Her Lone Wolves

by Diana Castle

  The wind howled outside the window of the guest bedroom. Jane went over and looked out. It was dark now. And it was still snowing, the wind whipping the thick flakes sideways. She sighed. She doubted any search parties would be out looking for her while the storm was still raging. They'd most certainly wait until it had stopped. Until then, she was trapped in this house with three men she knew absolutely nothing about.

  After she’d put on her clothes, Everett McKinnon showed her to the guestroom that was down the hall from his room. She hadn’t got much of an impression of the house from that short walk, except that it was big. Once he’d shown her to the room, he told her to wait there and not to leave it until someone came and got her.

  Judging from the clock on the bedside table, nearly an hour had passed since Everett had left her. She couldn’t help shuddering when she thought of the way he had looked at her. She hadn't seen desire in his eyes. Just a cold calculating look. As if he was studying her. Judging her. Determining whether she was worthy of something. But of what?

  As for her, when she had woken up naked in that huge bed and in that strange bedroom, hearing those heavy, masculine voices from outside the closed door, she had hoped she was dreaming. She’d hadn’t been able to hear what they were saying entirely. She’d still been a little groggy and had only been able to catch a word here and there. But judging from the tones of their voices, they’d been arguing. That had sent a chill down her spine. For she had a feeling they’d been arguing about her.

  Then Everett came into the room, and she had felt an almost primal sensation in his presence. Not only was he the tallest man she'd ever seen, but also the most powerfully built. His broad shoulders had strained against his flannel shirt. A pair of worn jeans had hugged his lean hips and long, powerful legs. He had exuded pure, unadulterated masculinity. His thick, black unruly hair, the deep, measured, voice, the handsome, squared-jaw face and those intense dark blue eyes.

  Even now, as she thought about Everett's eyes, she remembered thinking he had stared at her with what could only be described as a bestial intensity. As if she were nothing but prey and he pure predator.

  She shook herself to dispel the unsettling thought. Considering the fact she apparently had slept most of the day away, naked and vulnerable, and no one—as far as she knew— had laid a hand on her, it suggested that neither he nor the other two men meant her any harm.

  Unless, a nasty little voice inside her head snickered, they had something else planned for her.

  Her stomach growled again. It had been growling for the past hour. This was ridiculous. She was hungry and, as much as she resented Everett ordering her to stay in her room, she’d felt safe there. But if she was, as he had insisted, trapped here for the time being, she couldn’t very well stay up alone in her room. Especially since it appeared Everett had forgotten all about her.

  She went over to the door. She hadn’t heard him lock it when he left, but she wouldn’t be surprised if he had. She turned the doorknob. It wasn’t locked. She opened the door. Then she stopped, took in and released a breath. She was going to have to trust these men. She had no other choice. She went down the hall and took the stairs down to the main floor.

  The house was not only big, it was huge. It had to have at least six bedrooms if not more. As she made her way down the stairs, she saw a large living room that contained a fireplace made of stone. A fire blazed within it. The furniture was all leather and wood. Very dark and masculine. The heads of a number of animals had been mounted on the wall; deer, elk, moose.

  She looked to her left and saw the kitchen. She headed for it. The kitchen was big also. Big enough to feed a lot of people, with a gigantic stainless steel fridge and wall-length storage cabinets.

  A man stood at a wood-block counter set in the center of the kitchen. He was chopping vegetables. He looked up as she entered. She tried not to pay too much attention to the butcher knife he was holding.

  “Hi,” he said with a wide smile. Deep dimples flashed on either side of his firm mouth.

  Although Jane had no idea who he was—but assumed he was one of the two men Everett had mentioned—she found herself smiling back. She couldn't help it. His smile was that infectious and it was reflected in his hazel eyes.

  He wasn't as tall as Everett was but he looked to be just over six feet. Unlike Everett's hair, which was black and short, his was shoulder-length and a rich, russet color. He also wore a flannel shirt that snugly fit his wide chest and a pair of blue jeans that looked like he'd been poured into them.

