Accidentally Yours (Coyote Bluff Series Book 1)

by Lea Barrymire

  “Ugh, no wonder he kept telling me to come in here.” Cammie’s reflection told the horrible story of a woman and her lost battle with three pounds of potting soil. Streaks of dirt painted her in shades of brown. With some elbow-grease and super strength scrubbing she managed to get most of the grime off her face and hands. Her clothes were another matter, but there wasn’t much she could do about that. At least after a few dozen washes and rinses her face looked clean.

  Walking back into her office made the memory of the morning flash through her mind. She’d slid from terror to anger throughout the marathon cleaning session. It flared again and she barely contained the string of profanity she wanted to release.

  “It does look better.” She shrieked and spun, colliding with Conner’s wide chest. His calloused hands grasped her shoulders lightly as he pushed her away from him. Looking up into his grinning face brought her fear under control enough that she could whack him lightly on the arm.

  “Damn it, Conner. You scared me. Walk louder next time.”

  He chuckled and walked in her office, peering around. “You guys did a great job. I didn’t envy you the mess.”

  “Zeke made it all possible. I’d still be a blubbering idiot, curled in a ball of self-pity if he hadn’t offered to help.”

  “Hmm, well. I just stopped by to see how you’re holding up and give you an update. Ron didn’t show today to the job he had scheduled. He hasn’t been back to his house and there’s been no sighting of him at any of the bars around.”

  “So, what does that mean? I still can’t go home?”

  “Well, now, that’s up to you. If you want to go home you can, but know that it’s likely that he’s going to show up at some point.”

  “So, I can’t go home.” She sighed. “I just want my life back. What the hell is wrong with him? I knew he was an asshole, but to take this so far is not what I expected.”

  “Sometimes, hon, things just happen and it pushes people to do things they wouldn’t do, or more likely in his case show a side they normally wouldn’t show.”

  She chewed on that with her mental teeth, rolling the thought around. It tasted right. Ron was an asshole, but sometimes when he was hitting her he’d had a gleam of something evil in his eyes. Maybe this was the real Ron.

  She heard the front bell ding as someone else came in the building. She couldn’t see around Conner because he was in the doorway and too wide to see around. She assumed it was Zeke and called out to him. “Hey, Zeke, thanks for finishing up this last pile.”

  “Zeke left already, but I’ll let him know.” The voice was so familiar, but not enough to trigger the memory of an owner. She stood on tiptoes to peer over Conner’s shoulder and froze. Ian stood in the reception area. Ian. Her heart rate picked up so fast her chest ached. He was real. Standing not five feet from her.

  Her mind spun and black edged her vision. If he was real then everything else was real. She couldn’t get enough air into her lungs. Her lips were numbing and her fingers went icy. The analytical part of her brain took a step back and reminded her that she was hyperventilating and would probably pass out if she didn’t calm her ass down. The rest of her was in shock and couldn’t care less about that knowledge.

  “Shit, Conner, catch her before she passes out.” That voice again, so strong and deep, echoed in her mind as everything went black.

  Strong hands grabbed her just before she lost consciousness.

  * * * * *

  Ian looked down at the woman in his arms and wanted to pinch himself. After her collapse he’d carried her into the reception area and gathered her into his arms as he sat on one of the couches. He’d spent so much time with her over the weekend but hadn’t really looked at her with human eyes. She was as beautiful as he remembered, even with the dirt smudges and lack of color in her cheeks. He grinned. He wanted a reaction from her but this wasn’t what he’d expected. Perhaps next time he’d wish for a smile or a wave, not a hyperventilating woman who ended up passed out in his lap.

  “That didn’t go well.” Conner stood, hands in pockets, watching Cammie with concern. “Maybe we should have told her you were coming.”

  “Maybe. She’ll be fine once she comes around.” The sheriff harrumphed before turning for the door. “If you need anything, give me a call. The coyotes will be around tonight no matter where she decides to stay.”

  “Oh, I plan on staying with her at her place, or mine, but I appreciate the help watching over her.”

