Chapter Fourteen

Serena collapsed onto the couch and put her feet up on to the coffee table. “What a truly horrible day,” she said to the empty room. Her hopes of showing up here and getting to work right away with clients had gone down the tubes. Nancy had seen to that.

After the reams of paperwork had been filled out, Nancy had sent her to do a series of tests on the computer. Tests, Vince assured her, no one else in the office had ever had to take.

After that, there had been a two-hour session with Nancy to go over the results, her boss nitpicking each and every one of her answers in such detail that she knew it was going to take well into the next day to finish the job. Because, of course, while there were no wrong answers, none of her answers fit Nancy’s definition of what was right.

A loud knock at the door made her cringe. She was tired and depressed, and she couldn’t think of anyone here that she wanted to see. Okay, she did want to see Gabe. But if it was him, she had promised herself she wasn’t going to open the door.

But then Gabe’s voice came through the solid wood of the door. “I know you’re in there. Your car is still warm and your scent is strong on the door handle.” And her breathing sped up.

She got up and went to the door, opening it a crack. Her hands were shaking. She wanted to open the door and let him in. Get lost in the heat of his mouth. Have him take away every minute of what had to be the very worst first day on the job ever. But she’d sworn she wouldn’t.

“Not now, Gabe. My day sucked. All I want to do is open the bottle of wine I bought on Saturday and relax. I can’t deal with the drama anymore.”

“Okay, no drama. I promise. Just open the door and let me see you.”

She widened the crack just enough so she could push her face through. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”

“No. I think, given your sucky day, this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.” He grabbed the door and pushed it open, walking right past her and into the kitchen.

She put her hands on her hips. “Really? More alpha power plays?”

“Yep. You need one today. I have a picnic in the car and you’ve got the wine.” He grabbed the bottle off the counter. “Do you really want to relax? Because I can get you relaxed.” He dangled the wine in front of her as one of his patented wicked grins lit up his face.

Serena shook her head, but it was tempting. The wine. His sense of humor. After the day she’d had, she could use a night of fun. But—she’d said she wasn’t going to see him again. The whole thing with Sam was a mess, and Nancy was already on her back. “My boss will crucify me if she sees me with you again.”

“Not a problem where we’re going.” He leaned in, his breath spreading warm tingles along her skin. “No one but you, me, and the wine. And I have exactly the thing to make you relax, dreamwalker.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a secret, but I promise, in about thirty minutes, you’ll be forgetting all about your troubles.”

He was so close, his mouth inches away. Images of Gabe kissing her, making her forget anything and everything by stroking his tongue over hers ran through her mind.

“It’s not sex, is it?” Her voice was rough, shaky with need. She shouldn’t be wanting him to say yes, but she did. “Because I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

It wasn’t a good idea; it was a great idea. And oh so wrong.

“No, it’s not sex. Not that I’m not up for that, if you change your mind.” He waggled his eyebrows and gave her a salacious wink, his bright-blue eyes twinkling with humor.

She laughed. She was relieved he wasn’t asking her to roll around in the back of his truck, wasn’t she?

“Okay, give me five minutes to change out of these work clothes. Shorts okay?”

“Shorts are perfect. And something comfortable to walk in. Sneakers would be good.”

Five minutes later, dressed in a low v-neck shirt and one of her push-up bras, she was tying the laces on her tennies and wondering what the hell she was getting herself into. He might be a perfect gentleman, but she was far from a lady. The thoughts running through her head were already getting her wet and ready between her legs.

She was crazy. This was wrong. But he’d given her the perfect excuse to go with him and take the risk—he’d promised to behave.

She’d just have to make herself behave as well.

 

Gabe drove deep into the heart of the ranch, up the gravel road until it turned into two narrow, rutted dirt paths, separated by grass. His damp hands slid a little on the steering wheel, and he hoped Serena didn’t notice how nervous he was. He had the feeling this might be the last chance he’d get to show her how good things could be between them, and he wasn’t going to blow it this time.

“Where are we going?” There was a note of tension under her question.

“It’s a surprise. A good one,” he hastened to add, seeing her frown. “I promise, if we get there and you don’t like it then we’ll turn around.”

The last thing he wanted was for her to be upset. He had a different goal in mind for tonight, and the food and the wine in the back were just the beginning.

