Disobedient Cowboys

Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 4

Disobedient Cowboys Rose Hartford is headed to her temporary nursing assignment when she swerves to avoid a wolf in the road and finds herself in the arms of a virile, naked man instead. She wakes up in the hospital with a concussion and her cowboy rescuer watching over her. Caleb is beyond gorgeous and stirs feelings she’s never known—until her equally magnificent doctor walks in and sends her vital signs soaring. Stephen Williams and Caleb Green lead very different lives, yet they share a secret. Both are werewolves who recognize in the other their destined mate, and they want Rose in the middle of their erotic pack bond. When their offer involves a deeper commitment than she’s willing to give, she decides to leave town. To win her back, they must save her from more than her fear of surrender. An old enemy has returned to Shay Falls, seeking revenge. Note: This book contains double vaginal penetration. Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Vampires/Werewolves, Western/Cowboys Length: 59,879 words

DISOBEDIENT COWBOYS Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 4

J. Rose Allister

MENAGE AMOUR

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

DISOBEDIENT COWBOYS Copyright © 2012 by J. Rose Allister E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-059-0 First E-book Publication: September 2012 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Disobedient Cowboys by J. Rose Allister from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

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DISOBEDIENT COWBOYS Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 4 J. ROSE ALLISTER Copyright © 2012

Chapter One The presence of gray, threatening skies looming over the mountain road wasn’t the biggest worry on Rose’s mind as she pressed the accelerator pedal harder. She was late—damn late. “And on my first day, too,” she said, grimacing as she glanced yet again at the dashboard clock. Another curve slowed her progress. She sighed, wishing for a nice stretch of open freeway. A look in the mirror showed no one behind her, and a closer inspection revealed tiny strands of her burgundy hair already making a break from her carefully-woven French braid. “Thanks, damp mountain air,” she said, smoothing back the frizzy tendrils rebelling around her face. Her GPS, at least, looked a bit more promising than the clock or mirror. Only a few miles remained until she reached her destination, the latest stop in a series of short-term nursing gigs assigned by her agency. At least, it would be if she could manage to get to her latest assignment. Thirteen weeks, then she would leave this place in her taillights and head for paradise. How lucky was she? After two years of traveling from job to job across the continent, an assignment had finally come available in

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exotic Hawaii. The first thing she would do when she got there would be to head for the nearest waterfall and sketch it until her fingers refused to grip the pencil anymore. A tiny smile lit her face at the thought as she shot another quick glance in the mirror. She’d just traveled two thousand miles, but her mind was already two thousand farther away as she imagined that the mountains rising around her were in the lush, green tropics she’d be reveling in by summer. Life, however, could change plans in a heartbeat. She was just coming off the curve when a blur of motion appeared on the highway in front of her. Frowning, she saw an animal racing into the road. It was a wolf, and moving at top speed. But not fast enough. “Shit!” she cried out, jamming on the brakes. The horrific wail of brakes gritted her teeth. Then the car began to skid. Her heart thundering frantically, Rose gripped the wheel hard and tried to right the vehicle’s path. The grayish-brown animal actually paused in the middle of the road, apparently frozen in shock at the sight of the car headed straight for it. The wolf looked right at her, and then it sprang forward again. But it was too late. She turned the wheel hard, hoping to veer around the poor creature as it tried to run, but she heard—and felt—the bump of impact. The much bigger problem, she realized, was that she was headed off the road. The entire thing happened in mere seconds, and before she knew it, the landscape and odd images of her life were flashing before her as the sedan left pavement. Tires threw dirt and rocks mercilessly into the air before something much more frightening loomed in front of her. “Oh, Jesus,” was all she managed to get out, and she braced for impact. The pine tree was massive, and she was barely slowing down by the time her right front fender approached it. The crash was violent and jarring, and her view of it was obliterated by the giant pop of her

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airbag shooting out. She slammed forward in her seatbelt then immediately back against the headrest as the airbag hit her in the face. A fine cloud of something powdery exploded out with it. Then all was still. Life ground to a halt for a short stretch even though she was still conscious. Her mind went blank as she sat there, only vaguely aware of the airbag self-deflating. She coughed at the cloudy mist surrounding her, but even the ominous sound of steam escaping from her engine failed to rouse her to the full weight of her predicament. A sharp banging on her window jerked her back to reality. Pain jabbed through her neck and head as she whipped around to see a man outside, bent over her window as he stared in at her. The most amazing violet eyes, possessed by some kind of golden haze in their depths, gleamed out from a wild, panicked expression. “Are you all right?” he was shouting through the window. She nodded numbly. Mutely. The man grabbed her door handle and yanked on it a few times. “Can you unlock the door?” The door. Right. Maybe she should get out. What if the car caught fire? Still, she just sat there in a daze until two startling facts about the man sank in. One, he was completely and rather magnificently naked. Two, he was bleeding in several places, most notably from an ugly hole in his upper chest. “Oh, God!” she cried. She’d been so worried about not hitting the wolf that she hadn’t even realized there’d been a man there, too. Adrenaline surged into her system, and from somewhere in the back of her fuzzy mind, her nurse training kicked in. The man was hurt. She had to help him. “Hang on,” she said, and she fumbled for the door. She half staggered out, feeling herself rise onto her feet. It was a curious sensation, considering her legs didn’t seem to be working at the moment. Then she realized the man had a hold on her. For a brief

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moment, the feel of being in his arms was so welcome, so right, that she forgot herself and wrapped her arms around his warm, hard flesh. Damp mist sprinkled them both, the precursor to a rainstorm the radio had said would hit the mountain. It mingled with the smoke coming off her engine, and the fresh scent of rain lost out to the acrid smell. She’d ruined the pure, pine fragrance of the mountains, too, with the rubber she’d burned with her brakes. Not a very auspicious start to her time in Shay Falls. “Let’s lay you down,” the man said, and she caught the delightfully unmistakable twang. This was cowboy country she was in, right? Well, saddle me up, she thought. When he tried to tug her down, however, she shook her head. She was sorry for the motion when the world refused to stop spinning afterward. Another round of coughing spasms shook her, sending sharp stabs of pain through her pounding head. She slapped at her chest with her palm, trying to break up the congestion suddenly brewing in her lungs. She flinched at the blow. The seatbelt that had yanked her violently into place felt like it was still against her sore chest. “Let me help you,” he said, but she shook her head again. “You’re the one who needs help,” she told him. She glanced around and pointed at a large, flat rock nearby. “Sit down over there so I can stop the bleeding.” She tried to pull him that direction, but he resisted. Her vision of him when she turned back was somewhat out of focus, but he was gorgeous nonetheless. He was tall compared to her five foot seven, but not by a discouraging span. Despite the dirt and blood on him, she’d never seen anything quite so beautiful as his sculpted body, angular face, and concerned, touching expression. “Ma’am,” he said firmly, “I don’t need you to do that.” “It’s okay. I’m a registered nurse.” She pointed to the fitted, blue scrubs she wore. “See?”

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“No, it ain’t okay. You’re hurt, too.” To prove the point, he reached out to her face, which was stinging and hot now that she thought about it. Still, his gesture was what had her attention, a motion she saw in a disjointed sort of slow motion. His touch was as tender as a lover’s would be, and it sent a funny pang through her. He came away and showed her his fingers, which were dotted with blood. “Don’t be silly,” she said. “I’m fine.” The world reeled around her, though, and she clutched at him for support. “Just a little dizzy.” His chest muscles flexed as his arms went around her again, and she noticed his wince of pain. Still seeing double, she tried to focus on the task at hand. A closer look at his chest injury made her frown hard. It didn’t look like an impact injury. In fact, she didn’t think it was from the accident at all. “Is that a gunshot wound?” she asked, seeing speckles creeping in from around the outer edges of her blurry vision. “That don’t matter right now.” “Of course it matters. Let me look at it. It’s my job.” The words sent a gasp from her, even though her head was growing much lighter and it was getting tougher to stand. “My job! I forgot. I’m late for work.” That was the last thing she remembered before she teetered forward, collapsing straight into his arms as she passed out.

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Chapter Two The morning after Rose’s twenty-first birthday, she woke up to the first and only hangover of her life. What she woke up to this time was worse. The remnants of a pleasant, recurring dream faded, taking away the soothing whoosh of a waterfall and smile of the faceless man. She was left with a headache that beat at her skull too hard for her to even groan. As soon as she flinched, pain shot through her neck and most every muscle she possessed. She felt like she’d been hit by a car. And as dim, blurry memories emerged through the murky surface of her brain, she realized she wasn’t far from wrong. The accident! She’d hit a wolf, and more importantly, a man. She hadn’t even helped him. Was he all right? Damn, had she blacked out in the middle of trying to render him aid, leaving him to die? Her eyes flew open at that, and when the sharp edge of pain in her skull eased up a bit, she glanced around slowly. She wasn’t outside anymore. She was lying in a strange yet oddly familiar room. The scents and sounds were like a second home, even if the cool, bluewhite walls, ceiling-mounted television, and sterile furnishings didn’t register in precise memory. She was in a hospital. Turning her head slowly to glance beside her, she confirmed her location by spotting a bedside curtain and an IV pole. Her clinical mind kicked in as she watched Lactated Ringer’s solution drip at a fair pace through clear tubing. The digital pump controlling the rate was programmed to release eighty ccs per hour. Regardless of being hydrated this way, her lips and throat felt dry, and the latter was a

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little scratchy to boot. She reached up to feel around her chest, which was throbbing and tender. Electrodes were pasted beneath her collarbones. Not enough equipment was attached to her to suggest intensive care, so she wasn’t too bad off. Still, as she tried telling that to her body, it rebelled at every eye blink and twitch. A chair had been pulled up close beside her bed, and sitting on the blue-upholstered seat was a weathered, brown Stetson. Western decor in a cowboy town wasn’t necessarily an alarming discovery, but on a chair seat? When she turned her head again, she sucked in a little breath. She wasn’t alone in her private room after all. A man stood at the sole window, staring out at a sunny morning with his hands propped on lean hips. As her gaze traveled over the powerful lines of his back, she knew exactly who he was. The thought made her heart give a little skip. “Hi,” she managed, her voice coming out a little hoarse. He spun around from the window. A smile lit up the scowl he’d turned with, starting a much more pleasant throb in her body. “Rose!” he said, heading toward her. “You’re awake.” “You know my name?” “I found your driver’s license in your wallet. I’m Caleb, by the way. Caleb Green.” “Nice to meet you,” she stammered, wondering whether “nice” was the right word to use when an introduction involved ramming someone with a car. Wow, the man was even more handsome when she wasn’t seeing him in shades of blurry gray. His hair was a rich, chocolate brown, worn longer in the front and trimmed close in back. His bangs were swept to the side over his forehead, framing amazing violet eyes. His snap-front denim shirt was open just enough to display a tantalizing hint of chest hair. His jeans were oh-so snug over taut thighs, not to mention a crotch bulge he almost caught her staring at.

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She detached herself from his sex appeal to conduct a clinical assessment of how he moved, checking for any limps, favored limbs, or grimacing that would indicate how badly he’d been hurt. But he strode with purposeful, lithe boot steps, focused completely on her. She felt heat flush into her cheeks and wondered whether a fever was setting in. “I’m so sorry I hit you,” she said, clearing her throat to try and get some volume back. A stale, medicinal taste lingered in the back of her mouth. “I swerved to avoid an animal in the road, and I guess you must have been right there.” “Yeah, I suppose you could say I had a front row seat,” he said, picking up his hat and setting it in his lap as he sat down beside her. His scent was very manly and smelled faintly of shaving soap. She swallowed as he took her hand. His was incredibly warm and strong. “It was my fault. I should have been watchin’ where I was goin’. How are you feelin’?” His cowboy twang twisted nicely in her stomach. “Like I was in a car accident. But I don’t think I’m done for just yet.” “The doc said you were real lucky. You hit your head and got a bit concussed. Bruised, too. And the airbag scratched up your face a bit. But no broken bones or nothin’.” Her other hand flew to her face. No bandages, but a sticky smear over one cheek suggested some kind of ointment had been applied to her abrasions. “Do I look like as big a train wreck as I feel?” she asked, suddenly self-conscious. He squeezed her hand. “You look as beautiful as you did when you were busy tryin’ to rescue me.” A flicker of warmth at the compliment was quickly overshadowed by embarrassment. “Not much of a rescue, was it?”

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He gave a little laugh that she had to smile at. “You were so determined that you didn’t realize I wasn’t the one in need of rescuin’.” She glanced around. “How did I get here? And where is here, exactly?” “I carried you to the nearest hospital. Shay Falls Community.” She tried unsuccessfully to sit up. “What do you mean, you carried me? How on earth did you manage that?” He used the bed controls to raise her up. “You were already in my arms when you passed clean out. I knew this place was just up the road.” “Two miles away! You couldn’t possibly have carried me that far.” “I’m stronger than I look.” “You were hurt.” “I ain’t sayin’ it was fun.” She sank deeper into the pillow behind her head. “Wow. Thank you so much.” She thought of the injuries she’d catalogued on him. “Is that why you’re still here? Did they treat you, too?” He shook his head. “I didn’t need treatment. I just stayed to make sure you were all right. They kicked me out last night, but I stopped in this mornin’ to see how you were.” He’d really been worried about her. She couldn’t help but feel a flush of pleasure at the thought. Still, she wasn’t the only one who hadn’t realized they needed rescuing. “Of course you need treatment. I saw that injury. You were shot in the chest, weren’t you?” He hesitated. “It’s nothin’.” “Nothing, my foot.” Fighting a wave of dizziness, she leaned over to him. Without even thinking of the propriety of what she was doing, she took hold of his shirt with both hands and yanked. The snaps gave way, and his shirt pulled open to reveal a rock-hard, extremely masculine chest

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with just a smattering of curly hair. She swallowed and surveyed the injury that was indeed there. And she frowned at it. “It doesn’t look nearly as bad as I remember,” she said. “Did the bullet come out through the back?” “Nope. I took it out.” Her mouth fell open. The question of why came to mind, and an answer just as rapidly. Hospitals had to report all gunshot wounds to authorities. For some reason, this man didn’t want anyone to know what had happened. Maybe she should butt out. “I got in front of a hunter’s bullet,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “Huntin’ season’s on around here. I ain’t big on doctors, so I treated it the old-fashioned way.” She blinked. Must be a cowboy thing. “Oh.” She was still holding his shirt open with one hand, smoothing the area around his damaged chest with the other. The hole had looked ugly and pus-filled when she’d seen it last. Now, it was clean, and the angry redness around it had subsided. Unbelievably, the wound was already closing. “Well, whatever you did, you did it right,” she said. “This looks much better. Maybe you should consider a career in medicine instead of ranch work.” “I don’t work a ranch no more,” he said, and his face hardened. “Not for a long time now.” “Sorry.” He stared at her intently as her fingers traced over the lines of his muscled chest. From this close, she could see that his eyes weren’t pure violet. Flecks of yellow dotted the irises, looking like sparkling little highlights in the morning light. That, coupled with her blow to the head, likely accounted for the bizarre golden gleam she’d thought she’d seen in his gaze after the accident. Those eyes were so intense. And the way he was staring deep down into her, well, it was hypnotic. Captivating. Something compelling that she couldn’t turn away from.

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His other hand reached for the fingers she was using to stroke his skin, and she froze. Why ever had she been doing that? Instead of tugging her away, however, he covered her hand with his own and held it over his heart. She could feel the pulse beat thundering in his chest, and hers responded with a jungle dance of its own. Every line of his face was taut, from the intent line of his brow down to his finely chiseled jaw. Her gaze fell to his lips, which were no longer twisted in a smile. Even wearing a serious expression, that mouth was perfectly curved. His lips were full, almost criminally sensual. She couldn’t help thinking about kissing them, and she licked her own. They felt dry, whereas his appeared perfectly soft, moist, and brownish pink. She leaned closer, watching those lips move as he faintly, almost inaudibly, whispered her name. “Good morning,” came a voice from behind her. She whirled around, the spell between them shattered. A doctor stood in the doorway, glancing over a chart she assumed was hers. He looked up and noticed her rather incriminating pose, still tugging Caleb’s shirt open across his bare chest while he clutched her hand against him. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” the man said in an almost humorous tone. When his gaze shifted to Caleb’s and then hers, however, the smile faded. He took on a similar expression to the one Caleb had locked on her just seconds before—the one he was now directing back at the man in the starched, white medical coat. Rose pulled away and sat back in bed, watching as the two men traded stomach-churning looks. Something unraveled between them as they stared at one another, and she almost felt like she was the one intruding on a private moment. Then the doctor’s eyes found hers, and a whole new roller coaster began until she felt downright giddy. What was happening to her? One thump on the head and she felt like a rabid fan meeting rock-and-roll idols. This wasn’t like her, not one bit. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she was channeling her

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mother, also known as Often-Wed Wendy. Rose groaned inwardly. She’d obviously hit her head harder than she thought. Would every man she encountered trigger such a visceral attraction? An ironic about-face for her, considering she’d never had any taste for that sort of nonsense. She’d ignored the parade of forgettable guys who’d tried to capture her attention in high school, and then she had gone to college in pursuit of a vocation with a low percentage of males. Not to mention her gynecology checkups were always peppered by surprised—and sometimes doubtful—looks when she admitted she was still a virgin. And now Little Miss Virgin Nurse had developed the hots for two guys in ten minutes? She was in trouble. Big, big trouble. “Rose Hartford?” the man asked, seeming to come to his senses first. Good thing, considering she’d been the one who’d slammed into a tree. She settled deeper against her pillows. “That’s me.” “I’m Dr. Williams.” As he strolled into the room, she saw the name embroidered on his lab coat beside the hospital logo. Stephen A. Williams, M.D., it read. Hospitalist. “How are you feeling today?” “Really stiff and sore.” And out of her mind, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to mention that. Asking whether extremely heightened libido was normal after an accident didn’t seem like the way to go in present company. Caleb cleared his throat. “You ain’t the same doctor who treated her yesterday.” The man glanced at Caleb. “I’m covering Dr. Jacobs’ shift. And you are?” “A friend,” Caleb said, emphasizing the last. “Hardly a friend,” she corrected, and both men shot her a sharp glance. “I hit the poor man with my car.” “And we became fast friends,” Caleb went on. She had to grin at the mischievous twinkle in his eye when he hooked his hands behind his head and smiled.

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“I’d like to have a look at you,” Dr. Williams said, which wouldn’t have been an odd request from a doctor except that he was still eyeing up Caleb when he said it. Funny, Rose had just been thinking the same thing about the good doctor—in a much naughtier context. Man, concussions sucked. Or they were damn fun. She hadn’t quite decided which yet. When he strode up to stand on the side of the bed opposite from Caleb, she sized this new man up. He was about Caleb’s height, maybe a little taller. His hair was darker brown, stopping just short of black. The cut was short and combed back. Very professional. Doctorly. So was the striped tie he wore over a green dress shirt and tightly creased black trousers. Both men were magazine-model handsome, though Caleb’s features were a bit narrower and more rugged. The doctor’s face was clean-shaven, so smooth it made her want to rub her cheek against his. “Is it all right if your friend stays in the room while I examine you?” he asked. She considered that for a moment and nodded. The prospect of Dr. Williams’ hands on her sent a little happy dance along her spine. He checked the pulse along her wrist, and she hoped he wouldn’t wonder why it was wobbling erratically. He seemed more interested in peppering her with the usual bedside questions, though. Her birthdate. What day it was. If she knew where she was. Who the president was. She made a political remark, and he laughed. He shined a penlight in her eyes and then took out his stethoscope. Asking her to breathe deeply while he listened to her heart and lungs was a joke. He was lucky she could breathe at all, what with him pressing the chestpiece all over her front and back. She felt his fingers searing her every time they brushed against her hospital gown. When he sat on the bed beside her to check her head and neck for lumps, a hot rush of tingles shot through her body. That was nothing compared to what happened when their eyes met. Those eyes! They were real showstoppers, and not just because they seemed to be

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regarding her with the same scrutiny she was giving him. She had to do a triple take to be sure she was seeing it right, but there it was. His eyes were a cobalt blue, not violet like Caleb’s, but they had the exact same sparkles of yellow. She had an odd picture of the California gold rush alive and well in Shay Falls and found herself imagining flecks of shimmering gold exploding from the mountains to land in the eyes of unsuspecting, gorgeous-as-hell men. She giggled at that, and the doctor launched an eyebrow well up his forehead. “Everything okay?” he asked. Rose sobered instantly. “Sorry. Never mind.” He resumed his survey of her neck, and all she could focus on was the experience of him. There was a trace of expensive cologne wafting from his clothes, but also an outdoorsy, masculine scent that sped her pulse and made her keep inhaling conspicuously through her nose just to indulge it. His manner was gentle, yet efficient and thorough. He studied her with a thoughtful almost-frown that was actually cute, damn him. Most of the doctors she’d known were stodgy, fuzzy-eared seniors, not movie stars. Were all the doctors at Shay Falls Community as kissable as this one? If so, she was in for one hell of a ride once she actually started her thirteen-week nursing contract. He checked over her limbs next, and once apparently satisfied she was in one piece, he shifted toward her again and picked up the chart he’d laid beside him on the bed. “Well, your blood work and vitals are fine, and your X-rays and CT scan were normal.” She blinked. “I had a CT scan?” He smiled. Lord, she could practically see rainbows and butterflies dancing in the background behind him. “Last night,” he said. “Do you remember being brought in?” “No.” She thought hard, though, and bizarre, disjointed flashes of concerned faces and rushed voices came back. “I do remember a few things after I was here, I guess. But it’s all hazy, like a weird dream.” “And the accident? Do you remember that?”

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“I was driving to the hospital. I was supposed to start work here yesterday, actually.” He nodded. “I heard about that. And by the way, the charge nurse notified your agency about what happened. You can get in touch with them later today, if you’d like. What else do you recall?” She smoothed her hair, a bit dismayed to find a good deal of her braid had loose ends hanging out of it. “A wolf ran in front of my car. I swerved, but I hit it. Or at least, I thought I hit it. When I went off road and wound up smashing into a tree, Caleb was there. Turns out I’d hit him without even realizing it.” She and the doctor both eyed Caleb, who sat quietly. Replaying his rescue brought up a distinct memory that widened her eyes, and she pointed at him. “Were you naked when I hit you?” His violet gaze shifted rapidly between her and the doctor. “Not technically naked,” he said. “I may have shed a layer or two after the accident.” “You were naked,” she insisted. “Unless I really hit my head hard. Why were you outside like that?” “Perhaps the bigger question is,” the doctor interjected, watching Caleb carefully, “what was a wolf doing in the middle of the road in broad daylight? Sounds like the wolf population around here needs to be a lot more careful.” “The men, too,” Rose added, nodding to Caleb. “Caleb was already hurt before the accident. A hunter shot him. Here, look.” She reached over to Caleb’s shirt again, but this time, he caught hold of her hand and stopped her. A little pulse shot up her arm with the contact. “The doc’s here to examine you, not me,” he said. “Just let him look at it. Please? It’ll make me feel better.” Caleb sighed and let go of her hand before peeling back one side of his shirt. If anything, the wound looked even better than when she’d seen it just minutes ago. What the hell?

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Dr. Williams seemed much less pleased, however. He took one look and pursed his lips. “That doesn’t seem to be healing very fast,” he said. She gaped at him. “What do you mean? This just happened yesterday, Doctor. When I first saw it, the surrounding edges were significantly reddened, and there was purulent drainage. This looks much improved. Amazingly so.” Despite her nursing assessment, the doctor looked unconvinced. Caleb just shrugged. “It was worse yesterday. I got hit by a, well, a special kind of bullet. But I got it out.” The way he said “special kind” made her wonder, but the doctor nodded as though he understood perfectly. If he was surprised to hear Caleb had done bullet-removal himself, he didn’t let on. Maybe Shay Falls cowboys did a lot of their own first aid. “I don’t recall there being any hunting up here,” the doctor said. Caleb grunted. “There is now.” The men eyed each other for a weighted moment. Then, as suddenly as the cloud had descended, the doctor seemed to shake it off. He turned back to Rose. “Having any dizziness, headaches, or nausea?” “Headache. I don’t feel dizzy right now, though.” “Good. You also had some respiratory issues when you came in. Dr. Jacobs put you on oxygen and nebulizer treatments.” She reached a hand to her upper lip but felt no oxygen tubing strapped beneath her nose. “I remember coughing a lot.” Which explained the sandpapery feeling in her throat. “Is that normal?” “It’s a common reaction after inhaling the particles released when an air bag deploys. You were weaned off the oxygen during the night, however, and your lung sounds are clear. Let’s try getting you up to see how steady you are on your feet.” She nodded but didn’t move. Having been a nurse for a few years, she knew he meant he would write an order for a nurse or physical

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therapist to ambulate her later. Her mouth fell open, then, when the doctor stood up and held a hand out to her. “What, now?” she asked. “Unless you had other plans,” he said with a smile. She smiled back, feeling utterly disarmed by the white, even teeth he flashed at her. “You’re quite the full-service physician, aren’t you?” Caleb muttered a sarcastic remark she couldn’t quite hear. “Let’s have you walk around the station and see how you’re feeling,” the doctor said. “If all goes well, I can go ahead and discharge you home.” She took his hand and swung her legs around to dangle over the side of the bed. Someone had been thoughtful enough to put slipper socks on her feet and pull a second hospital gown on her backward, creating a makeshift robe that covered her hind end. A good thing, as from what she could tell, she wore nothing beneath but her panties. Without the “robe”, Caleb would be getting quite a show from where he was sitting now. Then again, who had put the socks and gown on her? For that matter, where had he been when her clothes had been removed in the first place? She tried not to think about it, focusing instead on the doctor’s confident grip on her hand. “Take it slow,” he said as she scooted to the edge of the bed. “Let me know if you experience any dizziness.” Oh, mercy, it was happening again. His touch sent a shiver through her that she was sure he must have noticed. She got up slowly, vaguely recalling her previous collapse. A heavenly body had been there to catch her that time, too. But she didn’t want to risk a repeat and cancel the going-home plan. When she was fully on her feet, he took her forearm. “Okay so far?” he asked. “Right as rain.” Except the pounding in her head. And heart.

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He let her set the pace as they headed out into the bright, all-white hallway. The unit was bustling with activity as various personnel saw to their patient care duties. A few stopped to give her curious looks while the doctor himself helped ambulate her. No sooner had they gotten fully into the hall than Caleb appeared, walking beside her. Now she was flanked by two gorgeous men who did all sorts of wild, downright disturbing things to her stomach. Their presence was quite unnerving, really. How was she supposed to walk when her knees felt weak? Sure enough, when Caleb’s arm brushed hers, she faltered. He slid an arm around her waist immediately. “Are you okay?” he asked in a cowboy lilt that did precious little to steady her gait. “Sure,” she said a little breathlessly. “I’m fine.” “Any dizziness?” Dr. Williams asked. Now, several more curious looks were pointed her way as she stood there like a bumbling fool while two studs fawned over her. “Not the kind you’re thinking of,” she muttered quietly. She started forward again, determined not to so much as shuffle. She felt relieved and yet a tad unhappy when Caleb pulled his arm away. It was better that way, though. Walking was easier with her attention off him. Walking as quickly as she dared without risking a dizzy spell, she turned an eye to surveying the setting. When the doctor slowed down in front of the station to see the readout on her heart monitor, she checked out the nurses’ area. The space was tiny, but it appeared to have been recently remodeled. Flat screen monitors, upholstered desk chairs, and floral wallpaper border decked out the area. The nurses had rolling carts with computer screens attached to them for hauling and recording medication dispensing from room to room. “Not quite the orientation to the unit you were expecting,” Dr. Williams said as they set off again.

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She laughed. “Definitely not. But being on this side of things offers an interesting perspective. It seems like a nice enough place.” He chuckled. “Then I hope you’ll give us a thumbs-up when you do the mail-in survey.” The unit was laid out in a circle around the nurses’ station, and before long, they had come around to where they’d started. Once back in her room, he escorted her back to bed. “How are you feeling now?” he asked. “Honestly, my head aches, and I’m sore all over. Especially my chest.” “It would be a miracle otherwise.” He leaned over and laid a hand on her forehead, as though he was checking her temperature. Damn if his very touch didn’t ease the pounding against the top of her skull. “I’m going to take a look at your chest,” he said. Without awaiting the answer she couldn’t manage, he tugged the neck of her gown out and peered down inside. She flinched, and her nipples tightened automatically. A stern mental reprimand did nothing to help. She couldn’t tell whether he’d noticed her response, but he sounded a bit strained when he let go of the gown. “You have some bruising from the seat belt,” he said. “That’s to be expected. It could have been much worse if your airbag hadn’t deployed. Still, you’ll probably be sore for a while. I can order you something mild for the pain—and the headache. I’d prefer nothing narcotic, though, considering the concussion.” “I wouldn’t take a narcotic anyway. The usual over-the-counter stuff is fine.” She shifted on the mattress and winced a little. “Extrastrength would be nice, though.” “I’ll have the nurse bring you some acetaminophen while I write up your discharge orders. I’ll also prescribe an anti-inflammatory.” He flicked a glance at Caleb as he continued. “Do you have a ride home?”

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She hadn’t thought of that. No doubt her car had seen better days. Not that he’d probably want her driving herself after a head injury. “I’ll make sure she gets where she needs to go,” Caleb said. Rose turned to him with a wry smile. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to carry me home, too?” He settled his hat back on his head, and the full cowboy image emerged. Her imagination lit on fire. “I’ve got my truck.” “Good,” the doctor said. “No driving for her until she’s seen for follow-up.” Caleb looked sheepish. “Her car’s totaled anyway. I got it towed out and called the insurance company.” She gaped at him. “You did?” “The card was in your wallet. I’m real sorry about the car.” “It’s okay. It’s more important that we’re in one piece. When can I go back to work?” she asked, turning to the doctor. “Or, rather, start work?” “Follow up with your primary physician in two days. He can release you back to work at his discretion.” She shrugged. “I’m brand new in town. I don’t have a doctor out here.” “Right. Of course.” He regarded her with those gold-rush eyes while she secretly willed him to offer to see her himself. “Follow up in our ER in two days, sooner if you have any problems. The ER doctor can return you to work.” So much for that. Still, a sigh of relief followed. It was nice to hear things would be back on track soon. “Thank you.” He picked up her chart and turned to go, but she stopped him. “Oh, and Doctor? It was nice meeting you.” He turned to her with that stomach-spearing smile. “I suspect we’ll meet again soon.” All sorts of happy thoughts accompanied that statement until she realized what he meant. “Oh, yeah. What with us both working here and all.”

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Dr. Williams shot Caleb an all-serious look. “Follow me out to the station. There are a couple other things I need to mention.” Caleb stared at him warily. “It ain’t like I’m Rose’s spokesperson. Whatever you got to tell her, you can do it here.” The doctor frowned. “This isn’t about Rose. It’s about your injury.” Caleb shifted in his seat and folded his arms. “Ah. That.” “I’m mandated to report gunshot wounds,” the doctor went on. “If you’ll come answer a couple questions, I can decide whether that will be necessary in this case.” Rose felt a flicker of guilt. Blabbing about the gunshot wasn’t a nice way to say thanks to her rescuer. She’d just felt compelled. For some reason, she’d really wanted Dr. Williams to know Caleb was hurt. Caleb sighed heavily. “Fine.” He pushed back the chair and stood, rounding the bed. He tipped his hat to Rose as he did. “I’ll be back to take you home.” A doctor and a cowboy—two childhood fantasies, side by side. Be still, my rapidly beating heart, she thought. With a final glance at her, the men departed. The room felt completely empty minus the two hot studs. One of them she’d see again when she started work in a few days. The other was about to give her a lift home. Lord, have mercy.

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Chapter Three Several hours later, Rose pulled a comb through her damp hair. Wet locks hung in a straight sheet of burgundy, brushing over the bruising on her collarbone. Staring in the mirror at the mottled seat belt marks that ran diagonally across her chest, it was little wonder she had felt so rotten when she woke up in the hospital. Still, the hot bath Caleb insisted on drawing as soon as she got home had done a world of good. And now, the man who had literally crashed into her life was just one room away while she stood naked in the bedroom of her new apartment. She swallowed at the thought and wandered to the closet to pull on a powder-blue tank top, a soft, white sweater, and black jogging pants. Running would be out for a few days, which was a shame. She’d been looking forward to jogging in the beautiful, rustic surroundings. After wiggling her toes on the cold floor, she tugged on a pair of socks. The mountain climate had been a huge change from her last assignment, back in the south where it was warm and humid this time of year. That seemed like ages ago. One last look in the mirror failed to impress her. There were faint circles beneath her grayish-blue eyes, and her skin seemed paler than usual against the purplish bruising on her chest and face. Skid marks from the air bag were scabbing over on her nose and cheek. Yuck. She should be grateful, she knew. Things could have been much worse. She was on her feet, able to worry about things like whether her hard nipples were noticeable through the thin sweater. Her biggest

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problem at the moment was drumming up the courage to face her hero. The man had carried her two miles to make sure she got help despite her clipping him with her car. Bleeding and injured, he’d seen to her safety first. Funny how men had thrown themselves at her for years without success, but when a wolf had thrown itself in front of her, she suddenly had not one, but two men wedged prominently in her thoughts. A slick of lip gloss failed to completely disguise her flaky, dry lips, and finally, she couldn’t stall any longer. She gave her bed a longing glance as she passed it on her way to the living room. Caleb was on the couch. His larger-than-life presence made the small space shrink even closer around his broad shoulders. He was sleeping, slumped way down in his seat with his hat pulled completely over his face and his fingers folded across his stomach. She stood still, smiling privately at the sight of him looking so relaxed and at home. The way she’d first seen him that morning, framed by the window, had been memorable too. She wasn’t sure which image would stick to her tighter when they returned to their separate lives. “How was the bath?” he asked, muffled into the Stetson. “Oh! I didn’t realize you were awake.” He pulled off his hat and shook his bangs aside. “I rested my eyes for a few, but I’m a very light sleeper.” A frown creased his perfect face. “Don’t know why I keep noddin’ off. Been happenin’ like that since yesterday.” “I don’t doubt it. You were shot, after all. Your body needs a chance to heal.” “Sleep ain’t what normally helps that.” He stood up and wandered near the door, hanging his hat on a wall peg there. “I’ve got some tried-and-trues, though,” he went on, wandering back to stand at the couch. “Which brings me back to my question. Did the bath help?”

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“The bath was perfect, thanks.” She pulled her sweater tighter around her as he swept a fast but no less unsettling glance over every inch of her. “You were right—I feel a lot more human.” “No dizzy spells?” “Not so far. My headache’s mostly gone for the moment, too. The pain medicine I took earlier helped.” He favored her with a stomach-tickling smile. “Good.” “Should I make you something?” she asked. “I’m feeling good enough that I can probably scare something up.” The smile dissolved. “The only thing you need to scare up is a spot on this couch. Feedin’ my face is the last thing you should be worried about.” “It’s the least I can do after all you’ve done.” “I’ll grab somethin’ later. For now, rest.” She happily sank down on the couch. He followed suit, keeping a respectable distance. Weariness invaded her, and curling up for a nap would have been nice. First, she should probably let the guy off the hook so he wouldn’t feel the need to babysit. Even if the thought of him going away sent a pang of disappointment through her. “I really appreciate all this,” she said. “I’m sorry everything took so long today.” It had taken forever to get home. Processing her discharge had taken hours, and then Caleb had insisted on stopping not only at the pharmacy to fill her prescription, but the supermarket. There, he wouldn’t even let her get out of the truck. He returned with mysterious bags he’d unloaded into her fridge while she bathed. Now, light was already fading fast from the living room window as she tucked her legs beneath her. He shrugged. “It wasn’t a problem.” “I’m probably keeping you from something important,” she persisted. “You are somethin’ important.”

