*
Lindsey was in love. Well, perhaps that was a bit strong a word for a man she’d spent all of three hours total with, but she was certainly in lust. Surely, it was too good to be true. The proverbial shoe would most likely drop at any moment.
He was kind, considerate, handsome and sexy. And his eyes… A woman could get lost in those eyes and never come back. He looked at her so deeply; he seemed to see her soul.
Even when he’d mentioned her parents, he understood her need to drop the subject.
And his hands. He never stopped touching her. His fingers rubbed circles on her palms, then her wrists, then her fingers. She couldn’t stop thinking about what those hands could do to other parts of her body, a body that was aching to find out.
She’d been fidgeting around her damp panties since they’d arrived at the restaurant. When she looked down at their joined hands, she couldn’t prevent the image of those huge, work-roughened, tan fingers working her to orgasm. And she had no doubt he could do it. In fact, probably right now under the table, given the opportunity.
The idea sent a shiver down her body. She was so horny, she thought she’d combust before the evening was over. In the past few years she’d had a few boyfriends, even one that lasted several months, but no man had ever, ever, made her … want … so desperately. In fact, no man had ever brought her to orgasm, to be honest.
What made her think this one could? And why did she think she could relax enough to let him? Now that was a hurdle Dr. Barbara Mathius, her shrink, would have a field day with. Hell, the woman would probably declare her cured and tell her not to come back.
So she had no idea why she felt so confident about Alejandro. But she just knew. And man did she want to test her theory.
But she wouldn’t. Of course. Who comes on this strongly to a man she just met yesterday? He was marriage material, so far, until the bomb dropped and she found out he picked his nose while driving or chewed with his mouth opened or got blazing drunk and acted like an idiot. An infinite number of possibilities existed. She was just waiting to find out which one it would be.
Or maybe she’d get lucky and he would be marriage material. In that case, she had a moral standard not to sleep with him on the first date. Or the second. Probably.
Four years of counseling had gotten her to this place. A place where she felt almost normal, like a regular adult woman should. Dr. Mathius had helped her weed through the parts of her childhood that were reasonable to keep and toss out the parts that didn’t work.
She shook the meandering thoughts from her head. “So, are you planning to stay in the States? Or are you just sort of taking a sabbatical from grapes?” Damn, that thought just popped out of her mouth. What if she did really fall for the man and he decided to leave? Yikes.
“I have no definite plans. Just letting life lead me where it will right now. It was a blessing in disguise to come here and regroup. And now I’ve met such a fantastic woman, maybe I’ll just stay.” He raised an eyebrow and chuckled. Making it virtually impossible to know if he was joking or being somewhat serious. She wasn’t sure which she preferred.
It was way too soon to have such a discussion, and she positively should not feel regret burning a hole in her stomach that he might move to the other side of the earth.
She involuntarily squeezed his hands tighter as though that would prevent him from escaping. And what the hell was the matter with her? She just met him yesterday. She didn’t even know his middle name, and she was worried about the fictitious possibility that in the distant future he might leave?
Absurd. She shook the thoughts from her mind as the first plates of food arrived.
Begrudgingly, she let go of Alejandro’s hands and sat back to make room. Another sip of wine proved he was indeed correct. It was growing on her. Or maybe it just tasted better and better the more she drank. That reality was more likely.
“Okay, try this first.” Alejandro stuck his fork into a piece of steaming meat and potatoes, getting the perfect bite organized on the utensil before he held it to her lips.
Sheer delight exploded on her tongue. The tender pork literally melted in her mouth, the mix of garlic, olive oil, and spices combining to send an actual moan escaping from her. “Man, that is good. What did you call it?”
“Solomillo al ajillo. It’s a garlic pork dish.” He smiled and stuck the fork into the tiny plate before offering her another bite. “It’s a favorite among Spaniards.”
“Are you going to sit there and feed me all night or try some yourself?” she mumbled after the second bite, hoping there was no meat stuck between her teeth. “You’ll need to actually taste the dishes to find out if they are authentic. My word truly won’t suffice in this case.”
He smiled again, and his lips made her gaze desirously in their direction, remembering their soft texture from last night, a perfect combination of gentle and demanding that had kept her sex dripping all evening after parting company. And Lindsey was not accustomed to being so aroused.
He must have been thinking the same thing, or perhaps she just willed him toward a repeat performance because as she stared at his smile, he slowly leaned forward until they were once again locked in a kiss. It was a slow perusal, with him nibbling around her mouth for several moments before pulling back.
“You’re right. The solomillo is excellent. I’ll try some myself.”
Leaving her in a state of lust, he took his own bite next and nodded his agreement while he chewed. “Perfect. My hat to the chef. I believe we have a winner,” he stated after swallowing.
“I’m glad you like it. I was worried you’d find this tiny restaurant in the middle of Washington a bit lacking.”
“Nah, the company is so alluring that I doubt I would have noticed if they served us cardboard.”
“I don’t believe that. You should be a food critic with your passion.”
