Wild Heart [Werewolves of Forever, Texas 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Jane Jamison

  “I am beyond green with envy.” She’d give anything to find one man, much less three, to love and have him love her back.

  “I can’t complain about a single thing. Okay, maybe that there’s three pairs of dirty socks lying around, but, other than the petty stuff, they’re pretty much perfect. Or at least, perfect for me.”

  “I’ve got to wonder, Sandy. Don’t they ever get jealous, having to share you with two other guys?”

  “Not in the least. I have enough love for all three of them.”

  Celia blew out a breath and tried to imagine having sex with three gorgeous men. So far her sexual experience had been limited to one man at a time.

  “But what about you? How’s your love life?”

  “As if you don’t know.” Celia sighed. “Before we left you here, my love life pretty well sucked. Or so I thought. But after I got back to college, it got even worse. I’ve gone from having a weekly so-so date to no dates at all.”

  “I can’t believe that. You always had guys hitting on you.”

  “That’s why I like you, Sandy. You know the right thing to say. But yeah, it’s true. I’m dateless. Mostly because I’m just not interested. I mean, when you don’t feel anything for the guy, why bother? I can buy my own movie ticket and not have to deal with some loser pawing at me.”

  “Why do I get the feeling that there’s more to this than you’re saying?”

  Celia took another drink and bought a little time to get her answer ready. “Probably because there is.”

  Sandy’s face lit up like a child hearing Santa on the rooftop. “Okay. I’m listening. What’s up? Don’t get me wrong. It’s great that you could come back so soon, but how did you make time with your class schedule?”

  “I couldn’t help myself. I don’t care about my classes or college or any of that stuff. I just can’t seem to focus, so why bother?”

  Celia’s mind drifted back to the day when Sandy had met her mates. They’d gone riding with the men of Braxton Ranch, and when they’d returned, she’d seen him. Or at least a distant version of him. Ever since her eye had caught Aiden Carr riding by the house on horseback, she hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything or anyone else. Her obsession with the tall rider with the hat pulled low on his forehead overrode every other thought. Then when Sandy called to say she’d seen Aiden up close, Celia knew she had to return as soon as she could. She’d have come back right then if she hadn’t promised to help Sandy by turning in the necessary papers to withdraw her from college.

  “Yoo-hoo. Earth to Celia.”

  Celia blinked and came back to reality. “Yeah, I’m here and ready to beg my friend for a favor.”

  “Ask me anything.”

  “Introduce me to Aiden Carr.”

  Sandy slammed her hands down on the table, rattling the pitcher and their glasses. “I knew it. You’ve got a thing for Aiden.”

  Celia glanced around and was glad that Sandy’s men weren’t within earshot. “Okay, I admit it. I can’t get him out of my head. Which is ridiculous considering we’ve never even met. Hell, I’ve never even see him up close.”

  “It’s not ridiculous at all. In fact, I think it’s great.”

  “You do?” She couldn’t help but think Sandy was holding back critical information. “What do you know that I don’t? And why wouldn’t you send me a picture of him?”

  Sandy’s exuberance died in a flash. “I don’t know anything. And getting a pic of Aiden isn’t easy. I just haven’t run into him much and certainly not in a situation where I could snap a shot of him.”

  “But you have seen him.”

  “Yeah, I have. Both in town and when we went out for a run. He’s a real hottie. If I wasn’t in love with my guys, I’d go after him.”

  “Hey, hands off, girl. Three’s more than enough for one woman.” Still, she was glad that Sandy thought the object of her long-distance obsession was good looking.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve ended up with the right men for me. My three are all I want.”

  “Hey, what’s this about running? What happened to the girl who thought having to walk across campus was physical torture?”

  Sandy’s smile faded a little, and a cloud came over her features. She was right. Her friend was hiding something.

  “I meant out running errands. Bleh, me run? Not a chance.”

  “O–kay.” Part of her wanted to make Sandy tell her the secret, but she didn’t want to push her luck. She wanted the first favor she’d asked for. “So, what do you say? Will you introduce me to Aiden?”

