Trey rose from where he leaned against a rail and extended his hand. He gripped Billy’s and grinned. “So are you keeping Jackson in line, Cagle?”
It was only years of practice that kept him from giving away his reaction to the question. Chloe must have felt it, as she squeezed his hand in silent support. His heart thumped in response. The other weres laughed, and Jackson pounded Trey on the back.
“Ignore him,” Jackson told Billy. “He doesn’t want to be in charge, but he thinks the rest of us need a babysitter.”
Billy arched an eyebrow. He couldn’t believe anyone would think Jackson needed a keeper, and he was pretty sure he didn’t want to be cast in that role. Jackson laughed at his expression and with one last squeeze of his hand, Chloe pulled free and walked to the table. The four mates sat around it, talking and laughing quietly, with a bottle of wine and an extra glass. She joined them. Summer filled a glass and pushed it over to her.
The weres walked to the other end of the long deck to the grill. Jackson lifted the lid, and he and Darius worked quickly to add charcoal and douse it with lighter fluid.
“No bond yet,” Jackson remarked lightly, disapproval underlying his tone.
Billy repressed a sigh. Here we go. He shrugged. “She’s nervous. Understandably.”
The Alpha’s jaw clenched and Billy knew he was remembering Wyatt and all the trouble he’d caused.
“True,” he answered, meeting Billy’s eyes. “But you can’t leave this unfinished for long.”
Billy nodded agreement and kept quiet.
“I expect you home in a week.”
He didn’t let his relief show. He’d been prepared to argue for more time in Florida. Now, he just had to convince Chloe to stay.
“Thanks,” he said quietly, turning to watch her.
She was relaxed, her earlier nervousness gone as she smiled at something Summer said. She looked up and caught him watching her, and the smile slipped from her face. He grinned, and she turned back to the conversation at the table.
Chloe felt his eyes on her and smiled before working at ignoring the awareness humming along her skin. His presence was reassuring. When did he go from making her nervous to making her feel protected? She tried to concentrate on the words flowing around her instead, but she stayed distracted.
Sipping at the glass of wine, she relaxed in her chair. It was early evening, the sky just beginning to turn pink with dusk, and the scent of pine filled the air. It was warm, but not too humid. It would be a perfect night to spend on the beach. She felt comforted by the atmosphere.
She let her mind drift. When we get home, I want a deck like this. She jerked back to herself and took a long drink from her glass. When we get home? What the hell was she thinking? She felt Billy watching her again and looked up to glare across the porch at him. His eyebrow arched in surprise. Let him wonder.
Summer set her hand over Chloe’s wrist. “You okay?”
“Yes.” She forced a smiled. “I’m fine.”
Summer and Tara exchanged knowing glances, and it raised her hackles. Why did everyone have to know her business?
Summer turned to smile over her shoulder at Jackson. “Even though it’s inevitable, it sucks to have no choice,” she said.
Chloe snorted. She had a choice. Didn’t she? She’d moved to Florida, after all, and on Monday, she could pack up and move on. Never mind the ache in her heart at not ever seeing Billy again. She’d get over it. Her body tensed, as if protesting her assertion. One of Summer’s cousins, Meg, gave her a knowing smile.
“You think you can leave, but he’s already under your skin. And besides, he’ll just come after you.”
Shock froze her in place. “How did you…?” She let the know trail off. Witch.
Meg shrugged. “We all have different talents. I’m…intuitive. Sometimes things just come to me.”
Summer asked if she would really do it, really try to leave, and she threw her an incredulous look. Did she honestly expect an answer to that question? It wouldn’t remain a secret for long if she did. And even as she considered it, plotted how to make it happen, a part of her protested it. At first it was only a small, whispering complaint, but it quickly rose to a loud wail that she had to clench her teeth against. She was at war with herself over what was best for her. If the situation weren’t so ridiculous, she would have laughed.
