Cassie's smile was like a bright ray of sunlight. Her rose petal colored lips were full and plump. The little dainty shorts she had on wasn't even appropriate for this weather. Had she worn them to taunt him?
"Um…so I wanted to ask you something but I've completely forgotten what it was," she said, her dark lashes brushing the tops her cheeks.
She wasn't the only one who had completely forgotten the meaning of words. All he could do was look at her.
She assessed him with eyes that could have seduced any man to do her bidding. Suddenly, he felt unclean standing next to her perfection. Grease and dirt were spread across his chests, arms, and hands.
Cassie came up onto the porch with him, her painted nails gliding along the wood banister that he had just sanded yesterday in preparation of re-finishing the surface.
"Looks like you've been working really hard," she said, sitting down on the bench swing.
Her gaze moved away from the broken down generator lying on the porch up to his hands.
"Uh…yeah. You could say that." He grabbed the towel he'd used to wipe his sweat earlier and attempted to scrub the grease and oil from his hands. "I like to have a few of these on hand just in case we have a storm. I get guests that aren't too keen on spending their time here in the dark."
"Makes sense."
Her eyes dropped to his belt, or at least to what he thought was his belt. He hoped to God that she didn't notice the hard-on she caused.
"I noticed that you have a tattoo," she commented.
"Oh, that…" Luke breathed a sigh of relief. "It's actually not a tattoo. It's like a birthmark." He hooked his thumbs into his waistband and tugged his pants upward a bit to conceal the mating mark. Too bad he couldn't hide the fact that he was hard as fuck for her.
She swallowed hard and blushed noticeably. "Well, anyway…so is this what you do for a living now? Running this lodging business?"
Luke had never really thought of taking care of the family lodging business something he did for a living.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry," she said.
"No, it's fine. I took over the business when my brother passed away. He was always the businessman and I was the one who liked to build things, so yes, I run the business in addition to freelancing as an architect."
"Right. You and Neil graduated with the same degree. That's why you have all those building sketches all over your home."
He laughed. "I try not to let that part take over my whole life."
"I completely understand. I get teased a lot when I invite friends over and they ask when I'm going to open up my own library. I work on articles more than I read these days, though."
"Do your articles always involve stories of the dangerous sort?" he asked.
She pressed her lips together and narrowed her gaze. "Hmmm…well…kinda sorta. When I was little I always wanted to be a police detective like my dad, but then things happened and I had a change of heart, but I still love to solve a good puzzle."
"Let me guess? You love novels in the crime and mystery genre?"
She nodded. "Legal thrillers. Suspense. And a little fantasy."
"I didn't think you'd grow up to be the bookworm type," he commented.
"Well, why not?"
"Weren't you involved in your cheer and dance team plus modeling and all that stuff?"
"How'd you know that?"
"Your brother talked a lot about his family. He talks a lot period."
Cassie laughed. He hadn't noticed up until now, but she had small dimples on both cheeks.
"At least we can agree on that, but like I said, I grew up. I'm not a little innocent girl anymore. The death of my parents really changed my whole outlook on life," she said.
Luke frowned. "I can understand that."
"So what was it like raising your niece and nephew in your twenties? I mean, I can't imagine raising teenagers right now at this age. I'm a complete wreck as it is now and on a daily basis I wonder if I'm coming or going."
He shrugged. "It was hard at first, but they're my blood and it was my responsibility. If no one had taken them in, they would've been orphans. I became a parent quicker than I wanted to."
"I bet," she said. "Teenagers are rebellious."
"In the beginning, I tried to be more of a friend to them than a legal guardian. I had to set rules and boundaries that I had never followed myself. I thought I could never be the parent that my brother Avery was. I wasn't the responsible brother, and I got into all kinds of trouble while we were growing up. I guess it makes sense that our old man left the lodging business to Avery instead of me. I learned to respect my old man's decision, but only after the tragedy of my brother's death and realizing just how much work and dedication it required."
"Well, I think you're doing really well. Your business has been in numerous magazines and newspapers across the country for being a top spot for lodging," she told him. "And not to mention, you just sent two teenagers off to college. Two…at the same time."
He chuckled nervously. "I think they were more hesitant about leaving the nest than I was about letting them go."
Cassie smiled. "Then they must really look up to you."
"Who me?" he asked, jokingly.
"Before Neil graduated he told my parents that both of you had been contacted by the same firm with an employment offer. He was so excited about accepting and that he'd be moving on and working with his best friend. He's not too fond of change and he gets really anxious. He was a little discouraged when you turned down the offer."
"I did. The travel the company required would've been bad for the twins."
"You chose family over your career."
He nodded. "I knew there would be other opportunities. I don't regret turning down the job offer. I'm a free agent and I only accept the jobs that I'm most interested in."
"Sounds like the best of both worlds. Something smells really good," Cassie said, lifting her nose to the breeze.
"There's fresh trout grilling out back. Which reminds me…it's time to call it a day. I have a full schedule ahead of me tomorrow."
