Desiree's Lone Wolves

The Double R 2

Desiree's Lone Wolves Ten years ago, Carson and Sam Quarry’s father died in a freak accident. Carson doesn’t believe it was any accident and makes it no secret that he believes their pack alpha, Remy Bastien, killed their father. When Carson commits the most heinous offense a shifter can commit against another shifter, it gives Remy just the opening he needs to get Carson and Sam’s mother right where he’s always wanted her—mated to him. The family makes it their business to keep a low profile at The Double R. This is an easy enough task before Desiree Jensen, a conservative city slicker with painful secrets of her own, lands at the ranch, too. Despite her quiet and sheltered existence, Desiree is a lot stronger than she seems. Is she strong enough, however, to survive the fatal charms of two wolf shifters from her wildest dreams, especially when one is marked for death? Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Vampires/Werewolves, Western/Cowboys Length: 74,859 words

DESIREE’S LONE WOLVES The Double R, Book 2

Gigi Moore

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

DESIREE’S LONE WOLVES Copyright © 2012 by Gigi Moore E-book ISBN: 1-61926-329-7 First E-book Publication: February 2012 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Desiree’s Lone Wolves by Gigi Moore from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Gigi Moore’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Moore’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DESIREE’S LONE WOLVES The Double R, Book 2 GIGI MOORE Copyright © 2012

Prologue The Double R, McCoy, Colorado Six months ago Sam Quarry nipped his older brother on the back of the neck, and Carson whimpered before turning to tackle Sam onto his back. He planted his large front paws firmly in Sam’s chest and bent to nip Sam’s ear, eliciting a good-natured yelp before Sam pushed Carson off and rolled to all fours. The pair went at it like this for a long while, growling and circling each other, biting and wrestling until Sam finally submitted, rolling onto his back and exposing his vulnerable throat and underside. He drew his paws into his body just for good measure and to let his brother know that he was tired of the game. He waited for Carson to accept his surrender. Like the big bad dominant asshole that he was, though, Carson decided to make his younger brother sweat, standing stiff legged and tall with his ears erect and his tail vertical and curled toward his back. Carson stared at him so hard Sam swore that he was looking at their former pack alpha, Remy Bastien. When Carson finally strutted over, Sam held his breath, waiting before Carson pinned him to the

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ground and lowered his snout to Sam’s throat. If it had been any other wolf, Sam knew that he’d have been dead a long time ago, but it was his brother, and Sam knew that Carson would die before he let anyone or anything harm Sam. Sam felt the same way about Carson. He would die to protect his brother if he had to. Thankfully, in the last year and a half since they had been at The Double R, neither of them had found a reason to fight to the death against anyone, and the most blood that had been shed proved accidental and during these little impromptu brawls in which he and Carson occupied themselves. They engaged in these tussles more as a diversion, to work up a sweat and feed their animals’ hunter instincts, than to inflict damage or pain. Sometimes, however, the latter could not be avoided, especially when an overzealous alpha like his brother got carried away with the dominance act. Sam shifted to his human form—bones rearranging, brown fur receding—before he lay naked beneath his brother within a minute. He reached up with both hands and wrapped his fingers around his brother’s thick, black-furred neck. “I give up already. Let me up, craneur.” Carson shifted to human form and chuckled before releasing his brother to crouch on his haunches nearby. “I’ll be your show-off, peeshwank.” Sam laughed as he pushed to his full height of six feet. Only Carson would call someone six feet and a hundred and ninety pounds a “runt,” but then he guessed he was a runt next to Carson, just not by that much. “I’m gonna go clean up before we get back to the house.” Sam headed for the stream several yards away and didn’t hesitate to splash around and cool off, getting himself nice and wet before his brother joined him. He turned toward shore when Carson ambled over, and he watched his brother’s sleek-muscled form beneath the moonlight right before Carson submerged himself in the water beside Sam.

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He splashed himself as Sam had before him, shaking excess water from his black hair before he pushed a hand through the waves to his nape. “You put up a good fight. You’re getting a lot better. Daddy would’ve been proud.” Sam’s chest filled at the compliment, though he was thinking more of what the copper-skinned beauty at The Double R would have thought at seeing his physical prowess against his brother and not whether or not their dad would have been proud. Would she have been horrified or fascinated by his and Carson’s wolf forms? He already knew for a fact that someone on the ranch turned her on, and he wasn’t too modest to believe that it was him and Carson, since he smelled her arousal on the wind whenever he and his brother got near her. These occasions remained few and far between since the lady did her best to stick close to the main house and rarely ventured out and about except to go to and come from work. Whenever she did happen to stumble across them around the ranch, she shied away like a scared filly, but never before Sam caught that scent. What he wouldn’t give for just a minute to know what went through her mind. What he wouldn’t give to know what she thought of him and his brother. However, he’d been forbidden from getting to know her any better than as a passing acquaintance and the family of one of The Double R’s owners—basically, his employers. It wasn’t wise to fraternize with the bosses under normal circumstances, but when one was on the run and in hiding like him, Carson, and their mama, it paid to be even more vigilant than normal. Granted, it was nighttime and far enough away from the ranch and the general human population that there proved barely any risk of being seen. However, they still took a chance shifting to their animal forms to tussle and play like they didn’t have any sense. They did it because nature remained nature and some things just couldn’t be denied, especially the need to stretch their muscles and feed the desires of their animals.

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**** The boys had come a long way since leaving the pack back in Louisiana with their mother, turning into young men a father could be proud of. Remy had wanted that honor but had been deprived of it by their mother’s willfulness. She thought to protect her boys from him. She thought to protect herself. Did she not understand that he had only their best interests at heart? Did she not understand that he only wanted to take care of all of them? Did she not understand that there was no escape from him if he really wanted her? Helena and her boys had remained free as long as they had only because Remy had wished it, only because he had allowed it. He understood Helena’s fear, her hesitance. She had been a widow after all, still mourning the death of her husband and her boys’ father. Remy remained a patient man, but his patience grew thin. He had given her enough time, five years in fact—ten if he counted the five years between Ben’s death and Helena and the boys finally going on the run—and miles of space. Watching from a far-enough distance that the young men wouldn’t pick up his scent, Remy raised the high-powered binoculars to his eyes to peer at Carson and Sam as they horsed around in the stream. He smiled at their playfulness. The older one, specifically, fascinated Remy in a way he had not been fascinated in a long time. He remembered the teen and the young man Carson had been. He had admired the boy’s quiet strength and natural fighting skills. He had been an alpha in the making back then, a threat that his son Duane could not ignore, and a rarity born of a hybrid female and a beta male. He wondered how well Carson Guidry, or Quarry, as the family had assumed, would do in a fight against him. Killing a peer in a fair fight was one thing, but

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challenging an alpha male like him, one with decades more experience and nothing to lose, would prove another thing altogether. Remy licked his lips, anticipating the showdown, for he knew it would come down to a battle with the boy if he wanted to win the mother. He just hoped Helena would forgive him for the inevitable outcome.

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Chapter 1 The Double R, McCoy, Colorado Current day Desiree Jensen knew she dreamed because she had never been so turned on before in her life. She wouldn’t allow this current type of heat and lust to ever seize her. She couldn’t. Lust meant only two things—loss of control and recklessness— and neither boded well for her. She left both to her younger sister, Maia. One reckless and unrealistic daughter in the Jensen clan was enough. The jury was still out on her older sister, however. First, Tamara wasn’t technically a Jensen, and despite moving to Colorado with her mother and Maia and living on The Double R for just under a year, Desiree still hadn’t gotten to know Tamara as well as she knew Maia. It wasn’t for lack of trying. Tamara just had better things to do than getting to know two long-lost younger sisters that their mother had failed to tell her about. Tamara was a newlywed and busy doing all the hot and lusty things a newlywed did with her new husband, Jess Reynolds, and his twin brother, Jax. Desiree groaned and shuddered now in her sleep, unsure if she reacted to the idea of having two strapping men at her beck and call the way Tamara had or if she reacted to the vision of the two faceless men stalking her in the woods. She’d never ventured too far beyond the edges of the ranch by herself, and this was another reason she knew she dreamed. Admittedly, she wasn’t as curious and fearless as her sisters and had

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no desire to see what lay beyond the woods that bordered The Double R. Wolves. She knew she was being ridiculous. Unlike Maia, willing to fly halfway across the country simply on the basis of a dream, Desiree had researched the area to which she, her mother, and her sister had all been destined. She had read up on Colorado’s wildlife and knew that wolves had been extirpated from the ecosystem since the 1940s. There had been a couple of rare sightings near the ColoradoWyoming border since gray wolves had been reintroduced into the ecosystems of Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Arizona, but nothing more. Desiree had read about proposals to reintroduce the wolf to the wilderness ecosystem of Colorado, but ranchers in the area were dead set against it. She supposed she should be comforted by all this, but from her research, Desiree knew that dispersing wolves—especially single, male wolves—could travel long distances, and it was just a matter of time before wolves started migrating into Colorado from the north and south. Maybe her delving so deep into the issue had been a little too meticulous, even for her. It had done nothing but taint her expectations of Colorado, with Desiree now expecting to encounter wild wolves at every turn, despite the facts. However, none of this explained why she kept seeing two wolves in her dreams along with the two faceless men. Were the animals and the men connected in some way? Desiree shook her head, logic overriding fanciful possibilities even in her sleep. She licked her lips as the faceless figures moved out of the shadows, morphing from naked, broad-shouldered men to large timber wolves to men and back to wolves again before charging toward her.

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Desiree woke with a scream, cotton pj tank and shorts clinging to her sweat-soaked body as she sprang to a sitting position in bed. Her skin wasn’t the only thing wet, and she felt heat rush to her face at the thought of her arousal right before Maia burst into her room with half the household not too far behind her, from the sounds of it. Desiree squirmed in her bed, her arousal becoming more obvious, at least to her. Her panties were soaked! “What in tarnation?” Desiree blinked as someone hit the switch for the overhead, bathing the room in light from the seven-bulb chandelier. Before she could object, Maia rushed across the carpeted floor to her side and sat on the bed. “Oh, Desi, was it the wolves again?” Desiree grinned at the protective way Maia pushed damp, stray tendrils away from her face and caressed her cheek. She was the older sister, if only by more than two years. She was supposed to comfort Maia. Granted, she had done her share of comforting when they had been kids and Maia had first started to have her “visions.” “I’ll be okay,” Desiree croaked, more mortified than frightened as she raised her gaze to glance at everyone crowded into her bedroom. As large as the suite proved—about as big as the one-bedroom condo she had given up in New York to move here—she still felt a little claustrophobic. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.” “No trouble,” Jess or Jax said. After almost a year, Desiree still had some difficulty figuring out who was who. “Sure you’re okay, baby?” her mother asked. “I’m fine, Mom. You guys can all go back to bed.” “If you’re sure,” Tamara said. Desiree smiled up at her, still unaccustomed to not being the oldest sister. She watched as everyone filed out of her bedroom, all except Maia, who hadn’t moved from her place on the bed.

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Maia remained silent until she heard the door snick closed behind their mother. As soon as they were alone, she turned to Desiree with concern in her eyes. “They’re getting worse, aren’t they?” Desiree shrugged. She didn’t want to deal with her sister’s interrogations, not when she felt so vulnerable and still so damned turned on. Her nipples tingled at the idea of the wolves charging toward her and what they would have done to her in the dream once they reached her. Would they have changed back to men right before they reached her? What would the men have done to her? Desiree shifted her legs under the lightweight comforter, her pussy sizzling and moist. What kind of twisted, bestiality, ménage a trois fantasies did she entertain? “They’re just dreams. They don’t mean anything,” she said as if to convince someone. “I think it means more than you think when you keep dreaming about wolves in a state where they barely exist, according to you. Do you know something we all don’t know?” “Maia, they are just dreams. Not visions.” “Dreams and visions can sometimes be the same thing. You just have to know how to interpret them. And you know that gifts run in fam…” Desiree started to shake her head, but Maia put up a hand, palm forward in a stop sign, before continuing. “Ah, ah, ah. Don’t try distancing yourself from your heritage or go knocking my visions. I was right about our missing sister, wasn’t I?” Desiree opened her mouth to speak then shut it because she couldn’t argue with the truth. She wanted to, though. “Tamara wasn’t exactly missing,” she finally whispered. “Sure, Mom knew where she was. But did we? So that makes her missing.” Desiree sighed. She didn’t want to remind Maia that up until her vision, neither of them had known Tamara existed until they got

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confirmation from their mother. She was too tired to argue with her sister’s logic anyway, especially when it made a weird sort of sense. She just wanted to squeeze some more sleep into what was left of the night. More like get back to that dream to see what those men have planned for you. Oh God, since when had she become a freak? Was this what nearing thirty did to a woman? Was she turning into a nymphomaniac? Maia had been teasing her about turning the big three-oh just months before Desiree’s twenty-ninth birthday last summer, claiming she couldn’t wait until Desiree’s hormones finally caught up with her and kicked her in the ass. “Honestly, Des, sometimes you act like a woman twice your age. You really need to take it easy and get laid once in a while.” Maybe Maia was right, and her hormones were punishing her for keeping them so carefully in check all these years. Not that she was frigid, despite what a couple of her past lovers implied, and despite what one in particular had taken from her. “You know what I think,” Maia said, and Desiree silently thanked her for interrupting the direction of her thoughts. She did not want to entertain the possibility that Maia and some of her past lovers might be correct about her underused libido. She did not want to believe that she was now damaged goods. However, she had a feeling that Maia wasn’t really going to give her a reprieve, and her sister’s next words confirmed this. “You’re sublimating.” “I’m what?” “I’ve seen the way you watch those night wranglers ever since we’ve been here. Lord knows I’ve noticed them.” She knew of which night wranglers her sister spoke. And all she had to say on that subject was that a woman would have to be in a coma not to notice Carson and Sam Quarry. Not that she’d say anything to her sister. She didn’t want to give the girl any more

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ammunition than necessary. “You’ve seen one cowboy, you’ve seen them all.” “Now you’re just trying to blow smoke up my ass, sis, but I’m not buying it. Ain’t nothing ordinary about those two, and you know it. In fact, there’s something decidedly out of the ordinary about them, if you ask me.” Desiree would admit nothing. It was bad enough those two haunted her dreams as much as the wolves and the…Sheesh, she was stupid! Were those two the faceless men in her dreams? She closed her eyes, picturing the two tall, broad-shouldered brothers. The oldest had raven-black hair and emerald-green eyes, and the younger one had chocolate-brown hair and golden-honey eyes. Each was gorgeous in his own right. She compared her vision with the memory of the two figures in her dream and realized that though she couldn’t see the dream-men’s faces, they and the cowboys were incredibly similar in appearance. Was she sublimating? Was she having sex dreams about the two cowboys because the idea of having actual sex with them proved plain unacceptable to her in any way, shape, or form? Desiree opened her eyes to see her sister staring at her with a gleam in her espresso eyes. “Must have been some wet dream, though I’m not sure where the wolves come in.” “It wasn’t a wet dream.” “Uh-huh.” Desiree sighed and flung herself back on the bed, shaking her head. “Just get out of here and stop psychoanalyzing me, Freud.” Maia chuckled and reached to caress Desiree’s face, expression changing from amused to serious. “Do yourself a favor, girl, and just go for it.” “That’s what you would do.” “You better believe it. Just so happens I haven’t seen anything on this ranch worth my time or energy.”

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“Yet you throw two of the most eligible cowboys at me? What’s the matter? They’re not good enough for you? Or should I say wild and reckless enough?” “They’re more than good and wild enough, but they don’t belong to me.” Oh God, was Maia saying what Desiree thought she was? Was she about to spout the soul mates jazz in which she so fervently believed? It wasn’t that Desiree didn’t believe in commitment and love, she just didn’t like the idea that she wasn’t in control of her own destiny. She had choices. She could choose to be an irresponsible, reckless adult, or she could choose not to. “I know what you think of my visions and my ideas on love and romance, but before you knock it—” “I’m not knocking anything. I just don’t believe in soul mates.” “You should, since I have a feeling yours are closer at hand than you know.” “Are you insinuating what I think you are?” Okay, she knew her little sister was a practicing Wiccan and tended to have some pretty liberal ideas about some things, especially where sex and nudity were concerned, but a threesome? Desiree shuddered now, remembering the first time she’d walked into Maia’s bedroom without knocking and found her sister skyclad— or naked, to the layman. Maia had been home from college for the Christmas break. She’d informed Desiree that she no longer celebrated Christmas as the family traditionally celebrated it. Instead, she recognized the winter solstice, in the Wiccan tradition. Maia’s nontraditional spiritual practices were one thing, but when Desiree came out to Colorado and discovered her long-lost older sister involved in a ménage a trois she started to feel like Alice plummeting down a carnal rabbit hole. Desiree wasn’t judging anyone, and she secretly applauded both her sisters for flouting convention to follow their hearts. She just didn’t think Maia’s or Tamara’s lives were for her. She was much too

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square for the New Age stuff Maia followed, and she had enough trouble trusting and being intimate with one man, much less two. Maia grinned and patted Desiree’s hand now. “I know, for me to even suggest that my responsible, staid, and skeptical older sister would even consider taking up with a younger man is just too farfetched, much less two younger men.” Two men who very well might be werewolves. Desiree’s heart stuttered at the preposterousness of that thought and the intensity of her sister’s gaze. The combination of the two proved powerful enough to force her from the bed. She needed air immediately, or she might just spontaneously combust. Desiree stumbled across the room to the veranda none too gracefully, as if she were starving for oxygen. She hastily flung open the French windows. The first thing she noticed when she tilted back her head and took a deep breath was the full moon dominating the indigo sky. She shuddered. She wasn’t sure if she reacted to the wolves in her dream, the two night wranglers, or the cool evening breeze that stirred her hair and the curtains behind her. After almost a year in Colorado, she’d learned that even in the summer evenings could be downright arctic. She needed the cold, however, to shove her firmly back to reality and away from risky, fanciful thoughts of hot, sexy cowboys turning into dangerous, feral wolves. “Des, are you okay?” No. “Of course I’m okay.” She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before lowering her head and opening her eyes to see the two shirtless men emerging from the surrounding woods. She caught herself grinning at the way they playfully shoved each other and roughhoused as they otherwise soundlessly traversed the well-lit grounds toward one of the ranch’s many family houses. It wasn’t the first time she had seen the two young men traipsing the ranch grounds. It was, however, the first time she’d seen them so

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close on the heels of waking from one of her wolf dreams when the memories and her arousal remained so fresh. Desiree’s heart sped at the view of their partial nakedness, the drops of water glimmering on their tanned skin beneath the moonlight causing more moisture to gather in the already drenched crotch of her panties. God, she couldn’t get away from them! First the dreams, now the very virile cowboys, walking and breathing in the flesh. Flesh that’s bound to catch pneumonia! How could they be out in this cold, obviously having taken a midnight dip, and not be freezing to death? As the men neared the main house, just crossing beneath her window, Desiree noticed the younger one frown and sniff the air right before he glanced up to catch her looking at him from the veranda. Desiree jerked back, hiding behind the jamb like a giddy schoolgirl who had been caught staring at her crush. “Something wrong?” Maia approached the veranda and Desiree caught her by the arm and pulled her back behind her. “What?” “It’s them!” “The wolves?” Maia teased. Yes! “No. You know who.” “Let me see.” Maia pulled out of her sister’s grasp to go out onto the veranda and lean over the stone balustrade. When she waved and addressed the cowboys, Desiree gasped. “Hey, boys. Nice night, huh?” “Sure is, ma’am.” Just hearing the man’s deep drawl raised goose bumps on her skin. Or maybe it was the cold. Yeah, that was it, the cold. “Why do you have to be so incorrigible?” Desiree whispered. “A little chilly out, though,” Maia said, ignoring her sister. “Reckon we’re getting used to it.” Still the younger brother speaking, she could tell. As tight-lipped as they both were, the older one was the least talkative—the strong,

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silent type, if she paid attention to that sort of thing, and she definitely wasn’t, no way. Despite the “reckon,” Desiree detected the Cajun accent buried beneath the drawl, a decidedly lazy and romantic quality. Not that she was a dialect expert or anything, but she had a good memory, a sensitive ear, and she’d heard similar accents when she’d visited Louisiana for Mardi Gras during spring break almost a decade ago. Was he intentionally concealing his natural accent, or was his current accent a result of being in Colorado around so many cowboys for a time? Desiree wondered. She didn’t know how, but she’d always suspected the wranglers weren’t native to Colorado, even before discovering that they had come to the ranch not much before she and her sister and mother had. There remained something decidedly not…local about them. With their rarely heard accents and dark coloring, they seemed more exotic than the native Coloradans. Her suspicions had been confirmed once she’d begun hanging around the cookhouse and made the acquaintance of Helena, The Double R’s head chef, several months into her stay. Desiree wondered about where they had come from and why they’d all left. Had they just needed a change of scenery and fresh start, like her, Maia, and their mother? Or had their reasons been more life and death? Curiosity getting to her, Desiree peeked from behind the jamb just in time to see the younger brother, Sam, touch the brim of his Stetson. “You have a good evening, ma’am. Don’t catch cold.” “You do the same. And I told you before, you can call me Maia.” “Will do…Maia.” Desiree noticed the way Sam’s tongue caressed her sister’s name and wondered how her name would sound on that very same tongue. She also noticed that during the entire exchange the older brother, Carson, didn’t even look their way, just kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, his chin proudly tilted up, and his steps purposeful.

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What was his problem? Did he think himself too good to talk to the Yankee interlopers? Not that Desiree wanted his attention or cared about his moods or apparent rejection one way or the other. She didn’t. She just remained curious why he seemed so cantankerous and unsociable when his brother seemed the total opposite, always had a friendly—some like Maia would call it flirtatious—and ready smile for everyone. Desiree watched as her sister wiggled her fingers at Sam when the two men finally disappeared from view. “Sheesh, I can’t take you anywhere.” Maia stepped back into the bedroom with Desiree and closed the French windows. “Just being friendly. You should try it sometime. We’ve been here long enough.” That was just it. She had already gone against her nature to move out here. Desiree didn’t think she had it in her to go any more against her nature to be a friendly extrovert like Maia. Despite living here close to a year, Desiree still felt like an outsider living on the edge, one foot firmly in Colorado and the other in New York. It wasn’t like she had all that much going on back in the Big Apple to hold her there. She’d taken her accounting degree and CPA license from the cutthroat corporate world and had been providing consultation services for a while now. With reciprocity from New York to Colorado, the Internet, and her exceptional computer skills—some like Maia would call her a geek—she was able to take her work with her and get a job with Tamara’s law firm in Eagle County. Once Maia and their mother decided to pick up stakes and join Tamara in Colorado, it had been a no-brainer for Desiree and normal for her to follow her close-knit family’s lead. For anyone who knew her well, Desiree wasn’t too much of a maverick or one to rock the proverbial boat, not like her sisters. She liked to follow the rules, color inside the lines as Maia was always saying. It made life much simpler.

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Desiree didn’t bother to respond to her sister’s little jibe, too tired to explain why she didn’t want to get friendly with the locals even if she, technically, proved to be one now. She really didn’t want to explain why she remained too cautious to get friendly with Carson and Sam Quarry, because she wasn’t sure if fear remained at the root of her feelings toward the two cowboys or something else entirely. Maybe she gave them an entirely undeserved bad rap, keeping her distance, and maybe she would be safer with the imaginary wolves than she would be with the two real cowboys. What she did know for certain? She had to protect herself from both to maintain her sanity, because no one else on this ranch could or would.

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Chapter 2 Her scent snuck up on him so suddenly, Carson thought he’d drown in her sweet vanilla fragrance before he reached the end of the chow line. Damn. Even his mother’s mouth-watering, Cajun-Western cooking couldn’t block out the maddening woman’s smell. Yep, she was maddening, but sexy as hell and definitely offlimits. Carson didn’t even want to turn from his place on the line, knowing he’d lay eyes on her, which would just intensify her effect on him, and that had to be avoided at all costs for him to keep his sanity. Not to mention keep a raging hard-on in check. Bad enough he’d woken up this morning to his usual wood, but his sheets had been moist from yet another wet dream in which Ms. Desiree Jensen had been the star. His mouth started to water, not from the scents of hush puppies, French pain perdu, and fresh beignets, but from the enticing scent of vanilla musk and woman. An aroused woman no less. Merde. Not that there wasn’t more than a few of these in the dining hall at that moment—newlyweds still smitten with their husbands, or even older couples rekindling their romance, for instance. Desiree’s arousal, however, was unique to her. Over the last several months, he had learned to distinguish her arousal from all the other female ranch guests’ and employees’. Carson hadn’t decided yet whether this distinction was a good or bad thing. His skill in identifying Desiree’s scent certainly hadn’t helped him avoid her. Indeed she continually

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managed to sneak up on him like no other woman ever had or could. She haunted his waking hours as well as his dreams since she’d arrived and taken up residence at The Double R. “What’s got your britches in a twist all of a sudden?” Carson gritted his teeth against his instant reaction to Desiree’s appearance and turned to his brother behind him on the chow line. He couldn’t help but smile at Sam’s question. He loved the way his brother had picked up the local vernacular, not that it was that much of a stretch from some of their own colorful, natural patois. “Nothin’ Mama’s hush puppies and quiche lorraine can’t cure.” “I think our girl would agree. She keeps dropping by to pick up pointers about Cajun cooking. She must like spicy things.” Carson rolled his eyes at his brother, trying to ignore Sam’s innuendo. It figured that someone as sensitive to Carson’s moods would know what really stayed on his mind, and that it wasn’t their mama’s cooking. That, and of course Sam had probably caught his own delectable whiff of the irresistible Yankee, if he hadn’t outright spied her entering the dining hall, unlike Carson. Sam had said “our girl,” and Carson didn’t know why it had sounded so right to his ears, but he couldn’t deny that as much as he wanted and tried to keep his distance, he felt a certain amount of possessiveness where Ms. Jensen was concerned. He guessed he suffered a bit of the dog—or in this case, wolf—in the manger syndrome. He didn’t want her, shouldn’t want her, but he didn’t want anyone else to want or have her, either. Just as he thought this, the subject of his and Sam’s conversation traversed the dining hall, past the buffet line on her way to the kitchen where, he knew, she would be warmly welcomed by his mama and the ranch’s other cookhouse staff. Since she’d made it known how much she loved to cook and loved learning new things about exotic and regional cuisine, Mama and the rest of the staff had taken her under their collective wings, much as it was rumored that the main

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house’s housekeeper had formed a motherly relationship with Desiree. Some of the menu choices at the communal dining hall already showed the Yankee’s influence, specifically in the dessert offerings. Desiree’s authentic New York cheesecake was particularly popular, especially among the visitors from New York. Not to mention the woman’s flan proved a dieter and diabetic’s worst nightmare. Coming from the Big Easy, Carson appreciated a creamy, rich dessert as well as any other self-respecting Cajun and had tried the latter with almost too much relish. In fact, he’d thought he would come on the spot after his first bite. Next to the idea of tasting the creator of the flan herself, it had been the most sensual highlight of that week for Carson. He closed his eyes now and licked his lips at the idea of dipping his tongue into Desiree’s hot, sweet cocotte, licking her cream, and making her shudder and come around him. Carson choked off a groan at the image, shifting his weight from one leg to the other trying to accommodate his suddenly stiff cock. Couillon. Idiot! “You all right?” He shook himself at his brother’s urgent whisper and opened his eyes to see the chow line moving again. “Right as rain.” Sam gave him a knowing grin that made Carson want to cuff the runt upside the head. That smart-aleck grin said it all—that Sam knew very well Carson was as hard as a spike because of Desiree’s arrival, and nothing and no one else. “You didn’t sound all right a minute ago. You sounded like someone who needed an exorcism, or maybe you were doing a Lurch impersonation.” Carson just barely stifled a laugh as he gave his brother the evil eye. “What? I’m just saying.”

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“Mind your own business.” “I’m thinking anything that almost brings the mighty Carson Quarry to his knees is my business. Or should I be thinking anyone?” “You can think whatever you want, just keep those thoughts to yourself, Samson.” He felt his brother bristle at hearing his Christian name and knew he had hit his target, at least for the moment. There was nothing Sam hated more than hearing his given name in that reprimanding tone. The only thing worse would be to hear their mama call him by his first and middle names in public—Samson Galen. Carson often wondered what their parents had been thinking when they’d named his brother. At least they had offset the femininesounding middle name with the powerful Samson, though Sam barely appreciated it more than Galen. Mama often said Sam reminded her of his biblical namesake, coming out of her womb with a head full of dark-brown hair. Until that moment, she’d said, she’d put down her constant indigestion to all the rich Cajun cooking she’d doubled up on and not the abundant curly hair on her newborn’s head. Sam elbowed him in the ribs. “Your secret’s safe with me, Carson Beauregard.” Carson gritted his teeth at the mention of his middle name. “Touché.” He really didn’t need his brother’s reminder of what a big lie their lives had become with his allusion to keeping secrets, either. Ever since they’d been on the run their lives had been a series of lies, secrets, and staying under the radar. Constantly moving and trying to stay a step ahead of their former pack’s alpha. They’d just, since arriving at The Double R almost a year ago, taken to using their real, given names again, though they’d stayed with the completely alien Quarry for their last name, one that was unrelated to any parent or grandparent as far as Mama knew. True, they had put years, miles, and numerous career changes between themselves and their old lives, but Carson often wondered at

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the wisdom of taking back their own first names, despite his appreciation at being able to tell one less lie, especially to his employers. He appreciated the stab at normalcy more for Sam and their mama than he did for himself. Carson knew how much Sam resented having to live his life on the run and on the fringes like a criminal, suppressing his natural friendly and outgoing nature, especially when it came to interacting with women he found attractive. None of them could allow emotional attachments, however, because emotional attachments eventually begot intimate questions. Intimate questions that none of them could afford to answer without eventually becoming discovered for what they were and what they had done—or, more accurately, what Carson had done. The truth could get them nothing but incredulity and fear. The truth could get them caught and confined if not outright executed, depending on who was doing the catching and confining. The truth could prove dangerous to them as well as those they cared about, so it remained better to not care about anyone but each other. This way, when it came to leaving, they wouldn’t hurt too many people, except for themselves. Carson understood how much his brother and mother had sacrificed over the years to keep him safe, and he regretted that they felt the need to forego a normal existence for him. Once, a few years back, he had decided to move forward on his own. He’d known Sam and his mother would try to stop him if he said something to them beforehand, so he’d just left one night without a word to anyone. He’d been sure he was making the right decision for Sam and his mother because they deserved a normal life, at least as normal an existence as a pair of hybrid shifters without their pack could live. Freedom—for any of them—hadn’t lasted for long. Carson remembered now how relieved he’d been once Sam and Mama had tracked him down a few days after his departure from one of their last residences. Going it alone with his family, cut off from

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their pack, was about as much of a lone wolf as he wanted to be. Surviving without his blood, however, was more than he wanted to endure. Even though he wasn’t sociable by any stretch of the imagination, nowhere near as flirty, friendly, and open as his brother, Carson needed to be around at least his family. He needed to protect them the same way they tried to protect him. He’d been filling in as alpha and protector to his small family since the circumstances that had taken his father’s life. He hadn’t considered this duty and his protective nature such curses until several years ago, but now they seemed the bane of his existence—the bane of his family’s existence. If he hadn’t felt the need to stick his dutiful and protective nose where it didn’t belong, minding human business, he and his family wouldn’t be in the predicament they were in now. He wouldn’t have met Desiree Jensen, either. Not that meeting her did him much good when he couldn’t follow his natural instincts and act on his attraction. Carson hadn’t regretted much in his life, but the evening he’d gone against his alpha’s son and stood up for a human female against his pack was something he often had second thoughts about. Sure Duane was an asshole who had been jealous of and riding Carson for as long as anyone could remember, but he remained the alpha’s son, and Carson had killed him. Would he do the same if he had it to do over again? Would he protect that girl and kill a fellow shifter, a pack member, for the sake of defending a full human? Was some higher power throwing Desiree in his path to test his resolve and see if he would make the same mistake twice? Had he learned his lesson about fraternizing outside of his species, or would he let another luscious pair of tits and a firm, round ass be his downfall again?

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He had to admit that Desiree remained a temptation he found harder and harder to resist. Resist her he would, however, because something told Carson that his brother wouldn’t resist the beautiful full-human female’s charms if given half the chance—at least not for much longer—and one of them had to have a level head. He supposed that one had to be him. Carson had failed his brother and mother once before, letting his hormones and a rare moment of impulse get the best of him. He didn’t intend to fail them again.