  “Good luck.” With that Conner left. The office was quiet. Only the muffled sound of traffic moving outside and the quiet hum of a refrigerator could be heard. Cammie’s even breathing told him she was still out, but she would be coming around in moments. He lightly patted her hand. “Cammie. Wake up now, hon.”

  With a groan and feminine moan she started to wake. He stroked her hair, hoping she wouldn’t freak out when she came to. A few flickers of her lashes later, he was staring into wide, confused brown eyes.

  “Hey,” he whispered. Please don’t scream. She struggled to sit up and he helped, reluctantly. She looked around with a scowl and then her gaze flipped back to his. Her heart rate sped up and he waited for her to climb off his lap or slap him.

  “Ian? Am I dreaming again?”

  “No, sorry hon. No dream this time.”

  She scanned the room again and then her eyes widened farther. “Holy shit. It’s all real.”

  “Yep.”

  She dropped her head into her hands and took a few deep breaths. Ian wanted to touch her, comfort her, but he worried that she’d completely lose it if he reached out for her. Instead he just sat still, enjoying the feel of her in his lap, breathing in her scent and waiting.

  “You’re my wolf, right? Titan? You’ve been in my house, my bed, my dreams. You saved me from Ron. It’s all real.” Her words were muffled by her hands. “You’ve seen me naked.”

  He wanted to laugh. If those were the only parts of the whole situation that made her angry he’d be happy. Instead he just agreed with a nod and a ‘yup.’ The urge to wrap her in his arms was becoming too much for him, but he held the need in check.

  “Oh my God.” Her whispered words were laced with embarrassment and something else. Shame?

  He couldn’t deal with it if she felt ashamed of what they’d shared, or of what he’d seen. If she was angry or upset at anyone it should be him. He was the one to sit and watch her strip instead of turning away. He wouldn’t allow her to take any of it on her shoulders. He slowly reached out and pushed her chin up with his fingers. “Cammie. Look at me.”

  Round, dark eyes rose to meet his. He couldn’t stop his reaction to her lost look any more than he could stop his heart from beating. He bent forward and placed a light kiss on her lips. She didn’t respond for a moment, lips firm but frozen against his. Stupid, Ian, you’re so stupid. He went to pull back, an apology already forming, but she followed his slight movement, pressing her lips more firmly to his. She was kissing him back. Hell, yeah.

  Slowly he wrapped his arms around Cammie, giving her every opportunity to escape or tell him to stop. She felt so right against his chest, warm and soft. She smelled of flowers and coffee. He moved his mouth against hers, just feeling her lips on his. He wanted to savor their first ‘real’ kiss, wanted to be able to taste her on him later. Like during the dream sharing, an electrical zing charged along his skin. He could feel her heartbeat pulsing between their lips and his heart sped to match the cadence of hers. Tingling warmth added depth to their kiss, a layer of connection he’d not felt before.

  “Ian.” His name whispered across his lips, warm and soft. His heart stuttered, but before he could ask her why she’d whimpered his name she kissed him again. Her slick tongue slid along his bottom lip before she sucked it into her mouth. Light nibbles on his flesh pulled a groan from his chest. If he didn’t stop them he wouldn’t be able to hold back much longer.

  “Come to lunch with me,” he whispered against her mouth, as he pulled away. “I
f we sit here making out we won’t learn anything about each other. I’ve already done everything backward. Let me feed you and we can talk.”

  * * * * *

  Cammie laughed. She couldn’t help it. What man stopped a potentially sexual experience to talk?

  She was two parts thankful and one part pissed. He must not have been as into it as she’d been, because there was no way she’d have pulled back. Her mind already had them naked together. The sweaty end of a fast and hard fucking on her desk played like porn behind her eyes as they’d barely kissed. Her heart was racing and she knew she was panting. Her lips tingled from the contact with his and she remembered the dream kisses they’d shared. This time it was more intense though. God, if kissing him was like this, what will real intimacy be like? Leaning back afforded her a look into his eyes and she grinned at the uncomfortable pinch around his eyes. “If that’s what you want to do.”