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The way he looked at her when he said it twisted around in her chest. When she started to say more, to do the right thing by encouraging him to leave her when her body was whispering otherwise, he cut her off. “If you don’t mind me sayin’,” he said, “this place ain’t quite what I expected. I’d figured you for a different sort of style.” She blinked at the change of topic but nodded as she took in the plaid sofa and dark wood tones in the nondescript, hotel-style furnishings. Aside from a pretty arrangement of bright silk flowers on the end table beside her, the cowboy hat he’d hung up on the wall was the homiest touch in the place. “You’re right,” she said. “The rental came furnished. It’s paid for as part of my nursing contract, so I don’t mind living in a different aesthetic. It’s only temporary, anyway.” “You lookin’ for a more permanent place?” “I’m not staying.” “Is that so?” Her heart gave a little sputter at the humorous tone in his words. A note of disappointment over her leaving would have been nice. She folded her arms. “I’m a travel nurse, and I take assignments all over. My current contract is up in thirteen weeks.” “Uh-huh,” he said, still surprisingly unconvinced. “Where you headed then?” “Hawaii.” She couldn’t help beaming wide. “It’s a dream assignment I’ve been waiting on for two years. I can’t wait to go. If anything, that might be the place I try to look for something permanent.” That seemed to strike a note finally, and a crease deepened the brow barely visible beneath his bangs. They looked at one another in silence for a moment, and she tried to breathe shallow and even to help offset the disorienting effect of his gold-and-gemstone eyes. He leaned forward and pulled her sketch pad off the coffee table. “I was lookin’ at these while you were soakin’ in the tub. Did you draw them?”

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She nodded, feeling a funny jolt at the thought of him looking through her artwork. It seemed so deeply personal that he’d done so. Like he’d glimpsed into her soul. Her art wasn’t something she normally showed to people. “They’re really good,” he went on. “You have quite a talent.” “Thank you.” He flipped open the pad and thumbed through several pages. “Seems like you have a thing for waterfalls.” She watched as pencil sketches of water landscapes flipped past. “I can’t explain it, really. They just fascinate me.” “And now you’re livin’ in Shay Falls. Coincidence?” She shrugged. “I’ll admit the town’s name had a certain appeal when I heard it.” “You’ve been to all these places?” “Just a few. The rest were sketched off of photos and other things.” He stopped suddenly on one page. “What about this one?” He held it up for her to see. “Have you been here?” A flush of warmth crept into her cheeks. “No. I, uh, well, you’ll think it’s stupid.” “Try me.” She cleared her throat. “It’s not a real place. I sketched it based on a dream I’ve had several times.” He took his time staring at the picture, and the sight of it brought the dreams back to her. Or the single dream, rather, replayed over and over. It was so compelling, so sensual. The very memory of it spiked her pulse. “Oh, it’s a real place, all right,” he said at last. “I’ll take you to it, if you’d like.” She cocked her head at him. “What do you mean?” Caleb held the drawing closer to her. “This is a sketch of Shay Falls.” Her mouth fell open. “No, it’s not. It just came out of a dream.”

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“That dream is real. And you’re here now.” “Maybe it just looks like Shay Falls,” she said in puzzlement. “A lot of waterfalls are alike.” “Each one is unique, actually. Somethin’ your artist’s eye has captured in these sketches quite well. See here?” He scooted closer to her on the sofa, his body heat reaching out to her as he pointed out the top of a ridge surrounding the falls. “Look at that row of pines dottin’ one side, but not the other. And down at the base, where you’ve got this group of boulders juttin’ out of the water. And this tall boulder standin’ on the bank, butted up against the woods. It’s exactly the same, Rose. Down to every last detail.” She gaped at the drawing, listening to blood pound in her ears. The throbbing in her head sharpened as she tried to absorb what he was saying. It wasn’t possible. If she’d managed to nail the setting so well, why hadn’t she been able to pin down other details she would be wise not to think about now? “This is the only thing that’s out of place,” he went on, tapping his finger over a spot that turned her stomach upside down. “And yet it’s right at home.” Rose swallowed hard as she gazed at the flat rock on the shore, and the hat that rested on it. The faceless man from her dream was absent from the drawing, largely because she could never catch more than vague impressions about him. Handsome. Strong. Able to elicit the strongest desire she’d ever felt. Until quite recently, anyway. His expression suddenly lit up. “Here!” His finger tapped wildly now. “What do you remember about this?” She followed his motion and frowned at the figure among the trees, gazing out over the water. “What is that doing there?” she said, blinking in surprise. “I don’t remember drawing it.” “The wolf wasn’t part of your dream?” he asked.

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She shook her head, staring at it. The animal was half hidden by the trees but plain enough to see. It stood there, majestic, staring over the rock where her faceless dream man always laid the hat before coming to her. Taking her face in his hands gently. Sinking down together in cool, springy moss that grew along the bank. “Maybe that’s the wolf that ran in front of your car,” Caleb said. Something snaked around her spine, sending tingles all the way to her feet. “I doubt that.” “Are you sure?” He shifted toward her, and the excitement in his eyes seemed to light up the golden flecks until they shimmered. “Did it ever occur to you the reason you’re so obsessed with waterfalls is that deep down you knew you were destined to come here? That somethin’, or rather, someone, would be waitin’ for you?” “Who?” she barely rasped out. “I think you know.” His finger brushed over the sketch of the hat. Her gaze flicked to the one hanging at her front door. “That’s crazy,” she whispered. “So is this.” They were close enough together that Caleb didn’t have to lean over very far in order to faintly, almost imperceptibly, feather his lips over hers. The barely there contact, however, sent a jolt of electricity through her. The pounding in her head gave way to a much deeper throb that pulsed throughout her body. “I shouldn’t be doin’ this,” he was whispering. “You need rest.” He was still saying the words as he deepened the kiss. The sketch pad slid off his lap when she circled his neck with her arms, pulling him closer to her. When had she ever been kissed like this? Men had tried, of course. A few dates had responded to her much the way Caleb was now, moaning and tightening his hold on her shoulders. But she had never felt any need to respond. She had never felt any need, period. The press of a man’s lips to hers had always been met with a curious detachment, a numb experience that left her suitors curiously gasping

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for breath and her ready to find the nearest exit. Now, however, Caleb’s mouth ignited every erotic impulse she thought she didn’t possess. His fire lit her insides until she felt like the woman she became in the waterfall dream. His tongue slid along her lips, sending a tickle down to her clit. When she parted her mouth for him, he groaned and slipped his tongue inside. She gasped in pleasure at the feel and taste of him, so purely male and sensual. “God, Rose,” he murmured against her lips. “You’re even more incredible than I imagined. Just the thought of us bein’ together makes me near to losin’ my mind.” His hands ran along her shoulders, and she shivered with the goose bumps his touch set off on her flesh. Her tongue grew bolder, and she explored his mouth deeply, fully. Her already-tense nipples stiffened to aching peaks that silently begged him for his touch. Or perhaps not so silently, because he responded. His hands moved to her sweater and gingerly slid the edges back. He pulled away from the kiss to look at her, but what she hoped would be a positive response turned into a grimace. “This looks so painful,” he said, delicately tracing his fingertips over the visible part of the seat belt bruise. Her nipples hardened fiercely at his touch. “Right now, pain isn’t what I’m feeling,” she said quietly. “Not even close.” Her eyes met his, swallowed by the intensity of his gaze. From this close distance, his eyes made a bizarre shift in color so that the gold seemed to be overtaking the rest. The results were breathtaking, in a very real sense. “You should be relaxin’ so you can heal,” he said, still running his fingers over the swell of her breast. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”

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He pulled away then, and she could still feel his touch lingering on her skin. Her body cried out for more of him, instantly and hopelessly addicted. “Please,” she said, taking his hand. “Don’t stop.” Something flickered in that gaze. “I have to for your own good.” “This is what’s good.” She drew his hand back to her breast, part of her wondering whether thinking about her dream had prodded her into taking such a bold approach. “Make me feel better, Caleb.” His eyes clouded. “Lay back. Close your eyes.” She settled on her back with her head resting on the cushioned arm of the couch. He stretched out on his side next to her and gave her a gentle, yet searing kiss. “You didn’t close your eyes,” he murmured. “I can’t. My eyes want to keep staring at you.” A brief smile vanished inside an expression of determination and longing, and Caleb let his fingers trail along her jaw, down her throat, and back to the mounds of flesh rising and falling with each shaky breath. A glance showed how prominent her nipples were against the thin fabric of her top, but Caleb was not content to simply allow his hands to trace around the straining buds. He lifted the hem of her shirt, staring in awe when he bared her breasts. They weren’t particularly large, but they were round and firm. She wasn’t disappointed by the searing heat in his reaction while he stared at them. “So unbelievably perfect,” he whispered, his eyes shifting to hers. “Even more beautiful than your name.” The full length of the marks on her chest was visible to him now, and he bent his head to the ugly bruises. “I’m so damn sorry for this,” he said, pressing the lightest of kisses to the top of the mark cresting her collarbone. “And this.” Another kiss along the bruise, somewhat lower down. “And this.” He continued this way down the length of the strap mark, each kiss shooting sparks of desire straight down between her legs. The last

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kiss he pressed to the underside of her breast, right along her rib cage. She whimpered with pleasure and squirmed against his lips. “Relax,” he whispered, taking the hand she’d curled into a fist. “Let go and just let me touch you.” “I can’t help it.” His mouth centered right over her nipple, and her heart almost stopped when his hot breath fluttered over the stiff, pink nub. “How can I relax when I’ve never felt this way before?” He let out a deep groan at that and lowered his mouth to her nipple. He sucked it in and circled his tongue around the tip. Any hope of relaxing went to hell with the feel of his mouth on such sensitive flesh. She threaded her hands into his soft hair, pulling him closer. She moaned loudly when she felt the delicious, light graze of teeth on her nipple. A gush of warmth released between her legs as her clit pounded with each rapid beat of her heart. “What did that accident do to me?” she asked. He didn’t answer, seeming utterly captivated as he moved from one breast to the other, driving her irreparably insane with hot, wet flicks of his tongue. His hand slid over her stomach to palm the mound in her snug jogging pants. She pressed her hips upward, wriggling against his touch until the tops of his fingers found her clit. She cried out in shock at the contact. “Caleb! Oh, yes.” Of course she’d touched herself before and had found her own way to orgasm many times. But this! A man’s hand down there shot her to heights she hadn’t expected. He could leave his hand resting perfectly still right where it was, and he’d still make her come. He worked his hand between her legs, no doubt feeling the damp heat coming off her. He gave a little growl that sounded almost animal and pressed his pelvis against her hip. She felt his erection then, and a surge of satisfaction flooded her. His cock was so hard for her. He was every bit as turned on as she was. She’d held men’s desires in little regard until that very moment. Now, she wanted nothing more than for him to need her.

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His hand pushed inside her pants, plunging through her curls to find the source of the hot, slippery wetness soaking her panties. His fingers slid along the channel between her lips, dragging against the hood of her clit until she felt the peak of climax begin to sharpen. Her hips ground against his hand, and she reached down to clamp onto his wrist and push his fingers farther, deeper. When they found and prodded the entrance to her cunt, however, she paused. “This is going to sound weird,” she said, hissing out a breath in the middle when his tongue found an especially arousing rhythm over her nipple. “But I haven’t—I mean, you’ll want to go slow because I…” she trailed off, not seeming able to get the words out. “Because you’re a virgin,” he said softly. “I know.” “How do you know that?” she asked, feeling her face redden a bit at her own lack of experience. “Can men tell?” “I can tell.” He raised his head from her breasts, and when she saw the fire in his gaze, her eyes flew wide. “Your eyes!” she exclaimed. He closed them for a moment. “Yeah. I don’t doubt it for a minute.” His eyes no longer held even a tinge of their usual purple color. Gold pulsated in their depths, even more so than she remembered through the initial haze of the accident. She hadn’t been imagining it, then. Caleb was different from other men. Very, profoundly different. Two of his fingers breached her at that moment, and the entire focus of her thoughts blanked out into a world of pleasure. His digits slipped in and out, all the way up to pull her wet juices up over her wildly throbbing clit. “Oh, God,” she murmured, pressing her hips against his hand. “Deeper. Faster.” Caleb took the command and improved on it. His fingers twisted inside her as he explored the depths of her soaking wet cunt, plunging in and out faster until she writhed shamelessly on the couch.

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When his mouth claimed hers, orgasm shot up and over a hot, high peak. “Caleb!” she shouted, and then language skills devolved into a series of shamefully loud moans as she worked her cunt against his probing fingers, and he pressed his hard cock against her in return. There was a blissful, complete lack of anything in her universe outside the spasms of ecstasy pulsing through her body. Her unwilling descent hastened when Caleb pulled his fingers out of her panties. She caught the scent of her warm juices on him when he took hold of her hand and pulled it to his crotch. “Did I make you feel better?” he asked, his voice huskier than normal as he pressed her palm to the impossibly hard ridge in his pants. He moaned and pushed himself against her hand. “No,” she said. “You took me right off of this planet.” She’d never felt a man’s hard cock before, at least not outside the accidental and not-so-accidental erections her patients experienced during baths and routine care. This, of course, was entirely different. His erection was so unbelievably stiff and long. She felt it jerk a little, and her still-tingling clit pulsed in response. Caleb let out an uncontrolled moan and thrust his tongue in her mouth. “Rose,” he said hoarsely when he pulled back. “I don’t know how much longer I can find the patience to stay away from you.” She rubbed him more boldly now, reveling in the power of making him squirm and his dick throb with need. “This is your idea of staying away? He smiled and reached between them to fumble with his belt buckle, and she was about to join in and help. The moment jolted back to reality when they heard a sharp knock at the front door.

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Chapter Four Caleb and Rose sat up on the couch, the rapid change in position sending a new wave of drumbeats pounding through her head. “Expectin’ company?” he asked. She yanked her shirt back down over her breasts and frowned at the door. “None that I’m aware of.” “Shall I answer it?” “I’ll do it,” she said, though when she got up too fast, the room gave a slight pitch. “Let me help you.” He circled her waist again as she headed for the door, and a glance out the peephole sent a little pulse of shock through her. “What’s he doing here?” she whispered. Caleb didn’t reply. He just leaned casually against the wall with a smile, as though he knew exactly who she meant. “Did you know about this?” she asked, wary at his suspicious expression. “Nope. Plannin’ to open the door?” She tugged the door open to Dr. Williams. He’d ditched the white coat, but still had on his dress shirt and slacks from earlier. Even with the tie loosened and the top button of his shirt undone, he looked every bit as polished and professional as when she’d first seen him. Every bit as delectable, too, though perhaps it was wrong of her to think that way after what she’d just let Caleb do to her. “Doctor Williams,” she said. “I wouldn’t have expected you here.”

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“Wouldn’t you? And please, call me Stephen.” He was looking at Caleb. “Can’t say I’m surprised to see you here.” “I’d be surprised if you were surprised.” The doctor’s piercing blue eyes shifted back to her, and her stomach did a little flip. “Are you all right?” he asked. “You look flushed.” There was a hint of accusation in the words. She swallowed and felt her face heat up even more. “I took a hot bath not long ago.” “May I come in?” Apparently, remembering proper manners didn’t come naturally after, well, coming powerfully. Rose pushed open the door she’d been clutching. “Of course. I’m sorry.” As he entered, his knee-weakening scent trailed him in. The cologne from that morning had long faded, but his own masculine aroma enlivened her very senses. What was it about him, anyway? Besides the incredible good looks and medical degree. An interesting though silent power play took place while she led her visitors into the living room. The men were clearly jockeying for position, and Stephen lost when Caleb all but pulled Rose down and sat with her between him and the arm of the couch. That left Stephen standing alone with an annoyed expression. He made no comment, however, as he sank down on the closest chair flanking the ends of the coffee table. She offered him a smile. “So, what brings you to my door, Doctor?” “Stephen. I thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing.” Her brow lifted. “Really? House calls are a rare thing these days.” Caleb grunted. “Yeah. Especially for hospital-based docs.” Something flickered in the man’s eyes. “This is more of an informal visit,” he said. “Partly because I wanted to give you this.” He held out an envelope she hadn’t seen him holding. The same logo that was embroidered on his doctor’s coat was stamped in one corner.

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“What is it?” she asked. “I’m sure it’ll be self-explanatory.” She tore open a corner and pulled out an official-looking paper typed on hospital letterhead. With her head pounding as it was, focusing on the small type strained her eyes. She closed them and rubbed at her temples. “Still have the headache?” Dr. Williams asked. “It was mostly gone,” she said. “But it’s back now.” With a vengeance. “When was your last dose of pain meds?” She glanced over at a wooden wall clock. “I’m past due.” He was up in a flash, strutting over to the adjacent dining area. A white pharmacy bag was sitting on the walnut-veneer dining table. “In this?” When she nodded, he picked up the bag and headed for the open kitchen, where he had no trouble finding his way around to get her a glass of water. “Seems like you know where everything is,” she said as she watched him dump two pills into his hand. “I’ve visited the corporate housing before,” he said, wandering back to her. “The hospital puts up special guests here.” She took the proffered medicine as he sat back down. “Like I said earlier, you’re quite the full-service physician.” While she swallowed her pills, she scanned the contents of the brief letter—and almost choked. “Just apparently not my physician.” He flashed a look but said nothing. She held up the letter. “You’re firing me as a patient after only treating me once?” “Don’t think of it as a firing. It’s more of a clarification. It’s just a formality.” Her heart pumped faster as she fought off disappointment. He didn’t want her as a patient. The dismissal rankled more than a little.

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She tossed the letter beside the sketch pad Caleb had replaced on the coffee table when they’d gone to answer the knock. “I don’t understand.” “I do,” Caleb said, and he stretched his arm along the back of the sofa behind her. It was a possessive gesture, one she challenged with a look. He returned it with a naughty grin. Public displays like this were a bit much at this point in their relationship, and she probably shouldn’t encourage his behavior. Still, considering all he’d done for her, brushing him off in front of Dr. Williams wouldn’t be a nice way to repay him. “This is nothing personal,” the doctor said. Caleb’s snort cut in. “Like hell it ain’t.” A muscle twitched in Dr. Williams’s jaw. “Fair enough.” His attention returned to Rose. “It’s nothing negative to do with you, then. Quite the opposite.” Her woozy head refused to follow his words to a point, if he’d in fact made one. “As they say, just give it to me straight, Doctor,” she said. “Call me Stephen.” “Okay, Stephen.” She kicked herself mentally over the little happy dance tickling her stomach over saying his first name out loud. After all, the man was in the process of dumping her. Sort of. Rose folded her arms. “Let me see if I have this straight. You’re saying I was a model patient for the whole twenty minutes or so that you were my doctor, but now you never want to see me again.” He shook his head. “No. I’m not saying that at all.” “Then I’m lost.” He shifted forward in his chair so he could take hold of her hand. She ignored the accompanying tingles by gritting her teeth. “I told you I expected we’d meet again soon. You thought I meant when you start work at the hospital. I meant something more personal.”

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His thumb stroked the back of her hand, and the fireworks he touched off were impossible to drown out. She gaped at him. “Are you asking me on a date?” He smiled. “I suppose I am, in a manner of speaking.” One man’s arm was draped around her seat while another one asked her out. She flicked wild glances back and forth between them. Caleb wore a casual, almost smug smile while Stephen made a play for her right in front of him—and right after Caleb had had his hand in her pants. Whatever rabbit hole she’d tumbled down, it was a deep one. “You’re asking me this in front of Caleb,” she said, “whose arm you see around me. And that doesn’t bother you?” His eyes shifted to Caleb. “Guess you didn’t tell her about me, did you?” “Tell me what about you?” she asked. Caleb shrugged. “It didn’t come up.” The other man narrowed his blue-gold gaze. “‘It’ didn’t, or I didn’t?” “Other things have been goin’ on.” Stephen’s tone grew edgier. “Yeah, I’m aware of that. And yet what should have come up first wasn’t mentioned. That bothers me. A lot.” She stared at him quizzically. Just when she thought she’d wrapped her head around the conversation, it drifted off into the unknown again. Caleb made a clucking sound at Stephen. “See, that’s the difference between you city fellas and cowboys.” A shiver ran down her arm when he moved his hand from the couch to stroke her shoulder. “Ya’ll are in such a hurry. Cowboys, well, we like to take our time with things.” “Except when those ‘things’ involve getting it on with a mate,” Stephen said. “Then you move right in for the kill.” Heat flooded Rose’s cheeks.

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“And by the way,” Stephen went on, “it just so happens that I am a cowboy. Was, anyway. I spent six years working a ranch right here in Shay Falls.” Caleb laughed. “Is that so, Doc?” “It was a while ago, I’ll admit. But it’s true.” She stared at him. How old was he? Certainly not much more than thirty. How could he have been a cowhand for six years, graduated medical school, and practiced long enough to land a hospitalist position? Had he been four years old when he “worked” this ranch? “Once a cowboy, always a cowboy,” Caleb said. “If you say it in the past tense, I ain’t sure you had the chops to call yourself one in the first place.” Stephen gave Caleb a one-sided smile that tinged on dangerous. “So far as I can tell, I have the distinction of being the very first cowboy in this town to get that life yanked right out from under my boots because I got turned.” Caleb’s smile vanished. Rose’s brow furrowed. “Turned? Turned into what?” Stephen’s gaze honed itself on Caleb like a blade on a whetstone. “You told her nothing at all? How could you be intimate with her without telling her the truth about yourself?” Several things about that statement set off Rose’s internal alarms, and the first one she jumped on was the last one she should have been worried about. “Whoa, whoa. Why are you acting like it’s a given Caleb and I have been intimate when you know we barely met yesterday?” His dangerous grin turned her direction. “Are you denying you’ve been with him?” She bristled and shifted on the couch, pushing Caleb’s stroking fingers away with an irritated grunt. “It’s none of your business if I have or not. I just find it curious you’re assuming I throw myself around freely when the truth would probably surprise the hell out of you.”

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“What truth, that you’re a virgin? That wasn’t the question I asked.” Her eyes widened. “You, too? What is this? Don’t tell me that piece of information turned up during my medical exam.” He ignored her tirade and focused on Caleb. “Why the hell didn’t you tell her the truth?” Caleb’s eyes flashed, and he gave the front of his shirt a vicious tug. The snaps on his shirt gave way, baring his still-injured chest. “When you get shot at by silver bullets not just because of what you are, but who your pack was, then you can lecture me about my reluctance to share my darkest secrets.” She gaped at him. “Would somebody please answer at least one of my questions? What darkest secrets?” “Why don’t you ask Caleb what happened to the wolf you ran into with your car?” Stephen asked. “The wolf?” She frowned. “What about it?” “You mean this wolf?” Caleb snatched up the sketch pad from the coffee table and flipped to the drawing. Stephen gazed at it with a question in his eyes. “Rose drew this picture off of a dream she keeps havin’,” Caleb said. “Even though she ain’t never seen the falls.” The other man nodded. “Not that there was any doubt who she is.” A spark of irritation touched off in her chest. “‘She’ is sitting right here. And by all means, Caleb, go right ahead and show my private artwork to anyone you feel like.” “Stephen ain’t just anyone, darlin’.” Caleb’s smoldering look heated her stomach. “And I think you know it.” The buzz of questions shouting in her mind silenced when he scooted closer to her, invading every inch of her personal space. “You feel it, don’t you?” His voice was low and throaty. Mesmerizing. “There’s somethin’ about Stephen that you can’t explain. It’s irresistible. Strong enough to pull you right off your pretty feet. It’s the same feelin’ you have for me.”

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He leaned closer to her with every sentence until his words surrounded her like a hypnotic cloud. She was leaning, too, unable to curb the urge to bridge the gap and taste his lips. “You’re starting up with her again,” Stephen said, “and yet you still haven’t told her what needs to be said.” That burst through Rose’s trance, and she yanked back from Caleb with a scowl. Damn, how easily he could completely derail her train of thought! Hopefully, this was just a temporary side effect of hitting her head, not a talent Caleb could wield on her at will. “Stephen’s right,” she said. “Whatever you should have told me, you better say it now.” She glanced at the drawing still in his hand. “Starting with what he meant about the wolf. What does it have to do with this? I never saw it again after I hit it.” Caleb took a deep breath as he met her eyes. “Yes, you did. You’re lookin’ at him right now.” She snorted in disgust. “And here I thought I was the one all confused from a concussion.” “You saw that I was banged up and bleedin’ after the accident, and you knew that you’d hit me.” “So?” He held his shirt open wider this time. “But aside from the bullet hole, the rest of those injuries are completely healed already.” True enough. She eyed his mouthwatering torso up and down, and there wasn’t a mark on him—except for a pair of curious puncture scars on his left shoulder. “You said you didn’t remember hittin’ a man with your car,” he continued. “That’s because you didn’t. I was the wolf, Rose. I’m a shifter. And I ain’t the only one.” Both men wore dead-serious expressions that she tried to mimic for a minute. Then she burst out laughing. “Come on, guys. It isn’t April Fools’.” She grinned at Stephen. “Was this why you wanted to talk to Caleb in private earlier today? So you two could set up a little joke on the head injury victim?”

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“It’s no joke,” Stephen said, frowning. “And he’s not the only werewolf in this room.” She shook her head. “So now he’s a werewolf. Not just a wolf.” “He and I are both werewolves,” Stephen said, still looking sober as a church deacon. “I recognized him the minute I set foot in your hospital room. Not just because he’s another shifter, either.” He paused, searching her face. “I sensed the presence of my mates. Both of you.” “That’s why you feel this uncontrolled attraction to us,” Caleb added. “Why you let me pleasure you when I know you’ve never let another man touch you that way. You’ve been waitin’ all your life for us, darlin’. And we’ve been waitin’ for you.” Her annoyed amusement erupted into full-blown irritation, and Rose stood up and rounded to the far end of the coffee table. “Okay, now I’m getting a little pissed. Just because I hit my head doesn’t mean I’ve gone completely stupid.” In theory, anyway. Caleb stood up, too. “I know it sounds hard to believe.” She put her fists on her hips. “No, it’s impossible to believe, because it isn’t true. I don’t get why you’d even try and screw with me like this.” Stephen sighed heavily and got to his feet. She stiffened when he tugged at his already loosened tie, pulling out the knot. When he started unbuttoning his shirt, however, she held up a hand. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked, not bothering to hide her alarm. “Looks like we’re about to kill two birds with one stone,” he replied, but he was looking at Caleb. She was so fixated on the appealing glimpses of chest being revealed button by button that she almost missed it, but the unmistakably simmering gaze Caleb raked over the other man, straight down to the bulge in his slacks, caught her breath. “Which two birds are those?” Caleb asked, his eyes glittering brighter gold in the lamplight.

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“She’s not going to believe us unless we show her. And you and I have an issue to work out that apparently can’t wait, since you’re so intent on staking your claim.” The buttoned cuffs were undone next. His shirt hung completely open now, and so did Rose’s mouth. God only knew what he planned to “show” her, and the thought of it made her head throb against the incessant pounding of her pulse. She should say something, stop him now. But, oh! The shirt shrugged off onto the chair behind him, and she froze. Mother of all things holy and beautiful, Stephen was a sight to behold. He epitomized all the masculine appeal Caleb perfected himself. Long shifts cooped up in a hospital had done nothing to soften Stephen’s athletic physique. Caleb casually crossed one leg over his knee and laid his arm over the back of the sofa again. “Fine by me if you want to settle accounts now,” he said. “All you gotta do is roll over and show me your belly while you pay respect to your new alpha.” The laugh Stephen gave in response was less than humorous. “Funny, that’s just what I picture you doing about two minutes from now.” Caleb shook his head. “Ain’t gonna happen, Dr. Cowboy.” “You understand, of course, why I can’t bow down to you after you told me back at the hospital which pack you came from.” Caleb sat forward slowly. “And after two majorly fucked alphas in a row, I’m sure you understand why I’ll be damned before I’ll bellyup for another.” Rose clenched her fists against the tension soaring in the room, totally lost for the umpteenth time during the course of this conversation. What the devil was all this male posturing about? “I’m not like the others,” Stephen said. “That’s right, because you’re about to bend over for me.” “Get up and give it your best shot.”

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Caleb rose steadily to his feet until they were barely a foot apart. “Speakin’ of shot, surely the good doc ain’t gonna make a pack challenge on a wolf who was just hit by a silver bullet?” Stephen’s twisted smile indicated otherwise, and an ugly feeling slid down Rose’s spine. “You know,” he said, “I happen to be a good deal older than you.” “Okay, Gramps. Old man versus cripple. Is that supposed to even the odds?” “As much as you could ever match up to me.” With that, Stephen yanked Caleb’s shirt over his shoulders, exposing his chest. The bullet wound was healing impressively, but it still gaped open deeply, marring the perfection of his hard chest. Caleb swallowed hard as he stood there, letting his shirt slip off his arms while he watched Stephen. To Rose’s shock, Stephen grabbed the man’s upper arms, leaned down, and flicked out his tongue to give the wound a long, slow, lick. Rose pressed a hand to her mouth at the gesture that was equal parts erotic and disturbing. Caleb’s head dropping and eyes rolling back weighed heavily on the erotic side. She felt her nipples actually tighten at the sight of the two men locked together this way. Her medical knowledge, however, tipped the scales heavily into the zone of disturbing. Just the thought of how much bacteria had been exchanged made her lean weakly against the wall behind her. That a doctor, of all people, would introduce saliva into an open wound was truly mortifying. At least, until he pulled back. Something odd was bubbling in Caleb’s wound, almost as though Stephen had poured peroxide on it. She leaned forward to stare right along with the men while the impossible happened. Threads of pink tissue pushed out from the open wound edges, webbing together to build up inside the hole. The injury grew narrower and shallower until at last, smooth flesh fused itself over the top. The bullet wound was gone. Not even a scar remained.

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She blinked furiously, wondering whether this was all part of some freaky, concussion-induced dream. “How?” was all she managed. “Convinced about us bein’ shifters yet?” Caleb asked, working the arm on the affected side back and forth, and then grunting in satisfaction. “Wolves can’t do that,” she said. Stephen smiled. “Canine saliva actually does have use, especially among our kind. The longer we’ve been turned, the more potent the healing properties become. That’s partly what gave me the idea to pursue medicine when I couldn’t work livestock anymore.” She shook her head in amazement. “You don’t actually lick your patients, do you?” “Of course not. It might not work on humans, anyway. I’ve only found it of use in silver poisoning. If I even tested it on a human patient, I’d get my license revoked before being taken apart piece by piece to find out what makes me tick.” “Don’t you mean howl?” Caleb asked. He smoothed his fingers over the wound site, much the way Rose had just after the accident. “I suppose I should thank you. But since you only healed this so you can fight me, maybe I won’t.” That brought Rose a step forward. “Hang on. That’s what this is about? You two are planning to fight?” Caleb turned and shoved the couch backward several feet, and Stephen picked up the coffee table, sketch pad and all, and stood it on the cushioned seat. “No, no, no,” she said, fisting her hips. “You are not starting a fight in here.” “It has to be done,” Stephen said, grabbing a lamp off the end table. “We’ll be careful.” “He can cover the cost of any damage,” Caleb said. “He’s a rich doc, after all.” “Hardly,” Stephen said, relocating the end table.

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She gaped at them. “Put that back! Are you both insane? You can’t start duking it out right in the middle of my living room. What are you, a couple of animals?” Pointed and heavily sardonic expressions flashed her way. “That’s the real question, ain’t it?” Caleb said, kicking off his boots. “And you’d best step out of the way before you get an answer.” The men were unbuckling their belts now, and her eyes flicked back and forth between them wildly. “I changed my mind,” she blurted in desperation. “I don’t want an answer anymore.” “Too late,” Stephen said. “This gets settled now, before the loose cannon cowboy over there does something stupid. Again.” “If you’re referrin’ to Rose,” Caleb said, unzipping his jeans, “I had no intention of fuckin’ her before this was dealt with. I’ve seen firsthand how crazed other males get when a mate is taken by her wolf without a proper claim.” “And yet I could smell all the way through the front door just how close you were to chucking your intention,” Stephen said. “So save it.” “Fair enough.” Caleb gave him a wickedly sensual, teasing grin. “Your ass is mine, boy.” “We’ll see.” Both their eyes were glowing yellow now, and that alone would have riveted her attention if not for the fact that Stephen was shoving his slacks down. God, they were not only going to fight, but they were going to do so naked. She couldn’t help but stare at his heart-stopping body. He looked every bit as toned and fit as an Olympic athlete, every muscle sleek and rippling beneath his smooth skin. A tattooed message in stylized script stretched from the front of his hip to just above the dark triangle of hair on his pelvis. His cock hung long between his legs, and it wasn’t entirely soft. He was getting something of a thrill off the whole macho thing. So was Caleb, who stepped out of his jeans and left them in a pool in front of his bare feet. He had more hair on his body

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than Stephen, but muscle bulged on him everywhere—and that meant everywhere, as his cock was pointing right at Stephen’s rigid thighs. Their gazes ran over one another as hungrily as her own did. “Nice ink,” Caleb said, staring at the script over his lower abdomen that read Luna Plenus. “What’s it mean?” “Full moon.” Caleb grunted. “Wouldn’t have figured you for a tattoo man.” “Bet you hadn’t figured on a lot of things from me. Like me showing up here tonight.” “Actually, I was wonderin’ what took you so damn long.” Stephen growled, a sound that was less than human—and Caleb matched it. The men eyed one another with something far more driven and sinister than sexual attraction, and the mood in the room thickened until Rose could barely breathe. Her hair prickled along her arms. She had to do something. She marched forward and planted herself between them, opening her mouth to order them both out of her house. A scream came out instead. Somehow, Stephen’s face was melting. No, lengthening. His jaw had come unhinged, and long teeth showed when he curled his lip. Caleb tugged her out of the way, putting her behind him. “Fuck, Stephen, you’re scarin’ her. For someone with fancy college degrees on his wall, you’re a damn idiot.” Caleb turned to her and took her by the arms. “It’s okay, Rose. We won’t hurt you. Not ever. And you see how fast we heal. We just need to settle this score so we can move on.” “Settle what score?” she asked, not sure she wanted to know. “One of us needs to be acknowledged as alpha in order to bond us as pack mates.” Stephen was speaking now, and while the first part sounded distorted, the rest came out as normal as his face had again become. The only anomaly was the alien glow to his eyes. “It’s a necessary part of the process. I’m sorry I wasn’t clearer up front.

