Pleasure Me (3 page)

Too many times she’d listened to trust fund babies, starlets, models, and the money people whine about how awful their lives were. Taxes were going up. Their yacht had a scratch on the deck. Their help were too stupid to live.

Ha. Try living with what everyone here went through.

She rounded the corner and shuffled the rest of the way to her mom’s house, a cute one-story frame, blindingly white and clean, built with the help of Ross Luparell. Her mom had certainly needed his help, like many of the poorer pack members. Starr’s dad had died when she was still a baby. He’d been in Wyoming, helping a pack of shifters there, when a rancher had gunned him down. Her mother never mated again. For years, she’d scrambled to find jobs, working at the bar, in the convenience store, and anywhere else she could within the confines of Los Lobos. After her mate’s death, she wasn’t one to roam.

Finally, she’d discovered her talent for making metal knickknacks and artwork. Tourists couldn’t buy enough of her designs with her creations selling in gift shops throughout South Dakota. The other pack members made deliveries for her.

She’d survived without a mate or Starr’s help. From her first gig on, Starr had tried to make up for running away by depositing three-fourths of her earnings into an account she’d set up for her mother. Her mom always returned the funds, telling her she didn’t want the money, she needed her baby home. Not doable. Starr couldn’t stand the pain of Wylder being gone. At least in the human world, she’d stopped thinking of him so much. She’d invested her money and set up a trust fund for her mother. The one thing she had done right.

Her only continual mistake was asking about Wylder each time she’d talked to her mom. When Starr learned of the risks he faced during his tours, she was too worried to be angry. Once he’d returned and she mentioned him then, her mother had always answered the same way. “Come back and see for yourself.”

She hadn’t been brave enough, still wasn’t, but Kade had changed everything. If not for him, she wouldn’t be hiding out here and running into Wylder, creating more problems for herself.
Crud.
Her mom should have at least told her he was staying at the bar. Was it asking too much to have advance warning?

Starr huffed out a sigh and climbed the front steps. Brass wind chimes tinkled merrily on the porch, the soft breeze helping them make music. More bells jingled on the front door, announcing her entry.

“I’ll be with you in a sec,” her mom called out.

“No rush. It’s only me.”

“Baby.” Ethra hurried down the narrow hall, a dishtowel over her right arm. Her hair was long and black except for one gray streak on the right side. She was a head shorter than Starr was, but they resembled each other closely. “How did things go at the bar?”

She shook her head. “Not good. Tanner cussed me out for causing the searches when I first left. Gee told him to shut up. When he wouldn’t, Gee broke a mug then threatened him with the jagged edges of the glass. Drew shifted and jumped on Gee’s back, biting his neck to get him to stop. You know Gee. He wouldn’t. He shifted into—”

“You saw Wylder, huh?” Her mother arched one eyebrow. “Went badly, huh? You refused to listen to him? He couldn’t apologize enough? His explanation didn’t meet with your expectations?”

Starr backed away from the interrogation.

Her mom followed. “Well?”

“All of the above, okay? I don’t want to get involved with him or any man, ever again.”

“Aw, sweetie, you don’t mean it.”

“Sure I do. I’m the same as you. You’ve been alone forever and you’re doing fine.”

“I have you. And I do date occasionally.”

“Oh yeah?” She leaned in. “Who? Do I know him? Will he mind if I call him daddy?”

“Let’s get back to you.” She slipped her arm through Starr’s and led her down the hall to the yellow-and-white kitchen. Vanilla, cinnamon, and apples scented the cozy space, along with venison stew and cornbread.

Given her mom’s cooking skills, she should have opened a restaurant here. Her stuff was way better than what Gee served. “How about I front you for a diner? This town could certainly use another one.”

“I hate to cook. Sit.” She pushed Starr into a chair, grabbed her own, and faced her, their knees touching. “What did Wylder say?”

Aw crap, they were back to him. Rather than tell another tall tale, she opted for the truth. “Too little too late.”

Her mom glanced at the left side of Starr’s face as he had. Nothing to see, her hair hid everything.

“Baby.” She rested her hand on Starr’s knee. “Give him a chance. He’s who you’ve always wanted.”

