Can't Touch This (5 page)

“We tend to be possessive and being in control sort of
follows us in all areas of our lives.” Sikes touched her hand. “I hope that’s
not the problem.”

Her cheeks grew warm. “Not exactly.”

“Ahh, he’s found a kindred soul—a woman who likes to be
dominated.”

“It’s not normal, it’s…”

“Jesus, Harlow, that’s not what you meant earlier?”

“You don’t think I’m weird?”

He sighed. “No wonder he’s going nuts.”

“Why would a human with these feelings make him nuts?”
Harlow swirled the gin in her glass. “I thought a bunch of submissives, or
omegas, inhabited wolf packs.”

“It’s not the same. In the pack hierarchy there
must
be submissives to survive but it’s not by choice. You
chose
to be one.
That’s special.”

“Me, special?” She began to understand. “How do I fix this?”
Harlow finished her drink.

“The idea of losing you will keep him and his wolf berserk. Give
it time.”

“Can I ask a personal question?”

“As long as you don’t tell Castle I answered it.”

“Does the wolf ever want… Does it need to have sex?” She
nibbled a fingernail. “He can never have that with me.”

Sikes threw his head back and laughed. “We’ve been around
for eons and many have evolved so much they never change. Animals adjust
quickly in order to survive.” He stood and walked around the bar. “Those in
this area covet freedom they find in running as the wolf. Not all do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Harlow, we are everywhere, have been for a long time.
Chances are you’ve come across one or two of my kind and didn’t even know it.”

“I’ve heard stories.” She remembered her trips abroad to
older countries with more history. “I would have smelled them.”

His eyes pierced her. “Smelled?”

Harlow ignored his question. “This happened so fast.”

“Funny how we all search for someone special and when they
come along, we immediately start second-guessing ourselves. Life doesn’t wait
while you decide which path to take.” He poured another shot and slid it to
her. “Sit at the crossroads too long, something will run up your ass.”

“I saw women fawn over him at his restaurant. They were in
his lap. Hell, they hung from him like human neckties.”

“Women are hard to keep… Damn, before you make snap
judgments, talk to Cass.”

“Why?”

“There are some things I have no right to tell you. Ask him.
He can’t hold anything back from his mate.”

The door opened with a bang and a group of men entered in
disarray. Some wore shirts and shoes; some didn’t. They all had on pants, thank
God. And damn, they all had remarkable bodies and eyes. These creatures were
freaking gorgeous and fascinating.

Harlow didn’t have a chance to get up before they crowded
her at the bar. “Hey!”

“My my, look what I found.” One very forward young male
touched her hair and sniffed loudly. “Sweet.”

Sikes Barnes admonished, “Boy, you’re barking up the wrong
tree.”

“Such a pretty tree.”

“Suit yourself, but I smell trouble coming your way.”

Harlow couldn’t see beyond the bodies surrounding her but a
scent unlike any of the others reached her nostrils. She sucked in air, closed
her eyes and savored the aroma until an earsplitting howl forced her to open
them in time to see men scatter to far corners of the bar.

Castle Briggs’s black wolf glared across the room.

Slowly his beast prowled forward as if he owned the world.
Stopping a foot from Harlow, the wolf flopped to its belly and peered at her
with Cass’s weird eyes. The animal was so goddamn stunning she couldn’t resist
reaching out to touch it. When she did, her hand connected with the softest fur
imaginable. Pulling back, the wolf caught her fragile, human fingers in a jaw
filled with sharp, deadly teeth.

They didn’t break the skin.

When his tongue licked her palm, she whispered, “Castle.”
She swore the wolf smiled. Standing, she took hold of his scruff and followed
his lead out the door and into the woods.

Any residual fear Harlow harbored slipped away.

Castle wanted her to see everything, know what was in store.
He watched her eyes intently as he allowed his human body to emerge from within
the wolf. She drew in a noisy breath as fur began to recede and skin took its
place. Courageously, Harlow never turned away and he thanked God. He wasn’t
sure how he’d handle any rebuff from her. Standing and stretching his
over-six-foot frame, he let the claws retreat and finally stood naked before
her.

