Wolves of Climax 4
Taming Travis
Cassidy is convinced that Travis will never open up to her. He’s fun, flirty, and does delicious things to her body—but doesn’t offer his heart. When they’re forced to hole up in an old weather station for the night, it gives her time to really get to know the dirty-blond miner. Can she break through his tough exterior and tame the man beneath?
Travis finds it safer to coast along on the surface of life. He never planned to invest himself emotionally in anyone beyond his new pack, but Cassidy is making it difficult. His alpha has chosen her, and Travis wants her. If only he could trust the little human, and himself, enough to embrace what he really desires.
NOTE! You are purchasing Siren's newest serialized imprint, the LoveXtreme Forever Series. This is Book 4 of 7 in the Wolves of Climax collection. These books are not stand alone. Each is a continuation of the previous book and must be read in the numbered order. Each book may end on a cliffhanger but usually with a happy-for-now for the heroine and one or more men. The final book contains a happily forever after for the heroine and all her men.
Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 23,146 words
TAMING TRAVIS
Wolves of Climax 4
Stacey Espino
LOVEXTREME FOREVER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: LoveXtreme Forever
TAMING TRAVIS
Copyright © 2012 by Stacey Espino
E-book ISBN: 978-1-61926-893-7
First E-book Publication: July 2012
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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DEDICATION
To Ursula Avery. Thank you for all your support!
TAMING TRAVIS
Wolves of Climax 4
STACEY ESPINO
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
“I don’t know what to do!” Cassidy covered her face with her hands, emotion clogging her throat. If she let Patrick and Matthew head out to find the other men, she risked losing them, too. But it was selfish of her to worry about being left alone when lives could be at stake. The forests covering the lower mountain ranges were dense, rarely traveled country. Her men were out there somewhere with only the clothes on their backs.
Patrick joined her and Matthew in the clearing. His features were set hard, his muscles taut. “There’s no decision for you to make, little one. Matthew’s too weak to fight. I’ll be going after them alone.”
“What?” She bolted to her feet, rushing over to him. “You can’t go!” Cassidy looked up at his face, her palms resting on his chest. The meager light filtering down from the forest canopy highlighted his red hair and blue eyes.
“I promise I’ll be back.”
“You don’t know that. Look what happened to Matthew. He was missing for a month.”
Patrick smirked, all confidence, and brushed the stray hairs from her forehead. “You don’t give me much credit. I’m capable of protecting myself.”
She savored his touch, the heat of his skin under her palms, and the aura of pure masculine strength he radiated. But as capable as he was, he was just a man. How could he compete with thousands of acres of forest and mountains, not to mention the man-killing wolves running rampant?
“I won’t let you go alone,” said Matthew, his voice deep and final.
“Brother, stay with Cassidy. You need to regain your strength. You’re skin and bones, and your mind is still weak.”
“Don’t even try it, Red. I’m not an invalid.”
She knew in her heart that she wanted the two men to stay with her in the cabin, love her, and ease her worries. But that was selfish. Garret, Evan, and Travis were out there in the great beyond fighting a battle that didn’t need to be fought. They needed to be informed that the Rockford miners weren’t responsible for Matthew’s disappearance. Garret had yet to lay eyes on his missing friend. She couldn’t wait for the reunion.
In her perfect world, all her men would be with her, but nothing seemed to go as planned in Climax.
“You’ll both go. But I’m coming with you.”
“No!” they said in unison.
She pulled away from Patrick and paced the small clearing. “I won’t sit here doing nothing, wondering if you’ll ever return. I’d be sick with worry until you came back. But I can’t just ignore the fact that the others are still out there somewhere.”
“Cassidy, it’s no Garden of Eden where they’re heading. It’s rough country, the likes you’ve never seen.” Matthew turned her around to face him. “It’s dangerous.” His green eyes pleaded with her to change her mind, but it was already set. They should know by now how determined she could get when she made a decision.