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You’re in no danger. I want you to know that. And if it makes you feel better, I’ll go easy on Caleb.” Caleb’s jaw tensed. “Now you’re just tryin’ to piss me off. Move out of the way, darlin’. Time to teach an old wolf new tricks.” He still had her by the arm, and he tugged her toward the dining area. She went the rest of the way on her own in a semi-daze, turning when she had herself sandwiched between the far end of the dining table and the wall. And then, she froze in wide-eyed shock. Both men just disappeared before her eyes, shrinking down toward the carpet with the nerve-grinding sounds of popping bones and crackling joints. Their color changed on the way down, too. Stephen’s smooth, naked flesh turned into pale gray fur. Caleb shot out tufts of mottled gray-brown. In the course of maybe ten seconds, her sexy, if not crazy, suitors were gone. Two wolves stood with their feet on top of the discarded garments on the floor. Their teeth were bared at one another. She gasped as the darker wolf turned its gaze on her. She recognized the creature straight off. It was the same wolf that had run in front of her car. “Caleb,” she whispered. “Is it really you?” The wolf responded with a hair-raising growl, quite literally since the hackles on the back of its furry neck shot straight up. So did her eyebrows. There were wolves in her living room. Wolves who were also men—and who wanted to claim her for their own. That couldn’t be right. She was hallucinating again. She stood there, unblinking, while parts of her brain screamed at her to get out of the room, if not the apartment and Shay Falls altogether. But her feet refused to budge. When the rumbling of their growls pierced through her stomach, however, she did manage to find her voice. “Don’t do this,” she blurted. “Don’t hurt one another. Please.”

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The animals paid no attention. Caleb snapped at Stephen first, the sharp clack of his fangs barely missing the other wolf’s snout. Stephen pulled back just in time, his ears pricked well forward as he launched himself at Caleb. Caleb lunged, too, and the animals collided in an odd sort of dance where they balanced on hind legs with their front paws wrapped around each other’s shoulders. Stephen drew blood on Caleb’s muzzle, and he retaliated by using their bizarre stance to shove Stephen backward against the wall. In this position, it was easy to see the large, pink erections straining out from the furry sheaths beneath their bellies. As vicious as their snapping fangs and prolonged growls were, it was clear both of them were highly aroused over the thrill of the challenge. Caleb pressed his advantage until he had Stephen cornered against the wall, and Rose realized she’d been edging her way along the opposite wall until she found herself by the kitchen. From there, it was a fast shot around the corner to the front door. Stephen yelped in pain when Caleb buried his teeth in the wolf’s neck, and while they were distracted, Rose made her move. She slipped out the door and began a hasty jog away from the apartment complex. Where she was going, she didn’t know or care. She just felt driven to outrun her insanity. Maybe some fresh air would help banish her delusions that the two men she seemed desperately attracted to weren’t even human. Werewolves. She’d hit her head harder than she’d thought. Rose struck out along the highway, headed in the opposite direction from the hospital so that she was traveling gently downhill. Perhaps leaving the battle zone had been a smart move, but going out into the mountain air with damp hair and a light sweater wasn’t. Nervous jitters quickly morphed into violent shivers from the sharp bite in the air. Her breath came in short, erratic puffs in front of her face as she quickened her steps to try and warm up. The mountain road had no street lighting save for the moon overhead, and the farther she jogged from the complex, the darker and

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less friendly the surroundings became. The woods loomed tall and close, hugging the road just a few feet from the dirt shoulder flanking the two-lane highway. As soon as she left the pavement for the safer option of the soft dirt, she stepped onto a small, round stone that dug painfully into the arch of her foot. “Ouch!” she cried as she pressed on. She’d forgotten she only had on her slipper socks, which were now getting wet and dirty from the damp earth, leaves, and pine needles that were being ground into the soles with each pounding footstep. She folded her arms tight across herself to fend off the cold, wishing her pace would hurry and heat up rapidly stiffening muscles. A rustling sound from the nearby woods startled her, however, and she stopped for a moment, breathing hard as her eyes fought to adjust enough to the low light to see into the woods. What the hell was she doing out here? It was freezing cold, and it was nighttime in an unfamiliar stretch of woods where things lurked in the dark. And she’d just discovered what sort of “things” existed in this crazy town. Now that she’d stopped, her head was starting to spin again too, making everything seem that much more foreign and disorienting. The darkness threatened to close in over her as she stood there, her teeth chattering while she tried to force some plausible reasoning back into her thoughts. Which choice was safer—running around in the great unknown, or returning to the hallucination of a pair of rabid werewolves tearing up the place? She frowned. Wait. None of that was real, was it? She was just confused. The men were fighting over her, maybe. But not as animals. She headed out again, away from her confusing life. Maybe she should call the police and ask them to check and see whether two werewolves had taken over her apartment. Right. Rose grimaced as her feet hit more stones. “Damn.”

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She blinked away the whirling in her head and jogged faster, almost stumbling over a pinecone. Maybe she could contact animal control instead. Tell them to bring the silver lassos. That made her giggle. “Maybe you should just turn around, fool,” she muttered. Deep down, she didn’t truly believe Stephen or Caleb would harm her. They’d saved her, hadn’t they? Stephen had sworn an oath to heal people. Caleb had carried her on foot all the way to the hospital. He could easily have taken advantage while she’d been passed out at the side of the road. Maybe the men really wanted exactly what they said—to work out the male pecking order before pursuing a sexual relationship with her. That thought spurred her feet on even faster. Light-headedness threatened to pick her skull right up off her shoulders and float it away, so when she spotted a large rock nearby, she jogged over to it and sat down heavily. She rubbed her numb hands together and sniffed back the runny nose cold air had spawned. Then she held her head in her hands while she tried to make the funny spinning stop. “You can’t keep running,” she told herself through jagged, panting breaths. Even an accomplished jogger had to stop sometime. This wasn’t a pleasure jog, in any case. She was running away from her own life. Her first option was to stay where she was until the wolves had gone. Option two was to turn her ass around and face the consequences of having invited two men into her home—and one into her pants. Both ideas sounded potentially disastrous. The fact that a third option might crop up didn’t occur to her until she heard the scrabbling sounds scraping along the pavement well up the road. The source of the noise was out of sight but approaching fast. Something was running her direction.

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She stared up the road, narrowing her eyes to focus through the night air and her own haze. Glowing eyes bobbed through the dark, emerging from the dim mist that was gathering on the mountain. Her reaction was born out of sheer panic. She hopped off the rock and ran full speed away from the frightening sight. She took to the road, rather than risking a sprint over uneven, rocky dirt. Though she was a dedicated jogger, her woozy head, stocking feet, and coldchilled muscles refused to cooperate as she would have liked. Her movements felt sluggish and uncoordinated, like the dream she sometimes had where she was trying to escape danger while her body moved in slow motion. Maybe that dream had just come to life. Maybe it had been a warning. She dug in and pushed her burning thighs harder, faster, refusing to give in to the urge to look over her shoulder at what she already knew was happening. Even without checking, she could hear that the footsteps behind her were gaining. Three sharp barks echoed out along the road, along with the knowledge of who—what—was chasing her. Still, she ran, even when the footsteps came right up on her heels. A flash of faint brown sped right on past her, and then whirled around to stop several feet ahead. She let out a yell and brought herself to a jerking halt, though her body wobbled precariously when the sudden cessation of movement threw her already-spinning head out of balance. The wolf stood in front of her with its feet planted wide apart, its sides heaving and eerie gold eyes lit up like flashlights in the dark. An image emerged of the last time this wolf ran in front of her, just a few miles up the road. She bent over to lean heavily on shaky thighs while her chest burned from exertion. The footsteps bringing up the rear stopped, and she didn’t bother turning to look at the man she could feel close behind her.

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“Rose?” came Stephen’s voice behind her. “You shouldn’t be out on this road alone at night. Especially not running down the middle of it. One accident is enough.” She watched the wolf in front of her begin to shudder hard. At first, she thought he was shivering from cold, like she was. Instead, his fur began bristling as though it were alive or blown by a wind no one else could feel. The animal’s limbs stretched and popped into odd formations, and the hair on its body disappeared. Caleb was left behind, naked and kneeling on all fours. He stood and came toward her, wearing an expression of tight concern. His earlier erection, she couldn’t help but notice, had disappeared, and his cock bobbed idly between his powerful thighs. “What are you doin’ out here, darlin’?” He stopped his advance when she took a step backward, though the press of Stephen’s warm, hard body against her spine stopped her retreat. “Why did you run?” Stephen asked, gripping her shoulders and steering them both off to the side of the road. The men stood close around her, and they waited in silence for her explanation. She waited, too, in hopes of finding one. Stephen and Caleb’s eyes still held shades of their animals, and Rose realized they must be much better able to see in the dark. They belonged out there. She didn’t. Ragged breaths punctuated the sounds of night owls and crickets and rustling things that slipped among the tall pine trees. Now she felt safe, regardless of what frightening things loomed in those woods. She had two frightening things protecting her. “Why did you come out here alone?” Stephen asked again. “I’m not sure.” The words came out choppy from her chattering teeth. “I just panicked and ran.” Stephen ran his hands over her arms and shot her a disapproving scowl. “Damn it, you’re frozen solid. Come on. Let’s get you home.” When he reached for her hand, however, she pulled back.

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“You don’t trust us,” Caleb said, and there was a flicker of hurt in the tone. She stuck her fists under her armpits in a feeble attempt to warm them. “Should I?” “Let your heart answer that question,” he said. “Not your head.” Her stomach gave a drunken sort of flip, and she let out a slow, lazy laugh. “My head is out to lunch at the moment. Call back later.” Her eyes swept over his body. While she stood there shaking violently, he didn’t so much as have a single goose bump on him— and she made sure to check every inch. “Aren’t you even the slightest bit cold standing out here?” she asked, annoyed at the thought for some reason. “I’m more worried about you at the moment. Let us help you home, Rose.” Blood had crusted and dried on Caleb’s hip and shoulder, and she frowned. He’d been hurt again, probably during the fight he’d just been part of. “Why is it that every time I see you naked, you’re on this road and covered in blood?” “She ain’t stayin’ with our train of thought,” Caleb said to Stephen. “It’s the concussion talking. She’s wandering.” “No, I’m not. I’m standing right here.” She tried to take a step forward, but the dizziness hit hard and pitched her forward into Stephen’s arms. Caleb swore. “Let’s take her out of here before she catches pneumonia.” Stephen grunted. “Or someone drives by and wonders why the hell a confused woman is being carried off by two naked men.” “I’m not confused anymore,” she said sleepily. “Everything’s perfectly clear to me now.” And it was. She’d lost her mind and dreamed up two gorgeous hallucinations.

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Stephen lifted her as easily as he would a child and cradled her head against his chest. She tried to drum up a reasonable protest for being held against his powerful body, but nothing came aside from the waves of safe, unbelievably warm comfort that swept over her. His scent stirred a very real and heavily layered longing inside her. She was right where she belonged. His heat and presence filled her up, cocooning her in the certain knowledge that this was right, it was hers, and it was forever. Why had she tried to escape this? Because you promised yourself you’d never be like your mother, she heard a distant whisper say. The whisper tried to warn her of other things, but the fuzz in her head drowned it out. “You might want to close your eyes,” Stephen was telling her. “The pace we travel can be a little disorienting.” She was going to explain that closing her eyes made the dizziness worse, but when the men bolted, the surge of speed and blur of passing scenery changed her mind. Closing her eyes proved to be the better bet as she threw her arms around Stephen’s neck and held on. Even without being able to see, she could tell from the crunching sounds of their feet and suddenly sharpened scent of pine and wet leaves that they had ducked into the woods, likely to avoid being seen by anyone out on the highway. With her head pressed to his chest, she could hear Stephen’s sharp breaths tinged with brief, faint growls. Earlier, the animal sounds the men made as they faced off had frightened her. Now, the rhythmic rumbling soothed her until she became a pliable lump in his arms. At their impressive speed, they made it back in no time. Rose opened her eyes when they paused just inside the tree line, sniffing the air and discussing how best to be sure her neighbors weren’t about to get an eyeful of naked man flesh. Not that Rose was complaining about that any. Waves of giddy well-being infused every cell in her body. Let them stay naked full time for all she cared.

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Once inside, she wriggled around in expectation that Stephen would put her on her feet. Instead, he marched her straight into the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. “Help me,” he said, and Caleb leaned over her to tug on her sweater. She lay there helpless, watching the room swim around her dizzy head while they undressed her. Stephen peeled off the soaked, dirty socks, which was a relief. Her jogging pants were next, and having a man pull those off should have alarmed her. The spinning room and dreamy feeling that her body was floating off the mattress, however, made it difficult to do anything other than ride the wave. Two supersexy, naked males were stripping off her clothes in her bedroom. What wasn’t to like about that? “Why, Stephen,” she said when he lifted her up enough to pull the bedcovers out from beneath her. “This is all so sudden.” She yawned in the middle of a giggle, producing an odd, distorted laugh that sounded like it came from someone else. “Maybe you shouldn’t have let her out of the hospital so soon,” Caleb said as the men slid under the covers on either side of her. “Maybe you shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to stick your cock in a woman with a concussion,” Stephen replied. “I didn’t stick my cock in her. Just my fingers.” The memory his words invoked, cosseted by the feel of two sensual, warm males turning her bed into a heavenly sandwich, sent a giddy trickle of desire down her spine. “And it was incredible,” she purred, casting a heavy-lidded smile at Stephen. “You should try it.” Caleb gave a tiny grunt of satisfaction. “I plan to,” Stephen said as he faced her, and the twitch she felt in the cock he had pressed against her hip proved it. “But not tonight.” She gave a whimper of sleepy protest. “Please? Just a little.” Her hands searched beneath their shared blankets to find his hand and pull

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it to the patch of hair between her legs. “I want to feel your hands on me the way Caleb’s were.” His fingers grazed her pussy curls, and she gave a delightful shiver. Why not be bold? It was her delusion. Might as well enjoy it. “Soon,” he said, kissing her forehead as he gently moved his hand away. “When you are in better shape and Caleb and I have finished conducting our own business.” Her eyes fluttered after another yawn, and she indulged the need to let them fall closed while the heat of the men’s bodies infused her with a sense of glorious, radiant cohesion. “That reminds me,” she whispered weakly. “Did you two figure out who the alpha’s going to be before you had to chase me down?” “Yeah,” Caleb said. “I reckon we did.” “So, who won?” She barely got the question out before exhaustion crash-landed on her consciousness. She didn’t stay awake long enough to hear the answer.

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Chapter Five Consciousness sprang from confused, psychedelic dreams to find the bedroom mostly cloaked in darkness. Just a faint glow around the edges of Rose’s window blinds hinted at the arrival of dawn. Memories began a sluggish resurfacing, like bubbles popping on top of thick mud. Bizarre images came with them until she was no longer certain which ones were fact and which were fantasy. Rolling onto her side sent sharp lances of pain along her limbs. The accident had been real enough. The fact that her head spun a little and her thoughts were so random attested to the concussion, too. Most of what she recalled after swerving into a tree, however, was up for debate. Too many memories didn’t add up to anything that made sense. Rose was alone, so that ruled out the best of her dreams. She had imagined that two gorgeous, former cowboys—or, rather, “once cowboys, always cowboys”—had snuggled their hard, naked bodies against her in bed. “Yeah, right,” she whispered. “Because that always happens to me.” A glance beneath the covers showed that she was naked, though, and she never slept that way. Curious. Maybe she’d thrown off her clothes while dreaming about it. A quick scan of the floor showed no sign of her having shucked her sleepwear, and she frowned. It hadn’t been sleepwear the men had pulled off her in the dream, though. There’d been a chase, hadn’t there? Or was that part of the dream, too?

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Of course it was. She pushed herself up slowly. Werewolves hadn’t chased her. They didn’t exist. She grimaced at the sharp, deep ache in her muscles that were actively protesting her plan to get out of bed. No way she’d be going for an early-morning jog to get the blood pumping today. Then again, a muffled sound from the living room jump-started her heart rate just fine. Rose paused with her breath held to see whether she would hear it again. She did. There was no mistaking the muffled moan this time, and the implication set wild butterflies loose in her stomach. So, she wasn’t alone after all. There were men in her living room, and from the sound of it, they weren’t exactly chatting. Her heart hammered full speed ahead as she slipped silently out of bed, ignoring the grinding ache in her bones while she stood slowly enough to curb any more dizziness. A shiver ran through her, and she folded her arms over tight nipples while she shuffled naked to the door. A glance into the clothes hamper on the way widened her eyes. Damp, dirt-crusted slipper socks had been tossed in the laundry, along with the exact clothing she dreamed the men had peeled off her body. The chase had been real. The human parts of it, anyway. Swallowing hard, she peered out the doorway to see a sight she knew in an instant that she would never, ever forget. Both men were naked, their muscles tense and rippling, while Stephen stood in front of a kneeling Caleb. From her vantage point, both men stood sideways, with Stephen angled slightly more toward her. She could study each of their profiles this way, along with the fact that Caleb was pulling his mouth away from Stephen’s wet, raging erection. It was obvious that he’d just been servicing the man’s cock. Her stomach dropped several inches while she gaped at the red, glistening organ that jerked and bobbed in front of Caleb’s face. “Do it now,” Caleb said, looking up at Stephen. “I can’t wait anymore.” Rose’s pulse jumped right along with Stephen’s rod.

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“Lie down,” Stephen ordered, his usual smooth tone gone. Caleb started to twist around and get on all fours, but Stephen grabbed him by the top of his hair and yanked back firmly enough for Rose to wince in sympathy. Caleb, however, smiled and let out a little moan. “No,” Stephen said. “On your back.” Caleb twisted around and sat facing the other man, who bent down low over him. “You gave me ten kinds of hell over this alpha thing,” Stephen went on with a smile that wasn’t necessarily pleasant. “So you’re going to face me and show me your belly while you take my cock— and my mark.” Rose dug her fingers into her arms as his words penetrated right through the remainder of her sleepy haze. Her nipples tingled from a lot more than the morning chill now. The furniture was back in place, except the coffee table had been shoved aside to give them space. Caleb used a fair amount of it to lay his perfect body down until he was flat on his back. Stephen knelt between the thighs Caleb parted for him. Maybe she was incredibly naive in the ways of any sex, let alone what went on between two men, but she couldn’t quite envision what Stephen was about to do. Either way, her heart pounded with jealousy as she watched them get so incredibly intimate—especially at the thought that they’d left her bed in order to do it. She turned away from the doorway and wandered back to sit on the edge of the mattress and stare into space. What was going on here? Caleb made no bones about what he wanted from her, and he’d proven it by giving her the biggest orgasm of her life. Stephen had come along moments later and asked her out right in front of Caleb. Then again, Caleb hadn’t been the slightest bit jealous about it, had he? And the looks the two of them had shared far surpassed those of mere male rivals.

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A frown creased her forehead. There was no denying the truth. They were gay and getting it on in her apartment. Apparently, what had happened on the couch the day before had been nothing more than a mercy diddle on Caleb’s part. Maybe he felt sorry for her because she was a frigid weirdo who’d never had a man between her legs. Her eyes widened. What if the whole couch thing had never happened? What if that, too, had been part of her bizarre dreams, just like the one she’d just been having about wolves with cowboy hats and lab coats? Hell, maybe she was sleepwalking right now, and the men weren’t even really in the other room. A loud, sensual moan blew that theory apart. They were out there, all right. The dream theory made the most sense, then. It hadn’t been the first time she’d dreamed of a man who could melt her disinterest in sex with erotic fire. These men were so ungodly gorgeous that her concussed brain decided they would make fitting candidates. But it was clear that what the men really wanted was each other—enough to explore that attraction right on her living room rug. The only reason they’d come to her place was to check on her, and then they had stayed overnight to keep her from running out the door in some wild hallucination. They probably hadn’t ever crawled into her bed at all. And Stephen had never asked her out, either. “You’re so stupid,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “Damn romantic fool.” The noise in the living room grew more fevered. Her face grew hot and her breathing shallow as she listened to their raging arousal. The desire to sneak back and spy some more took her hard enough to make her grip the bedcovers with her fists, but the bitter disappointment over how wrong she’d been about them hit her even harder. What she wouldn’t give to be in Caleb’s place right now. Or better yet, to be right in the middle of them. “I’m right at the edge,” she heard Caleb say. “Fuck me hard.” Her heart gave a stomach-churning lurch.

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“I’ll bite you hard,” Stephen replied. The word “bite” shot her eyes open wide. He didn’t mean that literally, did he? She was halfway back to the door without even realizing she’d gotten to her feet again. What she saw gave her a chill. Stephen had gone from blatantly aroused to fiercely aggressive. The muscled striations in his upper arms bulged with effort as he supported his body over Caleb’s, staring down at the man with piercing, red-gold eyes. Jesus, the intense, inhuman glow seemed so real. Caleb’s legs were spread wide and pulled back while Stephen pounded his pelvis against Caleb’s ass. Mixed in with their wicked moans were feral sounds, snarls, and growls that added to the air of animal lust. Tendrils of that primal need reached out for her, threatening to pull her in. She clutched the doorframe to hold herself back. Stephen’s usually well-tamed hair fell into sexy, damp strands over his forehead as he held himself above his lover, and he tossed his head to shake back bangs. “Say it, Caleb Green,” he said through a tight jaw as he pressed his hips tight to Caleb. “Tell me who you are.” “I’m yours,” Caleb said, sounding fairly out of breath. “Make your mark on me, Alpha. The matter’s decided.” The growl Stephen let out held a ring of victory. When his jaw began lengthening again, Rose slapped a hand over her mouth to suppress a gasp of shock. When would the hallucinations end? Her eyes bulged wide as she watched him open wide to display deadly sharp fangs, which he promptly used when he lowered his head and sank them into Caleb’s right shoulder. She felt the pain of that bite as palpably as if she’d experienced it herself, and her stomach nearly dropped out of her body at the sound of Caleb’s scream. Stephen clapped a hand over it to muffle the sound. Moisture prickled her eyes, which she closed tight to block out the sheer, animal violence of Stephen’s actions. She opened them again

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seconds later, however, when Caleb’s yell of presumed agony was no longer muffled. It was highly erotic. He arched his back while he grabbed Stephen’s head and held it to his shoulder, extending the bite. He called Stephen’s name over and over, and then he stiffened. “God, I’m comin’!” he shouted. The orgasm that followed made Rose’s dream version on the couch seem little better than a momentary shudder. His entire body seemed to seize up while Stephen’s round, flexing ass cheeks drove him harder. Stephen stiffened and released his tooth-hold on Caleb’s shoulder. When he threw his head back to cry out in obvious climax, Rose saw the blood smearing his fangs and mouth. She felt her stomach clench in fright, and she made a hasty retreat back to her bed. If he was this out of control, what might he to do her next? Her heart pounded furiously as she wished there was a secret passage leading from her bedroom out of the apartment. Even if she wanted to risk darting past the men to get to the front door, she was completely naked this time. Better to pretend she hadn’t heard a thing and hope this nightmare would go away. Maybe if she closed her eyes, she’d go back to sleep and discover all of it was a dream. Her feet throbbed with cold as she ducked low under the covers, rolled away from the door, and squeezed her eyes shut tight. Her pulse wouldn’t cooperate with the attempt to feign sleep, and neither would her breathing. Both were ragged and frantic as she laid there, desperately listening for signs that the men were stirring. What an ironic time for her bladder to point out—rather insistently—that she hadn’t peed since yesterday. She grimaced and ignored nature’s call. Long moments passed with nothing but utter silence, until she was almost ready to concede that hitting her head had indeed sent her stark, raving mad. Then the rustling sounds of movement returned, and she held her heaving breaths so she could hear better. “The mark took.” That was Stephen’s voice. “Hell yeah, it did. I feel it sendin’ signals all over my body.” “So can I. The bond is sealed.”

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“Guess it’s official, then. Against my better judgment, I got myself a new alpha.” “Third time’s the charm.” “What about Rose?” She jerked at the sound of her name on Caleb’s lips. “Think she heard anythin’?” “I doubt it. She was exhausted. Let’s check on her, anyway.” Panic stabbed through her middle while she heard them getting dressed, and she willed herself to draw even, slow breaths so she wouldn’t give herself away. She felt the presence of the men looming in her doorway before she heard them. “Told you,” Stephen whispered. “Sound asleep.” “Thought concussions meant you shouldn’t let ’em sleep.” “Just the first night.” Their voices drifted back to the living room, joined by the metallic clink of belt buckles. No doubt they were getting dressed. She let out a heavy sigh of relief. “I’d love nothing more than to join you for a shower and breakfast,” Stephen was saying, “but I’ve got to start rounds pretty soon. And you probably shouldn’t stay with her.” “I wasn’t plannin’ to laze around here all day. Contrary to the idea that you’re the only cowboy who found himself other work, I’m gainfully employed myself.” “Doing what?” “Clearin’ brush and haulin’, mostly. Me and my truck may not pull down a doctor’s wage, but we carry our own weight.” “Didn’t mean to sound otherwise. Do you have time for a cup of coffee at the hospital cafeteria?” Just the mention of coffee sent her bladder into spasms, and she clenched her thighs. “One cup, if you’re buyin’. Should we wake Rose and tell her we’re goin’?” “No, she needs rest. Leave her a note.”

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A couple minutes of relative silence followed, and at last she heard the front door squeak open and closed. In case they decided to come back, she kept still for a few minutes—except for squirming around in a horizontal potty dance. As soon as she was convinced it was safe, she shoved back the covers, grabbed her blue silk robe, and raced for the bathroom. Standing at the sink after bowing to her bladder’s demand, she indulged a good look at herself. Christ, what a sight! Her burgundy-from-a-bottle hair hung limply over her collarbones, and her pale eyes looked muddied and dazed. Her face still bore the scabbed skid marks from the air bag, too. Pulling her robe open, she saw that the diagonal seat belt bruise had turned bluish, with ugly, jaundice-yellow patches here and there. “No wonder they didn’t want you,” she told her reflection. “They’d probably never been gay in their lives until they saw this. One look scared them right over the rainbow.” And so what if she had? It was better that way, wasn’t it? Better than getting tangled up in a romantic mess and earning herself some idiotic nickname people would whisper behind her back. “What would yours be?” she asked the mirror. “Often-Wed Wendy is already taken. Maybe Ridiculously Randy Rose?” With a sigh, she belted her robe and wandered out to the oddly empty living room. The furniture had been carefully replaced like nothing had ever happened. When she spied the paper lying on the table, she hastened over to it. Rose, Stephen and I stayed overnight to make sure you were okay, but we had to go to work. The doc says you need lots of rest, so we’ll leave you alone and let you have at it. I gave you my number yesterday, so call if you need anything. Love, Caleb

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PS-the doc also says no more late-night jogging. “Love,” she said with a snort. “Yeah, right. Same to you.” Her suspicions were right, then. They’d only been here to make sure she didn’t have another freak-out. Now they had each other and would happily leave her alone. She frowned at the paper, which was creased into thirds and oddly familiar. She flipped the page over and stared at the other side. “Stephen’s letter of termination,” she breathed. That part had been real, too, though obviously not the part where he’d asked to date her. God, what if she’d been incoherent enough to say something about her delusions? The men had been forced to chase her down, after all. What other embarrassing things had she’d done? She groaned and dropped the letter back on the table. Taking the men’s advice seemed like the smartest thing she could do right now. She headed back to bed, determined to fall into a heavy sleep. With any luck, she wouldn’t wake up again until her world made some kind of sense.

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Chapter Six Rose smiled at a nurse who was passing the opposite direction as they pushed their medication carts along the busy hall. Oh, it felt good to be back at work. The familiar motions of measuring pills, drawing up insulin, and performing assessments offered the sense of routine she’d been missing since she came to Shay Falls. The doctor in the emergency department had vetoed work for an additional two days, but she was here now, scabs healed, bruises largely faded, and the headaches subsided to a dull, occasional roar. She stopped in front of her patient’s room and blanked the attached computer screen for privacy before grabbing a pair of gloves and a pre-filled syringe. “I’m back with your antibiotic, Mr. Pierce,” she said, giving the old man a bright smile as she snapped on her gloves and moved to the bedside. “About time,” the man groused, though his bushy brows and floppy jowls lifted from their usual scowling position. “You said you’d be back at noon.” “And it’s five after,” she said, loading the syringe into an infuser pump. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner.” Rheumy eyes shot her a wary look. “Eh, I know you’re busy. You guys always look busy, running back and forth in front of my door twenty-four hours a day while I lie here like a lump.” He eyed her while she turned the pump on. “Your name is Rose, right? I don’t remember seeing you run around out there before.” The infuser beeped acknowledgement that it was working properly. “That’s because I’m new. It’s my first day.”

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He snorted, a thick sound that attempted to sound intimidating. “Great. A student nurse.” She offered a wry grin. “Oh, no. It’s my first day here at Shay Falls Community. But I’ve been a nurse for four years.” “Thank God.” He shifted in bed, trying to arrange his pillow behind him. “The last thing I need is a rookie who doesn’t know which end to shove the thermometer in. I’ve spent enough years being a medical practice dummy.” She grinned while she helped him find a better position. “Speaking of which, your doctor called to order more lab work before he comes in to see you after clinic.” “More tests. Always more tests.” “And he wants a better IV access line for your medications, too. I asked him if it was okay to wait on the labs until the new midline is in place, and he agreed. That way, blood can be drawn right out of the port so you won’t get poked again.” Now he smiled. “A nurse with brains and beauty? I think it might be love.” A glance into his plastic pitcher showed it was near empty. “I’ll be back with some fresh ice water. The doctor wants to increase your fluid intake.” “Tell him I’ve got plenty of water to drink at home, if he ever decides to let me out of here.” On her way out, the man called after her. “Hey, Rose?” She turned to him. “Something else you needed?” “Yeah, to thank you. Sorry if I gave you a hard time.” She allowed herself a satisfied smile as she headed to the ice machine for a refill. She’d heard the snickers when she’d been assigned to Mr. Pierce, who apparently enjoyed sharing his bad mood with everyone who darkened his door. Grouchy patients didn’t bother her, though. Sick people were her business, and sick people were rarely in the best of moods. She simply had to figure out the right approach, and then most of the hardened grousers would turn to putty

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in her hands—especially male patients. It was something she’d always been good at, and a handy skill that eased her patients’ suffering. The staff lounge was adjacent to the kitchen, and she was about to pass the door when she thought she heard her name. She paused just out of sight to listen. “Who, that new girl?” one of the nurses was saying. “She seems really sharp.” “I’ll say,” a nurse named Susan replied. “Rose jumped right in and was working the computer system and finding supplies on her own. She actually offered to help me when I complained I was behind on charting.” “I’d say she’s a keeper,” the other one said. A warm feeling spread in Rose’s stomach. Hospital gossip was a given anywhere she went, and it was nice to hear people were receiving the temporary help well. Despite her rocky start, she was going to do just fine here. It was a reassuring thought. After waiting several beats so they wouldn’t suspect she’d overheard, Rose passed the doorway and went off to get the ice water. Halfway back, the charge nurse marched up and intercepted her. Jo Winters was a no-nonsense nurse who’d been around a while, Rose could tell. Short gray hair, a pointed nose, and a decided military air lent extra weight to every word, not to mention the woman’s overall foreboding manner. “Dr. Andersen is back on the phone for you,” Jo said, and she almost sounded displeased that a doctor would have the audacity to call the station and ask for a nurse. “Says he has more orders on the patient he just spoke to you about.” “I’ll talk to him,” Rose said. “Thank you.” Rose followed the woman up to the nurses’ station, and she hurried around to pick up the call. Doctors didn’t like to be kept waiting. It wasn’t until she was reaching over to pick up the call that

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she glanced at the man who’d just sat down at the desk not two feet away. One look at the neatly combed hair and penetrating blue eyes froze her hand mid-reach. “Rose,” Stephen said, flashing a paparazzi-worthy smile. The pitcher she’d been holding slid right out of her grip and all but exploded on his lap. Chilled water drenched the shins of her scrub pants, and worse, Stephen’s expensive-looking dress shirt and beige trousers as well. He jumped out of his seat, scattering ice onto the industrial gray carpet while Rose just stood there like an idiot, dumbfounded and staring at the pile of tiny cubes at her feet. “Are you all right?” he asked, taking her arm to steady her while he used his dress shoes to push ice away from her. She wanted to tell him to leave it where it was. Maybe standing in ice would help douse the flames she felt lighting up her cheeks. “That depends,” she said. “Is embarrassing clumsiness a post-concussion side effect?” “It can be.” Jo marched up, one hand propped on her hip. “What on earth? This won’t do,” she said, and while she clearly meant the mess, her dark eagle eyes landed on the hand Stephen had on Rose’s arm. He pulled it away. The unit secretary scrambled over, her frizzy, red curls bouncing and towels in hand. Rather than giving the latter to the soaking wet doctor and nurse, she dropped them on the floor and began dabbing furiously at the spill. “Oh, no,” the girl said. “This is brand-new carpet.” Stephen frowned down at her. “It’s just water. It’ll dry.” “I’m very sorry about this, Doctor,” Jo said, giving Rose a pointed scowl to indicate that she’d missed her apology window. “Rose is new.”

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“Yes,” Rose added, not that it would help matters now. “I’m terribly sorry, Doctor. I should have put the pitcher down before reaching for the phone.” He smiled. “Like I said, it’s just water. No harm done.” “Don’t just stand there,” Jo snapped at her. “Dr. Andersen’s still on the phone. Handle that while I get you and Dr. Williams some surgical scrubs to wear.” The woman marched away double-time, shaking her head. Rose glanced at Stephen, who was eyeing her while getting all but shoved out of the way by the secretary, who was busy scooping up ice cubes with a towel. “I’m so sorry,” Rose said to him again, and she took her phone call. By the time she’d finished up with Dr. Andersen, obtained a fresh pitcher of ice water, and elicited the biggest laugh she’d heard in months when Mr. Pierce saw her drenched uniform, fresh scrubs were waiting for her at the nurses’ station. One of her patients reported chest pain, however, so getting out of her cold, wet things had to wait while she administered nitroglycerin and checked the woman’s vital signs. Jo finally came into the room to chase Rose off. “Haven’t you changed yet?” she asked while Rose pulled the blood pressure cuff off her patient’s arm. “Mrs. Fiedler’s having chest pain again,” Rose answered, smiling sympathetically at the blonde woman who was lying in bed, her heavily lined forehead creased deeper with worry. Mrs. Fiedler was a real type-A personality who was rarely seen when she wasn’t typing away furiously on her laptop. Bringing work to the hospital during a heart attack scare wasn’t something Rose could really recommend, but the fifty-year-old was set in her ways. “I’ll take care of it,” Jo said. “You need to put something dry on. It looks unprofessional, running around like that.” And here Rose almost thought Jo had been concerned for her health.