“This is what I am.” He reached to touch her face and she
rubbed her cheek into his palm. “I’m your mate until…until one of us perishes
from the earth.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“You’re beautiful.” He loved the smile curling her lips,
loved the way she reached out and touched his chest ruffling the smattering of
hair.

“What if your wolf wants someone?”

“Darlin’, my wolf is content if I am.”

“You mean when we…”

“Yes. It feels what I feel; it’s happy and satisfied when I’m
pleased.” He stepped closer. “You make
us
happy, Harli.”

“Take me home.”

“I have a small place in Big Bear. Thought we’d spend some
time there.”

“I have to work Monday.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yes I do, Cass.”

“I never asked about your work.”

“I manage a company called Overnight Success. I design PR
brochures mostly but we do business cards and a whole gamut of print and
personalized gift items.”

“Damn, sounds exciting.”

“It’s a living. What do you do that’s exciting?”

Castle made lots of money. Satellites orbiting through space
carried a microchip fabricated by Brigadier Circuitry. Hell, half of the planes
lifting into the air at this very moment communicated with the help of a
circuit board engineered by his company. The passengers on the planes would undoubtedly
end up staying at one of his four hotels where they’d dine in one of his Michelin-starred
restaurants if they flew to a major city anywhere west of the Mississippi. “I run
a wolf pack.”

“I can’t top that.”

“How ’bout one night?” When she smiled, it was as if the sun
rose, not set as it did while they returned to The Haven. “We’ll take a minute
to say bye.”

Shit!
Had he made a commitment? Lord knows, he wanted
Harlow and if committing was what it took to have her, so be it. Damn it to
hell, why hadn’t he told her about his business holdings? Reaching the porch of
the bar, he grabbed his pants and said, “Go ahead, I’ll be right in.” He pulled
his jeans on, followed by his boots, while he climbed the steps. Castle almost
toppled backward.
Easy, she’s yours.
He’d be no good to anybody if he
fell and broke his goddamn neck. He yanked the shirt over his head as he
entered the door. Striding to the bar, he spoke to Sikes. “Thanks for keeping
an eye on Harlow.”

“She’s a wonderful lady, Cass.” He winked. “You, my friend,
are one lucky son of a bitch.”

“I know. We’re staying in Big Bear tonight and we’ll stop by
on our way back to the Valley.” Leaning closer, he whispered. “Touch her again,
I’ll break your fucking hand.”

“Haven’t lost your sense of smell.” He laughed jovially and
said, “Good to have you come home.” Sikes scratched his head. “Cass, she smells
you.”

“Yeah, I know. Something I have to deal with.” Castle
pivoted and spotted the young wolf he’d seen touch Harlow’s hair. He crooked
his finger and the man ambled over. “You did smell my imprint on her, right?”
His wolf, trapped by human flesh, prowled back and forth, seeking retribution.

“Cass, I didn’t mean anything. It was after running… I…
Shit, I’m sorry.”

“Castle?”

Hearing Harlow call his name made his heart beat faster.
“Yeah, babe?” He continued to glower at the man in front of him, angry he had
to waste a single minute of time he could be spending between Harli’s legs.
“You know what’s coming?” A clawing that would leave the youth stranded for at
least a night, longer if Cass wanted to be extremely vicious. He could even
release his wolf completely and allow the creature to enact the punishment it
thirsted for.

“Yes.” The man had sense enough to bow his head in
submission but it did nothing to stop Cass’s wolf from partially emerging.
Claws sprouted from his fingertips while long incisors slid down.

Harlow touched his arm. “Can we go?”

He twisted his head toward her. “Don’t ever…” Castle grew
quiet. Harlow’s touch sent calm winding through his veins, snapping dagger-like
teeth back into his gums and returning claws to their hidden place. Letting her
step into pack business might be detrimental, but the effect she had on his
wolf was tremendous. The animal retreated fully and curled peacefully inside
him.
Hell and damnation!
“This time, my wolf bows to you.”