“You’ll both keep me safe,” she reassured. “We’ll find Garret, Evan, and Travis, tell them the truth, and then come home together.” Like a family. It may be wishful thinking to assume she’d get her happily ever after wi
th all five men, but she wouldn’t give up her dream just yet. The two most stubborn were Patrick and Travis. They seemed resolute to keep their emotions behind tight guards, whereas the other three were more accepting of a long-term ménage relationship.
“No way!” Patrick frowned, but in her eyes, he only looked sexy as hell. He could never threaten her with a look or tone of voice, not after everything they’d done together. Even under the barrage of problems facing her, he still managed to spark her libido to life. “You’re too delicate for such a trip. It’s out of the question.” She raked her gaze over his body. He only wore some worn-out Wranglers, low on his hips. The dark tattoos running down the length of his arms combined with his size and strength created one badass visual. But she still planned to get her own way.
“He’s right,” said Matthew.
She took a breath and resumed her pacing. Cassidy didn’t want to tell them that she was actually terrified of being left alone in the cabin while they went in search of the other men. She had to appear strong, capable, and independent. Although she’d taken care of herself all her life, the recent events left her nerves ragged and a deep-seated fear of the nighttime forest in her psyche. Since the rest of the crew had to be found, it seemed the only logical resolution was for her to come along. As long as she had Patrick and Matthew by her sides, she’d feel safe and protected, no matter how grueling the journey may be.
“Fine.” She had to know when to play her hand, and right now was not the time. Both men were flustered, anxious, and determined to deny her. Maybe after spending the afternoon together, they’d have a change of heart. She was quickly learning each man’s weakness, what made them growl or pull her hair harder during lovemaking.
Cassidy walked away, returning to the cabin. She hoped they gave her a few minutes alone to collect her thoughts. So much had happened in her life recently, she didn’t know if she was coming or going. She’d just met Matthew after all the drama of trying to get him back, and he’d already managed to steal her heart. Was it because she felt she already knew him, anticipating his return? Garret had spoken so much about the missing miner, he’d become three-dimensional before she even met him. Or was there something stronger at work—like fate? Whatever it was, she now had five men she had to worry about.
Then there was the mystery of her brother, Scott. One moment she expected to find him, the next nobody in Climax had seen him. She was starting to think she’d never meet a real blood relative. Cassidy tried not to focus on the possibility Scott could have been attacked by wolves. With so many nameless hikers on the death toll list, what if he was one of them? She shook away the unpleasant thoughts. No, he must have headed south, returning to one of the towns or cities hours away. How would she ever find him again?
She couldn’t worry about him now, especially when she knew nothing one way or the other. What mattered were Garret, Evan, and Travis running off with some crazed death wish. They were worse than animals, driven by instinct and bloodlust. Taking the law into one’s own hands was not acceptable in the lower mainland. There were police where she came from. In Climax, it seemed everyone was on their own with vigilante justice as the norm.
About twenty minutes later there was a knock on the wooden door to the cabin. She’d already played and replayed every possible scenario over in her head. It was time to see what they thought. Cassidy was mentally exhausted and didn’t want to argue. If they wanted to leave her alone in the cabin, she’d just have to woman up and deal with it.
“You awake?”
“Come in,” she said.
Matthew and Patrick both entered, closing the door behind them. Their demeanors had changed, the tenseness in their muscles eased, and their faces less stressed.
“You still angry?” asked Patrick.
She shrugged.
“If you want to come, we’ll bring you. We don’t like the idea of you being here without protection.” On the outside she appeared unmoved, but on the inside she had transformed to jelly, her body nearly giving way from relief. She wouldn’t be left alone in the forest. Even if they were heading to more dangerous land, she felt safer in their company. Without them she had nothing holding her in Climax. The surprise inheritance from her blood grandfather, the house he’d built in his youth, wasn’t worth more than her run-down car. She was more alone now than when she had lived in the city because at least there she had friends and a familiar routine.
“Do I need protecting?” She’d push them just a little more. Cassidy loved it when their protective, dominant sides peeked through. It made her body thrum with need, especially when she was well aware what skilled lovers her men were.
“We may have Matthew, but there are still wolves running rampant. You’ve seen them for yourself,” said Patrick.