"If you're not too busy, I'm ready to start work. I looked through some of the instructions Nessa left behind."
"What about a tour of the property?" he asked. "I think that's what happens on the first day of any normal corporate job, right?"
"Sounds better than the online research I was going to do for an article. Just in case you haven't noticed yet, I don't have a car. I totaled mine about a month ago and was saving up a down payment for something else. I've been taking the bus in the meantime." She laughed. "And of course, the bus service doesn't exactly run through here."
"That's no problem. We get around just fine around here without buses. The trails are marked clearly. On any given day, there's always someone going into town for one thing or another.”
“Then that’s great,” she exclaimed.
"Alright…so uh…do you have any dinner plans, by any chance? I caught more than enough for both of us. I know you just got settled in and all and I…"
"I thought you'd never ask. Grilled trout sounds better than canned chicken noodle soup and I worked up quite an appetite putting all my stuff away."
"Well then…" He smiled. "Let me get cleaned up so we can eat."
Chapter 8
"So how did you even get assigned that case in the first place?"
Cassie had just cleaned her plate. Dinner was delicious and not one edible morsel was left on her dish. They were seated at a patio table out on the back porch under the smoky orange evening sky. The warmth from the heated charcoals radiated from the grill toward her, keeping her comfortable and cozy even though the temperature had dropped. But she was least concerned with the weather and mostly intrigued by the man sitting across from her.
Her beer bottle was half empty and she took a couple sips before answering Luke.
"Well, I wanted to prove that I could handle a big story so I kind of asked for it. No one else wanted it because of a
ll the work involved and I guess because they didn't care one way or another about what was happening to the shifters. Our State has a number of scandals going on at the moment and those are the stories my colleagues were trying to get their hands on. I knew the risk involved but I didn't think things would end up this way."
"The murders are becoming more frequent now. It's a serious issue," he said.
"Have you been following this case too?"
"Well…something like that. I hear a lot through word of mouth. Like you said, our community is closely knit."
She traced the sweat on the neck of the bottle. "I'm not really supposed to say much about it, but not one hour goes by that I don't think about what happened to me, you know? Yet still, I want nothing more than to finish what I started. My brother doesn't want to hear about it. He doesn't want me to have anything to do with it."
"He's just trying to keep you safe," Luke said. "That's what brothers do."
"Of course. You're the first person I've talked to about this since it happened. I was so close to finishing the story. Now that I'm off the case someone else at the station will likely get credit for it, which is okay really. All I wanted to do was to shed some light on the issue. It's like nobody, except for the shifters, was really paying any attention."
"That's probably because they didn't believe the murders affected them much. This is a local crime…or probably regional at this point."
"I just wish they would find this guy, that's all," Cassie said.
"You've done your part when you didn't have to," Luke said. "It's not your job to put your life on the line. Everything is being taken care of. I promise. Don't worry."
Cassie smiled. "I really enjoyed the dinner. Hopefully, before it's time for me leave, I can return the favor. I used to be the worst cook in the world until I stumbled across several YouTube channels on how to prepare meals. Now I can make a mean grilled cheese sandwich without screwing it up."
"Sounds like a plan."
A chorus of wolf howls broke out somewhere off into the distance. The impact of it and the resulting echoes throughout the forest made it seem as if the wolves were only meters away from Luke's backyard. A cold chill crept up Cassie's spine and goosebumps rose on her bare arms and legs.
She looked across the table, meeting Luke's gaze with uncertainty. His hands gripped the edge of the table and his back was stiffened. A look of turmoil crossed his face. It all just seemed so odd.
A flicker of a brighter amber color flashed within his irises. She leaned forward, her attention focused on his sudden change in demeanor, trying to decipher if he was afraid or just anxious. He tore his gaze away, looking out into the direction of the dense trees in his yard.
She looked out into the forest too but saw nothing. All she heard were the wolves howling. This time she realized that the frequency and pattern of the howls were becoming more distinct.
"Do you have a lot of wolves living out here in the mountains?" she asked, breaking the morbid silence.
"Yes, but they're harmless."
The wolves howled again but this time the sound came from different directions. Cassie was now certain that they were communicating with each other.
"It sounds like there are a lot of them. A group of them. Calling out to each other."
"It's a warning," Luke said.
"A warning about what? To whom? To each other?"
Luke nodded.
"How do you know that?"
"I just know," he said, quietly.
"Are they natural wolves or…?"
Luke didn't answer her question, but now that his full attention was on her, she saw that his lips were pressed firmly together and creases formed on his forehead, solidifying her earlier conclusion that he was dead worried about something.
"There are shifters living out here, aren't they?" she asked under her breath as if what she'd just discovered was some deep, dark secret that no one could uncover.
Luke rose from his chair. "Let's get you inside. It's getting cold out here."
She rose with him. "Shouldn't we clean up the food? Won't the wolves smell the food?"
"I'll take care of all that. Don't worry. And for the record, no one will be encroaching on this territory. Trust me," he said.