“Only you can touch me, Castle.”

Though he knew she meant her body, joy filled his heart when
he saw sincerity in her beautiful eyes. He lifted her up and spun her around
the room for everyone to see. “This is
my
woman.” Setting her on the
floor, he looked back at the youngster who waited with eyes cast to the floor.

“Go, pup, enjoy what’s left of your weekend.” Eyes still
cast down, he slunk back until he felt safe to turn and run back to the group
gathered at the table.

“Come on, darlin’.” He pulled her outside and to his
motorcycle. Mounting the bike, he turned the key and used his foot to crank it.
“You ready?”

Harli threw her leg over, settled on the seat and gripped
his waist. “Very.”

Cass understood Harlow’s meaning in that one word. He
skidded from the lot and headed for the highway. They stopped at a market to
buy fixings for a salad along with a huge pack of chicken breasts. Castle had
failed to hunt in the form of his animal and he was hungry enough to eat a
deer. Fifteen minutes later he pulled into the yard of what he’d come to call
his summerhouse. It had been years since he spent a night here but he paid a
company to stop in every week to check the place and keep it clean.

He was more than glad Harlow came with him.

“Uh, you did say a small place?”

“It’s small.”

“How
big
is the big house?”

He laughed and chucked her under the chin. “This one is big
enough for a brood of pups.” Her eyes shifted away. “Talk to me.”

“You don’t have any children?”

“No.”

“Cass, what if I can’t have kids?” She rolled a rock around
with her toe. “What if I’m not ready to be pregnant?”

“What you really mean is you’re not sure you want to have
my
babies.”

“This is all new to me.” She looked into his eyes. “I don’t
know what’s expected of me anywhere other than in your bed.”

Not wanting to dampen the evening, especially after his
episode at The Haven, he wouldn’t pursue this avenue of conversation. He’d
never really given it thought but now his heart ached at the idea his line
could stop with him. With a mate, he couldn’t see any good reason not to have
children. Though many frowned upon it, it wasn’t unheard of for his kind to
breed with humans. It rarely happened because those living among people
eventually sought out a wolf mate. It was even rarer for them to raise what
some derogatorily deemed makeshifts. No one would dare call his offspring by
such a word. Castle would tear their throat out. “It’s okay.”

No, it wasn’t.

“Show me around.” She grasped his hand and tugged him to the
front door. “Gosh, I can’t wait to see the bedroom in here.”

Subdued, he stuck the key in the door and turned the lock.
He would have carried Harlow across the threshold, but after their brief
conversation, he just wanted to get in, fix a bite to eat and fall to sleep.
Making love seemed out of the question now that he knew she didn’t want
children, and he’d never needed or bought a condom in his life. Hell, had she
realized he filled her with his seed on more than one occasion, and shit, what
if she was pregnant already? How would she react to carrying and giving birth
to his baby?

Couldn’t his life ever be simple?

* * * * *

Muted autumn shades of orange, brown and yellow decorated Castle’s
home. The floor plan was open and airy with large windows shedding lots of
light on a highly polished wood floor partially covered by thick rugs that felt
expensive beneath her feet. The pool she glimpsed through a window facing west
sparkled in the sunlight. Harlow’s knowledge regarding antiques was limited,
but she knew enough to realize those she looked at and touched as they walked
around would probably cost a pretty penny.

“The Moat does a good business.”

“Yes.”

Castle didn’t elaborate and Harlow didn’t pry.

“Sikes said you grew up here.” She couldn’t make out the
name on a painting she looked at and wondered if it was an original.

“My parents grew up in Big Bear.”

That explained it. Family money. “Are they alive?”

“No and I have no siblings.”

“I missed not having a brother or sister.” She assumed with
the closeness of wolf packs, Cass didn’t suffer for companionship when he was
younger.

He unsnapped his chaps and threw them over a chair. “My
family practically raised Hatch and, hell, he’s closer than a brother probably
would have been.”

