Dark Moon Falls: Volume 2

by Bella Roccaforte

  “I hope it’s a good thing.” He gave her a hint of a smile. “I know I upset you earlier, and I am sorry, but I like you, Savannah, and that’s not something which happens with me often. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I felt the need to ask any meaningful questions about anyone. Plus, it’s my job to find out everything about people, so, please, can we reboot and start again?”

  She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and began to nibble on it nervously. He felt her unease growing before she took a deep breath in, exhaling loudly. “I don’t do this,” she waggled a hand between them, “boyfriend thing. I’ve never done it.”

  “What? Why?” He couldn’t help himself interrupting. “You’re gorgeous, and intelligent, so I don’t understand?”

  “Because … of what happened earlier.” She frowned at him, her energy buzzing to life between them. “The questions and the wanting to know shit. I won’t answer and I won’t argue. I will not do it, so…”

  His hand shot forward, his finger on her lips to silence her. “Fine. Just answer me one thing. You’re not on the run from the feds for multiple murders … are you? If the answer is no, then we’re good. You obviously have your reasons and it’s your business.”

  Her eyes twinkled mischievously when she pushed his hand away and took a moment before she answered, leaving him waiting with his breath caught in his throat. “No. I’m not. I can honestly say the federal government is not looking for me.”

  Asher let out a long breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. Damn it. The relief he felt flowing through his system was immense and like nothing he’d felt before. It bordered on euphoric, like, well, nothing he could put a name to, but it was out of this world. “Then we’re okay. So, Savannah, can I walk you home and take you out tomorrow? And how long are you going to be here for, and where exactly do you live full time? How often do you come to visit Dark Moon Falls? And…”

  “Hold up, big guy. Slow it down. Yes, you can walk me home and we can go out. I’m here for a while yet, until Storm and I get the work done, no date is set as such. I live a few hours’ drive away in the city, and the rest we can talk about later. Okay?”

  No, not okay. He wanted to talk about it all right there, but he didn’t get the chance because Jagger appeared with their desserts and Storm right behind with hers and Jagger’s. Shoot, he could do nothing but play the part of a thankful guest instead of an annoyed and disgruntled man, especially when Savannah’s face lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw the large piece of chocolate cake placed before her. She looked like a kid let loose in a candy shop with her eyes wide open and her hand reaching for her silverware to dig right in.

  “Oh my! Storm, where is this place? What did you call it? Bun Boutique, right? Why haven’t you told me about it before?”

  Storm sat with a smile on her face, then shook her head. “If I told you, then you’d be in there all the time, bringing me cake and goodness knows what else, and I’d be fat as the side of a house. That’s why. Judy makes the most splendid creations, but I try my best not to go in too often because I never leave with just one item. I can’t resist her fabulous cakes, or her meringues, or her buns, or, well, anything. It’s a den of iniquity, is what it is. The door should have a health warning on it … Beware All Who Enter Here.”

  Jagger sniggered before he popped a huge piece of cake into his mouth, mumbling around it. “Mmm, yeah, totally agree.”

  The tension from earlier appeared to have gone from everyone. Asher didn’t particularly like he’d been the cause of it, but he wasn’t unduly bothered about anyone other than Savannah. Maybe you should be. Jagger’s your friend, Storm’s his mate, and he went to bat for you.

  Guilt flooded him, but he didn’t have time to process it when small-talk started up around the table, his attention drawn away as he learned more about his new home, and also his up-coming position in the department. He found Storm to be funny and quick-witted, with sharp comebacks, and also able to take anything Jagger threw at her with a smile and a fast response that had them all laughing. Savannah ended up with tears running down her cheeks and holding her stomach after one particularly funny to-and-fro between them.

  Asher watched on with awe and a newfound joy he’d never experienced before, was this what life should be like? He’d never seen it before, not in his old pack, and he’d never encountered a couple so much in love, or in tune with each other. It was magical to watch them sparring back and forth, and every now and then, Jagger reaching over to peck Storm on the cheek, or lips. When he did, she’d blush, then push him away gently, with a glance at him and Savannah.