  “Sure. But you should know something first.”

  Uh-oh. Here it comes. He’s got a problem. Does he have a bad temper? Is he going bankrupt? Or does he have an evil twin brother? She held her breath, waiting for her friend to let the cat out of the bag. “Okay, I’m ready. Out with it.”

  “Aiden doesn’t live alone.”

  Celia’s heart dropped to her stomach. “Please don’t tell me he has a girlfriend. A fiancé? Or worse, a wife? I’m not a home wrecker.”

  “Nope. None of the above. But he does live with two other guys. You know, like my men did. Nothing sexual, of course. Trust me. Aiden Carr and his partners, Trent Tarrow and Steve Wilton, are as straight and as sexy as they come.”

  “Whew. You had me worried for a minute. But what’s with this town? I remember seeing one woman with two or more men when we were in Milly’s Coffee Spot when we first came through Forever. It didn’t hit me at the time, but after you hooked up with your guys, it did. Do they have a required ratio of one woman to three men around here? Not that I’d mind.”

  Sandy laughed and stood, bringing Celia along with her. “It’s not a requirement, but I do recommend it. In the meantime, let’s talk about how we’re going to get you and Aiden hooked up.”

  Chapter Two

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Celia clucked to her horse, bringing him alongside Sandy’s horse. She wasn’t much of a rider, but for the chance to meet Aiden and maybe even his partners, she was willing to risk her life on top of the huge animal.

  “I thought you wanted to meet him?” Sandy’s big eyes made her appear innocent, but Celia wasn’t sure she hadn’t gotten conned into getting on a horse.

  “I do. But I was thinking more like accidentally running into them at Milly’s. Or in the hardware or grocery store, like normal people do.” She clutched the saddle horn and uttered an oath as her horse sidestepped around a hole in the ground. Why did people think she knew how to ride just because she grew up in Texas?

  “Well, we could do it that way or even invite them over for dinner. But this way seems more romantic.”

  “Right now I’d take safe over romantic.” Her horse stopped, and Celia took the chance to glance around. Just like so many places in Texas, the land seemed to stretch on for miles.

  “Hey, you’ve got to put yourself out there if you want to find love.”

  “I don’t mind putting myself out there, but I’d prefer it if ‘out there’ didn’t include bugs and rattlesnakes.”

  “Come on, Celia. Relax. Enjoy the view. The land’s so beautiful.”

  The land was beautiful. Sandy was right about that. “And you’re sure Aiden comes out this way?”

  “I am. Mark, Luke, and Will have seen him sitting on his horse on his side of the fence just staring over here. They say he looks like he’s waiting for someone.”

  “He does? But he can’t be watching for me. He doesn’t even know I’m in town, does he? And again, why are we meeting like this? Is this some kind of weird, small-town mating ritual?”

  Sandy rolled her lips under, holding back another grin. “Mating ritual? Don’t be silly. It’s not like I’m trying to marry you off to some local tribesman. Sheesh, Celia, talk about letting your imagination run wild.”

  Again, Celia was hit with the impression that Sandy knew more than she was saying. “What’s going on? One minute you’re your usual open self. Then, in the next, you look like the cat tha
t swallowed the canary. And I’m the damn bird.”

  “All I know is that this is the best and least obvious way for you two to connect. Once you meet Aiden, he’ll introduce you to his partners. Then you’re good to go. Speaking of which, I need to hightail it out of here before he shows up.”

  “Why not stay and introduce us like civilized folks? Having you along will make it seem more genuine than if I was just out riding and happened to run into him.”

  “And play the third wheel to your budding romance? Not a chance.” Sandy pulled on the reins and gave her horse a nudge, sending him spinning around and straight into a hard trot.

  “Hey! Where are you going? How am I supposed to get back to the house? I don’t know which way is home.”

  “Your horse will find its way. Just don’t fall off.” Sandy waved farewell then kicked her horse into a gallop.