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Chapter 3 “So what’s taking you so long?” Sam just missed slamming his finger with the hammer instead of the horseshoe he was shaping on the anvil. And even though he’d avoided contact, his finger still felt a ghost of pain, as if remembering the hurt from a previous incident. Sam had had plenty of hammerslamming-his-finger incidents in the past to last him a lifetime. Despite being a Sagittarius, a zodiac sign notorious for clumsiness, he wasn’t usually so klutzy. A pretty woman could do it to him every time, though, and turn him into a gangly teen tripping over himself. Especially when he had been caught unawares. Sam slowly turned to see Maia Jensen standing behind him and playfully put his free hand over his heart. “You really ought not to sneak up on a body like that.” “I wasn’t sneaking. You were just buried so deep in your passion you didn’t hear me coming.” Sam grinned at the lady’s double-entendre. She was about as fresh and flirty as him, and that was saying something. His mama said he had come out of her womb winking at the nurses in the delivery room and collecting phone numbers. Maia walked around him to see what he was working on and paused. “Damn, you boys do a little bit of everything around here, huh? You make shoes, too?” “Not all cowboys do. I just like keeping myself busy.” That wasn’t the half of it. If he didn’t keep himself busy, stay “buried so deep,” and wear himself out during the days, he inevitably spent his

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nights tossing and turning when he wasn’t mired in wet dreams about Maia’s sister that wouldn’t quit. “I hear you, which brings me back to my first question. What’s taking you so long?” “What’s taking me so long to what?” “Not just you, per se, but you and that strong, silent brother of yours. When do you think you boys will start making a move on my sister?” Sam gawked. “Both of us?” Maia reached her hand out to caress the shoe on the anvil, shrugging as she circled Sam. “I know it sounds kind of perverted, but looking at Tamara I’d say she’s definitely set a precedent. Not to mention this sort of thing probably runs in the family.” “Your family?” “Something like that.” Was the woman saying all the Jensen-Carpenter women went in for threesomes? And what made her think that he and his brother would be down for the same with her sister? Not that he was totally adverse to the idea, especially now that she had him thinking on it. He didn’t think Carson would entertain the idea for more than a minute, not when the man spent all his time trying to avoid any dalliances, much less one that might involve him and his younger brother. “Does Desiree know you’re pimping for her?” Maia laughed, no sign of embarrassment on her face, just genuine mischievousness lighting her eyes. “You Cajun boys have such a way of putting things.” He knew he shouldn’t be surprised by her allusion to his background and tamped down his initial reaction, instead just lifting up one corner of his mouth in what he knew was his killer, nonchalant grin. Maia responded with a killer-wattage smile of her own. “Am I accurate?” “Depends on how you look at it. Me, personally, I see myself as more of a matchmaker than a pimp, although both occupations tend to

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be misunderstood and not get the love and respect they deserve, don’t you think?” Rather than respond, Sam asked a question of his own. “What makes you think Carson and I are interested in your sister, sexy filly that she might be?” “Aside from her being a ‘sexy filly,’ I just know.” Again with that shrug and enigmatic expression that made him want to interrogate her right and proper. He had a feeling he wouldn’t like her answer but asked anyway. “How?” She gave him a steady, serious look that made him squirm and feel as if he were the one being interrogated. “I have these…visions.” Sam had come across his share of occultists and other practitioners of voodoo in New Orleans. When a body lived down in the bayou long enough like he and his family had, coming across the supernatural and people who believed in it proved unavoidable. He had to admit, too, that Maia Jensen had that look about her, the look of being…touched is what the old timers called it when someone had certain gifts. “What does Desiree think of your visions? Or have you even talked to her about them?” “Desi’s too practical to believe in my gifts. She’s in denial.” Sounded like Carson to him. “So what are we supposed to do about it?” Maia hooked an arm through his and walked him away from the anvil toward the barn exit as if for a short stroll. “I’m thinking a fine young stud like you wouldn’t be averse to courting a beautiful young woman such as my sister.” Sam wanted nothing better, and it wasn’t like he hadn’t thought of cozying up to Desiree before Maia’s proposal. However, dating one of his employers wasn’t exactly keeping a low profile. He knew Carson would blow a gasket. He wasn’t too sure what his mother’s reaction would be, though she always did whatever she could to make

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both her boys happy—within reason. He knew for sure he didn’t want to risk either Carson or his mama’s safety with his selfishness. Damn, he hated living his life for other people! How could he be angry, though, when his brother had been doing basically just this most of his life—being the man of the house after Daddy’s death, looking out for him and Mama like it was his duty and without a word of complaint? What about Mama, come to that? She had sacrificed her freedom and brought the vengeance of their alpha down on her head, helping Carson escape the pack and taking her boys out of the state. She had thought nothing of their alpha’s wrath, because that’s what family did. Family went out on a limb for each other. His had been doing it for him for a while now. How long was he supposed to deny himself, however, remain celibate, and live half a life in the name of loyalty and paying the family debt? “You look conflicted.” Maia squeezed his biceps. “You shouldn’t be. Desi talks a tough game but she’s a softy at heart, and I have it on good authority that she’d like nothing better than to have attention lavished on her from a certain night wrangler and his brother.” “Authority? Your visions?” Maia just nodded. “And what’s in all this for you?” “Besides seeing my sister happy? Nothing at all.” “How selfless of you.” “We do what we can.” She smiled then turned serious again. “My visions don’t lie, and unlike some people, I pay attention to them.” Curious, Sam asked, “What about you, though? No particular cowboys on The Double R catching your fancy?” She gave him another flirty smile that made his heart leap the way a smile from any pretty filly might. It didn’t come close to making his heart and cock pump the way just being near Desiree did, which was a good thing, especially once he heard Maia’s response.

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“You boys are a couple of hunks any woman would be proud to call her own, but not my cup of tea.” Deciding to tease her, Sam said, “Really?” “I know it sounds crazy. I’m throwing the two of you at my sister instead of making a play for at least one of you for myself, but like I said. I don’t question my visions.” “But Desiree does.” “Given the right circumstances, she won’t need to.” Meaning given the right cowboys, Sam thought. He wanted more than anything to ask her exactly what she saw in these visions of hers. What exactly did she think he and Carson could do for Desiree that any other able-bodied cowboy in the vicinity couldn’t? For that matter, what had been going on with both fillies back in New York that neither of them had been snatched up by some highfalutin suit and tie? The thought of some fancy-smancy businessman with fingernails polished as shiny as his designer shoes touching Desiree about had his blood boiling. She belonged to him and Carson. Sam couldn’t deny she had that suit-and-tie look about her, though. Even traipsing around The Double R in boots, jeans, and Western shirts, Desiree still gave off a cosmopolitan air. She had the polish of a woman who enjoyed nothing better than putting on the Ritz for a night. She looked like she’d appreciate a night out at an expensive restaurant after taking in a Broadway show or even an evening at the opera with a metrosexual captain of industry or highpowered attorney. How could he and Carson compete with all that? Sam looked at Maia as if for his answer and her next words had him thinking that her gifts didn’t stop just at having visions. “I know Desi gives off an air of being stuck-up and above everyone else. Trust me, it’s all a façade. She’d love nothing better than to get down and dirty with two down-to-earth cowboys. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

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“Far be it from me to question your visions, then.” “I knew you were a smart man.” “Smart enough to know when I’m licked.” “Oh, no. You’re not licked yet. Not by a long shot.” Yeah, but he had a feeling he would be soon enough—licked and whipped, pussy whipped, that was. He so looked forward to it, too. How was he going to get Carson on board, though? Maia said her sister talked a tough game, but Desiree had nothing on his brother. Carson talked and walked a tough game. These were many of the things Sam respected about his brother. Carson also always meant what he said and said what he meant, which presented a problem since Carson had sworn off dealing with full humans, but especially human women, more than proved absolutely necessary. Full humans were trouble, and despite only being a hybrid himself, Carson believed in this to his core. Aside from the fact that Desiree was most assuredly not a shifter, she was off-limits for other reasons. Sam could easily see himself falling in love with Desiree Jensen. He could see Carson doing the same. Love, more than anything, was a definite no-no in Carson’s book. Love meant commitment and ties. Their lives were not certain as long as they were on the run from Remy. One-night stands were bad enough but acceptable. Thoughts of settling down with one woman, having kids, and putting down stakes—all the things that Sam sought—should not be entertained as far as Carson was concerned. Sam swallowed down the lump of anger that had suddenly risen up like bile as if to choke him. He didn’t want to be angry at anyone, much less his brother. He loved and admired Carson, but he couldn’t let the man run his life indefinitely. There would come a time for Sam to make a choice and just leave, the same way Carson had before Sam and their mother had chased him down a while back. Maia squeezed his biceps to get his attention. “I haven’t lost you yet, have I?”

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He turned to look at her and smiled. “Not a chance.” “That’s good, because it might make this a little hard otherwise.” Before Sam could ask her what she meant, Maia had slid her hand up behind his head, caressing the hair at his nape before she stood on tiptoes and crushed his mouth beneath hers. Sam closed his eyes, instantly imagining Desiree’s lips pressed against his, tasting her tongue instead of Maia’s and hating himself for treating Maia like the substitute she remained even if she didn’t know it. It really wasn’t the gentlemanly thing to do, but even worse proved his reaction when he heard the tiny squeak-gasp behind him. Sam gripped Maia by the shoulders and pushed her back none too gently, panting as he gaped at her. She may not have been her sister, but he was a man and the filly sure could kiss. “What was that for?” “I was wondering the same thing.” Merde. He didn’t need to turn around to know Desiree stood behind him. He could tell that damn well by the grin gradually crawling up the side of Maia’s face. “Whoops,” she whispered and patted his arm as she moved past him toward the exit. She paused at the barn door and smiled at her sister. “He’s all yours, hun.” Desiree sputtered, and before she could get anything intelligible out of her mouth, Maia closed the barn door behind her. How appropriate, Sam thought. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” “You didn’t,” Sam blurted, then cleared his throat to start again. “I mean, Maia was just leaving anyway.” “You two seemed busy when I arrived.” Sam wondered exactly how much she had seen, certainly enough to cause that bright, rosy glow to her copper-toned, high-sculpted cheeks, enough to make her…jealous? Was that what Maia had wanted, to make her sister jealous? Damn, but she was a slick filly.

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Sam looked at Desiree long and hard until she averted her whiskey-brown eyes and shuffled her feet. Damn but she made his heart do all kinds of somersaults in his chest. It never failed. Maia was cute in a mischievous, elfin way, but she couldn’t hold a candle to her older sister’s solemn, regal beauty. Just looking at Desiree made him want to knock her off of that figurative pedestal. He wanted to roll her around in the dirt just to see if any of that famous Colorado red would stick to her or roll off as if she were Teflon like he half suspected. She seemed so untouchable all the time, yet fragile, too. Sometimes she actually acted kind of skittish, as if she was afraid of him, or just men in general. The thought left a bad taste in Sam’s mouth and made him ready to run out, find the guy who had hurt her, and hurt him real bad. Right at that moment, though, Desiree seemed more unsure than he had ever seen her. She always seemed out of her element on The Double R but especially in his personal space now. How could he let her know that she was more than welcome in his space, especially when all he wanted to do was touch her, kiss her, hold her? Talking was the last thing on his mind when he was near Desiree, but he wouldn’t mind doing a little of that, too. He wouldn’t mind learning more about her from her own mouth instead of soaking up every admittedly miniscule piece of gossip that proliferated on the ranch. Sam regretted making her nervous, making her hide those pretty peepers when all he wanted to do was drown in them. He let his gaze travel down from her face to her throat, tuning his senses to the pulse pounding there. He closed his eyes and inhaled deep, not surprised by the waft of arousal that greeted him. She wanted him, and it was almost unfair that he knew it when he knew for damned sure that she didn’t want him to know.

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Sam let his gaze travel farther, glancing over the curve of her lush breasts down to the erect nipples he was sure she wanted to hide. He dragged his eyes from the sight, unconsciously licking his lips before his gaze finally landed on the covered basket Desiree had in her hand. He motioned to it and said, “That for me or some other lucky cowpoke?” Desiree looked at him and his cock reacted just like his heart had earlier, throbbing almost painfully in his jeans. What was it about this one woman that near drove him to his knees when he hadn’t even kissed or held her yet? Was it that he hadn’t been with a woman in so long he’d forgotten what it was like and now was focusing all that pent-up energy on one of the first halfway intriguing, undoubtedly beautiful women he had come across in a while? Court her? Sam didn’t think he’d make it through the process without losing his mind. Desiree lifted the basket. “It’s for you and your brother, if you’re willing to share.” Sam beat down the flash of possessiveness that made him see red for a moment at her comment. Share? He was a pretty laid-back, generous guy overall, but it depended on what and with whom she was talking about. He and his brother had been through a lot and he wasn’t closer to another being on the planet. He supposed if he got right down to it, he would share his most prized possession with Carson, and only Carson. “So what do you have there?” “Authentic Louisiana pecan pie. At least I’m hoping you think so.” “You made it?” She nodded. “I thought you and Carson could tell me whether I’ve hit the mark or not. You guys are the only Cajuns I know of on the premises, besides your mother that is.” “I’d be honored to be your Cajun guinea pig.”

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“You might not think so once you taste it, even if it is your mother’s recipe.” Sam chuckled, lifting the linen cloth to peek beneath. He lowered his nose and inhaled deep. “Smells good.” Not as good as you, though. He was a second away from blurting it out but bit his tongue, somehow knowing it wouldn’t go over too well with this prim and proper woman, at least not yet, anyway. He knew he was going to have to earn the privilege and do a lot of softening her up. Save it for later. “You’re being nice.” Sam reached into the basket to scoop out one of the presliced pieces of pie with the spatula inside and took a bite of the pie without hesitation. “How is it?” He tried not to laugh around the food in his mouth, continued chewing it all, and swallowing before responding. “Impatient little thing, aren’t you?” She blushed. “It’s just that I’ve been working on this for a week, trying to get everything just right, like your mother’s…” As she let her words drift off, Sam mentally filled in the blanks. It was plain to see the woman was a stickler in everything she did. Getting every ingredient just right in a pie would be no different to her than dotting every i and crossing every t on a tax return she prepared for a client. She’d want the end result to be the same— perfection. He could see all this a mile away even if he didn’t spend that much time around her. He knew her type, from the glossy copper hair on her head to the unscuffed, shiny toes of her boots, he knew her. He wanted to know her even better. He wanted to take her hair out of that perpetual ponytail, run his hands through and muss it up, see if it proved as soft as it looked. “This is delicious.” “Like your mom’s?” she asked, eagerness lighting her gaze. “It’s different.” Sam watched her pout and almost laughed out loud. He wanted to kiss the sulk right off her full lips. Instead, he

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explained. “Different isn’t bad. No two Cajun or Creole cooks make the same dish the same way, even when they use the same exact ingredients. Each cook puts her mark on a recipe, no matter how small.” He paused here, giving her a meaningful look. “I like your mark.” He didn’t realize he had closed the space between them until she took a step back, face flaming red as if the temperature in the barn had shot up twenty degrees. God, why did he just say that? He was going to scare the woman away before he could even begin to court her. Thanks to Maia for putting a word to something that had been nothing more than an amorphous concept before now. Desiree took another step back toward the door. “Well, I’d better go.” “To find Carson?” She nodded and reached behind her to open the door. Good luck with that, Sam thought. If he thought he had scared her, he imagined Carson’s gruff, remote manner would downright terrify her. Sam licked his lips again as he watched her leave, tasting remnants of the appetizing pie as he appreciated how the denim of her jeans hugged her luscious ass, the way her hips swung back and forth in a natural, seductive sway. He fought the impulse to follow Desiree and hoped his brother had better luck with her than Sam had. He hoped Carson didn’t mess things up for the both of them.

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Chapter 4 Boredom was a dangerous thing. Oh, sure, it had led to some interesting self-discoveries and skill sets over the years. Overall, however, like the inclination that had led her out to the barn to test out her latest culinary masterpiece on Helena’s youngest son, boredom proved, like idle hands, to be the devil’s playground. What other possible reason did she have for seeking out Sam Quarry to sample her creation, aside from letting Maia goad her into being “friendlier” and getting to know the residents of the ranch a little better? Like her life wasn’t fine the way it was? Like she wasn’t perfectly okay living and keeping to herself the way she always had? The more she thought about it, however, the more sense it made to do like her sister said and get to know the people on the ranch, be friendlier. What good did moving halfway across the country do her if she was going to take the same baggage with her and be the same stiff, stick-in-the-mud person she had been in New York? Colorado was supposed to be a new beginning for her, a fresh start, and even though it wasn’t Vegas, she intended for anything that happened here to stay here. Despite being on the ranch almost a year, Desiree hadn’t thought of Colorado with any sort of permanence before a couple of weeks ago, but the more she hung around Helena and her very capable cooking staff, the more she realized she liked the ranch and the people who lived and worked on it. Heck, it was just a hop and a skip from hanging out with Helena and her cooking crew to watching the cowboys and other hands proceed with their daily chores and ranch

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operations and even help with some of the work when time from her career permitted. Tracking down the taciturn Carson after spending an enjoyable if also nerve-racking time with his brother Sam proved a horse of another color altogether. Approaching Sam had been an experiment, a way to ease out of her comfort zone. Finding him with Maia, however, had been as much of a shock as the flash of jealousy that shot through Desiree at the sight of her sister wrapped around the young cowboy. Seeing the lust for Desiree shining out of Sam’s eyes once Maia left had been a jolting wake-up call that had Desiree loath to consider that her sister might be onto something. My visions don’t lie, Desi. They may not always be clear and detailed, but they don’t lie. Wasn’t that the truth? Maia’s visions rarely spelled things out, were rarely black and white. They always seemed so full of ambiguity and symbolism that only Maia could interpret them. What good did that do anyone, especially Desiree? What good had it done her? What good was any of it if it couldn’t prevent what had happened to Desiree five years ago? For some reason, however, these most recent visions, the ones involving Sam, Carson and Desiree, were as clear as a bell, or so Maia said. The idea should have emboldened her, made her eager to find Carson and test Maia’s visions, but how could Desiree trust what her sister saw? How could she believe that she was meant to be with two men when she had yet to have a successful relationship with one? She would have done better to have just left the basket with Sam and let him hunt up his brother, except that she wanted to get feedback from the horse’s mouth. She wanted to see Carson, conquer her fear, and prove to herself that he wasn’t as intimidating as she had made him out to be. He wasn’t the big bad wolf in her dreams, as whimsical as that sounded and despite Maia’s visions. He was just a man after all, granted one shrouded in privacy and arrogance, but a

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man nonetheless. She had handled tougher than him before. She had survived much worse. She had to admit, however, once she found out Carson was occupied at the Western town, doing his part in the daily exhibitions that took place there, she’d breathed a sigh of relief that she wouldn’t be alone with Sam’s older brother. Desiree made her way over to the make-believe Old West town before she lost her nerve, feeling a bit like Little Red Riding Hood with her basket of goodies for Grandma. Only she wasn’t going to visit Grandma but the big bad wolf. Stop it! There are no such things as werewolves no matter what you saw in your dreams. No matter how many shifters you read about in all those paranormal romances on your bookshelves, they simply do not exist in real life. She had seen the Western town in passing, impressed, even at a distance, with its authenticity and the attention to detail that Jax Reynolds had put into it, but she’d never lingered or participated in the regularly scheduled staged shootouts. They were a popular attraction among The Double R’s guests and, she’d heard from Maia, a real blast. Even their mother had gone to the target range in the town and fired off some rounds. Desiree didn’t like guns, though, didn’t see the need for them. Guns killed more innocent people than not, and invariably when they were kept in a house for “protection,” someone tragically wound up the victim of mistaken identity or a misfire. On a modern working ranch she didn’t see where there was much difference from the urban jungle, except for the needed rifle to run off stray wild animals now and again. Maybe it was her background with stats, but she believed in hardcore facts. She believed in numbers, not the allure of a righteous man and his gun against an evil and wild world. The sound of gunfire reached Desiree’s ears as she neared the outskirts of the town, second thoughts beginning to hound her.

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She’d made more than enough pie to accommodate any extra cowboys who might be participating in the shootout. However, only one opinion really mattered to her. Two sets of Western-clad figures ran from the town’s bank. The first set comprised of three outlaws with bandanas tied around their noses and mouths. The second comprised of two lawmen giving chase, one of whom remained Carson Quarry. Desiree’s heart did a little Texas two-step in her chest when he dove to the side and behind a watering trough to evade one of the outlaw’s bullets. The sights and sounds were so genuine that Desiree had a hard time convincing herself not to fear for the lawmen’s lives as the outlaws fired on them. Intellectually, she knew they weren’t in any real danger, that the bullets were blanks and that the blood spurting from the deputy’s chest as he fell back against the bank façade was fake. Viscerally, however, she felt the danger and, if she was being honest with herself, the thrill of what she was watching. She got so engrossed in the action in front of her she barely noticed the shouts of the spectators to her right watching the action at a safe distance in the unobtrusive bleacher seats. Unlike her, who stood right in the path of the outlaws as they spurred their horses into a gallop and headed for the outskirts of town, Carson on their heels. Desiree heard the shouted warnings as the three horses barreled toward her on a collision course and stood rooted to the spot. Indecision was her worst enemy, but she couldn’t bring herself to move before the lead horses reached her. Carson kicked his stallion into gear, speeding past the other animals and veering in front of them as he reached down an arm to scoop Desiree up into the saddle with him. She had a moment to yelp as he decelerated enough to let her settle into her seat behind him and wrap both her arms about his waist with everything in her.

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“Ohmygod! Oh God, oh God, oh God!” Desiree squeezed her eyes closed as she pressed her face against his back, inhaling the fresh, laundered scent of his shirt. Clean and musky mixed together with all male and instantly made her moist between her legs. She couldn’t figure out if she was so turned on because she had just barely escaped being trampled or because Carson was the one who had rescued her. Desiree lifted her face from his soft cotton shirt in time to hear the spectator applause as if she were emerging from deep underwater. They all thought her appearance and near-trampling were part of the show. Didn’t Desiree just wish! “She all right?” one of the play-outlaws asked as he and his partners got off their horses and rushed to where Carson and Desiree sat on his horse. “I think so,” Carson answered for her. Desiree remained silent and watched as he signaled to the men. In the next moment the three outlaws headed over to the bleachers, clapping their hands and informing the crowd that the show was over for now and they had to clear out. Carson turned his horse back around to the sound of ahs and groans as the crowd grudgingly dispersed. He steered the horse back toward town and that’s when Desiree noticed her basket overturned in the middle of the road. “My pie!” “Pie?” Carson swung around in his seat, green eyes raking up and down the length of her with obvious shock and more than a little disdain. “Authentic Louisiana pecan pie,” she murmured in her defense, knowing how deranged she must sound. Here she’d almost been killed and she was worried about damn pie. She couldn’t help it, though. She’d put a lot of effort into making that pie, had pretty much risked life and limb to get it to Carson, and after all this he probably wouldn’t get a chance to sample it.

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Carson sneered at her pitiful attempt at an explanation. “C'est sa couillon.” “What did you just call me?” “I said you’re an idiot.” He looked like he was ready to thump her on the head with his finger just for good measure, as if she was a little kid who’d misbehaved in church. Like Desiree didn’t already feel pretty freaking small and foolish enough. “Well damn, don’t hold back, Mr. Quarry, just tell me how you really feel.” Carson gritted his teeth as he dismounted his horse and reached up for her to do the same. Desiree looked down into the storm cloud that was the man’s face and hesitated. “Haven’t you caused enough trouble already? Come on down. Now.” Well, when he puts it that way. Desiree automatically felt her dander go up. Okay, she was totally in the wrong, but he didn’t have to be such a jerk and still giving her the hairy eyeball while he was at it! “I can get down myself.” “Wait, don’t do tha—” Adding insult to near injury, Desiree’s foot missed the stirrup as she tried to dismount and she went tumbling off the horse face forward. If it hadn’t been for Carson coming to her rescue yet again, she would have landed on the hard-packed dirt headfirst. He caught her against his chest and silently held her close. It took a moment for Desiree to realize it wasn’t just her own heart pounding in her ears. “What? Are you on a suicide mission today?” Was that a tremor she heard in his voice? Nah, it couldn’t be, not from the big, bad, arrogant cowboy. “You can put me down now.” He murmured something else in that foreign tongue that Desiree presumed was French, his voice deep and moving through her like warm butter.

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She fought the shudder trying to ride through her body, not wanting to give him the wrong idea, even if she was ready to tear off his clothes and start licking him from head to toe like an ice cream cone. “You know you could do that in English. I know you’re already not afraid to insult me to my face.” “I said I’d rather not.” “Rather not—” “Put you down. Not insult you to your face.” “Oh.” Why would he rather not put her down? Shouldn’t getting her down and away from him be his top priority since she seemed to have pretty much ruined his life? At least he acted like she had. “Please put me down.” Carson did, taking his sweet time about letting her slide down his body to stand on her own. Once her feet were on terra firma he still maintained contact, however, hands resting lightly on her shoulders. “You all right, cher?” “I’m fine thank—” Cher? Whoa, buddy. What was that all about? However, rather than ask him, afraid of the answer, Desiree said, “I’m fine, thanks to you. And now I need to go see if I can salvage my pie.” She headed toward the overturned basket with Carson on her heels. “What is so damned important about that pie?” She turned a glare on him, fists on her hips. “I went through a lot of trouble to get your mother’s recipe just right, okay? I just wanted you to try it and see if it was good or not, that’s all. Sam already tried some and loved it, at least he said he did, and I wanted your opinion, too, since it’s your mother’s recipe and…” “You said that already.” “God, I’m babbling.” She watched one corner of his mouth tilt up at this, and her heart near about stopped at the unfamiliar sight. Not to mention her face heated with what she was sure continued to be a fierce blush. “I’m sorry for calling you an idiot.”

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The regret in his voice drew her eyes up to his, and at five-five that involved her tilting back her head more than a little to meet his unflinching green stare. Yeah, he was a tall drink of water, at least six-three by her guesstimate—six-three of solid, broad-shouldered muscles. Desiree swallowed as she remembered exactly how some of those muscles felt when he’d lifted her, biceps and triceps of lean, banded steel. She tried not to think about the hard, ripped abs she’d felt beneath her hands when she’d had her arms around his waist, or she’d just completely lose her good sense. She swallowed before she said, “I was an idiot. I could have gotten someone hurt, not just myself.” “There was no way you could have known—” “I was in the way, plain and simple.” Carson moved one hand from her shoulder up to her face and cupped her cheek. Desiree felt an electrical current shoot through her body at the skin-to-skin contact, his work-roughened hand warm and invigorating on her face. He rubbed his thumb across her cheekbone, just under her eye, back and forth, back and forth, his movements gentle, hypnotic, and slow. “I’d like a taste now.” Was she hearing things? He’d certainly voiced her thoughts. She’d like a taste of him now, tomorrow, whenever she could get it. Her panties moistened at the image of her licking his bare chest as he lay on her bed, wanting her as much as she wanted him. Where was this sudden carnality coming from? It surprised her, not just because it had been so long since she’d touched or been touched by a man so intimately but because one of the last times that she had, the experience hadn’t exactly been something she wanted to remember. In fact, the experience had been something she wanted to forget completely for the violence and pain it wrought. Desiree cleared her throat. “Pardon?” “Your pie. I’d like a taste. That is, if any of it’s salvageable.”

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It had to be more salvageable than her mind at the moment. The man was really making her lose it big time. This was dangerous. She knew he didn’t like her, that he wanted to keep his distance. Did she really want him to like her and close the distance, though? Things had been bad enough for her when she entertained the attentions of a man who claimed to like her then did unimaginable things to her in the name of finding her attractive and wanting her. Desiree turned from that magnetic gaze to get her bearings before crouching down to retrieve her basket. She lifted the linen cloth to peek beneath. The pie inside hadn’t been damaged at all. Only a slice had spilled out and gotten flattened in the dirt, making the overall damage to her peace offering minimal. “My partner must have wanted that piece,” Carson said. Desiree stood and saw the teasing gleam in his eyes. He made a joke. Would wonders never cease! “He must have.” “Did I hear my name?” Desiree and Carson both turned to see the cowboy who had been playing the deputy to Carson’s sheriff as he paused just behind them. “The varmint has radar whenever food’s involved,” Carson stagewhispered to Desiree, then said, “If the lady says it’s all right, you can have a piece of…” he paused here, giving her a meaningful glance, “her authentic Louisiana pecan pie, Miller.” Miller rubbed his hands together and licked his chops. “Sounds like a good deal.” Thank goodness for Miller! Alone with Carson, Desiree had started to contemplate some decidedly unwise possibilities. After all, what could exist between the two of them? Now Desiree had something entirely different to focus on than her lust, yet she remained anxious. Carson had made his pronouncement as if her pie were the best thing since sliced bread and she feared that it wouldn’t live up to his buildup. She pulled back the linen cloth further and Miller didn’t hesitate to reach in and scoop out a piece with the spatula that was inside.

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He took a hearty bite of the pie and began humming as he closed his eyes. After several moments of watching the rapturous look on the man’s face, Desiree couldn’t take the suspense anymore. “Well? How is it?” “Huh?” Miller opened his eyes to glance from Desiree to Carson and back again as if coming out of a trance. “I thought you knew from my humming and the look on my face.” Desiree laughed as Carson swatted at Miller’s head with his Stetson while Miller ducked and dodged, laughing as he left the two of them alone again. “Hits the spot right nice after a shootout!” he said over his shoulder. “I feel bad now that I didn’t bring some lemonade or something else to wash this down with,” Desiree said. “Next time.” Carson clapped and rubbed his hands like Miller and Sam had before him and reached in for a piece of the pie. Desiree’s heart pounded with his inference that there would be a “next time” as well as the idea that he was about to bite into something she had made with him and his brother especially in mind. She was treading in risky waters and berated herself for bringing attention to herself unnecessarily. Things had been simpler when he’d thought her an annoyance to be avoided and she’d avoided him for self-preservation. Now he’d touched her, made her feel real, and she had nothing to offer him beyond a damaged shell. What healthy, red-blooded man wanted to deal with her kind of baggage? She didn’t even want to deal with it half the time, but she had no choice. Carson paused with the pie to his mouth. “If this is as good as your flan, don’t be afraid when you see my eyes roll up in my head like Miller’s. Just know I’m not having a seizure.” He took a bite before Desiree could reply and immediately closed his eyes as he began to chew.

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She was glad, as it gave her a chance to admire him without being watched by those green laser-beam eyes that didn’t miss a thing. The sun revealed the red highlights in his longish black hair, softening the appearance so much her fingers itched with the desire to run through it. Shaking her head, she moved her gaze farther down to his lightly tanned face, taking in the strong, sculpted jaw and the contrasting sight of long, lush lashes just brushing his cheekbones. Desiree paused at his throat, the slight expanse of skin exposed by the two undone buttons at his collar. She looked at the pulse beating in his neck, surprised by the overwhelming urge to put her lips against it, the hunger that demanded she suck and nibble his neck—mark him—as she ran her hands over the hard-muscled breadth and curves of his torso. He was beautiful, not handsome but beautiful. Desiree broke out into a cold sweat when she realized that she and he were alone. She had been trying to avoid being alone with him earlier, but now it was a condition she gladly settled into. She liked the privacy even if they were outside and in the open and anyone could walk by. They stood so close and in each other’s personal space that it gave her the illusion they were all alone in the world. She felt like she could trust Carson Quarry with all her secrets, even her life, because he had proven he would protect her even when she hadn’t asked. When Carson finished chewing and swallowed, he opened his eyes to gape at her as if he couldn’t believe what he had just tasted. “C’mon, it’s not that bad, is it?” “It’s not bad at all. It’s delicious.” “I’m not fishing for compliments, but really?” “I’m ready for seconds.” He polished off the piece in his hand in short order and reached in the basket for another piece. “Now I see why you were so upset about the possibility of this being trampled. Surely would have been a pure waste.” Desiree watched as he made quick work of the second piece. He smiled at her when he was done. It was such a simple thing, really,

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but his smile and honesty made her chest fill as if he’d pinned a medal to her lapel. She knew it was honesty and not empty flattery. The man, after all, had the nerve to call her an idiot to her face. He made it obvious he wasn’t trying to flatter or impress anyone, especially not her. “Did Sam get his fill?” “I don’t think so. He only had one piece. But I can always make more.” “We wouldn’t want to put you out.” She wondered at the way he spoke for himself and his brother, playing the role of the boss and leader in every way. She wondered how far that went in the brothers’ relationship. How much influence did Carson have over Sam, and would that translate in a relationship with her? How much convincing would Sam need to share a woman with his brother? What are you thinking? Maia and Tamara were rubbing off on her in very unhealthy ways. She couldn’t see herself handling one man, especially this man. How would she handle Carson and Sam? Desiree cleared her suddenly dry throat. “You wouldn’t be putting me out. I love to cook, even better when someone’s going to be enjoying what I’ve created like you boys are enjoying this.” Desiree offered him the basket and Carson readily relieved her of it. “Good deal, then.” “Just drop the basket by the house when you’re done.” She turned to leave but slowed her steps as Carson caught up to walk beside her. “If you’re going back to the house, let me give you a ride. I’m going that way, too.” Desiree glanced over at his horse shuffling his hooves several yards away and swallowed hard. Earlier when Carson had scooped her up into the seat with him had been her first time on a horse. She’d gone through plenty of pains to avoid the animals since she’d been on the ranch and had been miraculously successful. With Maia’s and

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Tamara’s nagging, this had been no mean feat. Desiree appreciated the animals at a distance, thought they were beautiful, but… “You’re not afraid, are you?” She winced. “It shows?” Carson whistled and the animal trotted over and stopped beside him. Carson pet the horse’s head then rubbed his nose and the animal whinnied, obviously enjoying the attention. “This here critter is Freedom’s Call. I call him Free. Free, meet Desiree.” The horse snorted and bent his head toward her as if he understood exactly what Carson talked about. Desiree put her hand up and hesitated. “Go ahead. He won’t bite, not unless you have an apple in your hand. I can’t be responsible for anything the greedy bugger does, then.” “Guess you’d better watch out for your pie.” “Already taken care of.” Carson held the basket behind his back and Desiree laughed, not missing how the slight motion pushed out his chest, stressing the muscles in his shoulders and arms as they flexed. Desiree laughed as she finally touched Free’s nose with her fingertips and the animal pushed against her palm as if asking for a firmer touch. She readily accommodated him, rubbing his nose before sliding her hand down to stroke him under the chin. Free released a low rumble. “Looks like you’ve made a new friend. Either that or he’s trying to soften you up to make him a pie of his own.” “Sorry, you’ll have to share yours and Sam’s.” The thought made her wonder if he’d be willing to share more than just a pie with his brother. Would he share her?

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Chapter 5 Carson shifted his weight from one leg to the other as his jeans got decidedly tight around the crotch trying to accommodate his burgeoning, hot cock. Inside his jeans his cock wept and he prayed the drop of pre-cum he felt leaking from the slit of his erection couldn’t be seen through the front of the jeans he wore. Despite the denim being thick, he thought there was definitely a drawback to going commando the way he and Sam habitually did. He should have turned away, averted his eyes. He couldn’t look away, though, getting more turned on watching Desiree stroke his stallion the way he wanted her to caress him, the way he wanted her to touch his wanting cock. He did close his eyes finally, muttering a curse under his breath as his cock jerked and began to throb, painfully hard behind his zipper. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t supposed to happen. How had it? “Are you okay?” He opened his eyes to see the concern in her whiskey eyes and something inside him snapped. He didn’t want her to be concerned for him, didn’t want to have to reciprocate, because only trouble lay down that path. “I’m fine. We’d better go before it starts to get dark.” He wanted to bite off his tongue for coming out of his face so harsh, especially when he saw the hurt in her eyes, even though just as quickly she veiled the hurt with detachment. That was the oldest trick in the book, one he’d perfected.