  “It’s not really what I want to do, but it’s what we should do.”

  Ian stood and set her on her feet. She was thankful that he steadied her, because she was pretty sure her legs wouldn’t have held her at first.

  “Come on.”

  Cammie walked through the office door and locked it behind them. She snuck a few looks at Ian as she twisted the key. He was real. And not just real, but absolutely gorgeous as he stood in the noonday light. He was so much taller than her. Between his overly broad shoulders and tall frame she felt tiny. He’d been warm against her body as he’d pulled her into his arms. Hard muscles had cushioned her and held her tight. This really isn’t a dream.

  “Are you going to talk to me or just look at me sideways?” His voice was deep and silky-smooth. It slid sensually over her mind and it made her want to melt into a pool of girlie-goo.

  But when he laughed she nearly fell to her knees. The sound of his chuckle vibrated through her body and pooled hot and slick in her clit. His voice should be illegal around anyone with two X chromosomes. She could feel her nipples peaking just from the impact of it on her ears. Good lord, he’s dangerous to my libido. She cleared her throat. Twice. “Um. Sorry. I’m still having an internal debate about you and all of this being real. And then, discussing with myself why someone like you would want to hang out with someone like me.”

  He watched her waving hands like they were interesting, exotic creatures. “Someone like me? Because I’m a shifter?”

  “No. Geez. Because you’re beautiful.”

  “Why do women torture us with that? I’m not beautiful. That’s a female thing. You, Cammie, are beautiful. I’m just ruggedly handsome or buff or maybe even cute. Please don’t tell other people you think I’m beautiful. They’ll all start picking on me about it.”

  She laughed. Not a giggle, or a chuckle. It was a full out, silent-couldn’t-breathe laugh. She had to stop walking and braced her hands on her thighs, sucking air when she could. The image of Zeke picking on Ian because he was ‘beautiful’ was so vivid and easy to imagine. She nearly fell on her face when she glanced up and found Ian blushing. “Aww, are you blushing? Really? You are cute.”

  “Woman.” He growled at her, but also grinned. He gingerly reached out and took her hand in his, holding it with a warm grasp.

  The feel of his thumb making lazy circles on the back of her hand was almost enough to make her melt. Her body reacted to the simple touch as if he was drawing the same shapes on her naked stomach. A quiver deep in her belly brought a blush to her face. Warm wetness pooled in her pussy. Geez, all it takes is a little hand holding and you’re dripping wet. God, woman, get a grip. She chuckled at her own thoughts.

  The two block stroll was wonderful. Ian pointed out one of the males he’d growled at the day before while in wolf form and they both grinned when the other man did a double take. They laughed as they entered the restaurant. Cammie felt light and happy. Two feelings she hadn’t had in a while. She grinned at the open-mouthed stare from Mama Woodrow as they came through the door.

  “Well, fancy seeing you two together again… I mean today.” The older woman was flustered by her own slip.

  Cammie leaned forward and whispered, grinning at the woman’s relief. “Yeah, but this time I know who he is.”

  “I’m glad you finally know the truth. I hate holdin’ back when one of my girls finds herself smitten with one of the shifters, but I’m not allowed to tell anyone anything.” The older woman waved off any response and smiled widely. “Come, sit. I heard about your office. I’m glad the boys are watching over you. Let’s get you some comfort food and pie.”

  Mama led them to the same booth they’d sat in the day before, but this time Ian was sitting on the seat across from her, staring at her with an indefinable look in his eyes. Protective? Possessive? There was something intense in the depths of those grey eyes that she just wasn’t sure she wanted focused on her. She turned from his gaze. “Mama, have you met Ian before?”

  “Oh, sure. He’s lived here, what, almost a year?”

  “Yep.”

  The silence around the table was a little awkward, but Cammie pushed on. He obviously didn’t want to talk about his place in the community any more than she wanted to. She turned to Mama and asked about the specials, in hopes of drawing attention away from Ian and his discomfort. After they ordered she once again felt like the world was slowing, turning only with her heartbeat.

