by Louisa Bacio
“Probably not.” He stood, stretching out. Maybe one of the rooms should be higher on that list. The couch wasn’t the most comfortable spot to crash. “While we eat, let’s go over the supply list, and tell me what you think. Any tools you think we might need, or already have?”
With a nod, she took the paper from him. Their hands touched, and he swore the feeling traveled all the way from his fingertips, through his body, and straight to his cock.
Even with doing his best to suppress the urges, it didn’t work. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be around others. He thought being out in the wild would be better for him, but living under the same roof as Tala wasn’t helping.
After breakfast, they set out on a trip to Los Lobos Lumber. Tala knew there would be a lot of questions about her brother leaving, and, hopefully, the introduction of a newcomer would prove to be a distraction.
“What type of tools do you have at the house?” Yas asked. Already, he’d been surprised that she didn’t own some sort of vehicle. How would she get by without a truck out here? The lumberyard would deliver when needed.
“My brother had the basics—hammer, screwdrivers. But if you’re looking for fancy saws, you’ll have to rent those.”
Her handyman nodded, but his expression looked anything but pleased. She only hoped whatever negative sentiment had targeted their house didn’t extend to Ogden, the owner of the lumberyard.
Their feet kicked up dirt as they walked, and the silence grated on Tala’s nerves. “How old were you when you first shifted?” she asked. Might as well talk while they walked.
Tense muscles constricted on Yas’s body. “Late teens.”
Well, that gave her a lot of information. Every Wolf was different, every shift different. A late bloomer, as it were, might have more issues. “Anyone tell you what to expect?”
His jaw muscles flexed, and he gritted his teeth. “Ma put off getting into specifics about it. Once it happened…well, I learned.”
Again, the sound of their footsteps overpowered just about everything else. Tala listened to her blood pulsing through her head. She counted the rhythms before trying again. “How about your sister, does she…?”
He stopped. “Do you want to get all your questions out now? Because I’m trying to lay out what needs to be done at your house, and you keep interrupting my train of thought.”
What crawled up his tail this morning? With a huff, she kept walking, refusing to look behind to see if he followed. Eventually, he would. She rounded a corner. Up ahead, five teenagers played kickball in the street, blocking the road. She tensed, expecting the worst from boys that age. Hormones.
A whistle, shrill and drawn out, cut through the air.
“Well, look at what we have here,” the tallest called out, lifting his nose and catching her scent. “What’s a pretty shifter like you doing out?”
The mini-pack spread apart, instinctively fanning out, as if to circle her. The best thing to do would be to stand her ground and not show any fear. And hope Yas hurried the hell up.
“Afternoon.” She made eye contact with each of them, trying not to cringe under their leers. She looked younger than her twenty-four years.
The ringleader moved closer, his nostrils flaring. “I hear your brother headed out and left you all alone.”
She didn’t recognize the kid and had no idea how he knew her business. Small town, though, everyone knew everything—fast.
He took a step and in her peripheral vision, she saw another teen move behind her, cutting off the escape route. Where the hell was Yas? These kids had no right making her feel unsafe.
“I’m headed to the lumberyard if you don’t mind.” She sidestepped, taking a move to cut around him. He mirrored her actions, blocking the way.
“What’s your hurry? They’re open for a long time still.” He reached out, moving his hand toward her hair.
Dodging, she swung out to block his arm. “Don’t touch me.”
He laughed, low and mean. “Don’t insult me.” Quick, he grabbed at her arm, clutching the upper portion tight enough to hurt.
She jerked, without any give. One of the other boys in the pack hollered. The sound reminded her of a hunting party, and she shivered. They were teenagers. They should know better. With everything out of control in Los Lobos, some things slipped between the cracks.
“Who will protect you?” Her brother’s words resurfaced to haunt Tala.
A growl shattered the laughter.
“Get your fucking hand off her.”
Yas managed to sneak up on all of them, and an uncertain look surfaced in the closest teen’s eyes. Yas weighed the situation. He could definitely take a few of them, and the others would run. Once the leader went down, the rest would fall. While the kid was already big for his age, Yas was much bigger, and an unknown. A stranger.
“Hey,” Tala said. “Glad you caught up.”
“That didn’t take you long did it?” the teen said. “Your brother leaves and already you have another Wolf in the house?”
“How the hell did you guess that?” Yas moved in. If the kid didn’t retreat, he’d make him.
“Clemet, she’s not worth it.” A scrawny boy who looked about fifteen tugged on his friend’s shirt.
I have to file away that name for the future.
“I wouldn’t say that,” the ringleader replied. He leaned in close to Tala and made a show of inhaling loudly. “She smells like you.”
He shoved Tala at Yas, who gracefully caught her, and moved her behind him in a safety position.
“You will leave her alone,” Yas confronted the teen.
The boy’s mouth turned up in a snarl. He didn’t like being told what to do. He probably didn’t have a father at home. I know that feeling.
Clemet held up his hands, as if making peace. “Hey, it’s all good. We were just saying hello, isn’t that true Tala?” He stroked her name over his tongue in a manner that put Yas on edge.