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Dammit, why had he let her in? Now it would make things twice as hard seeing her around the ranch and keeping his distance, which he had been doing very well before now, thank you very much. Drawn by her vanilla scent, Carson bent his head, knowing full well he was digging himself into a hole and not caring. He wanted to wipe that detached look off her face. He knew there was too much passion and concern under that expression to keep hidden for too long. Her eyes widened right before his lips touched hers, but she didn’t show any sort of resistance, didn’t give any sort of indication that she wanted him to stop. By the time his lips made contact, Desiree’s eyes had drifted closed. The minute he noticed this act of acquiescence, the minute his lips connected with hers, Carson knew he was in deep trouble and wished she had resisted. He surely couldn’t, not with her slightly parted lips so demurely inviting him in. He pushed his tongue past that temptation and stroked hers, couldn’t deny the lure of her spicy scent, her sweet taste, her soft skin. A low groan quickly followed her gasp, boiling his blood in his veins and spurring him further. Carson framed her face with his hands, his big mitts almost swallowing her head as he drew her closer, angled his head, and deepened the kiss. Inside, his beast growled to be released and he knew had Desiree opened her eyes right then she would have seen the evidence of Carson’s waning control, his green eyes glowing out of his face as bright and yellow as the sun. He was almost too far gone to know whether her whimper was a rebuff or approval, but when she put her palms against his chest and fisted his shirt, pulling him forward, he accepted her action for what it seemed—capitulation. Carson pressed into her, shuddering when she slid her arms around his back, and he felt the pointed tips of her hard nipples stab just under his pectorals. He slammed the hot ridge of his cock into her slit when he hunkered down and finally took hold of her luscious ass

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to lift her up against him. He circled his hips, grinding into her as if to sear her with the heat of the blood rushing and filling his cock, wanting to give her something to remember him by once they parted, to imprint the memory of this moment, his body, on her body and soul. He didn’t want this to end, didn’t want to imagine how empty his arms would feel once he let her go, but knew condemnation approached, if not from him then from her, because why would a poised and polished city slicker want to be pawed by a country boy like him? Why would she want to get involved with an animal? Desiree’s breath came out in pants, her movements distinctly hostile and agitated even as she slid her hands into his hair and fisted a nice hank at the nape. He felt the push-pull of her actions before she finally tried to fend him off in earnest. When she jerked her hands from his hair and punched her small fists into his chest, Carson got the picture and released her. He didn’t step back quick enough to avoid the hard slap she delivered to his cheek, though. It proved a nice wake-up call, one he had to admit he needed. Carson shook his head and glanced down at her standing in front of him, unable to miss the way her full breasts pushed against the soft cotton of her Western shirt as she breathed heavily. He especially was unable to miss the stunned look on her face. He wondered what stunned her more, that he had kissed her or that she had kissed him back as passionately as she had. That proved at least one thing he was certain of. She’d wanted that kiss as much as he had. What had happened inside that beautiful head of hers in the span of seconds to make her pull back so violently? Carson wanted to blame his brother and Desiree, anyone but himself, for the tangle his emotions were in right then, but he couldn’t really muster the energy, not when he remembered the look on her face when he’d shown his appreciation for her pie.

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Spending this time with her and enjoying her dessert as well as her lips had been a rare indulgence and a nice break from the usual Old West exhibitions and shootouts he participated in. As much of a disruption as her appearance had been, he couldn’t even bring himself to regret her unscheduled visit. Problem was, any time he spent with her would prove as much of a façade as the Western town. It wouldn’t be real, not for him, because they couldn’t go anywhere. He almost reached for his heated face where she’d struck him, but Carson fought the impulse. He wanted to protect her, if only from her own regret and shame. Besides, he’d deserved it for taking advantage of the situation even if he hadn’t exactly taken advantage of her. Wordlessly, Carson turned from her and mounted Free, then reached down to help Desiree up into the saddle. She accepted his help this time without comment or complaint. She took his offered hand before easily sliding her left foot into the stirrup and swinging her other leg up to settle into the saddle behind him all cuddly and snuggly like a tick. Carson closed his eyes and gritted his teeth when she curled her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his back. Her body heat practically singed the skin beneath his shirt, made him tense and hard. What was she trying to do? Torture him? “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Were tears now moistening the back of his shirt? Merde! Yep, she was definitely trying to torture him, no doubt about it. “Me, too.” **** Carson entered the barn determined to give Sam a good talking to, but before he could open his mouth to say anything, Sam slammed his fist into his jaw.

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The blow caught him totally off guard and spun him around. The basket of pie he was carrying went flying out of his hand and hit the floor, kicking up dust a couple of feet away. Seeing stars, Carson shook his head and flexed his sore jaw, the same one Desiree had earlier slapped. Boy, the little peeshwank could pack a wallop, that was for sure. “That’s the second time today someone has felt the need to hit me.” “Wonder what you did to deserve it the first time.” “Nothing she didn’t want me to.” “Is that why I smell her tears on you?” “That all you smell on me?” Carson couldn’t help the smart-ass remark despite the dangerous glint in his brother’s eyes. He messed with Sam’s head and he knew it. He couldn’t, however, stop himself. He especially couldn’t stop the smug look he felt automatically lifting a corner of his mouth into a roguish grin that surely taunted Sam’s possessive sensibilities. He knew his brother. Kid remained an eternal idealist and had a chivalrous streak as big, if not bigger, than Carson’s. If he thought Carson had done anything to sully Desiree’s reputation, he’d want to do something to rectify things. Carson glanced down at his brother’s hands flexing into fists at his sides. He should put the kid out of his misery before this went too far and they both did or said something they’d regret, all because of a woman. Although Desiree, Sybilesque mood swings and all, was worth fighting over. He didn’t want to let Sam think him a complete bastard or that Desiree was in any way flawed but briefly thought fostering either or both conditions might be a good idea if it kept Sam from nurturing any romantic notions toward Desiree. In the end, he decided against it, silently vowing to do as little damage to Desiree’s reputation as possible. “Stop wearing your heart on your sleeve, Sam. I kissed her. That’s it. Just a kiss.” He wished he could say that and really mean it,

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because it had been much more than a kiss for him. That was the problem. “You did more than that, whether you realize it or not. I saw her when she got off your horse and she looked…devastated.” “Oh don’t be so melodramatic!” Was she devastated from just a kiss? Had he gone too far? Sam peered at his brother. “You don’t fool me one bit.” Carson squinted back then pushed by Sam to retrieve the basket. “She got to you, didn’t she?” “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Yeah, I do. You kissed her thinking to try and get her out of your system, prove to yourself that it wouldn’t be a big deal and she wasn’t worth all the ruminating. But she got inside your head, got past that well-guarded self-control and distance.” Carson stood and pushed the basket into Sam’s chest. “I saved you some pie.” Sam took the basket. “She said you could drop the basket off at the house when you’re done.” Hell, he’d throw his brother at Desiree the same way Sam had thrown her at him. Sam deserved a normal romantic life. Let him have Desiree if she’d take him. Carson couldn’t risk it, decided he just wouldn’t fall into the trap with Sam. At least this way he’d stay outside the circle his brother seemed determined to draw him into, detached and ready to put a stop to things if they got to be too much for Sam to handle or if their cover might be blown. He knew he’d probably have better luck stopping a runaway locomotive with his face, but let the kid have his fun, at least as much as he could before the hammer dropped and they had to make another great escape. “Is that really what she said?” Carson turned to face his brother. “What do you mean?” “Are you sure she didn’t say you could drop it off at the house?”

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“What difference does it make as long as she gets the damn thing back?” Carson headed toward the door but his brother stepped in front of him to block his path. “The difference is you like her same as I do.” “I don’t have time for this.” Sam grabbed his arm as Carson tried to push past him. “Don’t play the self-sacrificing older brother on this, Carson. You think I’d be happy with her knowing you want her, too, and denied yourself?” “The question is moot since she doesn’t seem to want me, isn’t it?” “I don’t believe that.” Despite his earlier promise to himself, Carson said, “Haven’t you been listening to me? She slapped the crap out of me. Either the girl is a serious prude like I said, or she’s got some other heavier issues that neither of us need to be dealing with right now.” “Speak for yourself. You’re just trying to discourage me.” Carson sighed. “Obviously it’s not working.” “It’s not just me she wants. I know that with everything in me.” “Why, are you so sure? What aren’t you telling me, Sam?” He watched his brother flush and hesitate as if he was questioning the wisdom of coming clean to Carson. He was almost afraid to hear what Sam had to say and quickly added before his brother could respond, “I think you’ve been hanging around Tamara and Jess and Jax too much.” “They’re happy. They’re making things work.” “That’s them. We’ve got other issues to deal with besides the potential ménage a trois you seem intent on promoting, in case you’ve forgotten.” “I haven’t forgotten, dammit! It’s not like I can run away or change who or what I am.” Carson’s breath hitched in his chest at the ragged tone of his brother’s voice.

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The forced isolationism was finally getting to the kid. He could see it in the dark circles under Sam’s eyes. Kid was only twenty-four, too young to be carrying around Mama’s and Carson’s burdens on his shoulders in addition to his own. Now he was talking about taking on Desiree’s. “Sam, what do you think can happen between us and Desiree? Do you think she can handle what we are? Really?” “I think we owe it to ourselves to find out.” Carson sighed again and shook his head. “She’s been hurt.” “What human being who’s reached adulthood hasn’t been?” Carson didn’t say anything, but he knew a man had hurt Desiree badly in the past and not just some average break-up-make-up drama or some guy who hadn’t called her after she’d given in and slept with him. This was much worse. He could feel it in his bones. A man had hurt her inside and out, had damaged her psyche. He wasn’t sure that he and Sam were the men to repair it, repair her, and he didn’t know if he wanted that responsibility anyway. The look in her eyes when she’d slapped him told him that he couldn’t handle her kind of pain without committing himself and opening up to her as much as he’d have to make her open up to them. This he couldn’t do. There could be no quid pro quo in the relationship, something he knew a woman like Desiree needed and would demand. “What are you trying so hard not to tell me, Carson?” “Forget I said anything.” “You’re afraid.” Carson chuckled as his heart thudded in his chest. “Speak for yourself.” “I’m not the one backing away from something that could be wonderful just because one of the party’s been hurt.” “There’s hurt and there’s hurt, Sam.” “Everyone deserves to be loved.” “Couillon!” Carson cuffed him upside the head. “Who died and made you her knight in shining armor?”

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“Just because you say you don’t want the job don’t try and dissuade me.” “You’re really not going to let this go, are you?” He didn’t miss the emphasis his brother put on say, questioning Carson’s resolve not to have anything to do with Desiree. He didn’t miss that Sam knew he was just blowing smoke up both their asses to get Sam to drop the subject of Desiree plus them. Sam shrugged. “There’s something there. I feel it. I don’t want to let it slip through my fingers and spend the rest of my life wondering what could have been.” Carson already wondered. Thing was, he knew what could have been. He’d touched and smelled what could have been. For one glorious moment he’d held what could have been in his arms and felt her quivering pleasure when he’d kissed her. He wanted that again, but would a few hours glorying in her arms, reveling in her pussy, be worth the risk? In the long run, would it be worth their freedom once Remy or their pack discovered their whereabouts because one of them slipped up and shared something with someone they shouldn’t have? Carson put his hands on his brother’s shoulders and stared into his eyes. “Do you know what you’ll be risking, getting involved with Desiree, getting more than casual about any woman?” “I’m not as strong as you, Carson. I need to be needed. I want to know love.” “And you think I don’t?” “Do you?” “I want what Mama and Daddy had.” Sam goggled and Carson realized his mistake. This little talk was chipping away at his armor, Sam finishing the job Desiree had started earlier. “Why shouldn’t you go for it? Why shouldn’t we?” Sam asked.

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“Because we aren’t always meant to have what we want.” Carson ought to know, since he wanted his parents to be together and around forever. He wanted his family back, intact, but that wasn’t going to happen. “Stop blaming yourself for Daddy’s death,” Sam murmured. “I don’t blame myself.” “But you blame yourself for not being able to protect Mama after.” “I don’t want to talk about it.” Carson swallowed hard, remembering how for years after Dad’s death Mama had to fend off Remy’s advances. It didn’t matter to Carson that the alpha waited a respectable amount of time after Dad died. No time would have been respectable enough to accept another man into his life, as his father, especially not the man Carson suspected of having a hand in his father’s death. “I know you think you should have gone up against the pack with your suspicions, but Mama made the right choice, Carson. There was no way you could have won, not against that powerful an alpha.” “She should have let me try.” “We didn’t have enough proof. Mama took the path of least resistance for all of us.” They’d never believed his assumptions about Remy, hadn’t seen what he had when Dad was alive, the way the alpha looked at Mama even then. He would make them see it, though, show them all exactly the sort of man Remy was…someday. “So now we’re outcasts without a home or people to call our own.” “It was either that or watching you executed, unless Remy decided to be merciful and let you fight for alpha privileges.” Carson fisted his hands in frustration. He would have gladly fought Remy. Better to die fighting than go out with a whimper and the truth untold.

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He stared at Sam and thought about all that his mama and brother had given up to save his too-noble and proud hide. They deserved better than a life on the run, hiding like animals. Sam gripped his shoulder. “Listen, I want to be with Desiree if she’ll have me, but I won’t make a move without your and Mama’s blessing.” “Now who’s being self-sacrificing?” Sam shrugged and Carson could see the strain finally catching up with him after ten years—five on the run and five mourning the death of their father before that. Mama’s blessing was a given. She wanted her sons happy and had been trying to get Carson and Sam to do more socializing since they’d arrived at The Double R almost a year ago. Her motto was why let Remy win by only living half a life? Could he in good conscience deny Sam’s chance to achieve Mama and Daddy’s sort of love with Desiree if that proved his fate? Sam hadn’t been all that young, granted, but family loyalty had allowed him to be dragged along for the ride when Kara helped Mama break Carson out of Remy’s stronghold. Over their years on the run, Carson often wondered what had become of his ex-girlfriend. Kara had been a good friend to the family even after their breakup and one of their only allies, at least the only one willing to act so boldly. She’d risked much to help them. Knowing Remy as he did, she couldn’t have fared well, and this bothered Carson more than he could say. Protecting the smaller and the weak—children, females, humans—had been a part of his DNA since before his father’s death. The instinct had only grown stronger after Dad’s death. To think that he had failed to protect Kara— someone he cared about and knew intimately—or that Kara had suffered for helping him and his family made him feel like more of a failure than he did already. Much like Kara, however, when the three of them went on the run, they’d challenged Remy’s authority, adding fuel to the fire after what

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Carson had done. Sam’s going along had probably saved his life. No telling what Remy would have convinced the pack to do to him as punishment against Mama and Carson. He’d been in a pretty selfrighteous mood and well within his rights to ask for blood. Not to mention it was his perfect opportunity to bargain for Mama’s allegiance. Carson would keep his life and freedom if Mama gave herself to Remy. Remy and the pack weren’t here, though, and Sam and Carson were. “Do what you have to do, Sam.” “You mean that?” “Yeah. Go for it.” “What about you?” “Don’t worry about me. I’ll do what needs to be done one way or the other.” Lay in the cut, have his brother’s back like Sam and his mama had his back, and make sure Sam didn’t get hurt too bad when the bottom finally fell out and they all had to go on the run again. If we go on the run again. Carson intended to make a stand. He was old enough now, strong enough to at least try. Remy needed to pay for what he had taken from all of them. It was long past due.

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Chapter 6 Remy sat back on the overstuffed leather sofa and crossed one ankle over the opposite knee, taking in his opulent surroundings and impressed with what he found. The carpet on which his sole rested was plush, cushioning his feet in decadent comfort, the burgundy color complimenting the vivid earth tones of the walls and the furniture. The gender-neutral appearance appealed to his alpha sensibilities. A sensualist by nature, Remy also liked the artwork—sculptures and paintings—strategically scattered throughout the waiting area along with lush, broad-leaved potted plants. He thought the overall effect was an elegant and stylish reflection of the beautiful and intelligent owner. Tamara Carpenter-Reynolds had been in Colorado not much more than a year, according to his research, and had managed to build a notable clientele. Her law offices were appropriately outfitted in the trappings of a thriving business and able to attract and keep her rich and successful clientele. The office’s appearance and Tamara’s professionalism engendered his confidence in signing on with Carpenter-Reynolds Law as a client, and he specifically hired the law office’s newest addition as his personal CPA. He doubted that Tamara would hire on someone who couldn’t do a more-than-competent job, even if that someone was family. Very beautiful family, Remy thought as the CPA in question came through the glass doors in a pair of tasteful, three-inch pumps that made her smooth, stocking-encased legs look longer than they were.

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He put the woman at just five foot five, a couple of inches more than petite, but heels and her erect carriage made her seem taller. He still towered over her by more than several inches but liked the way Desiree carried herself. He especially liked the way she smelled—vanilla and musk, sweet, and all woman. He could definitely see her appeal to the Guidry boys. She reminded him of Helena—aloof, cool, and untouchable, except to those she chose to open her heart to and trust. From what he had seen out at the Western town over the weekend, Desiree had chosen to open some part of herself to Carson, if not her heart. Remy considered the slap a mere setback, the mark of a woman who needed to be handled with a firm and sure hand. He remained certain that Carson had that hand and perhaps, to a smaller degree, so did his brother, Sam. Admittedly, something was amiss with the female, who gave every outward appearance of an unruffled professional while deep down, there existed a hidden well of unrestrained passion. In this, too, she was much like Helena, and Remy envied the two brothers their opportunity to tap such a heated well of lust in Desiree. The situation between the three made him hungry to do his own tapping. He could barely contain his excitement at the upcoming meeting, one that would bring him that much nearer to achieving his goal of getting closer to Helena and her sons. His plan could not be rushed, would not be, and he intended to have as much fun with the family as he could as he went about carrying it out. He deserved the diversion after all they had put him through, chasing them around the country in their foolish attempts to avoid his punishment. He would use every means at his fingertips to bring them all to heel the way he should have five years ago. Caring for Helena as he had no other woman, not even Duane’s mother, had made him soft, had made him let down his guard. There

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was no other explanation for him to allow the escape from his stronghold, as cleverly as it had been executed. Kara had been dutifully dealt with since, her punishment much more cruel and swift than that which would be dealt to the Guidry family. “Mr. Bastien?” “That would be me.” Remy stood and proffered a hand. “And please, call me Remy.” “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Remy. I’m Desiree Jensen.” “The pleasure is mine, Desiree,” he said with all sincerity, not waiting for her to invite the familiarity of using her first name and just taking it. Usually he loathed participating in such banalities, but in Desiree’s case, he would make an exception. From the wavy, copper hair piled on the back of her head in a sophisticated chignon with a bang and tendrils artfully arranged on each side of her face to the gleaming whiskey eyes observing him with astuteness and mild appreciation, he found the woman anything but banal. He noticed that she did not shy from his firm shake, only returned his slight squeeze with a cool grip of her own. Remy met her gaze as she tried to slip her hand out of his after a moment and held on for a few seconds longer than proper under the circumstances, testing her. The alpha in him never remained far away, but in civilized, fullhuman company, he usually found it necessary to tamp down the instincts of his beast. However, staying in the state for the last several months where Helena dwelled, living so close and having what he had sought for so long at his fingertips, made him act a little reckless, willing to allow the wolf off his leash, if only for the minute it took him to mark his territory. Remy released Desiree’s hand at the same instant she gave a jerk and took a step back to glance up at him with a confused, wary expression.

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His motto was always to keep people off-balance, never let them know exactly where or when he came from. It had worked for him in business, helping him broker several lucrative deals with competitors over the years and helping him keep his pack in line. Knowing when to put his foot in someone’s neck or allow them just enough rope to run or hang themselves with proved an invaluable tool to an alpha if he had any hope of flourishing or staying on top. Physical prowess, strength, and fighting abilities were just half the picture that made up a complete leader. Remy smiled to soften his features, knowing he could look downright feral and predatory when he didn’t smile, and motioned toward the offices in the back, beyond the reception desk. “Shall we?” He watched her back stiffen as she tilted up her chin, the cool façade sliding back into place when she nodded her head and led the way back toward her office. On the way, they bumped into the boss herself and stopped for some minor chit-chat. “Remy, I’d heard you were in our offices today. I hope my sister is taking good care of you,” Tamara said. Remy liked the way she verbally claimed Desiree, making it known to all far and wide that the woman was not alone. He respected that sort of familial ownership. The way Tamara acted toward her younger sister reminded him of pack. It reminded him of how Carson acted with Sam and their mother, protective and proprietary. He watched Desiree’s face color with an attractive blush as Tamara rested a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “So far, so good,” Remy said. “I’m sure there’s no reason for that to change.” Remy heard the unsaid words and understood perfectly. As long as he played nice and treated Desiree right, she would continue to “take good care” of him. Tamara didn’t appear to care how much business and money he could bring her company. If he posed a threat

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to anyone, but especially to Desiree, he could just take his business elsewhere. Hmm, interesting. He wondered again what caused Desiree’s ambivalence toward Carson, wondered, too, if it had anything to do with how shielding Tamara acted toward her. Was it just the typical overprotectiveness of an older sibling toward a younger, or something more, something he hadn’t yet discovered in his research of the Carpenter-Jensen family? “Well, I’ll leave you two to your business, then.” Tamara gave Desiree’s shoulder another squeeze and Remy a firm pat on the back as she left them. Desiree preceded him into her office. It was a spacious, eclectically furnished room with personal touches here and there in a few framed family pictures on the glass-topped desk and some potted plants in a couple of corners of the corner-window office. Remy took a seat in the designer chair before the desk as Desiree circled the desk and took the seat behind it. The clickety-clack of her fingers flying across the keyboard filled the silence immediately as she pulled up the needed information about his financials. “From what Tamara says and what you told me over the phone, you want to diversify your assets and invest in some businesses here in the Colorado area.” “That’s correct. As you probably know, I’ve already rented a condo here and plan to remain for a time as we expand my portfolio.” Desiree smiled, and it lit up her entire face, smoothing the slight lines from her serious expression. Her face proved as intoxicating as the color of her eyes. He didn’t think either Guidry boy would stand a chance against this woman, much like he hadn’t stood a chance against Helena Styles’s charms when Ben Guidry brought the female hybrid home to the pack.

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Remy had already been married at the time, but this didn’t stop him from admiring Helena’s beauty or her inner fire and spirit from afar. Remy was not the from afar type and was not the sort to sit back and wait for things to come to him. He saw something he wanted, and he went out and took it. Besides, Helena was made to be an alpha’s mate, his mate, despite her hybrid status, not the mate of a lowly beta like Ben. “I’m glad you put it that way, Remy, as we will be a team in deciding exactly which investments will work for you and which ones won’t.” Remy came back to the present and stared at the young woman behind the desk as if awaking from a coma. He smiled at the accuracy of her words. He planned to stick to her and her family like a predator on the trail of prey until he got what he’d come to Colorado for. “Yes, a team. That sounds perfect.” **** Sam had gone over what he would say to Desiree when he saw her, rehearsing his lines and his reactions to being near her, for hours in the mirror since Saturday. It was a simple thing to bring back the basket. He knew, however, it might mean more to both of them than the world. Simple things sometimes did that, and he wanted to be prepared. When he walked up the path leading to the back door of the main house and knocked, he was let down that the housekeeper, Maria, answered the door. He didn’t know why he expected Desiree would be the one to greet him since there were so many other people living in the house, any number of whom could have come to the door. Sam pasted a smile on his face to hide his disappointment and held up the basket. “Came to drop this off for Desiree.”

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Maria returned his smile and opened the door wide to let him enter the kitchen. Maria welcomed everyone into her kitchen. Her motto was the more the merrier, and she always had enough food and treats to offer visitors who dropped by. She was just like his mother in this regard. Not that Sam had dropped by or visited the main house all that often, just when he did, he’d always been warmly received by the family and offered something to eat or drink—Southern hospitality at its finest. This was one of the main things he liked about being at The Double R, the familial atmosphere that mimicked pack mentality. This was one of the main reasons Mama, for once in a long time, looked forward to hanging around for a while and laying down stakes. Carson remained wary, not ready to let down his guard, though Sam knew his brother liked living on the ranch, too. It was one of the few places where they felt at home, or as at home as they could feel in a strange land surrounded by strangers and nonshifters. “Come in and have a seat. I’m sure Desiree will want to see you.” Maria motioned to one of several high-back stools surrounding the marble island in the middle of the large kitchen. Sam followed her but remained standing. “I don’t want to interrupt anything.” Liar. Of course he wanted to interrupt. That’s why he had come at chow time, hoping for an invitation, and Maria did not disappoint. “We are just settling down for dinner, but I am sure you are more than welcome to stay and join us. There is plenty for an extra mouth or two.” Sam didn’t miss the twinkle in the older woman’s eyes and grinned in response. “I…” He frowned, suddenly catching a scent that shouldn’t have been in the house but was. Sam took a deep breath as surreptitiously as he could and caught the scent again. He was surprised he hadn’t caught it when he’d first

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arrived. It was a strong, familiar shifter scent. He staggered and caught his balance, grabbing the back of one of the stools with one hand while he dropped the basket to the floor from his other. Maria instantly came to his side and put an arm around his waist. He almost laughed at the incongruity of a petite, if plump, woman, the top of her head barely reaching his chest, coming to his hardmuscled and virile assistance. Merde, he hated seeming like a weak little female and couldn’t for the life of him understand why he’d become so unsteady and lightheaded all of a sudden. That scent. It can’t be. Can it? “Are you all right?” “I just need to sit for a minute. Maybe I worked out in the sun too long today.” He saw the doubt in her eyes as he lied. Being a night wrangler, he didn’t spend too many hours in the sun exerting himself. “I thought I heard your voice.” He watched as Desiree entered the kitchen and stopped on the threshold, his heart doing double-time in his chest as he straightened. No way could he let her see him weak in the knees and needing a seat to get his bearings. Christ, the scent was stronger on Desiree, as if she’d been near the source, nearer than Maria had been, at least for a longer time. What was going on? Could he be here? What was his connection to Desiree? Desiree frowned at him. “You don’t look too well, Sam.” “I’m right as rain. I just came by to drop off the basket and thank you again for the pie. It was delicious.” “I see, but you didn’t have to literally drop the basket, did you?” Sam followed her glance to the floor where the basket had landed, then returned his gaze to her face and saw the way her lips twitched as if she were fighting back a laugh. She raised her glance to meet his, a teasing gleam in her eyes before she averted her gaze.

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“I will leave you two now. I am going back to the dining room.” Maria gave each of them a smile, as if she knew a secret, before she turned and left them alone. Desiree bent at the waist to pick up the basket and place it on the island. She turned to catch him staring at her ass, but rather than address it, she said, “Thanks for bringing it back.” “Were you expecting Carson?” “I suppose it doesn’t matter who brought it back as long as I got it back.” “He said the same thing,” Sam admitted. “Just in a different way.” “I can imagine his way.” Sam noticed her wry expression and imagined that she could. She and Carson were more alike than not. His brother probably wouldn’t see it, nor would Desiree, but Sam could. They were both suspicious and wary of strangers and took a long time to warm up to people. Hell, the woman had been on the ranch almost a year, and the other day was the first time he had had a halfway meaningful conversation with her. He had conversations with the ranch guests all the time, but then he was paid to in most instances, taking the kids out horseback riding, entertaining them and their parents in the Old West town. This with Desiree, however, was more intimate an encounter than that. He wanted it to be even more so. “Was there anything else? Did you want to put in an order for another pie?” She grinned. “We can do that?” “I told Carson I’d love to make you boys another pie. I love to cook.” “We noticed.” “It’s always better when there’s someone to enjoy the fruits of my labor, of course.” “Mama says the same thing.” “She’s a great cook and an even better teacher. Between her and Maria, I can’t help but improve and expand my culinary skills.”

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“That’s really important to you, isn’t it?” “Improving and expanding my skills?” “That, and being good at things.” “I’ve always believed if I’m going to do something I should do it right and do it well or at least to the best of my ability.” “Same goes.” “I’ve noticed.” She gave him that shy smile again, the one that made her whiskey eyes twinkle right before she averted her gaze and shuffled her feet like a schoolgirl talking to her crush on the playground. Putting her on the spot he asked, “Have you really noticed?” “You and your brother do your jobs so well I’ve noticed all the women on the ranch falling all over you boys while you work.” “Would all those women include you?” “I’ve noticed,” she repeated. Desiree proved a tough nut to crack. And she would be his to crack. Mine and Carson’s. He hadn’t forgotten about the scent he’d picked up earlier. He wanted to ask her about it but didn’t know how. How did he go about asking a woman why she had another male’s scent on her, especially when it was possible he was wrong? It had been a dog’s age, after all. “Are you okay, Sam? Be truthful, because you really didn’t look too good when I came in. Weren’t getting butterflies about coming up to the big house, were you?” “Look who’s talking, when it took you months to venture out to the barn and the Western town before last Saturday.” She chuckled. “Okay, you got me.” The deep, sultry sound of her laugh washed over him like the finest cream, warm and sweet. The sound made him close his eyes for a moment as his cock jerked in response. “Not the social type, huh?”

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“I haven’t been, but now…” She let the rest of her sentence go unsaid, but Sam didn’t miss her glancing back out toward the dining room. Was that where her date for the evening remained, the one who pulled her out of her antisocial shell? Was he the one Sam smelled on her? Sam wanted to believe that he and Carson had worn her down, that she’d been on the ranch long enough to get used to them and wanted to be around them, not that some new Jack was in town beating his and Carson’s time. What else could it be, though? Who was that he smelled on her? Sam wanted to be mistaken, but he couldn’t deny the aroma, and his olfactory senses were almost never wrong. Carson said he had polar bear and bloodhound mixed in with his wolf. The next moment, he didn’t have to wonder anymore about who had joined the family for dinner at the main house, because Remy Bastien found his way into the kitchen. The alpha paused beside Desiree, aimed a facsimile of a smile Sam’s way, and asked, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to our newest arrival?”

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Chapter 7 It was too late to run, at least and not look suspect in Desiree’s eyes. Besides, where would he go? The big bad wolf was here, not just breathing outside their door but cozily ensconced in the house with their allies. He knew he was being a sight magnanimous with the designation, but he couldn’t think of another term for his employers and Desiree’s family. They certainly weren’t enemies. What would they think, however, if they knew about Carson’s past, what he had done? They probably wouldn’t take it half as bad as the pack had. After all, they were humans governed by laws nowhere near as exacting as pack law. Sam had seen murderers get off scot-free on technicalities in the human world. There were no such technicalities in pack law. If one shifter killed another, that shifter forfeited his life, no ifs, ands, or buts. Not to mention pack law superseded all other. Carson may not have meant to kill Duane, but his intent did not matter to the pack. Only the alpha had the right to commute Carson’s sentence, and Remy had been in the midst of considering just this when Mama and Kara had broken Carson out of the pack’s stronghold. What would Remy do to save face after the breakout? “Remy Bastien, this is one of the ranch’s night wranglers, Sam Quarry. Sam, this is Remy Bastien, a new client of CarpenterReynolds.” “Come now, Desiree. Don’t be modest. My and my group’s financial well-being is in your capable hands. I’m your client.” Remy

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smiled and stepped forward with one hand outstretched toward Sam. “Good to meet you, Sam…Quarry, was it?” Sam hesitated as long as it took him to decide that he had no other choice. He’d come this far, after all, and it looked as if Remy wanted to play things close to the vest, act like he didn’t know Sam from Adam’s housecat. “Good to meet you…Remy Bastien.” Remy’s shake was firm as he gave Sam’s hand a slight squeeze, maintaining eye contact. Sam met his gaze, refusing to avert his own, and after a long moment, Remy released his hand and smiled as if in approval. He folded his arms across what Sam knew to be a hard-muscled chest and rocked back on his heels as he gave Sam a speculative look. “So, you’re a night wrangler. What exactly does that title comprise?” “It’s just another name for cowboy. We basically handle the animals around the ranch. Especially the horses. We just do most of our work at night.” “Hmm, that’s interesting. Jax mentioned the Old West town here on the ranch and the exhibitions that are conducted there. Would you have anything to do with those?” Sam nodded. “We’ve participated a time or two.” “When you say ‘we,’ that would be…?” Damn it, had he walked into that or what? “My brother and I.” “Jax seems to be very fond of this particular area of the ranch. Tamara say’s it’s his pride and joy. I think I’ll have to take a tour to get the full effect of it.” “It’s entertaining and really popular with the kids.” “I can imagine it would be.” Remy gave him that speculative look again. “I noticed you have a rather different accent from the other cowboys I’ve met here so far. You’re not from around here, are you?” “Remy, don’t be coy. He’s got the same accent as you.” Sam watched Desiree’s eyes widen at the revelation, as if she just then realized the truth of what she had said.

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“Ah, I thought I recognized a kindred spirit.” Remy chuckled. “Cajun, is it?” “Born and bred,” Sam said. “The ranch has been fortunate enough to secure the services of Sam and Carson’s mother as the head cook. Helena’s culinary influences have made it to the main house, too. You’ll probably enjoy her jambalaya if Maria and I have done her recipe any justice.” Remy patted his stomach. “I’m looking forward to dinner even more now, I’m sure.” Sam smiled, hoping that Desiree wasn’t picking up on his discomfort or the rancorous undercurrent flowing between him and Remy. He knew he hoped in vain, though. Desiree was an intelligent woman, and even now he saw her looking from him to Remy and back again with a questioning expression shining out of her whiskey eyes. His prick jerked in his jeans at that familiar look and Sam silently cursed his little friend. This was not the time or the place for him to make an appearance. Sam gritted his teeth just as Desiree reached out a hand to rest on his arm. “I’m sure Maria already invited you, so you are staying for dinner, aren’t you?” “Please, Sam. I’d love to hear more about your work here. Cowboys have always fascinated me, and a ranch, if not necessarily this one, could be a good investment for my group.” Desiree turned to him with an arched brow. “You never mentioned you were interested in ranching.” “I’m not averse to investing in one, strictly as a business venture of course. At most I’d be a silent partner in any operation. But we could discuss that all in more detail at dinner. I’m sure your brothersin-law and their father would be able to fill me in more thoroughly on a ranch’s viability while you let me know whether the industry would be a wise expenditure.”