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With a nod of thanks and a few words of encouragement to her patient, Rose went out to grab the folded pair of scrubs sitting on the counter at the nurses’ station. She risked a quick glance around before heading down the hall. Stephen had long since gone. Good. At least one positive thing had come from her utter lack of grace—she didn’t have to face Dr. Williams at the moment. She’d see him again eventually, but hopefully she could become a master of avoidance. A dull pounding in her temples announced the return of her headache, and she rubbed her forehead with a soft groan. Stephen’s appearance at the station shouldn’t have given her such a shock. She knew that seeing him was inevitable. That had weighed heavily in her thoughts the past few days, and she’d tried unsuccessfully to banish fantasies about the first time she would run into him again. In her fantasies, she’d been in the middle of a great hair day and faced him with the perfect amount of aloof professionalism to make him sorry he’d dumped her as a patient, while at the same time not giving the slightest indication that she cared. So much for that plan. She’d been running late that morning, so her hair was pulled up in a hasty, severe ponytail. The jolt of his eyes finding hers had ended any chance of establishing aloof professionalism, hadn’t it? More like it had severed all logical communication between her brain and her muscles. Just like it was doing now. She almost tripped over her own nursing clogs when she looked up and saw who was walking straight toward her. As if business clothes didn’t add enough sex appeal to the hot doctor, Stephen in baby-blue surgical scrubs was nothing short of delectable. The short sleeves showcased his striated forearms and toned biceps to nice advantage, and the V-neck of his tunic offered a glimpse of chest hair that evoked a particularly compelling memory of the last time she’d seen it. Forget trying not to stare at the hint of male goods outlined by the uniform pants, too.

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Damn, she thought. She’d have to blindfold herself around the man to keep her eyes off the visual feast he offered. Eager to avert another disaster, Rose quickly veered off the hallway into a large equipment room that was shared between two adjoining units. She could race past the maze of spare equipment, duck out the back, and cut through the other unit to avoid another awkward Dr. Hottie encounter. “Rose?” Or not. She cursed silently as she stopped at the sound of Stephen’s voice. She turned around beside a bed and forced a smile. “Did you need something, Doctor?” He hesitated for a moment and then wandered into the supply area. He didn’t stop until he was a scant couple of feet away—far too close for comfort. Not that she’d been comfortable with him filling the doorway, either. She resisted the urge to run, instead gripping her loaner scrubs tighter. “You’re still in wet clothes?” he asked. She held up the bundle in her hand. “I’m going to change now. I had to take care of a few things first.” “I saw you rubbing your head just now. You’re still having trouble with headaches, aren’t you?” A bubble of irritation popped in her chest, and she lifted her chin. “Considering you don’t want to be my doctor anymore, I don’t really see why you care.” Brows lowered over his impossibly deep-blue eyes. “Of course I care. Are you taking the anti-inflammatory for pain? Too much acetaminophen can cause rebound headaches.” Which she knew damn good and well from her training, but she hadn’t even thought of that when popping open the bottle every four hours. Still, that wasn’t the point. “I’ll admit I was pretty out of it the first day or two,” she said, “and that I had some pretty wild dreams mixed up in the middle of

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that blur. But I have a letter on my table proving that you did, in fact, show up at some point to terminate your services. Why bother if you’re just going to turn around and offer me more medical advice?” Now he looked sincerely puzzled as he searched her eyes with an intensity she wished to God wouldn’t dance around in her stomach. “I told you why I did it.” She worked her lower lip between her teeth and focused on his sleek, carved nose to avoid his eyes and the do-me-hard body she’d seen way too much of. Of all his attributes, the nose seemed like the safest place. Except that was perfect, too. “You don’t remember,” he said after a moment, and it wasn’t a question. “It’s not that.” She folded her arms, still clutching the scrubs she might never get to put on at the rate things were going. “I just don’t trust most of what I remember.” He took a step closer but stopped when she stiffened. “What about the part when I told you I gave you that letter in order to explore a personal relationship?” She swallowed. God. She hadn’t made that part up after all? Her attempt to dislodge panic from her throat failed. “That was one theory,” she said hoarsely. “Since it’s the theory that actually happened, it’s the only one that matters.” “Does it?” She folded her arms. “Tell me, then. When I saw you and Caleb together in my living room the next morning, was that an actual theory, too? Or one of my bizarre hallucinations?” His jaw quirked, but he didn’t seem particularly disturbed. “You were supposed to be asleep.” Her stomach lurched. “So, it did happen. I’m not crazy.” He sighed. “Yes. Caleb and I ‘happened.’” “Then I guess I’m a little confused.” She lifted her arms and glanced down at herself. “Because in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not a male.”

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His eyes flashed as they took the brief tour her gesture offered. “Trust me, I’ve noticed that quite well since the moment I saw you. That’s why I signed off on your case right away.” He leaned closer, and her stomach flipped when she saw that the golden glimmers she thought she’d imagined were again sparkling in his eyes. “And unless I’m sorely mistaken, I’d bet you felt something when you watched me with Caleb. I’d bet you found it arousing enough to wish you could join us.” Holy concussion, that gold in his eyes was shifting, pulsing like the throb of a heartbeat. So, the hallucinations weren’t quite finished after all. “And would you have let me?” she asked quietly. “No.” That dropped the bottom out of the dangerous spell his proximity was casting, and she swallowed the bitter taste of disappointment. “Then I’m back to the part where I’m confused about what you want from me.” He finished closing the gap between them and took hold of her defiant chin. “I wouldn’t have let you because you were hurt and needed time to recover. But believe me, every inch of me has been screaming to put you where you belong.” She could barely speak now, those hypnotic eyes loomed so near. “And where’s that?” “Right between me and Caleb.” His lips came down on hers with a vehemence she hadn’t expected, not that she’d expected him to kiss her at all. When he took possession of her mouth, the explosion of nerve endings was unbelievably arousing, stirring in her the same hot, immediate need she’d felt with Caleb. Whatever that accident had unleashed in her, it was scary as hell. And she never wanted it to stop. She dropped the scrubs on the bed behind her and slid her hands around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss that was rapidly

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overpowering all other brain functions. His gruff moan vibrated against her lips as he ran his hands along her shoulders. “I thought you didn’t want me,” she said. “I thought I’d just hallucinated the reason for your letter. That Caleb was the one you really wanted.” “Oh, Rose.” He took her hand and guided it down to a startlingly hard, long bulge between his legs. “Feel what you do to me and then tell me you think I don’t want you.” Two hard cocks against her in one week, neither one belonging to a patient. Her legs weakened, and the bed the backs of her knees were pressed against called out for her to pull Stephen down on it. The swollen, hard flesh of his erection pulsed like a living thing when she squeezed it, but her fascination with the phenomenon derailed when he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. Fireworks burst around her as she allowed her tongue free rein to dance with his. She’d never been big on kissing before. When men had tried to swap germs with her, Rose had pulled away, grossed out at the thought. But Stephen could have been patient zero of the next pandemic disaster for all she cared. He’d infected her with something far more dangerous, something that made part of her beg for him to take full command of her body right then and there. His hand slipped beneath her crisp tunic, his fingers skimming over her bare skin to find the curve of her breasts through her flimsy bra. A sharp gasp escaped her lips at that first grazing touch, and the jolt of it resurrected what little common sense she had left. She pulled her lips from his. “We shouldn’t be doing this here,” she said. “You’re right,” came a staunch female voice. “You shouldn’t.” Their heads whipped toward the doorway where Jo Winters stood, frowning. Impossibly, she looked even dourer than before while her dark eyes studied the hand groping Rose’s breast and the palm over Stephen’s dick. The pair shoved apart immediately, Stephen covering

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the bulge by clasping his hands in front of him. But there was no hiding what they’d done. “I’ve heard nothing today except what a fast worker you are, Rose,” the woman said. “I suppose, for once, the hospital rumors are true.” Her laser stare targeted Stephen next. “And I do believe she’s not just your nurse, Doctor Stephens. She’s also your patient.” He cleared his throat. “Dr. Jacobs was the physician of record for Miss Hartford. And you’ll see documented in her medical record that I officially signed off.” An utterly humorless smile quirked one side of the woman’s wrinkled mouth. “So now it’s ‘Miss Hartford.’ Interesting. I’d have been willing to bet a second ago that you two were on a first-name basis, at least.” She turned to Rose, whose sweaty fists were clenched and folded tightly over her chest. “Did you know this man before you were a patient here?” Rose shook her head, and Jo gave a curt sigh. “I came looking for you to say you’re needed at the nurses’ station, Doctor,” she said to Stephen. Then to Rose, “As for you, I very much doubt you will be needed at all once today’s shift is over. Get back to your patients until the unit manager sends for you.” A sick wave of nausea threatened to push bile into Rose’s throat. When neither of them made a move, however, Jo barked out, “I meant now, Miss Hartford. And you too, Doctor.” He stiffened. “Don’t presume to order me around because you don’t approve of my private life, nurse,” Stephen said. His voice had taken on the cold edge of steel, but Jo didn’t appear the least bit chastised. “Your private life has no place in the supply room of my unit. I will be writing this incident up for further inquiry.” That changed his tone. “It wasn’t Rose’s fault,” he said. “None of it. I’m the one who followed her in here. I initiated everything.” “And I’m sure administration will be happy to hear all the sordid details. Meanwhile, all I saw was two so-called professionals engaging in unethical behavior. Rose, every second you delay me

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from getting back to my duties only makes matters worse for you. So do yourself a favor and detach yourself from his side right now. I’m not walking away from here until you do.” Rose jumped away from Stephen as though he’d caught fire, grabbed the abandoned loaner scrubs, and hightailed it past the scowling charge nurse. Her eyes were stinging and growing blurry as she rushed for the bathroom, barely locking herself inside before the storm of tears unleashed. It was all she could do to change out of her still-wet scrubs, she was shaking so hard. “I’m going to lose my job,” she whispered to herself a couple of minutes later as she sat on the commode, fully dressed and rocking with her head in her hands. “What if the agency drops me for this?” Tears dripped down onto the new loaner pants, staining them with dark spots. How could she be so stupid? While her love life had never amounted to anything worth noting, her career had always been a place where she could shine. She thrived on her contribution to healing others. Her evaluation reports had never been anything but glowing. One hit on the head had turned everything upside down. Once she could face the mirror again, her eyes were bright red and swollen. The stranger in that reflection glowered back at her, accusing her for ruining everything. And for what? A ridiculous teenage game of two minutes in the supply closet? It took a while for her to pull herself together enough to return to the station, still puffy-eyed but determined to pick up the pieces of her day. Friendly faces faded into a dreary background. Most of the nurses avoided her outright. She caught occasional whispers and furtive glances, but no one spoke directly to her unless it was regarding a patient. Mr. Pierce’s smile overturned when he saw her red eyes, but he said nothing and lapsed back into his sullen, grouchy mood. At least Stephen had disappeared again, and this time, he stayed away. He did

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return a page from another nurse, and hearing his name made Rose jump. The general tone around the station had her so on edge that she was grateful to retreat inside the small medication room a while later—until she saw it was already occupied by Susan, the nurse who’d been gushing about her earlier. Rose had sure managed to shoot down that praise, hadn’t she? Rose headed to the delivery cupboard to check for medications while Susan busied herself grinding tablets with a pill crusher. “How did you do it?” the woman asked after a few moments. Rose flinched and kept sifting through piles of plastic baggies. “Excuse me?” “Just about every red-blooded female in this place has tried flirting with Dr. Williams. No one’s ever succeeded.” “I didn’t flirt with him.” “True. You dumped ice water on him. Wouldn’t have guessed that would do the trick. Maybe that’s where the rest of us went wrong.” She jammed down the handle of the pill crusher harder. Rose glanced over at the woman, unsure whether she was joking or pissed off. The way she was repeatedly hammering the crusher against her pills wasn’t helping any. “Some of us were convinced the guy was gay,” she went on. “That’s what they say, right? The gorgeous ones are always batting for the other team.” Rose pawed through the medication bin faster. “I wasn’t looking for anything to happen. And I don’t want to sound rude here, but considering what we all know I’ve got coming, I’d rather not chitchat about my ridiculously stupid mistake.” Susan sighed and stopped beating her pills to death. “I’m really sorry, you know. I think you would have been great working here.” A new lump formed in Rose’s throat. “Thanks. Shay Falls seemed like a really nice place.” “Where will you go next if, well, you know?”

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“I was signed up for a contract in Hawaii in a few months. Now, I’m not sure what’s going to happen.” The woman actually managed to look stricken, and Rose smiled at the little kindness. Then the med room door shoved open. “Rose,” Jo all but snipped. “Alice wants to see you in her office.” Susan’s eyes widened, and her face mirrored the alarm shooting through Rose’s chest. No one sat in on the meeting in the unit manager’s office, which brought Rose only a marginal amount of relief. She’d half expected she and Stephen would face a tribunal of medical administration with Jo as their executioner. Instead, there was just a well-coiffed woman whose manner and upswept hairdo seemed out of step with the scrubs she wore. A placard in front of her read Alice Statler, RN, MSN. Unit Manager. She remained on the far side of a large, foreboding desk, but had the courtesy to stand and shake Rose’s hand when she was escorted in. “Close the door as you leave, Jo,” the woman said. So much adrenaline flooded Rose’s system that her heart flailed erratically, and she could barely bring herself to sit in the chair she was offered. Alice sat across from her and steepled her fingers over the desk. “Why don’t you tell me what happened with Dr. Williams?” Rose would rather have run naked in traffic. “I’m sure Jo told you everything.” “I want to give you an opportunity to tell your side. We expect top professionalism in our facility, but we also deal in fairness.” Rose shoved her damp palms between her knees. “I don’t know what to say, except that I’m very sorry. This was the last thing I planned to have happen. But I did kiss Dr. Williams.” “There was more than just a quick kiss going on, as I heard it,” Alice said. Rose was surprised at the lack of judgment in the woman’s voice. Probably how she encouraged prisoners to open up and confess before putting them in front of the firing squad.

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“Yes,” Rose admitted, staring into her lap. “It had gone farther than just a kiss.” She glanced up to find the woman’s steel-blue eyes regarding her. “I want you to know how mortified I am. I’ve never done anything like this before.” Pretty much literally, not that Alice would believe it. “You can check my records. I’ve never had a single write-up. Ever since my accident, though, I’ll admit I haven’t been feeling quite myself.” The woman cocked her head. “Dr. Williams admitted to coercing you. Did you feel pressured in any way? Harassed? Like your job might be threatened if you didn’t go along with his wishes?” Rose’s jaw fell open. “No. That’s not what he meant when he said he initiated things.” She got up from her chair. “You aren’t going to charge him with sexual harassment, are you?” “That’s what we’re trying to find out. Sit down, please.” Rose sank slowly to the squeaky, wooden seat. “He wasn’t harassing me. He did follow me into the supply room, but it was because he saw me rubbing my temples. He knew I’d had the concussion, and he was concerned I might still be having side effects.” Alice sat silent, waiting. “From there, things just kind of took their own course.” “Surely you aren’t suggesting it is normal behavior for a physician to express medical concern and then approach you physically.” “That wasn’t what happened.” Not the way Alice was trying to paint it, anyway. Rose had been handed a way out of this. If Stephen had harassed her, they wouldn’t fire her for it. He’d be the one to pay—dearly. But she wasn’t about to lie. “We’d both felt an attraction,” she went on. “I just don’t think we realized how strong it was until we were alone in that room, talking about my headaches. The kiss just happened. He didn’t force it on me.” She shut her eyes with a sigh. “It was stupid, I know. But right

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then, we weren’t a nurse and doctor, or a doctor and his former patient. We were just two people who gave into a weak moment.” That statement hung in the air for a long moment. Then Alice withdrew her elbows from the desk. “I see.” “So you won’t bring any kind of formal complaint on Stephen, I mean, Dr. Williams?” “He has his own behavior to answer for. You’re here to answer for yours.” She let out a weighted sigh. “And it isn’t behavior we can condone at Shay Falls Community, not even for one moment of weakness. We have zero tolerance for sexual indiscretion here. The contract for your services has been terminated, and your agency has been notified.” She handed an envelope across the desk that Rose took with a shaky hand. “You will, of course, finish out today. Your wages for the shift will be paid according to contract terms. I’m sorry, Rose.” “I’m sorry, too,” she whispered, and she bolted from the office and went straight back to the bathroom for another round of humiliated, self-flagellating tears. The remaining hours dragged on endlessly, and while she’d failed to keep her mood from sabotaging Mr. Pierce, she tried not to spread misery to her other patients until she’d finished her charting and given shift report to the night nurse. Darkness had fallen heavily over Shay Falls by the time she wandered out to the parking lot in a daze. So had her outlook on life.

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Chapter Seven The incessant drone of the alarm jolted her from disturbing dreams, and she hit the snooze button with a sigh. She hadn’t slept worth a damn. Five more minutes, then, and she’d force herself out of bed for a morning jog before showering for work. An empty pint container of ice cream on the nightstand offered the first reminder that things were amiss. A pity party had taken place, and Ben & Jerry had been the guests of honor. Full reality crashed down within seconds, and her eyes shot open wide. She no longer had “work.” She’d screwed herself by giving into fathomless blue eyes and a seductive pair of lips. “Shit,” she whispered. Why couldn’t she have remained blissfully ignorant for a few more moments? After rolling over to deactivate the alarm on her iPad completely, she pulled the covers over her head and tried to decide whether another batch of tears was brewing. There were none left. She would have to call the agency fast and see if they could book her another assignment in the area. There was only one hospital in the mountains, but surely there were more down in the valley. In Springton, maybe, or Phillips. She’d have to commute, but at least she’d be able to make use of the remainder of her apartment least. Too bad she was tied in for three months, since different housing would be preferable. There were too many memories attached to this place already, the most recent of which involved Stephen pounding on her door the previous night, insisting that she let him in so they could talk. She didn’t. She climbed into bed with a pint of ice cream and indulged another good cry.

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Or maybe, rather than rushing into another job, maybe she should take this as a sign that she needed more time off. Clearly, she wasn’t recovered from her accident. She wouldn’t be making such irrational decisions if she was. Rose shoved back the covers in irritation. She obviously wouldn’t be getting more sleep. Might as well go out for a run to clear her thoughts and make a game plan. She pulled on a stretchy sports bra and black running pants with white stripes down the sides. A matching jacket and running sneakers finished the ensemble, and she pulled her hair up into a quick ponytail. Warm-up stretches lifted her mood a little, though not as much as usual. Nevertheless, she was looking forward to this run. She hadn’t jogged since coming to Shay Falls, unless she counted her attempt to run away from the two men who’d factored so heavily in recent disasters. She’d take it easy this time, all things considered. But she couldn’t wait to get out in the clean air and let her body take over. What struck her first when she went out the door was the smell of the mountains, just as it always did since coming here. The scent of pine filled her nostrils, and she breathed deeply. Pine trees were part of the apartment’s landscaping decor, blending the setting right into the woodsy backdrop. As she took the short, twisting walkway out to the main road, she marveled at the captivating, simple beauty of the place. She thought of her sketchbook and the particular drawing Caleb had been certain existed here in Shay Falls. Maybe she’d plan a hike out to the town’s namesake and see for herself. A car was approaching as she stopped at the edge of the main road, and she waited for it to pass before setting out. One problem with jogging up here, besides the altitude, was the fact that she couldn’t run against traffic in both directions. The road hugged the mountain in several spots, making her normal safety procedure a no go. She’d have to run with traffic on this leg, listening carefully for cars behind her. The last thing she needed was another accident because a driver was too busy texting.

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Somehow, the decision to open her ears wide failed to alert her to a far more hazardous problem, and when he suddenly appeared beside her, she let out a yelp of surprise. “Caleb!” she said, clutching her beating chest. “Why the hell are you sneaking up on me like that? You scared me half to death.” “If I was tryin’ to sneak,” he said, lifting up a foot, “I wouldn’t have worn these boots.” She scowled at the man whose smile was undaunted by her bitchy greeting. The least he could do was to not look so damn appealing. His brown Stetson was paired up with gently faded blue jeans and a red-and-black plaid shirt that clung to every inch of muscle. She blinked away a mental picture of him naked and flat on his back. “What do you want?” She couldn’t keep the irritation out of her voice, not that she was trying very hard. “To see how you’re doin’ after everythin’ that happened. I’m real sorry about it, Rose. So is Stephen. He told me he tried to come by and apologize, but you wouldn’t let him in.” “Save it for someone with a job. I don’t have time to sit around licking my wounds. If you’ll excuse me, I’m in the middle of a jog here.” Without awaiting an answer, she took off down the road, staying deep into the dirt shoulder. She did a double take when Caleb came up on her right side moments later, pacing her exactly. “What are you doing?” she said, her words jerky as she increased her stride. “You can’t jog in a cowboy hat and boots.” “I can’t?” He kept going, matching her step for step. “Seems to me that’s exactly what I’m doin’.” “Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll blister your feet. And I’ve been running for years. You won’t be able to keep up for long, especially dressed like that.” He gave a sexy little laugh. “Well now, that sounds like a challenge.” “It isn’t. It’s an invitation for you to go away.”

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She was already breathing heavier, but his pointed exhalation was merely a sigh. “I know you’re mad. I don’t blame you. But you can’t run from this. Stephen and I won’t disappear just because someone saw you givin’ into destiny.” Rose snorted. “Destiny? So it was destiny that got my ass fired? Sorry, cowboy, but I make my own destiny, and that most definitely wasn’t it.” He fell mercifully silent as they jogged in step, and her annoyance with the man grew larger every time her feet hit dirt. This was hardly the relaxing, thought-clearing jog she’d planned. Her brain fogged more than ever with him so near. “You look silly, you know,” she said, wondering how to shake him off. “The whole cowboy jogger look doesn’t quite work.” “Well, you won’t stop and talk to me.” “I’m running. I can’t stop.” “Then what else am I supposed to do?” “I suppose leaving me alone is out of the question.” “Since the moment you ran me over with your car.” She glanced at him, but he was staring straight ahead. “I didn’t run you over. I barely grazed you, or else you wouldn’t have healed so fast.” “I heal fast because that’s my nature.” “And it’s my nature to stay away from men and excel at my job.” Now his head turned toward hers. “Correction. It’s your nature to stay away from men who ain’t your mates. That’s instinct. The men you are meant for, well, you’ll find yourself helpless to stay away from them.” “Because they keep following me into equipment rooms and out on morning jogs.” She was panting heavily now, and words were getting harder to mete out smoothly. “So, you admit we’re the ones you’re supposed to be with.” “I admit I was out of my head for a while.” She stopped and stared at him. “How the hell do you do that, anyway?”

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He stopped, too, and wandered back to her while shoving his hat higher on his head. “What?” Using the back of her jacket sleeve, she swiped sweat from her forehead. “Jog like it’s nothing. You’re not even breathing hard.” “You’d be surprised at some of the things I can do.” Like completely hypnotize her with those unbelievable violet-gold eyes. She looked away before they seized control of her will completely. “Thought you weren’t supposed to stop in the middle of a jog,” he said. She shot him a hard look and started up again. After several feet, he pulled her arm gently to bring her farther off the shoulder. Then he switched places so he was closer to the road. “There’s a car comin’,” he said to her questioning look. A glance over her shoulder brought a frown. “No, there isn’t.” Sure enough, however, the faint sound of an engine caught her attention several moments later. “I can’t believe you heard that so far away.” “Told you you’d be surprised what I can do.” The car passed, and then only her heavy breaths and the footfalls of sneakers and boots against pine needles and dirt. Silence pressed heavier on her, and she knew she had to admit the truth to herself. Plenty of men had made plays for her—some rather aggressively. Unlike a certain other woman in her family, she’d become very adept at shooting down male hopes. Obviously, the reason Caleb wasn’t getting the hint was because she wasn’t trying hard enough to thwart him. Part of her was secretly enjoying the attention. She needed to get over it. “Look, Caleb,” she said, “I have to be honest about this thing you think we have. The truth is, we don’t.” “We don’t,” he echoed with skepticism. “I’m grateful to you, of course. You carried me to a hospital and watched over me—and rescued me again when I ran down the road

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during a wild delusion. You seem like a really nice guy, and I won’t even bother denying how attractive you are.” “Mighty kind of you.” The sarcasm was thick and clear. “But you have to understand that what happened between us, well, it wasn’t real. I’m sorry for the part I played in it. I didn’t mean to.” A muscle was pulsing in his jaw, but he didn’t reply. “I let you touch me, and that was entirely my fault,” she went on. “I was completely punch drunk from the accident. I wasn’t thinking clearly.” “Maybe you were, and you just didn’t know it.” “No, I was behaving completely the opposite of normal. And normal is what I need to get back to.” She stopped again, but kept jogging in place. “It looks like you and Stephen have a good thing going, and I’m happy for you. Really. I’m just not part of that equation.” “That isn’t true,” he said, and something glittered in his gaze. “Not nearly.” “Yes, it is. You and Stephen knew I’m a virgin, right? Silly for a woman my age, maybe, but that’s who I am. My actions gave a different impression, but getting fired brought me back to my senses. I’m cured of the need to explore a physical connection with either of you. I’m immune.” Liar! her thoughts screamed. Caleb pulled off his hat and ran a hand through sweat-dampened locks. “So let me see if I’m understandin’ this right.” He turned and used his hat to point out a copse of nearby trees. “If I were to take you into those woods right now, you’d be immune to me?” She halted her jog entirely. “Is that a threat?” “Not by force, darlin’. I meant theoretically. So let’s say we go off together into those woods.” He took a step closer, and her hammering pulse skipped. “Suppose I pushed you up against one of those trees and looked deep into your eyes. Would you be immune to me then?”

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Her stomach began a slow simmer. “Yes,” she said, but the breathless whisper betrayed her. When he leaned in close enough for her to feel his breath on her cheek, she froze stiff. “Prove it,” he murmured in her ear. “I don’t have to prove anything to you,” she stammered. “The point is, I don’t want to be with you that way.” “Yes, you do.” She pulled away. “No means no, cowboy. Or hadn’t you heard we’re not in the Old West anymore?” “I mean, you ain’t bein’ honest with either of us. I can sense what you want. For instance, your pulse rate is up.” “I’m jogging, which tends to do that.” She eyed his calm stance. “To normal people, anyway.” “And those magical silver-blue eyes of yours go dark whenever I’m close by,” he went on. “The scent of your pheromones sweetens the air until I’m near to drunk with it. That, my beautiful mountain Rose, is desire. And it’s what you’re fightin’ right now.” She shook her head. “You’re wrong.” “Then kiss me and prove it.” “You’re not listening. When I say I don’t want you, that means I don’t want to kiss you, either.” He put his hat back on and studied her for a moment while she struggled to get her breathing under control. “Surely one kiss to send me packin’ ain’t a big deal. How many men have kissed you, Rose? I know damn well others must have tried.” “A few, if you must know.” She hugged herself, grasping her elbows. “Not that it’s any of your business.” “And did you feel anythin’? Were you numb? Frustrated? Immune?” She paused at his prodding, but figured what the hell. “All of the above.” Excluding Stephen. “Then so be it. If you’re immune to my kiss, too, I’ll leave you alone. If not, have the good grace to admit it.”

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“Why is it so important to you?” She wandered farther from the road, intending to gain distance from his compelling eyes and beguiling scent. Then she realized where she was headed. “Because I know the truth, even if you ain’t willin’ to admit it to yourself yet.” His words came from right behind her, and she spun around in alarm. “Make some damn noise when you walk, would you?” “Sorry. So, you’ll do it? You’ll prove your immunity with one simple kiss?” “If that’s the only way to get you off the subject, fine.” She marched into the woods, where the ground was springy and the wild blend of nature filled her nose completely. The heavy pine smell was mixed with the rich aroma of damp earth and tree bark. Good. Maybe Mother Nature would help tone down Caleb’s virginitystealing scent. He took her hand when they were partway in, and the feel of that strong, warm palm closing over hers sent a jolt up her arm. Things weren’t off to a promising start. “This way,” he said, veering right. “There’s somethin’ you have to see.” Why did she get the feeling he was trying to drag her farther off the beaten path? “This is far enough,” she said, glancing back to make sure he wasn’t pulling her completely out of view of the road. That wouldn’t be smart. Not at all. “Just a little farther.” “And what exactly do I have to see?” “A tree.” She stopped. “There are plenty of trees all around us.” “Not like this one.” As she and Caleb shuffled through rotting leaves and needles, birds called to one another excitedly through the branches as though

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eagerly awaiting the show. When she was about to call off the whole thing, he stopped and pointed. “There.” Her eyes widened at the anomalous tree standing in the clearing. The tree was large and fat, with numerous low branches that reached out to her, more stretching for the sky, and what seemed an infinite number of pale, pink blossoms. “Is that a dogwood?” she asked. “Cherry.” “How? Cherry trees aren’t native to this area.” “No one knows. Someone obviously came along years ago and planted it here.” “And it survived in this climate?” She wandered closer in amazement. “Unbelievable. It’s so pretty.” Caleb followed her beneath the tree’s delightful pink canopy, where he turned her around gently to face him. Without warning, he gripped her around her waist and lifted her up. She gave a little gasp of surprise as he sat her in the middle of a low, V-shaped pair of branches that made quite a convenient seat. Hoisting her that small amount brought her lips just above his, and she swallowed when he moved closer, pushing himself between her thighs. He put his hands on her shoulders and just looked at her, silent. She ignored the damning simmer in his gaze, focusing instead on the brim of his hat. The heartbeat that hadn’t finished settling from her jog sounded battle stations. If the searing warmth of his hands wasn’t bad enough, he was eyeing her with an intensity she couldn’t risk being sucked into. “Let’s get to it, then,” she stuttered out nervously, her sweaty palms tightly gripping the branches she sat on. “And don’t try seductive mind tricks like staring me down that way, either.” The smile in response parted his lips with the promise of things to come, and her stomach jumped. “Surely the other men who kissed you actually looked at you first?” “You’d be surprised.”

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“Looking into your eyes was part of the deal, remember?” She shook her head and frantically tossed up every mental shield she could devise to keep his model-hot looks and piercing gaze from consuming her. “Let go and respond to me naturally, Rose.” His lips came closer. “No fair clenchin’ that tree with your fists and forcin’ yourself to hate every second.” “I’m holding on so I won’t fall. Besides, why should I play fair? You aren’t. “I won’t let you fall. And how do you figure I ain’t playin’ fair?” “For one thing, you’re trying to capitalize on this whole romantic, blossoming tree thing. And you’ve perfected what is no doubt a wellpracticed eye smolder.” “I confess to the first, but I can’t help how my eyes look. And you sittin’ there stiff as a board wasn’t the bargain. Give me the same shot as anyone else.” “This is pretty much what I do anytime a guy wants to kiss me.” “Not the last time I kissed you. You can open those pretty lips to claim the concussion was responsible for that. Trouble is, I don’t buy it.” The heat of his body penetrated her thighs, and while he kept himself a decent span away from the part of her that was beginning to pulse restlessly, standing inside her legs felt sinfully intimate. She was damn vulnerable to him this way, and he knew it. He leaned closer. She jerked, almost swaying off balance. Damn him, he probably stuck her in the tree for precisely that reason—to keep her off balance. Those eyes were scant inches away now, too, and she had to stare at his pink, moist mouth to avoid them. She licked her lips unconsciously at the sight. Caleb paused there, his lips so close that her mind was screaming at him to take his kiss already and be done with it before she went mad. Still, he held back until her breath came in tiny, ragged gasps.

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He took the sides of her face in his hands. “Rose,” he said in a faint but compelling whisper. Before she realized what she’d done, she’d given in and flicked her eyes to his. The electricity was nothing shy of magical, extending the moment between the smile he gave when their gazes connected and him closing the small remaining space to claim her lips. She expected him to mash himself to her mouth desperately, like she’d experienced in the supply room the day before. But this wasn’t Stephen. It was Caleb, and his soft, light kiss branded her just as it had on the couch. One kiss technically became many as he nipped and tasted every part of her lips separately, as though he were experiencing an exotic new cuisine for the first time. Oh, shit, she thought. Her pussy was starting to tingle. Her lips were responding of their own accord, too, puckering in an attempt to mimic what he was doing to her. His tongue flicked out gently over her lower lip, and when her body jerked this time, she let go of the branches supporting her and gripped his broad shoulders to steady herself. This had the opposite effect, however, and she felt more unsteady than ever. Her thoughts swayed into dangerously sensual territory. “Open for me,” he breathed, sweeping his tongue in the cleft between the lips she was desperately trying to keep closed. “I thought this was supposed to be a simple kiss?” she asked. “Why should I play fair? You ain’t.” His tongue breached her mouth before she got a chance to respond. In the span of one breath, the kiss went from Caleb-light to Stephen-desperate, and he let go of her face to circle his hands around her waist. His tongue writhing seductively against hers completely obliterated the barriers she’d erected around herself. Her hands slid up from his shoulders into his hair, and the hat she’d forgotten about hit the ground. He pushed himself closer until his stomach rubbed right against the crotch of her stretch pants. Warmth flooded between her legs, some of it internal but the rest from moisture seeping from her

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cunt. She couldn’t help it, she wriggled herself against him and let out a whimper at the flare of pleasure. Their kiss fired hotter when Caleb felt her obscene motions, and his grip around her waist tightened. He sucked on her tongue, eliciting delighted shudders that traveled down her body, making calculated stops at her hardening nipples and throbbing clit. Jesus, kissing him felt good, and his groan when she raked her fingers through his dark hair sharpened her desire until it threatened to knock her right over the edge. What the hell was she doing? Women didn’t orgasm from kissing a guy, her least of all. It was a myth. A myth, a myth, a myth, her thoughts chanted, even as her pleasure climbed perilously near a peak. An image of him pushing his hard cock inside her drove her even higher, and she was about to topple over an impossible edge when she panicked and pushed Caleb away. “Stop,” she blurted, wiping her wet lips with the back of a hand. “That’s enough.” Her body clenched and shouted in protest, and she grabbed for the branches again to keep her quivering limbs steady. Caleb stood back, folding his arms as he watched her in silence. He didn’t look mad at her for stopping him, though. On the contrary, he looked mighty damn pleased with himself. “Admit it,” he said, shifting his hips uncomfortably. A glance down showed the thick erection straining against his black jeans. “You ain’t immune to me. In fact, you’re as ready for me to claim you while you’re spread wide in that tree as I am to do it.” Her thighs were still gapped open, sitting the way she was. It was a scant drop to the ground, and she jumped while still holding onto one of the branches. Good thing, too, since her legs weren’t entirely cooperating. “Deflowered in a flowering cherry tree?” she asked, glancing upward. “Way too derivative. Not quite what I had in mind.” “Thought you didn’t have losin’ your virginity in mind at all.”

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“I don’t.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Admit that you lost this bet.” “Oh, fine.” She kicked at the cherry blossoms lying at their feet. “You’re the bomb at kissing, okay? Happy? That still doesn’t change anything.” “No?” “I’m not staying, Caleb. I told you, my original contract was only thirteen weeks. Now I don’t even have that. If I can’t get another local assignment, I’ll be leaving much sooner. Possibly days.” He looked at her for a moment, silent. Then he picked up his hat and brushed off leaves and cherry blossoms before turning away. “Come on.” Caleb strutted back the way they’d come, and she stared after him for a moment. “Where are we going?” He turned, snuggling the hat down on his head. “We’re joggin’ back to your place.” She folded her arms. “Oh, no, we’re not. Just because you won this little challenge doesn’t mean it’s time to play ‘your place or mine.’” He shot her a wide grin. “I’ve got to get goin’. I’ve got a haulin’ job today, and I’d reckon you have some things to do as well.” “Oh.” Her insides split down the middle evenly, half relieved beyond belief, the other painfully unhappy that he was leaving. “You’re right. I do.” “Let’s get to it, then. Oh, and I’ll be back at one o’clock to pick you up.” The painfully unhappy side perked up while the rest panicked. “Is that so?” Caleb bolted, and he somehow wound up several trees away. His speed dropped her jaw. “How the hell did you do that?” she asked.

