They’d headed back to the hotel room at the Super Nineteen, grabbing fast food on the way. Natalie unlocked the door and led the way in, sweeping her arm out in a wide arc. “It’s cheap and sleazy, but it’s all mine.” She winked at Luca and flopped on the bed. “Thanks for understanding and coming back here with me.”

“Hey, I get it. Being pack can be overwhelming at times.”

“No. I don’t think you do get it.” She reached for him and tugged him down next to her so they were face to face. “I had to leave. I had to make sure Anna would let me leave.”

“Did you think Anna would go back on her word?” He stared into her eyes, a look of confusion on his face. “I never thought of myself as naive, but this whole thing makes me wonder. It’s been so easy to keep to myself, just do my job. Maybe that was wrong?”

She hadn’t realized that first day the momentous decision he’d made hiding her from the pack, but now she was starting to get a handle on it.

“Hey, just because my track record with authority figures isn’t the best doesn’t mean there aren’t good people out there.” She reached up and pushed his hair back from his face. “Now that we’re here, and away from the ranch, let’s forget all that for now. I want to focus on what’s important.” She kissed him. “You.”

It started off as a thank you kiss for everything he’d done but as soon as she brushed her lips on his, desire flared.

And she wanted more.

She made a throaty sound and opened her mouth for him and he responded, kissing her back as if they’d never stopped kissing the day before. The day before the heat of passion and the emotion of her loss had driven her to push fast through the kiss, but today, this kiss was more exploratory. They had time and Natalie wanted to take it.

His tongue teased hers, soft and strong, almost curious, as they learned just what the other one liked. He sucked in her lower lip, the wet taste of his mouth taking her under and the slow pace of the kiss shifted into white-hot speed.

He rolled over onto his back, taking her with him and not breaking the kiss. Luca’s hands were everywhere, stroking her back, running under her tank top, stroking her waist. She felt like she couldn’t get enough air. But it didn’t matter. She didn’t need air—she had Luca to feed from, taking everything she needed from his mouth.

They finally broke off from the kiss, but Natalie couldn’t stop touching him. She stroked his straight hair, so different from her curls, off of his face. Ran her hands down his cheeks and into the neck of his t-shirt. She couldn’t even use words, just tugged at the shirt and he pulled it off. Then he tugged off her own shirt and bra and wrapped his big hands around her rib cage, his thumbs stroking the sides of her breasts.

“Your curves are amazing.”

She flushed, the heat making her skin even hotter. “It’s hot in here.”

“Yeah,” he said. But neither of them moved off of the bed to get to the air conditioner. Instead they stroked each other and kissed some more. When he tugged at the snap on her shorts, Natalie was more than ready to help him and she stood up and shimmied out of the cut-offs taking her snappy black thong right off along with them.

“Someday I’m going to have you leave that on, but for now, I have to taste you.” He took charge, ripping the hotel bed-cover back and rolling her on to her back on the sheets. He dove face first into her pussy. She arched back against the sheets, lacing her fingers into his hair as he went straight for her center, licking and tasting. He held her ass up with his hands and she marveled again at how strong he was. Was it from all the ranch work he did or was it something about being a wolf shifter?

She didn’t know, but she was beginning to think she wanted to find out.

He found her clit and she nearly shot off of the bed. “Luca,” was all she could get out as he took her to the center of her own pleasure, bringing her again and again to the brink—stopping before she tumbled over the edge.

There was so much she wanted to do. Take him in her mouth and suck on his cock while he licked her pussy. Have him put her on her knees and take her from behind, feel how deep he would sink in. See just what he thought she could take and then—she wanted to push that limit past her own boundaries.

But not now. Right now, she just wanted him inside her, taking her up and over.

She urged him up and on top of her. “Luca, I want you now.”

His breath was coming in fast pants, and she saw the need in his eyes. She knew he wanted to have sex with her just as much as she did, but he stopped, pulling back and asking, “Are you sure? You’ve been through a lot today.”

Even with his need, Luca still was putting her first.

He’d put her above his pack when he’d kept her secret. He’d come to her rescue. She hung on to him secure in the knowledge that, even if she was alone in this world, he’d be there for her.

Everything that had happened rushed over Natalie like a breaking wave. All the tension and fear and not knowing what was going to happen, was too much. She clung to Luca, using him as ballast in this weird world of wolves she’d tumbled into.

“I’m sure.”

At her words something raw and wild flared in his eyes. It was dangerous and scary, and as exciting as hell. She wanted this man. Wanted the strong quiet cowboy. Wanted the safety. Wanted the danger that lurked just under his skin.

He rolled on a condom and moved back over her. She used her fingers to guide him and he entered her. She shuddered as he stilled, letting her stretch to take him in. Then he began to move. Before she even had a chance to think her orgasm rolled through her.

It was blinding and she arched and held on as he shook and shuddered into her.

The lay together. Their skin was sticky with summer’s heat and she didn’t care. She buried her face in his shoulder, taking in everything about him.

“Ah, Natalie. Next time we’ll take our time.”

All of a sudden she knew, she definitely wanted a next time.“Yes. And the next, and the next one after that.”

She traced the white scars she’d seen earlier on his body, wondering at what must have caused them. “Someday I want to hear each and every story that’s carved into your skin.” He had so much in his life and she wanted to find out about it all. “What caused all of these?”

He gave her a quick kiss, pulled off, and went to clean up. “Does that mean you’ll hang around long enough to find out.” He called from the bathroom.

“I do have a job. Sort of.” She hated her job. It was a means to an end and without Yvette in Denver, she wasn’t even sure what that end was anymore.

“I never found out, what it is you do?”

“I’m the manager at a small gift shop.”

“So, if you decide to take a month off and hang out here with us wolves, what’s your boss going to say?”

“He’ll fire me.”

“Do you care?” He went to the air conditioner and turned it on.

“No. Not anymore.” The blast of air skimmed over her heated skin and she stretched, reveling in the sweet coolness. “Without Yvette, our apartment is so empty I almost can’t stand it. That’s really why I came up here. I needed to fill the space.”

“I won’t be your best friend.”

“I don’t want you to be.”

“What do you want?” He came and stood by the side of the bed.

“I don’t know.” She reached up to him, and he took her hand. Their fingers laced together and she tugged him down next to her. “But I have decided, I’m going to take Anna up on her offer. I’m going to pack up my apartment and come up here and see where it takes me.”

He pulled her closer to him, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. “I like the sound of that.”

“So do I, cowboy. So do I.”