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“I can already speak for Jeremiah and his sons when I say The Double R is definitely not on the market. It’s strictly family owned, and the Reynolds intend to keep it that way.” “I respect that sort of nepotism. It’s how I run my own businesses.” Family owned as in pack owned, Sam thought. “Of course,” Desiree said and turned an appealing glance on Sam. “Sam? You will join us, won’t you?” Did she want him for moral support of some kind? Sam wasn’t sure from the look on her face, but he knew he couldn’t deny her, especially when her invite seemed so sincere. He doubted he could deny this woman anything, not even if his life depended on it. **** “Where’s Sam?” Carson dropped his Western saddle on the floor beside the back door as he entered the house through the kitchen. Mama turned from her place at the stove, where she was stirring something in a pot—it smelled like a hearty helping of his and Sam’s favorite jambalaya. Even after having an evening meal at the cookhouse with the rest of the staff and guests, Carson and Sam always came home hungry and needing to refuel before their duty on the night shift. Mama made sure they got something in them that would stick to their ribs and keep them going. Not to mention they burned a lot of calories when they shifted and did their running out in the woods. “Good evening to you, too, and how was your day?” Carson chuckled, went behind his mother before she could turn, and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Hi, Mama. How was your day?” “About the same as usual. And yours?” “About the same.” Carson leaned over his mother’s shoulder to take a whiff of the food cooking in the pot. “Mmm-hmm.”

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“Should keep you boys going for the rest of the night.” “It should.” Carson nodded. “Where’s Sam?” “My guess is still up at the main house dropping off that basket.” Carson glanced up at the sunburst clock on the wall across the room. “This late?” “I’m thinking he got caught up and invited to dinner. You know how they are up at the main house. Maria’s just like me. She won’t let anyone leave without eating something.” Silently, Carson went to the sink, turned on the hot and cold water, and washed his hands with some of the dish soap from the bottle on the counter. He dried his hands on a nearby dish towel before taking a seat at the kitchen table. “You’re worried.” It was a statement, plain and simple, and Carson saw his mother’s concern as she turned down the heat beneath and put a top on the simmering pot before turning to him. She wiped her hands on the apron she wore, made her way over to the seat opposite him, and put a hand over his on the table’s cherrywood surface. “I don’t think Sam knows what he’s doing.” “He’s following his heart.” “That’s the problem.” “I know you like her, too.” Carson stared at his mother but said nothing. “I’m not running anymore, and neither should you boys. It’s about time we all settled down and started living again.” “Is this a recent decision?” “It’s a decision that had to be made sooner or later.” Carson turned his hand over so that he could grip his mother’s in a firm, reassuring hold. He knew the burden his mother carried, the blame she placed on herself for not being able to protect them better from Remy. He knew because he carried the same burden. He wanted to tell her she should let it go, it wasn’t her fault he was a hothead and put the whole family on Remy’s radar. His decisions weren’t her

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burdens to bear. He got his stubbornness from her, though, so knew trying to tell her this would be a waste of time. They sat holding each other’s gazes for a long, silent moment. The instant was broken when Sam burst into the house, breathless and flushed. He looked like he had run from the main house and the main house was miles and miles away instead of down the road a piece. “Remy’s here.” Both Carson and Mama stood. Carson looked at his mother and asked, “Did you know about this?” “This is the first I’m hearing of it.” “What do we do?” Sam asked. “We’re not running,” Mama said, and Carson and Sam gaped at her. “I know what you said before Sam got here, but this puts a whole new spin on things.” “How so? It just puts what I said to the test.” “What are you two yammering about? Did you hear what I said?” “We heard you, bebe.” Sam pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and flopped into the seat, and Carson sat in the chair beside him. Mama stood behind both of them with a hand on their shoulders, massaging deeply. “I’m tired of running. I want to stand my ground. We need to,” she whispered. Sam tilted back his head to glance at her and nodded. “Are you two both crazy?’ “You’re the one who said he needs to pay for what he did to Daddy.” “Nothing’s changed. I can’t prove it any more now than I could back then. No one will listen to me.” “We’re listening,” Mama said. Carson looked at her as she took the seat opposite him and his brother. “You believe me?”

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“I’ve always believed you, chile. I just didn’t know what to do about it. And then when your trouble happened, the only thing I could think of to do was get you out of there and run. Remy is a powerful alpha. The pack looks up to him, believes in him implicitly.” “There’s no reason to think that’s changed.” Mama shook her head. “Not true. We may have more allies than we think.” Carson peered at his mother, wondered what she had up her sleeve. Did she know something about the pack that they didn’t? More precisely, did she know someone? “If this doesn’t work out the way I think it can, we still don’t have to run. Even if we don’t prove what he did to your father…” Her voice faltered here and Carson reached out a hand to squeeze hers. “I like it here. I like the people. It’s the first place where I’ve felt like I’ve come home. And I haven’t felt that way since I met your father. I want to stay.” Sam emphatically nodded. Things would be different if it was just his brother’s starved libido and romantic notions he had to manage, but that’s not all he was dealing with. He was handling his mama’s and his own desires to stay. “What am I going to do with you two?” “Support us and stay,” Sam said. Carson sighed, feeling double-teamed as he raked a hand through his hair. He stared at Sam long and hard. “Tell me what happened at the house.” “I went by to drop the basket off, and while Desiree and I were talking in the kitchen, Remy came in from the dining room. It seems he’s one of her clients, and she’d invited him over to discuss his financials.” “That means he’s probably been in Colorado for a little while.” “And probably living in the area, no doubt,” Mama said. “What’s his angle?” Sam murmured almost to himself.

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Carson stared at him, seeing the worried, possessive look on his face. He knew exactly what was going through his brother’s mind, because the same thing was going through his. He wondered how close Remy and Desiree were, and if they weren’t, would the alpha drag her into their drama? After a while, Carson exchanged a grave look with his mother and Sam and finally nodded as they did. “We’re staying.” **** Remy finally left, and Desiree finally exhaled. She didn’t know what it was about the man, but he seemed to suck all the air out of the room with his powerful presence. She couldn’t relax around him, which was good, since she shouldn’t let down her guard with him. He was her client, and their relationship was a business one. Her relationship with Remy was unlike her relationship with the Quarry brothers. She still, however, hadn’t been able to put a name to what she shared with Carson and Sam. She did know that they, too, sucked all the air out of a room with their presence, but in a different way. With them, she couldn’t breathe because she was holding her breath waiting to see if or when they would make a move on her. She couldn’t breathe because she wanted them to make a move, and it scared her. Desiree needed something to do to get her mind off of the dinner and Sam’s arrival and abrupt departure. She wandered into the kitchen and joined Maria, offering to help the housekeeper with the cleanup after dinner. The older woman, however, tried to run her out, flailing her dish towel and assuring Desiree she could handle things. Desiree laughingly ducked and caught the towel on a downward swing, holding firmly. “You should use your time more wisely and handle your business, as you young folk say.”

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“And what business is that? “Finding out what is the matter with that young man of yours.” “Sam?” Maria nodded and Desiree sighed in frustration. What was this, a conspiracy with Maia and Maria heading the plotters? “He’s not my young man, Maria.” “Tell that to your nipples.” Desiree gasped and released the towel to fold her arms over the impertinent nipples in question. “Maria!” The housekeeper shrugged. “I just speak the truth, and I do not remember them making an appearance when that other man was here.” “You mean Remy?” “I do not like him. There is something…not nice about him.” Desiree was usually a good judge of character herself, and she did get a funny vibe from the man, but then she got the same vibe from a lot of businessmen she dealt with on a daily basis, especially the lawyers. The lot of them tended to be cold and calculating, some even cutthroat, but she accepted these as a necessary evil, a part of doing business. This acceptance should have been her first warning sign. Maybe her judgment was off. Maybe she was making allowances for the men with whom she worked. She tolerated their behavior because it was business. If she were dealing with these same men on a personal level, however, she knew she wouldn’t cut them the same slack, at least not anymore. Maybe that was what Maria meant regarding Remy. She was, after all, used to dealing with cowboys, a lot of men who didn’t come any more down-to-earth and sincere. Maybe it came from them dealing with animals and nature all day. They didn’t have to pretend, hide their feelings or their motives. They could just be themselves, whereas the men in Carpenter-Reynolds’ circle were always on, preening, posturing, and competing.

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Some might see this as being a jerk or, as Maria put it, not being nice. Desiree just saw it as par for the course. She had to admit, however, she envied the cowboys and their way more. She hadn’t felt like she had been or even could be herself again, not in a long time, not since… He had been a businessman, too, dressed in expensive, tailored clothes and exhibiting impeccable manners—like Remy. Desiree shook herself and took a deep breath, forcefully staying in the moment and not allowing memories to drag her back to a time when she had felt weak and worthless. Maria put a hand on her arm. “You should go see about him. He looked about as upset and unhappy when he left here as you do now.” Desiree cleared her throat before speaking, for she knew her voice would come out in a ragged rasp if she didn’t. She didn’t want Maria to be more on alert than she already seemed. “Maybe I will take a walk and try to burn off some of those jambalaya and pralines calories.” “You go do that. I will hold down the fort.” Desiree headed through the living room toward the spiral staircase and headed upstairs to her bedroom to finally get out of the business attire she’d been in most of the day. She looked through her drawers and closets, finally deciding on something simple, at least as simple as she was capable of. She threw on a cream Western shirt, a pair of black jeans, and her cowboy boots. Looking in the mirror, she decided the tight bun did not go with the rustic gear, so she took out the pins and let her hair fall down around her shoulders. She brushed the copper-brown waves until they shone beneath the light of the room. At the last minute she freshened up her perfume, applying a spritz behind each ear of the vanilla scent she preferred. Desiree stood from her vanity, headed for the door, and took a deep breath as she grabbed the doorknob.

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What was she doing? It wasn’t too late to turn back. She hadn’t gone anywhere yet. She hadn’t made a date, and no one was expecting her. She could stay in and watch TV or catch up on some work without standing up or disappointing anyone, except herself, of course. Desiree took another deep breath and pulled the door open just in time to see her sister grasp her chest and gasp on the threshold. “You scared the crap out of me!” “Up to no good again, no doubt,” Desiree drawled and pulled the door further to allow her sister entry. Maia looked her up and down and took a whiff of the air as she stepped into the room. “Where are you off to?” “Nowhere special. Maybe a walk around the ranch, get some fresh air.” “Good for you.” “Why good for me?” “I heard about your little adventure in the Old West town.” Who hadn’t? Gossip traveled like wildfire around this place. Desiree remained glad that the kiss she’d shared with Carson hadn’t received equal billing with her near trampling. At least she hadn’t heard any whispers about it around the ranch yet, and she was sure if anyone had witnessed the kiss, they would have been yammering about it by now, especially if they had caught that slap at the end. “I’m just glad you’re taking the initiative to get out and around and enjoy this place the way it should be enjoyed,” Maia said. “The way you deserve.” “I’m not going out riding or anything. It’s just a walk.” “One step at a time.” “How very wise of you.” Maia grinned and stepped back into the hallway. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Desi. Give yourself a break. Give them a break.” She started to leave, then paused and turned back to Desiree,

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brandishing a flashlight. “I almost forgot why I came up here in the first place.” “Wha—?” “Just take it, okay? You never know.” Desiree took the offering and watched her sister leave, wondering how much Maia knew about what had happened to her. Desiree had never told anyone, especially not Maia. With Maia’s gifts, she just always assumed her sister knew. She was the one, after all, who had warned Desiree, not against Jeremy specifically but against danger that night in general, told her to watch herself. Never in Desiree’s wildest dreams had she thought that danger would come from the man she had been dating for the last three months. Obviously, it hadn’t occurred to Maia, either, not even in her visions. Desiree shook herself again, hated that she was allowing her past to rear its ugly head now, when she was trying to get back on the horse, so to speak. She made it outside, feeling lost. She didn’t know where to go or what to do. Sure, it was just a walk, but she needed to have some sort of destination in mind, didn’t she? It was a shame, considering she’d lived here long enough that she should have been better acquainted with the ranch attractions and hot spots. The Old West town was closed by now, but there was a bar on the premises, not that Desiree was much of a drinker. The two glasses of wine she’d had at dinner still gave her a slight buzz. Compared to most of these cowboys, she was practically a teetotaler. She saw a few cowboys scattered here and there in various ranch activities but didn’t notice Carson or Sam among them. Once the animals were taken care of, how did the men spend their time? It wasn’t like they had to babysit the horses their entire shift, was it? The animals had to sleep, after all.

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When did a night wrangler’s shift begin, exactly? It was hard to keep up with Carson and Sam. They were up and around the ranch breaking and shoeing horses and participating in the Old West town exhibitions, among other ranch events, during the day as well as the night. When did they sleep? Desiree gathered her courage and on impulse headed toward the tree line and the woods beyond it. Carson and Sam had been coming from that direction, wet and shirtless, the night she had had one of her wolf dreams. How could she forget that part? Maia certainly hadn’t let her live it down yet. What am I doing, what am I doing, what am I doing? If her wolves did exist, this would certainly be the place to encounter them, wouldn’t it, in the woods, marking their territory? Would they dare venture this close to the ranch, and if they did, wouldn’t someone have noticed them by now? Desiree paused just beyond the tree line, wondering how far in she dared go. She was a city girl at heart, concrete jungle running through her veins, and she hadn’t yet gotten used to all this surrounding nature. She wondered if she ever would. Maia, Ms. Nature Girl herself, was in her element, loved all the trees and blue sky and mountains. She said it helped her get more in touch with her spiritual self and closer to her art. The girl had done more sketching and painting in the last several months than she had in years living in New York, where she’d pretty much given up her art for her job at a niche boutique that specialized in everything Wiccan, the closest thing she could get to a “suffocating nine-to-five,” as Maia called it. To which Desiree would always remind her, it paid the bills. “Leave it to Ms. Practical to make that observation.” She and Maia would never see eye to eye on anything, and Desiree had given up trying. Damn, when she took a chance and followed her impulses, she just went hog wild, didn’t she, roaming around out here all alone, at

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dusk, in the woods. At least Maria and Maia knew where she had gone, well, a general location. It wasn’t like she was leaving the property. Still, the property itself was sprawling and the woods were dense, a lot denser than she had thought they would be, and dark, even at this hour. Something could be lurking behind any one of those bushes or trees ahead of her. She was really acting like a TSTL, Too-Stupid-To-Live, heroine from one of the romance novels she loved to read whenever she got a chance, or a slasher-movie scream queen, flashlight in tow and all. Now she understood how some of those characters and heroines got into the predicaments they did. Hormones and lust didn’t make for common sense. Desiree stepped on a branch at the same instant that she heard a growl sounding from several yards in front of her. Maybe it was someone else stepping on a branch. Maybe that’s what she had heard, someone else wandering around in the woods at exactly the same time as she. What about that growl? Desiree switched on the flashlight and aimed the beam in front of her. The shaft of light was bright, bless Maia’s heart, but not that wide-ranging. “Hello? Is someone there?” Carson was right. She was an idiot. Time to turn around and rejoin civiliza— Desiree froze. Something rustled in the trees just up ahead. Her first instinct was to run, but she didn’t want to turn her back on whatever was behind that tree to do it. Wasn’t that committing some sort of fatal error in the presence of a predator, turning one’s back? Sounded familiar, like something she’d heard and seen on one of her favorite nature shows on Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel. Now she understood why some of the ranch hands carried the .22 caliber “varmint” rifle. She’d heard it was for hazards like rattlesnakes, coyotes, or rabid skunks. When ranch hands were closer

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to the wilderness they carried higher caliber rifles to fend off larger predators like mountain lions. Hmm, which did she prefer being attacked by—mountain lion, wolf, or coyote? Or better, a poisonous snake or rabid skunk? If she did survive the latter, she’d have to get a series of vaccinations to make sure she didn’t die an agonizing, slow death, unless some brave soul caught and tested the offending critter and got a negative result from a lab. Desiree shuddered at the thought of how the test for rabies was performed. She’d heard they had to euthanize the offending animal and remove its head—poor thing. She wasn’t the nature and animal lover that her sister was, but the idea of cutting off Pepé Le Pew’s head didn’t sit too well with her. The flashlight didn’t come anywhere close to the protection of a rifle, but Desiree clutched it tighter just in case. She heard another rustle, and this time she didn’t think twice, she just turned and ran. Breath hitching and chest beginning to burn, she panicked when she didn’t reach the tree line as fast as she thought she should. Had she come that far into the woods, or had she gotten turned around that quickly? She took a chance to glance over her shoulder to see who was following her—or more likely what—and slammed face-first into a hard wall of muscles when she faced forward. Desiree screamed. The flashlight clattered to the ground, but it lit up the area enough for her to see who she had crashed into. “What the hell are you doing running around out here all by yourself?” Carson caught her around the biceps to steady her, and Desiree cringed. He wasn’t hurting her, but she was just waiting for him to call her an idiot again.

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Chapter 8 Desiree lifted her chin. “I didn’t know I needed a chaperone to walk the grounds.” “You’re not exactly on the grounds now, are you?” It took everything in Carson not to bend his head and kiss that proud, defiant expression right off her face, especially when he knew the girl was scared to death but endeavoring to hide her fear. She couldn’t hide that shudder, though, the one he felt riding her body as she tried to break his hold. Shit, he was hard and getting harder by the minute. The longer he held onto her the more her vanilla musk affected him. The fragrance was like an erotic smoke signal wafting around his head. He’d scented her as soon as she’d entered the woods, not far behind him and Sam. Sam had already shifted and Carson had been about to do the same when he’d sensed her behind them. He told Sam to go ahead to the stream and that he’d catch up. Sam had gone, but reluctantly. How much had Desiree seen before she went crashing toward the clearing and into him? How much had she heard? Would she be as calm in his grasp right now had she witnessed Sam’s change? “You didn’t answer my question, woman.” “I didn’t know you were the keeper of the woods.” Carson gritted his teeth. “Desiree—” “I was just taking a walk, man. Now let me go!” Carson released her at the same instant she jerked away from him, and Desiree stumbled against a nearby tree. He started toward her and she put up her palm facing him in a stop sign.

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“I’m fine. I don’t need your help.” “What were you thinking, coming out here alone?” “You’re out here alone.” “I know my way around.” “I’m so glad you said that, and not that you’re a man.” “That was next.” Carson tried not to smirk, but when he saw the fire lighting Desiree’s whiskey eyes, he couldn’t help one corner of his mouth twitching. “You bastard.” She swung out those small fists, and damn did they pack a wallop when they found their target smack in the middle of his chest. He was lucky she didn’t still have the flashlight in her hand. Carson caught her wrists, pulled her against him, and Desiree buried her face against his shirtfront. When her shoulders started to shake, Carson panicked, almost felt like cutting and running. He didn’t do well with tears, hated to hear or see a woman cry. It remained the reason he was in trouble now and his family on the run. He’d take a bloody battle to the death against another shifter over seeing a woman cry. When Desiree pulled her face away from his chest, though, she was smiling, and he realized she wasn’t crying angry or crying sad, but crying laughing. “Inside joke?” “I’m an idiot, okay? There. Figure I’d beat you to the punch.” “You’re not an idiot. A little misguided, maybe…” “Same difference. Look it up in any thesaurus.” Carson chuckled, put a finger under her chin, and lifted her face to meet his. When he got a look at those wide, innocent eyes it made him wonder at her age. He knew she was older than him by a few years, but she struck him as so inexperienced and sheltered. Maybe it was the image of an inexperienced city slicker losing her way in the unfamiliar wild. To someone used to the bright lights of a big city that

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never slept, a Colorado ranch could be something of a culture shock and enough to unravel sensibilities. He’d like to think he was enough to unravel her sensibilities. Carson leaned forward and paused right before he made contact with her lips. “I want you,” he murmured and continued his descent, not giving her a chance to agree or debate. He just dove into the sweetness of her full lips, lightly licking then nipping the lower, slightly fuller, one, coaxing, seducing. When she finally opened her mouth to him, he swooped in, thrusting his tongue to taste her fully. He stroked inside her mouth, sliding his tongue against hers in a daring, sensual quest for control, and Desiree gave it up. She lifted and coiled one leg around his thigh, arching her hips, rubbing her cunt against him as she moaned deep in her throat. Carson pressed her back against the tree, grinding his shaft into the heat of her jeans, putting pressure right on the spot where he estimated her tight, swollen clit to be. “Oh, God…Carson!” She shuddered against him as if in the throes of an orgasm. “Too much. It’s too much!” He slid a hand between their bodies and found her crotch. He massaged her pussy with his fingers, itching to slide them into her wet heat, needing to feel her inner muscles closing around him when he fucked her. “Please, please…” His cock throbbed in his jeans as he laid her down in the dirt and went to work on the button and zipper of her jeans. When he jerked them down, panties and all, something must have snapped in the woman as surely as it had snapped in him. “Don’t, Carson, no!” Her voice was urgent, shaky, and he jerked up his head from what he was doing to look at her panic-stricken face. Damn, he could almost taste her cream, her arousal a pungent, sweet aroma filling his lungs. What now? “Please stop,” she whispered.

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He looked at her, her eyes closed tight, her hands fisted against her chest as if to keep something or someone out. Who had hurt her? Who? “C’mere,” he growled and pulled her to sit on his lap as he folded his legs and sat back against the tree. “Don’t be angry with me.” “I’m not.” He pushed her soft bangs away from her face with an unsteady hand before pulling her against him. The maneuver proved a big mistake because it only made him hard again, not that he’d had a chance to get soft, not around Desiree. Down, boy, down! Not now. Sam burst through the trees and skidded to a stop in front of them. “What the hell?” “She’s okay.” “I heard her scream.” He hoped no one else had. They’d think the same thing Sam probably had, that Desiree had been attacked. He, Sam, and their mother all had enough trouble in their lives already without bringing more unwanted, negative attention like that to them all. Carson glanced up and caught Sam’s questioning look and shrugged as he stood with Desiree in his arms. He held her against him for a while. Her arms draped around his neck felt so right he didn’t want to put her down, but he knew he had to. Carson let her slide down his body until her feet touched the ground. He had the sweetest flashback to when he’d held her against him after she fell off his horse. He, unfortunately, had to breach the illusion or risk falling further under her spell. He pushed her toward his brother and Desiree immediately buried her face in Sam’s chest. “Take her home.” “What happened?” “Just do it.” Sam caught her by the shoulders and put her away from him a bit. “Are you okay?”

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“I told you she was.” “I want to hear it from her.” “You think I hurt her?” Sam pointedly looked at her tearstained face and then down at the snug jeans hanging half off her ass. He looked at his brother as he tugged her jeans and panties back up on her hips before zipping and buttoning them up. Carson raked a hand through his hair and released a string of patois curses before he pointed a finger at Sam, stabbing the air like a knife with each word that flew out of his mouth. “You know me better than that, Samson!” He stomped off toward the woods and after several steps turned back and glared at his brother one more time. “Goddammit, after what happened…you damn well know me.” **** “It’s not his fault, Sam. He didn’t hurt me. He didn’t do anything. He just…I’m just…Can you take me home now, please?” “Anything,” he said, meaning it. Sam took her hand, gave it a gentle squeeze as he led her back toward the clearing. She didn’t say anything more as they walked, and Sam didn’t know what to say to ease the tension. He knew that he had royally fucked up things with his brother and that he would have to go about making things right with Carson eventually. Now, though, Desiree was his primary concern, getting her home safe and making her comfortable, especially in his company. When he thought of all the things that she could have encountered out here instead of him and Carson, it scared the crap out of him. Didn’t she know about all the varmints—large and small—that could have gotten her? They’d had a particular problem with raccoons and skunks in the area lately. When he and Carson weren’t busy playing and fighting at the stream, they prowled the grounds on their own personal mission of animal control. He didn’t even want to mention to

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Desiree all the things that roamed around out here and scare the girl worse than he knew she already was. “I hadn’t realized I’d gone this far in,” she murmured beside him, almost as if she’d heard his thoughts as they finally neared the tree line. “It’s easy to get turned around in here if you don’t know where you’re going.” “I should have dropped some breadcrumbs behind me, huh?” “Or brought a compass.” “Never been too good at reading those. I wasn’t the best Brownie.” Sam chuckled. “I wasn’t a Boy Scout, either.” She paused then and squeezed his hand. “Really?” “Not in the slightest.” He grinned and thought he could have added he wasn’t a Boy Scout now, nowhere near. A Boy Scout wouldn’t be thinking about throwing her down in the dirt and plundering her pussy right here until she screamed his name. A Boy Scout wouldn’t be as hard in his jeans as Sam was, just staring at her lips and wondering how they’d taste or feel wrapped around his cock. A Boy Scout certainly wouldn’t be wondering what her cocotte tasted like, how it would feel tightening around his shaft when she came. “I think I’ll be okay from here.” He could feel her pulling away from him—emotionally as well as physically—and held onto her hand as she tried to pull it free. Not so fast, Desi. “I’ll take you back to the house.” “And you said you weren’t a Boy Scout.” “I’m not. But my mama raised me right and I am from Nawlins.” “And that would make you a Southern gentleman.” “You got it.” This time she didn’t try to pull away as he led her up the road toward the main house.

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Sam didn’t know what he’d do if they bumped into anyone on the way. It wasn’t nearly that late after all, and the early spring weather was unseasonably warm. He and Carson had really been looking forward to a quick dip in the stream in their animal forms before Desiree had burst through the bush. Sam wondered why she had been out in the woods. What had she hoped to find? Had she actually been looking for them? They managed to avoid bumping into anyone from the main house all the way up until Desiree let them into the house. Maia made her way down the spiral staircase and arched a brow when she spotted them standing at the door. “I was just about to send out the cavalry, but now I see I needn’t have worried.” “I wasn’t gone that long,” Desiree said. “Long enough.” Maia continued down the stairs, elegant, long fingers trailing along the polished banister before pausing to grip the sculpted knob of the newel at the bottom of the staircase. “Thanks for getting her back safely,” she said to Sam. He took off his Stetson in a sweeping gesture and nodded. “I didn’t mind at all.” “You see, Desi? He didn’t mind. I daresay he likes being in your company.” Sam felt heat flood his cheeks and ears and knew they were flushed red. Maia had a habit of doing that to people, especially him, it seemed. She had a quick, fresh tongue, that one. “I like Desiree’s company just fine,” he rasped. “So I hope that means you won’t be rushing off so soon.” Maia strolled the rest of the way down the stairs, and as she neared her sister she bent her head and said something for only Desiree’s ears. Sam watched Desiree’s copper cheeks flood with color, probably matching his, and wondered exactly what Maia had said to her. “Sam does have work to do,” Desiree said.

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“I don’t think his shift starts until a little later. He’s got plenty of time for a social visit, don’t you, Sam?” Maia squeezed his biceps as she walked by him to open the front door. Before he could answer, she turned to face him and her sister. “I think I’ll go take a little evening stroll myself. Who knows what I might find and bring back from the wilderness?” Then she left the house and closed the door behind her. Sam shook his head. That one there was just plain incorrigible. He could just imagine what it must have been like growing up with her and laughed at the thought of a bossy young Maia giving her older sister grief. “I don’t see what’s so funny,” Desiree said, but he could see that she was more frustrated than angry. “I just pictured her as a kid and how she must have driven you crazy when you both were young.” “She’s still driving me crazy now.” “But you love her.” “She’s my sister. Can’t live with her. Can’t kill her.” Sam chuckled. “I feel the same way about Carson.” Desiree turned to face him full, expression grave. “You know he really didn’t hurt me. He didn’t do anything to me that I didn’t want him to. I just changed my mind about…things. Once I did, when I asked him to stop, he did.” What made her change her mind? Had it been just plain old cold feet or something deeper, darker, maybe someone darker from her past? Sam raised a hand to cup her face. “You have to know that neither of us would go beyond a certain point with you without your permission.” “I…I want to believe that.” She obviously didn’t. Something had to have happened to her to make her so distrustful—of men in particular, of people in general. It was obvious she put a high premium on a man stopping when she

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asked him to, and maybe that was because some man in her past hadn’t. Carson had obviously passed that test with her, but could both of them pass the rest of her tests? Could they get beyond the rest of the walls she had erected or penetrate her obviously ingrained defenses? Desiree took his hand again and led him up the stairs. Sam silently followed, now more than ever wondering what Maia had whispered in her sister’s ear. If they were black-widow serialkiller siblings plotting to murder him, he had to admit he would have fallen right into their web, because he followed behind Desiree like an eager puppy looking for a treat, just one morsel from his mistress. Desiree took him through a maze of halls, past several doors, before finally stopping at one and opening it. She led him into the space, an outsized, lavishly furnished suite of rooms with a French window that led out onto a balcony. He looked at the light drapes, drawn back and blowing in the slight breeze, and thought this must have been the balcony from where Maia had been chatting with him a couple of weeks previous. Where had Desiree been? Hiding? He’d known she’d been nearby because he had smelled her. It had been the main reason he’d paused under the balcony. By the time he’d glanced up she’d been gone, though, replaced with her brazen younger sister. Desiree finally released his hand and moved to the center of the room, spreading her arms wide. “Well, this is it, the old homestead and the place where I rest my head at night.” Sam nodded and looked around some more, cursorily noticing the five-tiered bookshelf stuffed with books and the matching maple rocking chair positioned between it and one of the nightstands by the queen-sized, canopied bed. He could just picture Desiree sitting and rocking in that sturdy, old-fashioned chair as she read one of the wide-ranging books from the shelf. Maybe she’d have a hand-crocheted blanket draped across her lap and sip from a mug of hot chocolate on a coaster atop the

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nightstand, then glance back down at the pages through that pair of stylish glasses he’d glimpsed her in before. That image didn’t go with the one she conjured, however, when she closed the space between them, tilted her head back to look up at him searchingly, and murmured, “Will you let me tie you up?”

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Chapter 9 Desiree watched Sam’s mouth drop open. He looked like he was strangling on his own tongue. She almost wanted to take back her request—almost. “You want to—?” “Tie you up.” She lifted her chin just a tad and squared her shoulders, emboldened now by Sam’s shocked but fascinated expression. She could just imagine all the thoughts about her going through his head, that she was kinky, a freak, or some kind of nympho. He could think what he wanted, she thought, as long as he let her do what she wanted to him, as long as he let her have control. She realized then, however, if she wanted control, she’d have to take it. She probably shouldn’t have even asked him and given him a chance to say no and reject her. She should have just seduced him and tied him up while they were in the throes of passion. She didn’t think he would have denied her then. She didn’t think he could have denied her then. “Okay.” Now it was Desiree’s turn to gape. Seemed he wouldn’t deny her at all. She didn’t, however, believe that she would have gotten the same response from Carson. He was too domineering to ever allow anyone the upper hand or control over him. Just the way he’d gone at her jeans and ripped them and her panties down told her a lot. But he stopped. As rough as he had been—and, God help you, you liked it—he stopped when you asked him to. “You will?” “If that’s what you want.”

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His voice was so firm, his face unreadable now, as if sculpted in granite. At that moment, he didn’t seem any less domineering than his older brother. But he said okay. She hadn’t anticipated his agreement, had barely thought about what she was going to ask him before the ludicrous request flew out of her mouth. Evidently it wasn’t ludicrous to Sam. Now what was she going to do? “I’m all yours, Desi, whatever you want to do with me.” Oh, that was a loaded statement. She wanted to do so many things with him, to him, and she wanted him to do just as many of those things with and to her. “I want you.” She repeated Carson’s earlier words. “You’ve got me.” “Do I?” The words were barely audible, she knew, said almost to herself. She wasn’t interested in owning Sam and his brother, was she? Sam turned from her and headed for the bed that held center stage of the big room with its four towering maple posts, practically standing sentry and waiting for Desiree to string him from them. She stood silent, watching him as he sat on the end of the bed, toed and kicked off his boots, then peeled off his socks. Her breath hitched in her chest at the sight of his big bare feet. How could a man’s tootsies get her so worked up? What did she have, a foot fetish? Desiree watched him reach for the buttons on his shirt and slowly undo them. It proved the sexiest sequence of moves she had ever seen executed by a set of long, lean, tanned fingers before. Desiree held her breath as he slid the shirt off of his shoulders and down his well-built arms before finally dropping it to the Persian area rug. She switched her weight from one leg to the other, trying to ease the pressure of her quickly swelling clit against the crotch of her jeans. Her panties were

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soaked with her dew and she was sure he could smell her arousal even from that distance. Sam reached out a hand. “Want to finish undressing me?” She toed and kicked off her own boots before haltingly crossing the room to stand before him. She silently stared down at him as he stared up at her with those liquid honey eyes. He leaned back on his elbows and arched a brow at her, more cocky than submissive when he opened his legs to let her stand between them. He played with her now, giving her the illusion of control, but this remained all right as long as he did what he’d promised, and his next words gave every indication that he would. “How do you want me?” Any way I can get you. “Sit up and raise your arms,” she rasped. He did, just barely smothering a smirk. Cocky bastard. He and his brother were two of a kind. Hard to believe Sam was almost six years younger than her. He acted and sounded like he was six or more years older, and it made Desiree wonder about his background. What had shaped the young Cajun cowboy before her? Why had he and his brother and mother left their home in “Nawlins”? Desiree bent her knee and pressed it against the crotch of Sam’s jeans, rubbing the hard bulge growing there as she reached for the hem of his T-shirt. Her heart stuttered at his low moan and she took a deep breath to enjoy the fresh-laundered, musky-male scent of the shirt when she drew it over his head and arms. When she got it off and discarded it, she took another good look at his piercing gaze and almost audibly gulped. She felt like she was in the room with and teasing a predatory animal through the bars of his cage. In a sense, she was with a predatory animal. What animal was more predatory and dangerous, after all, than an aroused man? “It’s your show. What now?” She must have been motionless for too long, and the wolf must have been getting antsy.