  “Hello,” she said although cautiously.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked

  “Who are you?” Try as she might, Jane couldn't keep her eyes off that knife. He must have noticed where her gaze kept tracking because he quickly put it down. He picked up a towel, wiped his hands, and moved around the counter towards her.

  He put out his hand. “I'm Avery Stanton.”

  Jane hesitated then took it. His big, callused hand swallowed hers. She was glad he didn't squeeze it like some men felt compelled to do. Judging from how strong his hand felt, he might have broken some of her fingers.

  “I’m Jane. Jane Evans.”

  Avery released her hand. “I know. Everett told us. I bet you're hungry.”

  Her stomach, as if on cue, growled.

  Avery grinned at the sound.

  “More like starving,” Jane said.

  He laughed. “Or ravenous.” He turned back to the counter and continued chopping. “When was the last time you had anything to eat?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

  He stopped chopping and frowned. “You don’t have amnesia do you?”

  “I don’t think so. I pretty much remember everything up until the crash. You’re the one who found me?”

  He nodded. “Me and Caleb. Well, supper's nearly done. I was just chopping up some veggies for the salad.”

  “Don't know why you even bother, little brother. You're the only one around here who eats that rabbit food.”

  Jane turned around. The man who walked into the kitchen was nearly the splitting image of Avery, though there were noticeable differences. He wore his brown hair long like his twin, but he was a bit shorter though still much taller than her. He was also more broadly built across the shoulders and chest. And his eyes weren't hazel like Avery’s but a startling green.

  He looked over at Jane and grinned, but his smile, unlike Avery's, didn't reach his eyes.

  “I'm Caleb.”

  He didn't offer her his hand. Instead, he propped his lean hip against the kitchen counter and boldly looked her up and down. She wondered, with a hard thump of her heart, if he was the one who had undressed her while she was unconscious.

  She hoped not.

  Avery began chopping a green pepper. “Everett said we need to start eating more vegetables.”

  “Not me. I'm not going to eat that crap.” Caleb looked over at Jane, his eyes brazenly appraising her. “I bet you love salads, don’t you?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  She did not like the way Caleb was looking at her. But she wasn't going to let him know that. She stared back at him, unflinchingly meeting his dominant gaze.

  A sneer slid across his face. “You wouldn't be one of those tree-hugging vegetarians, would you?”

  “It's none of your business if she is, Caleb. Leave her be.”

  Caleb flicked an irritated glance at Avery who only glared at him then he turned back to Jane. “Don’t seem natural or right. Not eating meat.”

  She wasn’t sure what Caleb’s game was, but she sensed she’d have to watch herself around him. Even Everett hadn’t looked at her with such naked, avaricious lust in his eyes.

  “I'm not a vegetarian,” she replied, “and I have no problems with those who are.”

  Caleb leaned closer, his green eyes locked on hers. “Let me see if I got this straight. You’ve got no problem whatsoever with wrapping that mouth of yours around a thi
ck, juicy piece of meat. Is that right?”

  She refused to avert her gaze from his because she knew damn well what he was implying. “No, I don’t. No problem at all.”

  Caleb continued to stare at her. He was trying to intimidate her. Not only with his vulgarity, but also by his powerful physical presence. He was big enough and strong enough to do whatever he wanted with her, and he was letting her know that.

  “I said leave her be.” Avery had stopped chopping, but he still held the knife in his hand.

  Caleb glanced at it then over at Avery. “Or what, little brother?” he said in a soft, dangerous voice.

  Avery tried to hold his brother’s dark gaze, but he dropped his eyes and went back to chopping the vegetables.

  “Everett's not going to like it, that's all,” he said curtly. “He said not to bother her.”

  Caleb glared at Avery then pushed away from the counter and went over to the fridge. When he opened it, Jane saw it was full of food. Enough to feed an entire family for over a month.

