Claimed by the Mate, Volume 1 Page 2

  At what could only be a male model. Maybe a god. Whatever. Cherry almost swallowed her tongue. The man walking toward their car was tall, dark, and sexy, and he walked with that loose-hipped swagger that hinted at all kinds of things he could do with those hips.

  Hands shaking, she opened the door and got out. No way was she sitting in the front seat and staring up at a man that hot. She needed to plant her feet firmly on the ground.

  “Welcome to Feral Passions.” He walked directly toward Cherry with his hand out. She shook hands with him, but hers totally disappeared in his. She bit back a nervous giggle as that old cliché popped into her head, about the size of a man’s hands and feet correlating to his … No. She was not going there.

  “You ladies must be Cheraza, Christa, and Stephanie. I’m Traker Jakes. We were getting worried about you. I hope the trip wasn’t too difficult.”

  He still held Cherry’s hand. His palm was rough, his skin dry and warm. She knew hers was starting to sweat. “No. Just long,” she said, slipping her fingers free of his light grasp. “I’m Cheraza, but everyone calls me Cherry; that’s my sister, Christa, and our friend Stephanie.”

  Steph crawled out of the backseat, looking deliciously rumpled. Cherry just looked rumpled, but she’d learned not to let it bother her. Too much.

  Steph grinned. “Hi, Traker. Nice to meet you.” Then she covered her mouth and yawned. “Oops. Just woke up.” Laughing, she turned away to grab her handbag from the backseat.

  Christa got out of the car and slung her huge leather purse over her shoulder. She looked adorably messy with her ponytail hanging sideways and a sleep crease on one cheek. “Nice to meet you. Cherry, hon, thanks for driving the rest of the way. I thought we were going to switch off.”

  Cherry merely shrugged. “Not a problem.” She flipped the lever inside to pop the trunk. Traker beat her to the back and laughed at the huge number of bags shoved into the tight space. Glancing toward the lodge, he called out, “Hey, Brad. Grab Cain and get your asses out here.” Turning to Cherry, he said, “We’ll get you ladies settled in your cabins. As soon as you’re unpacked, come on up to the lodge and Brad’ll fix you a drink and let you take a look at the menu for tonight. That work for you?”

  Cherry could only nod. The term “speechless” had never had more profound meaning than it did right now. That had to be Brad and Cain walking across the deck, now coming down the steps. She’d thought Traker was handsome. These two took her breath.

  “Hey, ladies. Glad you’re here. We were getting worried.” The dark-haired one stopped beside Christa and tugged his baseball cap off. Then he turned his full focus on Cherry. “I’m Brad. Why don’t you show me which bags are yours.” It was the oddest thing—he looked as if he was sizing her up, but instead of giving her a dismissive glance, he continued looking right at her. His brown eyes actually twinkled, and then he winked.

  Her knees turned to jelly. She pressed her hand to the side of the car, unobtrusively, she hoped, but it was that or fall on her butt. Men never looked at her for long. A quick glance to check out her oversized assets, and then they moved on.

  Brad didn’t. He grabbed her bags out of the trunk and lifted them with ease. She’d needed help from Christa to load the large one. Brad held it lightly in one hand.

  “C’mon,” he said. “Your cabin’s all ready, and I’ll help you get settled.”

  She had to swallow to speak and then decided merely nodding was easier. He smiled and nodded to Traker. “Trak, I’ll be back behind the bar in a few minutes.”

  For some reason, Trak looked like he was trying not to laugh. “No rush. Take your time. I’ll cover for you.”

  A cloud coasted right over the top of Cherry’s sense of well-being. Of course, Trak was probably thinking of how he was going to tease Brad later, about getting stuck with the fat one.

  She let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “Meet you two in the bar in about half an hour, okay?”

  “Sounds good.”

  Christa grabbed her overnight bag and followed Cain, while Trak led Steph in the same direction.