  “We have guests,” Storm protested.

  “So?” Jagger shrugged, then sat back, laughing.

  Savannah’s reaction was to laugh or tease. “You’re blushing, Storm, bright red cheeks, and I bet they’re hot enough to cook an egg on.”

  Before he knew it, darkness surrounded them. When he glanced at his watch, it was later than he thought. “Is that the time? I guess I should head home. I don’t want to be late for my new job in the morning. Savannah, is that okay with you?”

  Storm sat forward, grinning. “Good idea. I need you here early to go over the marketing schedule, and I’d also like you to have a read through of a series I want to get out too. We’ve a lot of work to get done, so an early start please, Savannah.”

  “Jeez, you’re a hard taskmaster, aren’t you?” Savannah pouted. “Okay, let’s break up the party.”

  “We can have a big blow-out when the work is all done.” Storm added, “I promise.”

  “I’ll hold you to that, and I want more cake too.” Savannah laughed.

  “Thanks for dinner, I appreciated the invite and the meal. It’s the best I’ve had in a long time.”

  Asher rose, then held his hand out to Savannah … waiting with bated breath to see if she’d take it. She looked at it for a second, then up at him, then back at his hand before finally reaching to link her fingers with his. The touch of her skin with his sent ripples down his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on edge. His breathing sped up, too, but he fought to control it as she unfurled herself from her chair so elegantly it made him feel like the proverbial bull in a china shop.

  Her eyes met his, a soft smile playing on her lips, with a twinkle in her eyes as she gripped his hand tighter. “Thank you, kind sir, nice manners. I like that.”

  Manners? Shit, he didn’t know he had any. He’d done it on reflex because he wanted to touch her, but he’d remember from now on to do it every damn time if he got such a reaction from her. “My pleasure.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed the food,” Storm interrupted, making him aware they weren’t alone, which he’d completely forgotten at the moment.

  Savannah gave him a sly wink before she turned to their hosts. “See you bright and early, boss.”

  Jagger leaned back in his chair, tipping his head while he snatched another meringue from his plate. “I’ll see you at the office, Ash. Good night, Savannah.”

  “Thanks again.” Asher nodded to them both while leading Savannah away, keeping her hand securely locked with his.

  Off into the darkness they walked, but his enhanced hearing picked up Storm and Jagger’s conversation as they went…

  “Did you see them?” Storm started. “You don’t think … do you?”

  Jagger shushed her quickly, his voice a whisper when he replied, “He’s a wolf hon, quiet, but yeah, I did, and maybe. It looked like it anyway. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see, but let’s get this table cleaned up. Come on, I’ll help you, baby.”

  He didn’t have time to digest it before Savannah squeezed his hand and it took all of his attention away from what he’d heard. His heart skipped a beat as he looked down at the vision beside him and all thought of anything else left him. All he could think of was the woman at his side and whether she’d allow him to kiss her goodnight…

  Chapter Ten

  Slowly, so slowly his feet felt like th
ey dragged over the forest floor, but he couldn’t make them go any faster because he wanted to spend as much time with Savannah before he needed to leave her at her door. Why did they have to stay so long at dinner? If they’d left earlier, he could’ve stayed longer with her instead of having to leave her at her door and go home alone.

  “If you dawdle anymore, Ash, we’ll be at a standstill.” Savannah swung their arms back and forth between them, her voice a high sing-song sound in the dark night around them.

  It soothed him like a lullaby, a long-ago memory of his mother before she left, and one he hadn’t remembered for such a long time, but it’d been dredged out of his mind by the darkness and the sound of her voice. Savannah didn’t sound like his mother, it wasn’t that, it was more like her presence and her voice soothed him in the same way. Strange as it was, it wasn’t what he’d expected to feel on their walk.

  He also felt a growing attraction inside him. One he wasn’t sure what it was, but one firing up like embers burning and turning into a blaze he was sure would burst into an inferno if … what? They kissed? She allowed him to touch her? If she agreed to more? Shit. The images brought to his mind caused his jeans to tighten painfully, causing him to cough and think of cold snow and other images to get rid of the erection growing, which he definitely didn’t want right now.

