Chapter Three

Gabe caught the woman’s scent from across the meadow—light vanilla with a hint of feminine musk—and it turned his head in an instant. Her skin had a light sweat that made her glow, almost as much as the heat in her eyes when she looked at him. His temperature rose to boiling.

He’d had a terrible day. He’d fought with his twin brother Sam over who should be handling what responsibilities at the restaurant for which they were now both responsible. His recently widowed mother had lectured him about getting along with his brother. After the fight, he’d had a run-in with Chief Howler, who told him they were shorthanded, and he needed to put in more hours for his part-time enforcer job.

Shifting to wolf and taking the mountain at a breakneck pace had seemed the best way to take the steam out of his anger, and it had worked. It had left him tired and relaxed, and more than just a little hazy from the run.

The woman drew closer, each step breaking and releasing the smell of sun-warmed grass.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi, yourself.”

“I know it’s insane.” She was tall with long legs and straight black hair gleaming with health. The way she walked toward him with purpose in her eyes gave him an instant hard-on that he did nothing to hide. “We haven’t known each other that long, but I have to know for sure.” She reached out a hand and touched him, setting all the little hairs on his forearm on alert. “Kiss me.”

It was totally crazy. Like some mind-blowing dream. A too-hot afternoon, a tall woman with long hair moving gently in the breeze. Her black eyes were full of secrets—and promises—and a hunger he couldn’t resist.

He lightly touched her arm with just the tips of his fingers. As tall as she was, she still had to lift her face to meet his. He closed the gap, afraid she’d disappear into the warm haze of the afternoon.

His kiss was tentative, just a brushing of his lips on her softer ones, but her reaction was not. She kissed back, increasing the pressure, and his world spun off its foundation. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in close, his erection pushing in between them. It was unbelievable, she was unbelievable. But the spark between them was hot and real, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tighter, trying to get every bit of his need into the kiss.

They broke apart and she laughed, the sound belling out over the empty meadow. “That’s what I thought.”

“What?”

She shook her head, her long hair rippling with the movement. “How popular is this trail?” The gleam in her eyes had his cock twitching.

He swallowed. “Not that popular. It’s a work day. Everyone’s busy.”

“Good.” She pulled her t-shirt off over her head and then reached back and undid her bra. “I want you here. Now.”

Her breasts were round and firm, her nipples taut, hard peaks in the center. His mouth watered. She was perfect, a goddess offering herself to him on the platter of the hot, sunny meadow. This had to be the most insane day of his life, but he was taking the chance.

“Screw it.” He pulled her into his arms again.

This time his kiss was just as challenging as hers, all tongue and a little teeth, and so much heat poured into her that she could have no doubt about what he wanted. She reached down between them and took his cock in her hand, squeezing in firm pulses that had him wondering if she wanted him to come right there in her palm. But he had no intention of doing that and wasting this moment. No intention at all. They nearly fell to the ground together, crushing the long stalks as they went down. Now, no one from the trail would be able to see them behind the wall of dried summer grasses.

Not that he cared. He bit her lightly on the neck and sucked. She hummed, arching into him, her breath coming in short sharp pants. Her skin was like velvet in his mouth. He brought his hand up and cupped her breast, palming her nipple in the center. The sensation tingled through him.

“I want more. Now.” She fumbled for the snap on her jean shorts and ripped them open, shimmying out of the brief piece of fabric and the panties underneath, and tossing them aside.

Inside, his wolf growled approval. This woman would be a good mate. She smelled of health and sex, and even though she wasn’t their pack, she smelled of wolf. Gabe pushed the wolf back, not taking the beast’s urges seriously. He’d had a lot of sex without starting the mating fever. This tumble with a stranger wouldn’t bring his dormant virus to life. And right now, he had other things to focus on.

Like the fact she was pulling him down on top of her, pulling him in to kiss her again. His hand found its way between them and touched the slickness of her center. She gasped as his fingers slipped in.

“God, I want you.” He wanted to be inside where his fingers were, sliding in and out, slick and wet and hot. “But I don’t have any protection.”

She moaned against his mouth. “I’m on the pill. Is that enough for you?”

It shouldn’t be. He didn’t know her at all, but his brain was gone by now and his cock was hot and aching. The smart thing to do was to get up and walk away. She arched her hips, and his fingers moved in deeper. Again, his wolf growled his approval, pushing Gabe to enter this woman and take her for their own.

He had a moment of clarity. Was this the way it happened? Was this the way the fever started, with a heated rush and a rash decision? He fought to take back control from his cock, from his wolf, and from this sexy stranger lying under him.

“I can’t.” He gasped. “Fuck.” He rolled off her, taking his hand out of her pussy and lying on their crushed bed of grass. He let the heat of the summer sun beat into him. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I need to know you better.”

She crawled over to him. “Hey, it’s okay. I get it. But is this okay?” She moved down lower and licked the tip of his erection, her long black hair spilling over his belly. “I got this started, and I really want to finish it. I can’t explain it.”

“You don’t need to.” He tucked a strand of her silky hair back behind her ear so he could see her face.

“I want to.” She moved her mouth deeper over him, and he shuddered. The warm wet depth of her mouth balm to his heated cock.

“Then yes, woman. For God’s sake, yes.”

She squeezed the base in her fist, working her mouth over and down and up, again and again. He arched into her, grabbing at whatever part of her he could reach and coming up with a fistful of hair. He hung on, wishing he had more of her to hold. And then it was too late. She sucked hard. His shoulders pushed back into the ground, his hips lifted up thrusting deeper into her mouth, and he came with a groan.

He lay on the ground, spent, looking up at the wide blue sky and the tips of the trees edging the meadow. She crawled up next to him and into the crook of his right arm. A deep sense of satisfaction filled him. Logically, he should know more about her. But right now, he knew everything he needed to know.

“You fit”—he tightened his arm around her—“just exactly here.” His wolf sent waves of pleasure and approval to him, and he knew—no matter what—she was the one.

“I know. Oh, Sam, I’m so glad I made the decision to move out here.”

Gabe’s gut twisted. The sunny day went dark, and the world went spinning out from beneath him. How the hell could this have happened? This woman, this absolutely perfect woman, thought he was his twin. Sam.