  Celia gripped the reins and started to follow her, but by then, Sandy and her horse were several yards away. She’d have to goad the horse into a run to catch up with them and would probably end up flat on her back on the hard ground.

  “Damn it, Sandy. I’m going to get you if I make it back to the house in one piece.”

  She sat, her hands holding the reins in a death grip, and watched until Sandy disappeared out of view. Several minutes passed as she remained where she was, too nervous to follow, too excited not to stay and see if Aiden showed up. She was about to give up when the sun started dipping toward the horizon.

  She gazed at the purples and reds coloring the sky. “Okay, this is stupid. I’ve never waited for a man before, and I don’t even know why I’m waiting now. Aiden Carr, you’d better show up before I chalk this whole fiasco up to insanity and head back to college.”

  “I didn’t know I was late for an appointment.”

  “Shit!” Celia turned in the saddle toward the low voice, throwing her body off balance as her horse lurched forward. She reached out, tried to grab any part of the saddle she could—and missed. She landed hard on her hands and knees, her breath jolted from her. Yet before she could regain enough sense to stand up, strong hands gripped her arms and tugged her to her feet.

  Dark eyes met hers, and she felt the breath knocked out of her again. The man stared at her, his intense gaze diving into her as though he could pull out every secret she’d ever had with only a look. His eyebrows dipped between his eyes as he studied her. His strong jaw was covered in a day’s growth, but it couldn’t hide the cleft in his chin. His face was like the rest of him, long and lean with an edge that spoke of hidden strength to match the muscles in his arms and shoulders. Brown hair curled around his ears and feathered along his neck. His shoulders were wide, and his T-shirt couldn’t hide the steel underneath. An energy surged through her arms, almost knocking her off her feet. A strange type of heat flashed into her, driving straight down to her pussy.

  Holy hell.

  “Are you all right?”

  The voice matched the rest of him. His words resonated through her in long, silken waves that set her body to trembling. If it weren’t for the two dimples in his cheeks, she would’ve sworn he was made out of steel.

  Although he was dressed in the typical ranch attire of jeans and T-shirt, he wore the humble clothing like a king would wear a fur cape. She dropped her gaze, taking in the outline of his toned abdomen, the lean waist and—oh, my God—the bulge in his jeans. Focusing too long on his crotch, she felt the heat rise into her neck and face. Hurrying, she continued downward, along the sturdy legs to where the frayed tips of his jeans met his worn boots.

  “I–I think so.” She leaned into him, telling herself that she had to because of her wobbling knees. But were her knees weak because of the fall? Or because of him?

  Instead of folding her into his arms, he bent and slid one arm behind her back and the other around her knees. He lifted her into his arms as though she weighed no more than a child. “Maybe you need to sit down and take it easy for a moment.”

  Her shoulder pressed against his hard chest. His warmth radiated through her, and she swore she could feel the beat of his heart against her skin. If she’d dared, she would’ve laid her head against him and closed her eyes just to hear the sound better. “You might be right.”

  She’d just started getting used to being so close to him when he set her down on top of an old tree stump. He knelt down beside her, his mesmerizing gaze skimming over her body.

  She glanced at his horse still on the other side of the fence. “How did you get here so fast?”

  He shrugged. “I jumped the fence.”

  “But how did you do it so fast?”

  A dark eyebrow hitched higher. “Is that really important?”

  She had to admit he was right. More important matters needed to be dealt with. Like how she was going to seduce a man who’d already seen her in an oh-so-not-flattering position.

  “Were you waiting for me?”

  Oh, crap. He heard me say his name. So much for meeting him by “accident.” “Uh, sort of.”

  The corners of his sexy lips curved up. “Sort of? So do you come out to a pasture and wait on people a lot? Or is this just my lucky day?”

  She had no idea how she’d explain herself, so she tried to pass it off as a joke. “Kind of both. Uh, my friend Sandy Hamilton, er, Hamilton-Braxton-Colter suggested I come out here. Uh, to meet a real cowboy.”

  She cringed at the terrible lie, but at least it was better than admitting she’d wanted to meet him. She kept her gaze lowered, hoping to keep him from seeing the lie in her eyes.

