she’d expected him to be a little bit more hands-on, especially after last night.

  Nope. He got to working like nothing was up. Guys didn’t usually run so hot and cold around her. If they were into her, they were into her. She couldn’t figure him out, and all that thinking—and watching the muscles ripple through his jeans—distracted her. It wasn’t like he was paying any attention to her anyway.

  “Are you all right?” He finally turned off that loud-ass machine and looked at her. After pulling the bandana down around his neck, he held out his hand. “Let me see.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Well, let me be the judge.”

  The warmth of his hand was surprising. It wasn’t like wolves got all that cold, but his temperature felt hotter than hers. He grabbed a bottled water from the cooler on the floor, and led her out the back door.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “No running water. Let’s rinse it out with something besides your saliva and see what we’re working with.”

  Despite being so big, his touch was gentle and his tone kind. He didn’t make fun of her for being a baby. His entire demeanor seemed different, as if he wasn’t as sure of himself in the light of day. Maybe she unnerved him. And, she wasn’t 100 percent sure, but he smelled different out of water, too.

  The water splashed over her hand and streamed into the dirt. Once the wound was clean, he took a knife from his pocket.

  “Hey, wait a second. What do you need that for?”

&
nbsp; From the handle of the knife, he pulled out something small and silver. “Tweezers.” He lifted her hand, angling it up toward the sunlight, and peered under the nail. “I see it. Hold still.”

  Sugar shut her eyes. Better not to see it happening. Helping animals came naturally to her. Humans or shifters, as in her case? Not so much.

  A slight pinch, and then nothing.

  “All’s clear. It’s safe to open your eyes now,” he said.

  When she did, his lit with mischief, but he refrained from making fun of her.

  “Thanks,” she said. “You know the story about the wolf with a thorn in its paw. You saved me. Boy Scouts?”

  “No Boy Scouts here,” he said. “You forget I grew up in Los Lobos. Didn’t ever leave town like your family.”

  And there it was, hanging over her head. Deserter. Even though she had no control over what her mom had done, she’d never outlive it.

  “Here, do you mind?” She stood on tiptoe, stretching to untie the bandana. She leaned her chest against his, and he sucked in a quick breath and stepped back. She went with him. “I can’t stand looking at you with all that sawdust anymore.”

  With the remaining water, she wet the bandana and wiped down his face. He laughed. “Maybe I should have just poured it over my head.”

  “But it wouldn’t be as fun that way, right?”

  The comment shut him up, and she focused on those gorgeous lips. Last night, he’d kissed her, throwing her determination to remain single into a head spin. Well, if he was going to act all proper now, maybe she’d make the next move.

  Slipping one hand into his back pocket, she pressed her pelvis against the hard ridge in his jeans and brushed the debris off one eyebrow and the next.

  “Unless you want to deal with the consequences, I suggest we go inside and get back to work,” he warned, passion turning his voice deeper. “You are something else, aren’t you?”

  What were the odds of her brother putting her together with the one guy she’d made out with the night before? It was like the gods were throwing them together. Forget lying low, she might as well enjoy her time here.

  This time, she kissed him, taking it to the next level. No playful brush of the lips. She ran her tongue along his lower lip before pushing in. He tasted rich and natural with a hint of cinnamon. He moaned against her mouth and fisted his hands through her hair, holding her close.

  Lord he felt even better than last night. Maybe it was the seamless body-to-body contact and lack of onlookers. She cupped his ass, wishing for their clothes to disappear, and she could push him into her.

  Mine. Her Wolf recognized him, and wanted to claim him as her own. Damn her brother for being inside. Otherwise, she’d have even more fun with the hot guy in her arms. Warmth spread through her body, settling between her thighs, and she nipped his full lip.

  “Feel me,” she instructed. She moved one of his hands to the inner seam of her jeans and all but begged him to touch. For a man who had been so forward, he sure dialed back.

  Tentatively, he stroked her inner thigh, edging where she wanted him most.

  “Come on. Don’t be shy.”

  Harder. Their mouths met, the tangle of their tongues more desperate. She plunged hers into his mouth, searching for more, sucking on his tongue. Finally, he popped the button, and pushed his hand into the waistband of her pants and the tips of his fingers past the hem of her underwear, caressing her swollen lips.

  “Oh fuck,” he breathed against her mouth, digging his fingers deeper into her wetness. She rode him, damning her tight denim and his holding them back. Every nerve ending lit on fire, and sensations rocketed. Just a little bit more, and she’d get off. Until now, she hadn’t realized how much she needed it.

  “Do you know how naughty you are?” he said. “We could be caught any minute.”

  “Doesn’t that make it even more fun?” She wrapped her leg around his calf, granting him further access. She squeezed her hand between them, rubbing his cock. It strained against the confining material. That sucker needed to be freed. She opened the button and slid in, loving the warm smoothness. The tip was wet with pre-cum and she curved her thumb over the slickness. If she pushed him down, think how easily she could climb him within seconds.