  Caleb shot her a look over his shoulder. “Want a beer?”

  “No, thank you.”

  He took out a can, opened it and drank it down in one slow gulp, the muscles of his thick throat working. When he was done, he crushed the can, tossed it into the garbage bin and took out another beer.

  “Don't worry,” Avery said in a low voice. “He won't hurt you. Everett told him not to.”

  “I'm not worried.” But she was lying. She didn’t know any of these men from Adam. Even the seemingly well-intentioned Avery. All three of the men were tall and muscularly built. One of them could easily overpower her. With three of them she’d have no chance whatsoever of stopping them from doing whatever they wanted to her.

  “Can I help you with anything?” she asked Avery.

  She needed to take her mind off her worries. She was here, alone with them, and she had to trust them. As for Caleb, however, she planned on trusting him about as far as she could throw him.

  Avery smiled and shook his head. “Thanks for asking, but I'm nearly done. If you don't mind, though, you could help me set the table.” He swiped the chopped vegetables off the counter and into a bowl.

  “Sure I can do that,” Jane said.

  “The plates and stuff are in there.” He jerked his head over at a cabinet next to the fridge. “I'll take this into the dining room and you can follow me.”

  Caleb was finishing his third beer and eyeing her as he did so. She went over to the cabinet to get the dishes, but she had to go by him. He made a movement as if he meant to step in front of her and block her path.

  She didn't slow her pace. At the last minute, he moved aside, but her body still wound up brushing against his.

  Jane’s eyes widened, surprised by the electric shock that went through her when their bodies touched and how it surged all the way down to her sex..

  Caleb laughed, soft and low behind her.

  She took the plates out of the cabinet, dismayed to discover her hands were trembling. When she could bring herself to turn around, her fingers firmly grasping the plates, Caleb had slid next to her.

  “Need help with that?” he asked in a low voice. He was so close she could feel the heat of his body, smell the beer on his breath.

  “I can manage. Thank you.”

  “You're very polite, aren’t you? You keep thanking me.” He moved closer so that his mouth was next to her ear and his arm was pressing hard against her breast.

  “Wonder just how thankful you'd be,” Caleb whispered roughly, “if I were to do something extra special for you.”

  Jane trembled and found she was unable to move and, despite herself, her body was responding to him because her nipples suddenly tightened. When the tip of his tongue slid wetly along the edge of her ear, she softly moaned.

  “Get away from her!”

  Jane jumped and looked over at the entrance to the kitchen.

  Everett stood there, his dark blue eyes blazing.

  Chapter Five

  Everett’s sharp, blistering gaze swept across her and Caleb, who stepped away from her, but she couldn’t help noticing there was a slow sullenness about him as he did so.

  “You bring in that firewood like I asked?” Everett said.

  “Yeah.” Caleb's tone was short and just a hairsbreadth shy of insolent. “Go see for yourself if you don't believe me.”

  Everett then looked over at Jane. “You just going to stand there? Aren't you helping Avery set the table?”

  She frowned. She didn't like the tone of his voice. Not one bit. He was ordering her around again, but she also didn't want to stay in the kitchen. The tension between Caleb and Everett was as sharp as a knife.

  She moved past him and out into the dining room, where Avery was. As she set out the plates and utensils, she glanced back into the kitchen. Everett and Caleb were talking, but judging from the hostile expression on Caleb's face the conversation was anything but pleasant.

  “Don't mind them,” Avery said. “They're always butting heads.”

  Despite his words, however, Avery's eyes were worried and he kept glancing at the two men.

  “What is Everett to you and Caleb?” she asked.

  “Not quite sure what you mean by that. We've lived with Everett since our folks died. Me and Caleb were just babies when they passed.”

  “Oh, I'm sorry.”

  Avery shrugged. “I don't remember them. So I guess you could say Everett's been our surrogate father.”

  “But he doesn't look that much older than you. He must have been a teenager when your parents died.”