“Not all wolves are bad.” She specifically recalled the red wolf that appeared when she was camping with Garret. It had lulled her into a calm state with its gentleness and intelligent wolf eyes. That day was burned into her memory.
“But since you’re not able to tell the good from the bad, you can’t be the judge.” Patrick walked to the far corner of the cabin and began to rummage through one of the boxes of clothes. “It’s cold where we’re heading, especially at night. Here, put this on.” He tossed her a brown sweatshirt which looked a couple sizes too large.
“Well, if you really want me to come…”
“Garret wouldn’t approve of you being left here unguarded.”
If she could growl, she would. Why did Patrick have to ruin his gallantry by bringing Garret into it? It was like he was uncomfortable admitting he cared. Maybe he didn’t really care at all.
“Right.” Cassidy crossed her arms and waited. She should be happy they had decided to bring her along, but supposed she wanted so much more. It would be rewarding to hear either Patrick or Travis tell her they needed her, wanted her, loved her. She was starting to wonder if it would ever happen. Although she’d only just met Matthew, she felt more strongly connected to him than the two men she’d known since her arrival in Climax, which wasn’t right. Why couldn’t she feel the same closeness with Patrick and Travis? If these five men expected to share her, she didn’t want to have to fight for their hearts. They all needed to want her equally or it would never work out. She would always feel like she was something the men settled for rather than chose.
“I still don’t like this,” said Matthew, watching from the shadowed corner of the cabin. With no electricity, only the light from the single window provided illumination.
“Why not?” She knew she was being pathetic, practically begging one of her men to give her the acceptance she craved. With all the chaos in her life the past couple days, she needed a rock to lean on.
He moved in, slow and steady. Patrick continued to prepare for the trip, not noticing. “Because you’re small and delicate.” Matthew uncrossed her arms, and she dropped the sweatshirt by her feet. He shackled her wrists at her sides. “You’re important to Garret.” He leaned in and took a breath at her neckline. “And to me.”
She nearly sank in relief at those three beautiful words. Cassidy closed her eyes, savoring the moment. Matthew’s frame towered over hers. She did feel small and delicate compared to these miners, but it was part of her overall attraction to them. They were strong, capable, rustic, and feral on so many levels. Each of them aroused her base desires, the deep-seated primitive urges most women kept under lock and key. Somehow they managed to unleash the wanton woman inside her with just a touch, a word.
“Then you should keep me close,” she whispered. She still remembered their night of lovemaking. For a man she’d only just met in the flesh, there was such a potent underlying connection between them.
“I plan to.” He smirked, a barely there tilt of the lips. Why did his stare have such a profound effect on her? Her pussy was already pulsing under his unblinking gaze.
“How close?”
He drew a line down the front of her neck from chin to the edge of her shirt wit
h one finger. The touch was slow and precise. She held her breath as he neared her breasts. Every part of her body ached for him.
“You’re tempting, little human. Too tempting.” He turned to look at Patrick, as if seeking permission. The other man had noticed them from where he crouched. He nodded once.
“It’s best to take care of her now, before we get started on our trip,” said Patrick, rising to his full height, forgetting the boxes of clothing. With both of them directing their attention to her, her body continued to heat at a rapid pace as if the sun bore down on her. Her breathing picked up because she knew what was in store for her.
“Aren’t you sore, Cassidy?” Matthew reached down and cupped her mound with his big, strong hand. She nearly gasped, but bit her lower lip instead. “Can you take more cock so soon?”
Fuck, yes! How could she not continue to be aroused with these men? They were her fantasy multiplied by five. Each one chiseled and hard-core. She still expected to wake up one morning and find herself in her old apartment, everything she experienced in Climax a dream. As crazy as her life had been since arriving, she’d do it all over again if it meant keeping her lovers.
She nodded, dropping her weight into his palm. God, she needed to be touched, fondled. Patrick joined them, making her feel even more small and feminine.
“She’s ripe.” Patrick made a sound of a man smelling something decadent. For her it would be double-chocolate cake. But she was the only thing in his sights. Could he actually tell her pussy was soaked, her nipples aching, and clit throbbing?
Taming Travis [Wolves of Climax 4] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 1
