She stood at the window, staring over the mountains. Her blonde hair shone in the streetlights, her spine straight and strong. A thin line of moisture ran down her cheek, and he strode across the room and gathered her in his arms, cradling her against him.
He didn’t ask why. Didn’t demand a reason. Simply held her and waited, and wondered exactly what he’d entwined himself in.
Because it was true. He was hopelessly entangled. With wanting her to be happy, and to be safe. But most importantly, with wanting her to be herself.
He’d done exactly what he’d figured. He’d gone and fallen in love, at least with the parts of herself she was honest about sharing.
Caroline pulled him toward the bed, wiping her eyes with her fingers. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.” He lay beside her and let her pet him, her gaze burning his skin. Fingertips like miniature blowtorches scalding identifying marks into his soul as she eased over his hip. As she took his cock into her hand and caressed his length.
Harder than he ever remembered, Tyler let her stay in control. He couldn’t stop his hands from crossing the distance between them, though. Massaging her hips, lightly brushing her clit.
When she straddled him then surrounded him in one smooth motion, Tyler nearly swallowed his tongue. His cock was fully sheathed in her body, heat and moisture driving him mad as she undulated with a sinful rhythm meant to break him.
Her eyes, wild.
He couldn’t look away. Didn’t want to. Didn’t want to miss a single second of her bringing him into her core then languidly sliding up until his cock clung to the lips of her sex.
Tyler wet his fingers in his mouth then went back to her clit, circling with a firm touch. Caroline missed a beat, sexual tension rising on her face as her climax drew near.
He increased the tempo of his fingers, tilted his hips and helped her with the final push into orgasm, her eyes closing as she pulsed hard around him.
He kept watching, although to be honest the view went a touch blurry. When she opened her eyes, he caught her cheeks in his hands, ecstasy taking him as he lost control and came.
Chapter Sixteen
Caroline adjusted her bikini, took a deep breath and headed out the door of the change room. Not a super time to develop nerves regarding the wisdom of the ladies’ get-together, but there was no denying the fear skittering along her spine. It didn’t help that with this much skin on display she had no place for a hidden knife.
Bowling. Why hadn’t she suggested bowling as an activity?
A soft whistle caught her attention, and she looked up to discover Tyler scrutinizing her over the low edge of the viewing gallery wall.
Fear vanished in a blazing swoop of lust. The expression on his face was one step away from ravishment, and she liked it far too much. There was also an additional touch—that something extra that had been there when he’d poured her into the tub. The focused attention that had gotten stronger when he’d whispered so carefully, asking what she wanted.
The part that had sounded as if he really wanted to hear the answer.
And the lovemaking that followed? Caroline had hesitantly taken what she wanted, fully expecting at some point he’d resume control like all shifters did in the bedroom. She loved dominance games, as evidenced by the frenzied lust of the morning’s chase-and-capture fantasy, but…
He’d actually
They’d slept for a while, woken up and done it all over for most of the night. She still wasn’t sure what it meant.
Other than there could be no doubt she and Tyler were an item. She might not have shifter senses to smell him on her, but the bite marks on her neck and limbs were hard to hide. Especially in a bikini.
It was time to put the uncertainty of their relationship aside, though. Time to get back into the head of Caroline Bradley who, until recently, was the Alpha bitch of the Takhini wolves. The tough, shifter-savvy woman was the one Tyler needed.
Strolling toward him gave her plenty of time to pull on her armour, to get back into teasing, adding an extra swing to her hips as she moved into position. “Practicing to be a soccer ref?”
His knuckles on the top of the wall were white, he gripped the railing so hard. “You want a sports analogy? I’m looking forward to stripping you out of that outfit with my teeth and scoring as often as you’ll let me.”
“Isn’t that what we did last night?”
Her tease came out far more throaty than she’d intended.
Cars were pulling into the parking lot, and while there had to be wolves watching them from their positions in the trees, the beasts either wouldn’t care or, more likely, were hoping for a show.
Ignoring the divider separating their lower bodies, Caroline patted his suit pocket, reassuring herself he still carried her cell phone. Then she walked her fingers up his broad chest. “After we’re done the political song and dance today, I think you and I should relax until the next shindig. No other people, no shifters—let’s hide for at least twelve hours and not come up for air unless the world explodes.”
“The world seems to have a way of doing that around you. Exploding, I mean.” He seemed mesmerized by her chest. The huge breath he let out like a balloon losing steam made her lips twitch. He pressed his hand over hers, trapping her fingers over his heart. The pounding registered against her palm. “Alone sounds amazing.”
They stared at each other, his eyes shining with more than lust.
“Tell me we’ll be okay,” Caroline whispered.
“We’re going to be great. And you’ll be brilliant, as usual.”
The compliment slid up and tied her in a big bow. “Pretty words.”
“That I mean. You are very talented, Caroline. Smart, insightful. My bear says you kick ass, by the way. I told him to watch it, or the ass you’ll be kicking will be his.”
So many urges shot through her. She wanted to smile at his attempts to bolster her nerves. Wanted to appreciate his honesty and his out-spoken bear. She wanted reassurances the lust racing through her was normal.
Then again, simply looking him over explained that one far too easily.
It was the note of caring in his voice that made her the most afraid. It seemed he was trying so hard to listen and understand her human side, not taking for granted the influence her chutzpah had granted her in the shifter world over the years.
He was unlocking secrets others who’d known her for years had never suspected she had. Not even her family.
Being stripped bare of all protective layers was a frightening thing. Far more frightening than knowing she was the only one in the area who couldn’t turn furry and sprout claws and razor-sharp teeth.
A lady waved at her from near the change-room door and Caroline sighed. “Time for fun and games.”
Tyler jerked a thumb over his shoulder, pointing out the male partner headed his way. “At least you get to soak and relax while you play. I’m in a damn suit and tie.”
She leaned in and offered her lips, and he kissed her. Slightly more tongue was involved than was probably considered polite in public, but as if she cared.
She headed to greet her guests. Women joined her on poolside before slipping into the naturally heated waters and sighing happily. Little clusters gathered, ladies talking contentedly as Tyler kept the menfolk occupied and away from the water. The low wall between the pool and picnic tables created two separate oases. There was enough distance between the spaces that at least the illusion of privacy was provided.
Caroline waded through the chest-deep water to where Lillie was waving. She settled onto the seat beside the redhead who leaned back on the low concrete lip behind her.