She shook her head. “I’m not the same person he knew before he left. I’ll never be the way I was back then.” Trusting. Loving. Wanting. Hoping. Believing in a happy future was too damn hard. “I know what I’m doing. Please don’t bring him up again.”

“How can you ask me to ignore what’s obviously killing you? You love the man, always have. Always will. He’s your mate.”

“No, he’s not. No one is.” Starr pushed out of her chair and backed away. “Let’s drop it. Please.” She raced down the hall, not knowing where to go.

Finally home again, she had nowhere else to run.

Chapter Two

Wylder didn’t expect Starr to return to the bar, snuggle onto his lap, and whisper sweet nothings about wanting to give their relationship a chance. However, those moments would come. They were fated to mate and he wouldn’t let her go this time. Of course, she could always avoid the inevitable by giving in to her wolf and taking off. If she chose the most remote areas of the Black Hills and was careful not to leave her scent, finding her would be like searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack. She could live undetected off the land for months or years on end until she decided to come back.

God, love was a bitch.

After a reasonable wait and a lot of hard thinking, he stepped outside Gee’s to call Ethra. The couple who’d shoved their tongues down each other’s throats inside was going at it out here now.

Wylder slammed his hand on the roof of the pickup they’d chosen.

The metal clanged. They flinched.

He jabbed his thumb. “Get off my wheels. Now.”

Arms around each other, they staggered to the back of the building, giggling and cuddling the entire time.

Kids. Even dumber today than he’d been way back when. He made his call.

Ethra picked up on the first ring. “Starr’s not here. We talked for a few minutes and she took off.”

Crap
. He pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. “Don’t worry. She hasn’t been gone long.” No way could she have gotten too far. Even if she had, her scent was still fresh enough to follow easily. “The moment I find her, I’ll give you a call.”

“No. Don’t go looking for her. She needs space.”

He dropped his hand. “From you? Me? Both of us?”

“We should leave her alone.”

“You’re sure?”

Something metal clanged, followed by her muttered oath. “Don’t worry. She’s not going to leave again for New York, Los Angeles, or anywhere else.”

Maybe not, but there were hundreds of miles of forestland right here for her to disappear into. Rather than bringing up the possibility, he caved. “I’ll keep my distance for now if you want, but—”

“It’s not what I want. Starr does.”

“For how long?”

“She mentioned forever, but she has been known to exaggerate.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“You listen to me, Wylder Aaron. If you let my baby slip through your fingers this time, if you dare give up on her,
ever,
you’ll have me to answer to. Do you understand?”

Hell no. He was having trouble keeping up. One minute she demanded he back off. Now, she was telling him to go for the prize. “I’m trying to, but it would help if you’d tell me what happened to her in Los Angeles to send her racing back here after so much time. All the details, not only the few you gave me. I need to know what I’m dealing with.”

“Not for me to say. When Starr’s ready to tell you, she will.”

He threw up his hand. “How long am I supposed to wait? Does the time run consecutively or concurrently with the days, weeks, months, or years I’m also required to give her space?”

“Do you really want to joke about this?”

Hell, he was on the verge of growling not laughing. “No, ma’am. But I need some direction. How much time are we talking about?”

“As long as she needs. Don’t even consider turning tail. Make. Her. Yours.” She ended the call.

Breathing hard, he shoved his cell phone in his pocket and stomped back into the bar for another beer, time to think, plan, keep as sane as a wolf in love could.

Didn’t work. No matter how hard or long he tried.

Whether he was at the bar, work, or during his days off, Wylder sniffed himself into light-headedness trying to catch her scent. She was either being very careful to remain downwind of him or she was too far away for him to detect.

At night, he sat on the sill of his window, gazing at the land, wondering if she was out there watching him, too. The wind caressed his naked chest. She didn’t. Animals called to each other. She gave him nothing except silence.