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Desiree smiled at the thought of catching one of her wolves by the tail and tethering him with her shirt. “Lay back on the bed.” He did, looking up at her with curious, patient eyes. Desiree moved up his body until she straddled his thighs. She put her hands on him, reveling in the feel of his warm, muscled flesh beneath her fingertips. Her palms seemed to heat as she moved them from his broad shoulders down his chest. His pectorals twitched beneath her hands as she rolled his nipples with her thumbs. When she moved her hands further down to his ridged abs, he shuddered and reached for her. Desiree shook her head and stopped. “No,” she said, making her hoarse voice as firm as possible. For good measure, she quickly unbuttoned her shirt and slipped out of it. She reached for his hands and wrapped the sleeves around his wrists before knotting them tight. “But—” Desiree put a finger over his lips. “Shh. My show, remember?” He nodded, and Desiree climbed off of him to retrieve his shirt from the floor. She returned to her position sitting on top of him. “I want you helpless. Can you handle that?” She saw him hesitate and expected a cocky, I-can-handle-anything-you-can-dish-out response before he silently nodded. Desiree twisted the body of the shirt over itself several times before draping it over his eyes. He sucked in a gasp as if surprised at the extent of her quest for control, then settled back as she firmly tied the arms of the shirt behind his head. She watched him run his tongue over his full bottom lip and avidly followed the path of that nimble organ. She imagined how it would feel on her pussy, inside her pussy, licking her. Desiree let out a shuddering breath as she bent her head to kiss him. She gave her lips free reign because he did, letting her dictate the pace and intensity as he opened his mouth beneath hers. She slid one hand up into those glorious chocolate-brown waves, plowing her fingers through them, tugging just a little as she slid her

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other hand down to his crotch where she massaged his shaft and balls. She swallowed his groan as he arched beneath her, pushing himself against her palm. Desiree moved her hand after a long while, getting him good and worked up. She sprawled her body across his until she’d lined up her crotch with his. She manacled his wrists with her hands, imprisoning them against the bed. She knew he could break her hold if he wanted to, but the fact that he didn’t try to set her on fire, sent a wave of heat spiraling down from her belly to her already wet pussy. She rolled her hips against him, creating a delicious friction that had her clit throbbing as she dry humped his cock. “Please…let me touch you. Take the shirt off my eyes. I want to see you.” “No. Not yet.” She didn’t want him to see to what extent he turned her on, that she was vulnerable to his allure, his sensuality. She couldn’t let him touch her or she’d crumble, and she didn’t want to give him that kind of power over her, not now, maybe never. Sam growled beneath her, bucking his hips into her so forcefully she thought she was trying to ride a wild bronco. She bent her head to nip his bottom lip, then plunged her tongue into his mouth, stroking his until he momentarily stilled beneath her. “Oh, fuck me…Desi, please…” He panted, and the sound all but drowned out the tempo of her heart thudding in her ears. Desiree ground and undulated her hips in an intense rhythm, mercilessly riding him until he arched his neck. Sam pressed his head back against the mattress and strained against the shirt tied around his wrists until his biceps bulged with the effort. Desiree watched his face beneath her makeshift blindfold, the play of facial muscles as he clenched his jaw, his Adam’s apple frantically bobbing up and down right before he roared and violently trembled beneath her.

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She lay across him, waiting and watching while he caught his breath and licked his lips as if he was a parched man in the desert. “I don’t believe I just let you do that to me.” “Neither do I.” Desiree’s heart dropped when she jerked her head toward her open bedroom door to see Carson standing on the threshold. **** Kinky little son of a bitch. Carson didn’t know whether to applaud in approval of his brother’s antics or howl in outrage. He knew for damn sure he was turned the fuck on by what he saw in front of him. He hadn’t known his little Desiree had it in her, almost felt like she’d been holding out on him with the timid, shy virgin act she’d been showing him so far. That wasn’t fair. He remained pretty sure it wasn’t all or just an act. And Sam—that little peeshwank just never failed to surprise him. Would Desiree get offended if he said he wanted to join them? Would Sam? Instead of asking, what came out of his mouth was, “I wanted to apologize for earlier, and Maia said I’d probably find you up here.” She had neglected to say anything about Sam still being at the house or, especially, in Desiree’s bedroom. Was it possible that she hadn’t known? Desiree hopped off the bed and consequently left Sam to run over to Carson. She paused a foot in front of him, staring up at his face as if searching for what—his approval or disgust? If she had a hint of the storm that brewed inside him, that it had nothing at all to do with disgust and everything to do with his growing, insatiable hunger for her, she’d run for the hills. God, the woman turned him inside out! “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

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“No?” He arched a brow and watched from the corner of his eye as Sam sat up and slid the blindfold from his face to rest around his neck. “No,” Sam said. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” He got up from the bed and came to stand behind Desiree. “You’re right. I do know you. Forgive me?” Carson glanced down at Sam’s bound wrists as his brother reached out his hands to him. He chuckled as he put his hand in Sam’s and shook. Desiree sighed as if in relief. Carson let his gaze drift over the shirt binding his brother’s wrists, impressed with Desiree’s handiwork. “You really know how to tie a guy up in knots, don’t you?” “She said she wasn’t the best Brownie.” “Can’t tell.” “What is this, the Quarry brothers’ tag team?” Carson looked at Sam over Desiree’s head and grinned. “We do make a great team most of the time.” “And do you two always do everything together?” Now Carson searched Desiree’s face. Was she asking if they both wanted to be with her at the same time? Did she really want an answer to that? He reached up a hand to her face, caressed the delicate skin just above her cheekbone with his thumb. “Most of the time, usually out of convenience or obligation,” he murmured, thinking there would be nothing convenient or obligatory about what he and Sam wanted to do with and to Desiree—together. Sam cleared his throat behind her and lifted his hands. “Someone mind undoing this?” Carson raised his eyes from Desiree’s face to look at his brother. “I think we’ll keep that on you for now. Keep you out of trouble.” “A little late for that,” Desiree whispered.

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“Are you okay with this?” Carson asked, waiting for her not to just say yes and be okay with this but to acknowledge exactly what this was, verbalize it and get it out in the open, what they were all thinking and feeling. He watched the play of emotion on her face as she decided how much, if anything, to say. He could almost see her CPA’s brain calculating, deciding what would do the least amount of damage to her orderly psyche and what would work for her. He could almost see her deciding how wild and reckless she could let herself be with them. Carson wanted to make it easier on her but knew that no one could do that for Desiree except Desiree. “I’m not sure if I’m okay with this or not.” Carson’s heart dropped, hope deflated. That’s not what he had wanted to hear. He made the press of his thumb firmer against her skin and raised his other hand to frame her face as he leaned in to kiss her, slow and deep. He eased his way into her mouth, tasting her sweetness, seducing her tongue with a sweet promise before he pulled away an inch. “You want me.” Not a question. It was a statement of fact, and she nodded, eyes wide as if she’d just realized it. “You want Sam.” “I do.” “Then let us give you pleasure. Let us make you come.” Let us make you come the same way you just made Sam come. God, that had been so fucking hot, watching her, how she’d been in control of his younger brother, how Sam had shuddered beneath her. He wanted to watch his brother make her come. He wanted to make her shudder the same way she’d made Sam. “Okay.”

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Chapter 10 Desiree closed her eyes as Sam put his hands on her hip, comforted by the idea that his wrists were bound and he only had as much control as the binds gave him. Carson wasn’t bound, however. No, he stood before her, tall, forceful, strong, and ready to do things to her that she’d only dreamed about, she was sure. She wanted him to do those things. She didn’t want to be a cocktease, but she remained afraid. …let us give you pleasure. What woman didn’t want to hear that in her lifetime? What woman could deny two men like Carson and Sam? Sam bent his head to nibble her earlobe. “My mouth is pretty skilled and eager, but I could do a lot better job pleasing you if you untie me. Please, Desi.” She didn’t really want to say no, especially when he said her name with that sultry, butter-melting Cajun accent. She knew how much discipline it had taken him to keep from touching her, even with his wrists tied, and she respected that he’d let her bind him in the first place. He could have easily said no. But he wants to please you. They want to please you. Let them. Sam left a trail of nips and kisses from the back of her ear to her collarbone, sliding one strap of her bra down her shoulder and following the path to her elbow with his agile tongue. “I can’t think when you do that.” “You’re not supposed to think, bebe.” “Just feel, cher.” Carson stepped closer, sandwiching her between himself and his brother as he bent his head to work on her opposite

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side, sliding down the other strap of her bra before undoing the latch in the front with one hand. Desiree felt helpless, didn’t know what to do with her hands until Carson slid the bra down her arms and off to discard it. She turned to fulfill Sam’s request, reaching for his hands as he patiently waited for her to unknot the shirt wrapped around his wrists. Carson busied himself kissing the back of her neck and cupping and fondling her breasts. She refused to lose her concentration and finished the job on Sam’s wrists before arching her neck and resting her head back on Carson’s shoulder as he tweaked and rolled her hard, sensitive nipples. Waves of pleasure trembled down to her center and dispersed. Sam went to his knees in front of her, undoing the button on her jeans. When he unzipped the zipper the sound was like an explosion in the otherwise silent room. He tugged her jeans and panties down together, and Desiree accommodated him by stepping out of them and her socks. Sam wrapped his arms around her hips, buried his face in her pussy, and took a deep breath before he pulled back just slightly to slide in first one then another finger. He stretched her and stimulated her nerves, prepping her for what was to come. Desiree closed her eyes and gyrated her hips as Sam finger-fucked her before Carson braced his hands on her hips to still her. “Not so fast, cher. Let him do the work.” It took everything in her to let Sam do the work without moving, but she managed to relax and let herself get into the sensations of being sweetly penetrated and caressed. Sam pumped his fingers, alternately scissoring and stroking inside her as Desiree closed her eyes, moaned, and grasped each of Carson’s thighs behind her. The flex of muscles felt so good against her palms she bit into her bottom lip to keep from screaming.

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Sam had added his mouth to the play, sucking and tonguing her clit as he thrust his fingers in and out of her in a slow, torturous rhythm. Carson guided her hips to the beat, allowing her to move back and forth between them as he pressed his hard shaft against her ass. “Please, Sam…faster…harder…” In response, he sped up his thrusts and licks until Desiree was caught up in a maelstrom of emotion and lust that seemed capable of destroying her. Her legs threatened to give out beneath her, but neither Sam nor Carson would allow that. Their larger-than-life presence held her up and steady between them as they worked her into a frenzy of mindless want. Desiree came on a keening cry, digging her nails into Carson’s quadriceps as he lowered his mouth to kiss and nibble her throat none too gently. She barely noticed the feel of his strong teeth sinking deep into her flesh, though she felt it somewhere on the periphery of awareness, too lost in what Sam did to her pussy to notice pain. The pain and pleasure blended and became one big sensation. Sam lapped at her until she was sure she was bone dry and then, even after, swiped his tongue inside her as deep as it would go once he’d removed his fingers. She didn’t realize she whimpered and shook until she heard Sam cooing and rubbing her slit as if trying to soothe an excited animal. “It’s all right, cher. Just let it happen. Let it go.” Carson turned her around in his arms and bent his head to snatch away what little breath and sense she still had left after that mind-altering climax. What more could they do to her? What more would they do to her? Desiree thought maybe she had bitten off more than she could chew, allowing herself to be with these two men. Separately, they were a force to be reckoned with—demanding, hot, and sexy—but together she felt like they could swallow her whole, spit her out, and have her begging for more torment without a second thought.

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Carson kissed her until she couldn’t think straight, dragging his tongue along her lips in a sensual pledge that she knew he would carry out. He scooped her up in his arms and only once he held her against his chest and the material of his shirt rubbed against her sensitized skin did she realize she was in a room, alone and naked, with two men she didn’t really know all that well. She would worry about the latter later. Right now, she didn’t care. She knew Carson and Sam as well as she needed to for them to give her pleasure. Carson carried her to the bed and laid her on it more gently than his earlier nips to her throat indicated he would. He wasn’t all caveman, just caveman enough to make her writhe and beg for more of his not-so-tender treatment. For tender she had Sam, who stood poised on the opposite side of the bed from Carson staring down at her as if he wanted seconds. Sam licked his lips as he got out of his jeans—no underwear beneath, how rough and rugged—and Desiree instantly had second thoughts about the tender part. He looked absolutely ravenous, bringing to mind her two-wolves-in-the-woods dream. Desiree turned her gaze to Carson as if for escape, but there would be no escape there. She was trapped between two of the most intense men she knew—willingly. She licked her lips as Carson’s gaze trailed down her body with hungry intent while he slowly unbuttoned his shirt and kicked out of his boots. Sam slid into the bed behind her, caressing the crack of her ass with the head of his cock. She felt the moisture of pre-cum and pushed her ass back to grind against his shaft. “Condoms?” he whispered in her ear, fingers mapping a devastating path from her shoulder to her hip. She looked up at Carson, who had sped his striptease and now stood before her magnificently naked. Desiree licked her suddenly dry lips. “Nightstand, top drawer.” She pointed, for once thanking her sister for her meddling.

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Carson pulled out the drawer as directed and found a string of condoms and a large tube of lubricant right where Maia said they would be. “An early birthday gift,” she had told Desiree downstairs. Yeah, pretty early, by at least a few months, but who was counting? Carson ripped two condoms off the string and tossed one to his brother, who snatched it from the air and went to work putting it on. Desiree didn’t turn, just watched Carson skillfully and unhurriedly roll the latex down his long, thick cock and imagined his brother mirroring his every move behind her. The thought sent a flood of anticipation and anxiety coursing through her and heating her from the inside out so much she thought she would burst into flames the minute the two men slid inside her. Carson joined her and Sam in the bed, lying on his side to face her. Sam slid a well-oiled finger inside her anus, spreading the lube around as he penetrated her. His finger slid past several rings of muscles, and Desiree took a deep breath as he added another finger, preparing her virgin hole for him. She realized, however, that nothing could prepare her for the alien infiltration. Nothing could prepare her when he removed his fingers and replaced them with the bulbous head of his cock. Desiree panted as he pushed in a couple of inches, past the first ring of muscles, and Carson took her mind off of the searing pain when he suckled at her breasts. Carson licked and nipped her erect nipples until they shone beneath the light of the room. She was hungrier than ever for the two men. She was more than ready to be stuffed as she never had been before. Sam gripped her hips and rolled his own before he plunged past her rosette to seat himself balls-deep inside her.

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She gasped at the unfamiliar burn of anal penetration, but didn’t have time to dwell on the pleasure-pain when Sam turned onto his back and took her with him. “You are so tight, bebe. Now move for me. Let me feel that sweet, tight ass squeeze around my cock.” Desiree warmed at his wicked, fresh words, grinding back against him and fully impaling herself as Carson moved to straddle her hips. Sam bent and spread his knees beneath her to accommodate his brother’s width. Carson guided his cock to the entrance of her soaking cunt, rubbing the head of his shaft up and down her slit and spreading her moisture before he thrust inside her. “Mmm, yes, cher. You are tight and wet, just the way I knew you would be.” With Sam speaking sweet nothings in one ear and Carson doing the same in the other, it was all Desiree could do to keep her head and not just come the instant the men started moving against her in unison. Carson braced himself on his hands. His arms were poised on either side of Desiree and Sam’s faces. Desiree admired the strength it took to keep most of his weight off of his brother while he plowed into her pussy. Both men picked up their pace, gyrating and pistoning their hips against her as Desiree breathlessly tried to keep up between them. Her climax snuck up on her so fast, it overwhelmed her senses, and she closed her eyes against the rush of dizzying impressions. She gasped and writhed between the two men as they tumbled over an edge of ecstasy right behind her, one right after the other. Sam squeezed his thighs around her, releasing a hoarse cry in her ear as Carson emptied inside her with a ferocious rumble. In unison again, the men moved after a long, silent moment, turning her on her side without sliding out of her.

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Sam wrapped his arms around her waist, spooning as if he never wanted to let her go. He placed gentle kisses across her shoulders before cradling his chin in her collarbone. Carson pushed her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear and leaning in to plant a gentle kiss on her lips. Desiree liked the way the brothers worked in tandem, liked how they made her feel so protected and well loved. The sensations felt so good, she just knew they couldn’t last. She decided she would hold onto them and enjoy these two men for as long as she could, though. **** Sam lay in the bed behind Desiree, spent and satisfied as he watched his brother get back into his clothes. “Sam’s going to stay with you for a while, if it’s all right.” Carson leaned in to kiss Desiree’s cheek. Sam didn’t know how Desiree felt about it, but it was more than all right with him. Desiree luxuriously stretched and yawned, pressing her ass back against his groin and waking up Sam’s dozing friend. “Why can’t you stay, too?” “I’ve gotta go out and check in for our shift.” Carson looked at Sam over Desiree’s head. “I’ll cover for you as long as possible. Meet me at the corral as soon as you can.” “Will do.” Carson smiled and reached over Desiree to ruffle Sam’s hair, and Sam, annoyed, swatted away his hand. “Get out of here. Git!” Even annoyed, he couldn’t help but smile, especially when he cuddled up next to the sweetest, most lush piece of female this side of the Mississippi.

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Carson leaned in for one more kiss, tweaking Desiree’s nose as if for good measure before turning to leave. He opened the door and paused, glancing back at them relaxing under the covers, and Sam could see the longing and regret in his eyes. Merde, he hoped Desiree didn’t notice that. That regret part could be contagious, especially this early on in the relationship, when she barely knew what or with whom she was dealing and still wasn’t sure she wanted to. Things were going to be hard enough having to explain what they were. Not to mention the added element of Remy Bastien’s presence. Did Carson think Remy would make another appearance tonight, and that’s why he wanted Sam to stay behind for a while? “See you later.” Carson touched the brim of his Stetson, then left and closed the door behind him. Sam pressed himself closer to Desiree’s derriere, arms wrapped around her waist and hands cupping her full, supple breasts. He really hated saying this next but didn’t have a choice. “I’m not going to be able to stay much longer myself.” “I know.” She turned in his arms and hooked one leg over his thigh to bring him even closer. “How do you want to spend that time, I wonder.” “Hmm…” Sam nudged her moist slit with the head of his quickly rising, throbbing cock. “I’m sure we can come up with something.” Desiree raised herself up on one elbow, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. “Unless you want to talk.” “Do you?” “I think we probably should, but I suppose it might be better if we’re all three present.” Sam nodded and bent his head to nip her earlobe. He wasn’t in any rush to discuss the situation between them, especially without Carson. He knew he would reveal the wrong thing or too much. He didn’t want to scare Desiree away unnecessarily. “You boys like nibbling on me, don’t you?”

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“Can’t speak for Carson, but I definitely do. I like sweet-tart treats.” Sam pulled back to look at Desiree as she rubbed the soft spot where her neck met her shoulder and noticed the hickey. It looked like it hurt, but maybe she bruised easily and it looked worse than it was. He needed to talk to Carson about dialing down the passion. Desiree wasn’t a shifter or even a hybrid like their mother and might not take too kindly to shifter sex practices. To a full human, shifter sex could be downright brutal. Sure, shifters had their moments of slow tenderness, but Sam knew Carson really liked to get down with his women when he did couple. It’s what worried him about Carson and Desiree together, alone, without him to act as a buffer. She’d do well to tie Carson up, but Sam was pretty sure his brother wouldn’t agree to it, not after what had happened to him at Remy’s stronghold. Sam only had a vague idea of the ordeal his brother had endured during his brief but brutal incarceration. He knew it was brutal only because of the scars he’d seen on his brother’s back, chest, and around his wrists and ankles when they’d broken him out. Only through seeing his brother’s battered and bruised body did he know Carson had been bound and beaten, that Remy’s men had probably drugged him to prevent his shifting and consequently healing. Carson, however, never confirmed or denied any of this. He never talked about what he’d gone through. He didn’t have to. Sam was there to hear his brother’s cries in the wee hours. He was there to see his brother racked in the throes of his nightmares, Sam couldn’t count the times he’d sat awake in bed with his arms wrapped around his knees, fighting the urge to go to Carson, and wake and comfort him. He’d known, however, that his brother would have been far from comforted to realize he’d shown weakness to his younger brother, even if it was during his sleep. “Starting to regret things already?” Desiree cupped his cheek with one hand. “No, not at all. Why would you ask?” “The look on your face.”

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The only thing he regretted remained his having to hide his makeup. He wondered if Desiree would be able to accept his and Carson’s true nature. He wondered if she was tough enough to eventually accept and even enjoy shifter sex with not just one shifter but two. Sam had to keep reminding himself when they were having sex that she was a full human, easily hurt and not as strong as even the weakest shifter female. He refused to believe that Carson was right, refused to consider the possibility that being with Desiree wasn’t a good idea. If they cared about each other enough, they could all work this out. They just had to get her to care. Sam reciprocated Desiree’s gesture and cupped her face. “I don’t regret one moment of being with you, even if I didn’t have the most explosive orgasm of my life.” “Did you?” “Have an explosive orgasm? Most definitely.” “Me, too. Actually, I had at least more than a couple.” Sam chuckled, liking her lighthearted tone and the wide-eyed look of wonder on her face, as if having an orgasm proved unprecedented for her. He liked, too, that she was comfortable enough to talk with him. He remembered how nervous she had been when she’d brought him her pie. That woman was a different woman than the one who lay in his arms now or the one who’d boldly asked if he’d let her tie him up. He didn’t want to see the former woman again but knew he needed to address the elephant sitting in the bed between them. Bringing Remy into the sanctity of Desiree’s bedroom seemed like one surefire way to stir the pot and ruin the vibe, but how could he not, at least eventually? “Your mind’s with your brother and work, isn’t it?” “Something like that.” “Where were you guys heading when I saw you in the woods earlier?” “To the stream. We like to hang out there every chance we get.”

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“Maybe I could hang out there with you one of these days.” “We’d like that.” The smile she gave him proved as mischievous as any of Maia’s. “Sure I wouldn’t be impinging on your male-bonding time?” “Who says we still wouldn’t be bonding?” “You’ve got a point.” The woman just didn’t know what she was asking or how important it was for her to see and accept them in their favorite habitat, and Sam couldn’t tell her—not yet. “Samson?” Sam cringed at the hated name. He’d wondered if Desiree had picked up on it earlier. He should have known. “Yeah, that’s me.” “I like it. It fits you and goes with Quarry perfectly. They’re both solid and strong.” Would she think Samson went with his real family name, Guidry, just as well? The truth sat on his tongue like bad medicine and Sam swallowed it down. Carson would kill him if he revealed too much too soon, probably if he revealed anything at all. Lying killed Sam, though. He’d never been good at it, even though he had been doing it for most of his twenties, by necessity. He’d never had to lie to a woman he’d been intimate with, though, since he hadn’t really been close to a lot of women, certainly not as familiar as he had been with Desiree. One-night stands didn’t count, and he hadn’t had too many of those, either. Compared to some of his brother’s sexploits, Sam practically remained a virgin. “My middle name is Galen,” he murmured and leaned in to nuzzle and kiss her neck. “Giving out your middle name, hmm. That’s personal.” Sam chuckled. He could tell her a lot more personal stuff that would blow her mind, “I think I’m falling in love with you, Desiree,” he blurted.

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“I like Galen. It’s…fanciful, like the name of a mythical being— an elf, a wizard, or a Wiccan maybe.” Had she not heard him, or was she just ignoring what he’d said? “Desiree?” “I can’t, Sam. Not now.” The maybe not ever hung in the air between them, and Sam let it. It hurt him not to address her rejection, but he didn’t want to fight with her over it, not yet anyway. He’d done enough damage already. He knew Carson would think so. “What would you know about all those mythical beings and Wiccans?” Sam asked, trying to put back together the broken thread of their conversation. “Maia’s a free spirit and into all that New Age stuff, or hadn’t you noticed?” “I noticed she’s special.” “She mentioned the psychic thing to you?” “She did.” “Wow. She doesn’t share that with too many people outside of the immediate family. Sometimes I wish she didn’t share it with me.” “Why? I think what she can do is cool.” “If you’re into Neo-paganism.” Desiree grimaced. “I guess you’d be real impressed to know she’s a practicing Wiccan.” Now that was something he hadn’t heard through the grapevine. “No kidding?” “No kidding.” Desiree sat up in the bed, pulling the sheet up to cover her fantastic breasts, and that’s when Sam knew that he was in hot water. Damn, he should have kept his mouth shut! In trying to deflect the conversation, he had just put Desiree into a defensive snit. He didn’t know whether to be thrilled by her obvious jealousy or upset. “I think you’d better leave now.” “Not while you’re mad.” He reached for her and she avoided his touch to get out of the bed, taking the sheet with her.

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“I’m not mad.” Sam sat up in bed and watched her walk around the room in her makeshift toga, lips kiss-swollen, long waves mussed and chin tilted high, looking more regal than any queen he had ever seen and, yes, angrier than a fire-breathing dragon. He fairly drooled at the image her wild, copper-brown curls and heated whiskey gaze made and got out of bed, naked, to go to her. “Sure about that?” He knew how intimidating he must look with nothing on and his cock pointing at her like a weapon, but he refused to leave until he knew she had sufficiently settled down. “I’m sure I need to be alone right now.” Sam put his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll leave for now, but you need to know Maia doesn’t do anything for me.” “Sure about that?” she teased, already pulling out of her bad mood. He liked that she didn’t hold a grudge. “I’m sure you’re more than enough woman for me and my brother.” Sam leaned in to give her a hard, passionate kiss, leaving her suitably breathless by the time he pulled back. He silently left her, gathering and donning his discarded clothes before going to the door. The whole time, he’d felt her eyes on him as he moved around the room and around her motionless form. Sam stood at the door with a hand on the knob, waiting for her to ask him to stay, but knew her pride wouldn’t allow that. Which is why it surprised him when she walked over to him and said, “Sam, the last man who told me he thought he was falling in love with me, he…he did some unspeakable things to me.” He put his hand on her arm, squeezed it, but stopped just short of pulling her closer. It killed him to restrain himself, especially when he sensed the pain she was in. Something, however, told him that she wanted, needed the distance after her admission. He decided to give it to her, for now.

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“If it makes you feel any better, I think I could love you and Carson, if I was going to love anyone.” “Throw the dog a bone.” He grinned, heart thudding with grief for what she’d gone through and his inability to fix it. “I don’t have anything else to give you and your brother, Sam.” “You’re wrong, Desi, and I’m going to prove it to you.” “What? Is it your personal mission now to make me say ‘I love you’?” “I’ll make it one if I have to.” She chuckled, but Sam sensed her utter resignation beneath. She surprised him again, however, when she stood on her toes to gently kiss his lips. “You’re a good man.” “See you tomorrow?” “Okay.” He left then, ready to hold her to that single word as he closed the door behind him and turned just in time to bump smack-dab into Maia. He couldn’t have avoided her if he tried, not with her standing in the middle of the hallway, arms folded across her chest and an adversarial glint to her espresso eyes. She looked about as formidable as any shifter in attack mode that Sam had ever come across. “So when are you going to tell Desi about you and Carson?” “Tell her what about me and Carson?” “That you’re the wolves she’s been seeing in her dreams.”

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Chapter 11 Carson stopped and jerked around to see Sam shadowing him through the woods. He smiled and traced his steps back to his brother, surprised he’d left Desiree so soon but glad he’d have company out at the stream. That is, until he saw who Sam brought with him. “What is she doing here?” Carson pointed at Maia bringing up the rear. How the hell had she snuck up on him? His brother he could understand, but how had he not sensed a full human, especially one with as unique a scent as Maia, who always smelled like patchouli and a hint of coconut? Carson had wondered about Maia sometimes, if maybe she had shifter blood in her or was otherwise special. He thought maybe she was gifted like Mama Reni, a voodoo priestess who lived on the bayou and cast love spells upon request and for a nominal fee. Carson knew, because he had tried to solicit her services in his foolish youth before his mother found out what he was up to and put a stop to it. Maybe Maia’s gift, like Mama Reni’s, had something to do with her fey way. “She didn’t give me a choice,” Sam said. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” “It means I blackmailed him into bringing me out to meet with you two for a talk.” She tilted her head back to look at him and he got a look at her elfin face as light from the moon glinted down through the trees and cast a silver glow on her café au lait complexion.

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A few inches shorter than Desiree and more than a few inches shorter than Tamara, Maia was the petite one of the three sisters but didn’t let it get in the way of her getting her point across. She proved fearless, just like her sisters in this respect, Carson thought. “You shouldn’t be out here alone,” he grumbled. She just silently arched a brow at him. “Okay, so you’re not alone. But what makes you think you can trust Sam and me any more than anyone else on this ranch outside of your family?” “Because I know you.” “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you know us, Maia.” “Actually, she knows us a lot better than you think.” Carson stepped closer to Sam and growled. “What did you tell her?” Maia stepped between them as if to protect Sam from him, and Carson gave her his fiercest glare with little effect. The lady didn’t blink or back down one bit, just lifted her cleft chin a tad higher. “Don’t go getting all Neanderthal on the boy. He didn’t tell me anything. That’s the problem. You boys don’t like to talk about yourselves. But I have to tell you that it’s not going to sit too well with my sister.” “See. I told you she didn’t give me a choice.” “Look, Carson, I know all about you, and you don’t scare me. And if I didn’t know you as well as I do, I would have never pushed you and your brother toward my sister.” “So her being out in the woods all alone earlier was your doing?” He didn’t know whether to wring her neck or kiss her. “Don’t be ridiculous. Desiree has a mind of her own, but I’m not beyond giving her a little nudge now and again. Not that she always responds the way I’d like. She’s pretty stubborn, in case you hadn’t noticed.” “Oh yeah, I’ve noticed.” Stubbornness seemed to be another trait all three of the sisters shared, and right about now, Maia reminded

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Carson of Sam when he tried to convince Carson how right a relationship would be between them and Desiree. Maia hooked her arms through Carson’s and Sam’s and led them deeper into the forest, toward the stream, like she knew where she was going. Her certainty made Carson wonder exactly how many times she had followed the same path and whether or not she had spied them on their nightly jaunts. He followed her lead, curious as to how far she was going to take her bossy act, even though he knew damn well it wasn’t just an act. The sister actually thought she could tell him what to do! He needed to tell her she had another thing coming, and he would, just as soon as she let him go and he could get his head on straight. After being with Desiree with his brother, Carson’s head still reeled with what they had all done and what it meant. Sam remained silent as the dead. It didn’t deter Carson from giving him the evil eye every few steps. Sam gave him the same look right back. When they all exited the forest several yards from the stream, Carson started to feel a little less claustrophobic but no less confused. What exactly did Maia think she knew about him and Sam if Sam hadn’t said anything to her? Had she seen them shift? “I know you have a boatload of questions you want to ask me, and I’ll answer all of yours if you’ll answer mine,” Maia said as soon as they stopped and she released their arms. She smiled at them. “Let’s have a little show and tell.” “Show and tell?” Carson exchanged a look with his brother. “Yep. You show me what you look like when you shift.” Carson glared at Sam, who shrugged. “I didn’t tell her anything. I swear!” “Then how the hell does she…” Carson paused and turned to Maia. “You do realize what you’re suggesting is totally ludicrous.” “I’m not suggesting anything. I know what you are.”

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“Have you told Desiree what you…think you know? Or are you just out here for your own morbid sense of curiosity?” “No, I haven’t told Desiree. And of course I’m out here for my own healthy sense of curiosity. I want to see what she’s going to be dealing with—the complete, unvarnished truth.” “You should have thought of that before you threw us all together.” “I admit I acted a little hastily. But I figured if she got to know you the way I see you, she couldn’t help but like you.” “The way you see us?” Maia reached out and put a palm on Carson’s chest. His heart immediately sped beneath her hand. “The way I see your insides.” “And how do you see them?” “You both have good hearts and souls. You’re good, strong men, and you’re what she needs to help her heal. That’s all I was thinking about. I didn’t consider that she might find it a little difficult to handle the other part.” “That we’re shifters.” Maia nodded, and all Carson could focus on was that whole “heal” part of her speech. What wound did Desiree need to heal from, and why did she need two strong men to help her do it? “What about you?” he asked Maia instead. “Aren’t you afraid?” “Would I be here if I was?” “Why aren’t you afraid?” “I’m not sure that I’m not afraid. I’m just a little more openminded than my sister, and I think I might be able to handle what you are a little better than she will.” “Maybe you’re giving her too little credit,” Sam piped up. “Sam’s the hopeless optimist of the family, in case you haven’t noticed,” Carson said, and Maia laughed.

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“Don’t apologize. He’s probably right. My sister has surprised me in the past, but on this, I’m pretty sure she’s going to be freaked out when she—” “Finds out that she’s slept with a pair of monsters?” “You’re not monsters!” Maia reached out and squeezed his biceps, her gesture and emphatic words heartening. “You’re just different.” “Like you,” Sam said, and Carson stared at him. “What the hell did I miss?” “I have…visions. I’m psychic.” So he had been right! She was special. Carson saw Sam’s non-reaction to Maia’s confession and glared at his brother. “You knew about this?” Sam shrugged again, a sheepish blush creeping into his cheeks. He wondered how long his brother had known about Maia’s gifts and why Sam hadn’t mentioned it before now. Carson remembered their conversation after their little argument and fisticuffs in the barn and how Sam had seemed to be holding out on him. This was why he was so sure Desiree wanted both of them. He’d probably known about Maia’s abilities then. Maia had probably convinced him that his and Carson’s being with her sister was prophesized. He didn’t understand why his brother hadn’t shared this with him. It wasn’t like he would have been skeptical, not with the backgrounds he and his brother both shared. “So you see, there’s nothing too much out here that will shock me,” Maia assured. “You hope not,” Carson said. Maia folded her arms across her breasts. “Impress me.” Carson didn’t think twice before he stepped back and shed his shirt. “Carson, do you really think that’s such a good idea?”

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He didn’t respond to Sam’s concerned tone. He just continued to disrobe, unashamed of his nudity. Why should he be ashamed? It was his natural state, after all, more natural than any other state he remained forced to maintain. Carson forgot about all modesty or the fact that Maia was something like a sister-in-law—or she would be if Sam and he had anything to say about it—and by the time he got to the button and zipper on his jeans, he was on autopilot. He quickly slipped out of his pants—he and Sam never wore underwear—and began to change. As his bones and organs rearranged and shifted to accommodate his new form, Carson felt slightly disloyal, letting Maia see him shift before Desiree, but this thought didn’t stop him from continuing. He was too far gone now to stop anyway. Dense black fur sprouted all over his body as he fell on all fours, and paws and claws took the place of hands and feet. Peripherally, he heard Maia’s gasp and then realized that Sam had shifted also. Carson didn’t know whether it was the sights or sounds that shocked Maia the most. He imagined it was both. Any normal person would be shocked by hearing bones crunch and pop into and out of place, and he was sure it sounded a lot more painful to her than it felt to him. He had become accustomed to the pain after doing this so many times since he’d been a pup. He had learned to ignore the pain and accept it as a part of the shift. By the time he and Sam had completely changed and were standing before Maia in their wolf forms, Carson fully expected her to make a run for it. Far from running, Maia took a knee before them and opened her arms wide. Sam went to her first, always friendly and eager to please, no matter what form he was in. He’d been the same way in the pack, whereas Carson remained wary, especially around Remy and Duane. He’d never gotten over the feeling that the alpha and his family saw

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his family as less-than because Mama was a hybrid. And then after Dad’s death, he’d felt like the pack pitied them as “the widow and her two mutts” rather than embraced them as true members of the pack to be loved and protected like the rest. His mother assured him that it wasn’t pity that he saw shining out of the pack members’ eyes but envy, because they saw Carson as a threat, a shifter who could challenge Remy where everyone else who’d tried had failed. Carson wasn’t sure about all that, but he had to admit that he envied the easy way Sam had with people, the easy way his brother got along with and made friends with everyone, especially with Maia right then. “Oh…you are so beautiful.” Maia fearlessly hugged Sam around the neck and buried her face in his thick brown pelt. Carson listened to the awe in Maia’s voice and wondered what it would feel like to have Desiree bury her face in his fur. His big body shuddered from the image. “Please come,” she said to Carson, and again, he felt strangely unfaithful as he stepped forward, like he somehow cheated on Desiree, letting Maia see this side of him first. Like Desiree will ever see or accept you this way. It was a miracle that Maia accepted them and wasn’t frightened out of her mind. Maybe there was something to be said for a fey, Wiccan sister-in-law. Maia reached for him with one arm and welcomed him into the circle, closing her arm around his neck and hugging tight. She rubbed her face against his coat, the same way she had rubbed her face against Sam’s. Her breath was a soft murmur behind his ear. Other than cuddling with his mother or other maternal females of the pack as a pup, Carson had never had another human touch him while he remained in wolf form. It was at once comforting and disconcerting.