  As Brad led Cherry toward a trail that angled away from the big lodge and away from Christa and Steph, Cherry felt a moment of panic. She hadn’t thought about the fact that they’d be in individual cabins—she’d pictured the lodge as a large hotel with separate rooms. Not only were they rooming by themselves, she didn’t even know which cabins Steph and Christa would be staying in. She glanced over her shoulder as her sister and Steph disappeared into the woods, and then she turned and almost ran into Brad.

  “Oh. I’m sorry.” Flustered, she realized she’d slapped her hand to her chest like an old lady with the vapors, which had her feeling like a fool. Heat raced over her chest and face and she knew he was thinking she was an idiot, a complete loser. Her eyes filled with tears.

  “You okay?” He set the bags down on the hard-packed trail.

  She dug through her handbag for a tissue, but she didn’t look at him. “Fine,” she mumbled. This was all a mistake. She never should have come; it was—

  “Hey, Cherry. Whatever it is, it’s not worth tears.”

  Arms wrapped around her. Strong, warm arms pulling her close against a broad chest, so close she heard his heart beat, felt the steady thud, thud, thud against her cheek. He smelled so good. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had hugged her, and there’d never been one that smelled of pine forest and wood smoke. She should pull away, she really should, but he was holding her close and stroking her hair, and whispering stuff she couldn’t really hear, and she was just so damned tired from the long drive, and so … she wasn’t sure what to call it. Vulnerable? But somehow, even though he was a stranger, even though he was probably the most beautiful man she’d ever seen and that alone should scare her to death, it settled her.

  He settled her.

  She sniffed, drew in a shuddering breath, and sniffed again. He shoved a clean white handkerchief into her hand. “I’m a firm believer in the healing value of a good hug. You okay?”

  When she nodded, he leaned over and grabbed her heavy suitcase in one hand and threw the strap to her second bag over his shoulder. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose and then didn’t know what to do with the handkerchief.

  He took it from her with his free hand, wiped a tear she’d missed, and then stuck the soggy thing into his pocket.

  “I’ll wash it—”

  “Forget about it. I’ll take care of it. You must be exhausted after that long drive. Let’s get you to your cabin.”

  They were only a short distance away, but with the trees all around and ferns lining the trail, it was as if they’d stepped into the deepest, darkest woods. Still rattled, Cherry followed him up the steps, across a small front porch and into the cutest little log cabin she’d ever seen. Surrounded by trees but with the front of the cabin in sunlight, it fit like a natural addition to the forest. Inside were a large bed at the back, a sitting area near the front window with four chairs, a bathroom with a huge shower, a tiny kitchenette with a coffeemaker and a microwave, small refrigerator, and a cupboard stuffed with chips and all kinds of other munchies.

  Brad set her suitcase on a stand beside an old-fashioned Shaker-style armoire that was well over six feet tall. Her smaller bag went on the floor beside it. Inside, there was more than enough space to hang the clothes she needed to hang, and plenty of drawers along one side for all the little things.

  “That’s beautiful.” She ran her hands over the smooth wood, glanced around the small room, and realized all the furniture matched. Simple, solid, and very utilitarian, but also an incredible fit to the style of the rough-hewn log cabin. “Is it antique? It looks really old.”

  “Some pieces might be, though I don’t know which ones. Depends on whether Trak made it, or his father, or his grandfather. Their woodworking skills are a family trait.”

  He turned to Cherry and lightly rubbed her shoulder. She automatically tensed, but his warm hand quick
ly had her feeling about as tense as sun-warmed honey.

  “Relax, Cherry. You’re wound too tight for this place. You need to let it all go, relax, and just put yourself in my hands. Or Cain’s.” He slowly turned her to face him and rested his hands on her hips. She felt their heat through her yoga pants and almost sighed—but she didn’t even think of pulling away.

  “Cain’s the resort’s masseur, and I swear the man has magic fingers. I have to go back to the bar, now. The ladies on the deck are probably ready for a refill. Don’t be too long.”

  She loved the way his voice rumbled up out of his chest. Deep and sexy, to go with those soulful brown eyes and thick, dark hair. “Tonight’s all about relaxing,” he said. “A drink, a good dinner, maybe a massage later, a walk in the moonlight, or time to sit by the fire in the main lodge with a glass of good port or a decadent dessert. We’re all about helping you relax so you can enjoy the peace and quiet.”