Gripping his fists until his nails cut into his palms, Yas addressed the situation again. “Get out of here, and I don’t want to hear of you giving Ms. Graystone any more trouble. Do you hear me?”
“Perfectly clear, old man. Does that mean you’ll be sticking around to watch over her?”
The implied threat hung in the air, and the hairs on Yas’s neck stood up. He fought his Wolf. He didn’t want to shift. Right now, it would just get him into trouble. Controlling his temper in human form was bad enough. As a Wolf? He may tear these kids to shreds. They were assholes, but they didn’t deserve that.
The skin along his forehead rippled, and Clemet’s gaze drifted up before his pupils grew wider, and he knocked his friend in the shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”
In unison, they moved to leave. They’d obviously been together, carving out their own pecking order.
All soft curves, Tala embraced him. Such a contrast to his tense muscles. The feeling of her body against his ratcheted his desire higher. He wanted her. If he couldn’t kick the shit out of someone—and that someone now retreated—then he wanted to fuck someone. All this extra adrenaline and nowhere to put it, nothing to do with it. He needed to break free. Instead, he did what he could to taper it down.
“My hero,” she said in a soft tone. Her body shook. “Thanks for saving me. How can I possibly thank you?”
“It was nothing, ma’am.” Yas affected a country-western drawl.
“Hey, Tala.” From the top of the ridge, Clemet called out. “How’s that kitchen bay window doing? Sure lets in some beautiful light in the morning. Kinda drafty though.”
In his arms, Tala stilled and turned toward the laughing teens. They were far enough away that if he chased after them, they had a good head start. But not too far that he couldn’t catch ’em.
“Notice how they sound more like hyenas than wolves?” she said against his chest. “Just let them go. I don’t want any more trouble.”
“If that’s what you w
ant.” She might not have gotten it, but the “more” in her request clued him in that more had been happening then she’d let on. If that was the case, how could her brother have left her all alone?
Up ahead was Los Lobos Lumber. The smell of freshly cut wood caused a bit of a homecoming for Yas. For as long as he could remember, he’d liked crafting stuff with his hands, the art of making something out of nothing. An empty field replaced by a home, filled with a family and love. Idealistic for a construction worker? Maybe, but he was more of a craftsman.
“Hey there, how can I help you?” a tanned man, who probably spent a lot of time in the sun working, greeted them.
“Afternoon, Ogden,” Tala said, “how’s Lara doing?”
“Just fine. Thanks for asking. I didn’t expect to see you so soon after your brother left.” He shifted his gaze over to Yas before glancing at Tala.
“Yeah, well, just because he left doesn’t mean my plans for the house went with him. This here is Yas. He happened to come along at the right time. Ogden owns the lumberyard.”
That was his cue to hold out his hand to shake. The other man gripped his hand firmly and looked him directly in the eyes. At first glance, Yas might take him for being a bit more relaxed with his silver-streaked temples and easy smile, but something told him he should not underestimate Ogden.
“Good to meet you,” the man said. “What can I help you with today?”
While Yas handed over the list of supplies to purchase and items he hoped to borrow, he divided his attention to the others in the vicinity. Tala attracted attention. Being out with him, a stranger, probably added to the curiosity factor. As they moved through the yard, checking out the stock, he caught hidden glimpses and outright stares.
“With all this stuff, do you plan on adding on a third floor or something?” Ogden let out a low whistle.
“Not much has been done,” Tala said. “The house needs a major overhaul before I can start bringing in other guests.”
Ogden made eye contact with Yas, as if to receive a visual confirmation. “Sad but true. It gives me a place to stay for a while and a way to keep busy.”
“What’s your background in building?”
“I worked pretty regular jobs for the last five years. Started in elementary school with woodworking. Growing up with a single mother and sister, anything went wrong in the house, the repair usually fell to me.”
The owner nodded his approval and made some figures on the sheet. He handed it over to Tala, and ever so slightly her eyes widened.
“It’s a bit higher than I expected,” she said.
“That’s a good deal. With all the construction happening, supplies are getting scarce. Sure, we’ve got the forest, but getting the raw material into shape to build with takes time. And we only have so big of a workforce.”
Yas peered over her shoulder to check out the figure. It didn’t seem unreasonable. Much less than on the outside world. “When can you deliver?”
Tala inhaled as if to protest and then thought better of it. What was the alternative? Her cutting the trees and prepping them for building?
“Tomorrow.”
***
After paying a deposit, they returned home without incident. Tala lifted the edge of the curtain and watched Yas sand the deck. At the moment, he was down on hands and knees, giving her a perfect view of his ass in his tight jeans. In the late-afternoon heat, he’d stripped off his shirt and his back glistened. The musculature along his arms tempted her to go out there and offer to help—just to be close to him.
His skin would taste salty, and she imagined herself as the reason for his exertion—his strong body raised over hers while he ravaged her. She pushed her hair from her face and let the curtain fall. Look at her all horny. No escaping she found him attractive. Hell, she wanted to jump him. It had been too long since she’d been with a lover. Living under the same roof as a protective older brother tended to squash her sex life. As a shifter, he should understand the carnal urges. That probably was the problem. Her brother understood too well and had kept her libido locked up.