He finally understood what she’d gone through when he’d first left. How many times had she looked out her window wondering where he was, what he was doing, if he’d fallen in love with another shifter or a human for that matter? Damn. He pounded his fist into his thigh for having been such a coward. A fourteen-year-old girl’s ego was fragile. She’d needed a boy to tell her she was pretty, wanted, worthy, as much as a guy needed the same from a girl. No matter how much parents or relatives gushed over a kid, those compliments meant nada. Teens needed approbation from their peers to feel complete. He’d been no different. Yet repeatedly, he’d turned his back on her, thinking of nothing except running away from his own pain.

He deserved her treatment now, but also wanted her near so he could at least look at her. Know she was safe.

“Come back. Come close. Please.”

The star-splashed sky and heavy moon were the only witnesses to his whispered plea this evening. Still, he kept vigil well into the night, hoping to catch a glimpse of her in human or wolf form. Strolling by at different times were Drew, Ryker, other townspeople, and the two lovebirds he’d shooed off the pickup he didn’t own. Not Starr. Never Starr.

Without adequate sleep, he began to drag through work, shuffling worse than the zombies on
The Walking Dead
.

Milo, a coworker, leaned against his finished order, arms crossed over his chest. He’d shoved his safety goggles to the top of his head. His earplugs dangled on an orange plastic cord around his neck, the same as his facemask. Bits of sawdust danced in the sunbeams. The whirr of the blades had quieted, making the sounds of nature seem muted in comparison. “Need help?”

“Nope.” Wylder slid the last of his planks in place.

“You look like shit. Had too many at Gee’s last night?”

He wished. The booze might have relaxed him. He was too tired to pull in a full breath, yet his body pulsed with tension. “Couldn’t sleep with all the damn noise.”

“If you say so.”

He stopped wiping his sweaty forehead on his sleeve, ready to rumble over that smartass comment. Milo was already on the other side of the platform, a thermos of water to his mouth, head thrown back, drinking greedily.

Wylder rounded the area and reached for his thermos. Something shifted in the corner of his eye. His hand stalled. Not chancing a breath, he concentrated on the image to see if his first glimpse had been correct. A tall, willowy woman with black hair. Yep, he still saw her.

Starr.

He turned and blinked. Where the hell had she gone?

Pine trees stretched in every direction. Pickups circled the mill, most parked haphazardly. He strode across the grounds, scanning the area. A deer darted through the foliage ahead, quickly lost within the shadows. Rabbits munched leaves. Wind pushed at his back, ruffling his tee, driving his hair against his bristly cheeks.

He shoved back the strands, tilted his head, and sniffed.

Sweet flowers and even more enticing musk flooded his senses. The world lurched. He stopped and locked his knees, his legs too watery to keep him on his feet. She’d been here. Simply walking by? Watching him? Wanting?

He turned a complete circle once, and again then so many times his dizziness returned. Where the fuck was she? Sniffing, he caught her scent, stronger now, and jogged to the right.

“Hey!”

He started at Milo’s shout and looked over. The guy had his hands out in a what-the-fuck-are-you-doing? gesture.

Behaving like a damn fool? He tramped back to the platform, glancing over his shoulder repeatedly. If she was out there, he wanted her to know he not only approved, he craved everything about her, especially having her watch him.

Milo clamped his hand on Wylder’s shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged away from the man’s touch. “Damn wasp kept bugging me.”

“Uh-huh.”

He was really asking for it. Wylder bit back his irritation. “Let’s say we cut the chitchat and get to work.”

Milo held up his hands. “Fine with me. I’ve been waiting for you to do so all day, but you’ve been battling bugs.”

Ignoring him, Wylder returned to his tasks. His concentration was so bad, he was surprised he didn’t slice off any fingers on the blades. After work, he trudged to the convenience store.

Something moved in his peripheral vision again.

He stilled at the door, his breath catching. Several older women stopped talking and stared at him. Not caring, he sniffed repeatedly, overwhelmed with delight at catching Starr’s scent. He rushed inside, waiting for her to do the same.

She didn’t.

Pissed, disappointed, and beat, he slogged home with his meal of whole wheat bread and a jar of peanut butter. Before he reached the bar, he caught another glimpse of her.

He whirled around quickly, his grocery bag smacking into the handlebars of a motorcycle. Wasn’t fast enough for him to catch her. Even Neo and his lightning quick moves in
The Matrix
couldn’t have done so
.