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Before he could get any more into the feelings of nostalgia that Maia’s touch evoked, Carson lowered his head and pulled from her grasp before taking several steps back. Maia stood and warily watched him then slowly nodded her head. “I understand.” How could she when he barely understood himself? She turned her back on them both—so brave, so trusting—and whispered, “I’ll give you privacy while you shift back and put on your clothes.” Carson looked at his brother then together they shifted back to their human form and got back into their jeans. Carson figured since they fully intended to shed their clothes and shift again once Maia left, there was no need to get completely dressed again. At least he hoped Maia would be leaving soon. Maia turned around while they both had their hands on the zippers of their jeans and grinned. “You both are so perfect for Desiree.” “You think so?” Carson drawled. “You have no idea.” Carson thought that he did, though only because of Sam and his optimism and faith in human nature. If it hadn’t been for Sam, he never would have allowed himself to think of Desiree in a romantic light. He never would have allowed himself to hope that any of them could have a future together or that they were perfect for her. Now that he and his brother had been with Desiree, however, he did feel like they made the perfect threesome, each complementing the other—at least in bed. What about out of it, in the real world? He already knew the relationship could not work. He wasn’t himself around Desiree. He got all silly and soft when he was with her and that wasn’t a shifter’s way, at least it wasn’t his way, never had been. He’d never met anyone like Desiree before, though. She was strong and vulnerable at the same time and elicited his animal instincts and his gentle human side.

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Carson vaguely wondered how she had gotten Sam to let her tie and blindfold him but then remembered Sam was already halfway in love with the woman and willing to go through hell and high water for her, accommodate any fetish. It took a brave man to relinquish that sort of control, and though Carson didn’t consider himself a coward by any means, he didn’t know how he would react if Desiree wanted to tie him up. After his brief stint in Remy’s custody, under the alpha’s thumb, he didn’t like the idea of being bound and powerless. He didn’t want to think about what would have happened to him had his mother and Kara not come and gotten him out when they had. Though he was a shifter and the scars on his body had long since healed because of his speedy metabolism, the scars on his heart and soul never would. It sounded like he and Desiree had a lot in common, needing to heal and all. Carson remained almost certain that Maia didn’t know what she got her sister into involving Desiree with him and Sam, but he realized he’d be popping her bubble if he told her this. She was too fixed on her perfect match and the idea of soul mates to believe a word he’d say anyway. He could see it in the excited, unwavering look in her eyes—just like Sam’s look when he talked about Desiree. “You know, nothing and no one is perfect,” Carson said, trying to ground the woman in some form of reality. He could see her getting carried away by his and Sam’s otherworldliness, that she thought because they were fantastic beings that they weren’t also human and susceptible to the same frailties as any other men. “We’re going to make mistakes.” She waved a hand at his protests. “I know that. And I didn’t say you were perfect. I said you were perfect for Desiree.” “Fair enough, but I’m just a little concerned that you have this idealistic image of us and what we can do for your sister. We’re men, Maia.” “Duh.”

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Sam chuckled then quickly covered his mouth with a hand when Carson scowled at him. “You care about her, don’t you?” “You know we do,” Carson said. He wouldn’t be going through half the stress that Sam and Maia had put him through in the last few weeks if he didn’t care. “We’d do anything for her,” Sam said. Carson didn’t want to go so far and say that. He still wasn’t sure what he was dealing with and what all Maia expected them to be and do for Desiree to help heal her. Call him selfish, but he wondered what Desiree could do for him and Sam. Could their hearts take her disgust once she rejected them? “You mean that, don’t you?” Maia gave Sam an appealing look that made Carson’s heart shudder and melt, so he could just imagine what it did to Sam’s insides. Dammit! If she turned on the waterworks, Carson would leave. There was just no two ways about it. “With everything in me.” Lay off of the freaking knight-in-shining-armor speech, Sam! What could he really say, though? Poor peeshwank, he came by it honestly. Look at him and what he’d done for that full-human female outside of that zydeco club in the French Quarter. The entire family had yet to live his actions down. Maia smiled and stood between them. She reached out to squeeze their biceps, and Carson felt like she drafted them into military service or more specifically like Queen Wiccan Maia knighted him and Sam. “You’ll all do each other so much good. You’ll all help each other. I just know it.” She knew a lot more than he did. Maia clapped and rubbed her hands together as if about to get down to work and her smile made Carson’s heart drop. “I’m going to head on back before someone starts to look for me. You guys just go about your business like you usually do.”

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“Not likely,” Carson mumbled. “I’ll walk you back,” Sam offered. “No need. I’m good.” Carson watched her turn and head in the direction from where she and Sam had come. Maia took a flashlight out of her back pocket and turned it on to light her way. Fearless, Carson thought, just plain touched and fearless. “I really should go with her,” Sam said. “Sure you want to after the last time you accompanied a Jensen up to the big house?” Sam rolled his eyes and chuckled. Yeah, Carson thought, no chance of that happening again, at least not tonigh— A screech rent the air, and both Carson and Sam went still for a fraction of a moment before racing through the forest in Maia’s direction. They found her leaning near a tree, nursing one hand in the other with the flashlight cradled under one arm. Carson rushed to her. “What happened?” “A raccoon. He came out of nowhere and—” Carson reached for her injured hand and jerked it toward him. Even in the dim light he saw the circular teeth marks. “He got you pretty good.” “Where’d he go?” Sam asked. “I’m not sure, maybe in that direction.” Maia pointed the flashlight toward the left of them, where they all saw the kit hunkered down just inside the trunk of a tree. “Get her back to the house and take care of that bite. I’ll see about getting this critter out so we can get him tested.” “Tested?” Maia asked. “Don’t they have to—?” “Don’t worry about it. C’mon,” Carson said. “Bu—hey!”

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Carson had scooped her up into his arms. “I’ll contact Division of Wildlife when I get back to the house,” he told Sam. “Okay. I’m right behind you.” Maia cleared her throat and Carson paused. “What?” “I think it might look a little suspect if you take me up to the house without your shirt.” “I’ll get them, just start up to the house,” Sam said. Carson didn’t waste any more time arguing. He turned and headed for the house and felt Maia’s arms tighten around his neck as he carried her. He glanced at her out the corner of an eye to see her grinning like a maniac—not the reaction to being a victim of a wildanimal bite. “What?” She shrugged. “I’m just so happy for my sister. She’s got two capable men of action.” “I’m glad you think so.” “I know so.” She frowned then. “What’s Sam going to do to—?” “Not your concern. Let’s just worry about you.” Maia quietly leaned her head against his and didn’t say another word until they got to the house, and when they arrived, it seemed like all hell had broken loose.

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Chapter 12 Bebe and cher. The alien terms of endearment filled Desiree with a sense of belonging and security that she hadn’t known in a long time, if she ever had at all. Maybe as a child, when life was simple, and before a controlling man had entered her life and tried to fill the spaces left empty by her dead father. I think I’m falling in love with you, Desiree. Two different men, years apart, had told her the same thing. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told Sam she could love him and his brother. She thought maybe she was halfway in love with both of them already. However, when she thought about what had happened the last time she’d trusted a man and allowed herself to fall, it stopped her in her tracks. She hadn’t thought about her ex-boyfriend as much as she had in the last month. Desiree had thought she’d succeeded in eradicating him, the atrocity, from her life. She realized, however, that she could bury what happened to her all she wanted, but there was no way to eradicate anything. It would always be with her, buried deep maybe, but not gone. Desiree closed her eyes, giving in to the memories of what Jeremy had done to her, the way he had violated her and stolen her selfconfidence with one violent act. He’d beaten and raped her. When it was all over, he’d made her feel like it was her fault. He’d made her feel like she’d asked for it. Immediately after, she’d wanted to forget what had happened, had tried to act like it hadn’t happened at all. For the most part she’d succeeded, except for the periodic nightmares.

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Desiree wasn’t so sure she wanted to forget things entirely. She wouldn’t be herself. She wouldn’t be who she had become after, and she basically liked herself the way she was. For the most part she proved strong, intelligent, and especially resourceful. She’d learned to live with the fear, dress it up and disguise it in terms like “careful,” “meticulous,” and “reserved.” She’d always been these things, but after, she’d become even more so. These things were positives, though. There was nothing wrong with a little healthy suspicion, except now she had allowed two men into her life who would expect, no, demand more than her careful suspicion would permit. Desiree took off her reading glasses and pressed the pads of her thumb and forefinger to her aching eyes. She’d read the same page over several times already, too distracted to focus and too restless to go to sleep. It remained early yet, especially for a weekend evening, but still late enough for her to call it a night. Her circadian rhythms were uniquely suited for life on a ranch since she lived by the credo early to bed, early to rise. Maia said she went to bed at prime, schoolnight time. Her sister insisted this time was too early for an adult to hit the sack. The guests and some of the staff, however, proved like Maia, partaking in late-night activities either in town or in the bar and arcade on The Double R. She imagined the bar might be where Maia hung for the evening if she hadn’t gone out with Tamara, Jess, and Jax. The four of them all liked to hang out at a hot spot in Eagle County called Joe’s. Desiree had yet to go, though she’d heard a lot about it, especially raves from Maia. She wondered if Sam or Carson had ever been. She doubted it. As reserved and careful as she proved, those two were ten times more so, and she couldn’t imagine them hanging out in a bar mingling with a bunch of strangers. Their style ran more along the lines of communing with nature on their off time. Desiree wondered what they were up to now, tempted to go out and find them despite the fright she’d given herself doing just that not

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a few hours ago. However, anything had to be better than sitting here pretending not to think about them. She needed to be proactive instead of staring at that bed and imagining all the things she could be doing in it with them. Desiree closed the book she’d been trying to read, stood, and placed it in the seat of the rocker where she’d been sitting. She snatched her robe off of the back of the rocker and threw it on over the short pajama set she wore then headed out into the hallway toward the stairs. Maybe she’d go make herself a cup of tea, bring it back to her rooms, and watch some TV. That might do the trick. Yeah, and it was like oh such an exciting walk on the wild side. Be still my foolish heart. The organ in question suddenly sputtered to erratic life as Desiree neared the bottom of the stairwell and heard the commotion going on in the kitchen. She heard Maria’s voice raised in alarm and then Jeremiah’s commanding, deep tone directing someone to “lay her on the sofa.” Lay who on the sofa? Desiree headed toward the living room, where Jeremiah led Carson, Maia in tow, to the large, country floral sofa. “What’s going on?” Rather than alarm, Desiree felt in her element, the older sister there to comfort and console. However, Carson had assumed that role as he gently placed Maia on the sofa and asked Maria for a phone. “I’ll get the iodine to wash it some more,” Jeremiah said and turned from Carson and Maia. “How do, Desi?” She barely got out a greeting before he rushed by her and up the stairs two at a time. Desiree crouched beside her sister. “What happened?” “Stupid raccoon decided I was dinner and took a nibble on my hand.”

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“Oh no…” She glanced up at Carson, who was on the cordless that Maria had brought him from the occasional table at the front door. He gave her a stern look then spoke into the receiver, his tone clipped and officious. Less than a minute later he hung up. “Had to leave a voicemail.” “Who’d you call?” “Division of Wildlife. Animal Control doesn’t handle wildlife issues on private property.” Desiree remained impressed with his peripheral knowledge, realizing that being a cowboy involved a lot more than breaking horses and cattle drives. “Here’s the iodine!” Jeremiah practically flew down the stairs, wielding a bottle and some cotton balls to administer the solution. “Do you need me to call an ambulance?” Maria asked. “No!” Maia and Carson both chorused. “It’s urgent, but not an emergency. We can just drive her to the hospital.” Carson took the bottle of iodine from Jeremiah, sat beside Maia on the sofa, and carefully pulled back the gauze that covered her injured hand. Desiree watched as he put some of the iodine on a cotton ball then gently swabbed the bite area with the solution. She couldn’t help but think how composed and capable he remained, reassuring Maia when she winced, tenderly pushing a loose lock of her pixie cut away from her face. “Where’s Sam,” she asked, because wherever Carson was, Sam usually wasn’t far behind. “He’s retrieving the culprit,” Maia murmured. “Oh.” The gravity of the situation didn’t escape anyone else in the room, except that she and Maia seemed the most traumatized, Desiree noticed. She supposed they remained typical city girls unable to deal with some of the harsh realities of ranch life. Desiree remembered how Maia had cried when Daddy read them Old Yeller as kids and got to the part in the book when Travis had to

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shoot the dog. Though Desiree had shed a tear or two, Maia had been almost inconsolable. Not to mention her sister’s crying jag after the hunter had shot Bambi’s mother when they’d watched the video. Desiree thought to this day that that was the moment when Maia had decided to not eat “anything with a face” anymore. The decision ultimately gave Jeremiah and his boys plenty of stuff to rib Maia about over the dinner table when everyone else usually indulged their taste buds with some kind of meat or chicken product. No one ribbed either sister now, however. “Give me the keys to the truck and I’ll run her to the hospital myself.” Carson addressed Jeremiah, and Jeremiah grimly nodded as he headed off to retrieve the keys to his pickup. “I’m going with you,” Desiree said. “Now why should you have to sit in an emergency room babysitting me on a Friday night?” “It’s what sisters do. It’s not like I’m doing anything else anyway.” Maia arched a brow and cut an eye in Carson’s direction. “No?” “Nothing that can’t be tended to later.” Desiree knew she blushed and tried to keep her voice as steady as possible. Her sister was determined as well as incorrigible, but then Desiree helped her cause by wanting to tag along, which would throw her in direct contact with Carson. Jeremiah came back with the keys and tossed them to Carson, who grabbed them from the air. “Call us and let us know how things are going.” “Will do,” Carson said then turned to Maia. “You ready?” “Let’s get this over with.” “Wait for me. I’ll run up and throw something on,” Desiree said. “We’ll be in the truck.” Carson’s voice didn’t betray anything of what he thought of the turn of events, not that Desiree expected it to. She was used to his

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strong, silent way by now, except that she had seen him when he wasn’t so silent, even if he still came off as strong. Strong, demanding, irresistible, and sexy. She rushed upstairs to her room and slipped out of her robe and pjs and into the jeans and shirt she’d had on earlier. As a concession to the extrawrinkled state of her shirt and the cool spring evening, she slipped on a red hoodie from her closet. Desiree went back downstairs, said good night to Jeremiah and Maria—who both gave her knowing looks that made her face hotter than it felt already—then headed out back, where Carson sat in the driver’s seat idling the truck. As soon as Desiree headed for the pickup, Maia got out of the cab and held the passenger door open for her. “I’ll take the window seat if you don’t mind.” She smiled, leaving no room for argument unless Desiree wanted to be stubborn and make a scene. Desiree knew that Maia knew Desiree liked to cause scenes about as much as Maia liked to stay out of her sister’s business. Desiree walked by her sister to climb into the cab next to Carson, then Maia climbed into the cab after her. Carson gave her one measuring look, then silently put the truck in gear and backed out of the driveway. That brief, simmering look heated her blood in her veins. It made her shudder at the proximity of his body. “How long a trip is it?” Desiree blurted, desperate for something to say to break the ice and tension. “Unfortunately, the nearest hospital with a twenty-four-hour ER is Valley View. It’s about an hour away. There shouldn’t be much traffic this time of night, so we should be there in a little less than that, not much longer.” His words sounded clipped, economical, much like his movements as he changed gears on the truck. The action brought his hand in near-enough contact to her thigh that Desiree closed her eyes at the image of his hand continuing its course and

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sliding between her legs, creeping higher and higher until he caressed her slit. Desiree unconsciously licked her lips, and when she opened her eyes it was to the sight of Carson staring at her before he slowly returned his gaze back to the road. Desiree felt a pinch to her side and turned to glare at Maia, who just smiled back. Between Maia to the right of her and Carson to the left of her, Desiree knew the next sixty minutes would prove the most tension filled in her life. Typical male driver that he was, Carson got them to the hospital in forty-five minutes. Desiree couldn’t complain. They all arrived in one piece and the sooner Maia got to see someone, the better, right? Of course she didn’t see someone right away. It was an emergency room, after all. Despite it bustling with activity, it came nowhere near reaching the levels of energy and action one might see in a New York City emergency room on a Friday night, however. In light of this, Desiree chose to stare at the large, flat-screen TV broadcasting the evening news high up in a corner of the waiting room rather than pace or talk to Carson to pass the time. The latter should have been the most desirable to do, especially in light of them having slept together just a few hours earlier, but this, in fact, made things more uncomfortable between them, à la the morning after. Desiree questioned her wisdom in tagging along when she remained nothing more than a fifth wheel, totally unneeded in the situation. Maia had Carson to hold her hand until the doctor on duty got to her. Since her wound wasn’t considered an emergency, not like some of the other bloody and bone-crunching injuries Desiree had seen since they’d arrived, Desiree guessed they’d be there a little while longer.

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She wished Sam were there to buffer things, but remembering what he probably remained busy doing depressed Desiree even more. “Stop fidgeting,” Maia whispered in her ear. “Everything’s going to be fine, especially if you just relax, accept, and let things happen.” Desiree didn’t have to ask what Maia meant. She wasn’t talking about her injury or consequent concern for her welfare. She was talking about Carson and Sam. She wanted Desiree to accept them and let things happen. Desiree remained shocked that she had “let things happen” earlier, that things between her and the two men had gotten so far out of control. Now separated from the act by a few hours, with a clearer head, she couldn’t believe she had been so…reckless. That was Maia’s style, not hers. Her style, however, had obviously changed. She had changed, more than she realized or wanted to admit. Desiree wasn’t sure if this proved a good or bad thing. Someone needed to have a level head between them. Someone needed to see reason, and nurturing a relationship with two men when she knew it couldn’t go anywhere wasn’t being levelheaded. “You think too much.” Maia elbowed her in the ribs just as a doctor came into the waiting area with a clipboard in his hands, visually scanning the room. “Maia Jensen?” He had a deep voice, his slight southwestern drawl commanding attention and his ebony hair and Caribbean-blue eyes keeping it. Desiree let her gaze drift down from his lightly tanned face and peered at the name tag pinned to his white lab coat. She took note of the name printed there—T. Malloy—and thought he wasn’t a badlooking specimen at all, aesthetically speaking, of course. Beside her, Maia perked up considerably and instantly, probably reacting to the tall, dark, and handsome drink of water who’d called her name. Her tone proved a note lower and sultrier than her normal voice, putting her sister in full-fledged flirtation mode when she finally responded to T. Malloy’s inquiry. “That would be moi.”

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Doctor Malloy seemed to perk up himself, blue eyes noticeably widening just a tad beneath his lush black eyebrows as he looked at Maia. Desiree could almost see an arc of energy flowing out between her sister and the doctor. Wow. She’d heard of love and lust at first sight and instant attraction, but she’d never seen it in action before, if that’s what this was. “You can follow me this way and I’ll take a look at that wound.” Maia gave Desiree one more poke in the ribs with her elbow before she sprang to her feet to follow Doctor Malloy out of the waiting area. Desiree turned her attention from them, as they disappeared into one of the treatment rooms, to Carson sitting beside her, and her heartbeat stuttered at the dark look in his green eyes. She actually raised a hand to her throat as if to defend herself. “What?” Carson just made a sound in his throat that sounded strangely like a growl and shook his head as he turned his attention to the TV overhead. What was that about? “You didn’t have to drool over the guy,” Carson muttered. “I beg your pardon?” “The doctor. Granted, I suppose he’s good looking in an Ivy League, city slicker kind of way, but you didn’t have to drool.” “I wasn’t drooling!” Desiree realized she had raised her voice and glanced around the waiting area to see who paid attention to them, which was almost no one, thank goodness. She turned in her seat to face Carson, who kept his stony profile to her as he seemed to follow the action on the TV screen as if his life depended on it. There was no mistaking the muscles working along his clenched jaw like he chomped a bit, though. “What is your problem?” “I don’t have a problem, but if a slick pretty boy is more your style than Sam and me, then why’d you bother…being with us in the first place?”

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What pretty boy? Doctor Malloy? Okay, sure she had thought it when he’d first come into the waiting area, but who could be any more pretty than Carson and his brother? Both were so gorgeous and rugged that they made her wonder why they had been with her earlier. Carson was jealous? Why? He had no reason in the world to be! The only man who had been crowding her thoughts as much as him since she had been on the ranch was his brother, and there was no competition there since she wanted them both equally. Want? Why don’t you just admit you love them? Desiree struggled with whether or not she should tell Carson how she felt but didn’t want to sound like she was patronizing him or trying to stroke his ego. She had to admit she was horrible at it, not used to catering to anyone’s ego outside of business. This was different. Carson and Sam constituted a personal relationship, a rare one she wanted to nurture and enjoy—against her better judgment. “Is he?” Carson turned from the TV to face her. “Is who what?” “Is Doctor Malloy more your style?” “As opposed to what?” “Two…cowboys.” Desiree couldn’t help thinking he’d been about to say something else entirely, the pause between words was so profound. “If the two cowboys are you and Sam, then no, Doctor Malloy is not my style. I don’t have a style.” At least before Carson brought it up, she wasn’t aware she had a style or a preference except for someone decent and considerate. Looks counted, she supposed, but they had never been a priority to her. Besides, if she went by her experiences with Jeremy, then she couldn’t trust her judgment in these matters anyway. No one had been more considerate, decent, and good looking than him. He had been what her coworkers and Maia thought of as a “catch,” and look how that had turned out.

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“Oh, you’ve got a style,” Carson said, looking her up and down as if measuring her worth and finding her wanting. Could he have been any more disapproving? She felt like she was right back where she had started with him when he looked at her with nothing but annoyance and contempt. At Desiree’s confused silence, Carson frowned and shook his head. “You really have no idea, do you?” Desiree sighed, tired of the mind games. “Idea about what?” “How beautiful you are.” She spluttered. “I am not!” Carson chuckled, his first moment of lightness since they had arrived at the hospital. He nodded his head and reached for her, curving an arm around her back and drawing her close to his side. “Beautiful and desirable and so fucking naïve it borders on adorable.” “Watch your language, sweet talker.” “Get used to it, city slicker. This is who I am—a simple, toughtalking, wild, and rugged country boy.” Desiree thought she understood where his mind was going—that he thought he wasn’t good enough for her—when nothing could have been further from the truth. Besides which, she didn’t think there was anything “simple” about Carson Quarry. He remained too mysterious, with too many secrets she couldn’t even begin to unravel, to be considered simple by any stretch of the imagination. Both he and Sam proved the most complex and enigmatic men she knew next to Remy Bastien. “Who are you trying to convince?” “I just want you to know who and what you’re dealing with.” Desiree looked at him from the corner of her eye. “I know who I’m dealing with.” “Not yet, little Desi. Not yet.”

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Chapter 13 Desiree saw Maia’s face when Doctor Malloy escorted her out of the treatment room under an hour later and had to admit her younger sister looked about as shaken as she felt. Those cryptic words Carson delivered before settling down to watch television with his arm around her as if nothing untoward had occurred between them set all her nerves on edge with foreboding. When she considered them, they really just solidified what she already knew to be true about the man. He had secrets. Of course everyone had a past and skeletons in their closets, Desiree told herself, but she wondered even more about the ones that Carson and Sam harbored. She wondered about their elusive pasts. Carson rose from his seat as Maia made her way over to them after Doctor Malloy gave her some last-minute instructions and a prescription. “So, what’s the verdict?” “I’m sure you know better than me, Wildlife boy.” Carson grimly nodded. “Hopefully Sam caught the critter so we can get him tested and have the results back lickety-split. Maybe you won’t have to get the rest of those shots.” Desiree knew as well as Maia what testing meant, and the idea of it still sat heavy in her stomach. She didn’t wish ill of anyone or anything, but when it came down to her sister and a possibly rabid wild animal, she’d take her sister’s well-being over the animal, of course. Carson seemed to sense their melancholy and put an arm around each of their shoulders as Desiree stood to join them. “It’s going to be all right.”

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“I know.” Maia suddenly brightened. “Especially since I have to come back in three days to get my second shot.” “You’re looking forward to it?” Desiree asked then realized who she was questioning. Hot doctor plus Maia meant devilment, at least and especially on Maia’s part. “If I have to get rabies shots, looking at a hunky doctor while I do it isn’t a bad deal.” Carson chuckled. “I guess not.” He seemed in much better spirits since their little disagreement, Desiree thought. Maybe she had said just the right thing to calm him down and reassure him that he and Sam were the only men in her life right now, which remained true. “So, you got everything you need? We ready to hit the road?” Maia nodded her head. “Yep, I’m all set. Doctor Malloy gave me some pain pills to tide me over until I can fill my prescription.” Carson looked from Desiree to Maia, sensing as Desiree did that Maia wanted some alone time with her older sister. He stepped from between them and said, “I’ll go ahead and get the truck started while you two girls talk.” Maia laughed as he left then turned to her sister. “So did you two behave yourselves while I was indisposed?” “Question is did you behave yourself with the good doctor?” “You know me.” “I know. That’s why I asked.” “Of course I didn’t behave myself, and I was hoping you hadn’t, either.” “In a hospital waiting room?” Maia just smiled. Desiree shook her head. Her sister was just hopeless. She knew Maia wouldn’t let a little thing like inappropriate surroundings stop her from getting a little action going. Although she had to admit the thought of stealing a few kisses from Carson had crossed her own mind. She just didn’t go in for public displays of affection, never had.

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However, she’d never had a reason to, never had someone she wanted to show how she felt as much as she wanted to show Carson and Sam, regardless of where they all happened to be. Heck, she had started getting busy in the woods with Carson earlier, though she’d managed to let her fear override her lust and stopped. This was bad. They both made her drop her guard, act like someone else besides her levelheaded, sedate self. Was that such a bad thing, though? Desiree wondered just how far Maia had gone with the good doctor, if they had gone beyond the doctor-patient bounds at all in the treatment room. She had to admit the man was attractive and right up Maia’s alley. The thought gave Desiree hope that maybe her sister would give her a break once she had her own love life to focus on. One could dream. Had she passed up a crucial opportunity to get closer to Carson while Maia had been in with the doctor? It wasn’t like the hospital was an optimal place for a romantic interlude, but at this point Desiree was ready to take what she could get, as she didn’t think she would get many more opportunities. She didn’t know how she knew or why she was being so pessimistic, but something told her that the moments of bliss she’d found in Carson and Sam’s arms earlier were not only short lived but would be few and far between. When they made it out to the truck, true to his word, Carson sat in the driver’s seat idling the engine. He got out and ran around front to open the passenger door for them, closing it behind Maia before he got back into the driver’s seat beside Desiree. He gave her one meaningful look before he started the truck, a look that said so much without saying anything at all, telling her that they were nowhere near through or at the end but only beginning their relationship. Carson’s look plainly said she wasn’t getting rid of him or his brother any time soon.

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**** By the time Carson pulled into the driveway of the main house, it was well after midnight, and the lights were on in most of the house, indicating that several people were up, probably waiting for some news of Maia’s well-being. Usually he and Sam would be in the woods hiking, soaking in the stream, or running and fighting in their wolf forms, burning off excess steam. Now that that schedule had been blown all off-kilter, Carson’s thoughts wandered ahead to saying good-bye to Desiree for the evening when he wasn’t quite ready to let her go. He hadn’t been ready earlier when he’d left. He had wanted to wake up next to her, his brother on the other side of her as they squeezed her into a nice breakfast sandwich. Carson got hard just thinking about holding Desiree close to him again, exploring her mouth and pussy with the same fervor, sharing a taste of her luscious breasts with his brother. The images heated his body so much until he thought he would spontaneously combust. “Are you okay?” Carson shook his head to shake off his stupor. He turned to face Desiree and Maia, both staring at him as if he had been speaking in tongues. “I’m okay. Why?” “You’re flushed. Do you have a fever?” Desiree reached up to place her palm on his forehead. Carson eased away from her touch, trying not to insult her, but he wasn’t in the mood to be mothered, especially not now, and definitely not by her. His feelings for her were nowhere near filial, far from it. He’d never felt the need to be honest, completely honest with her more than he did right then. He wanted to tell her that he ran a higher temperature normally but didn’t know how to go about it without going into detail.

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What he needed was a nice sprint through the woods in his wolf form with Sam, maybe to engage in a friendly, vigorous physical battle, anything to work off his anxiety and excess excitement. He’d do anything to get the pent-up lust out of his system. He could think of better ways to do it than running through the woods, but he needed the time and space, as did Desiree, he assumed. However, when he looked at her, he wasn’t quite sure that she wanted the distance as much as he thought. She licked her lips, sliding her hand down to her lap. The tips of her ears were flushed red, much as he suspected his were. Her flush could have been due to something far different than lust, though. Maia cleared her throat to cheerily break the silence. “Well, thanks for the ride, guys! I’ll leave you two alone now so I can go face the family interrogation and you can…take care of your business.” Carson barely waved as Maia got out of the truck and closed the door. Desiree didn’t take her eyes off of him. “I didn’t get a chance to do this in the emergency room.” “Do wha—?” Carson buried her lips beneath his, cutting off the rest of her words and intending to do exactly as Maia had said, handle his business. He cupped her face between his hands, familiarly caressing her cheekbones with his thumbs as he plunged his tongue again and again, simulating what he wanted to do to her pussy with his cock. Desiree turned her body into his, moaning as she met and stroked his tongue with hers. She slid her hand into his lap, cupping his burgeoning cock and rubbing him up and down, making him feel like a horny teen as he ground his hips and pressed against her palm. Desiree squeezed him, allowing him a peek at her bold side, the side that had him panting and wanting to get her back into bed.

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Had it only been a few hours ago when he had shared her with his brother, when they had lounged in her large, four-poster bed together, dreamy and content? Desiree unzipped his jeans and slid her hand into the opening to retrieve his swollen cock. His shaft throbbed in her hand as she bent her head. Carson gasped and tried to move his hips away, gripping her shoulders with firm hands. Pushing her away was the last thing he wanted to do, especially since he could almost feel her mouth on him, hungry and searching. “What are you doing?” “I’m not sure anymore. I just know I want to taste you. I have since you and Sam took me in my room. You make me…not myself.” If she wasn’t herself then neither was he, playing the patient diplomat trying to stop her when his fondest wish was that she continue what she did. Without another word, she put her mouth on him and Carson shuddered at the contact. She dipped her tongue in his slit, experimentally scooping out the pearl of pre-cum with the tip before licking her lips as if she liked the taste of him. She lowered her head farther to slide her tongue down the veiny, sensitive underside of his penis before coming back up to suck the bulbous head. Down she went again until she reached the root, hollowing out her cheeks and sucking hard. “Merde!” Rockets went off before his mind’s eye just as someone pounded on the driver’s-side window. Desiree jerked up and just barely missed banging her head on the steering wheel as she pulled her head away from Carson’s crotch. He watched her lick her lips again, mesmerized by the path of her tongue, before he turned to see his brother looking in the driver’s-side window. Cock blocker! Carson hit the power button to lower the slightly tinted window and gritted his teeth. “What?” “Started without me, huh?”

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“You started without me.” Sam chuckled. “You guys want to get a room or follow me?” Carson frowned, momentarily confused before he realized what his brother meant. Maybe they’d get a chance to burn off their energy after all, if Desiree remained amenable. He zipped up his jeans and reached for her hand. “Come with us.” He made it a point not to ask, giving her no room to back out. Silently she nodded. Carson hoped she was into roughing it. **** When they emerged on the other side of the woods a little later, it was to the sight of a picnic basket and two bottles of wine laid out on two bedrolls pushed together. Desiree couldn’t help the breath that hitched in her chest. Everything about the setting was perfect. The full moon glowed overhead. A multitude of stars twinkled and reflected off of the stream. The stream gently flowed a few yards from the picnic setup under a large tree. If she didn’t know better, she’d say Maia had a hand in what she was looking at, but Maia had been with her and Carson. Carson seemed surprised by the whole arrangement himself, even though he covered his reaction, dropping a veiled look over his expression so quickly that Desiree wondered if she had imagined his initial shock. “So, what do you think?” Sam asked as he dropped his hand from her elbow and indicated the spread. “A picnic by moonlight. I have to admit it’s a first for me.” “Daytime, nighttime, picnics work any time. Especially since none of us has eaten in several hours and I figured you guys were hungry like me.”

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“How thoughtful.” Desiree took a few steps away from him toward the bedrolls. “Mama provided the provisions, so your palate should be well pleased.” “That’s nice, but what about my other palates?” She turned back to let her gaze land on both brothers in turn, voice surprisingly unwavering. She had grown a set of Maia’s brass balls in the last couple of weeks, evidently. Her voice had even taken on her sister’s flirtatious, sultry quality. She could tell just from the reaction she got from the two men converging on her. Two sets of eyes glittered as they circled her, practically stalking. Desiree shook her head when Carson smiled and she thought she caught a flash of…fang. That couldn’t be right! It had to be the light from the moon distorting things. “You boys don’t scare me.” She didn’t know why she said it, probably just needing to hear herself say the words and prove it to them. They had another thing coming if they thought she would be their Little Red Riding Hood, despite the hoodie she had donned earlier before leaving the house. How appropriate. Carson reached her first and cupped her face with one hand. Feeling suddenly shy, she lowered her gaze, heart thumping a mile a minute. Desiree had never had sex outside before, but then she’d never gone down on a man in a pickup, either, before tonight. Maia said having sex outside and skinny-dipping should be on her bucket list. Her sister had already ticked them off of her own, and it looked like Desiree might get a chance to kill two birds with one stone tonight. “Who said anything about us scaring you?” “I just want to make sure we’re clear that your stalking around me like I’m prey doesn’t intimidate me.” “Are you sure about that?”