Now that he was gone, though, she possessed the freedom to do what—and who—she chose. Some type of decision made, she headed to the kitchen. If he was so hot out there, he’d be thirsty. She’d make a refreshing glass of lemonade to pick him up.
Before heading out, Tala brushed out her hair and put on some lip gloss. Since she’d been working inside, she didn’t want to look too put together. Still, she wanted him to notice her.
The front door creaked as she opened it, and Yas looked in her direction. His gaze zeroed in on the glass in her hand, and he sat on his heels.
“I’m hoping that’s for me,” he said with a smile that did all sorts of things to her heart.
“Thought you might need to cool off.” She walked closer to him and couldn’t help but catch how he checked her out, starting at her feet then sliding up her bare legs and over her body. She handed him the drink, and his fingers brushed against hers.
“Thanks for thinking of me.”
If he only knew.
“How’s it going out here?” She surveyed the work he’d done so far.
“Faster than I thought. When you work on a project, it can be easy or slow. With a newer covering, it might take longer to remove. This paint’s so old, it’s coming off like dust.”
The speckles on his arms and face reinforced his statement, and she stifled a laugh. “I can see that. Have you been frolicking through all that ‘dust’?”
“What?” He checked out his spotted arms. “Just what I need, to be even whiter than I already am. It should all come off in the shower.”
“Mmmm-hmmm, and you better get cleaned up first thing. I don’t want all that getting in the house.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted and took a long draw of lemonade. His mouth puckered up, and his eyes crossed. “Wow. Sour.”
“I hope you’re exaggerating. It’s better than being too sweet.”
“Here, taste.” He stood, took another sip, and then pulled her tight to his body. The heat radiated off his skin, and he pressed his cool lips against hers.
Shocked by his actions, Tala didn’t react. She took in all the elements. The feel of his body. The enticing scent coming off his skin, appropriately like smoldering wood. Soon, she grew more aware of the weight of Yas’s arm on her waist and the insistence of his kiss.
She parted her mouth, tentatively touching her tongue along his bottom lip. He tasted tangy and refreshing. He deepened the kiss, drawing out her tongue, until they breathed the same air.
Everything changed with this one liplock. It was as if she’d never been kissed before, and never would feel this same way again. He, they, this moment became the center of her being. Everything else fell away.
The air between them made her realize the kiss had ended.
“So?” he asked, prodding her with more than his words.
She opened her eyes, recognizing a bit of mirth in his.
“How does it taste?”
She smacked her lips together. “Exactly how I like it.”
Chapter Five
Soft tendrils of her hair brushed across his face, and he breathed in her scent. The fine lines at the corner of her eyes crinkled and smoothed as they widened. She glanced down at his lips, and he knew they both wanted more.
Yas wove his arm around her back, relishing the surprised “oh” escaping from her mouth and the slight parting of her lips. Her breath brushed his lips. The curves of her body pressed against the hard planes of his. To feel her naked. To take her. His desire raged, and he tamped it down. First, this step and then maybe….
Before he could internally argue further, she took the choice away. She moved closer, placed her leg between his and her lips on his. His blood surged, and his Wolf wanted to run wild and rip off all her clothes. What the hell was he thinking?
He wasn’t.
Pure pleasure ripped thro
ugh his body. The tip of Tala’s tongue lashed his lower lip, stroking, and Yas delved in. She tasted of honey, sweet with a hint of underlying spice. He tunneled his fingers into her hair, tugging slightly and holding her in place. She moaned against his mouth, encouraging him, enticing him.
The loss of control scared the hell out of him. He dropped his arms and stepped away, breaking the physical connection.
“What was that for?” She held the fingertips of one hand to her lips.
The memory of her kiss continued to tingle. “I’ve been thinking of kissing that sassy mouth of yours for days now,” Yas said. “Figured if I did, maybe I’d get it out of my system.”
“Did it work?”
“Nope. Only want more.”
Shivers of anticipation alerted his body. When she didn’t respond further, he cleared his throat. He didn’t want to push it too much. “Thanks for the refreshment. Did you need me for anything else?”
“Want to check out the competition?” Tala’s question piqued his interest.
They hadn’t talked as much while they worked. So far that morning, she’d avoided him, or at least that was how Yas had interpreted her distance.
“What competition would you be talking about?” He wiped the sweat from his brow, rested his hands on his waist, and stretched out his tense muscles.
“Gee’s Bar. Along with grub and beer, he rents out rooms on the second floor. Up until now, it’s the only business for lodging.”
On the way into town, he’d passed the bar. Right then, he was damn thankful he’d kept on until reaching this place. “You don’t think he has anything to do with what’s been happening here, do you? Would he feel threatened by you?”
Lightness brightened her eyes, along with a smile. A pang in his heart mirrored the twitching of his cock. Can I please get the physical responses under control?