  “Sandy’s your friend?”

  She had to look at him then. His tone had changed, grown less confident, maybe even mysterious. “She is.”

  He stood and paced away from her then turned and stared at her as if she were an alien from Jupiter. “Were you here about a month ago?”

  “Uh-huh. That’s when Sandy, me, and a friend of ours dropped by Milly’s to grab some lunch on the way back to college. Of course, at the time we had no idea that Sandy would stay here. How did you know that?”

  He ignored her question. “Why did you come back?”

  His abrupt question threw her. “Not that it’s any business of yours, but I’m here to visit my friend.”

  “Did your other friend come to visit, too?”

  Why wouldn’t he stop staring at her? “What’s with all the questions? I’m sure the folks in Forever get visitors once in a while. So what’s the big deal?”

  He strode back to her, and she jumped, suddenly aware of how big and strong he was. And how she couldn’t stop him from hurting her if he wanted to. She couldn’t stop him from doing anything else to her, either, but that was a different matter altogether.

  “Just answer the question. Is your other friend here?”

  The answer hit her hard. Had he seen Daniella? Was he hoping to see Daniella again? And instead, he’d run into her? “Again, not that it’s any of your business, but no. Sorry to disappoint you.”

  His intense stare morphed into a scowl. “I never said you disappointed me.”

  “Well, you’re sure acting like it. How the hell could I have disappointed you anyway? You don’t know me.”

  He yanked her to her feet, making her heart pound in her chest. “I’m not acting like anything.”

  She dragged in a long breath as he scanned his hot gaze over her. When he lingered on her chest, she wanted to throw back her shoulders and give him a real show. Instead, she ran her tongue over her suddenly dry lips.

  He caught her movement and zeroed in on it. “I didn’t expect you to look this way.”

  She bristled, aware that she’d been in the same position before. Granted, most men found her attractive in her own right, but men tended to gravitate to the overt sultriness of Daniella.

  “How did you expect me to look? And why were you expecting anything?”

  He reached up to graze his thumb over her lower lip. She gasped, the gesture far more intimate than she’d ever have dreamed him makin
g. “I don’t know. But we never know. Still, I remember seeing a dark-haired girl with the Braxton crew last month. Not up close. But I’m sure she had dark hair.”

  He had seen Daniella. Had he not noticed her? Or had she already gone inside the house? “Again, sorry to disappoint you.”

  “Stop saying that.” His grip loosened on her arms so he could slide his hands down the length of them. Tilting his head, he leaned toward her.

  She parted her lips, unsure if she wanted to kiss him so she could get a flavor of his tastes or if she wanted to prove to him that she was just as sexy as Daniella. She closed her eyes and waited for his lips to touch hers.

  Instead, she heard him sniff her.

  She opened her eyes wide and gawked at him. “What did you just do?”

  He was the one to lick his lips, and she followed the tip of his tongue as it tracked from one side to the other. “I was just checking.”

  “For what?”

  “To see if you’re right.”

  “Right about what?” Did he always talk in such cryptic terms?

  “If you’re meant to be here.” He drew closer again, and she could smell his spicy breath.

  “Are you trying to tell me I don’t have the right to be here?” He was mixing her up inside. One minute she couldn’t wait to jump on him and ride him like a wild bronc. In the next, she wanted to slap him and get the hell out of there.

  “Why are you getting all riled up?”

  “I’m not getting all riled up, as you so quaintly put it.” She wanted to say more but couldn’t find a way to keep from sounding “all riled up.”

  “Yeah, you are.”

  He was not only mixing her up inside but messing with her mind, too. “Look, Aiden.”

  “That’s me. The person you were waiting for.”

  She ignored his cocky smile. “Look. I don’t know what you expected, and I don’t care. Yes, I was waiting for you. Like I said, I wanted to meet a real cowboy.”

  “Bullshit.”

  She was lying, and he knew it. Her irritation at getting caught in a flimsy lie far outweighed her embarrassment. “What?”