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She was still gaping in shock when he turned with a grin. “You comin’ or what? I’ll try to keep up with you, what with you bein’ a seasoned jogger and all.” Rose pursed her lips at the sarcasm and picked her way through the trees at a fast walk. “Why do you think you’re picking me up at one o’clock?” “Because I’m takin’ you on a picnic to Shay Falls.” That fluttered in her chest. “I just told you I’m leaving, and now you want to go on a date?” He shrugged and waited for her to catch up before heading toward the road. “I reckon I don’t have much time to show you the sights. Thought you might want to see that waterfall of yours before you bid this town farewell.” As soon as they got back to the highway shoulder, she broke into a jog. “As a matter of fact, I was thinking about it this morning. Thank you.” They stopped talking, but her mind was whirring a mile a minute. A picnic would be just the thing to take her mind off things—and with any luck, they would be celebrating her landing another job nearby. Then she could take advantage of the remaining time on her apartment lease. The fact that this would also keep her close to Caleb—and yes, Stephen, if she’d let herself admit it—for a while longer had nothing to do with her sudden desire to hang on to that hope. Not one bit.

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Chapter Eight A ridiculous grin was plastered to Rose’s face as she put the finishing touches on the bruschetta and snapped the plastic storage container closed. When a knock at the door stirred the butterfly nest in her stomach, she pulled off her apron and smoothed her skirt. Caleb had showered and changed clothes, too, and he looked more edible than the food she’d spent the past hour preparing. He wore a black button-down shirt that was open at the throat, along with matching denims that were too snug to be legal. The ever-present Stetson was in his hand. There was an awkward moment when she realized they’d both been too busy devouring each other’s appearance for a proper greeting. Even then, it was Caleb who rallied first. “No way,” he said in a tone of disbelief. The violet in his wide eyes was bright and clear as they traveled over her chosen attire. She frowned down at her dress. “I’m dressed all wrong, aren’t I?” “No. It’s perfect.” “I knew I should have worn jeans. I just figured it’s so warm that a dress would be nice. I get tired of pants when I wear uniform scrubs all the time.” “You look beautiful.” He stepped inside when she let him pass, but he turned around to trap her between him and the front door she’d just closed. As he kept eyeing her up and down, he fiddled nervously with the brim of his hat. It was an odd little quirk that didn’t seem like him. She kicked herself mentally for the sudden, wild impulse to wear her favorite spring dress. The A-line halter was the pale yellow of

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frothy egg yolks, a shade that set off her burgundy hair rather dramatically, and the bodice was low enough to show cleavage without advertising herself as a giant slut. The skirt fell from the waist in wide, innocent folds that hit just above her knees. From the way he devoured the seemingly innocent dress, however, she might have been better off in a high turtleneck and baggy flannel pants. “Maybe I’d better go change,” she said. He shook his head. “You know how you dreamed about the waterfall?” “Yes.” “I’ve dreamed about that dress.” She gave him a warm chuckle. “Nicely put. You cowboys sure know how to charm a lady.” The cherry tree flashed to mind, and she pushed past him before the memory could play for long. “I made a couple things to take along,” she said, bustling to the kitchen. “You didn’t have to cook,” Caleb said, following her. “The picnic was my invitation, so I brought food and wine.” “Then we’ll have extra,” she said, slipping a salad container inside a paper bag. “Sorry I don’t have anything fancy to carry it in, though. I travel light on assignment.” “I’ve got that covered,” he said, leaning in to take the bag from her. Heaven’s mercy, she thought, he smelled good. Her stomach tightened at his masculine scent. “All you need to bring is yourself, an appetite, and your sketchbook.” “Along with pencils and a sweater,” she added. “I come well prepared.” Even as she said the words, she knew that wasn’t quite true. She wasn’t prepared for this “date” at all. Just handing over the bag had shaken her insides to jelly, yet there was little point to letting anything develop between them, even if she wanted to. “I almost forgot,” he said, holding out a ring of car keys. She smiled. “Forgot what, that you can’t drive?”

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“My way of saying sorry about your car.” Rose stared at the keys. “I don’t follow.” “Your car got totaled. Now you have a new one.” “What?” “Let me show you.” Caleb took her out to the carport, where sure enough, a blue midsize that looked exactly the same as the one she’d wrapped around a tree sat in the visitor parking area. “You can’t give me a car!” she exclaimed in shock. “Why not? It’s my fault you lost your other one. It’s only fair that I replace it.” “It wasn’t your fault. You were running away after getting shot.” “Tell that to the car sittin’ in the junkyard, waitin’ to get melted down.” She shook her head. “This is beyond generous, Caleb, really. But I can’t take this from you.” “Yes, you can.” He pressed the keys into her hand. “I could have gotten you killed, Rose, and don’t think that hasn’t fucked with my head every hour of the day since it happened. The least I can do is set your transportation to right. If your insurance ever gets around to payin’ the claim, you can bank the settlement in exchange for the wages I lost you durin’ recovery.” She stared at the shiny, blue paint. “I don’t know what to say.” How could she take such a gift? Was it truly just reparations from the accident? Or were there invisible strings attached? Maybe he thought if he gave her a car, she wouldn’t be so eager to leave him behind. Those thoughts were shunted aside as they left. They made small talk on the drive, which was surprisingly short. However, where they had to park was a distance from their eventual destination, and getting to the picnic spot involved a trek through the woods she hadn’t foreseen.

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The first leg of the trip took them through gently sloping woods. When the terrain dropped sharply, however, she stopped with a frown. “Now I am sorry I didn’t wear something more appropriate,” she said, glancing down at her creamy-yellow flat shoes. “I’m not sure I can make it down there.” “I told you, the dress is perfect,” Caleb said. “Not to worry, darlin’. Just hang on to your sweater and art supplies. I’ve got you.” Caleb draped the red blanket he’d brought over his shoulder and hooked their picnic basket over his arm. He swept her up off her feet, quite literally, and carried on with the rugged journey like it was no bother at all. She held her items in her lap and hugged his neck, thinking of other times she’d recently been carried like baggage. She’d been unconscious the last time Caleb had done so. But there’d been Stephen on that confusing, delusional night when she’d run off. Just thinking about him sent a pang through her stomach, and she wondered what he was doing. Probably sitting at the nurses’ station, grateful to not be getting ice water dumped all over him. She had a sudden picture of him joining their picnic, smiling as they all sat together to share the meal and view. As mad as she’d been, she sure missed him. She wondered whether Caleb was thinking of Stephen’s absence too. He pushed through bushes and past tree branches for a short time, and she heard the sound before she saw anything. The whoosh of rushing water fanned an air of excitement around her, and she was suddenly anxious for him to set her down. The roaring sound grew louder as her impatience swelled, and she strained to see through the trees. She thought she caught glimpses, but she couldn’t nail anything down. The ground leveled after a while, and although they were still out of view, Caleb lowered her onto her feet. “Wait here,” he said in a reverent whisper as he turned her to face forward. “Just a few more steps.”

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“And I’m waiting why?” Her voice came out soft and low, too, just because his was. “Because I want to be far enough ahead to watch your reaction when you see it.” She smirked at his boyish expression and waited patiently while he made his way through more leaves and around rocks and trees to where a tall, narrow boulder stood. He stopped beside it and nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Come on.” Rose had almost come up beside him when the falls came into view, and she stopped dead. Her mouth fell open as her eyes traveled up the several-story drop, mesmerized by the white veil of water tumbling gracefully from the ridge overhead. Plumes of spray erupted like clouds where the falls met the water below. Golden sunlight sparkled and played over the river’s surface, like thousands of tiny water sprites dancing in delight on top of the flowing current. The very air was alive here, vibrant and stirring with the motion of the falls. No other living soul was in sight, just the majesty of nature. It was all she could do not to burst out into tears. “Oh, my God,” she whispered. “It’s unbelievable.” “That look on your face says it all,” Caleb said. “You recognize it, I can tell.” She shook her head slowly. “I can’t say whether or not it’s the waterfall I drew. It doesn’t matter, though. Just being here feels nothing short of miraculous.” “That it does.” He was watching her carefully. She gripped her sketchbook tighter. “I’m dying to draw it.” “Go for it. I’ll find a spot for our picnic.” They wandered along the open riverbank for a short stretch, and the whole while she couldn’t take her eyes off the falls. Near the top where it crested over, the water seemed to move in slow motion as the frothy sheet slid down. At the base, however, it sped up and churned rapidly. What was it that she found so compelling about waterfalls?

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She stopped near one of three flat, low rocks dotting the riverbank on this side. “This is perfect,” she said, and she sat down and began sharpening her pencil. Caleb kept going a ways, finally setting the picnic basket down on the far side of another low boulder about fifteen feet away. While she got ready to draw, he spread out their blanket and dug around inside the basket, neither of which she could see from her vantage point. “What’s in the blue container?” he called out as she turned an artist’s eye on the horizon. “Bruschetta with apples, bacon, and gorgonzola,” she replied, starting to block out a light sketch of the waterfall on her pad. “Ever had it?” “No. Sounds like a lot of trouble to make, though. I feel bad.” “Don’t,” she said, running a curved line along her paper to represent the river bank. “I really like cooking. It relaxes me.” He wandered over to her with two long-stemmed glasses full of rich, ruby-red wine. He held one out to her. “And what about drawin’? Does that relax you, too?” She accepted a glass and inhaled the tangy scent. “No. Sketching excites me.” To Caleb’s credit, he fell completely silent at that and let her run with the vision of the landscape that filled all her senses. He watched her sketch for a minute, her pencil flying over the paper as the scene took a very rough shape. She paused to sip the wine, letting the full, complex notes roll around her tongue. A cowboy who knew his fine wine. He definitely was a man of surprises. “This is so good,” she said when she finally swallowed and took another sip. “Thank you.” He nodded and wandered back to whatever he had laid out behind the other rock, leaving her to her drawing. Shifting her ass slightly to get more comfortable on her stone perch, she fell into her creative zone, and the deeper she sank into it, the faster her pencil flew. She sketched out the woods, the ridge line above the falls, and the stones

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dotting the riverbank, going back over each to darken and widen her lines and soften the harsh edges by smudging them with a finger. She drank more wine as she considered the woods behind Caleb, smiling when she spotted the Stetson he’d laid at a slightly skewed angle on the rock he was sitting behind. She studied the lines and lighting for a moment, almost deciding to make the rock and hat the focus of another sketch. Instead, she added it to her landscape. She drew Caleb, too, who sat well behind the stone with his hands locked around his bent knees and his bangs swept carelessly across his forehead. She was so engrossed in artistic process that it wasn’t until she was filling in a line of trees along the left ridge that an odd awareness struck. She stopped shading in pines and flipped through the book to find the drawing she was looking for. She did something she almost never did, which was to tear the page straight out of the book. Then she held it beside her current sketch. “God,” she whispered. To say the two were a close resemblance would be an understatement. Though her technique today was sloppier and rushed, she was looking at the exact same landscape, and drawn from the same viewpoint. The asymmetrical ridge line, the boulders, the height of the falls, everything was spot-on. Even more disturbing was the hat sitting on the rock, in the same place and almost the same position. Had Caleb done that on purpose? The only real difference between the two drawings was the fact that Caleb was missing from the original. Ironically, he sat well forward from, but right in line with, the mysterious wolf that lurked at the edge of the woods in the first sketch. She lifted her eyes to find Caleb staring. “Everythin’ okay?” he called. Rose carried her wine and sketch tools over to where he sat. He had laid out quite a spread, including grapes, cheese cubes, and fried chicken, but she barely paid attention. “You were right,” she said,

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setting down her glass so she could hold up the two drawings. “What does it mean? What kind of fantasy world have I fallen into?” “The best kind,” he said, refilling her glass. She accepted it gratefully and took a big sip. “The kind where you dreamed about cowboys and waterfalls, and I dreamed about burgundy-haired goddesses in buttercup-yellow dresses.” He smiled and scooted closer to her, taking the sketch pad and laying it aside. He lifted a finger to stroke her cheekbone, a touch that shot fire through her. “Back at your place, when I told you I dreamed about that dress, I wasn’t just feedin’ you a compliment. My kind dream about our mates, Rose. You were meant to be here, wearin’ that dress. You were meant to be with me.” Those last words echoed inside her. He was going to kiss her. She just knew it. So when he pulled away instead, her heart thudded in disappointment. “And what’s in this?” he asked, peeling the lid off another container. Just like that, some of the thick tension dropped away, but it took a moment for her to find her voice. “Pepper-crusted filet strips with balsamic dipping sauce. I hope you like your steak rare.” He shot her a funny smile. “You have no idea.” The admiration in his expression as he speared a strip of the meat gave her a happy little twinge. When he slid it between his lips and chewed, he might as well have been in the middle of sex, the moan he let out was so damned sensual—and since she’d heard him in the act, she could make a factual comparison. “Good God, woman, you can cook like this, too?” He stabbed another piece of steak. “I knew it must be love.” She flushed at the compliment. “Yeah, you and Mr. Pierce.” He shot her a look. “Who’s Mr. Pierce?” “A patient I took care of during my infamous single shift at Shay Falls Community.”

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The thought snatched away her smile, and depression threatened to settle in. She lapsed into silence while he reached for some cheese and grapes. “It’ll be okay, Rose,” he said, putting the food in front of her. “Fate will see to it.” That brought back a sardonic version of her smile. “Fate’s looking out for my career, is it? Funny how it didn’t see you coming the day you ran out in front of my car.” “It saw me comin’, all right. That’s exactly the point.” He brushed crumbs from his jeans and reached for a fried chicken leg. “No matter what we think we’re runnin’ from, we tend to run smack into what fate had in store for us all along.” She jabbed a hunk of cheese with her fork. “You’re saying that our meeting was fate.” “Wasn’t it? This is the way things work for my kind. I can’t explain it, but it just happens. Fate brings mates together, sometimes under some pretty unlikely circumstances. Either way, one look told me who my mate was, just the same as it did for you.” Her heart fluttered at that. “One look told me that you were in need of medical attention. Not that I managed to stay conscious long enough to do anything about it.” “You were as instantly afraid for my safety as I was for yours, even though both of us should have been worried about our own injuries. That was the bond stirrin’ in us. Even in those first few seconds, we cared more for each other than anyone else we’d ever met.” She swallowed her bite of cheese, but it sank slowly past a nervous lump in her throat. She wished Caleb would let up about their rightness for each other for five minutes. It made her too uncomfortable to dwell on the subject. Thankfully, he stopped talking while they dug in and feasted on their meal. When he did speak again, it was to praise her cooking and engage in idle small talk. By the time Caleb gave her wineglass a

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third refill, her stomach was pleasantly warm, and her head was swimming. “I shouldn’t drink more,” she said. “I have to drive.” “We’ll be here a while yet,” he said, pouring half a glass this time. “If need be, I can drive.” “You’ve had just as much. Don’t you feel the buzz?” “Oh, I’m feelin’ it.” His look seared her, and the way he said it made her wonder whether he meant the wine. “But my body burns alcohol fast.” Despite his assurances, she knew she should lay off the bottle now. Still, his choice in wine was so perfect she couldn’t help indulging a bit more. She was about to take another sip when Caleb froze, lifting his chin and scenting the air. After a moment where he looked deep in thought, he whipped his head around to stare at something near the base of the falls. She followed his gaze to the reason for his shift in attention, and her eyes flew wide when she spotted it. “Oh, God, Caleb,” she whispered, afraid to move. The wolf stared right back at them, its black fur wet and gleaming from the waterfall it had somehow emerged from the back of. A white diamond on its chest was ruffled and distorted from being soaked. The animal shook off, water flying everywhere, and then it stood dripping on a low rock on the riverbank. Its eyes held Rose captive. They were golden, gleaming, and full of awareness and cunning. Intelligent eyes, sizing the two of them up carefully as if weighing just how convenient a picnic they would make, basket and all. “What do we do?” she asked quietly. “It’s okay,” Caleb said, his eyes still locked with the wolf’s. “It’s just Seth.” That snapped her gaze away from the animal. “It’s just what?” “I know him. We used to be in the same pack.” He gave a nod of recognition to the wolf. To her shock, the animal tossed its head as if it were nodding back. Then it trotted off through the trees.

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She got up and took a step backward, almost tripping over a small stone in the process. Her wine sloshed in the glass and barely missed staining her dress, but she didn’t care. She was staring hard at Caleb, and when he turned to her, his eyes weren’t human. They were the same golden yellow as the wolf’s. “Jesus,” she said, heading quickly for the edge of the water. There, she let the breeze fan her heated face and tried to breathe in deep to slow her pounding heart. “What’s wrong?” Caleb asked, much too close behind her. “You’re safe, Rose. He’s gone. But Seth wouldn’t harm you, anyway.” The wineglass quivered as she forced herself to take a long sip for courage. She was afraid to turn toward Caleb, lest she see what he’d become. She swallowed hard and did it anyway, relieved when she saw that his eyes were normal again. As normal as they ever were, anyway. “It’s not true,” she said. “You don’t know wolves by name. And you certainly weren’t in a pack of them.” His brows furrowed with concern. “You know what I am. You saw for yourself.” Bile rose in her throat. “But that wasn’t real,” she stammered. “I was hallucinating because of my concussion.” Understanding dawned on his face. “You think you made it all up in your head.” “Of course.” A shudder passed over her. “What else?” “Werewolves exist. Stephen and I are proof.” She turned away and stared out over the churning water. “You really changed into animals and fought in my living room? Stephen healed your bullet wound with his tongue?” “Yes.” Her legs rubberized, and she held out her glass. “Take this, please. I’ve had more than enough.”

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Caleb did as she asked. “I’m sorry, Rose. I had no idea you didn’t understand.” Processing this information took time, and he stood quiet while she digested it. She hadn’t been dreaming or suffering delusions. She’d actually watched human beings morph into fur-covered, fangbearing wolves. That triggered a memory that made her whirl on him. “Stephen bit you,” she said. “I don’t know if he told you, but I saw you together. On my living room floor.” “He told me.” “And he hurt you.” She reached out and pulled aside the unbuttoned neck of his shirt, exposing his shoulder to reveal two fading, but still obvious punctures. “Right there.” “He didn’t hurt me, Rose. He marked me. It’s how we seal a mate bond. It’s not unpleasant.” Something glimmered deep in his eyes. “Far from it.” “You had a scar like that before,” she said. “I remember seeing it after the accident. But it was on this side.” She pulled his shirt over the opposite shoulder, and she frowned. “I could have sworn it was there.” “You’re right.” He straightened his shirt. “It was the mark of my former pack, the one Seth and I were in. It faded the minute Stephen put his mark on me. I’m his now.” “This can’t be real,” she said, heading back to the blanket but not sitting down. There were really werewolves on this planet. In her world. “Do you hurt people?” she asked. “Is that why you got shot?” “No.” He paused. “And yes.” He came alongside her and set down the glass he’d taken from her. “No and yes to which?” “Humans hurt people, too, but not all. That’s how it is with werewolves. The pack I belonged to had major ugliness mixed up in

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it. Most of us were little better than hostages. The rest hurt plenty of people. I got shot in retaliation for their crimes.” “Why, if you were a victim, too?” “She didn’t see the difference.” He picked up a rock and tossed it. Her eyes narrowed. “She?” “Her name’s Jayel. Her family was killed by my pack leader and his mongrel offspring. They turned her brother into one of us. She doesn’t see us as victims. Anyone from that old pack is guilty by association.” “So you’re in danger.” “Not anymore.” “What if she comes after you again?” “She won’t.” “How can you be so sure?” “She’s the one who let me go.” “I thought she wants revenge?” “She does. Just not on me.” He stared out across the woods. “She had me, you know. Stood right over me while I was wounded and pointed her gun square at my chest. I shifted human and told her that if I was in any way guilty of harmin’ her family or another livin’ soul, then let God strike me dead with the next silver bullet.” Her eyes widened. “You said that? What happened?” “The gun misfired.” Her hand flew over her mouth. “Oh, my God.” “That shook her up real good. I ran when she told me to get lost before she changed her mind, but she won’t. I could see in her eyes that she believed me.” Images flashed through Rose’s mind of Jayel losing her parents and watching her brother get taken by a vicious pack. She turned to him. “Take me home,” she said. “I can’t be part of this, Caleb. I don’t want to be a werewolf.” “A werewolf?” he said, stuffing his hands into his jean pockets. “Turnin’ you has never been our intention.”

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She shivered. “I’m not sure I believe that.” “I don’t need or want you to be a shifter. Our females have to be human to be true bond mates.” “Even if I wanted to be your ‘female,’ how can I trust you?” He stepped closer to reply, but her eyes flashed him a warning that stopped him in his tracks. “I mean, if you’re not even human,” she went on, “then you’ve probably got supernatural powers to use on me. Maybe that’s why I have trouble resisting you. Stephen, too.” Her eyes widened. “That’s it, isn’t it? You guys have weird paranormal magic that I react to. It isn’t real. Maybe that’s how your kind lures women in. I bet I’d feel the same way around any werewolf that crossed my path.” He folded his arms. “You’ll only feel this way about your rightful mates. It’s fate’s way of lettin’ you know you’re on the path you’re meant for.” “I don’t believe you.” She wasn’t sure she believed any of it, even after seeing for herself. She could see the frustration gleaming in his narrowed eyes, but he didn’t answer. That was all the proof she needed. “I’m right, aren’t I?” she persisted. “You just want me to think this is fate.” “Wait here.” With an inhuman display of speed, Caleb disappeared into the woods. She whipped around in alarm, searching the jagged rows of trees and shrubs to try and catch sight of him. He was just gone. “Sure, Caleb,” she called out. “I’ll just wait here all alone in wolfinfested woods until you decide to come back. Not.” She eyed the hill they’d come down, debating the wisdom of attempting the climb up to her car when she heard rustling in the trees. Caleb re-emerged so fast that she almost kicked over her abandoned wineglass. When she saw he wasn’t alone, she stiffened and closed her mouth on the sarcastic remark she’d been about to make.

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“Rose, this is Seth,” Caleb said in a formal tone. “Seth, Rose.” “Ma’am,” Seth said with a nod. Seth had a cowboy twang, too. And he was so packed with muscle that he looked like a professional wrestler. He wore only blue jeans and pointy boots. Golden-brown hair hung to his shoulders, and it was dripping wet. So was most of his bulky upper half. “This is the wolf you just saw,” Caleb went on. “I asked him to help settle our discussion.” She laughed. “Oh, he’s that wolf, is he,” she said with thick sarcasm. “That’s funny, because I was pretty sure that wolf had black hair, not golden-brown. And oh, yes—it wasn’t wearing any pants.” “I had clothes stashed in the woods,” Seth said, almost apologetically. Rose rolled her eyes. “Am I really supposed to believe he’s a werewolf, too?” “Look at his eyes,” Caleb said. “Or does he have to shift again to prove it?” She had to admit, he had the bizarre eye thing going on. The irises were almost midnight blue, but gold flecks ringed the pupils, just like Caleb’s and Stephen’s. She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Great. He’s a werewolf. Congratulations. What’s all this about?” “Good question,” Seth added, glancing at Caleb. “Rose doesn’t believe her hot, overwhelmin’ lust for me is part of a mate bond,” Caleb said. Her mouth fell open. “Caleb!” He ignored her. “She thinks werewolves have the same supernatural sex appeal to all females.” “And Seth here is my next case in point,” she butted in, pointing at him accusingly. “I mean, just look at him. Aren’t there any werewolves who are actually ugly?” Caleb kept his focus on Seth. “I was hopin’ you’d help an old pack mate by lettin’ her test that theory on you.”

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Something in his words struck. “Wait,” she said. “Are you out of your mind?” He glanced at her. “Afraid to try and find out you’re wrong?” She met the challenge in his eyes with a glower. “Not in the slightest.” She folded her arms and glanced at the shirtless wonderwolf. “What about it, Seth?” Seth gave Caleb a confused look, but Caleb nodded. “As a favor, please. I want to settle this now.” The man shrugged. “What do I have to do?” “From my experience, not much,” Rose said. “Just look at me, basically.” Their eyes met, and she stepped forward boldly. The gold in his eyes glittered, but didn’t vibrate, grow, or otherwise come to life. “Feel any magical infatuation yet?” Caleb said, and the teasing in his words was obvious. “Be quiet and give me a minute,” she snapped. She took a step forward and then another, until finally she and Seth were close enough for her to feel the heat of his still-damp body. Taking a deep breath, she plunged full steam ahead, giving those mystical, werewolf eyes her complete focus. She knew full well she was in a precarious state. That gaze could hypnotize her into wanting to jump his bones. She’d have to be careful to pull out the second she felt it starting. Just a few more seconds. They stood there, moments ticking away while their eyes remained locked. Seth had beautiful eyes, really. Such a dark, compelling blue. Soulful, even. But her heart didn’t flip over, and there wasn’t so much as a flicker of butterfly wings in her stomach. She stared until her eyes watered from lack of blinking. Finally, she heaved a sigh. “This isn’t working,” she said irritably. “You’re not trying hard enough.”

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“You said I just had to look at you,” Seth said. “Is that it? Are we done?” “No.” She moved closer still. “Kiss me.” Maybe it was the wine talking, but Rose was determined to prove her point. “What?” Caleb spat out. “Like hell.” “Now who’s afraid to try and be proved wrong?” she asked with a note of triumph. Caleb scowled but stayed quiet. “Come on, Seth,” she said. “Kissing is how Caleb tried to prove to me that I would respond differently to him than any other man. So let’s see how that plays out with a werewolf who is neither my rescuer nor my ex-doctor.” Seth’s eyes flicked back and forth between them. “Do what she wants,” Caleb said, biting off each word. She saw Caleb stiffen when the man reached up to gently take hold of her chin. Seth’s thumb traced her lower lip as he bent his head close. Instead of what she’d expected, however, he spoke to her in a soft, low voice. “I don’t really need to kiss you for you to know the truth about this. Do I?” He held that position, his face close to hers while meeting her eyes, as he continued feathering her lip with his thumb. Any one of those gestures would be devastating to her virginity if wielded by Caleb or Stephen. But with Seth, she felt what she always felt when a man tried to seduce her. Nothing. Nothing but foolish, that was. And the heady effects of too much wine. “No,” she admitted, taking a teetering step back. “I suppose not.” Seth glanced at Caleb. “You’ve got yourself a real fine lady here. She’s as beautiful and delicate as a china doll on the outside, but a real firecracker within.” “Tell me about it,” Caleb said, and she shot him a glare.

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Seth took her hand. “Don’t be afraid.” He nodded toward Caleb. “He ain’t tryin’ to put one over. He is a werewolf, yes. But he’s one of the good guys. We all were, once. Before Blaise came along.” “And we still are,” Caleb said when Seth turned away from her. “Thank you.” Seth nodded and headed off. Caleb called out, “Wait,” and went after him. Their heads bent together for a moment while Caleb said something Rose couldn’t hear. With a final nod, Seth was gone. “What was that last bit about?” she said when Caleb returned. “I was warnin’ him to watch out for silver bullets.” She gave a little wine-influenced giggle and shook her head. “What’s so funny?” he asked. “That I’m actually starting to believe I didn’t hallucinate the existence of werewolves.” She hugged herself and glanced at him. “And that I’m here in a place that I’ve dreamed about, alone with a man I’m not sure I should trust.” He strode into her personal space. “That ain’t your heart talkin’. It’s the last flickers of your instinct to steer away from men. Because deep down, you’ve been waitin’ to give yourself to me.” There was no gentle, barely there Caleb kiss this time. He devoured her lips like a starving man. The fiery passion caught her off guard and unhinged her completely. Despite her misgivings, despite knowing she wouldn’t even be in town long enough to decide if his dark secrets mattered, she knew he was right. She wanted him to be the faceless dream lover who seduced her by a waterfall. She ached to give him all of herself. “Tell me you believe it now,” he said in between heated, almost forceful kisses. “Tell me no other man can make you feel this way.” His lips sent shocks of lust down her spine, tingling along her nipples and clit. She wanted to tell him whatever he needed to hear, just so he wouldn’t stop. But those weren’t the words that came out.

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“There is one other man,” she said, circling his taut waist with her arms. “Mates don’t count.” “If Stephen doesn’t count, why do I miss him so much?” That truth struck her hard. Maybe that was why her dream lover had never had a face. Maybe fate hadn’t decided which man should be the one to claim his place. “You were really gonna kiss Seth right in front of me,” he said with a growl. “Jealous?” she asked innocently. “As hell.” He kicked at their picnic with his foot, and supplies went tumbling onto the mossy ground. He pulled her down to the blanket with him, still torturing her with frantic kisses. His tongue plunged into her mouth, and she moaned at the electric feel. He tasted of wine as they lay there together, their tongues battling to see which one would drive the other insane first. When she reached between his legs to feel the hard cock in his jeans, she felt a pang of victory. The buzz she had going must have made her bold, because she was fumbling with the fly of his jeans moments later. He let her unzip him while his hands moved to the back of her neck to loosen the tie of her halter. She stuck her hand inside his pants, feeling his bulge now through thin, cotton underwear she was eager to rip off him. He peeled down the edges of her halter to the waist, exposing her. “God, Rose, you are so damned beautiful,” he said, and then he lowered his head to her breasts. She gasped, and the feel of his tongue on her nipples in the middle of nature’s wild beauty turned her into a frantic woman. She tried shutting her eyes to revel in the feel, but the world spun drunkenly around her. Instead, she focused on the erection she was groping and grew impatient for more of it.

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Tugging at his jeans until he helped her, they got his pants off. When she had his hot, naked cock in her palm, she squeezed it and groaned at the way it jerked in her hand. “Slow down,” he said, capturing her nipple in his mouth and sucking it for a moment. “I want this to last, and the way you’re grabbin’ my cock is gonna make me blow my load too soon.” “Good,” she said, her other hand stroking the hairy balls beneath his long shaft. “I want to make you come the way you made me on the couch.” He lifted his hips with a moan, pulling away. “Not until I’m inside you, darlin’. You don’t know how long I’ve waited.” “Then do it,” she said. “Please.” “Such a hurry,” he said in a slow, teasing drawl, letting his hand slide up a bare thigh beneath her dress. He gave her a trademark, featherlight kiss just as his fingers brushed against her wet panties. Pleasure flooded her right down to the toes, and her clit began throbbing powerfully. She was the one to shove down her panties, wiggling out of them while he rubbed her aching slit. “Don’t tease me, Caleb,” she said. “I need you.” She shifted over until she could get hold of his rock-hard dick again, and she slid her hand up and down the velvety length. He let out a moan that gave her goose bumps, and when his gaze found hers, his eyes had gone wild with animal fire. “Any minute now,” he said, pumping his hips against the fist she closed around his erection. “Any minute.” “Until you come?” she asked feverishly, wriggling her hips against the fingers that dipped inside her cunt. “Not exactly.” With that, she heard the muffled chime of a cell phone.

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Chapter Nine Caleb rolled away from Rose with an exaggerated sigh. “Told you.” He reached for his abandoned jeans and pulled out his phone. “Yes, Master,” he said with a sarcastic grin when he pressed the phone to his ear. “How may I serve you?” He continued torturing her cunt while he listened. She could hear a man’s voice through the phone, but not any of what was being said. She stifled a moan when he pulled out of her to rub slick fingers over her clit. “As a matter of fact, Rose is right here. How could you tell?” Caleb smiled at her and held the phone away. Stephen, he mouthed. Her eyes widened. “We’re just havin’ us a picnic at the falls,” Caleb said. “Shame you ain’t here to join us.” The voice on the other end grew louder, though no less muddled. Caleb pulled his hand out of her dress. His fingers were glistening with her juices, and he flicked out his tongue and ran it along his index finger. She shuddered at his little groan, along with the brief flare in the eyes that were rapidly shifting from violet to gold. “Fine, you caught me,” Caleb said after a moment. “We’re doin’ more than just enjoyin’ my excellent taste in wine and Rose’s stellar cookin’.” He rolled his eyes at the escalating volume on the other end, and she frowned. Stephen obviously knew what was going on. And he didn’t sound happy about it.

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“It ain’t my fault you work longer hours,” Caleb said. “Besides, there ain’t any time to waste. Our woman’s plannin’ to leave town.” “What?” came the sharp reply. Rose heard that, plain as day. “There’s still time for you to get down here,” Caleb said. “But I’d hurry. She’s beggin’ me to put an end to her long-lived virginity.” Her eyes bugged out. “Shut up, Caleb,” she whispered fiercely. After another moment’s listening, Caleb frowned. “Is that an alpha order?” He held the phone to her. “He thinks I shouldn’t fuck you without him, but he ain’t gonna come down here. Tell him what you think of that.” She took the phone with trembling fingers while she tried to blink away the fuzz of inebriation. “Stephen?” “Rose,” Stephen said, sounding startled. “Put Caleb back on the phone.” “Hello to you, too,” she said acidly. “Can’t this wait? You’re interrupting a rather important milestone.” That stopped him for a moment. “Rose,” he murmured softer this time. “What are you doing?” His words fused to her desire. “You know what I’m doing.” She pictured the way that he kissed her, and her stomach churned at the thought of him being with her right then. “Please come, Stephen,” she whispered. “I’m at the hospital.” His voice sounded strained. “I can’t just leave.” “Please.” Caleb took the phone from her. “You heard the lady. And from what I’m lookin’ at, when she was beggin’ you to come, she didn’t only mean to the falls. So if you ain’t orderin’, I ain’t waitin’. And you know what’ll happen if I claim her before you give it your blessin’.” She could hear Stephen cursing when Caleb clicked off the call. He tossed the phone away. “Well, that’s settled. Where were we?” “Can he really do that? Order you not to touch me?”

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His hand paused as he brushed hair from her face. “Alpha’s orders are absolute, except in rare cases. But even he couldn’t find it in him to deny me this.” He leaned down to kiss her, but his final comment to Stephen prompted her to put a hand against his chest. “What did you mean about us being together without his blessing? What will happen? I won’t turn into a werewolf, will I?” Caleb sighed. “No. You’ll become irresistible to any man within firin’ range of your hormones. I’ll admit, it can be damn problematic. I’ve seen it happen.” His lips claimed hers, and her thoughts began misfiring. She groped at his shoulders, wishing she could ignore her inner warning. But the thought of other men clamoring for her overrode the insistent demands of her body. “Maybe we should wait,” she said. “The last thing I need is more problems.” Caleb unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside. He was naked now, and her eyes ran over every inch as he sat beside her. He thought she was beautiful. What a joke. Caleb Green was the beautiful one. He stretched out like a model in a fine painting, a chiseled piece of art she could stare at forever. Her gaze traveled to the reddish-brown dots on his left shoulder, the symbol of a werewolf mate. She couldn’t blame Stephen. She was half ready to sink her teeth into the man herself. “No need to wait,” he said with a smile that lit her on fire. “Stephen will be here before you know it.” “He said he can’t. He’s working.” “He says a lot of shit.” This time when he took command of her lips, she let the contact sear away the questions and doubts she still had plenty of. She clung to him while he removed her innocent, spring dress, laying it aside almost reverently. After today, her dress might still be innocent, but she wouldn’t be. And the thought sent her pulse into overdrive.