Thankfully, the men started calling for dinner and the long table was set and filled. She sat at one corner, with Summer seated at the end of the table next to her, and Billy to her right. Conversation ebbed and flowed, silver scraped against china, and the night grew dark as people lingered. She kept quiet, tensing whenever she felt a gaze land on her and instinctively brushing against Billy. Rather than act annoyed, he leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“Do you want to leave?”
She looked at him, noticing the way the evening’s leisure had eased the worry in his eyes and the lines around his mouth. She liked the change, and knew it wouldn’t be fair to drag him away from something he obviously needed.
So with a slight shake of her head, she smiled and answered softly. “No.”
He searched her eyes and nodded. “Okay.”
His arm draped across the back of her chair in silent support, the tips of his fingers brushing her shoulders. The contact was soothing. She eased into some of the discussion around her, but mostly she simply watched. And leaned more into Billy, the farther the night progressed.
She almost hated to admit that she was having fun. She’d grown up in a werewolf pack, and with some rare exceptions, they were social creatures. Even Trey, whom she’d considered taciturn at best, was open and smiling, jumping into the fray when Meg and Tara ganged up on Darius. Chloe watched, and throughout the evening the realization slowly dawned on her that she’d seen all these males, except for Billy, in casual social settings before, but they’d never been this unwound. She noticed the touches, the long looks, the secret smiles between couples. She became more aware of Billy’s arm around her, such a simple gesture to give her such a sense of security and comfort. The importance of true mate bond to a werewolf started to sink into her heart.
She had been raised around them, went to school and socials with them, but bonding had always seemed to be more about incredible sex than true romance. The reality was so much more. The bond ran deep, and took the edges off the weres’ predator personalities. It humanized them.
She watched Billy from the corner of her eye, took in the casual way he slumped in his chair and leaned closer to her. Did it have something to do with her? It was not the wary watchful pose she’d come to expect from him at the diner. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen that expression since she’d agreed to spend the weekend with him.
While she was lost in thought, the party broke up. She said goodbye to everyone, smiling vaguely at Summer’s suggestion they get together to shop soon, and let Billy lead her to the car. Inside, he cranked the engine, put the car in gear, and reached for her hand. His thumb lightly traced her knuckles. Warm tendrils of well being unfurled in her belly. She sighed, sank back in her seat, and closed her eyes.
Exhausted after their marathon weekend of sex and emotion, she drifted between sleep and consciousness. On the edge of wakefulness, she was aware of the car coming to a stop, of being lifted by strong arms, and being carried inside. She tried to help Billy take off her clothes, but he pushed her clumsy fingers away and whispered nonsense about letting him take care of her. If she wasn’t so tired, she might have argued that she didn’t need a keeper. He pulled the blankets back and she slid into the bed, smiling when he snuggled in behind her and wrapped her in a warm embrace.
* * * * *
Chloe woke feeling refreshed and stretched her arms over her head, arching her back a little to work out the kinks. Billy grunted when she hit his chin and, still asleep, moved out of her way. Turning her head on the pillow to watch him, she smiled and trailed a finger along his jaw. He was gorgeous, and hers forever if she
could only reach out and take that next step.
Slipping out of bed, she reached for his discarded shirt on the floor and pulled it over her head. Taking care to be quiet, she left the room and went to the kitchen, setting water on the stove for tea. When it was ready she prepared a cup and carried it to the rocking chair on the front porch. It was still a couple of hours before dawn and the morning air was cool, the sky dark and the stars bright.
He would be leaving today. She was surprised at the hurt that arrowed through her heart at the thought. She would miss his quick smiles, the fluid way he moved, his gentle humor, the passion he stirred within her body, and the possessive way he held her through the night. She would miss the love she saw in his eyes.
Wiping angry tears from her cheeks, she stood and tried to reach a decision. She’d already lost him once, through Wyatt’s machinations. Was she going to risk losing him a second time? Was she going to let fear force her away from something pure and joyful?