  Avery suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Yeah, well, Everett's always been good at taking care of others. It was no big matter for him to care for us too.”

  Before she could question him further, he went into the kitchen. Jane wanted to help him, but she didn’t want to go anywhere near Everett and Caleb. So she waited. She heard Avery ask them to bring in the rest of the food.

  They entered the dining room. Jane realized it was the first time she’d been in a room with all three. It was overpowering being in the presence of such tall virile men, and she found she couldn’t help being drawn to their intense masculinity.

  Caleb and Everett sat down. Avery, however, remained standing and looked over at her. She realized he was waiting for her to sit down first. She sat down then Avery took his seat.

  “Oh, I'm sorry,” Caleb said with overelaborate graciousness, “I forgot my manners.” He grinned devilishly at Jane. “It's been a spell since we had a lady to dinner. In fact, we ain't never actually had a lady to dinner. Have we, Everett?”

  Everett frowned darkly at him. “You need to stop jawing and start eating.”

  Caleb only laughed, but there was a sharp edge to his laughter that sent a chill down Jane’s spine. Avery, who sat next to her, passed her the platter of food first. She forked a thick, juicy steak onto her plate, along with a helping of golden-brown potatoes and some of the salad, which only she and Avery ate.

  The food was delicious and the three men ate in silence. Jane was starving so all she did was eat too, but there was a knot in her stomach because the tension between Everett and Caleb was still palpable. Once dinner was done, she helped Avery clear away the table. Everett and Caleb went into the living room. Jane couldn’t help wondering if they were going to continue their argument in there.

  “Dinner was very good,” she said as she helped him load the dishes into the dishwasher.

  Avery smiled. “Thanks.”

  “And thank you for washing and pressing my clothes for me. It was you, wasn't it?”

  Avery nodded and she was surprised to see a blush on his handsome face.

  “Do you do all the cooking?” she asked.

  “Yep. Someone's gotta do it. Or else we'd wind up having to—” Avery stopped and cleared his throat. “I don't mind. As I said someone has to do it. You won't catch either Everett or Caleb messing around in the kitchen. Not unless Caleb's in here looking
for beer.”

  “Why not?”

  Avery looked over at her, his hazel eyes wide. “Because it's women's work.”

  “Women's work? Cooking isn't women's work. It's just work. Is that why Caleb treats you the way he does? Because he thinks cooking and cleaning is women's work and that lessens you in some way?”

  Avery shrugged. “I don't know half of why Caleb does what he does.”

  “But you're twins. Don’t twins usually have some kind of psychic connection?”

  “I guess. I really don’t know. But we’re not identical twins. And we're nothing alike. But I supposed you already noticed that.” Then he laughed. “Sometimes I think we both had different fathers. But that’s not possible is it?”

  Jane wanted to tell him that, in fact, it was possible for a woman to give birth to fraternal twins with different fathers. She’d read about it in a magazine. The window for a double conception was narrow, however. About five days, but she kept silent. It wasn’t any of her business whether Avery and Caleb had the same father.

  “Now what?” she asked as she dried her hands then placed the towel back on the rack.

  Avery glanced around. “The kitchen’s all done. Guess it’s time to relax.”

  Jane glanced sharply at him, but there was nothing on his face to suggest he meant anything by what he’d said.

  “What do you guys do to relax?” She hoped it didn’t involve skinning animals. Or people.

  Avery shrugged. “Not much. If it wasn’t for the storm we'd still be taking care of stuff around the place. That’s pretty much all we do here is work. But looks like we're stuck inside for the time being.”

  He left the kitchen and Jane followed.

  “You got a television?”

  He headed toward the living room. “Sure. Wide-screen. Picked it up in town last year.”

  “But I’m betting you don’t have Wi-Fi or any kind of connection with the outside world?”

  “Nope. Everett says we don't need it.”

  “But what if something were to happen to one of you?” she asked.

  “Like what?”

  “I don't know. What if you got hurt?”