  “Well?” Savannah tugged on his hand. “I’m almost at my place and we’ve talked, well, I did most of the talking, but we did talk, and walked slower than a tortoise, but the evening’s end is here. So…”

  Asher stopped. Savannah tilting her head to look up at him. “So, we make plans for tomorrow night. Right? I need to know I’m seeing you again.”

  A wisp of a wind caught her long, dark hair, blowing it back like a halo of darkness around her. Even in the night he saw it as a stark contrast to her pale skin, showcasing her beauty to him, as if waves of dark water shifted around her. Her emerald eyes glinting up at him with a sparkle of … what? Interest? Desire? He wasn’t sure, but he hoped both, shoot, he prayed for both while he waited for her to answer him, with his heart on his sleeve.

  Then she smiled and the night deserted them as it lit up the forest around them, or so it seemed to him. With his eyes locked on her, she stepped into him, closer, then closer, until there was nothing between them but her free hand as it tangled in his shirt, with her face turned up to his. Her tongue darting out to run across her lips, oh hell, he wanted to…

  “Kiss me, for heaven’s sake. What do I have to do? Beg?”

  She reached up, her hand snaking behind his neck to snatch his hair and gave it a tug, but he didn’t need any further encouragement. Releasing the hand he’d been clutching so hard, he wrapped one arm around her waist and the other tangled in her hair while his mouth covered hers, and when their lips touched, he felt … fireworks exploding inside him. He’d never felt such a reaction to a woman before, to a kiss, to a taste. Her taste was like ambrosia on his tongue when he probed inside gently, but Savannah didn’t want gentle … she lashed against his like a ferocious dual was happening between them and he met her eagerly in the battle.

  Lifting her up off her feet and crushing her against him, he felt the woosh of breath escape her, entering him, and he swallowed it down, taking her inside him willingly while she struggled to wrap herself around him. Her dress hampering her, she fought to free the flowing material until her legs finally managed to do her bidding, hooking her ankles at his waist with her legs bare to the night air … and his touch.

  Rearranging one arm so he cradled her ass with his palm to hold her securely, Ash took advantage of her position to caress her thighs while they kissed. His fingers slowly stroking her skin until his cock strained painfully against his zipper. It was so damn hard it was painful while it fought to be free, and when Savannah ground against him … fuck, he thought he’d blow right there. His hand moving farther up under the material impeding him, reaching for the warmth between them.

  His fingers slid under soft, silky material, causing Savannah to gasp, then groan loudly into his mouth. Her body shivered in his arms, sending him crazy with need, and his senses into overload, with her scent invading him completely. The heady aroma of flowers, nature … the forest filling him up to overcome him. His head spun, he gasped trying to breathe, and he wasn’t sure if he could stop himself from slamming Savannah against a tree so he could rip her panties free and ram up inside her to give them both the release they so badly desired.

  Her teeth nipped his bottom lip before she kissed him once more with a ferocity he’d never encountered with anyone else. She took his breath away and he wanted more … he wanted to touch every part of her, see every inch of her, lick each and every inch of her skin, and make her scream his name while he brought her to heights she’d never been to before. But, for now, he was going to make her feel so good with the tools he had in the darkness, in the forest, and he wanted her to come all over his fingers.

  He was almost there, only a little maneuvering of her body and he’d be able to reach her sweet spot…

  Savannah jerked away, gasping his name. “Asher, no. Stop. We can’t do this. Not here. Not now.”

  When his eyes popped open, he saw something weird. Or did he? In the darkness, it was hard to be sure. Maybe he was mistaken, or it could be the endorphins flooding his system, because he surely didn’t see Savannah’s face shimmer strangely. And he sure as heck didn’t see her skin pale and become almost translucent … did he?

  No. Because when he blinked, there she was, right as day, if a little red with flushed cheeks, and panting like she’d run a marathon. But she was just her, Savannah, the same gorgeous beauty she’d been all night long.