“Okay. Oh, look!” She turned away and watched a small group of does and fawns sprinting away from the truck.

He’d told her he wasn’t taking her anywhere for sex, but that wasn’t exactly true. He’d take it at her pace, but he’d be lying if he didn’t acknowledge that sex was first and foremost in his mind. From the moment she’d opened the door, and he’d seen the way she flushed at the sight of him, tilting her head in that way that told him she wanted him, all his good intentions had fled.

“Buckle up and hold on to something.” He turned left, taking the narrow road that cut up the side of the mountain and into the trees. The four-wheel drive dug into the dirt, and the truck bucked and jumped around a hairpin turn. Serena squealed and latched onto the grab bar over her head, but her face glowed and the huge grin on her face told him she loved danger as much as he did.

One more pop of the road, another twist around a group of trees. Gabe laughed. “Whoo-eee! Hang on, honey, we’re almost there.” And they shot around the last corner. He slowed and stopped the car, and turned off the engine.

Spread out below the rise he’d stopped the truck on was a narrow valley filled with leafy green trees with white trunks and split by a wide creek.

“Wow.” Her head was up and if she’d been a wolf she would have been on high alert, her eyes eating up the view.

“You like it?”

“Absolutely.” She turned toward him, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “Thank you. I so needed the release.”

Her use of the word release and the look on her face had his cock rising to attention, but he was here for the long game. “Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t even seen the real surprise.” He reached over and pushed the button on her seat belt, just as she reached to do it herself. Their hands brushed, and electricity shot through his skin.

Serena’s gasp had him scrambling for control. Her mouth was slightly open, and her pupils flared like a rabbit’s before the kill.

They stared at one another, the silence in the cab thick with anticipation. He swallowed and pulled his hand back, letting the tension ease. He had time, and he didn’t want to scare this particular bunny away.

They got out of the car. Before she could say anything about what had just happened, he opened the back and pulled out a large canvas handle bag and handed it to her. “You get to carry this and I’ll get dinner.”

“What’s all this?” She peered into the top. “Towels? Blankets?”

“Just wait, Miss Nosy. You’ll understand when we get there.”

“That creek looks pretty, but I bet the water is freezing this high up. I’m not sure I’m going to need a towel.”

He took out the large, old-fashioned picnic basket, closed the gate of the pickup, and led the way to the trailhead. “Come on, it’s only a short hike.”

She laughed. “I hope so. Breathing is getting easier, but hiking isn’t high on my list of activities just yet.”

The trail led down to the center of the valley and along the creek bed, winding in and out of the groups of trees and finally to a clearing that held his surprise. Amid the leafy branches of the aspens and scrub oak, steam rose from what looked like a pile of boulders.

“Ta-da.”

“It’s a hot spring! I can’t believe we have this all to ourselves.”

He watched her take it all in, smiling at the delight in her voice. The tiny wild roses growing in and around the rocks, the dancing leaves of the aspen shimmering in the slight breeze, the open view down to the river where the slanting last evening rays of light picked out the splash of a feeding trout.

“It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

“This isn’t the only pack hot spring, and it’s not the easiest to get to, but it’s usually more crowded up here. I had to pull a few strings.” Actually, it had taken nearly all the favors he’d been owed to get the schedule cleared at such short notice. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want to be social or not.”

She put down her bag and walked over to where the steam rose and peered into the pool. “No, you totally read me right. I love people, but I’ve spent the entire day dealing with a control freak who hates me. Lunch was nice, but it’s stressful getting to know new people.” Her voice took on a wistful quality. “Everyone here is pack, but it’s not my pack.”

He put down the picnic basket on the grass and walked over to her, taking her in his arms. “Yet. It’s not your pack yet. It will be. Just give it time.” She nestled in as if she belonged there, resting her head on his shoulder. Her breath caressing the skin of his neck where his collar was unbuttoned.

A sense of peace came over him. This was right, so right. Her. Him. A life of sharing the day’s troubles, comforting one another. He could see so clearly what they could have, all he needed to do was show her. And then she moved, canting her hips into his. And his desire, so carefully held back, rushed out. His arms tightened around her. She tilted her head back, lifting her mouth up for his.

He wanted to kiss her, wanted the taste of her again and again. His wolf howled, pushing him to take what was his.