  “Wow, slow down,” he said, “what are you doing?”

  “Having some fun. What do you think I’m doing?” She gripped his cock. She needed more room to maneuver.

  His chest heaved against hers. “While there’s nothing I’d like better right now, it’s not the time or the place,” he said. “It’s just, we gotta think this through.”

  She tilted her head, judging whether he was serious. Even with Caress and her beau in attendance, she didn’t think he would have protested if they’d done the dirty in the water. She brushed off the concerns. Now that they’d cooled off a bit, she really didn’t need Yas walking in on them. She’d never hear the end of it, and he’d probably try to ground her.

  “Tonight, let’s meet again.”

  He brought her finger up to his mouth and kissed it, and raised an eyebrow. “Anywhere. Anytime. Just tell me where.”

  “Same place. Unless you know somewhere better,” she said, checking him out a bit closer. “You know, it was dark, but I don’t remember you having that scar last night.”

  Chapter Four

  Beneath her palm, Tyler stilled. “What did you say?”

  “The scar. I don’t remember you having a scar on your eyebrow last night.”

  Despite his body screaming in protest, he removed her hand from his ass and took a step back, putting some space between them. Talk about a mood killer.

  “What’s wrong? What did I say?” she asked, reaching out.

  “I wasn’t with you last night.” Which only meant one thing. Derek. That asshole had struck again. Fury raged through Tyler. Hell. Look who was talking? He was the one poaching his brother’s goods. He couldn’t do that. No matter how fine, or how much he wanted Sugar.

  His Wolf roared. He wasn’t going to want to give this one up so fast.

  “Of course you were.” She gave a short, nervous laugh. “At the hot springs. I didn’t dream you up.”

  “That wasn’t me. It was most likely my twin brother, Derek.” He slipped the bandana from her hand. “Some people have a hard time telling us apart.”

  “Hey, I don’t hear the sander anymore.” Yas stepped out onto the patio. “Is everything all right?”

  “Just fine,” Tyler said. “Your sister got a splinter, and we were washing it out.”

  Yas looked from one to the other. He probably smelled the pheromones between them. Tyler let the wet wrap hang in front of him, hopefully covering some of his hard-on. They’d be no relief for him anytime soon. His brother would be the lucky bastard.

  “You good?” Yas addressed Sugar.

  “Yep. All better. He fixed me up.” She turned her attention to her co-conspirator. “Hey, what’s your name anyway? Someone never formally introduced us.”

  “I’m Tyler,” he said. “I’m the nice brother.” And, on that remark, he went back inside to finish his job and get the hell out of there.

  ***

  The next few hours passed as slow as a Sunday church service while Tyler nursed a mighty big hangover. Not that he’d experienced the happening more than twice—maybe three times—in his life.

  The smell of Sugar’s excitement had lingered in the air. Yas either politely ignored it or blocked it. Maybe after living with his sister for so long, he’d become oblivious.

  Anger worked wonders for manual labor. Tyler sanded the hell out of the cabinets, doing his best to stay focused on the menial task. Thoughts of his brother and what went down in the Hot Springs the night before kept seeping in. With how responsive the woman had been in his arms, he could more than imagine the way Derek had reacted. He wouldn’t have hesitated to sample a piece of that ass.

  And Tyler did. She was going all hot and hea
vy, and Ty had to put on the brakes. Therein lay the major difference between the two of them. Derek went for what he wanted. He went all in. Tyler took things a bit slower. Which tactic worked better? It hadn’t gained either one of them a mate so far. Derek may have scored a lot women, but it hadn’t gotten him anywhere in Tyler’s point of view.

  Connecting with another person mattered to Tyler. If he wanted to get off, he could do that alone. Before sex happened, he wanted to know the person, and that hadn’t happened yet. He’d kept his lack of sexual prowess a secret from Derek, who’d harass him to no end if he actually knew. He’d be setting him up with any available female just to get laid.

  Sugar, though, damn. That woman pressed the issue. She squatted at the end of the row, rubbing out what looked to be a stubborn edge. Her leg muscles tensed as she shifted position. The memory of her delicate hands on his cock was all too recent. Good thing he’d stopped the activities when he did because he’d about shot his load. Something else to worry about.

  Pushing through what should have been lunchtime, Ty ignored his stomach grumbling, rumbling and all-out protesting.

  Arms crossed, Sugar stood next to him, tapping her foot until he turned off the machine.

  “Are you going to keep being stubborn, or stop to eat with me?” she asked.

  “Was trying to finish up as fast as possible.”

  “I get that. But I’ve figured out that, being so nice, you’re not going to run out on the job either. You might as well make the best of it.” She cocked out a hip, and Tyler could read all sorts of innuendos in her words. A hint of sexuality underlined every movement. He focused on her pouty lips. What would those feel like wrapped around his…. He pushed away the thought.