She carried the mug inside, rinsed it and left it in the sink, and walked slowly through the house. She would miss this place. It had provided quiet refuge when she needed it most, but now it seemed to whisper to her that it was time to move on. Taking a deep breath, she entered the last room and approached the bed. Smiling down at Billy, her heart swelled.
She loved him.
And he wasn’t leaving without her.
Her suitcase was in the hall closet. She got it out, leaving it open on the living room floor, and went back into the bedroom. Frowning, she looked around. The furniture, the knick-knacks, the dishes—almost none of them were hers. She’d pretended the place was home, but she hadn’t done much to make that claim a reality. She did have all her clothes and books with her, though, and there was no way those items would fit into one suitcase. She shrugged and started searching the closet. She’d take what she could and get Joanne to send the rest.
It took her an hour of trial and error to finally cram the suitcase full. She had to sit on it to get the snaps shut and in doing so, bit back a fit of giggles. The action reminded her of her teenage years, when wearing her ‘party jeans’ meant laying down flat on her bed and pulling the zipper up with a coat hanger. Her make-up bag took only a few minutes to throw together and she tossed it into a small bag she could use as a carry on, along with her laptop and a couple of paperback books she hadn’t yet read. Leaving both bags by the front door, she made more tea and went to the back deck to watch the sky lighten with dawn.
Billy found her there twenty minutes later, his eyes burning and his body vibrating with anger. He fought a smile when she didn’t automatically cringe from that look. He was definitely making progress. He glared down at her and yanked out one of the empty chairs. Spinning it around, he sat in down in front of her, crossed his arms over the top, and tried to control the hammering in his heart.
When he woke up alone, he hadn’t worried too much. He figured she was either in the house or out on the deck. His worry grew when he realized the house was too still for her to be inside, but still he’d assumed she was just outside. But when he’d walked out into the living room and seen her bags by the door, his concern quickly morphed into possessive rage. No way was she leaving him.
He found her outside, not sure if he should be happy that she’d at least waited for him to get up, or angry that she’d thought he would let her go. Then she smiled at him, without an ounce of fear in her eyes. And those eyes drank him in, lingering over his body as he moved towards her and aggressively pinned her. She didn’t look like a woman getting ready to run.
“You are not going anywhere,” he bit out between clenched teeth.
Her eyes widened, and hurt flashed through them. “Aren’t you going home today? And you expect me to stay here?”
She looked at her lap, and he followed her gaze, watching her fingers twist together. When she looked up, she was glaring at him. She took a deep breath, the action lifting her breasts under the thin cotton of his old T-shirt. He hadn’t even noticed she was wearing it until then. It looked better on her. Her nipples were hard in the cool morning air and he had to force his eyes up when she spoke again.
“I thought the whole point of this was to get me to go home. And now you’re telling me you don’t want me to go with you? What’s going on Billy?”
His relief was so intense he was sure his heart skipped a few beats. She had packed to leave. To go home. With him.
“I thought you were trying to take off,” he whispered, not sure he could trust his voice not to crack.
They stared at each other a few minutes while his implication sunk in. She was choosing him, but she had one more step to take. He gripped the back of the chair as his purpose narrowed. Leaning forward, he made a show of looking at both sides of her neck.
She jerked back and cocked an eyebrow in response. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to figure out where you got your sudden change of heart. Nope. I didn’t bite you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Biting me wouldn’t have guaranteed that I’d go home with you.”
“I know that.” He nodded. “Glad you figured it out.”
Anger sparked in her eyes and she scraped her chair back, lunged out of it, and paced across the deck. She stalked back toward him, glaring at him as he rose to meet her. “What are you doing? Do you want me to come home, or not?”
He lifted one hand to cup the side of her face, his knuckles tracing the line of her cheekbone. Then his hand slid down over her jaw, under her chin, and came to rest on the hollow between her neck and shoulder. Her pulse pounded and he rested the tip of his thumb over it, counting the beats.
“You know I do. There’s something else you have to ask for first, though. You’re skipping steps here, baby.”