“Don’t believe it until you’ve been to Spain yourself. All of us are this way in my world. Food snobs I tell you. And passionate about our meals. Which we don’t miss. Our world centers around when and where we will eat, sparing no expense.”
“I believe you.” She smiled at his expression of pure delight over the next bite he took. She still hadn’t picked up a fork.
And as it turned out, she didn’t need to yet.
“Oh, the papas are just as good.” He shoveled a bite of what looked like potato salad with carrots and peas into her mouth. It had looked ordinary enough, but he was right. It wasn’t American potato salad. A hint of garlic and probably more olive oil tempted her pallet.
“Mmm,” she moaned around that bite too, and then again when he presented her with a crispy bite of calamari that rivaled any she’d ever eaten. She’d never been particularly fond of the visual, with the tiny tentacles fried up in front of her, but somehow this evening was turning out to be an experience in culinary delights unlike any she’d had before.
The last tapa looked like an ordinary omelet, but again, filled with onions and potatoes, was a divine twist on the American version. “This is what we call tortilla in Spain. Often referred to as Tortilla Española so as not to be confused with those flat floury disks in México.” His nose raised in mock snobbery that wasn’t altogether a joke.
Lindsey grabbed her fork and joined the fun. They continued in this fashion for another two hours, feeding each other bites of the various tapas Alejandro continued ordering until Lindsey thought she’d pop. Her dress wasn’t going to be near as attractive when she stood up as it had been when they’d arrived, with her stomach filled to bulging.
And all along, the experience was so sensual, as though they were actually making love, with each other or the food itself she wasn’t sure. And didn’t frankly care. It was the best date of her life.
And if she could somehow manage to not jump into bed with him and ruin her reputation as the nice girl, perhaps he’d even ask her out again.
Chapter 2
Two hours later, Alejandro finally pulle
d his satisfied woman to her feet and directed her toward the door.
The restaurant had been beyond his expectations. The mariachi band spectacular, the cuisine as authentic as any place in Spain, and the wine, well, he’d had enough of their shared bottle that he could no longer be considered a good judge of its character.
“Let’s walk. You want to?” He glanced down at her. “It’s so nice out now that the sun’s down. We might be able to breathe easier if we work some of that off.”
“Love to.” When she angled her head up at him and looked directly in his eyes again, he couldn’t keep from leaning in to sample her mouth once more. He’d been kissing her between bites the entire evening, finding it impossible to avoid for very long stretches of time. If only he could take her back to his place, strip her naked, and taste the rest of her delectable body. Life would be perfect.
But, of course, he couldn’t do that. If nothing else, he had a moral obligation to tell her what she was getting into before he made her his. Not that she could stop it, or would even want to, but still…
Alejandro settled his jacket over her shoulders and draped on arm across them, pulling her as close as possible while still permitting them to walk.
She was tall for a woman, maybe five-seven. But he still towered over her at six two.
“It’s so pleasant out here. The view of the distant lights with the night so clear is wonderful.”
“I’ll agree the view is fantastic,” he stated without looking away from her, “but I haven’t noticed any lights.”
Her head jerked up his way and when their gazes landed on each other, and she realized the meaning of his words, the world around them ceased to exist. It was just the two of them, caught in a bubble, stopped in the middle of the sidewalk halfway between two lampposts.
A slight breeze blew a few delicate brown curls in front of Lindsey’s face, but it only added to her allure. It seemed like he was hypnotized every time he stared into her chocolate eyes. She sucked him in and made him need to stay. Not that it was even a choice.
The next kiss he leaned in for was not a gentle exploration or a taste or a tease. It was demanding, urgent, sexually driven. He slanted his head and licked along the seam of her lips until she parted for him, opening her mouth at the same time she spread her legs ever so slightly.
He nearly came in his pants at the involuntary action of her lower extremities mimicking the movement of her mouth. She wanted him. Of course, he knew intellectually she had no choice and couldn’t control her need, but still he swelled with pride that her body was beginning the process of demanding he take her.
Soon. Not tonight. But soon. He wouldn’t be able to wait too long.
In the meantime, he drank from her mouth like a starving man. Tasting and torturing every corner. He even sucked gently on her tongue, drawing a moan from her lips that forced him to press his cock against her stomach.
He parted his own legs enough to straddle hers and pressed their torsos together as close as humanly possible with a hand on her lower back.
He twisted his other hand in her hair to keep from reaching around and molding his palm to her breast. He was rounding first and sliding into second as it was. He didn’t want to insult her by taking more than was reasonable for a human woman of twenty-two on a first date.
Minutes passed before they pulled apart. His ears seemed to ring as though he’d spent the last several hours at a loud rock concert instead of on a quiet date with his intended.
Her face was completely flushed, the red tinge imitating a dark rouge when he knew she barely had on any makeup at all.
He loved how beautiful she was almost completely natural and the added blush bumped his pride up two notches.
What would they do next? It wasn’t very late, but if they kept this up, he wouldn’t be able to hang on to his personal pledge not to claim her entirely on this first official night out.