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“You’re every bit as sexy as I dreamed, only more,” he said. Then he showed her how much he believed it. She wasn’t sure how much time passed once she gave herself up to the sensations he aroused in her. His lips were everywhere—on her mouth, pressed to her breasts, skimming down her quivering stomach. When he flicked out his tongue to taste her cunt juices, she arched her hips and let out a loud cry. Her body shuddered as his wet, rough tongue swirled over her clit, and she was approaching orgasm when she heard the low, rumbling growl. “Speak of the devil,” Caleb said from between her thighs, and they twisted around to see the wolf standing at the edge of the trees behind them. The animal’s sides were heaving as he stared down at them with fiery, yellow eyes. His pale gray fur ruffled slightly in a breeze. Just the way she’d drawn him in her sketch. “Stephen,” she breathed. He came forward on all fours, but as he moved, he rose up oddly until he was on hind legs. At the same time, he quivered so hard that his fur was almost blurred. It vanished into his tanned skin until he was upright, naked, and headed straight for them. “Told you he’d be here,” Caleb said. “And I told you to wait,” Stephen said. There was a hint of annoyance in his voice, but his cock told another story. It was rising steadily. Rose sat up and stared at his exquisite, sexually ripe body as he stared at hers. “You made it,” she said, barely able to contain her need. She squirmed on the blanket, thanks to the protest her clit was waging over the abrupt halt in stimulation. He didn’t reply. He just stalked straight for her and dropped down on the blanket. She felt suddenly self-conscious, being naked out in the open, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. His arm slid around her shoulders, bringing her face to his. The kiss was epic—very

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Stephen, yet with an added blaze of romance. For a moment, she imagined herself as Scarlett O’Hara to his Rhett Butler, though the thought was drowned out quickly by the feel of his hand skimming her bare curves. “Do you have any idea what it was like to sit in that hospital,” he said, barely lifting his lips, “knowing how much pleasure you were giving Caleb?” “You didn’t sit there for long,” she said thinly through a dry throat. “You must have left the minute you hung up that call.” “He means before that,” Caleb said. Stephen’s position had effectively pushed him out of place, but he sat on his heels, watching. “We’re bonded now. He could sense every bit of what I was feelin’.” Her eyes widened. “That’s why you called.” “You didn’t want to wait for me,” Stephen said, and the words rung with both passion’s heat and disappointment. She reached up and stroked his smooth face. “Not because I didn’t want you.” He cupped her breast and flicked his tongue against the palm she had pressed to his cheek. Then he glanced at Caleb. “I’m invoking the right of first mating.” “What?” Caleb jumped to his feet while Rose wondered exactly what Stephen meant. “No way. That’s only done where there’s a question of compatibility.” He glowered accusingly at Stephen’s cock. “Or of obedience,” Stephen snapped. “And I do have some question marks raised over that.” Rose’s body throbbed for release, and frustration flooded her thoughts. The men weren’t seriously going to start fighting now? She might explode before they finished trying to out-macho each other. To her relief, however, Caleb gave a curt nod and sank down a bit unhappily on the blanket. “Get on your back,” Stephen said to him, and with a brief hesitation, Caleb complied.

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“Rose,” Stephen murmured against her ear while he still cradled her against his body. “I want you to get on all fours and pin him down.” She wasn’t sure what he was asking, but he helped her so she was essentially on top of Caleb on hands and knees, pinning his thighs with her shins and clasping his hands beside his head. It was awkward and wobbly until Stephen got behind her and steadied her hips, but it was also quite exciting to hold Caleb down. She could watch the way his gaze flamed as it raked along the breasts, belly, and pussy positioned above him. She felt Stephen’s hard cock prodding her wet slit, and she sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. This was it. She was about to understand what it meant to be a woman. Her grip on Caleb’s hands tightened when Stephen’s dick began slipping inside her. The feel of hot, throbbing cock in her cunt was inexplicable, and her walls stretched pleasurably to accommodate him. There was no pain, only the firm yet gentle glide of hard flesh as it stimulated all sorts of new nerve endings. When he was buried inside her fully with his hips pressed to hers, he stopped. The weight of the moment settled over her. She was no longer a virgin. She belonged to a man, if only for this moment. “Finally,” she said in a sigh of relief, and she felt Caleb tense. She opened her eyes to see his frustration, and he squirmed a little beneath her. It was an odd sensation, feeling so completely taken by passion for another man while Caleb lay there, part of the proceedings and yet detached from them. She flashed back on the morning she’d watched him with Stephen, and wondered if he felt as left out as she did. She lowered her face to his lips, intending to make it clear how much a part of her awakening he was, but Stephen slid an arm beneath her ribs and lifted her away.

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“Not yet,” he said, and there was a gentleness in the tone while leaving no room for argument. “This moment is ours, Rose. Caleb understands.” Did he? His expression didn’t seem to agree, but he lay there silent while Stephen began moving his hips. She stiffened, completely bowled over by the feel of his hard shaft pulling out and then pushing into her again. He relaxed his hold around her waist, sliding his hand instead around the front of her mound. There, he rubbed intensely, arousing circles over her clit while he proceeded to fuck her. “God, how badly I’ve wanted you,” Stephen said, easing himself back in her tight hole. “You are so hot and wet. I can’t imagine anything better than being inside you.” A thrill ran over her, though she glanced at Caleb to see his reaction. After all, the men were lovers, too. Maybe Stephen’s words would make him jealous—or resentful. Instead, all she saw was a desperate, fiery hunger. She closed her eyes again and gave over to the demands of Stephen’s body. His motions were slow for a brief time, but he picked up speed until her body rocked and her tits bounced over Caleb with every thrust. Stephen’s lack of composure grew, and he moved his hand from her aching clit to grip her ass while he rammed himself hard enough to hear his body slapping against her cheeks. He was in a hurry, and apparently, quite ahead of her on the way to orgasm. Jesus, he felt amazing, and knowing she made him feel good enough to lose control drove her higher toward a peak even without his fingers on her clit. Still, it was odd that he had stopped pleasuring her in order to selfishly seek his own. She frowned down at Caleb for a moment until the truth dawned on her. Stephen had asserted dominance by demanding to fuck her first, but the punishment would not be total. He would allow Caleb to offer Rose her first orgasm as a claimed woman. She wouldn’t be a

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virgin, but Caleb would still give her something she’d never experienced before. And in that moment, in the thick grasp of raw, hot lust, she felt a surge of tender, loving emotion for her mates. Mates? She gasped as the word echoed in her thoughts. She’d just mentally referred to the men in the same terms they used for her—and each other. Mates. Something was happening, there was no doubt of that. The deeper and harder he thrust his body inside hers, the more fully she felt a part of him. A part that wouldn’t be easily yanked away when it came time to leave Shay Falls. “Oh, God,” she whispered shakily. Stephen’s moans grew louder, and his actions more desperate. “Rose,” Caleb said softly, and her eyes opened to find his burning with erotic need. “Look at me, darlin’. Look at me while he comes inside you.” Their gazes locked, and her pleasure climbed a lot closer to the peak. “I’m coming,” Stephen said, stiffening against her. “Oh, Jesus, Rose. I’m coming.” She felt his cock pulse and swell, and Caleb gave her a tight, knowing smile while Stephen emptied himself inside her. Hot fluid gushed from her slit, and her eye contact with Caleb deepened, intensified. The intimacy between them was palpable, even though he wasn’t allowed to touch her. Stephen’s orgasm shook her deeply, too, and with his release came a wave of potent gratification. Her body had completed his to such great satisfaction, a thought that stirred her hunger until she was ready to attack Caleb with or without Stephen’s permission. The notion barely had time to circulate in her thoughts before Stephen pulled out of her and pushed her legs off Caleb’s thighs so she was straddling his hips instead. Her sensitive, wet clit brushed the erection that pulsed stiffly between Caleb’s legs, and she let out a gasp.

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“I find her most definitely compatible,” Stephen said to Caleb in between hoarse, ragged breaths, and he lifted her bottom and reached between her legs to grasp Caleb’s hard cock. “And you were quite obedient.” Stephen guided Caleb against her cunt, and he pushed her hips down a little until the head of his cock shoved inside. She cried out, and Stephen moved his hand so she could fit Caleb in completely. She sat straight down on that throbbing shaft, and their still-clasped hands gripped each other’s hard enough to hurt when she took him all the way into her body. “Oh, Rose,” Caleb said in a tone of disbelief. “Oh, God.” The words required no explanation. Her cunt clenched tightly around his dick, and she sat there, studying the way his glowing eyes and serious expression fluctuated in time to the throbbing and jerking between their legs. She expected Stephen to back away now and leave them to their time together, but that was far from what he did. He gripped her hips again, much the way he had while taking her from behind, and he moved her so that he was making her fuck Caleb’s cock. Up and down he slid her on that pulsing erection, her clit rubbing along his groin and belly with each motion. She got the idea quickly and took over, using her thigh muscles to drive herself down on Caleb, forcing him deeper inside. As long as his dick was, there was a sort of bottoming-out feel when she rode him this way, but she didn’t care. She wanted more and more of him inside her, wanted to take his entire being into hers and hold him there forever. Her clit had more primal and immediate needs, though, and she made a deliberate point of dragging her throbbing bud along his firm body as she rose up, and pushing it firmly to the base of his pelvis when she sat back down. Stephen was still behind her, and he sharpened her pleasure by kissing his way up her spine until he was nuzzling her neck. Goose flesh broke out everywhere, and her whimpers of desire turned to lusty, shameless moans. His hands circled around to grab her breasts,

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pulling on her nipples while she rode the rugged, sexy cowboy beneath her. Nothing in her life had ever been this good, and something in the back of her mind panicked, whispering for her to stop before she crossed a line she would never be able to venture back over. But it was already too late. Stephen pressed his body close, where she could feel his cock hard and ready against her ass. Part of her was so firmly entrenched in the experience of joining with Caleb that she could barely register anything else. The other part desperately wanted her to turn around and make love to Stephen face-to-face. How wrong was it for her to feel this way about two men simultaneously? Neither of them seemed troubled by it, but it just didn’t seem reasonable. How could passion flow so readily for both when it had never even trickled for anyone else? Yet there was no denying it. If it were anatomically possible for her to fuck them at the same time, she’d sure as hell do it. Then she felt the tip of Stephen’s cock against her tight asshole. Despite what she’d just been thinking, she froze in panic. “Don’t,” she whispered over her shoulder. “It wouldn’t be right.” “Everything we do together is right,” he murmured, though he stopped pushing himself against her. “Are you afraid of the pain?” She nodded. “Did it hurt when I took your virginity?” “No.” And the realization surprised her. She hadn’t given much thought to the fact that it should. “A werewolf’s mate won’t feel that pain with their partners,” Caleb said, his eyes filled with reassurance. “It’ll be okay, Rose. But it’s your choice.” Stephen ran a hand over her ass cheek. “Let me be part of your pleasure while you’re claimed.” She nodded, wondering whether she’d just agreed to something that would ruin the intense pleasure she was feeling. Still, it was hard

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to deny the hypnotic lull in their deep voices. She wanted to believe they were right. It was impossible not to tense up when she felt his large cock at her ass again, but he stroked her cheek and whispered for her to relax. “Let go of my hands,” Caleb said, and she released their sweaty, joined fingers. He pulled her to him, kissing her passionately while sliding a hand between them to tweak her sensitive, swollen nipples. The spike of desire that followed was when Stephen did it. He slipped in quickly, not gradual and slow like when he’d transformed her from an innocent into a woman. Pain should have been immediate, but he hadn’t lied. She felt nothing but the shock of how completely she was filled, stuffed to overflowing. Filled by two men who craved her desperately—every bit as much as she craved them. Once Stephen was buried in her ass, everyone stiffened with a collective moan. Each of them seemed lost in the sensation of being fully united. Stephen recovered first, leaning over to bite her earlobe. “This is what it is to be loved by two men,” he said. “This is how it would have been that morning if you hadn’t been recovering from the accident.” Tingles shot through her body, and she began writhing against two cocks at once. Caleb pushed his hips upward even though he seemed fairly trapped beneath the two other bodies. She swirled her tongue around his, reveling in the way the pangs of desire his mouth created flooded down to her sex. “I’m not gonna last,” Caleb said. “Do it now, Stephen. I want to come after she’s ours.” “And when do you want to come?” Stephen asked her, thrusting himself deeper. “Before I claim you, or after?” Her cunt spasmed in warning. “I’m ready now.” “Are you ready to accept us?” he went on, moving himself languidly, maddeningly against her. “Ready to know how much better this can feel?”

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“It can’t feel any better.” “Then tell me to claim you and let me prove you wrong.” She couldn’t pretend not to know he was asking for more than a mere sexual challenge, and the warning whispers returned in the back of her mind. His rhythmic thrusts and the jerking spams in Caleb’s cock, however, drowned out everything outside of her imminent orgasm and the overpowering wish to fully and uncompromisingly belong to someone for just one exquisite moment. “I want this,” she said. “Show me what it feels like to be yours.” Rose had often wondered what normal women experienced when they were taken over by a man’s longing. As soon as Stephen growled, however, she realized she would never know. She wasn’t being claimed by normal men. “Take my mark, Rose,” Stephen said, and his voice sounded thick and quite unlike himself. “Accept it as the symbol and catalyst of our bond.” She lifted up enough to see the dots on Caleb’s shoulder, and she felt a flutter of panic as she remembered the way he’d gotten them. “Don’t be afraid,” Caleb whispered. “Just give in.” Her head swam as much as her thoughts did. Why not surrender to the need humming through every cell in her body? She would enjoy this heady power of sexual fulfillment, until life inevitably drove a wedge into the anomaly of passion. “Okay. I do,” she said, cringing a little at the choice of words. Then Stephen’s fangs sank in. All of them cried out together, though Stephen’s growl was muffled against her shoulder. The sharp piercing of his teeth into her flesh penetrated her with a pleasure that was wholly as erotic as when he’d penetrated her body with his cock. She hadn’t, however, been prepared for the explosion of awareness that would follow. Their pleasure was her pleasure, their longing, her longing. The melding of sensual, emotional connection took them all over the edge, and the three of them shook hard while orgasm carried them away to separate,

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yet closely linked universes. She felt them merge into one entity for a heart-stopping moment, and she sobered up immediately. She understood things about these men that she never dreamed— intimate, aching emotions she’d never imagined lived inside their hardened bodies. They didn’t just lust after her sex, like other men did. Stephen and Caleb truly believed they all belonged to one another, heart and soul, in a bond tighter than matrimony. Forever. They loved her. “Oh, my God,” she mouthed to herself when they collapsed together, the impossibly overwhelming shockwaves of her mates’ feelings still crashing over her. “What have I done?”

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Chapter Ten The next three days of Rose’s existence dragged very near hell. Much of her time was spent pacing around the apartment, wondering when she was going to get over what she’d done with Caleb and Stephen. More time was spent pacing around the apartment, wondering when she was going to get a new job. And as she sipped some herbal tea after returning from her morning jog, she feared the answer to both of those questions was “never.” She put down her mug and closed her eyes, reliving the moment Stephen had forever altered her understanding of romantic commitment. Wouldn’t her mother be proud to know her only daughter had trailed so closely in her footsteps? So much for swearing she would never, ever make her mother’s romantic mistakes. Okay, so maybe Rose hadn’t raced down a church aisle with a virtual stranger, but what she’d agreed to was evidently something even more damning. Her fingers feathered the spot on her shoulder, which was no longer tender but bore two distinct, brownish scars like the ones Caleb had. Even now she could sense him, aware of the jumbled frustration that bordered on anger he had steeped in ever since she’d left the picnic with a request for time alone to sort things out. Time “alone” had never truly come. Regardless of whether Caleb was in her presence, she could feel his emotions. Another little side effect she hadn’t grasped. She’d been too caught up in lust to refuse the offer to be inducted in as the honorary slut of a werewolf pack. She could sense Stephen, too, though he had been as calm as Caleb was not. He’d been busy with long doctor’s hours, true. But he also

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seemed quite content to leave Rose alone. He didn’t seem to consider that her pulling away meant trouble in paradise. Or maybe now that he’d sampled her charms, he simply no longer cared. That thought sent a pang of humiliation through her. Still, perhaps it was better that way. If he truly cared and knew how much she regretted the day of the picnic, he and Caleb might show up to change her mind. And God knew she wasn’t feeling strong enough to resist another double teaming. Not yet. She had to get her emotions under control first. To make matters worse, Stephen’s calm regard quite often gave way to something else—hot flares of sexual need that were usually timed perfectly to Caleb’s. It took no amount of genius to know what was going on. She could sense when they fucked, just the way Stephen had known Caleb was getting lucky by the falls. More than once she’d had to climb into the shower or her bed to take care of the lust spiking inside her while the men satisfied theirs. If she would have known where to find them, she might well have hopped into her new car and done something profoundly stupid. Which was senseless, considering she was trying to get some distance from wildly irrational decisions. Then again, nothing in her life seemed rational at the moment, least of all why she’d gotten tangled up in werewolf lore in the first place. She could blame the fact that she’d been drunk when she’d given herself to two men, but that wasn’t the whole tale. The gnawing ache of desire had been with her for years, suppressed by busying herself with school and a career. Now she had neither, and the temptation to let passion take the reins just once had been allconsuming. Perhaps alcohol had helped it along. Either way, she never could have foreseen what that moment of ecstasy would cost her. Cost them all. She pushed away from the table. “Don’t start,” she said sternly while she rinsed her cup in the sink. “You aren’t the first woman to have morning-after regrets. And you sure won’t be the last.”

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That didn’t make the prospect of facing either Caleb or Stephen again any easier. And face them she would—in a couple hours. Her stomach twisted at the thought. If only she hadn’t let Stephen talk her into the barbecue his boss was throwing. The last place she had any business was at the home of Shay Falls Community Hospital’s chief of staff. She’d argued that point, too, when Stephen had phoned her the previous day to invite her. Her misgivings had fallen on deaf ears. He had ulterior motives for requesting her attendance, as it turned out. Motives that had little to do with seeing her again. It wasn’t too late. She could still cancel—or simply not show up. But then she might find two gorgeous, honked-off werewolves at her door. Perhaps it was better that their next meeting would take place in a neutral, more public setting. She was wandering into the bedroom when the ring of her cell phone stopped her. Her heart fluttered. Maybe they’d somehow sensed her intentions. Maybe Stephen or Caleb was calling to warn her not to back out of the party. The ID on the phone display sent her pulse rate even higher. She picked up with trembling fingers. “Yes?” “This is Jane, your nurse recruiter. I have some news.” She did indeed. The smile on Rose’s face grew wider with each sentence the woman spoke. “Are you serious?” Rose asked. “Of course I’ll take it. I can be there in three days.” “You’re still liable for the lease on your apartment,” Jane said. Rose shrugged. “For this opportunity, I’ll make it work.” Jane went on to discuss the usual stuff the agency went over with a new contract, but Rose was barely listening. She was already making mental plans. This would solve everything. When she hung up, Rose hurried off to get dressed. She would definitely go to the barbecue now. It would be the best place to tell Stephen and Caleb face-to-face about her new job.

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The best place to tell them she was leaving. **** Rose drove herself to the barbecue, already having refused an offer to ride with Caleb and Stephen. She’d wanted more time to gather her wits, and being sandwiched in a car with two magnificent male specimens seemed like a poor way to accomplish that. She scanned the line of vehicles when she arrived, but she didn’t spot Caleb’s truck. Perhaps they hadn’t arrived yet. Then again, she had no idea what Stephen drove. They might well have come in one of the doctor-style luxury cars parked along the street. The silver Mercedes, perhaps. Or maybe he was more of the black BMW type. Whichever it was, she felt an odd, almost buzzing sensation in her mind, giving her the inexplicable sense that her lovers were close by. A sigh escaped her as she pulled up to the gleaming, wood-andglass home Stephen had actually referred to in his phone call as a cabin. A cabin! The chief of staff’s abode could easily fit four or five of Rose’s mental image of a “cabin” inside its sprawling, elevated profile. Rose was still sitting in her car, gawking at the splendor of the place, when a familiar figure exited an SUV and started up the stairs. She almost didn’t recognize the woman, who wore a prim, navy-blue pantsuit rather than hospital scrubs. But there was no mistaking the cropped, gray haircut or severe chin. Jo Winters was here. “Oh, joy,” Rose whispered. She’d been under the impression that the barbecue was being held for doctors and their guests, not busybody charge nurses. This was ridiculous. She shouldn’t be here, smack in the middle of the enemy camp. She tried to picture herself passing barbecue sauce to the woman who got her fired. Yeah, right. She was still gripping her steering wheel, debating a quick retreat, when a rap on her window startled her. A familiar Stetson was bowed

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beside the window. An even more familiar pair of glittering eyes peered in at her. “This ain’t a drive-through barbecue, you know,” Caleb said, and while the humor in his words was bolstered by a smart-ass tone, there was a hardness in his gaze that unsettled her. “You gonna get out of that car, or do I have to come in and get you?” She pursed her lips when he yanked open the door without awaiting her answer. With a longing glance at the wheel, she released it and grabbed a bag containing her thank-you gift to the host. Caleb held onto the open door and leaned his other hand on the roof of the car, barely leaving her room to squeeze out. She stood with him just inches away, looking downright enticing and smelling even better. His jeans were new and stiff, conjuring brief and inadvisable images of other things on his body that grew stiff on a regular basis. His shirt was open at the neck, and the sleeves were rolled to the elbow. The color was a rich, deep green that set off the jewel tone of his violet eyes. As always, his lips were moist and kissable, and she kicked herself for licking hers in response. Leading him on wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Especially not now that she had news about her immediate future. She opened her mouth to tell him, but the words wouldn’t come. There was no hurry. She’d tell them both later, in private before she left the barbecue. “Ain’t you a sight I’ve missed like hell,” he said. “Thought for a minute that you were gonna drive off, though. Is bein’ near us really that bad?” “Of course not,” she said a bit too quickly, and his eyes narrowed. “It wasn’t you. I just saw the nurse who cost me my job. I really shouldn’t be here, Caleb. It’s not a good idea.” He plucked the sack from her hands. “You know why Stephen asked you, darlin’. It’ll help him.” True. The offer hadn’t been made because Stephen wanted to see her. There were bigger mackerels frying in the doctor’s pan.

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She sighed. “I know what he said, but I’m not sure his logic is all that logical.” He backed away while she closed her car door. “Havin’ you here will send the silent message that you are in his life, not just a pervert’s momentary diversion. That you two may have indulged an improper moment, but it wasn’t a case of a mad doctor preyin’ on some poor, unsuspectin’ nurse right after meetin’ her.” “Even though that’s pretty much what happened.” She was sorry for the words as soon as they shot out. At least, she was sorry for the jolt of annoyance they triggered in Caleb’s sense. Just as suddenly, however, the spark flamed into something wholly different. “I’ve missed you,” he murmured, reaching out to run a finger along her bare arm. “I know you’ve felt how much.” “What I’ve felt is how much you’ve taken to Stephen’s bed.” Irritation was clear in her voice, and she winced at the jealous tinge. A knowing smile heated his features. “Who said we use a bed? Maybe next time you should be there to find out.” She shuddered and stiffened when his lips drew dangerously close. “Not now, Caleb.” “Why not?” Her arm lit up with tingles when he kept up his teasing touch. “Because I’m supposedly here with Stephen, remember? If I’m spotted here making out with his so-called best friend, how the hell is that going to help his case?” That stopped his alarming advance on her lips. “Maybe Stephen’s right. Maybe it is a good thing that you think with your head and not your heart.” He didn’t sound convinced. She wondered what else the two of them said about her. “Where is Stephen?” she asked, hoping the slight quiver in her voice didn’t betray her.

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“Out on the back deck. His boss is instructin’ the good doctor on the proper method for lightin’ mesquite chips.” They walked toward the house, and she saw him casting sidelong glances. For the occasion she’d worn her hair loose, hanging down around her shoulder blades. She’d opted for a simple, white tank top and a hand-dyed, gauzy batik skirt that floated around flat sandals. “I was hopin’ you might have worn the yellow dress,” he murmured suggestively as they headed up the wide, wooden staircase that abutted the house. She snorted. “I think that dress got me into enough trouble already, thanks.” His smile started a marching parade in her stomach. “Oh, you’re quite welcome. Anytime you want trouble.” If the outside of the house had given her a pause for reflection, the interior froze her dead in her tracks. The vaulted beam ceilings, indoor waterfall, double-sided fireplaces, and shining hardwood floors looked straight out of a magazine. Small hospital or not, the chief of staff had done quite well for himself. Small clusters of people were in the great room, talking with various beverages in hand that were anything but typical for a barbecue. Not a beer can or bottle was in sight. She’d been told “casual dress,” but her carefree, bohemian look was a step out of touch with the linen suits and well-tailored dresses in the room. Maybe Caleb had been right about the yellow dress. “I’ll introduce you to the missus first,” Caleb said, steering Rose by the elbow toward a small group of women. “She’ll take the food you brought. Which smells incredible, by the way.” As they walked up to the laughing group, she spotted Jo Winters in their midst. Rose’s stomach twisted into knots as she approached. Jo was wearing the first genuine smile she’d seen on the woman, which lasted until the precise moment she saw Rose. Beady eyes widened in shock as Caleb cleared his throat.

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“Mrs. Jarvis,” he said, “this here is Rose, Stephen’s other guest.” He was addressing a tall, elegant woman beside Jo who wore a ready smile and a cream-colored designer dress. “Rose, this is Mrs. Jarvis, Dr. Jarvis’s wife.” “Of course,” the woman said, as if she’d been awaiting Rose’s arrival for years. “I’m so happy you made it.” The wedding ring she flashed featured a diamond heavy enough to sink the woman, should she ever fall into deep water. “Call me Delores, please.” There wasn’t a hint of sarcasm or ill will in the greeting. Perhaps Delores hadn’t been made aware of who Rose was in the grand scheme of things. Jo, on the other hand, whispered something to the dark-haired woman beside her, who had the partial grace to nip off a gasp of shock when it was already halfway out. “Thank you,” Rose said. “You have a beautiful home.” The woman smiled. “Let me introduce you.” She pointed to the circle of women and named them in turn. Each was a doctor’s wife, except for Jo. Each of them offered her a polite smile and a nod, except for the last two—Jo, who looked ready to spit, and the woman she’d whispered to, who turned out to be Mrs. Jacobs, the wife of Rose’s other doctor when she’d been hospitalized. “And I believe you already know my sister, Jo,” Delores finished. Fabulous. Sourpuss Winters was related to the chief of staff. Rose couldn’t quite force a “nice to see you again,” so she nodded and offered what she hoped was a smile. “Hello.” “Rose,” Jo said in her usual clipped tone. “What a surprise to see you again.” “Stephen’s out back with Ted and the other physicians,” Delores said, thankfully cutting off the need for Rose to choke out a reply. “He loves to hold court when he’s got that grill fired up.” “Rose brought somethin’ for you, ma’am,” Caleb said, holding out the bag. “How thoughtful,” she said.

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“I made crab ceviche,” Rose explained. “I hope it will pair up with your meal okay.” “Everything pairs up nicely with crab,” Delores said. “It will be wonderful.” Jo scowled at the bag, apparently displeased that Rose had social graces. “Shall I take it to the kitchen and help?” Rose asked. Delores gave a mock scowl. “I don’t let anyone lift a finger in my kitchen when I’m entertaining. Takes half the fun out of it for me. Go ahead and take her out on the deck, Caleb. Stephen’s been anxious to see her.” Rose swore she heard an “I’ll bet” muttered under Jo’s breath. Caleb headed for a huge set of wooden French doors. “See, that wasn’t so bad,” he whispered. She shot him a look. “Compared to what?” Several men stood outside, most wearing dress shirts with the sleeves rolled up, like Caleb’s, and slacks, not like Caleb’s. The closer she got, the more certain she was that her initial instincts about coming had been right. Perhaps the wife of the head honcho hadn’t heard the seedy rumors—an oversight Jo was no doubt happily correcting—but the boss himself and Stephen’s comrades? Surely they knew the sordid details. Standing out there with a bunch of men who knew what a tramp she was seemed like one of the worst ideas she’d had in a long time. Second only to getting half-crocked on wine by the falls. She stopped short when Caleb opened the door. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Maybe I shouldn’t go out there.” She spotted Stephen just as he saw her, and another reason this had been unwise shot through her. With Caleb at her back and Stephen’s eyes locked to hers, she couldn’t breathe anymore.

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Stephen was there before she could drum up a valid excuse for staying off the deck. “Rose,” he said in a curiously pleased tone. “I was starting to think you’d gotten lost.” His crisp, white shirt and fitted gray slacks looked so sleek and proper that she had a fleeting urge to tear them off. She swallowed but couldn’t say anything. He arched a brow at Caleb, who backed off as Stephen took her hand and led her out. The setting was breathtaking with the deck jutting out among the rustic woods, but she hardly noticed. Her arm was setting off alarms where Stephen was touching it. And her mind was setting off warning beacons as she tried not to judge the looks shooting from the doctors around her. “Ted, this is Rose,” Stephen said, stopping in front of a man standing at the grill with a cocktail in one hand and a pair of longhandled tongs in the other. “Rose, this is Dr. Ted Jarvis.” The drink, rather than the tongs, was remanded to a side table while the man took her hand. “Glad you made it,” he said. “Stephen looked ready to call the Marines after you.” She smiled despite herself. Ted Jarvis had snow-white hair and wise, blue eyes that said much without him speaking a word. Her grandfather had looked a lot like this man, though Ted had a slightly smaller paunch around the middle. “My heavens,” she said in mock distress. “Am I really that late?” “Not at all. He’s just been dying to show you off.” She bit off a remark. Parade the trophy tramp around the doctor buddies? How fun. Her pasted-on smile faltered when Stephen’s hand slid along the back of her forearm to clasp her hand in his. She ignored how warm and final the gesture felt and nodded toward the smoking grill. “Something smells heavenly, Dr. Jarvis.” “It’s Ted. Hope you brought an appetite,” he said, clacking the ends of the tongs together. “We’ve got surf, turf, and fowl.” “All my favorites.” She breathed in and glanced around. “Your home is so beautiful.”

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“Thank you. I bought it from Stephen, actually. Did you know?” Her brows rose. “No. I didn’t.” “He had it built custom,” Ted went on. “The only thing we changed was to rebuild the deck you’re standing on. We like to entertain.” “It’s much bigger now,” Stephen said. “Quite an improvement.” Caleb rounded Stephen’s far side and stood a polite distance away, in the “Stephen’s friend” zone. “What’s an improvement?” “The deck the Jarvises built after Stephen moved out,” Rose said. “This place is a lot different from the new house,” Caleb said. “But I see his hand in the design.” “It was more space than a bachelor needed,” Stephen said, shooting Rose a pointed look. “I felt sorry making my housekeeper dust and mop all this square footage for just one man.” “Your loss was our gain,” Ted said, the barbecue hissing when he dropped a slab of meat on the grill. “Though I do envy your new location by the falls. Really splendid view.” Rose swallowed, feeling every bit like the stranger in their midst. She hadn’t ever seen his home and didn’t even know where he lived. She knew decidedly little about the first man she let make love to her—among other things. She resisted the urge to reach up and feel the new scar on her shoulder. Stephen guided her around for introductions to the other doctors. One or two smiles seemed a bit wider than was called for on a first meeting, but there were no leers or snarky comments. Not to her face, anyway. To her surprise, it was the boss himself she found herself most at ease with—including Caleb and Stephen. “You grew up in Rockville?” Ted asked her later on. “I lived in Andrews, not ten minutes away. Small world.” He was flipping the most perfectly-marbled steaks she’d ever seen while she tried to extricate herself from Stephen’s suffocating attention without letting on that something was amiss. For a man who’d been so happy to give her breathing room, Stephen sure wasn’t

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letting her have any now. He’d barely let go of her hand, which never stopped throbbing from his achingly comfortable warmth. At least Caleb stayed at arm’s length, playing the part of platonic friend perfectly. Even so, he was hovering more than her fluttery stomach could take. “I went to high school in Andrews,” she said. Ted beamed at her. Crow’s feet wrinkled around his eyes just like they had on Gramps, and it stirred memories of sitting on his knee while he snuck her candy and called her Rosie Posie. How she missed him. He’d passed years before she’d been sent to her grandmother, which had been just after yet another of her mom’s hasty and doomed marriages. She and Ted bantered about many things as the afternoon waned. None of them involved the circumstances of her dismissal from the hospital. They both loved to cook, too, her indoors and him out. He showed her how to soak wood chips before burning and his method for getting perfect grill marks every time. Aside from Stephen going overboard to prove that his storage room dalliance hadn’t been just a fleeting urge, Rose enjoyed herself more than she’d thought possible. Smiles, alcohol, and conversation flowed freely, and while she indulged only a scant amount of the second, she and Ted exchanged the rest readily. It wasn’t until Jo stepped outside that Rose feared things were about to take a downward turn. She wasn’t disappointed. “I see you’re monopolizing Dr. Williams’s guest, Ted,” Jo said. “I haven’t hidden her away. Stephen’s more than welcome to jump in and claim a spot.” “Oh, I think he’s proven he’s more than capable of that.” Idle chatter cut off abruptly as several eyes swiveled her way. She sipped some kind of tomato drink with a celery stick in it, smiling as though oblivious to the stares she’d just garnered.

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“Why don’t you make yourself useful,” Ted said, shooting her a warning look over the lid of the grill, “and let everyone know the food is ready?” Rose tried to tell herself that the worst was over while everyone gathered at the large tables on the deck. Ted and Delores bustled around with serving platters. Rose’s ceviche was served in an elegant crystal bowl with a silver spoon. Ted sat at the head of the long table, with Delores on his right and Rose on the left. Stephen sat beside her, and Caleb was on his other side. To Rose’s dismay, Jo sat next to her sister, right across from Stephen. Despite the heavenly aroma of barbecued meat, Rose’s appetite dwindled. It might have been her imagination, but conversation on her end of the table seemed a little on the stiff side, and not just because people were intent on devouring the delicious food. Between Jo’s ever-presence and Stephen’s arm frequently brushing hers, it was all she could do to force the first forkful into her mouth. When she did, however, the perfectly-seasoned steak practically melted. “This is the best steak I’ve ever had,” she gushed to Ted, stabbing another piece of meat. “My compliments to the grill chef.” He grinned at her. “It’s all in selecting the right cut and tempering it properly. Never toss a cold steak on the grill.” Stephen waded into the discussion. “You made this crab?” he asked, and she nodded when he pointed at the lump on his plate. “It’s out of this world.” “Told you she was an outstandin’ cook,” Caleb said, and although he made the comment too quietly for the general populace to hear, Jo shot him a funny glance. “Best meal I’ve had since the last time I was here,” Stephen said to Ted, and his smile at Rose sent butterflies swirling in her stomach. “It’s delicious, darling.” “With a girlfriend who cooks like she does?” Ted said with a smile. “I’m surprised you even bothered to show up.”