“Is that why he’s your second?”

“That and I’d trust him with my life.” He appeared to study
her. “Children are very important to my kind.” He took her hand and pulled her
behind him to the second floor where there were two master suites, two smaller
bedrooms and another bathroom damn near as large as her tiny apartment.
Finished giving Harlow the grand tour, he offered to grill chicken and throw a
salad together while she freshened up. “I’ll leave a pair of sweatpants and a
shirt on my bed for you to change into after you shower.”

“Thanks.”

Harlow hurried to the bathroom, sensing she had disappointed
Castle. She wasn’t ready to say she would have his babies. Christ, she had
forgotten how animals existed. They
needed
offspring to ensure continued
survival and she’d snatched that rug from beneath him.

Showered and feeling better, she peered in the bathroom
mirror after wiping away the steam and rubbed her belly. What would it feel
like to have a child,
his
child, grow inside her, and was it even
possible for a human to carry a shifter’s baby? Harlow hadn’t even shown enough
interest to ask that question. Would it resemble her or Cass? She was sure of
one thing—
if
it shifted, it most definitely would resemble him. What if
it was a girl? How could she tell her daughter what to expect from life when it
would be so different from hers and, bottom line, did she even have a right to
bear a child in the circumstances she found herself? Oddly enough, she never
talked of having children with Jeff, nor did she want them with him. Shit, she
had to tell Castle she was still married. Harlow committed a sin each time she
looked at him with ideas of lust raiding her imagination.

Everything ran in circles through her mind, made her dizzy.
Why,
oh why
, was she giving so damn much thought to having Castle
Briggs’s babies? She had only met him a day ago.

Yet when he touched her, Harlow felt as if she’d known him a
hundred years.

A light tap on the bathroom door made her jump. “Come on,
slowpoke, I’m starved.”

“Be right there.” Cass had laid out a pair of white cotton
pants and a t-shirt big enough for Harlow to wear as a dress. She decided to
forgo the pants. Knotting one side of the shirt’s hem, she was pleased with her
effort to look sexy. “Okay, so you still want him.” What if he didn’t have
condoms? Harlow sat heavily on the edge of the bed when it hit her.

They had never used protection.

“Good lord.” Standing, she paced the room until she came to
a decision. Her hand went to her stomach and she took a deep breath. “The horse
has left the barn.”

She went downstairs and when she entered the kitchen, he
said, “Thought I’d have to come carry you.”

“It felt good to get the road grime off.”

“I hear you.”

Soft blue cotton pants rested low on his hips and teased her
with a glimpse of hair traveling from his bellybutton to his…
Enough, don’t
think about it!
It would be foolish to tell him he couldn’t make love to
her after they’d done the deed more than once unprotected. Did it really matter
now because Harlow could think about nothing but having him and letting him
have her any way he wanted.

When he walked by her chair carrying a bowl filled with
fresh garden greens, she brushed his thigh with her fingers.

“Babe, don’t fuck around.”

“Excuse me?”

“Harlow, my kind don’t carry STDs and I will never use
condoms. I can’t fuck you and promise
not
to come inside you.” He stared
at her. “It would be a lie.”

“So don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Harlow hoped her
smile appeared sexy and come hither.

He dropped the plate of chicken in the center of the table
with a bang. “Eat.” The chair scraped the floor when he settled onto it. “I
cooked it well done just for you.”

“Cass, do you know how many times you’ve come in me? Three,
four times?”

He snagged a piece of chicken and bit into it. He chewed for
what seemed like forever before he swallowed and washed it down with sips of
wine. She picked up her glass and tasted the champagne-colored liquid. She
expected excellence from Castle and she wasn’t disappointed. Earlier she had
marveled at the wine cellar he showed off and kept stocked even though he said
he hadn’t been up to Big Bear in years. Ignoring her, he took another bite of
chicken and followed it with a mouthful of salad.

“Are you going to talk to me?”

“In my bedroom I will brook no disobedience. Ever.”