  With his hands still resting loosely on her hips, his lips curved up in a smile she felt all the way to her toes. The man was dangerous. Her heart had to be hammering a million beats a minute, but he was just so … so …

  Cocking his head to one side, he gazed intently into her eyes. “Now are you going to be able to find your way to the lodge? It’s only about fifty yards. Just follow the path out the front door and go back the way we came. If you’re not at the bar in twenty minutes, I’m going to send someone after you.”

  “I think I can find the way.” She couldn’t shake her gaze from his. He blinked once and she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Almost as if he read her mind, his head lowered and his lips met hers. Shocked, Cherry gasped, her lips parted, and Brad deepened the kiss. She lost herself in the warm pressure of his lips, the minty taste of his mouth, the unexpected but welcome thrust of his tongue.

  Surprise quickly faded into desire, and when he pulled her close Cherry didn’t even think of fighting his embrace. No, because all she could think of was the heat and the size of the larger-than-life erection pressing against her stomach. Much too soon, he slowly, sweetly ended the kiss. Then he leaned his forehead against hers and whispered, “Eighteen minutes.”

  She felt his heart pounding in his chest, almost as loud as hers. He rubbed his bristly chin across the side of her throat, sending chills along her spine. “I’m sorry you’re only here for a week. That’s not going to be nearly long enough.”

  She didn’t know what to say, could barely make her lungs work to draw each breath, but it didn’t seem to matter. Brad smiled at her, and he was even better looking, if that was at all possible, when he smiled. Then he leaned close and kissed the tip of her nose and without another word was out the door and gone.

  Stunned, Cherry stared at the door he’d closed on his way out. Her heart pounded in her chest and all her girl parts clenched as if she’d just spent an hour with her favorite vibrator. She might have thought he was leading her on—just playing with her—but when he kissed her she’d felt him. Brad was erect, the hard length of him pressed close against her belly, so long and solid she was actually wet from wanting him.

  Guys could fake a lot of things, but she’d never known one who could fake an erection.

  Chapter 3

  Cherry clipped her hair into a knot on top of her head and took a quick shower. Long trips always made her feel grimy, but that wasn’t the only reason. The old cliché about horny guys taking a cold shower to cool down actually made sense. Her body was on fire after Brad’s kiss. The man kissed like he’d meant it. She’d only known him for what? Fifteen minutes?

  How would he kiss her after a few days? After they got to know each other.

  Why wasn’t she freaking out? She never kissed men she didn’t know. Actually, they never kissed her. But Brad did. And damn it all, he kissed her like he meant it.

  The shower helped, though the minute she got out and thought of him she flushed hot all over again. “Oh. My.” Fanning herself, Cherry stared at the woman in the mirror. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes sparkled, and she could swear her lips were swollen from kissing. She’d never, ever reacted to a guy the way she did to Brad, but then she’d never had a totally hot guy kiss her just minutes after meeting her.

  Who was she kidding? She’d never had a totally hot guy kiss her. Ever.

  She really needed to get her act together. She added some lip gloss, unclipped her hair, and brushed it out so that it fell in thick waves past her shoulders. Wrapping the towel around herself, she opened the suitcase she hadn’t had time to unpack and dug through it, looking for clean underwear and her favorite knit maxi dress.

  She wanted to look as good as possible, but she was too tired to stress over it.

  A strange noise had her spinning around. Something had clunked against the cabin door—not quite a knock, but someone was obviously out there. Cherry glanced at the little clock beside the bed. Brad had left a little over twenty minutes ago.

  He wouldn’t really send someone after her, would he?

  Heart thudding, she wrapped the towel tighter around herself and opened the door just a crack.

  An absolutely spectacular silver and gray wolf sat on the front step. He raised his head and whined, stood, and pushed at the crack in the door with his nose as if he had every right to come inside.