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“She hasn’t actually cooked for me yet.” Stephen gave her a heated look and leaned close. “What the hell,” he whispered low enough for only her to hear. Then his lips brushed hers, sending an immediate jolt of electricity through her so powerfully she half wondered whether her hair was standing on end. Rose’s face was hot when he pulled away, and she ignored the laser stare Jo had targeted on her. “But you’ve cooked for Caleb,” Jo said in a flat tone. Rose flicked her a glance. “Caleb happened to be around one day when I’d brought food and Stephen was working.” Jo grunted. “How lucky for him.” They ate in silence for a while, and Rose’s hopes that Jo might leave her alone began to pick up. Stephen leaned close to her when the meal was half over. “We need to talk,” he whispered. Exactly what she’d been thinking. “I know.” “So, Rose,” Jo said when Stephen sat upright again and went back to his food. “I must say I’m surprised to see you still in town.” Eyes shifted Rose’s direction, and her stomach flip-flopped. The women in particular were eyeing her keenly. Apparently, she had been a topic of discussion indoors. Rose clutched her iced tea glass so tight she feared it might break. “Shay Falls is such a magical setting that I’ve truly enjoyed it. The falls are simply gorgeous. I went down there the other day and sketched them.” “You draw?” Ted asked, quickly enough that she suspected he was hoping to change the subject. She nodded. “Just some pencil sketches, and not particularly well. But I enjoy trying.” “Rose is far too modest,” Stephen cut in. “She draws extremely well. Her likeness of Shay Falls was stunning.” He took her hand beneath the table and squeezed it. Her heart squeezed in response.

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“So, is that what you’re going to do now?” Jo asked, swirling the celery stick around her glass. “Be an artist?” Table chatter lapsed. Rose met the woman’s sharp gaze and lifted her chin. “Not at all. I’m still a nurse.” “Not with the same agency, surely.” The air of surprise in her words bordered on audacity. Anger bubbled dangerously in Rose’s stomach. “As a matter of fact, I am.” Jo’s lips drew tight. “Glad to hear that. I had hoped they wouldn’t drop you after that unfortunate incident.” Rose’s heart pounded. Like hell Jo had hoped any such thing. She was no doubt bitterly disappointed to hear Rose was still in business. “Really, Jo,” Ted said. “Let’s not delve into hospital chat at the table. You know how it upsets my digestion.” “I’m just concerned for her,” she said, and Rose wondered if that lie fooled anyone present. “Apparently the agency hasn’t found anything for her yet, or she wouldn’t still be here.” Jo kept going, either unaware or uncaring that both Stephen and Caleb were glaring daggers across the table. “It’ll be difficult to find work, you know. With the economy as it is and all circumstances considered.” Rose felt the heat of a flush staining her cheeks just before irritation finally exploded. “As a matter of fact, I just had a call from the agency today. I’ve been given a prime assignment in Hawaii. I leave on Wednesday.” Stephen’s hand yanked away from hers from under the table. Jo’s eyes slid to Stephen, who had gone stiff. “But that’s wonderful,” Jo said. “Isn’t that wonderful, Stephen?” Oh, damn, Rose thought. She could feel echoes of stunned confusion charging the air beside her, and her stomach sank. This was hardly the way she’d intended to break the news. She risked a quick glance to find two carefully disguised stares of shock from the men beside her.

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“Of course,” Stephen said, recovering nicely. “It’s a great assignment. Travel nurses wait years to get offered spots in Hawaii.” He spoke to Jo, but kept his eyes on Rose. “And those short-term agency jobs are what, twelve weeks?” Jo persisted, her eyes flicking rapidly between Rose and Stephen. Caleb had gone back to eating, Rose saw, but he seemed to be shoveling in food at a rather alarming rate. “Thirteen weeks,” Rose replied, hesitating for a moment. “But in this case, the hospital in Honolulu already indicated they’re interested in extending through a second contract.” “Six months,” Jo said. “Such a long time.” She was smiling a greasy smile now. Stephen’s hand reached for his fork, but he overshot the mark and bumped the wineglass sitting somewhat close to the edge. The glass tipped right over the table, and while he caught it before it could hit the ground and break, red wine sloshed all over the front of Rose’s white tank. “Oh!” Rose exclaimed, pushing her chair back. “I’m so sorry,” Stephen said, though he sounded anything but. “That was clumsy.” “Guess you’re even now,” Jo said with a snort. “Since she dumped ice water on you.” Delores was out of her chair in a shot. “Club soda will take that right out,” she said. “Come, Rose. I’ll get it for you.” “Excuse us,” Stephen said, and he steered Rose by the elbow as they followed Delores into the house to a large, maple-and-marble kitchen. “You did that on purpose,” Rose hissed as Delores dug around gleaming wood cupboards. “Guilty as charged,” he whispered through gritted teeth, smiling when Delores turned around with a seltzer bottle. “I’ll show you to the ladies’ room and help you get the stain out,” the woman said to her. “Club soda never fails.”

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“Please, allow me,” Stephen said, holding his hand out for the bottle. “I can show her the way.” Delores hesitated. “I’m sure you can, since you lived here. But I don’t mind.” “The stain was my fault,” he persisted. “No need to keep you from your guests. I feel guilty enough.” Rose could have spoken up and insisted on Delores’s help. But that wouldn’t have supported the picture of carefree lovebirds. Delores handed over the seltzer. “Blot, don’t rub, and work from the outside in.” Phony smiles vanished as soon as the woman was gone. The bathroom he took her to was through the great room, past the waterfall at the edge of a long hall. She couldn’t help but gawk at the surroundings with a new perspective. Stephen had designed this? He’d lived here all alone? How many women had he bedded here in hopes of finding one to share it with? The bathroom featured earthy marble, a walk-in shower, and double sinks with polished and graceful swan-neck faucets. Once inside, Stephen shut the door. “I’m sorry about the whole Hawaii thing,” she stammered before he had a chance to start in. “I was just so damn mad when Jo kept talking like my career was ruined. It just blurted out before I knew what I was saying.” He set the seltzer bottle on the gleaming countertop and heaved a sigh. “Thank God. I thought for a minute you were really leaving.” Her eyes flared wide. The next words came through a bitter taste in her mouth. “I am leaving, Stephen. I wasn’t lying. I just didn’t mean for you to hear that way.” She stared at the wine-stained white tank reflected in the mirror, unwilling to meet his eyes. Stephen folded his arms. “And when did you mean for me to hear it? When you mailed me a postcard of sandy beaches?” “Of course not. I was planning to tell you before we left here.” “Look at me, Rose.”

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She shook her head. “You don’t really want to leave.” “Says who?” She wandered up to the sink, wondering how to tackle the wine spill with Stephen standing right beside her. The stain was large enough that the shirt would have to come off. He took her upper arm. “Says the one who can sense what you’re feeling.” She pulled away from his grip. “You’re not the only one who can sense feelings now. Want to know what I’ve sensed from you? Nothing but your desire for Caleb.” “What are you talking about?” Anger flared in her chest again. With a stubborn set to her jaw, she yanked her shirt up over her head. What the hell. His eyes dipped immediately to the swells of her breasts and lacy, white bra, but he made no move toward her as she held the shirt over the sink and poured soda on the stain. “Let’s not make this into something it’s not,” she said. “I gave up my virginity after too much wine, and you were gracious enough to let me walk away from that mistake. No need to pretend otherwise in here. None of your colleagues can see us.” “A mistake,” he repeated slowly. “You think making love with me was a mistake.” “You know it was.” She started working on the stain, though her heart was pounding so hard she couldn’t focus on “blot-don’t-rub.” “I had no idea what I was in for when you sank your teeth into me. I wasn’t making a real choice.” “I didn’t force myself on you,” he snapped. “I’m not saying that. I don’t blame you. It was my doing.” She dumped more soda water on the stain. “But I wasn’t in possession of all the facts about what letting you mark me would mean. I thought it was just something kinky. I never should have agreed to it.” He flinched noticeably. “There’s just one problem with your theory,” he said in a low, threatening tone that drew her gaze to his.

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“My mark wouldn’t have taken on you if you hadn’t embraced the desire to be mine—ours—wholeheartedly.” Her heart thudded as she thought back to that moment. The burning need to be one with a man had consumed her, true. She’d been eager to know what it was like. The moment it was over, however, the power of it overwhelmed her. Frightened her. “The heat of the moment was genuine, obviously,” she said, feeling little relief when the stain faded. “But afterward, I realized I’d given the wrong impression. I told you as much, Stephen, and I thought you understood. You let me go, and I haven’t felt so much as a flicker of distress from you about it since.” “I didn’t let you go.” His eyes searched hers, and his were beginning to glitter in a way that would need resolving before he rejoined the group. “And you didn’t feel my distress because I didn’t have any. I thought I was giving you time to adjust, not formulate an escape plan.” He leaned closer. “So tell me. Now that I know otherwise, how do you sense I’m feeling about it?” She shivered at the brewing storm in his emotions. “You knew this was inevitable,” she said, blotting the shirt dry with a fluffy gray towel. “I’m a nurse, and you helped cost me a job in the only hospital up here.” “So this is about money.” “It’s about my life.” She noticed her nipples were stiff, and she hurried to finish toweling her shirt. “I had plans before I came here, you know. You can’t expect me to toss everything over five minutes after meeting you.” She turned away to pull her still-damp shirt back on. “Don’t pretend I’m at the center of this, Stephen. You’ll still have Caleb.” And she would have nothing, same as always. “From the fireworks I’ve felt shooting off the two of you day and night, he’s all you need.” Stephen cocked his head. “Are you jealous of Caleb?” A twinge in her stomach tried to answer, but she shook her head. “I’m just being practical.”

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They stared at one another for a long moment. “You’ll change your mind,” he said, as if trying to convince himself. “You won’t be able to go when you realize what you truly want.” “I know what I want.” She paused. “I’ll keep in touch, if that’s all right.” He snorted. “Like there’s any choice, since you accidentally agreed to become a werewolf’s mate.” Stephen stared at the mark on her shoulder, and then he turned and opened the door. “I need a few minutes,” she said. “Tell them I’m still working on the stain.” Rose held onto the edge of the sink after he’d gone, staring at her haunted expression in the mirror. Was she jealous of Caleb? “Yes,” she whispered. She was, by God. Jealous of the bond the men felt. They tried to share that bond with her, but how could she give herself over so completely? She wasn’t her mother. They were strangers to her. Plus, she was human. Caleb jumped right in because he was a werewolf. He acted on animal instincts she did not possess. He seemed blissfully happy, damn him. Yet she didn’t dare operate under those rules. So yes, she envied him. Envied them both for what she couldn’t give herself over to. Several minutes passed with her rubbing furiously at her shirt to dry it before giving up. There was no use delaying the inevitable. One werewolf down, one to go. She’d face Caleb when she got back to the table, probably hear several choice words from him in private later, and then it would be over. With a sigh, she flipped off the light and left. She didn’t glance down the hall as she wandered out of the bathroom, so when a hand grabbed her arm, she let out a shocked gasp. “It’s high time you and I had a talk,” Caleb said. “Right now.”

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Chapter Eleven “Where are you taking me?” Rose demanded as Caleb half dragged her up the hallway. “Do you even know where you’re going?” “Stephen gave me the grand tour before you got here.” He pulled her into a room partway down the hall. There were hand-carved wood furnishings and a fluffy double bed, but compared to the rest of the house, it didn’t seem grand enough to be the master suite. A guest bedroom, no doubt. Caleb, who’d ditched his hat somewhere before ambushing her in the hall, raked a hand through his hair as he leaned his back against the door. He reached behind him to twist the lock, as though she might run for it. Good guess. “Are you out of your mind?” she whispered loudly. “Funny, I was about to ask you that. And there’s no need to whisper. Everyone’s still outside.” He strode up to her, and she backed away until she realized she was headed straight for the bed. She veered off and held her ground in front of a tall chest of drawers. Caleb stopped a few inches from her and slipped a finger beneath the strap of her tank, dragging it away from the scar on her shoulder. “Here you are, flauntin’ Stephen’s mark for the world to see without the faintest clue what it means,” he said. His eyes sparkled in the dim light spilling in from a tree-shaded window. She shrugged the strap back into place. “I’m not flaunting anything.”

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“That scar ain’t only meant as a warnin’ to keep other werewolves away from you, you know.” She eyed him warily. “His mark can do that?” “It alerts other wolves so they know that you’ve been claimed. Too bad it doesn’t seem to have alerted you to that fact.” “It alerted me to plenty of things I had no idea I was agreeing to at the time.” He tried to move closer, but her hand shot out between them. As soon as her palm was against his hard chest, she regretted it. Longing flooded her. Longing and warmth. “I’ll tell you what I just told Stephen,” she went on, dropping her hand and breathing through her mouth in a feeble attempt to avoid his heady, male scent. “I’d planned to let you know about Hawaii before I left the barbecue. I only blabbed it out in front of everyone because Jo was making me so angry. I’m sorry I let you find out that way.” His nostrils flared. “That ain’t what you should be sorry for.” “You’re right. There’s more I’m sorry for.” She hugged herself and stared at the tempting flesh visible around the neck of his open collar. “Starting with that picnic at the falls.” “You ain’t sorry about that. I felt you give in to us, Rose. And I’ve felt how badly you’ve wanted to ever since.” She frowned. “I can’t help having certain physical reactions when I sense the two of you going at it like animals. But the rest of what you expect, well, it isn’t fair to ask.” He sighed. “I take back what I said before. I’d rather you thought with your heart and not your head.” “I don’t. I can’t flip a switch and be eternally linked to a werewolf pack. I’m not like you.” “That switch flipped the moment we met.” While he hadn’t inched any closer, his presence somehow loomed much nearer. “You’re just scared.” “Of course I’m scared.” She sidestepped him and headed for the door, but he grabbed her arm and spun her around. “I barely know

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you. I didn’t even know your kind existed. Now you can feel everything I feel, and I can feel you. It isn’t natural. It isn’t right.” “Runnin’ away ain’t gonna change that. You could take a job in China, and you’d still sense us.” He loosened his grip but still held on to her arms. “But I don’t think you’ll be able to leave. You’ll realize that the farther you leave us behind, the harder it will be to stay there.” “Stephen already tried saying I wouldn’t be able to go. It didn’t work.” “Then I bet he didn’t say it like this.” Their lips met gently, sending sparks shooting through them both. She could feel the chemistry bouncing in his body as readily as her own. He groaned and slid his arms around her, pushing his tongue into her mouth. She could taste tangy barbecue and the male heaven that she’d missed desperately. “Don’t,” she whispered. “We should get back. People will wonder why we disappeared.” He trailed kisses along the side of her neck. “They think I’m checkin’ a problem with Stephen’s car.” “You’re just trying to change my mind,” she said, gripping his bulky, flexing shoulders as his lips set fire to her need. “But it’s already set.” “Let me make love to you, Rose.” His tongue traced a wet, tingling line along the scoop neck of her tank. “Then you can decide whether you really intend on sayin’ good-bye.” Her nipples hardened into long buds. “You already made love to me.” “No, I haven’t.” He straightened, and golden fire undulated in his eyes. “Stephen claimed the right to bed you first, and he made me watch while he took you. Then you climbed on me like a wild temptress and rode me like I’ll never forget.” He lifted her hand to his mouth and sensually tasted each fingertip. “I don’t regret a second of it. But I reckon it’s my turn to show you what I’m capable of.”

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The feel of his tongue on her sensitive fingertips jump-started a hot throb in her clit and a trickle of fluid between her legs. Her breath caught in her throat. “Let’s settle this the way we started it,” Caleb murmured. “Just the two of us.” “What, now?” “Now’s all we’ve got.” He tried pulling her toward the bed, but she yanked away. “We can’t get on the Jarvis’ guest bed and do that. They’ll know.” He glanced at the expensive-looking, puffed comforter that was a fair match to the violet in his eyes. “All right. Let’s not muss up the finery.” But when he turned to her, it was clear that she hadn’t talked him out of his plan—just the venue. Caleb pushed up the front of her shirt by running his hands underneath, and his seeking fingers slipped beneath her bra as well. He skimmed her hard nipples, moaning at their stiffness while he rolled them between his fingers. All the while, he was walking her backward. With so many sensations flooding her body, she was barely aware of the motion until she found herself against a wall. He leaned over to flick her hardened buds with his tongue. Her gasp signaled the end of her protest. He tugged at her skirt, gathering the long, wispy fabric until he could slide a hand along her bare, trembling thigh. His werewolfenhanced body heat couldn’t match the fire his touch ignited in her. When his fingers dragged over the crotch of her skimpy panties, her legs weakened. “I hope you ain’t too attached to these,” he said. Before she could wonder, he gave her underwear a violent yet exciting tug. She heard seams tear as he stripped the flimsy nylon off her. “God, feel how wet you are for me,” he said, dipping a finger inside her. Her body practically convulsed with pleasure, and she opened her mouth in a silent cry that he further squelched by covering her lips with his.

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“I can’t wait,” he said, his hand moving to his zipper. “You were in such a hurry for me to take you by that waterfall. I was a fool for puttin’ you off. Not this time.” With that, he dropped his jeans around his knees and lifted her up, pressing her harder against the wall. She was high enough that he could lightly bite and tease her nipples without bending over, and she held onto his shoulders for support. She slipped down along the wall slowly, and she thought he was losing his grip on her until she realized he was lowering her on purpose. He took hold of his hot, hard cock and slipped it inside her as soon as her cunt was where it needed to be. And oh, yes, she couldn’t pretend it wasn’t right where it belonged. The low, feverish moan they both let out as he sank deep into her attested to that. “Feel how much I want you, Rose,” he said as he gripped her hips and thrust himself into her. “Feel how I can’t live without this. Without you.” She pushed him back enough by the shoulders for her to see into his glowing eyes. “But you have been living without me. You and Stephen are so into each other that every time I turn around, you’re making love. I barely see how you would find time to miss me.” He grunted in frustration and shoved himself inside her harder. “Don’t kid yourself, darlin’. We ain’t been the ones drivin’ each other into a frenzy.” He fucked her with deep, animal gyrations from his hips that grew faster and harder with each sentence—and so did her throbbing need. “You’re the one we’re thinkin’ of. The one who possessed us, body and soul. You asked for time alone, but we couldn’t stop actin’ out our need for you. We’ve tried to recapture that perfect moment when you were between us, but it’s no good. None of it works the same when you ain’t part of it.” Caleb’s voice broke slightly on the last, and when he looked up at her, the gleam in his eyes wasn’t only from their golden depths. They were glossy with the emotion she felt swirling around them both, the

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longing and frustration of a man who was baring his soul. He believed every word he was saying. And so did she. A pang shot through her chest when their gazes locked. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer, eager to get as much contact between their bodies as possible. He had hold of her ass now, bouncing her on his cock while he showed her just how much he’d missed being with her. Pressure soared in her clit until she was ready to explode with pleasure, not to mention the sense of completion she felt pouring out of him. Yet the thought of giving in completely, of crashing over the edge as she’d done the last time, frightened her in a way she’d been naive to before. Now she knew what was at stake. Caleb must have sensed her hesitation. “Let go,” he murmured. “Let me in.” In the end, it wasn’t the relentless, expert grind of his hips, or even the sweet, tender kiss he pressed to her lips. It was those words that undid her, shoving her into the abyss where she knew nothing but total surrender to her body and his. Pure, romantic passion filled the air. His love for her shimmered in the midst of that chaos, twining around the invisible cord of connection between them that she hadn’t wanted to face. Somehow, impossibly, she loved him too. She loved them both. Climax shook her, but the realization of the feelings she’d buried pierced right through to her core. They rode it out together, her arms tight around his neck while he kissed her and gave her his cum. Her closed eyes burned as tears of release squeezed out. By the time Caleb finally stopped pumping against her, her cheeks were wet. “What is it?” he said tenderly, brushing a tear away with his thumb. “Did I upset you?” “It’s not that.” She couldn’t explain more, though. She just sniffed and held on while he lowered her to the floor.

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Caleb cradled her to his chest, stroking her hair and rocking her gently while she let the inexplicable tears flow. “I’m sorry,” she said after a couple of minutes. “I don’t know why I’m being so ridiculous.” “You ain’t nothin’ of the sort.” He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes until she felt dizzy. “Thank you for lettin’ me show you how I feel.” He paused. “And how you feel.” She let go of him and tugged her shirt down into place. “I can’t deny that I want to be with you and Stephen, even though I’m not sure I’m ready. But I love being a nurse. I don’t want to lose this job. I have to go.” “You don’t have to figure anythin’ out right now.” “Yes, I do. I’m supposed to leave in three days.” “Fate has a way of findin’ solutions.” He bent down and picked up her ruined panties. She gave him a shy smile as he folded the small thong and tucked it away in his jeans. “Better wash that beautiful face and get back outside. I’ll wait a spell before joinin’ you.” She nodded and headed for the door, her legs wobbly and her mind full of tangled and conflicting thoughts. “And Rose?” She turned to him while she twisted the door lock. “Don’t be shocked if Stephen’s a little tense when you get out there. I’d wager he’s had a rather interestin’ time tryin’ not to let on that he was just thrown in the middle of an uncontrollably arousing sex-o-gram.” She grunted as she walked out. She definitely knew the feeling. Lucky for her, she’d been able to weather those storms without an audience. Poor Stephen.

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Chapter Twelve By the time Rose had tidied up her tear-stained face and returned to the deck, daylight had dwindled. Everyone had left the table except Stephen. He sat alone, practically shooting sparks from his eyes as he watched her return to her cold plate. His expression made it clear that Caleb’s warning had been an understatement. “I had you alone in a bathroom,” he whispered to her under his breath, “and I managed to act like a gentleman even after you stripped off your top. Caleb has you for ten seconds, and I’m treated to such a raging hard-on that I didn’t dare try to speak, let alone stand up.” She poked at the remains of her food. “I’m sorry. But welcome to my world the past three days.” He watched her closely. “Why are your eyes all red? What else was I sensing?” “Nothing.” “Everything all right?” Jo asked, wandering back to the table from a group chatting nearby. “Thought maybe you’d fallen in.” Oh, for the love of Pete, Rose thought. Would the woman never give up? “The stain took a while to get out,” Rose said coolly, “and my shirt took a while to get dry enough to put back on.” The woman stared at her the same way Stephen had when checking out her puffy, bloodshot eyes. “Delores has a backup plate of food warming in the oven,” she said in a tone that dared Rose to refuse. “How incredibly thoughtful. I’ll get it right away.”

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Rose bolted for the house before Jo or Stephen could get in another word, and Delores happily handed over the fresh plate. Rose managed to eat at the island counter in the kitchen, nodding to several of the couples as they wandered in to bid Delores farewell. An attempt to help with the mound of dishes, however, won Rose a quick shooing. On her way back through the great room, where the few remaining guests stood chatting, she inconveniently managed to bump simultaneously into Jo and Caleb, who had converged from opposite directions. “What happened to you now?” Jo asked, but for once, she wasn’t picking on Rose. She was talking to Caleb. He and Rose both glanced at the spot on his shirt that Jo pointed at—a dark stain that Rose had undoubtedly left behind when she’d cried on his shoulder like an idiot. Caleb had the good sense not to flinch guiltily like Rose did. “I got somethin’ on my shirt when I had my head under the hood of Stephen’s car.” Jo took in Rose’s puffy eyes, then his shirt again. If she put together anything fishy, though, she didn’t mention it. “Everything okay with the car?” Rose asked, proud of herself for asking in a smooth tone. “Shipshape. Things were runnin’ so rough I wasn’t sure the engine would make it. But I think the timin’ was just off.” His smile set her pulse at a dizzying rate, and she knew it wasn’t Stephen’s car he was referring to. The two of them left Jo and walked outside together, where Stephen had finally managed to get on his feet. Everyone else was inside, except for Ted. He was still fussing around with the smoker and grill. Rose sipped some wine while the three of them found a corner on the deck.

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“I won’t bother to mention it would have been counterproductive to my cause if you two had been caught fucking in my boss’s house,” he chided. “Funny how the way you don’t mention it sounds pretty much the same as you mentionin’ it,” Caleb said. “I’m sorry,” Rose said with a hot rush to her face. “It just happened. We tried to be discreet.” “Discreet to some, maybe,” Stephen said to her. “Overwhelmingly apparent to others.” He shifted the bulk in his slacks to make his point. “So I take it this means you’ve changed your mind about leaving.” She shook her head. “Caleb asked for a chance to be with me again, and I gave it to him. But nothing’s changed. I still have to go.” She flinched at the awkward, weighted shift in their senses. Caleb gaped at her, and the strain in his voice made it clear he was struggling to keep the volume down. “That’s bullshit. You make it sound like you gave me a mercy fuck to get rid of me.” Her mouth fell open. “You know I didn’t mean it like that.” His eyes flashed. “After what we just shared, you’re gonna stand here and say nothin’ changed? That you didn’t almost fall apart in my arms?” She swallowed. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be. You know how I feel. But you also know I have a career to think of.” “Which apparently matters a lot more than the men you casually take to bed,” Caleb said, and while he kept his volume low, the edge in the words struck her sharply. Rose turned to Stephen. “What if a complete stranger walked up to you and told you that you had to commit yourself to them—and that it meant giving up your medical practice?” “No one is asking you to give up your career,” Stephen said. “It’s implied by what you are asking,” she said. “If I stay here, I can’t go where the agency wants to send me. I’m stuck.”

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Caleb’s eyes narrowed. “Stuck with what? The fact that I love you—and that I damn well can feel you love me back? Or isn’t that important enough to weigh in your decision?” “I wonder whether that hasn’t been the problem all along,” Stephen said, searching her eyes. “Knowing two men are in love with you after only a matter of days has obviously shaken you up. Especially when you let go of the tight grip on your heart long enough to admit you feel the same.” “It isn’t logical to talk about love,” she said. “Not at this point.” He nodded. “You’re right. None of this is logical.” He dropped his voice even lower. “But not everything has to be. The existence of werewolves involves a magic that has no logic to it at all. It just is. Our mate bond is the same way.” The tears she’d defeated earlier threatened to return. “So I’m just supposed to throw away everything that I am in order to play my part in some magical fairy tale?” “Yes, damn it,” Caleb said. “It’s called compromise. People in love do that.” “Caleb,” Stephen snapped under his breath. Rose shook her head. “Then I must not be in love. Because throwing everything I value to the wolves, pardon the pun, for two men I barely met is something I vowed I’d never let happen to me. It’s wrong. I can’t be like that.” You can’t be like her, she corrected herself mentally. You won’t become like her. “So that’s it, then,” Caleb said. “You let me make love to you knowin’ full well you were still gonna leave me.” The stab of betrayal in his sense shot through her. She didn’t answer. “Fuck,” he said, and he turned on his boot heel and stormed off. “Rose,” Stephen said almost too quietly to hear. She felt the vibrations of hurt pulsing around him, a pain that was reflected in his eyes when she forced herself to meet them.

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“Don’t do this,” he said, taking the wineglass from her and setting it on the wide railing. “Don’t leave things this way.” He kissed her then, and while the contact between their lips wasn’t as hard and punishing as normal, the desperation in it circled her tightly and took her breath away. Stephen held onto her upper arms while he explored every inch of her mouth, and soon there was far more than frustration and disappointment raging around them. Spears of lust she thought Caleb had satisfied fully drove through every inch of her, and she pictured herself dragging Stephen off to the guest room the way Caleb had done her. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes again, and she pulled away from his grip. “I can’t,” she whispered. “Please understand. It’s all too much. It’s just too much.” He stared down at her with a muscle pulsing in his jaw. Then he turned and stalked away like Caleb had. She stood alone in the corner, hugging herself against the chill that began to sharpen in the evening air. Or perhaps the cold had swept in because of the absence of two men who heated her very blood. Ted’s kind voice drifted to her from across the deck. “Rose?” She blinked back rising tears and offered him a brave smile, though she didn’t trust herself to answer. “Mind lending a fellow cook a hand?” Her legs felt attached to someone else’s body as she walked over to where Ted stood with the freshly-scrubbed grill grate in his hand. Those legs wanted to change course and go after Stephen and Caleb, even though they’d likely had enough head start on leaving that she wouldn’t be able to run down their car. Even if she could, she’d made a decision based on hard, cold facts. She needed to stick to it, not give in to her traitorous, irrational emotions. “Could you hand me the oil over there?” he said, nodding to a cruet on his prep table that he could easily have gotten himself. “And one of those paper towels.”

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She grabbed both while deciding how to word her good-byes and make a break for her car before he commented on what he’d just seen. “I hope you’ll stay and keep an old man company,” he said, as if he’d heard her thoughts. “As you’ve seen, most folks tend to abandon ship once the barbecue fire is out. It’s not near as fun out here with no one to talk to.” So much for escape. “After the fine meal you whipped up, that’s the least I can do.” She glanced around. “Don’t suppose there’s anything I can do to actually help?” “Sticking around through the finer points of grill maintenance is sacrifice enough,” he said. “Though if you wouldn’t mind folding up that paper towel and pouring a fair shake of oil on it, I would be doubly grateful.” While she did as instructed, he chattered on. “Delores is forever telling me to just leave the grill for later and enjoy our guests while I can.” “Sounds reasonable. Why don’t you?” “It does seem like the smart thing to do, I’ll admit. Trouble is, once I walk away from a thing, I can’t seem to find my way back to it later. Then I’m sorry I didn’t see it through when I had the chance.” Her eyes snapped sharply to his as she handed over the oiled pad of toweling, but if he was trying to draw some comparison between barbecues and her life, she couldn’t tell from his gaze. “I noticed your wife likes to get a head start on her cleanup, too,” Rose said. “She was setting all the dishes to soak the last time I left the kitchen.” “Think I might be rubbing off on her,” he said, stroking the paper towel along the grill lines until the surface gleamed. “That sort of thing is bound to happen after twenty years of marriage.” The fondness in his tone and sparkle in his eye when he talked about Delores struck a funny chord in her heart. She tried to picture loving someone over the long term, still being devoted to the same person after two decades.

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“At the risk of sounding like a nosy old codger,” he said as he tossed away the toweling and lifted the grill back into place, “is everything okay? Stephen seemed less himself than usual when he left.” She shrugged, wondering what to say that wouldn’t reflect too badly on Stephen—or the situation. “I don’t mean to pry,” he went on. “But even though I’m something of an absent host after dinner, that doesn’t mean I’m not concerned with my guests having a good time.” “Oh, but we had a wonderful time,” she said. “I suppose he just wasn’t all that happy about my new travel assignment.” “I don’t blame him. He hasn’t been the same man lately, you know. And I mean that as a compliment.” She cocked her head. “How so?” “Don’t get me wrong. Stephen was a fine man before. But in all the time I’ve known him, he always seemed a little distant. Like he was staring off into the future, waiting for something. Whatever that something was, he seemed to have found it right when you came along.” Saliva dried in her throat. “I’m just not sure he found what he thought he did.” He closed the grill top and placed his palm on it, as through checking the temperature. “If you don’t mind me saying, Caleb seemed just as upset as Stephen. He doesn’t want you to go either, I take it.” A stab of guilt passed through her. “I’m not sure what you mean.” “I know you don’t know me, my dear, but I don’t feel like we’re strangers. I’ve considered Stephen something of a surrogate offspring for many years. That said, I know my son. He’s very happy with you. But there’s more to it than just the two of you, isn’t there?” Her cheeks burned while she wished she hadn’t been taken in by Ted’s seeming innocent plea for company. Apparently, he wasn’t the

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lonely old man he’d portrayed. He just wanted to pump her for dirt about his recently disgraced physician. “I really don’t know how to answer that,” she stammered. “And I probably should get going.” “Please don’t,” he said quickly. “I have no right to dig into your personal affairs. I’m not out to judge Stephen, either. I just don’t want to see either of you hurt. He’s like family to me. That makes you family, too.” Her tense shoulders relaxed a little. “It’s not his fault,” she said, wondering why she was defending Stephen rather than running out the door. “It’s me. I almost got caught up in a whirlwind romance. By the time I realized my mistake, I’d already hurt him. I just wish I’d have done something sooner.” Ted picked up a large, black cover and pulled it over the grill. “What’s wrong with whirlwind romance?” “Plenty. For one, I don’t plan on making my mother’s mistakes.” Her eyes widened a little. God, had that comment just flown out at a stranger? “Ah.” He cinched the cover’s tie around the grill. “The sins of our parents can be tough to outrun.” “I love my mother,” she said quickly. “But she is a notoriously poor judge of character when it comes to men. She’d been married four times by the time I was sixteen, not counting my father. The last was to a man she’d only known two weeks.” She paused and shook her head. “After they eloped to Vegas,” she went on, “John pointed out that his idea of raising teenagers could be summed up in two words. Boarding school. Mom asked my grandmother to look after me until she could ‘smooth things over.’ She left him six months later, but not because they hadn’t come to terms about me. She’d caught him cheating.” Ted pulled off his apron and laid it aside. “I am sorry. I can see where a childhood like that would make you reluctant to fall in love.”

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She snorted and folded her arms. “It made me the complete opposite of what she was. At least, I thought it had. People used to say I was the spitting image of her. She’s quite beautiful, so I’m sure it was meant as a compliment. But all I could think was they were waiting for me to fail at love, too. That I’d have a new man every other week that they could joke about in social circles.” The words had shot from her in a babbling rush, and once they were out, embarrassment fired her cheeks. She’d just neatly outlined her family legacy, explaining how she wound up shaming herself in a hospital store room with a man she barely knew. Like mother, like daughter. Ted, however, seem unperturbed as he picked up a long-handled fork and rubbed it with a dish towel. Twilight passed into evening, and the coach lamps sitting on the corner posts of the deck flickered to life. “It sounds like your mother was searching for something she never found,” he said. “That’s unfortunate. But just because she hasn’t doesn’t mean no one can. Take me, for instance.” She lifted a brow. “You?” “Sure. I proposed to Delores after only two months. We were wed within the year. And here I am, still happy. She’s tolerated my quirks for twenty years.” She had to smile at his carefree grin. “Sounds like you were incredibly lucky in beating the odds.” “Maybe you will be, too.” “But how did you know it was right?” “You just know. Or hope you know, I suppose. You listen to your heart.” Hers was thumping erratically. “My mother listened to her heart, and it was a nightmare. I just don’t know if I can trust mine. We have the same genetics.”