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Desiree silently nodded. “So you don’t need to tie me up then?” She had to admit, she’d thought about it fleetingly. Maybe if they were indoors she might have considered it more seriously. Outside they remained too susceptible to the elements and too many other unknown variables. She didn’t want to make any of them any more vulnerable than they already would be, making love outdoors. “I just need you,” she murmured. “What are you hungrier for?” Desiree frowned at his seeming change of subject before Carson inclined his head indicating the picnic basket. “Or Sam and me?” Her stomach wasn’t even a concern at that moment. The gesture was nice, and she figured she’d be ravenous after. Right now, she wanted a taste of the two men with her more than she wanted a taste of whatever Helena had packed in the basket. Sam left them to sit on the bedrolls, opening one of the bottles of wine and pouring some into a plastic cup. He proffered the cup to Desiree as she neared and sat down beside him. “You think I need liquid courage?” He shook his head. “To take off the edge.” She couldn’t help but exchange a smile with him as she grasped the offering. She sipped the red concoction, a fruity, tart blast of taste exploding against her tongue. She savored the smooth flavor—not too sweet, not too sour—as the wine lit a heated path down her throat, down to her stomach, and made her almost immediately light-headed. Or was that the two men with her doing that? Desiree finished the cup and handed it back to Sam. “Another?” She shook her head. She wanted to be as clearheaded as possible in order to appreciate him and his brother as best she could.

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Sam turned to place the cup in the basket while Carson joined them on the bedroll, straddling Desiree’s crossed legs as he crawled up her body. Desiree allowed him to nudge her backward until she found herself almost totally supine, remaining propped up on her elbows. “Still not scared?” “Do you want me to be?” “No, Desi. I just want you wet and wanting so that I can satisfy you.” “So that we can satisfy you.” Sam lay beside her, propped on an elbow, chin resting in his palm. “Right. We will satisfy you.” Carson reached for a tendril of hair that had escaped her ponytail and pushed it back behind her ear. Sam did him one better, reaching for the strip binding her hair and removing it, letting her smooth copper locks flow down around her shoulders in shimmering waves. “So beautiful.” Whether it was just her hair or her-the-entire-package he spoke about, Sam’s low, heated words boiled her blood in her veins so she felt as if she’d had another shot of the wine, or maybe something stronger. Carson unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans as Sam raked his hands through her hair and cupped the base of her skull. Sam drew her near, closing his mouth over hers in a heady, all-encompassing kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth as she raised her hips to allow Carson to draw her jeans down her body. The sweet-tart taste of the wine on Sam’s tongue intoxicated her as much as his open-mouthed kiss. Carson paused to pull off her boots before removing her jeans, and Desiree helped him by kicking out of each until she was left with just her socks. Carson lazily peeled these off her, gently caressing the soles of her feet with such attention she began to wonder if he had a foot fetish. Then he slowly moved his hands from her feet to her ankles to her knees and finally stopped to massage the insides of her thighs.

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Desiree moaned into Sam’s mouth, thrusting her tongue to meet his and pulling his tongue farther into her mouth as Carson teased the rim of her panties. When his fingertips just brushed her moist curls, Desiree arched her back, pushing her hips up to meet Carson’s hand. “No cher, not so fast. We have time,” he murmured and cupped her center before sliding his middle finger into her soaked cunt. She pulled her mouth from Sam’s for the second it took her to beg, “Oh, Carson, please. More…” “It’s coming. There’s always more to come for you.” He added another finger and Desiree closed her eyes and lost herself in the penetration, his fingers burrowing, searching, and twisting while Sam worked on taking off her hoodie and shirt. The sound of her panties shredding as Carson ripped them from her waist barely made a blip on her radar. She did what they wanted her to do, just felt. Naked from the waist down, she closed her eyes as the brisk night air scudded over her skin. She wasn’t sure if the resultant goose bumps came from the surrounding air or what the two skilled men were doing to her with their hands, lips, and teeth. “Got too many clothes on,” Sam murmured, unzipping and removing her hoodie. “Look who’s talking.” He laughed as he unbuttoned and divested her of the shirt blocking his path to her breasts. Recklessly, she’d dispensed with a bra earlier, in too much of a rush to get going to the hospital. She was small enough that it wasn’t much of an offense against propriety, especially under the circumstances. She’d also wanted to be daring for once, heeding her sister’s constant harangues to let her hair down and let the puppies fly freely. Desiree thanked her sister yet again, arching her neck as Sam lowered his head to close his mouth over one breast. Evidently, it wasn’t too small for him to enjoy.

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The earthy scent of moist dirt, grass, and trees infused her senses as the two men lapped and nibbled at her so fiercely Desiree felt like they would soon devour her. She should have been alarmed at the liberal use of their teeth— Sam tugging on each hard nipple in turn until she cried out and Carson nipping her clit before hungrily sucking it into his mouth. She wasn’t alarmed, however, as much as she was out of her mind with wanting to come. Carson and Sam wouldn’t let her, though. Sure, they brought her to the edge several times, licking, sucking, and biting various areas of her body then, as soon as her inner muscles contracted, pulling back and slowing their efforts to almost standstill. Hence, her body hovered over the precipice that only they had the ability to release her into, and they took their damn sweet time, torturing her with foreplay. “Please…” Desiree arched up, bucking her hips into Carson’s mouth so hard she thought she might have knocked out a tooth. She sent up a silent apology as he removed his fingers from her pussy and replaced them with his mouth. He stroked her slit from bottom to top, lazily drawing his tongue over her folds before thrusting it inside her. Desiree almost came apart at the seams, his tongue doing things to her that only his cock could do better but even then not by much. Carson was a master with his mouth, mastering her. She was ready to come again, but this time, Carson didn’t stop. He plunged his tongue deeper and licked her with a steady rhythm that, along with Sam’s gentle yet vicious oral attention to her breasts, took her over the boundary between conscious thought right into wild abandon. Desiree free-fell, pussy muscles violently spasming beneath Carson’s onslaught, entire body trembling as she came and came again. Moments later, or it could have been hours, since Desiree had lost all sense of time and place, she lay still and opened her eyes to see

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each man kneeling on either side of her. They both remained as naked as her, finally, and stared at her in silent, hungry anticipation. “We’re not done,” Carson said. “Nowhere near,” Sam concurred. “Neither am I,” Desiree said and moved up onto her knees, too, lustful intent in every gesture as she approached Sam. “You deprived me of undressing you.” She let her gaze rove over each man before finally settling on Sam’s sizable erection jutting toward her. Eager, she licked her lips. “And I think that deserves some sort of punishment.” They weren’t the only ones who could stalk and tease.

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Chapter 14 “You don’t scare me, Ms. Jensen.” Sam smiled, lying through his teeth. The way she made him feel, the way his body reacted to her, throbbing and hot and not of its own accord, scared the shit out of him. Unlike Carson, however, Sam embraced the fear, ready to face it head on and maybe even tell Desiree, again, how he felt about her despite everything. He couldn’t hold it in much longer, knew that he didn’t want to. He wasn’t the silent alpha type like his brother, and he accepted that. “Not trying to scare you, Mr. Quarry. I just want to sample you and see if you taste as good as your brother.” “I’ll be different.” Sam slowly came to his feet. “I’m guessing because no two Cajuns taste alike.” Desiree smiled, and Sam chuckled at her allusion to their conversation about her pecan pie versus his mama’s. “I’m looking forward to the differences,” Desiree murmured as she bent her head, the whiff of her breath over the surface of his nerve endings almost sending Sam into orbit right before her lips touched the head of his cock. Sam placed his hands on her head, burrowing his hands through her hair and trying not to tug it too hard. He lost himself in the fragrant softness of the strands, closing his eyes as he tilted back his head. She slowly took him into her mouth, licking and sucking her way down to the base of his cock and holding there for several long moments. Sam opened his eyes to see her hollowing her cheeks as she added just the right amount of suction to get him to bucking his hips.

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She raked her hands up his thighs to his waist, holding him in place as she went to work on him as promised. He’d been turned on watching her go down on his brother, envisioning how her mouth would feel on him. The reality, however, proved so much more devastating than his imagination. Carson knelt behind Desiree, hard cock already sheathed with one of the several condoms Sam had packed in the picnic basket. Carson slid one hand up her back to her shoulder and the other between her legs. Desiree moaned in answer, the sound vibrating through Sam’s soul and making him groan in response. He did fist her hair then, needing something to hold onto, needing something to ground him. He guided her head as she enthusiastically moved her mouth up and down his shaft in a hypnotic rhythm that brought him close until he heard his brother’s raspy voice. “Don’t come, Sam. Wait for me.” “Fuck you.” Desiree chuckled, sending another pulsation shooting through Sam’s groin. Sam watched his brother finger Desiree’s folds before Carson finally dipped two fingers inside her. Desiree redoubled her efforts, and Sam grunted at the intense sensations riding him as her mouth worked over his throbbing cock. Just to make things extra-interesting, she added her fingers to the mix, fondling his balls in harmony with her mouth. “Remember what I said,” Carson reminded in his bossy alpha’s voice. “That goes for you, too, cher.” Desiree murmured something unintelligible around Sam’s cock and Sam estimated it wasn’t very complimentary to Carson. He smiled and tried to focus on what Carson did to Desiree, anything to keep his mind off of what she did to him.

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Carson withdrew his hand, fingers dripping with Desiree’s juices. He coated his cock with her lube then slipped two fingers back into her pussy as he pushed the head of his cock between her ass cheeks. Desiree moaned and dug her nails into Sam’s flanks, jerking him closer, not once stopping what she did to him with her mouth. Sam watched Carson press further, breaching Desiree as his cock disappeared inside her a couple more inches. Carson paused, grasping her around the hips with both hands as if waiting for Desiree to catch her breath, before thrusting inside to the hilt. Desiree cried out, pushing back against Carson and panting as her body adjusted to accommodate his rigid cock. Sam’s cock throbbed at the sight of his brother fucking Desiree’s ass, throbbed at the look of ecstasy plastered across Desiree’s sweet copper features. He turned his attention to Carson and saw the tension and light film of perspiration on his brother’s face. He watched Carson clench his jaw and drive inside Desiree then grind and roll his hips before retreating for another pass of what Sam knew would be several finishing strokes. Sam was thankful that his own relief would soon be granted. As if to emphasize the thought, Carson raised his head to spear him with a look of such turmoil and power Sam’s wolf felt it and reacted in kind, scratching and howling to be released. Carson’s usually green eyes now glowed like melted gold, indicating his wolf remained close to the surface—too close for comfort. “Now,” Carson growled. Their releases seemed to happen all at once. Desiree shuddered and came on a keening cry as Sam shot his essence into her mouth and down her throat. Carson released a hoarse grunt, fingers digging into Desiree’s hips as he pulled her back against him, buried his face in her back, and stiffened with his climax.

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Sam knelt in front of Desiree and caught her around the shoulders. He glanced at her dazed, well-fucked expression for only a second before he dove into her mouth, plunging his tongue to taste himself beneath the pure taste of female. Ours. All ours. When he came up for air, he noticed his brother standing behind Desiree, looking down at them with a dazed expression of his own. His eyes remained fiery gold. Desiree could not witness that. As if reading Sam’s mind, Carson backed away from them with a mumbled, “I’m going to cool and rinse off in the stream.” Sam knew he needed to be alone for a moment to get control of his wolf. With the makings of an alpha embedded on his DNA, Carson usually had a stranglehold on his wolf, but then, Sam knew, Carson had never come across a female like Desiree Jensen before. Neither of them had—which remained both a blessing and a curse. Carson stumbled away from them before they could raise any objections, and Sam pulled Desiree close to hold her against him. “His voice sounded kind of strained,” Desiree whispered. “Is he going to be all right?” “You put fire to him, is all.” “I intend to do a lot more…to both of you.” “We’re all yours, bebe.” **** He could do this. He could stay human. He didn’t have to change. He wasn’t a mindless animal without self-control. Carson walked out into the bracing water, and when he was far enough out he dove under the rushing current to clear his head, both of them.

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His damn cock refused to heel, still half-hard after the most mindblowing orgasm he’d ever had in his life. The woman was going to be the death of him, one way or the other, and Carson had known it from the moment he’d laid eyes on her. Didn’t stop him from wanting to go back to dry land and go for another round with her and his brother. His body demanded it, in fact. It was either slaking his hunger buried deep in Desiree’s body, surrounded by her woman’s heat, or running through the woods in his wolf form. There was another hunger in him, the one that screamed for Desiree to see him as he was and not retreat in fear or horror. This hunger proved as strong as the other. He needed her to know him, to understand what he was and what he was capable of. He wanted her to realize what dealing with him and Sam meant. His wolf would accept nothing less. The man wanted so much more than the primitive and rough sex that would appease his animal. Like Sam, just loath to admit it, Carson wanted the whole package, and he wanted it with Desiree and his brother. When he felt her arms wrap around his waist, he realized that he was so preoccupied with how to handle full disclosure that Desiree had managed to sneak up on him again. Her warm vanilla aroma wafted to him over the cool, refreshing scent of the stream, and he wondered how he hadn’t known she was so near, her scent so distinctive. She rested her cheek against his back, slowly sliding her hands from his groin up to his chest, where she paused to gently squeeze his nipples. Carson gritted his teeth against his arousal, the cold water doing nothing to stave off a monster hard-on, not when she had her bare breasts pressed against his back. “Are you okay?”

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“I’m fine.” Maybe if his voice didn’t crack on the last word he might have sounded more convincing. As it was, he cleared his throat before he turned in her arms to face her. Carson draped his arms around her waist, glad she was still naked and he could feel her soft, heated skin against his own. He slid his hands down her waist until they cupped her ass and he picked her up in his arms. Desiree curved her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as she stared down at him, her gaze searching so deep he felt like she could see right inside of him, knew all his secrets, that there was nothing he could keep from her—except who and what he really was. “Before me, had it been a while since you had…since you’d been with a woman?” “What, did I seem out of practice?” He smirked. “Not at all.” She shrugged, returning his look, only her grin was ten times more solemn. “It’s been a while for me,” she admitted. He knew what was coming and wasn’t sure he was ready to hear it any more than she was ready to tell him. Besides which, her revealing her skeletons would require quid pro quo, and he remained definitely sure she wasn’t ready to see his and Sam’s wolves. Carson cupped her face. “You don’t have to until you’re ready.” As if in relief, she released the breath she had been holding, and he knew he had said the right thing for the moment. Desiree rocked in his arms, her luscious ass rubbing against his erect penis, creating undeniable friction despite them being in waistdeep water. “I’m ready for more with you two.” Carson almost laughed but for the deadly serious look on Desiree’s face. He should have been worried that she was pushing herself to do something she didn’t really want to just to prove a point, but then she pressed herself against him and he felt her hard, erect nipples jab into him. He didn’t need to be told that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

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“I feel like I’ve been starving for the last few years, and now since I know what’s on the menu and what I can have, I don’t want to do without them ever again.” Carson laughed and pressed her closer, nibbling her neck as he ground his pelvis against her. He loved the way she smelled, the way she tasted. He loved her and hated that he couldn’t tell her this, not yet anyway. “You don’t have to do without us ever again if you don’t want to.” “I don’t…want to do without you, that is.” “All right then, cher. Let’s go slake that hunger of yours.” **** Desiree had never been so insatiable for a man, much less two, ever in her life. She’d never told anyone about what Jeremy had done to her, either, not her mother, not her sister—no one. It made her wonder just how much she must trust Carson and Sam, as she’d been on the verge of telling both of them what had happened to her. Was love just on the horizon? Didn’t it usually follow trust? Was that what these soft feelings, this affection that she had for each man, were? Was that why she felt like she needed them in her life as well as wanted? Before tonight, she’d only been focused on fulfilling her physical needs. She’d finally stopped running scared from them. She didn’t want to run away from Carson and Sam, either. Now she knew that there was much more to this relationship for them than the physical, at least on her end. How much pain would this revelation mean for her if it turned out that Carson and Sam didn’t feel the same way? Would she be able to let them go and forget them as easily as she had forgotten other lovers? Not that there had been all that many to begin with.

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Desiree buried her face in the crook of Carson’s neck as he carried her back to dry land. She inhaled deep, drawing in his scent, a combination of cedar, fresh laundry, soap, and the stream water they had just gotten out of. It was an intoxicating mix that she knew she would always associate with Carson and being with him and Sam. “I want to finish what I started in the truck,” she whispered against his skin then pulled her face out of his neck to look at him. “I want to taste you again.” “You’ll get no arguments from me, although I did want to be inside your pussy when I come, cher.” “We can do that, too.” Greedy, she was just plain greedy. Maybe she had gone so long without that she wanted to make up for lost time, at least her body did. They made it back to the bedrolls where Sam sat, naked, legs crossed at the ankles as he leaned back against a tree and munched on grapes and a sandwich. He looked like he didn’t have a care in the world, so natural in his surroundings, as if he regularly strolled through or sat in the woods in the nude, or as if he regularly had sex outside, as they all had just done. The idea made Desiree smile. She knew the idea wasn’t too farfetched. Carson lowered her to the bedroll and reached for the picnic basket. “Anything left for us?” “Plenty. You know how Mama is.” Carson dug out two sandwiches, inspecting them through the plastic wrap. “Turkey and Swiss on fresh-baked baguettes,” Sam said. “Yummy.” Desiree laughed at the two of them. She felt so far away from the danger of her dreams or the vague threat she’d been feeling in the air ever since she’d been dealing with Remy.

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She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, and it had nothing to do with his business, which all seemed legitimate as well as extremely profitable. “No frowning, bebe.” Sam reached out a hand and smoothed her brow with gentle fingers. Desiree shook her head as if to clear it. “Do either of you know Remy Bastien?” Sam coughed, apparently choking on a bite of his sandwich. Carson lightly pounded him on the back as Sam reached for a bottle of water, quickly opened and sipped from it. “You okay, bro?” Sam coughed a couple more times before taking a few more gulps. Finally, he nodded. “I’m okay.” He pinned Desiree with his honey eyes. “Why did you ask?” Desiree shrugged, unsure herself. “He’s from Louisiana. I know it’s a big state, but I thought maybe you had run into him in your travels, before he came to the house for dinner earlier.” “Like you said, it’s a big state. We know of him. Even outside business circles he’s pretty well-known.” Desiree had to agree. Ever since her sister told her that she’d be handling his portfolio, Desiree had done her research. It seemed Remy never met a party invitation that he didn’t like or accept. She had seen no less than ten photos of him with a beautiful woman in the gossip rags, and never the same woman. The partying, however, didn’t interfere with his business acumen, from what Desiree could see. He was a sharp customer, well versed in finances and the arts, and knew exactly what he wanted when it came to diversifying his assets. Normally, Desiree liked dealing with clients like Remy Bastien, but since the dinner earlier in the evening, he’d given her a decided case of the chills. She had already decided to try and be around him by herself as little as possible, which made things difficult since her job involved a lot of one-on-one with her clients. At least at the office

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they weren’t completely alone and there were always coworkers in the vicinity. Earlier in the evening he’d breached her personal walls, coming to the house for dinner under the guise of business. Desiree knew that a lot of people in her and especially her sister Tamara’s position did business in their homes over dinner and drinks or even on a golf course. Desiree just thought it best to keep these sorts of encounters with Remy to a bare minimum. “What’s your take on him?” Carson asked, and Desiree didn’t need to confirm who he meant before responding. Nor did she miss Carson’s cool, nonchalant demeanor—too cool, as if he didn’t really care about her answer when she knew that nothing could have been further from the truth. “Intelligent, knows what he wants…” She’d been about to add he was aggressive but stopped herself. She didn’t think it would go over too well with the aggressive man asking. As it was, both Carson and Sam leaned forward as if hanging on to her every word, like their lives depended on them learning what she thought of Remy. Desiree remembered Sam’s reaction earlier in the evening when he’d met Remy and how she had gotten the idea that he knew her client. There had been an undercurrent of antagonism between the two men, one she couldn’t deny. Maybe Carson and Sam just saw Remy as an adversary? They needn’t have worried, since she only had eyes and feelings for them. Desiree prepared to tell them just this, that they didn’t need to be jealous of any other man, much less Remy, before she felt both men stiffen in unison. “Get dressed, cher,” Carson murmured, slowly and carefully sliding her red hoodie and jeans toward her. “But I thought we were going to—” The rest of the sentence died in her throat when Desiree heard a low rumble behind her. Instinctively she froze at the sight of a large gray timber wolf

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emerging from the surrounding woods, strutting several feet toward them before pausing to snarl.

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Chapter 15 Remy smiled at the trio but knew it probably looked more like he was baring his teeth, just as his laugh probably sounded more like a growl, especially when he picked up the scent of Desiree’s fear, feeding off of it. He took a deep, bracing breath as he slinked forward, anticipating the two young men’s protective gesture when they closed ranks to stand in front of their prize. “Get dressed now,” Carson repeated over his shoulder, his voice calm and cool, belying the uneasiness his face clearly showed as he turned back to eye Remy warily. Sam, too, looked at him with a suspicious glare. Remy knew that they recognized him but also knew that they weren’t sure of his motives or what he would do—to them or Desiree. Good. He liked his prey off-balance and wondering. He would keep them that way until he could get them alone for their longoverdue powwow. Remy went closer, never taking his eyes off of the trio, homing in on the bustle behind the young men as Desiree hastily got into her clothes, finally zipping up her hoodie—red, how appropriate—before standing up to peek at him through the small gap between Carson and Sam. He smiled and paused several feet away from the men. He liked how they stood their ground in front of Desiree, ready to defend, perhaps even ready to die. Remy crouched low to the ground, holding his ears forward, guard hairs raised in a plainly threatening manner.

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Neither man took the bait, couldn’t afford to with Desiree there as a witness. What would she think, after all, if the two men she had just made passionate love with turned into wolves? Remy knew they hadn’t told her about themselves yet and decided to use that against them. He took another couple of steps, bringing him just a few steps away from the trio. He watched as Carson balled his hands at his sides, imagined the claws scratching at the younger man’s skin, just below the surface, ready to burst free as soon as they had the chance. Carson bared his teeth now, matching Remy’s stance. Hmm, that is interesting. Would he really try to fight Remy in his human form? He might have had a fighting chance against Remy in his wolf form, might have, but Remy didn’t give either brother good odds in human form— scrappy spirit or not. “What do we do now?” Desiree asked, tone low, trying to hide her fear. It didn’t work. Remy could hear the slight tremor in her voice, the underlying scent of alarm wafting off her skin beneath the vanilla musk. “We don’t do anything, but you’re going to turn around and make it back to the house.” “I’m not leaving you two here by yourselves.” Ah, how sweet. Like she would help them fight him? Was that bravery, love, or just foolhardiness talking? Nevertheless, Remy admired Desiree’s spirit, recognized the same spirit in his Helena. He’d often imagined her out hunting prey by his side, fearless and wild. She’d be the same way in bed, too, he’d bet. He’d had a lot of time to imagine that, too, how they would mate, how he would sink his fangs into her shoulder, marking her and shaking her until she knew that she was his and no one else’s. He’d wipe away every memory of Ben she ever had.

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He already knew how fearless and wild Desiree proved, had witnessed it just a short while ago and liked her natural sensuality as much as he remained sure that Carson and Sam did. Carson took a moment to turn to her, rubbing her arm in a comforting motion. “We’ll be all right, cher. We know how to handle ourselves.” “He’s not exactly a rabid raccoon, and you’re unarmed.” True enough he wasn’t a raccoon, but the boys weren’t exactly unarmed, not if they decided to shift. Remy still didn’t give them good odds against him, even two against one. He had, after all, years of experience of fighting and as alpha, and several years of pent-up anger and frustration fueling him, while the boys had that old-fashioned protective instinct going for them. He could see the wheels turning in both young men’s heads, how they kicked themselves for bringing Desiree out here without a gun or other weapon to protect her. Alone, they didn’t worry about being attacked, knowing they could shift and fight to defend themselves against almost any threat—human or animal. Shifting, however, was not an option open to them, at least not until they got Desiree out of the vicinity. Desiree wasn’t cooperating, though, and Carson gritted his teeth at her stubbornness. Remy saw her wince when Carson evidently put enough pressure on her arm to cause a little pain before easing up when he must have realized he hurt her. Nevertheless, Carson firmly pushed her back and steered her in the direction of the ranch. “Please, Desi. Just listen to me and leave.” She swallowed, and Remy heard her heart pounding in her chest, knew the adrenaline spiked through her veins signaling fight or flight. “Okay,” she rasped. “Thank you,” Carson and Sam chorused as she slowly turned her back.

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“I’ll be back with help.” “Don’t worry about us. Just go,” Carson said. She turned back to both men, tears welling in her eyes. “I love you both. Please don’t get killed before I get back.” Remy sat back on his haunches as Desiree turned and ran through the woods, back toward The Double R, before either man could respond. How very touching. He sneered at her sentiment right before he shifted. He did it quickly, didn’t have time to waste. In less than a minute of popping and realigning bones and muscles, Remy stood before the two young men as naked as they were. “I don’t know about you gentlemen, but I thought she’d never leave.” **** Carson didn’t even have time to properly digest Desiree’s declaration. He didn’t have time to analyze whether she’d sincerely meant it or had just said it out of desperation before running off. Did she think she’d never see them again? Had she thought it was her last chance to tell them how she felt? Why didn’t you tell her you loved her, too, while you had the chance? None of his questions mattered now, because the man who killed his father and changed his family’s existence forever stood before him and Sam. Remy looked unbreakable and strong, and Carson wanted to make the smug smile on his face disappear with a swipe of his claws. He wanted to leave a gaping hole where Remy Bastien’s face was now. “You can either come back with me now or suffer the consequences.”

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“If I go along peacefully, you’ll leave Mama and Sam out of our quarrel?” “Carson, do—” He shushed his brother, putting an arm across his chest to hold him back as Sam tried to step forward. This was his fight, always had been. “You call what is between us a quarrel?” Remy spat on the ground at Carson’s feet. “You are in no position to bargain, Carson Guidry.” “Why should I go peacefully? I’m going to suffer the consequences regardless.” “True. But if you don’t give me any trouble, I might be persuaded to go a little easier on you. I say might. Of course, I make no promises. You did kill my son, after all.” Carson grimaced, knowing that Duane Bastien’s death hadn’t touched Remy as much as he pretended it did. He had used his son’s death as the opportunity he had been waiting for to get Mama under his thumb. Carson, knight in shining armor, had walked right into the trap, handing his mother over on a silver platter…almost. “Carson, Carson, Carson, my boy, you have no choice. Pack law. You killed one of your own kind.” Remy tsked and shook his head with false remorse, and Carson hated him more than he ever had in that moment. “And to do it over a full human, no less. The worst kind of treachery against pack.” “Duane was no angel.” “Are you saying my boy, my flesh and blood, heir to be alpha, didn’t deserve to live?” An outsider might take Remy’s words and actions as legitimate grief and outrage, but Carson knew better, knew there had been no love lost between father and son. No one in the pack had resented Remy, or looked forward to his downfall, more than Duane. Carson shook his head. “I would never say that. I’m saying your son was a psychopathic tyrant who needed to be put down before he

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hurt someone beyond repair.” He realized as he said the words that he may very well have been describing Remy. “And who died and made you that girl’s savior?” Who’d died, indeed? “Why don’t you just do what you will, right here and now.” Carson raised his head, jutting his chin out defiantly, tired of Remy’s games. “Carson.” He listened to the urgent plea in Sam’s voice and wanted to reassure his brother, sorry that Sam had to be here to witness whatever was going to transpire, but there was no help for it. This moment remained inevitable, always had. Remy, however, wasn’t playing by Carson’s rules, either. “Hmm, I could kill you both here and now, but I don’t think Helena would take too kindly to seeing her bebes’ blood spilled all over the forest floor.” “I won’t go peacefully without guarantees.” Remy raised a hand, making it obvious he had bared his claws as he examined them beneath the moonlight, showing off his superior control to shift minute portions of his body at will rather than completely shifting. “As I said, I make no promises.” “Then I won’t go. You’re going to kill us all anyway.” “You are challenging me?” “I have that right.” “You forfeited all pack rights the minute you killed Duane, regardless of the reason.” He wasted time trying to negotiate with Remy, and he knew it. Even now he could hear the sound of at least two off-road vehicles in the distance but quickly making their way through the forest and toward them. True to her word, Desiree was coming back with help. Maybe I’ll still get the chance to tell her I love her. Remy proffered his hand as if for a shake. “Come along, boy. I might go easy on the torture before I imprison you.”

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Carson stepped back. “No.” He wasn’t a coward. He just refused to make things easy for Remy. Not to mention he had something worth staying and fighting for. “Why should I trust anything you say? You killed my father.” There. It was finally out in the open, and Carson felt a thousand times better for saying out loud what lived and breathed between them all. Sam, on the other hand, had turned as white as a sheet of paper, and that was saying something for someone with as deep a natural tan as his brother. Remy dropped his hand, the smirk on his face disappearing to be replaced with a scowl. Carson couldn’t tell if it was because he’d had the nerve to voice his suspicions or because Remy was genuinely surprised that Carson knew what he had done. “If I have no rights, then neither do you.” “You also have no proof of what you say. Several reliable people, on the other hand, witnessed you murder my son.” “It wasn’t murder!” Sam blurted. Carson put a hand on his brother’s shoulder and squeezed. He wouldn’t have worded what he had done so harshly, but neither could he deny the end results. The truth remained. Duane Bastien had died at his hands. Whether he’d killed Duane in defense of that girl or not didn’t matter. Hell, even if his actions had been self-defense he’d still have had to answer to the pack for killing someone outside of a sanctioned challenge fight. However, he could make the argument that he was as reliable as those “witnesses” to whom Remy had referred. He knew what he had seen the night of his father’s death—Remy lurking around his parents’ restaurant after closing hours, leaving the site right before the explosion and fire that killed his father. Carson had been on his way to pick up Dad at Mama’s behest. She’d jokingly instructed him to “drag the workaholic home if need be.” At the end of the evening, there’d been no more room for jokes

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or laughing. Dad was dead. And pack powers that be deemed the explosion caused by a faulty gas connection. Carson wouldn’t have put it past Remy to have paid off the authorities. He certainly had the resources and connections and couldn’t have planned things better. There had been no physical evidence linking Remy to the explosion or the scene, just Carson’s word. Just the word of a griefstricken teen who had seen someone that could have been anyone in the dark of night. Back then he hadn’t had the guts to voice his thoughts to anyone outside the family circle, and once his mother knew what he thought, she’d put a stop to any of his accusations, telling him never again to speak of what he’d seen. “I will not lose my son, too.” Carson had been willing to fight but not willing to hurt his mama by getting her caught in the crossfire of his blood feud with Remy. She’d been through enough, although in the end it hadn’t mattered, not after he’d killed Duane. She’d made rescuing Carson her numberone priority, and there had been nothing he or anyone else could say to stop her. “You know I have every right to take your life right here where you stand.” Carson poked out his chest like an offering. “Why don’t you?” He knew the answer, though, knew it before Remy opened his mouth to respond. “If I didn’t have feelings for your mother, I would have ended this silly cat-and-mouse game a long time ago.” The only feelings Remy Bastien had for Mama were lust and possession. Carson had seen them in the man’s eyes even while his father had still been alive. He had seen how much Remy wanted to make Mama his no matter what it took, even if it took killing Carson and Sam’s father.

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“However, I have but so much patience, and if you push me too far, Carson, my feelings for your mother be damned, I will exact my pound of flesh without any due process.” All this talk of due process, rights, and pack law depressed Carson, bringing to light how very isolated he and his family had become in the last several years. The only people they could turn to for protection and backup remained each other and it was because of Carson’s impulsive act that they were all being isolated and punished. “I’ll give you time to put on your clothes and accompany me back to my vehicle.” “Don’t trust him, Carson.” “I don’t have a choice.” “What’s to stop him from killing you en route to Louisiana? If he had legitimate intentions, why didn’t he just send pack officials to bring you in?” “Because I chose not to, you mouthy whelp.” Carson hesitated for the first time since Remy’s arrival, unsure of what he needed to do. His brother had a point, but then so too did Remy. He had every right to bring in Carson himself as Carson had wronged him, deprived him of his flesh and blood. Remy had been the one who’d suffered the loss. It wasn’t like in the human world, where Remy’s personally handling the incarceration of a prisoner could be construed as a conflict of interest. “I’m not letting him go with you without a fight.” “So now you are going to challenge me?” Remy sighed. “Might I remind you that you are on my personal shit list as well? Don’t make me take you in, too.” Without warning, Sam shifted, growling and barking at Remy as he stood a couple of steps in front of Carson. He’d changed so quickly, Carson barely had any time to react. As it was, he knelt at his brother’s side and wrapped his arms around

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Sam’s neck to hold him back. He felt his brother’s shudders through his entire body as if they were his own and knew how angry Sam was. “That was unwise.” Remy’s tone was ominous, and Carson knew exactly what it meant. He released his brother and began to shift just as Remy did, knowing that in only a matter of minutes the first vehicle would burst through the copse and into the clearing yards away.

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Chapter 16 Desiree couldn’t believe what she saw through the vehicle’s windshield. There were three wolves now—snarling and full-on fighting—and no sign of Carson or Sam anywhere. “Holy crap!” Maia stopped the Jeep she’d borrowed, unbuckled her seatbelt, and leaped out of the vehicle before Desiree knew what was happening. Jesse and Jax had already gotten out of Jesse’s truck, Jesse with a rifle in hand but standing frozen next to his brother as if he didn’t know what to do with it. Desiree followed her sister to where Jesse and Jax stood, still quite a lot of yards away from the wolves. “I thought you said there was a wolf threatening you and Carson and Sam. Where’d the other two come from?” Jesse looked at her as if she could give him an answer. She thought that she could but knew that voicing her suspicions could get her put in a straitjacket and sent to the funny farm in a blink “Where are Carson and Sam?” Jax asked, circling what was left of Desiree and the boys’ earlier picnic. Desiree knew the exact moment when Jax noticed the clothes strewn on the two bedrolls. He lifted his eyes to her face and arched an eyebrow. “Interesting time to decide to go skinny-dipping,” Jax said and looked out at the stream as if in hopes of seeing the missing brothers frolicking in the water.