Luckily, she saved the evening with her next words. “It’s not too late. Would it seem weird if we stopped by my best friend Kara’s place? She lives on a farm that must be near yours, at least in that same general area. In fact, you might know them. And, well, I told her all about you and I thought—”
“Excellent idea.” He put her out of her discomfort. She’d started shifting her weight back and forth between her legs and reached to twist a curl of her hair around one finger. Her nervousness was as endearing as her arousal had been. He enjoyed all her emotions, irrationally to excess perhaps.
She smiled, but continued to explain, “I just wanted her to meet you and she suggested… It actually seems idiotic of me now.”
“Not at all. I’d love to meet your friend.”
“And her, um, well… Let me be blunt. She has two men in her life. They live together. The three of them. Together together.” She added that last part in an uncomfortable attempt to explain their living arrangement as politely as possible. Her fidgeting increased. “I guess you could say I value her opinion as a friend and well…”
“What are we waiting on? Let’s head for the car.” He wasn’t nearly as shocked by her revelation as she seemed to be at telling him about the arrangement. He’d engaged in a few threesomes in his time. He wasn’t opposed to the idea, but secretly he’d never believed anything like that could ever last long term. One night stands were one thing, but a lifetime of sharing one woman? Wouldn’t there always be a humming level of jealousy on the part of one party or another? Who got to be on top? Did they take turns? Who got to father the children they’d have? Did they just let nature decide?
That issue aside, the more important question was whether or not these friends of hers were shifters. His curiosity had piqued when she said “farm” only to increase exponentially when she’d mentioned the ménage. He knew the largest percentage of the area farms were owned and operated by lupine shifters. He didn’t know of any particular ménage partnerships in the area, but it certainly wasn’t unheard of for his species. More common than among humans. His mind swam with unanswered questions. Intrigued.
And if her trio of friends were shifters, did Lindsey know? Possibly not, especially if her friend was human. She’d likely not have told Lindsey anything about that aspect of her life. Only one way to find out.
Alejandro aimed his sexy mate in the direction of the truck while adding, “The distraction will keep me from mauling you completely on our first date. Every time I kiss you, you suck me farther into a vortex I can’t escape.” He chuckled when she sucked in a breath, her eyes wide, but it wasn’t funny to him at all. He was dead serious.
*
Lindsey tried to sit still during the drive to the farm where her best friend Kara lived with her two boyfriends, Trevor and Justin. It had taken some getting used to, especially considering her past, but she was slowly coming around to their unconventional arrangement.
She still shivered on occasion when both men came in the room and doted on the female third in their partnership, but at least “normal” had stretched its bounds enough for Lindsey to accept what her friend insisted was the most natural and perfect thing in the world for her.
Why on earth had she thought this would be a good idea? It was weird enough dragging Alejandro over to Kara’s on their first date, just so her friend could approve of him and confirm for Lindsey’s piece of mind she wasn’t out of her head. But, she hadn’t really thought about the ménage arrangement until the words came out of her mouth.
Thank goodness he hadn’t seemed repulsed. Surely, most men would consider the idea absurd at best, disgusting at worst. Why would they want to share just one woman when they could each get their own? That was the real question that had plagued her since finding out about all this a few months ago.
It wasn’t a life she could grasp, but she’d talked to Dr. Mathius about the arrangement several times lately and come to terms with the idea that it wasn’t her life. It was Kara’s. Just because Lindsey was raised way to the right of what would be considered the straight and narrow, didn’t
mean everyone else had followed that path.
Sure, with the help of Barbara Mathius, she’d inched her way toward the center and out of the clutches of a domineering grandmother and Bible-thumping pastor. Away from a world where it had been pounded into her head since as early as she could remember that sex was not meant to be pleasurable. A woman belonged to her husband, and her body was meant for procreation, not pleasure.
It’d been a long, long road to “normal,” but Lindsey felt confident she was there. She’d even had several relationships. Once she’d gotten beyond the stigma of sex before marriage, she’d even blossomed.
Instead of letting Alejandro grasp her hand when they got in the truck, she’d immediately sat on her sweaty palms, pretending to be slightly chilled when she was really rather nervous. She didn’t want him to see her shaking.
“Turn right at the next intersection.” She gave the directions with her false “everything is totally fine” voice, even though inside she was churning with the need for her friend to approve of this man she was completely loco about, and her need for him to accept the strange lifestyle Kara had chosen to live. Although, Kara insisted there was no actual “choosing” involved. Fate just stepped up to the plate and provided her with an unconventional life.
Small talk turned to the beautiful countryside, which they couldn’t see in the dark, the weather, and other mundane subjects that did their job to fill the silence and prevent any awkwardness.
“There’s the farm. On the right.” Lindsey pulled a now numb hand from under her thigh to point in the direction she’d indicated with only a nod of her head.
Alejandro pulled around the circular drive and stopped at the front door. “Looks about like my aunt and uncle’s place. This sprawling ranch style must be the norm for the area.”
“I guess there’s no sense building up when there’s plenty of space around to build out.”
Kara jumped from the car at the same time as Alejandro, not waiting for him to circle the front.
Lindsey's Wolves Page 3
