Next to him sat Shane, the quiet one of the bunch. He took in everything, watching, waiting to add his thoughts. They all had a genial manner, but Shane was different. It was as if he held back part of himself from the bunch. He had black hair that touched his collar and he had to brush away from his eyes every time it fell forward. His dark blue eyes were almost black, and as with his cousins, he took in everything in the vicinity.
Next to him sat his brother, Max, but they were as different as two brothers could be. He was the youngest and had a set of green eyes that turned her knees to Jell-O every time he looked at her. His brown hair was as shaggy as his brothers, but there seemed to be no style involved. It was more that he hadn’t had time to get it cut. Max’s hair was short she sensed more because it would keep it out of his way. While Shane was quiet, Max was outgoing. An EMT by training, he wasn’t more gregarious than any of the others, but there was something about him, something that told her that she could trust him. He was a nurturer by nature. She could tell by the way he talked and handled people that he would never hurt anyone.
Jason said something then laughed, drawing her attention. She had always been drawn to him because of his manner. He was flirty, yes, but also very easy to talk to. She had never been able to tell a decent joke, so she was always drawn to people who could. It amazed her that he could easily tell stories that could enthrall everyone. No matter when she ran into him, his dark green eyes would sparkle with some kind of mischief. His hair was black like Shane’s, but darker. She always had the feeling that he could see beyond the person she showed everyone. Then, there was Rand.
Rand was the adventurer, the one who was never around. He was always out hiking, taking groups to see the wonders of Alaska. He was in charge of the tours they allowed on the preserve. He was the tallest of the bunch, reminding her a bit of a mountain man. He was quiet, although not shy. That same nose they all shared was slightly crooked, telling her he had broken it more than once. She was sure it was in some kind of adventure and not a fight. His eyes were the lightest of the bunch, light blue. She had been to Hawaii once, and they reminded her of the Pacific Ocean off Oahu. He wore his dark brown hair the longest of all the cousins.
“Do you plan on going to the lower forty-eight while you’re here?”
She glanced at Ethan with a smile. “No. It takes so long, and I never really know when my parents will be home.”
He frowned. “Are they going to visit?”
She shook her head. They weren’t a close family, and it was hard to explain it to someone who couldn’t comprehend her relationship with her parents. Seeing how they were with each other, it was a little humiliating to have such a dysfunctional family.
“They have a full schedule.”
She could see from Ethan’s expression he knew it wasn’t that. She looked away, embarrassed again.
Truth was, her parents didn’t agree with her choice to come to Alaska. They saw it as a rebellion on her part. And a rejection of their suggestion she accept an offer to be on their team in South America. She didn’t want to study what they wanted to, and they saw her as a failure because of it.
She brushed those thoughts away. Tonight had been too much fun, and she refused to let her parents’ behavior ruin it.
“How about some dessert?” Jason asked. “I do believe we have some homemade ice cream.”
She couldn’t help but smile. Ever since Jason had found out she had a weakness for ice cream, even in the depths of an Alaskan winter, he had made sure to have it on hand when she came to visit. In fact, they all seemed to be like that. If they discovered something she liked, they always seemed to have it on hand. She didn’t think that any group of men kept a never-ending supply of garbanzo beans or lemon for water.
She knew from her past visits that they would end up in the living room. That was unusual for her, too. A MacMillan never ate outside of the dining area, but Dillons did what they wanted. And she really liked that about them. She settled on the couch right before Ethan sat down on her right and Noah on her left. She felt dwarfed between the two men. She rarely felt that way despite her size. At five foot four inches, she had learned long ago to project a bigger image so people would take her seriously. With the Dillons it didn’t seem to matter.
Heat rushed through her as Ethan shifted and his thigh rubbed against hers. Before she could calm the beating of her heart, Noah stretched his arm behind her on the back of the couch and moved closer. If he got any closer, she would be on his lap. She wanted to bolt, get up, get out of there away from them, but that would be rude. And there was a part of her that enjoyed the heat of their bodies warming her on both sides.
She cleared her throat and dipped her spoon into the ice cream. “Do you have any leads on the person who harmed the wolves?”
“No,” Rand said. It made sense he would be in charge since he was the one who knew every nook and cranny in the area. “We have our own ideas.”
“The refinery?”
He nodded. “I can’t see any of our locals wanting to do that.”
She shook her head. “I agree. They are so protective of the wolves, I can’t see one of them even thinking of hurting them, let alone killing them. There haven’t been any strangers?”
“No,” Noah said, drawing her attention. When she turned to face him, she found his face very close to her. “You know people have to have permits to come on the preserve.”
“That’s true. But, I guess someone could sneak on.”
Lost in thought, she slipped the spoon into her mouth, enjoying the cool confection and the sugar that danced over her taste buds. She hummed a little and then caught herself. But apparently, it had not gone unnoticed. Every one of the men was staring at her, their focus on her lips.
“Something wrong?”
Nobody said anything for a second or two. “You, uh, have some ice cream left on your bottom lip,” Noah said. His voice had deepened, his gaze still on her lips.