With a gasp, she jerked back, but he stopped her retreat with a quick arm around her waist. She glared at him and he smiled at her, hope a living thing inside his chest.
“I love you, Chloe.”
She stopped struggling and stared up at him as if he’d lost his mind. He sighed. That was not exactly the reaction he was going for.
“I do want you to come home with me, Chloe, and Jackson gave me another week to convince you.” He paused, his voice turning gruff with heat and need. “But when I take you home, it will be as my mate. And you haven’t made that choice yet, have you?”
“You actually expect me to ask you to bite me?” Her eyes widened. Disbelief and anger were heavy in her voice. “Are you crazy? Maybe this was a bad idea.”
“No. Actually, I think it’s the perfect way to go.” He laughed. “That way, I never have to worry about your staying with me because of the bond, and you’ll always have to admit you picked me.”
“No way,” she answered.
He stared down at her, wondering if he’d misread her, if she really didn’t care about him as much as he believed. “Then tell me why.”
Her brows drew together in confusion. “Why what?”
“Why you decided to come home with me. Without the bond. With our history…it just can’t happen. I would never feel like you were safe and that would make me very dangerous, Chloe.”
Her jaw tightened. “I didn’t expect to go without your biting me. I just didn’t think I’d have to ask.”
Well, at least she’d given him half an answer.
“And you’ve decided you can live with that? I need to know why.” Damn his pride. Did he really want her to answer that? What if he was wrong?
“Oh, well,” she answered airily. “I love you. I wouldn’t agree to go anywhere with you if I didn’t.”
His heart soared and his arm tightened possessively around her waist. He felt his incisors lengthen and knowing the time to tie her to him was finally near, he didn’t fight it. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear.
“I love you too, Chloe. All you have to do to make it permanent is ask.” His breath feathered over her skin and tiny goose bumps rose in its wake. Her breath caught on a low moan, and his teeth itched.
“Damn it,” she whispered. “Just get it over with Billy, okay?”
He kissed her on her pulse point, sucking at her skin lightly enough not to mark her. Her pulse raced in response. Then he slid his free hand down her side to cup the full weight of her breast. Her responding moan was loud in the morning air, and he shoved the edge of the shirt up to explore her curves unhindered.
“Two little words, Chloe,” he said in a low voice.
He picked her up and turned to set her on the porch railing, pulling the shirt over her head and leaving her breasts exposed at eye level. His cock throbbed and his inner wolf demanded he claim her now, mark her here.
“What’s it going to be, Chloe?”
He leaned forward, caught one jeweled, speared nipple in his mouth and tugged on it. This game wasn’t fair, but he was beyond caring. Reaching between them, he popped the snap on his jeans and freed his cock, relieved she’d skipped underwear this morning. He found her pussy wet and warm and pushed into her folds, quickly building a fast, driving rhythm.
She groaned, wrapped her legs around his waist, and raised her arms to cradle his head. He let the hard tip of her breast pop out of his mouth, and trailed his tongue up the gentle curve of the inside of her breasts. His teeth lightly scraped her soft skin, and his inner wolf howled. Here!
“Yes,” she hissed.
“Ask,” he grunted, not sure if he could hold out much longer and determined that she would choose. Her body shivered, and her pussy was slick around him. He knew she was close to climax, so he slowed his thrusts.
She choked on a sob. “Finish it, Billy.”
His teeth scraped teasingly over her skin, and his cock brushed softly against her G spot.
“Bite me,” she cried. “Now. There.”
It was the invitation for which he’d been waiting, and he pierced the delicate skin on the inside of her breast with his incisors at the same moment his cock hammered its way home. It was the most erotic experience of his life as they came together in a loud, screaming rush. They clung together at the railing, breathing hard with their hearts racing. He felt their bond grow and stretch between them and smiled as he took his first clear breath in months. It was done.
Lunar Mates 4: Call of the Moon Page 4
