Secret Cravings (6 page)

“Nothing but a sore butt and a little back pain.” Kate limped into the house.

“I’m calling the doc. Don’t argue.”

“Fine.” She sighed. “I need a beer first. How about you?”

The last time he’d shared a beer with her was when they were eleven behind his dad’s barn. “Sure.”

They headed into the kitchen.

“Please, sit.” He pointed to one of the chairs. “I’ll get the beer.”

“I’ll get you a towel.”

“God, I forgot how stubborn you can be. Sit down, now. The towel can wait until I get it.”

“You’re calling the shots, wolf man.” She laughed, but he could still sense a bit of nervousness in her tone. Who could blame her?

Kate sat, and he grabbed the beers from the fridge.

“Rance, the bottle opener is in the top drawer to the left of the stove.”

“Got it.”

Trying to avoid her knowing eyes, he sat down fast and shifted close to the table so that his cock was hidden from direct view.

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, mister. I thought werewolves—I mean shifters—only came out at night during a full moon.”

“No.” How many tribal laws was he breaking telling her this? Too many to count. He didn’t care. All he could think about was making sure she was protected, and hoping his brother would shift back before he tried to hurt her. Mate sharing was a common practice with the tribe, but not with outsiders. Rance didn’t want to face the choice between obedience to tribal law and Kate, but face it he must with Troy lost to his animal nature. If he were forced, he would choose her. Her safety demanded it. She’d always been the owner of his heart.

“I’m not going to tolerate one-syllable answers, Rance Keekoti. Spill it.”

He swallowed a big gulp of beer. Kate did, too. Then she fixed her gaze on him, daring him not to continue.

“When we are young, shifting is difficult and not many can do it until they are out of their teens. But we all learn how to shift. It’s easier under a full moon, though.”

“Can you change into other animals, too?”

“No. Loneekawas only shift into the wolf. Most shifter tribes can only take on the form of whatever their guarding animal is. There are legends of powerful shifters who could take the form of more than one animal, but none can do that today.”

Kate took another swig, nearly draining the bottle. He watched her hands shake and her face lose color.

Rance jumped up and was behind her, his erection in clear view. He didn’t care. She was panicked and needed him. “Kate, are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m trying to process everything that happened tonight.”

“You drained that bottle pretty fast. Let’s get you to the tub and put you in a warm bath. I’ll cook us something to eat.”

“I’m not hungry, but the bath sounds nice.”

“How about one of those cookies, just to put something besides beer on your stomach?”

“Dinner with your brother wasn’t that long ago, Rance. But if it’ll make you happy, I’ll eat one.”

“It will make me happy.” He held out the plate of cookies.

She took the smallest one and took a bite.

“All of it, Kate.”

“Bossy, much?” She grinned and finished the sweet dessert. Though her sudden change to a lighter mood seemed out of the blue, it pleased him. “God, that’s good.”

“Let’s get you to the bathroom.”

“Do I have a choice, Rance?”

“None.”

He steadied her with his arms as they walked into the bathroom, then he sat her on the edge of the tub. He turned on the water. When it was just the right temp, he put the stopper in.

“You use any bath oils or such?” Her scent infused the room, driving him mad with desire.

“Sometimes, but just water is fine for now.” She still looked pale, but a little color seemed to be returning to her cheeks.

Whether she liked it or not, he would call the doctor.

When the tub had enough water, he turned off the faucet. “Let’s get you undressed.”

“Rance, you dog.” Her mouth formed into an O, then she brought her hand up to it, hiding her delicious lips. “I shouldn’t have said that.” Then she busted out laughing.

He loved the bounce and gaiety in her voice, and wanted to tickle the curve of her waist just to hear more. His veins filled up with scalding heat.

“Funny, Kate.” He grabbed a towel from the shelf and wrapped it around his waist. “Strip. Like it or not, you need help getting into the tub. I’m going to help you into the water.”

“You’ll close your eyes?”

“Not on your life.”

She sent him a wicked, flirty wink. “Good.” The single beer must’ve done quite a number on her. “I got to see you naked. Fair is fair.”

She dropped her clothes to the tiled floor.

Fuck!
His cock created an indention in the towel.

“I think you’re right about me needing some help. I’m a little shaky.”

Every inch of her body called to him. No wonder Troy was out of his mind. If Rance weren’t careful, he would lose his sanity, too.

Chapter 5

Kate’s head spun and her pussy ached for Rance’s cock. One beer never had such an impact on her before, but she felt so odd. Must’ve been caused by the beer. What else could it be?

Rance left her alone to enjoy her bath, but he kept the door open. He told her to call him if she needed anything. This was a side of him she’d never expected, but should have. Even in grade school, he was the kid everyone went to when they wanted something hard worked out.

“She took a pretty bad fall, Doc. Kate, are you nauseated?” Rance’s concern pleased her. She could get used to him being her caretaker.

“No, but you do make me dizzy,” she yelled back, feeling sassy.

“No nausea. She did tell me she was a little faint.”

“Tell him I had a beer.” She stifled a chuckle. Her body buzzed with desire. How could she be so turned on in so short a time? Even a shot of tequila had never had such an effect on her.

“Sure. I’ll stay with her. If there’s any change, I’ll rush her to the hospital emergency room in San Angelo. Thanks, Doc.”

