Ruthless (Wolf Ranch 6)

I carried her inside and set her on the kitchen counter.

“I want to see your wolf.”

I went still. “You do?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’ve seen it before. When the tractor tipped over. Then again that night at the swimming hole. Will you show me when we get up there again? This time, no running off.”

I drank in her warm gaze. “I thought maybe you weren’t so crazy about my wolf.”

She reached for me, cupping my face. “That’s not it at all. That’s what you thought?” She shook her head. “No, Rand. I love that you’re a wolf.”

“But…?”

“But, you admitted you’re all bossy and alpha. I know, not like Rob, but still, I know it’s because your wolf is pushing you. I don’t want to base a relationship on that biological urge. Especially when I don’t have the same one.”

I gripped her thighs. “You don’t…” I shook my head. Freaking out. After all these days… hell, all these nights we’ve spent together. I’ve shown her how I feel for her. In every action, every word. And she didn’t— “Fuck that. I know you feel something for me.”

She pulled my lips to hers. “I definitely feel something. I just… it’s too soon to call it love. And I want love. Not wolf lust.”

I dropped my head in the crook of her neck, stifling my roar of frustration. “I think we’re talking about the same thing. But I’m gonna give you time.”

I pulled my head back, so I could look her in the eye.

“So are you… going to show me your wolf?” Her voice held a teasing quality that went straight to my dick.

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll show you my wolf if you play your violin for me.” I knew her feelings about music had taken a nosedive in grad school. I could smell the pain of it on her when she spoke of it. I didn’t want to pick the scab, but if there was any way I could help her find her way back to her love of music, I’d bet she wouldn’t feel quite so lost in Cooper Valley.

Her eyes widened. “The violin? I thought you’d say you wanted me to ditch the bikini or something.”

“That too,” I replied, reaching down to shift my dick in my jeans.

“Why do you want me to play?” she demanded.

I shrugged. “I want to hear you. It’s a huge part of your life—or it was—and I haven’t heard a note since you were a kid. Please?”

Her expression softened almost to wonder. “You really want to hear?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not that good. I mean, I’m okay, but my professors—”

“I couldn’t give a shit about your professors. I’ll bet you’re incredible.” I stepped back and gave her room.

She blushed and hopped off the kitchen counter. “Okay, I guess. Right now?”

“Bring it to the swimming hole. We can pack a picnic. I’ll bet the sunset over that waterfall is magnificent.”

Her expression went soft again. She rose up on her tiptoes to brush a kiss on my lips. “Sounds good, cowboy. I’ll get a blanket and my fiddle. I’ll play and you can shift and howl right along with me.”

That idea made me laugh, and for the first time since I pulled up, content.

“You want to grab some food from the fridge?”

“On it.” I gave her ass a smack as she left the room and checked her refrigerator. I made us some sandwiches and washed a bunch of grapes. She had a few bottles of iced tea that I grabbed and packed it all in the lunch cooler I took from my truck.

“Last one there is a rotten egg!” Natalie yelled, racing out the back door ahead of me, her arms laden with the blanket, towels, and violin.

I laughed and locked her place up before I took off running after her, catching her easily and grabbing her around the waist. “As if you could outrun a wolf,” I said, spinning her around before I set her, laughing, back on the ground.

She shoved her red curls out of her face and smiled up at me. The sunlight hit her face, giving her skin a luminous glow. “There’s probably nothing I can do better than you, is there?”

“A million things,” I said. “Starting with that.” I lifted my chin toward the violin. “Let me carry this.” I took the blanket, towels, and instrument case from her arms.

“Now you’re carrying everything,” she protested.

“Yep. And that’s the way I like it, darlin’.” I tossed her a wink, and she shook her head, but she was smiling.

She jogged ahead in her flip flops looking like a summer dream with her flaming red hair glowing bronze in the sunlight.

It didn’t take long to get to the swimming hole since it was on her property. I spread out the blanket while Natalie stripped out of her clothes.

“What I want to know,” I drawled as I strolled over to her, “is if you knew you were coming here with me—why you bothered with this bikini?” I tugged the string on the bow in back, and it sprang free, sending the bikini top flapping. I did the same to the bow at her nape, and the little scraps of navy blue fabric dropped to the ground.