  “What’s wrong? Did I do something? Did I hurt you?” he asked quickly while she struggled to get down.

  Savannah shook her head, standing with her eyes downcast as she sorted her bedraggled dress, then she looked up at him. “No, you didn’t hurt me, Ash, but doing this in the middle of the forest isn’t exactly the way I expected the evening to end.”

  Confusion settled inside him. He felt like she’d just doused him with a bucket of cold water, but he didn’t know why. She liked him; he was certain of it. He sensed it, and she couldn’t hide her arousal from him either. He was a wolf, and her scent still surrounded them both. She was as turned on as him. So what the hell just happened? Or, more to the point … why?

  “What’s happening here, Savannah?” he asked quietly. “You like me and I sure as hell like you, so what’s wrong with what we were doing?”

  Her eyes dropped at the same time as her shoulders. His keen interrogator’s eyes catching the movements and noting the change in her. She’d just slammed up a brick wall clear as fucking day, and he didn’t have a clue why.

  Her voice barely a whisper after she let out a long breath. “We’re in the forest and there’s a rogue on the loose. It’s not wise to be out here alone, and well, maybe we should take things slower.”

  What? Did he hear her right? His heart dropped like a stone, then he felt like he’d been doused in cold water, again. All amorous thoughts flew out the window when her words sank in. Slow things down … or did she really mean shut him down completely? After their kiss, he couldn’t believe it.

  “Slow things down, are you for real?” He reached forward with a finger, raising her chin to force her eyes to his. “We’ve just met, and I understand you’re afraid of the rogue, but I assure you he won’t hurt you while I’m around. I’m faster, stronger, and a helluva lot meaner than him, so don’t, not even for a second, think I’ll allow him to hurt you. It will not happen, Savannah. And as for slowing things down … after that kiss? Why? What’s wrong? And don’t try and bullshit me because I’ve a meter for it and it won’t wash with me.”

  He saw her chest heave while she pulled air into her lungs. Saw her struggle as she tried to decide how to answer him. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, her eyes flitted away to the side, and he knew she’d been about to lie to him, then
thought better of it, before she shook her head and faced him … with hands on her hips and a fierce look in her eyes. Shit, she looked amazingly beautiful with her nostrils flaring, and her eyes blazing up at him.

  “Okay, no bullshit. I know you can take care of the rogue, but what if you’re not around? And the us situation … it scares me. A fucking lot. I told you already, I don’t do this. I don’t get close to guys, and I sure as hell don’t allow them to get close to me. Fuck, Ash, next you’ll be asking me all those complicated questions that I won’t answer. We’ll start to argue, and it’ll get messy, and you’ll get hurt, I’ll get hurt … both of us will. So maybe this isn’t a good idea after all. I don’t want to hurt you. I truly don’t, and I’m not a bitch either. It’s just, I will not, under any circumstances, talk about … before.”

  As soon as she finished, Savannah deflated. The fire left her eyes and her body sank in on itself. Her shoulders drooped again, sadness filling her eyes as she stood staring up at him. It tore at his insides, painfully. Physical pain, not just a feeling like you have when you know someone else is hurting or upset. Asher felt it inside when he looked at her, but he didn’t know how or why. He couldn’t process it now, he had to deal with the situation before he lost her, because he sure as fuck wasn’t going to allow her to slip out of his life.

  “I told you I wouldn’t press you on your past, and I meant it.” He took a step into her, reached up to cup the side of her face. “I’ve worked with many people over the years and I know of a hundred different reasons why someone would want to leave their past behind. Some good and some not, but the thing is, it’s their choice, not mine. You’ve worked for Storm for a while and Jagger’s okay with it, so you’re obviously not a mass murderer or anything like that, so we’re good. I’ve already said this, and I meant it. You can’t live your life running forever. At some point, you’re going to have to trust someone. I want that person to be me, Savannah. Please, there’s something special between us. I feel it and I know you do too. Don’t run from me, give it a chance and let’s see where it takes us.”