She heard him put the phone’s receiver back on the cradle.

The water felt good on her skin. What a night! She prayed that Troy would be okay. He had to be. Now, she understood why the brothers had terminated their friendship with her. It all made sense, especially in a crazy world where some people could turn into wolves.

Kate closed her eyes and let her mind drift. She could hear Rance in the kitchen, putting something together to eat. The man must’ve been starving. He’d burned a ton of calories carrying her back to Gran’s. She plunged her fingers down to her pussy. Desire for Rance to take her, to bury his cock inside her, muddled her mind. Nothing else mattered. She stopped fighting the flood of desire burning inside her.

She heard breaking glass, and for a moment she sobered as fear wrapped its claws around her.

“Sorry, Kate. I broke one of your grandmother’s glasses.”

His voice yanked her back to the delicious hazy need for him.

“Don’t worry about it, Rance. Gran sure won’t. Can you come in here, please?”

She looked at the door and Rance appeared. The towel did a poor job of hiding the bulge between his legs. He held a plate with some of the sugar cookies she’d made.

“Hey, you look like you’re feeling better, honey.”

“I am. This was exactly what I needed.” She slid down deeper, sinking into the warm water. “You know what else I need, Rance?”

“More of your Gran’s cookies.” He moved to the tub and sat on its edge. “They’re delicious. I had five.”

“I actually made them. Eat all you want. There’s several dozen left.”

“Wow. Honey, you’ve got Gran’s talent, that’s for sure.” A spark of lightness in his voice made her pause. The dark and dour Rance seemed upbeat and cheerful...and lusty.

Kate took another cookie and devoured it.

This one tasted better than the last. She should’ve been nervous being exposed to him this way, but she wasn’t. This moment seemed so right, so sublimely comfortable.

They finished off the remaining cookies on the plate.

Something smelled good, other than her cookies. Something akin to a blend of the ocean and musk. Was this Rance’s scent that was driving her wild? Her willpower retreated and her mind spun with possibilities. Not like her at all, so wild with abandon and desire.

A fleeting thought about Troy zipped through her head. Was it wrong to have sex with each of the brothers? Maybe, but now her jumbled mind couldn’t puzzle it out. All that she could fix on was the undeniable urge to have sex with Rance, here and now. “If you think I’m talented in the kitchen, you should see me in the bedroom.” She reached for the cowboy’s hand.

“That’s an invitation I’ll take.” His yellow eyes glowed like the sun. He looked wild and delicious.

A little corner of her mind whispered to her not to be so brazen, but the rest of her brain screamed for more and more and more.

Every part of her body burned with arousal.

Rance growled. “Honey, I can’t wait to fuck that beautiful pussy of yours.”

“Do it, Rance. Please. I have to have you inside me.”

“You will, sweetheart.” He gripped her hair and pulled her closer to him. His hot breath skated over her mouth. “First, I gotta taste your lips.”

Rance leaned over and pressed his mouth to hers, taking ownership of her entire body with his kiss. With his hands on her waist, she felt an ache rocketing down to her pussy from his mouth assault. She grabbed the sides of the tub to steady herself as he forced his tongue between her lips and into her yearning mouth. Gooseflesh popped up on her skin, and still he didn’t release her from his possessive kiss. A shiver wracked her to the core. All logic vanished. She only wanted him and this moment to go on forever.

Rance lifted her up out of the tub. “I’m going to have you screaming my name as I make your pussy weep.”

The air felt cool and his body felt warm. “You think so, cowboy?”

In a flash, he had her down the hall and onto her bed. He crawled in next to her, feathering a kiss on her shoulder. “I know so, honey. I’m going to spread your legs wide for my cock to fill up your pink little pussy.”

She touched his hard chest, as his hands grazed her hips.

Kate felt his hard cock pressing into her leg. “Looks like somebody’s excited.” She couldn’t believe her own tone, so coy and wicked. She’d be buying that brand of beer again.

“I don’t know what they taught you in New York, sweetheart, but if how you’re acting now is any indication of it, I’m ready to be in your class. I promise you, I’ll earn an A plus once I’m done driving you mad with pleasure. Your cute cunt will glisten with your cream and I will fill you up with loads of my cum.”

His mouth seared its way to her neck, down to her breasts. He teethed her nipples, one at a time. Moisture dotted her mound.

“You like, sweetheart?” His yellow eyes mesmerized her.

“God, yes!”

He suckled her erect nipples. A moan escaped her throat and she fisted the sheets. His fingertips and lips blistered her insides, and she craved more. She threaded her fingers through his dark locks. His hands gently massaged her fleshy mounds as his mouth continued its assault on her aching nipples.

This is nuts! How can this be happening?
But as soon as the thought entered her mind, it vanished, replaced by fantastic bliss.

Rance released her breasts, his hypnotic eyes holding her gaze. She could almost see to the very core of him and the wildness that lived there. Kate wanted to pleasure him and take hold of the reins.

She licked her lips and fluttered her eyelashes. “You know what I’d like to do for you?”

“Show me, honey,” he growled.

She crawled down between his legs, so that she and Rance formed a perfect sixty-nine. She licked his balls, and grabbed his shaft. His musky scent propelled her to a magnificent mania.