She wanted to wipe it away, but she didn’t have a napkin. So, she slipped her tongue out over her lip. Her face turned red when one of them groaned. She was pretty sure it was Jason.
“Listen,” she said, setting her bowl on the coffee table. “I think I better head out.”
Again, none of them said anything, but they looked toward Noah. In some secret agreement, they started to rise.
“I have some lab tests to run,” Ethan said. Each one of his cousins followed him out of the room. None of their excuses sounded truthful, either. But, as usual, they all thanked her for coming to dinner. When they were finally alone, her nerves were bouncing, her body singing. She had to resist the urge to fidget.
“Are you going to tell me what this is about? You’re not going to kick me off your land, are you?”
He shook his head as he slipped his arm around her shoulders. “No. Actually, what I wanted to ask you was...well, hell.”
Without another word, he pulled her toward him and slammed his mouth down on hers.
Chapter Three
Every thought flew out of his head the moment Noah tasted Eve. He had been waiting so long. He dreamed of her nightly, needed her in his bed, in his house, in his pack. She had no idea just how much restraint he had been using to keep from attacking her anytime he caught her scent.
She made a little muffled sound of surprise, but after a second, she started to respond. He didn’t hesitate, dragging his tongue over the seam of her lips then invading her mouth. Everything in him wanted, needed her here. He turned her more toward him so that he could feel her breasts against him. He wanted to feel her flesh against his, know the way her breasts felt as they rubbed against his chest.
Without hesitation, he pulled back, and his hands went to the bottom of her sweater. She said nothing as he pulled the heavy fabric over her head. He growled in irritation when he saw the long underwear top. It made sense since it was the middle of winter. The beast in him, though, wanted to see her skin. He apparently waited too long to pull the shirt off.
“Noah,” she said, her hands settling on top of his.
He glanced up at her. “What?” He almost growled the question.
“We can’t do this here.”
“Why not?”
Her face brightened, her ivory skin staining a delicious shade of pink.
“Your brothers. They know.”
Shit. He didn’t give a damn about his brother and cousins. They weren’t the ones who found her. They could wait. But from the serious expression on her face, this was not going to be easily explained away.
He opened his mouth, but she said, “Can’t we at least go to your bedroom?”
The reprieve sent a tremor of excitement through his blood as he felt his inner wolf stir. He was going to have his woman, their woman. It was as it should be, and the other situation could wait until morning. Or afternoon. Or, maybe next week. He grabbed her by the hand and all but dragged her to the bedroom. She came willingly, but she was a small woman, and it was hard to keep up with his strides.
Once there, he slammed the door shut behind them, locked it, and then crowded her up against it. Lust crawled through him, was taking over his better senses. As someone who considered himself a Dom, he usually had complete control over his libido. But he could smell her. The scent of her had driven him crazy for months, but now, she was aroused, willing. His response was primal, so deep down in his blood that he couldn’t deny it.
Eve opened her mouth to say something, but he slammed his lips down on hers. He needed that connection, the taste of her. His cock pulsed with need. Need to have her, to take her, to own her body.
She didn’t resist. Her mouth opened immediately, her tongue sliding against his. Her moves weren’t innocent, but he knew she wasn’t as experienced as he was. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he should be moving slower, that he shouldn’t rush it. But he needed to mark her, not only for himself, but for the pack.
He moved closer, pressing his groin against her pussy. Even through their clothing, he could feel her wet heat. He growled thinking of just how it would feel to sink into her, feel those tight muscles clasp around him.
She slipped her arm over his shoulders, her fingers threading through his hair. Her breasts pressed against his chest.
He couldn’t stand it anymore. He pulled away and dragged her with him, still kissing her. He walked her to the bed. She fell with a laugh, and he followed her down, swallowing the joyous sound as he kissed her again.
He tore his mouth away to kiss down her neck and started working her shirt free. He wanted her nude. It had been an obsession of his to feel all that soft ivory skin against his. She wasn’t wearing a bra.
Her breasts were gorgeous. He had always gone for full-chested women. She was small, petite, but so fucking beautiful. Her nipples were pink berries against her pure skin.
She moved her hands up to cover them, but he grabbed them and snarled. He couldn’t help it. In this, he wanted honesty. And he wanted her to know not to hide herself. Why a woman with such a gorgeous body would think she had to cover herself, he didn’t know. But he planned on making sure she never had a reason to be embarrassed of her nudity again.
He lowered his head and took one sweet nipple into his mouth as he palmed the other one. They were hard, tight buds. She moaned and, once he released her wrists, moved her hands up to his head. Soon, though, he knew it wouldn’t be enough. He kissed his way down her body, enjoying the way her stomach muscles quivered as he moved his mouth over them.
He dragged off her pants and sighed with contentment when he saw the little black lace panty covering her mound. He grabbed the top of them with his teeth and pulled them down her legs, the scent of her filling the air around him. She was definitely aroused, more so than he expected. He tossed the panties on the floor behind him, and when he looked down at her, he decided to make sure to destroy every panty she had. Jesus.
Seeing her completely naked, her red curls damp with desire, her alabaster skin so pure he was worried he would mar it just by touching her.