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Ted’s answer was cut off by the sound of twigs snapping down below the deck. They both stopped, listening. What happened next shot her eyes open wide. There were two of them, vaulting impossibly over the railing of the well-elevated deck. They landed with ominous thuds on the wood flooring quite near the corner where she had argued with her mates. Their large heads were raised high, and their ears were directed forward at Rose and Ted while their nostrils flared to scent the air. They were wolves. “What the devil!” Ted exclaimed. “That’s impossible. Wolves can’t jump fifteen feet in the air.” Rose stared at the animals who were staring right back. The fur around their necks stood rigid, and their eyes shone with a familiar intelligence that blazed brighter than their fierce, gold irises. “I don’t think they’re ordinary wolves,” she said. One stepped forward, issuing a warning growl when Ted tried to back away. Both wolves were a dirty brown-gray color, not the sleek gray or gray-tipped brown she would have recognized. That eliminated the possibility of Stephen or Caleb having a sudden insane urge to shift and pounce on the deck. It wasn’t Seth come to visit, either. Whoever these wolves were, they were strangers. And they didn’t appear friendly. The lead wolf snarled louder, and with a brief crouch, it sprang at Ted. Rose reacted without thinking. “Stop!” she shouted, raising her arms to the sides while she jumped soundly between the animal and Ted. The wolf dropped onto all fours not a foot away, its lip peeled back over sharp teeth. She tugged the strap of her tank top aside. “You know what this means. Get away from here.” “Rose!” Ted said from behind her. “What are you doing? Run inside.” “It’s all right,” she said over her shoulder. “They can’t hurt me.”

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The wolves, however, seemed to have other thoughts on that. The second one pressed around from the side, cutting off the path to the door. The pair of them stalked forward, herding her and Ted back until they were cornered. “Don’t be crazy,” Ted said, trying to tug on her when she stayed in front of him. “Get behind me.” The wolf in front of her gave what appeared to be a bizarre grin. Her mind raced as she tried to think her way clear of disaster. “You know I’m aware of what you are,” she said to it. “What’s the matter? Afraid to face a defenseless woman while upright?” “Why are you provoking it?” Ted whispered. “None of the wolves I’ve met have been cowards,” she went on, ignoring Ted. “Maybe there’s a first time for everything.” The wolf growled and snapped at her, and she jerked back until she was pressed tight to Ted’s front. He grabbed her arms and tried to slide her out of the way, but she grabbed hold of the railing beside her, holding her ground. She was the one wearing the protective mark. She had to stay in front of him. The animal shook itself like a wet dog, and the shudder that followed pulsed through its fur in a way she knew quite well. The wolf rose up as Ted’s fingers dug into her arms tight, and its bones crackled and lengthened while the fur dissolved into the form of a man. “Mother of God,” Ted murmured. “Maybe you weren’t worth the bother of a shift,” the werewolf said to her. “It ain’t all that pleasant a sensation.” The square-faced male standing before her had yellow eyes that hadn’t dimmed during his transformation. He was just as intimidating in this form, too. Human or not, his body was covered in a lot of hair, starting with an unruly brown mop on his head. A wicked tattoo of a fanged snake head was emblazoned on his thick, sinewy neck, but few other parts of him were smooth. Even fewer were devoid of muscle.

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And judging from the twitching dick between his legs, the process of transformation couldn’t have been too unpleasant. “What the hell is this?” Ted was muttering. “Why shift if I wasn’t worth the bother?” she asked. “It occurred to me you might have a better use than dinner.” His smile was no less frightening for its movie-star whiteness. “I’m not afraid of you hurting me.” She lifted her chin, though she couldn’t keep the quiver from her voice. “I showed you my mark. You can’t lay a finger on me.” He cocked his head. “Sounds like someone has been sadly misinformin’ you.” He reached out and purposefully, almost painfully pressed a finger on top of her scar. “See there? I laid a finger on you.” He leaned closer. “And I assure you, I can most definitely hurt you if you don’t play nice.” “Leave her alone,” Ted said. The other werewolf, who had yet to shift, drew closer and snarled. “I have to agree with Jess,” the upright one said. “Any man who tries to give orders from behind a lady’s skirts ain’t no manner of man at all. He’s an entree.” That finally undid Ted, who shoved himself out from behind her none too politely. “Don’t count on it.” “Why are you here?” Rose said in the best authoritative tone she could muster. “We smelled somethin’ good and came up for dinner.” He eyed her appreciatively, and the jaundiced gaze sliding over her made her skin crawl. “Now I see we found a nice piece of tail to go with it.” Panic flooded her veins. “I belong to Stephen.” She started to add and Caleb, but figured Ted had enough scandalous secrets to deal with at the moment. He snorted. “I don’t know any Stephen. He ain’t much of a mate if he left you here to defend your grandpa all alone. Might be time you considered tradin’ up.” He offered a ridiculous bow. “Randall Forrester, at your hot and ready service.”

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Her lip curled at the mere thought of any other man touching her, let alone Randall. “The answer to that question is no.” “Who said I was askin’?” He grabbed the stiff, uncircumcised cock rising between slightly bowed thighs. “My brother and I can take good care of you.” That seemed to snap Ted into action. He pushed Rose farther aside and stepped in between them. “I said leave her the hell alone.” He pulled the long, two-tined fork she’d forgotten he was holding from behind his back and wielded it like a weapon. Randall laughed loudly. “So, Grandpa grew a pair. But what are you gonna do, old man? To recap your situation, we ain’t exactly what you’d call human, you ain’t one of her no-good mates, and they ain’t here to fight for her.” With a flash of motion that appeared like a blur, Randall whipped out and knocked the fork from Ted’s hand. It clattered to the deck as Ted recoiled, and Rose jerked. Fear broke out in a cold sweat. She gripped the railing and tried to still the pounding heartbeat that threatened to make her pass out. This was all her fault. If she hadn’t rejected her mates, hadn’t chased off the men who loved her— and she them—then they’d still be there. The wolves wouldn’t have found an easy opportunity. Now, Ted was in danger. And what if Delores or one of the guests wandered outside? “God help us,” she whispered. That was when they all heard the dual, rumbling chorus from the sky overhead, as if her plea had somehow summoned an angry and ancient wolf god. She glanced up with the rest, and her jaw dropped with relief when she saw the two wolves silhouetted by the moon at their backs. Caleb and Stephen stood on the portion of the roof that partially overhung the deck, their feral eyes glowering murderously down on her would-be attackers. Ted pressed her tighter back against railing. “Holy God.”

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“Well, well,” Randall said, “look who’s come to join the party. And am I mistaken, or do I smell a whelp from my past?” With nothing short of supernatural grace, the wolves jumped down and landed softly, though no less threateningly, on the deck. Rose’s heart fluttered at the sight of her mates. Thank the heavens they hadn’t abandoned her. “Caleb fuckin’ Green,” Randall said in an exaggerated drawl. “Don’t just all-fours there, growlin’ at my brother. Stand up and face me, if you can stomach it.” Caleb’s fur, which was a lighter tone to Jess’s dirty brown, began to shudder. Ominous popping, cracking sounds punctuated his shift into human form. “Randall Forrester. It ain’t been near long enough.” Randall turned to Rose. “You lied to me, little lady. You told me you ain’t never met a werewolf who was a coward. Now I find out you’re bangin’ pelvises with the Grade-A pussy who used to cower at the edge of my daddy’s pack.” “Not like there was any room closer in, had any of us wanted the slightest piece of that murderin’ inner circle,” Caleb said. “What with his pathetic bastard pups sucklin’ at his teat.” Stephen growled at Jess as his body began the shift. Jess glanced around, and then he shifted as well. Aside from the unruly brown hair, he couldn’t have been more different from his brother. He was smooth-skinned and lanky. Ted murmured, “I’ll be goddamned,” as a very naked and pissedoff Stephen emerged from his wolf form. “That explains a few things.” “I take it you’re the bad seed of the late and infamous Blaise Forrester,” Stephen said. “I’m his oldest, born and bred,” Randall said with a grin. “Or should I say, born, not bit?” Jess nodded to Stephen. “Ain’t that tattoo of yours all pretty, with that letterin’ all flowery and shit down by your meat. I’ll give you this

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much, I wouldn’t have judged you to be wolf enough to take a silver needle.” “Silver needle?” Rose asked. Jess nodded. “It’s the only way our kind can make a tattoo permanent. A were’s flesh sloughs off the ink and heals over otherwise.” “More likely he got inked before he was bit,” Randall said. “It reads ‘Full Moon’ in Latin, diptwat,” Jess said. “I doubt he got that penned on him before he turned.” He gave Stephen an all over, appreciative glance that twisted Rose’s stomach. “Guess you got bigger balls than appearances tell,” Randall said, pointing to his tattooed neck. “Ain’t a pretty sight while it’s gettin’ done, is it? Fuckin’ agonizin’ pain.” His smartass grin turned on Caleb. “Speakin’ of which, I heard that bitch sister of Jayson’s done got you silver shot. Must have hurt like a mother.” Caleb fisted his hips. “Jayel would be all kinds of interested to hear her family’s true murderers are back, stirrin’ up shit.” He stepped closer. “So would Kade Winchester.” Rose’s eyes widened. These were the wolves responsible for getting Caleb shot? The ones whose father had held good men like him and Seth hostage? The brothers both stiffened at the name. “I don’t recognize that mongrel son of a bitch’s authority,” Randall said, spitting on the deck. “His command must have done some kind of number on you,” Caleb said. “When he became alpha and ordered us to scatter, you ladies fled out of town with your tails between your legs.” Jess spit on the deck. “We don’t wear that bastard’s mark. He ain’t nothin’ more than our daddy’s killer. Didn’t even have the balls to take over the pack proper after the challenge.” Caleb’s smile took on a dangerous edge. “Why not run on over to the Winchester-Saratoga ranch and tell him so face-to-face? Better yet, why not challenge him for pack rights, avenge Blaise’s death?” “Caleb,” Stephen said in warning.

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“Might be we’re here to do just that,” Jess said. “Shut your hole,” Randall snapped at him. “No need to share pack secrets. Caleb went and got himself a pretty new alpha.” “You’re right,” Stephen said. “Caleb’s not one of you anymore.” “Never was,” Jess said. “None of ’em were good enough to lick our daddy’s shit.” “Then say good-bye,” Stephen told them. “Take your business elsewhere while you still can.” Randall whooped an incredulous laugh. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were threatenin’ a pureblood.” “Let me make it clearer,” Stephen said, louder this time. “Leave my woman and the gentleman in peace right now, and I’ll let you live.” His eyes shifted to Rose’s for the first time since the confrontation began, and she saw the determination there. He hadn’t given up on her, as she’d thought. He never had. In that moment, as Rose stared at his long, powerful body gleaming in the light of the deck, she felt a swell of respect for Stephen she’d never felt before. She’d seen him as a doctor, yes. And as a lover, man, and wolf. He was a fine example of each. Now she saw him in another role, that of defender. He would protect his pack mates to the death. Pride flared inside her, though it wasn’t enough to overtake her terror. What if he didn’t win? Randall didn’t seem cowed. In fact, his cock grew stiffer with every word of threat Stephen laid down. “I see you like to talk as big and pretty as your ink,” he said. “I think I’d greatly enjoy bendin’ you over and makin’ you scream my name as your new alpha. Or maybe I’ll just rip you apart on the deck and fuck your woman in the middle of the pieces.” Her heart somersaulted at the vile image. Caleb, whose face had gone rigid with fury, made a move toward the man, but Stephen stopped him with the wave of a hand.

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“You know you can’t win. Purebloods are better. Stronger.” Stephen met his gaze. “Stronger, perhaps. Better is doubtful.” “So, is it a pack challenge, then?” Randall asked. Stephen stared him down with deadly calm. “No. Let’s just fight.” He wandered closer to him. “And just so there’s no mistake,” he said, and he flashed out with a fist and connected solidly with Randall’s jaw, “get the fuck away from my mate.” The blow threw Randall off balance to land a ways away from where Rose stood frozen. To the man’s credit, he righted himself quickly while he held onto his jaw. “That cheap shot’s gonna cost ya,” he said, and without another word, he dropped onto the ground as a wolf. Stephen followed suit, and they circled one another, snarling and showing moonlit fangs. Ted grabbed Rose and held onto her, at least until Caleb raced over and took hold of her arms. “Rose,” he said, his eyes searching hers wildly. “I’m so sorry. I should never have walked away.” “It was my fault,” she said, peering with fright at Stephen. “I thought you said other wolves couldn’t touch me?” He frowned. “No, darlin’. The mark lets other wolves know you’re taken. It won’t stop bastards like Randall.” She blanched at the thought of how bold she’d been, antagonizing the other wolves. How stupid. Caleb glanced at Ted. “Most of the others had already left. The rest heard the commotion and think a man with a wolf are tryin’ to rob you. Your wife dialed the sheriff and is hidin’ with the rest on our orders. I’m gonna slip you two inside with ’em.” His gaze shifted to Rose. “Get the car and drive like hell out of here.” “I’m not leaving you,” Rose said. “Not ever.” He stopped cold, staring at her. “No one ain’t goin’ nowhere,” said Jess from behind him. Caleb spun around, and Rose saw the man standing with his arms folded, blocking the way to the door.

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“Then again, there ain’t no reason why Stephen and Randall should have all the fun,” Caleb snapped, and Jess’s narrow mouth curved up into an ugly smile. Their human bodies fell away as both morphed, and Caleb lunged for Jess with a violent growl. Rose gasped. “Caleb!” He turned for a brief moment, his wolf eyes meeting hers, and he jerked his head toward the door. Then Jess’s jaws locked onto Caleb’s hindquarters, and with a howl of pain, he turned back to the fight. “Come on,” Ted said, pulling on her hand. “He wants us to get away while the others are distracted.” “I can’t,” she said in distress. Tears rose as she shivered in the cold. “I can’t just leave them here.” “We’re not talking six months in Hawaii anymore,” he said, pulling harder. “Just getting to safety before you get hurt.” The two pairs of wolves flashed fangs as they snapped and bit one another. Stephen’s pale fur spotted bright red when Randall pulled away from the top of his head. “They’re fighting because of me,” she said. “I have no right to just walk away.” “Then what about me?” Ted snapped, and that brought her attention to him. “You wanted to protect me before.” Her eyes widened. “You’re right.” She glanced at the fight once again, then at the door. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” With that, she shifted back into nurse mode. It was she, not Ted, dragging the other by the hand to get to the door. Once inside, no one was in sight. “Delores?” Ted called out, but there was no answer. “Maybe she left with the others,” Rose said, running for the purse she’d left in the great room. She shoved a hand inside and came up with her keys. “Here. Take my car and get out of here. It’s the new blue four-door.” “You’re not staying,” he said.

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“I have to.” She raced for the kitchen, where she rummaged wildly through drawers. Ted followed. “What on earth are you doing?” he asked. “Where’s your good silver?” She pawed faster through utensils. “You’re going to rob me in the middle of this?” She looked at him. “Werewolves get hurt with silver. Bad.” Understanding sparked in his eyes, and he strode quickly over to yank open one of the drawers. The knife he pulled out was long, gleaming, and curved to a very businesslike point on one end. “Will this do?” She ran over, snatched the knife from his hand, and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. For everything.” “Wait!” he called, but she was already at the French doors. Outside, the fights weren’t going well. Stephen was bleeding from several wounds now, though Randall was little better. Closer by, Jess had Caleb down on the wood deck. He held Caleb’s neck with his jaws while he mounted him. Caleb struggled against the larger wolf, but wasn’t gaining ground. With a cry of rage, Rose flung herself at the brown wolf. “Get the hell off of my mate,” she shouted, and with all her strength, she plunged the knife deep into the animal’s ribs. Jess let go of Caleb’s neck instantly, rearing back with a highpitched, animal cry that pierced through the night. He staggered for a brief moment, and that was when Caleb struck. He was on his feet before she could count to two, and she jumped backward when he went after Jess with renewed vehemence. He butted the wolf viciously with his head, and the animal went to the ground. Caleb stood over him, opened his mouth wide, and clamped down on the wolf’s throat. A sickening crunch later, it was over. For Jess, anyway. Caleb, with bright red dripping from his fangs, turned to where Stephen and Randall had frozen in the middle of their own bloody battle. Randall had gone rigid, staring over at the body of his fallen brother—which was melting away into human form.

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The howl he let out at the moon was filled with eerie despair, and the sound joined with the wail of sirens pulling up out front. At the sight of Caleb and Stephen closing in, Randall fell silent. With one final look at his dead brother, he turned and made a dramatic leap over the railing. She heard his footfalls crunching away through the night, and neither of her mates gave chase. They shifted back and ran to her instead. “Are you all right?” Stephen asked through heavy, panting breaths. “You’re the one who’s hurt,” she said, eyeing the bite marks oozing all over his flesh. She risked a glance down at the man whose throat no longer existed and tried not to picture Stephen or Caleb lying that way. “I thought only silver could kill a werewolf,” she said, still clutching the knife that was dripping red. Rose heard commotion inside while Caleb wiped his bloody mouth on the dish towel Ted had abandoned. “A few things can harm us. Gettin’ our airway removed by another werewolf is one of ’em.” He put an arm around her as they stared at the body. “He died the exact same way as his father. And with not even a single lick more honor.” The sheriff’s department burst out onto the deck, and she suddenly realized how things must look. A naked man lay dead of obvious violence, and two more naked men were covered in injuries. And she held a weapon that dripped with the dead man’s blood. How could she possibly explain? Officers were yelling, and Caleb pulled away from her as he and Stephen were instructed to turn around and put their hands on their heads. A tall, thin deputy strode up to her, but not too close. He had his gun drawn, but not aimed at her. “I said drop the weapon slowly.” The knife clattered loudly on the deck when she did as instructed, all the while lost in thoughts over what she could possibly say. He was still speaking to her, but she wasn’t following the words. There

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was no way he would believe that Jess getting his throat ripped out had been an act of self-defense. That werewolves had been to blame. When she looked up at him, however, she startled. The deputy’s eyes glittered with small yet distinct flecks of gold beneath the brim of his hat. Perhaps he’d believe the story, after all. Ted burst out on the deck, arguing with one of the officers as he rushed over to Rose’s side. “Are you all right, my dear?” Rose looked up to see that Delores and Jo had, in fact, stayed behind, looking wide-eyed and frightened in the doorway. She nodded. “These three are all heroes,” Ted shouted at the lawmen. “They saved my life from the man and wolf who tried to attack me.” That changed the tone of the encounter completely, though it was some time before the officers had finished taking statements. It was much later when Rose sat in the great room, a blanket around her shoulders to ward off the chill that refused to leave her bones while Stephen and Caleb stood out front, finishing up with the werewolf deputy. “I still can’t believe what you did,” Ted was saying. “Protecting me that way.” Rose looked up to see him and Jo staring at her. Delores walked over and handed her a cup of hot tea. “Yes, such a brave thing, standing in front of my Ted that way,” Delores said, and Rose accepted the tea gratefully. The woman shuddered. “To think, that man had a pet wolf that he used to help him commit home invasion robberies. What a terrifying prospect. I can’t thank you enough.” Rose and Ted exchanged glances. “It was nothing, really,” Rose said, taking the tea gratefully. “I just reacted.” “It was far more than nothing,” Ted said. “Thanks may not be enough, but I can show you my gratitude.” He leaned back in his

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chair, resting his hands on his rounded belly. “How would you like a staff position at Shay Falls Community?” Jo’s head snapped around as Rose’s eyes flew open. “What?” they both asked. “You heard me. Full-time position, not a temporary traveler contract.” “But, Ted,” Jo blurted out, “you realize she’s been terminated for unethical conduct.” “What I realize is that she was willing to save the life of a man she barely knew at the risk of her own,” he snapped back. “Rose gave more thought to my needs than hers, and she cared deeply enough about others to jump in and fight for their safety. I can’t think of better qualities to ask for in a nurse at my hospital. Can you?” Jo gaped at him for a moment, and then shook her head. “It’s your decision, of course.” “Actually, it’s Rose’s decision.” He turned to her. “What do you say, my dear? I realize Shay Falls might seem second-rate compared to Hawaii, but perhaps you wouldn’t mind sticking around a while.” A smile all but burst out of her. “I think I’d like that,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind calling Shay Falls my home.” “Good,” he said, beaming. “Stop by human resources next week.” He rose from his chair. “Meanwhile, I’m guessing there’s a certain doctor you’ll want to share the news with.” She was way ahead of him. As the flood of sheer happiness inside her echoed back from where the men she loved stood out front, she’d bet that they already knew.

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Chapter Thirteen A warm, moist breeze caressed Rose’s skin while the lull of ocean waves lapping the shore drew her into a deep, profound state of relaxation. With a satisfied smile, she turned her head to gaze at the man lying on the beach beside her. In his current pose, Caleb looked much more like a vacationing movie star than a “once a cowboy,” and she couldn’t stop staring. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, and his hair was slicked back with saltwater. Wet swim trunks clung to his thighs and the enticing bulge between them. Drying ocean surf left salt traces on his tanned, muscular body, and she had an urge to lick it off. Too bad the private beach wasn’t private enough to indulge that whim. Caleb’s hand reached over to glide gently along the sun-warmed skin of her arm. “Have I told you how incredibly damn sexy you look in that bikini?” he asked, still lying on his back without looking at her. She glanced down at the flimsy triangles of fabric covering strategic mounds on her body. “Not in the past twenty minutes.” “You know I can’t be held responsible for the things I want to do to you when you’re wearin’ yellow, right?” A sexy little laugh escaped her throat. “That was the whole idea.” With that, Caleb flipped over to face her, pulling down his sunglasses enough so she could see the tops of his mesmerizing eyes. “And you’re out in the open near the roar of water, too,” he said seductively. “Definitely brings back memories.” His need for her flowed around them, joining with hers. “Yes, it does,” she said quietly. “I just wish Stephen were here to complete that picture.”

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“Your wish is my command,” she heard, along with the sound of feet shuffling through the sand. She glanced up to see Stephen, wearing dry trunks and a shortsleeved shirt that hung open, bringing drinks from their room nearby. He stopped over her, shading the sun with his body while he offered her a glass. “What’s this?” she asked as she scooted herself upright on her towel. “It’s called sex on the beach,” he said with a grin. She smiled back. “I’d love to investigate that concept if there weren’t other bungalows sharing this stretch of sand.” She took the glass and lifted it in toast. “For now, I suppose I’ll have to satisfy myself with this.” He handed Caleb a glass and sat down on the sand beside her with his own. “You were definitely right,” she said, taking in the waving palm trees, glittering ocean, and wisps of pale clouds. “Vacationing in Hawaii is preferable to working here. Oh, and don’t let me forget to send out the postcards on the table.” “Speaking of which,” Stephen said, “when you left to sunbathe, you mentioned hearing from your mother.” She nodded. “Finally got a letter back. I wrote to tell her about my new job—and about you.” Caleb moved over to sit at the edge of her towel. “You told her about Stephen?” She gave him a wink. “And you, too.” His brow arched. “What did you say, exactly?” She shrugged. “I told her the truth.” “What?” Stephen said, sounding a little alarmed. “You told her everything?” “Not that truth,” she said, sipping at her drink. “I told her I was in a domestic partnership with two incredible men. I didn’t, however, mention the extra hair and teeth you sometimes grow.”

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“What did she write back?” Caleb asked, laying a hand on her knee. Rose sighed, mostly because of the little shudder his touch sent through her. “She hopes I’ll be as happy as she is with her Roberto.” Stephen set his drink in the sand and moved behind her on his knees to massage her shoulders. “Who’s Roberto?” Rose’s eyes rolled. “Some guy she met last month in Cabo. She was vacationing there to get over a traumatic breakup.” Stephen’s hands on her flooded her with well-being, and she gave in to his strong fingers and closed her eyes to lift her face to the afternoon sun. Did her mother ever feel this way about the endless parade of men she’d met? Even aside from the added security of being able to sense what her mates felt for her, Rose doubted it. It was hard to imagine anyone else on earth feeling the way that she did. Then again, maybe all people in love thought so, too. Hopefully someday, Often-Wed Wendy would find the partner who would put an end to her frequent reaffirmation of the nickname. As Rose gazed at her men, she knew that she wouldn’t be earning a similar one. Not ever. Caleb shifted their bodies so that her legs were out straight and he was straddling her shins. While Stephen kneaded her rubbery shoulders, Caleb made broad, sweeping strokes up and down her suntan-oiled thighs. Her breathing grew shallow as she leaned against Stephen’s torso, aware that all their senses were heating up into something far less innocuous than a shoulder massage. Soon, Stephen’s fingers were reaching lower each time he rubbed over the front of her shoulders, and Caleb’s were reaching higher with each upward stroke on her legs. The moment Stephen’s hands grazed the tight buds poking against her bikini top was timed perfectly to the brush of Caleb’s fingers against the fabric covering her tingling pussy. The jolt of desire the dual contact sent through her almost prompted her to spill her drink. “Guys,” she said, arching when

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Caleb’s next stroke lingered on her clit, “I’m getting dangerously close to doing something that will get security called on us.” “What, two hot men ain’t enough for you now?” Caleb said teasingly as his hands grew bolder. “Now you want one in uniform?” Despite his teasing, the sound of laughter farther down the beach stilled his touch. “I have a sudden urge to check out our hot tub,” Stephen said, pulling Rose to her feet. “Right now.” He swept her up in his arms. “Caleb, bring the drinks.” Caleb grabbed the glasses and strode alongside them as Stephen headed for the gate of their bungalow’s patio. “I let you mark my shoulder, and now I’m nothing more than a glorified cabana boy?” Stephen flashed him a look. “You let me mark you? I think not.” “Maybe I decided to let you win.” Stephen used his knee to push their way through the gate, and he set Rose down by the in-ground Jacuzzi that was surrounded by sweet-smelling, tropical flowers in their private courtyard. She watched as he stalked toward Caleb, who’d just set their drinks on a glass-topped side table. “Any time you think you can best me in a rematch, you’re welcome to put your hands on me and try,” Stephen said. Caleb tossed his sunglasses on the table and ran a smoking-hot gaze over every inch of the other man’s body. “And what if I don’t want a rematch right now? Am I still welcome to put my hands on you?” Stephen leaned closer. “You’re lucky you’re so damn goodlooking.” The men’s passion fairly collided as Stephen pulled Caleb into a fierce kiss, and Rose felt the shock of arousal coursing through all present. Their cocks sprang to attention immediately, tenting their bathing suits while their tongues thrust into each other’s mouths in a way that made her ache. She dallied with the idea of sitting back idly in the hot tub and watching the two of them drive each other insane

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with passion. Still, the echoes of their probing fingers still lingered on her nipples and clit, a sensation heightened by the sight of them clutched together so desperately. Bathing suit trunks dropped to the cement beneath them, and she knew if she was truly going to sit this out, she’d be doing so while naked and writhing in masturbation. Or maybe not. With a tiny smile, she turned away and stood on the first step in the hot tub, then reached behind herself to grab hold of the bow tied snugly against her spine. She’d barely tugged one of the strings when she heard Caleb’s out-of-breath voice. “Don’t touch that bikini, darlin’,” he said. “You know that takin’ off that pretty yellow suit is strictly my job.” Sexy males were behind her in a blink. Her private smile widened when she felt Caleb’s hands fumbling with the back of her suit. One good yank released the strings, and the top slid down into the water. “Jets on or off?” Stephen asked from beside her. “On,” she said. “Definitely on.” Caleb knelt behind her then, smoothly pulling down the bottom of her suit. When it was floating around her lower legs, he pressed hot, maddening kisses to her bare ass cheeks. “Wade into the middle of the hot tub,” he said, reaching around to part the curls over her clit. “Then get on your knees.” The water was super warm as Rose lowered herself into it. Tingling bubbles popped around her from all angles as she knelt in the midst of the water. Only her head and upper neck were exposed this way as the streams from the Jacuzzi jets caressed her almost as intently as Caleb’s hands. Her arms floated idly on the churning surface while he touched her everywhere, sliding his hands rapidly over her skin until she thought for sure Stephen had joined him in exploring every inch. But Stephen was barely entering the hot tub, his cock bobbing as it stood out straight from his incredible body. She swallowed at the sight of it.

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He stayed upright as he joined them in the middle, and she grabbed his hips and pulled his dick right to her mouth. Salty fluid was already gathering at the tip when she flicked out her tongue to taste him, and the male musk drove her to hungrily slide his lips over the long shaft. His grunt of pleasure shot through her, and she sucked his cock in deeper, harder. Caleb pinched her nipples while he pressed himself to her back. His dick throbbed stiff near her ass while he bit her earlobe playfully and let out a wolfish, low growl. “You love suckin’ his cock as much as I do,” he murmured while she ran her tongue along the sensitive underside. “But you look a hell of a lot sexier doin’ it.” “I wouldn’t bet on that,” she said, stiffening with a little cry as his fingers plunged down to tease her throbbing clit. “You made me come last night just watching you do it.” “That’s it,” Caleb said, and he tugged her away with him while he sat himself on the ledge seat running around the inside of the tub. “You’re mine.” He drew her into his lap, and with very little fanfare, he worked his cock into her waiting cunt. With his thighs spread and her feet touching the bottom, she could raise herself up and sit back down, fucking his gloriously hard rod while Stephen waded over to her. Instead of giving her back the cock that looked ready to burst, however, he bent down to claim her lips. Their tongues drove her to fuck Caleb faster, and after a minute, she pulled away with a wicked smile. She grabbed Stephen’s arms and tugged him down until he got on his knees, then she ran her wet hand through his hair to lower his head to her nipple. He returned her smoldering grin and bit her hard buds, flicking his tongue over each once he’d captured them in his mouth. Then to her surprise, he sucked in a deep breath and disappeared underwater. Stephen’s mouth went straight for her clit, and she felt him parting her cunt lips to gain access to the oversensitive nub with his tongue. She dug her nails into her palms to keep herself from grabbing his

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head to hold him there, instead changing her pace on the cock buried in her snatch to a steady rocking so as not to buck away that devilishly enticing tongue. Her hands went over her head to circle Caleb’s neck, and he hefted her breasts with both palms while she rode a steep, upward climb to the height of pleasure. All too soon Stephen had to resurface, water spraying everywhere as his glistening, wet body emerged. Gleaming, yellow eyes penetrated her. “Caleb’s always in such a damn hurry to fuck you that I barely get a chance these days,” he said huskily. “I learned my lesson,” Caleb said. “No more Mr. Patience.” “I’m coming in anyway,” Stephen said. He pushed her thighs apart so she was truly sitting on Caleb, not resting her weight on her legs. When he shoved his body close and began sliding his cock along the front of her slit, she tensed. “I hardly think that’s possible,” she said through clenched teeth. Possible or not, her clit throbbed hard with each stroke of his cock head against it. “I remember when you didn’t think werewolves were possible, either,” he said in a sultry voice. The three of them stopped moving—and breathing—for a moment while Stephen pushed his cock along the back of Caleb’s. Slowly, incredibly, he managed to work himself into her already-stuffed cunt. She gripped his shoulders in desperation, holding him perfectly still inside her while she took in light, shallow breaths. “My God,” she whispered at last. “You’re both inside me.” “Hardly the first time,” Caleb said. “Not like this.” She moved her hips experimentally and managed to wiggle a little. The nerve endings that lit up shot pleasure all the way down to her toes. “Relax and enjoy me,” Stephen said, and with that, he withdrew a little. Caleb let out a long, very male groan.

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She wondered what it was like for him, feeling Stephen’s cock rubbing so tightly and intimately against his own. The thought spiked her pleasure higher, and relaxing was the last thing she wanted. “Harder,” she said, gyrating her hips as best as she could manage with her body pressed between the two gods in the hot tub with her. Stephen jammed his cock deep in her again, and they all moaned in unison. He began a delicious rhythm while jets stroked and bubbles popped all around them. Every thrust inward brought his pelvis against her clit, and every withdrawal let a surge of hot water flow around her pussy. In the months since she’d met her mates, they’d coupled and tripled in about every which way she could imagine— and some ways she couldn’t. Having both of them lodged deep in her cunt felt different. This perfect blend of three bodies united by one spot pulled her in so intimately to her partners that she almost couldn’t grasp how tightly they were bound. There seemed to be no specific place where one ended and another began—they all just were. The knowledge twined around her rising lust until her heart pounded wildly. “I want you to claim me,” she told Stephen. “Mark me with your fangs.” He gave a tiny smile and fucked her deeper. “It’s a little late for that.” “But I didn’t understand what it meant back then.” She paused and took hold of his face. “Now I do.” Stephen stopped his hip motion and stared at her. “Take me, Stephen,” she said. “Take me so you two know without a doubt that I want to belong with you both. Forever.” His eyes had already been gleaming with gold, but fire raged in their depths as she finished the words. He just stared at her, silent. “God, yes,” Caleb said at last, nuzzling the nape of her neck with his lips. “Finally.” He gripped her hips tight and thrust himself upward, and Stephen unglued. He shoved himself into her hard, a piston ramming fast and

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furious in a sexual machine that drove her skyward. Instead of giving in to the automatic urge to closer her eyes and ride the high up to the peak, she kept her gaze focused on him while they fucked harder, faster. “I claim you for our own,” he said, and the emotion in his words was every bit as obvious as the sense of love that penetrated his thick cloud of lust. “You’re part of us now and always have been. Let my mark symbolize not only what we will mean to each other, but what we already do.” The final words altered a bit as his jaw and teeth morphed, and she watched with fascination as the man gave in to the animal need to stake a claim on his female. His mate. The fangs sank in deep—and they weren’t only Stephen’s. Caleb bit into her other shoulder, and she screamed out at the hot, sweet pleasure of belonging. She held both of their heads to her body while they all shuddered. In this pose, Stephen couldn’t make long, wild thrusts anymore, but they were already falling over the edge, crying out with limbs intertwined and emotions united while mutual orgasm cemented their bond—again. The same sense of joining crashed over her as the first time Stephen had marked her, only with a profound difference. This time, she welcomed the possession. This time, she took them into her fully, heart, body, and soul. Her complete acceptance shot her into a second climax, and both men reared back their heads and let out feral growls as they finished emptying warm spurts of cum into her. They uncoupled rapidly but didn’t part from one another. Instead, the two men cradled her between them as they all sat in the water, laughing and hugging. “There was no way in hell anyone could have convinced me that sex could be better than when Stephen claimed you by the falls,” Caleb said a few minutes later. “But I would have been wrong.” “And I didn’t think it would matter if I marked her again,” Stephen added. “I thought only the first time counted.”

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“This sort of was the first time,” she said. “The first time I truly understood what I was asking for—and craved it with every part of me.” Stephen kissed her lips tenderly. “It couldn’t have even been more perfect if we’d done this out on the beach,” Caleb said. “Hm,” Rose said, rising to step out of the water. “I think perhaps we should test that theory.” She ran her hands over her dripping skin as she strolled toward the door to their bungalow. She turned to see both men staring at her. “How?” Caleb asked, and as he and Stephen rose, she had an image of sea gods rising from the depths, water cascading over their chiseled bodies. Had any woman in the entirety of history been as lucky as she? “Midnight,” she whispered before disappearing indoors. “I’ll meet you both on the beach to see if perfection can be beat.” And as they followed her into their Hawaiian hideaway, Rose smiled at the knowledge that nothing could, in fact, make her any happier than she felt at that moment. But she’d sure as hell have fun spending every single day trying.

THE END HTTP://JROSEALLISTER.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR When she’s not conjuring tales of hot cowboys under a full moon, J. Rose Allister enjoys her garden, cooking, movies, and hanging out with her author husband and family in their Southern California home.

For all titles by J. Rose Allister, please visit www.bookstrand.com/j-rose-allister

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