  “So, how do we start a conversation after the last few days we’ve had?” She needed to get the show on the road and not sit there feeling self-conscious.

  “Tell me how the night was. You stayed with Margie? Did anything happen after Conner left?”

  “Ron called my house and threatened all kinds of crazy shit. He’d been drinking enough that his words were slurred, but he was coherent enough to scare me. Once we got to Margie’s all was quiet. Well, sort of anyway. We heard coyotes around the place and perhaps one lone wolf…” She loved his grin. It lit his face.

  “I couldn’t leave your protection to only the rabble, could I?”

  She grinned back. They spent a quiet lunch, chatting about mundane things. After only a few moments they settled into a companionable chat. Cammie laughed more in those moments than she had in months. They talked about light subjects, niceties. Favorite movies, favorite books, the fact that they both enjoyed to read. She loved the fact that he enjoyed westerns, both movies and books. She’d rarely found anyone who admitted to the same fascination with the old west as her. Her nose wrinkled and she faked a gag when he told her that his favorite sandwich was a peanut butter and pickle monstrosity.

  When Mama arrived with peach pie and two cups of coffee Cammie was enjoying her time with Ian. He was funny, silly, and their senses of humor were so similar they started finishing sentences for each other. She reached for a fork but was surprised when he pulled it from her hand. She quirked a brow and waited to see what he was up to.

  “Let me.” His voice caressed her and the look of heat and need he gave her made a flush creep up her cheeks.

  She watched him slice off a bite of pie and position it perfectly on the fork before lifting it to her lips. A rush of warmth pooled in her belly. The way he slowly approached her mouth with the dessert was sensual and sexy as hell. She waited until the pie almost touched her lips before she parted them, opening just wide enough to take in the loaded fork. With a groan she closed her lips on the tines and let him pull the utensil from her mouth. The flare of lust in his eyes that showed a touch of wolf was enough to have her creaming her panties.

  In whispered awe he watched her chew and swallow. “God, Cam. That is the sexiest thing I’ve ever watched.”

  She wanted to reciprocate. With slightly shaking fingers she took the fork from his hand and followed his lead. Slowly slipping a bite of pie onto the tines gave her something to concentrate on that didn’t involve his mouth and what it was going to look like as he sucked the dessert from the utensil.

  Luscious lips wrapped around the fork and she could almost feel them around a nipple, suckling li
ghtly. She swallowed a groan. Who knew dessert could be so hot? Cammie could feel her cheeks blush, and knew her nipples had peaked beneath her bra and camisole. She couldn’t believe she was getting turned on by sharing a slice of peach pie.

  The second bite offered to her had her almost panting from the heat pouring from Ian’s eyes. He’d captured her hand in his and the soft circles his thumb was tracing on her skin heightened the connection between them. She watched Ian’s nostrils flare before a rumbling growl or groan vibrated the air between them. She wondered what he was scenting.

  A thought poured ice over her nerves. What if he was like a shifter in her books and could smell her desire? She could feel the wetness between her legs and knew that her panties were soaked. Could he smell her? Embarrassment stole her breath for a moment.

  “Whatever you’re worrying about, don’t. Have another bite.” He offered a laden fork again. “I love watching you eat something I’m offering. It’s so sexy, Cammie.”

  She didn’t know how to respond, so she allowed him to feed her. She wanted to grin at the moan that escaped his chest when she licked the filling off her lips. She didn’t mean to be sexy, but it didn’t seem to matter if that was what she was going for or not. There was only one small bite of pie left on the plate. She scooped it up and offered it to Ian. He captured the dessert and slid his tongue out just as she had. She wanted to fan herself as her body temperature rose and her heart raced. Wow.

  “Enough teasing or I’m going to be crawling across the table to take you,” Ian growled.

  She would have laughed if she thought he was kidding, but the look in his eye told her that he actually might be telling her the truth. And didn’t that make her want to push him just a little further. Cammie envisioned Ian pushing her against the table and taking her from behind, thrusting his wondrous cock in and out of her.