Without hesitation she trusted him. Coming from an upbringing that taught her never to trust strangers, this feeling seemed odd to her. But physically and emotionally, she felt this instant connection to him. The fact that he still had a worried look etched on his face as they filed into the cabin brought out those same fears in her. Plus, she was a little irritated that their dinner talk had ended. It felt like he was just beginning to open up to her. But there was always tomorrow and she had plans to make the best use of her time out here living in seclusion on this beautiful landscape next to the mountains. The presence of wolves didn't bother her, but Luke's reactions to the howling did.
Chapter 9
“I’m sorry we had to cut this short, but I hope you at least enjoyed the food."
Luke stood under the door frame and Cassie had her back leaned against the door.
"I enjoyed every last bit. Thank you. I didn't mean to take up too much of your time, though."
"No worries. I could use some company every now and then."
"You mean you don't have anyone else out here…to talk to?"
"Of course I do. My neighbors. My guests."
She folded her arms across her chest and an innocent smile flashed across her face. "I meant like a girlfriend."
"Nope. Not a one. I've had zero time to mingle around the city."
"Earlier you said that you barely get out to visit the bars and nightclubs much, but who says you have to visit the city to find some company?" she asked.
He laughed. "You're onto something there, but why are you worried about me?"
"I was just wondering. A man who has his shit together, works hard, is extremely good-looking, and knows how to cook…I would say that's a plus in any woman's book."
"Too bad I'm not just looking for any woman."
Cassie narrowed her gaze. "So you're just being picky?"
He couldn't help but assess her from head to toe for a long minute. At this point, he wasn't even sure that he wanted to hide his blatant arousal anymore. She'd grown up a great deal since the last time he'd seen her. She carried a conversation at the dinner table like a person two times her age. She was well-educated, well-versed, and…well…she was perfect.
"I guess I am picky as hell when it comes to who I want in my bed."
She cleared her throat and shuffled around on the doormat a bit. "Well maybe if you step out of your comfort zone a little bit, you'll run into your future girlfriend or wife."
"And maybe I'll never have to step foot off of my property. Maybe she'll come to me."
"Picky, patient, and sure of himself," she said. "Before long, I'll have you figured out."
"Are you sure about that?"
"That's what I do. I didn't graduate from any fancy college or anything like that, but I like to think that I know how to dig deep to find out exactly what I need to about any person, place, or thing."
She was ambitious. Probably even fearless in her pursuits. And she wasn't afraid to gain knowledge no matter what the outcome was estimated to be, that was for damn sure. Her determination had already backfired once, but he was certain there were many other instances in which she succeeded.
"For the career you're in, that drive will come in handy."
"Sometimes my drive gets me in trouble too," she added.
"But you're working on staying safe, right? Stay inside tonight, will ya? We can start the tour early in the morning. Most of my guests checked in midweek and since tomorrow is Friday, it should be a slow day. "
Luke backed away from the door, putting some distance between them. But the scent of freshly bloomed honeysuckle flowers came with him. The innocent aura was driving him crazy.
"Goodnight," she said, and then she warned playfully, "Don't l
et the wolves bite."
He chuckled under his breath. "I'll try not to. Enjoy the rest of your evening."
She closed the door and secured both the lock, the bolt, and the chain making certain that she was safe inside. Although, he had meant what he said. No other wolf would dare encroach on his territory bringing threats. The safest place for Cassie to be at the moment was in that cabin. Neil was right to bring her. The trouble she'd gotten herself into wasn't her fault. The issue had become widespread.
A fellow wolf howled again in the distance, reminding Luke that it was his duty to appear when he was called. As a scout serving Dane, the Alpha of the Aspen Valley Wolf Pack, he had a duty to protect his Pack. The wolf calls that he and Cassie had heard earlier had been a forewarning and a call to strengthen protection around the Pack's borders.
Luke moved out, shielding himself behind the massive trunk and thick, bushy branches of an Oak tree, took off his clothes and hid the garments behind a rock. He shifted into his wolf form seamlessly and quickly. When he had all four paws on the ground, he tilted his face up toward the moon and replied with his own unique howl. He started off, racing through the woods toward his fellow scouts, hoping that the meeting hadn't started without him.
Chapter 10
"It’s about time you got here, Luke," Grim commented as soon as a stark-naked Luke entered the barn.
Grim Nathaniel was the current leader the of the Aspen Valley wolf scouts. He took orders from the Pack Alpha Dane Magnus and was put in charge of rounding up more than a dozen wolf scouts at any given time. With Nathaniel looking to retire in a couple years, Dane had already approached Luke a few times about stepping up in the role. Only that would add a third major responsibility to his current list with the twins and his business being a top priority.
"Thanks for waiting. I have a personal guest who was visiting me when I heard the call," Luke said.
On instinct, he moved toward a chest that held some extra clothes. He'd done some work here for Grim before, so he always kept clothes stashed here just in case he ever ruined his clothes during a shift. The barn was also the one place that the scouts could hold uninterrupted meetings as a group.
Aspen Valley Wolf Pack (The Complete Series) Page 47