  Cherry didn’t think. She merely stepped aside and let the wolf into her cabin. He walked past her and straight to the bed, where he stopped, turned, and, if she didn’t know better, posed for her. He really was beautiful, and obviously friendly. She felt absolutely no fear of the animal—in fact, she wanted to pet him but wasn’t sure if she should.

  Holding her towel tightly between her breasts, she studied the beast. He appeared to be studying her right back.

  “Did Brad send you?”

  The wolf looked at her, tongue lolling, and yipped. Then he planted his butt on the little rug beside the bed and stared at her suitcase.

  Talk about Mr. Obvious, but if that wasn’t an answer—she couldn’t wait until she told Christa and Steph about her visitor. “Okay, already,” she said. “I’ll get dressed.” She almost dropped the towel, but then she took another look at the wolf, at the way he watched her out of those perceptive evergreen eyes, and she blushed. Again. He seemed much too intelligent for an animal, that direct stare, his obvious responses to her questions.

  She’d read that wolves were really smart.

  But not this smart.

  Still, did she want to strip down in front of him?

  Absolutely not. Instead, she tightened her towel around herself, tucked the end in between her breasts, and unpacked her cotton knit dress with a pattern and fit that disguised her extra weight. She laid it out on the bed and quickly pulled her underpants on under the towel.

  She took a quick glance at the wolf.

  He was staring toward the window, totally ignoring her, which made her feel really stupid. He was an animal. There was absolutely no reason at all for her to feel embarrassed being naked in front of an animal.

  With that thought in mind, she dropped the towel on the floor and reached for her bra.

  The wolf whined. She turned. He’d moved. He stood beside her, his green eyes focused on her breasts. Cherry yanked the dress up and covered herself. The wolf dropped to his belly and covered his eyes with both front paws.

  Stunned, Cherry watched him. Then she turned away and set the dress aside, quickly slipped into her bra, waited a couple of seconds, and spun back around. His head was up, eyes wide open.

  The moment she turned, his head went back to the floor and his paws covered his eyes.

  “No one will ever believe this. A peeping wolf?” Definitely too bizarre for words. She pulled the dress over her head. “Go ahead,” she said. “You can look now.”

  The wolf sat up, mouth open in a big doggy grin while she slipped her feet into comfortable sandals and grabbed a soft shawl in case the weather turned cool. She wasn’t sure what got into her, but Cherry went to her knees in front of the wol
f so that she could look at him eye to eye. “I’m not sure what your game is, big guy, but I like you. I didn’t want to come on this trip with my sister and her friend. I think they tricked me into coming because I’m not really comfortable in new places, but so far this has been the best time I’ve ever had. Though you, my friend, are a bit of an enigma.” She stood, and then shook her head. “Great. I can’t believe I’m having a conversation with a wolf. Maybe I have been working too hard.”

  She stood, glanced around the cute little cabin, and realized it already felt familiar and comfortable. The wolf watched her, and if she didn’t know better, she’d think he looked concerned. Maybe she did need a drink. “C’mon,” she said, snapping her fingers as she opened the door. “Why don’t you show me where the bar is.”

  Then she opened the door and followed the wolf outside.

  * * *

  The sound of laughter drew Cherry to the broad deck in front of the lodge. Christa and Steph were seated at a long picnic table with the three women they’d seen earlier. She glanced back to see if the wolf was still with her, but he’d faded into the forest.

  Disappointed she couldn’t show off her new friend, Cherry climbed the stairs to the deck.

  “We were just wondering where you were.” Steph scooted over and made room for Cherry on the long bench.

  “I needed a shower. Driving that far makes me feel grungy.” She sat in the vacant spot and faced the three strangers. They were each beautiful, and, as usually happened in situations like this, it would take two of them to make up one of her.

  It used to bother her. She’d learned to accept she was who she was and there was no point in wishing she could be different. Not that her personal philosophy totally stopped her agonizing, but still …

  Smiling, she reached across the table to shake hands with the closest woman. “I’m Cherry.”

  “I’m Fred.” The tiny blonde laughed at Cherry’s raised eyebrows. “Fredericka, but if you call me that I’ll have to kill you. This is Suni on my right, Darnell on her right.”