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“Maybe it was the only way they could get away from the wolf,” Maia put in. “That doesn’t explain the other two wolves,” Jesse said. “Unless they were hiding in the woods and you didn’t see them?” Desiree shrugged, at a loss, still trying to wrap her mind around the three wolves fighting as if to the death. Someone needed to stop them before they killed each other. “We’re going to have to put a stop to this before those critters rip each other apart,” Jesse stated. “What do you suggest? We go in and break them up?” Jax asked. “Ha, ha.” Jesse manipulated the rifle lever to chamber a round. “What are you going to do?” Desiree asked, panicked. “What needs to be done.” Desiree watched as he raised the rifle, heart pounding so hard in her ears she could barely hear Maia scream beside her. She acted without thinking, throwing out an arm to hit against the barrel of the gun and deflect Jesse’s aim. The rifle fired, bullet kicking up dirt and grass not two feet in front of the wolves, who momentarily stopped fighting before going back at each other, teeth and claws biting and slashing, fur flying, worse than before. “Tarnation, woman! Are you out of your mind?” “You were going to kill them.” “Not if I didn’t have to. I was going to fire into the air, hopefully scare them off. But these critters don’t look scared of anything.” “That’s dangerous,” Jax muttered. “Yep.” Jesse nodded. “An injured wolf, an injured animal is a dangerous animal.” “But they’re not a threat.” “Not yet. What do you think is going to happen when they lose interest in each other and get a load of us?” Jesse asked. “But they haven’t lost interest in each other.” Desiree wished that they had, that they would just stop fighting and run off so that Jesse

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and Jax weren’t forced to do something drastic. “Can’t we just go back to the house and call Division of Wildlife to handle them like Carson did for the raccoon?” “We could…” Jesse’s voice trailed off as he stared at the wolves. Desiree followed his look to see what he watched and saw the larger wolf running off into the woods at a good clip. He looked injured, but obviously not enough to hamper his mobility. One of the other wolves, however, wasn’t so lucky. He lay on his side, underside and throat covered in blood. The other one looked only minimally better, and that was probably because he was standing on all fours. He limped around the one laying on his side, whining as he nudged him with his muzzle. “Oh God, he’s hurt.” Desiree gasped, a lump in her throat as her eyes filled with tears. She would have been upset at the sight of the injured wolf even if she didn’t know who he was. That she knew he was one of the men she had earlier made love to made things even worse. She knew, too, that the one who’d run off, the one who’d initially threatened her and Carson and Sam, was Remy Bastien. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. “Yep, pretty bad, too,” Jesse agreed. “We have to help him.” “I don’t think that one there will let us.” Jax jutted his chin in the direction of the wolf still standing. He looked up at them, saliva and blood dripping down the sides of his muzzle as he growled and barked at them. “He’ll probably attack if we go near the injured one.” As if to prove his point, Jesse made a move toward the animals and the standing wolf snarled at him, rumbling deep in his throat. “What’ll we do? We can’t just let him die.” “Maybe he’ll let you close,” Maia said to Desiree.

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“Have you lost your marbles?” Jesse blurted. “If it’s not safe enough for Jax or me to go closer, what makes you think it’s safe for your sister?” “Trust me.” Maia rubbed Desiree’s arm, giving her a meaningful look that made Desiree wonder if Maia had guessed the identity of the two wolves, too. “You can do this, Desi.” “Stop talking nonsense. I say we all get back in our vehicles and head back to the ranch, do what Desiree suggested earlier and let Division of Wildlife handle this.” “It’ll be too late by then,” Desiree whispered and didn’t know what she had been thinking to make the suggestion earlier. How could she let the Division of Wildlife handle these wolves, lock away the two men she loved as if they were…animals. Her breath hitched in her chest at the two realizations—that she loved Carson and Sam and that they were wolf shifters. Not in her wildest imaginings, not after years and years of reading tons and tons of all manner of paranormal romances, did Desiree ever think she would see her dreams come to pass. Desiree couldn’t deny it any longer, however. The wolves in her dreams were Carson and Sam. She supposed deep in her heart she’d always known, just didn’t want to admit it. “Go on, sis. They won’t hurt you.” How was Maia so sure about the wolves? “I’m going to have to put a stop to this madness.” Jesse headed back toward his truck and waited for Jax, Maia, and Desiree to follow his lead. “Let’s go, y’all. Now.” Desiree didn’t listen to him and took a couple of halting steps toward the wolves. Despite the fact that she was almost a hundred percent certain of who they were, Jesse’s words rang in her ear. “…an injured animal is a dangerous animal.”

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How much of Carson and Sam’s consciences remained while they were in wolf form? Were they human enough to recognize Desiree, enough to understand that she didn’t mean either of them any harm? “Desi, don’t,” Jesse said, his voice tinged with urgency. She glanced back at him, then at Jax and Maia, who looked at her with expectant expressions that were strangely encouraging. Desiree took several more steps forward until she was standing just a foot away from the two wolves. The one who remained on all fours sat back on his haunches and barked at her in a nonthreatening way. Desiree buried her hand in the dense black fur of his neck and whispered, “Carson?” The wolf tilted back his head and howled then gave her a pleading look as he motioned to Sam lying on the ground. She turned to get a better look at the tawny wolf’s wounds and swallowed down a healthy dose of bile that threatened to spew from her mouth and splatter the grass. There was so much blood, more than she had ever seen before outside of a horror or gory war movie. This was real, up close and personal. Someone she cared about bled to death before her eyes. “I’ll be damned.” Desiree looked over her shoulder to see Jesse had joined Jax and Maia, looking at her in awe as she knelt beside the injured wolf and rubbed his pelt. “I told you,” Maia said. “What, that your sister’s a wolf whisperer?” Desiree chuckled through her tears, glad that she was able to see the humor in Jax’s words. If she could laugh, then maybe everything would turn out all right. Not unless they got Sam to a doctor, though, and soon. How could they do that without divulging who the wolf was? Would it be easier to take him to a vet? Did shifters have the same anatomy as full wolves? Would a vet find something in Sam’s

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anatomy to tip him or her off and perhaps put Sam in danger of being imprisoned and studied like a freak, for the sake of science? Maia, always full of great ideas, said, “Why don’t you boys go back to the ranch, and Desiree and I will handle things from here.” Jesse and Jax reacted just the way Desiree thought they would. They both looked at Maia as if she had grown another head. “Handle things from here?” Jesse asked. “Yes. It’s obvious that Desiree has things well under control. I’ll help her get the wolves into your truck so that we can transport them to a safe place to heal. You can take the Jeep. The keys are still in the ignition.” “That wolf needs a vet. Both of them do.” “We’ll handle it.” Maia pushed both men back toward the Jeep. “Just call Division of Wildlife to report the one that got away.” Jesse arched a brow. “And not these two.” “It doesn’t matter. They’ll be long gone by the time the people from Division of Wildlife come out here. Tell them anything.” Jesse gaped, looking at her as if it dawned on him right then who the two wolves were. Just as quickly, he shook his head, as if to deny realization. It didn’t matter. Desiree already knew for sure that he believed the wolves were The Double R’s two MIA night wranglers. “Let’s head back. They’ve got it from here,” Jesse said. “You sure?” Jax frowned. “Yeah. Let’s git.” Desiree watched as Jesse tossed Maia the keys to the truck before he headed for the Jeep with his brother. A minute later, Jesse started the Jeep, driving through the forest from where they had come. Maia sighed. “God, I thought they’d never leave.” “You know,” Desiree said. “That these here fine young wolves are Carson and Sam? Yep.” Desiree wasn’t even shocked. She’d half suspected it, after all. “I think Jesse and Jax believe it, too.”

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“Probably.” “So are you going to bring the truck over and help me load him in?” Desiree asked. Maia stood at attention and saluted. “Right away, ma’am.” She headed for Jesse’s truck then turned back to Desiree and gave her a long look. “Are you okay with this, Desi?” Desiree responded with almost the same answer she had given Carson when he’d asked her the exact identical question so much earlier in the evening. “I honestly don’t know yet, Maia.” She paused and looked down at the tawny-colored wolf—looked down at Sam. She caressed his soft pelt with one hand and put pressure on his wounds with the other as she willed him to hold on. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them to stare at her sister. “But I know we can’t let him die, so you’d better get moving now and we won’t have to worry about that.” **** The wee hours that had snuck up on all of them since leaving the emergency room with Maia and Desiree what seemed like a lifetime ago proved the perfect cover for transporting two bloody and naked bodies—one animal and one human—through the woods and back to their mama’s house for refuge. Sam, however, hadn’t shifted, and this worried Carson more than anything. If he didn’t shift, he wouldn’t be able to heal. If he didn’t heal… “He’s not going to die, Carson,” Maia said as she brought the pickup to a screeching halt in the driveway beside the two-story farmhouse he and Sam shared with Mama. He remained sure he would never get used to that woman’s fey way as long as he lived but was glad of her sensitivity in the situation and hoped she proved right. “Help us get him inside.”

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Carson glanced back over his shoulder to see his brother reclining on the backseat with his head resting on Desiree’s lap. Desiree gently caressed his pelt, seemingly oblivious to all the blood Sam had been shedding on her clothes since they’d left the clearing by the stream. The red hoodie Desiree had pressed against Sam’s midsection was soaked through, totally ruined. What had been on Sam’s mind? It had been a really boneheaded move, but then his brother had always been on the impulsive side, more impulsive than Carson had ever been. Carson, however, never would have predicted Sam’s attacking Remy like that, and he wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t witnessed it with his own two eyes. He was going to have to have a serious talk with the peeshwank about his timing as soon as Sam was well enough to listen, that is if he didn’t strangle the whelp with his bare hands first. Carson pulled the blanket Maia had provided from the backseat of Jesse’s truck tighter around his body. “I’ll carry him.” He got out of the passenger seat and circled the front of the truck before opening the back door. He reached in to gather Sam in his arms and paused when Desiree whispered, “Be careful with him.” He gave her a sad smile and said, “I will.” Carson lifted Sam in his arms, grimacing at the wolf’s dead weight but even more at the pitiful whine that emitted from his brother’s throat. Once Carson had gotten Sam out and cleared the backseat, Desiree got out of the truck and headed for the front door of the house, where Helena had already flung it open. “Oh God, did you boys overdo the roughhousing?” “I wish.” Carson shook his head. “It was Remy.” He pushed past his mother into the house. He didn’t add anything, knew he didn’t have to. “Where is he now?” “Don’t know. He ran off after…this.”

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“My poor Samson.” Mama glanced at Sam in his brother’s arms, gently burrowing a hand in his fur and caressing him. “You’re home now. You’re going to be okay, bebe.” She looked up to see Desiree and Maia entering the house behind Carson, then looked to Carson as if for help. “They know all about us. At least the shape-shifting part.” “Oh, well then…” “Tell us what we need to do to help,” Desiree said. “Yes. Use us,” Maia added. Mama gave them a rueful smile as Carson wrapped the blanket around his brother before gently placing him on the country floral sofa in the living room for the time being. “You can put on a pot of water to heat so that we can clean his wounds.” “I’ll do it,” Maia volunteered, and Carson left his brother to follow her into the kitchen. He showed her where the pots were, and Maia retrieved a medium-size one, filled it with water, and put the pot on the stove to heat. “You know this is all a waste of time, don’t you?” “Don’t say that.” “I mean he doesn’t need any of this. Once he shifts, he’ll accelerate the healing process and it’ll be as if he was never injured.” “But he’s not shifting.” Maia frowned. “Why not?” Carson leaned against the kitchen counter beside the sink and folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not sure.” “Maybe he can’t.” It was a possibility that Carson had considered and dreaded on the way over. He’d heard of it happening before. Shifters injured so badly that they were too weak to make the shift. Not Sam. Not my brother! “If he doesn’t shift soon, it’ll be too late.” “Well then, we have to make him shift.”

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“Good luck with that.” “Oh, so that stubbornness runs in the family.” Carson shook his head, wanted to laugh at Maia’s teasing, but couldn’t find it in his heart to smile. His brother might be dying, and there he stood in the kitchen, naked, calmly discussing Sam’s inability to shift and the probable consequences. He was naked! Merde, he needed to get into some clothes. Maia smiled when he gaped at her with the realization that he was standing alone with her in a room, naked. Granted, nudity wasn’t usually a big deal for a shifter, but this was his…his quasi-sister-inlaw, after all. He’d forgotten all about his and Sam’s clothes at the clearing, and by the time he’d thought about it, he’d already shifted, and Maia had arrived offering the blanket, which he’d quickly accepted. Things had happened so suddenly he hadn’t had time to think about getting decent for anyone. “Why don’t you go wash all that blood off and put on something clean? I’ve got things under control here.” Carson liked the way she took charge and didn’t waste time doing her bidding. He headed for the back stairs leading up to the bedrooms and took them three at a time until he reached his room. He took a quick shower, got into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and headed back down the carpeted stairs, still barefoot. He made it to the living room in time to see his mother sitting on the sofa beside Sam. He watched as she gently cleaned the blood from his underside and neck with the warm water and a rag Maia had brought her. “There are so many,” Mama murmured as if in shock that her baby had survived the countless gashes and bites covering his body. Sam hadn’t stood a chance, really. Remy had been vicious in his retaliation. Granted, Sam was an excellent fighter and had gotten better over the years practicing with Carson, but had Carson not been

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there tonight to rally round, he didn’t think Sam would have survived Remy’s counterattack at all. Again he wondered what had been on his brother’s mind striking like that, hoping that he would get the chance to ask him and find out. He sat on the arm of the sofa as gently as possible so as not to jar his brother but thought that something needed to jar the peeshwank. “He’s too weak to shift.” “It’s possible with all the blood loss,” Mama said. She raised her head from her task and glanced at Desiree and Maia standing nearby. She stared at them as if suddenly realizing she was discussing intimate pack secrets in front of strangers. The idea wasn’t actually too far from the truth. “You girls should go now. There’s nothing else you can do here.” “I’d like to stay,” Desiree said, giving Mama an appealing look. “Please don’t send me away now, Helena.” Carson saw something pass between the two women as they looked at each other, something he didn’t quite understand, but something he felt down deep nonetheless. The silence, those looks, scared him like a conspiracy, as if the two women had come to a decision about him. He knew that he had come to a realization about Desiree in that moment: he had completely lost his heart to her.

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Chapter 17 Remy sat in his Mercedes SUV eyeing the glass doors out front of the towering building where he had subleased a penthouse apartment for the duration of his stay. Of course, there was a uniformed security guard stationed at the reception desk in the building’s sleek and sumptuous marble lobby. He took a deep breath, ribs still aching from that cheeky, impetuous whelp’s surprise attack. The gashes had healed, but the internal injuries would take a little longer to repair. That Samson Guidry had done his share of damage before Remy recovered enough to spank him down to size and show him who remained boss. Remy had to gather himself enough to pass muster and not raise the curiosity of the guard. Not that the man would ever in a million years guess at what had happened to Remy, but better safe than sorry. He hadn’t yet gotten over the younger one’s aggression. He had expected it from Carson, especially after Ben’s oldest had made the accusation. He supposed he should have been prepared for anything at that point. Neither brother had anything to lose. Rarely did Remy regret anything he had done to get where he was, but so many times since Ben’s death he wished he could go back and change the way he had done things. True, he would not change the result—Ben had grown suspicious of Remy’s feelings for Helena over the years since he had brought her into the fold, and he had to be eliminated—but Remy could have hired someone to do the deed at Guidry’s Bar and Grill that night. He’d done it in the past with acceptable results, and he was high enough up on the food chain to

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avoid getting his hands dirty with the wet work, after all. From the beginning, however, things had always been intimate and personal where Ben and Helena were concerned. He’d wanted to make sure that the deed was done right, and the only way to ensure that had always been to do things himself. He had been so careful in every other aspect of his groundwork, preparing for every contingency except the one that involved Ben’s oldest showing up at the restaurant as Remy left. Like years before, tonight he hadn’t proved as prepared as he had first thought himself. He had certainly not been ready for either of the whelps’ opposition, at least not the intensity of their resistance. He must be getting lax in his old age, thinking he could handle two young, able-bodied shifters by himself. Remy had handled more and worse in the past. Things were different now, though. He had more at stake, the future of his mate for one. Nothing had changed. He remained determined to make Helena his for life, even more so now. He’d never been one to back down from a challenge, and the one the two young men represented energized him, excited him like he hadn’t been over anything in a long time. Over the years, the chase had thrilled him, but lately he’d become complacent, doing things by rote, bored. He’d needed that earlier fight to show him of what he was still capable, to prove that he remained a vital, relevant being, a powerful alpha that should not be questioned. Of course he hadn’t missed the dissent back in Louisiana, the murmurs of doubt at his ability to lead the pack. They had started after Duane’s death, along with the questions of how he had handled the Guidry family. The noise of opposition, however, had gotten louder over the years, several whelps in the ranks ready to make their mark. He could feel it.

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Gossip was an unavoidable evil, especially in so tight a pack as Remy’s. When Carson’s initial accusation had surfaced and spread through the lower rank and file, doubt in Remy’s innocence also spread. The pack had seen this lapse as a way to usurp his command, as if he slipped in his advanced years and his mistakes could no longer be tolerated. He would show them that he wasn’t an alpha with whom to be toyed. He would show them all once he’d handled the Guidry brothers once and for all, the way he should have handled them from the beginning. Admittedly he had been easy on them, more out of deference to their mother than anything else, and a latent respect for the man who had been their father. His complacence and deference had reached an end. Remy leaned forward and glanced through the windshield at the sunrise as it gradually turned the horizon into a salmon-hued burst of color, signaling the beginning of a new day. Gingerly, he got out of his vehicle, engaging the power locks and alarm with his remote control. He straightened his posture, tilting his head back just slightly, strutting toward the entrance like the proud alpha that he remained. “Morning, Mr. Bastien,” the security guard greeted as Remy entered the lobby. Albert Roberts, Remy thought, a friendly enough sort, but not overly nosey or terribly observant, which was a good thing for both of them. Though all the men who manned the desk seemed interchangeable, especially in their uniforms, Remy made it his business to know the name and a little bit more personal background information for each man who worked every shift. One didn’t get to where he was in business without paying attention to everyone— underlings and equals alike.

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He wondered what Albert would do if he knew his sweet, gingerhaired wife stepped out on him with the next man every other night when she was supposed to be attending Pilates classes at the health club. Remy knew shifters who had killed their mates for less. “Busy evening, I take it.” “Oh you know how it is, Albert. Money never sleeps.” “I got ya.” Albert smiled. “You have a good day now, Mr. Bastien.” “I intend to.” He had a lot to get done today, starting with mending his body and mind in preparation for the next battle. He wouldn’t be taken off guard again. However, he had given as good as he got. He knew for a fact that the younger whelp was severely injured and would take a day or two, if not more, to recover, even with his accelerated shifter metabolism. As soon as Remy entered his penthouse apartment he dialed one of his trusted lieutenants back in Louisiana. It was time now to put the other part of his plans in motion and make the final arrangements for the Guidry boys and their mama. **** Desiree sat by Sam’s side for the next twenty-four hours, changing his bandages, monitoring his fluctuating temperature, and forcing as much food down him as he could tolerate. Helena had reported to the cookhouse for work and Carson had reported to his duties as night wrangler, both vaguely explaining Sam’s absence due to an illness. Jesse and Jax had accepted the explanation without much question, as had Tamara when Desiree called in sick herself. She suspected part of Tamara’s acquiescence was due to Maia putting a bug in Jesse and Jax’s ear. Not to mention Remy had called Tamara bright and early, stating that he had to cancel due to an “unforeseen family emergency” and to please extend his apologies to Desiree.

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Life went on, but Sam had yet to shift. With each passing hour, Desiree wondered if he ever would or if he would die in this form without Desiree ever having witnessed the awesome sight of him changing from wolf to man. She had been deprived of the spectacle when Carson had limped a good distance away from her to shift under the cover of the forest. When he returned, unabashedly naked with bloody scrapes that were already healing, it only solidified what she already knew. Except it wasn’t the same. She hadn’t seen Carson change. Desiree glanced down now at the wolf Sam, patting down his body with a cool, damp rag as he shuddered and perspired on his large four-poster bed. The bleeding had stopped long ago, only to be replaced with spiking temperatures and night sweats. She should have taken comfort in the idea that he had a fever, which meant his body obviously fought off whatever infection he had gotten from his wounds. She worried even more than Helena and Carson, both of whom knew so much more about shifter anatomy and rebounding than she did. Still, Sam hung on as a wolf, much longer than either Helena or Carson had ever heard of happening, much longer than they expected. How long could he stay in his wolf form so badly injured and not succumb to his wounds? Desiree wondered. Maybe they should have taken him to a vet. Who knew what kind of permanent damage had been done to his physiology? Who knew what condition he would be in even once he shifted? She had so many questions but no answers. It drove Desiree mad sitting around and doing practically nothing except watch someone she loved suffer. She felt helpless, and she really didn’t like not being in control, not being able to do something useful. When Maia had dropped by earlier to see how Sam was doing, Desiree had asked her sister about the doctor who had treated her at the emergency room—T. Malloy—wondering aloud if they could

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trust him with their secret and take Sam in for treatment. Just as quickly, she’d shaken her head, discounting the idea as pure lunacy. Maia, on the other hand, remained neutral, not showing shock or disapproval and simply said, “I know I was only in with him a short time, but there’s something about him that makes me think we probably could trust him. He wears an exquisite crystal pendant around his neck.” Desiree gaped at the non sequitur, wondering at her sister’s logic. Leave it to Maia to notice something like a piece of jewelry and deduce some significant sign of an individual’s personality and moral code in it. Must have been a psychic, Wiccan thing. “It’s up to you, Desiree,” Maia had finally added. “Whatever you think is best.” Why did everyone seem to think she knew what was best in this? Even Helena, who, once she had decided she could trust Desiree to stay with and nurse Sam until she and Carson returned, seemed to think that Desiree had an answer to Sam’s inability to shift. Well, she didn’t, dammit! She didn’t know what she was doing or how to make him come out of this semi-comatose, one-foot-in-thegrave, the-other-on-a-banana-peel state of existence. Sam took a trembling breath beside her and whimpered. Was that a whimper of pain or a whimper of frustration? Desiree planted a hand on each side of his furry face and stared him in his golden-honey eyes. She knew she shouldn’t stare an animal in the eyes like this, especially a predator. She knew that it was a sign of aggression. Sam wasn’t just any “animal,” though. He was one of the men she loved, and he was trapped. There had to be some way to reach him, to get him out. “What are you trying to tell me, honey? Are you hurting, or are you angry? Because I have to tell you something, I sure am—hurting and angry that you feel the need to hide from me and that you won’t come out to be with me.”

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Sam growled deep in his throat and tried to wriggle his head free from her grasp, but Desiree held firm, held his gaze. “Personally, I think someone here is just being a lazy wimp, and it ain’t me.” Sam snarled, snapping his jaws at her. Oh-ho, she’d hit a nerve. Not to mention he’d just missed nipping her, but that was all right if it got him to shift. “Oh, did I hurt the big, bad wolf’s feelings? You want to fight, huh? Let me tell you something. You. Don’t. Scare. Me.” Sam jerked his face free of her hands, tilted his head back, and howled. He lowered his head several seconds later to glare at her. “So what? Was that supposed to impress me?” Sam barked and struggled to his feet. That’s it, baby, fight. Come back to us. Desiree had her doubts that he could, however, when she saw the way his weak legs trembled with his efforts to stay on his feet. Something phenomenal, however, happened. The muscles along Sam’s back rippled beneath his skin and fur, elongating and transforming as she watched. Sam groaned and collapsed back onto his side, panting. “C’mon, baby, you can do this. Don’t give up.” He whined and Desiree knew now that it was more out of exasperation than pain and that he wouldn’t give up until he’d completely changed. Just to give him a little incentive and to get her feelings out there, Desiree said, “I love you and I need you, baby. So come back to me. Please.” Sam stood up on his shaky legs and started the process again, his entire body shuddering with his labors. This time the undulating muscles were accompanied by the sound of bones popping out of and back into place. God, the process was agonizing to witness and something Desiree could only imagine took much less blood, sweat, and tears to accomplish when the shifter was healthy.

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Sam collapsed back onto his side again, but not in defeat this time. Desiree watched as the fur receded from his body, gradually replaced with clammy, smooth, lightly-tanned skin. His muzzle retracted and facial muscles rearranged as his four legs turned into two arms and two legs before her eyes. She clamped a hand over her mouth, tears suddenly streaming down her cheeks at the finished product, Sam finally, fully human and lying supine beside her on the bed. “Oh my God, it really is you!” Desiree flung her arm around his neck and held tight. It took her several seconds to realize that he trembled still. She drew back to look at the cold sweat covering his body. She quickly grabbed one of the towels from the bedside table and patted his face and torso dry before pulling the comforter at the foot of the bed up to cover his chest. “Th–th–thanks.” “My poor baby.” “I thought I was a lazy wimp.” Desiree grinned. “That, too.” “Say it again, Desiree.” She didn’t hesitate or play coy. “I love you,” she whispered before leaning in to gently kiss his lips. She felt him smile against her mouth as his arms came up to embrace her. When he pulled back she stared at his much-welcomed grin and couldn’t help but return it. Sam pushed a stray strand of hair away from her face, neatly tucking it behind her ear, and Desiree’s heart sped at the familiarity of the act, at how the simple deed made her heart beat so wildly. “I love you, too, bebe. I always have.” “Well, I must say, this is a sight for sore eyes!” Desiree turned her head toward the door where Helena stood watching them, eyes shimmering with tears. Desiree plumped a pillow up behind Sam and he sat up, leaning back against the headboard as he let the comforter fall to his waist.

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For the first time since he had shifted, she noticed how much weight he had lost, and it was not an insignificant amount. She resolved to fatten him up with some of her home cooking. That is, if Helena proved amenable. “Had I known you were going to leave me with Nurse Ratched I would have come back much sooner.” Desiree gasped and punched him in his arm. “Take that back, you ungrateful wolf!” Sam laughed and circled both arms around her waist, drawing her close. “Okay, okay. You know I only meant that with the deepest of affection.” “Better had.” She pouted and let him kiss her in front of his mother, only mildly embarrassed. Six months ago, she wouldn’t have dreamed of this moment, but now she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else and with anyone else, besides Carson, of course. Desiree heard Helena clear her throat just as Sam coaxed open her mouth and dipped his tongue inside to better taste her. She drew away a little, face hot and expecting to see disapproval as she glanced at Helena standing on the threshold. Helena looked at them with a pleased smile and said, “Well, since you two already have a room, I’m going to make myself scarce and go rustle up some dinner.” She turned to leave then paused and glanced at Desiree over her shoulder. “Thanks for bringing him back to us.” Speechless, Desiree watched Helena leave and wondered if she knew, really knew, what was going on between Desiree and her sons. She couldn’t imagine what her own mother’s reaction would be once she found out and didn’t even want to face the possibility that Helena might think she was some kind of slut, not good enough for her boys. “Stop,” Sam murmured. “Stop what?” “Stop seeing roadblocks where there are none.” “Do you think your mother knows? About all of us, I mean?”

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“I know she does.” “And you don’t think she disapproves?” “Did it look like she disapproved?” “Well, no, not really,” Desiree admitted. “That’s because she doesn’t.” Sam drew her closer. “Bebe, we’re shifters. And the quicker you get used to that, the better. Things that faze full humans or aren’t acceptable in the full-human world are perfectly natural for us.” Desiree grinned and slid a hand down Sam’s body under the covers until she found what she searched for. “Things like nudity?” She cupped his springy balls then stroked his burgeoning cock. He may have been weak from his injuries and just this side of emaciated, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with his libido. “Yeah, that’s one thing.” Sam moaned when she wrapped her fingers around his shaft and squeezed. He flipped her onto her back and planted a knee between her denim-clad thighs. Catching her wrists, he drew her arms up over her head, holding her captive with his body as he stared down at her with those golden-honey eyes and instantly made her hot and wet. “Starting the party without me again?”

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Chapter 18 “We wouldn’t dream of it.” Sam glanced at Carson over his shoulder and patted the bed beside Desiree. “There’s plenty of room for you.” Carson closed and locked the door behind him before crossing the room. A heavy feeling of déjà vu permeated his senses. He stood at Sam’s bedside, taking a moment to gather himself while he admired the sight of Sam and Desiree entangled together under the bedcovers. Sam’s muscled back shimmered with perspiration beneath the overhead lights of the room. Desiree lay beneath him, lush breasts straining the buttons of her Western shirt as she panted, face flushed from arousal. He stared at her, searching for some signs of disgust or other form of distress, but saw nothing like either of those. Carson knew she must have witnessed Sam’s change. She hadn’t left his bedside since they’d carried him upstairs from the living room a day and a half ago. Was she okay with this, with them being…not exactly human? As if in answer to his silent question, Desiree reached a hand out to him. “I’m okay with this. All of it,” she whispered. Carson didn’t think he could love her any more than he did in that moment. Sam slid off of Desiree to make room for Carson. Carson grinned and put his hand in Desiree’s as he put a knee on the bed. He leaned in to kiss her lips, losing himself in the fullness of her mouth, the sweet taste of her when he plunged his tongue deep to meet hers.

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When he finally, reluctantly, pulled away, he cupped Desiree’s face with both hands. He searched her gaze for the love she’d expressed back in the forest and saw it shining out of her whiskey eyes, plain as day for anyone to see. “I love you, cher.” She smiled, took one of his hands from her face, and brought it to her mouth. She kissed his palm before nuzzling it with her cheek. “I was so afraid back at the forest, so afraid I’d lose you both.” “I know.” “I didn’t say ‘I love you’ then because I was afraid, Carson. I said it because I meant it.” “I know.” She pulled back to smile at him. “Oh you do, do you?” “Your eyes tell it all.” He drew her close for another kiss and pulled away to stare at her again. It was too late to play the aloof alpha now, and he didn’t want to. It felt too good saying the words out loud, so he said them again. “I love you.” “I love you,” she murmured. Sam moved toward the edge of the bed. “Where do you think you’re going?” Desiree asked. “I’ve got a head start on both of you.” He glanced at her and Carson, both still fully clothed. “Why don’t you two work on catching up?” “I’ve got a better idea.” Carson took his knee off the bed and stood up to unbuckle his gun belt and place it across the back of the room’s rocker. Both Sam and Desiree arched a brow and waited as Carson smiled. He liked the game, liked taking control this way. “I need to freshen up after a day out on the range.” Carson paused again for effect, unbuttoning his shirt as he crossed the carpeted floor to Sam’s full bathroom. He glanced at them over his shoulder. “Why don’t you two join me?”

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He caught their smiles and a flash of pleasure as Desiree leaped across the bed and reached for the top drawer of the bedside table. When Carson and Sam looked at her, she released a sheepish laugh. “Maia dropped some stuff off she thought I’d need once Sam…” She shrugged and pulled out a tube of lubricant and condoms. “You know how she likes to make sure I’m prepared for all contingencies.” Maia was a lot like Sam, which was probably why Carson liked her so much. He liked the way her mind worked, too, and thought he owed her and Sam more than Desiree would ever know. Without the two younger siblings’ pushy meddling, he doubted that he would have reached out and grabbed what was plainly staring him in the face. Without Maia’s and Sam’s goading, he doubted he ever would have given himself and Sam their chance with Desiree. Carson wished he had been a fly on the wall when Maia dropped the stuff off, could only imagine the flush of embarrassment that had flooded Desiree’s cheeks at her younger sister’s boldness. Although there didn’t seem to be any trace of shyness about Desiree now. She looked eager and ready to get this show on the road. “I was wondering…” she began as Carson started to turn. He paused on the threshold and looked at her, as did Sam. “Do we really need the condoms? I mean, I’m clean and…” “We are, too.” Carson spoke for himself and Sam, confident in his assertion as neither of them had been with anyone since before they’d arrived at The Double R a year ago now. They’d both tested negative a year before that. Desiree lowered her head, averting her eyes to stare at the carpet as she murmured, “Before each of you I hadn’t been with anyone in a…very long time.” She lifted her eyes to meet Carson’s and Sam’s in turn. She took a deep breath. “I hadn’t wanted to be.” Sam put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “You can tell us if you want.” “I know.”

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Carson and Sam waited several moments, and when Desiree didn’t say anything to fill the silence, Carson crossed the room to stand on the opposite side of the bed as Sam. He sat down beside Desiree, sandwiching her between him and his brother. He put a finger under her chin to lift her head. His breath hitched in his chest at the sight of tears shining on the surface of her whiskey eyes, the moisture giving her eyes a hypnotic, eerie appearance. They looked more irresistible than usual. “Tell us, cher.” “You don’t want to hear my tale of woe.” “Don’t make light of what he did to you,” Sam said. Carson heard the barely suppressed rage in his voice and knew had the offending male been there in front of them, Sam would have ripped him limb from limb, as Carson would have. “It’s difficult to talk about,” Desiree murmured and Carson thought that had to be the biggest understatement he’d ever heard. “Once you get it out you won’t have to say it ever again,” he said. “Give us your burden.” The sobs tore from her throat suddenly, violent, racking sobs that shook her entire body as if his words had opened a valve that had been too-long closed. Carson pulled her close and held her as she tearfully related the story of her ex-boyfriend Jeremy. He’d been the perfect gentleman, dating her proper, lavishing her with gifts and words of love for months before he turned. Too late she discovered his insidiousness, the predator beneath more dangerous than Carson’s and Sam’s animals would ever be. Once she started, the words flowed from her, emotion and pain bursting free, eager now for release. When she got to the actual rape, Carson fisted his hands as if to stop himself from wrapping them around the bastard’s throat, the bastard who wasn’t even present.

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He didn’t want to hear any more, but he had started this and they all needed to hear it through. Desiree finally reached the end of her story, exhausted and still in Carson’s arms as if she had just finished running a marathon. He held her and patted her back with both hands as her cries eased and her breathing slowed. Sam sat behind her, caressing her hair and whispering soothing words in her ear. “You’re safe with us, cher. We’ll never let anything like that happen to you again. We’ll never hurt you.” “I know.” She sniffed as she pulled out of Carson’s arms to look at him. “I’ve never told anyone about it before.” “You were meant to tell us.” “Yeah,” Sam agreed. “My protectors.” Desiree smiled and Carson thumbed the last few tears away from her face. “Desiree, you know what’s between us isn’t just about sex anymore, right?” She looked from him to Sam, who nodded his concurrence with Carson. “I know it’s not for me,” she said. “It’s not for us, either, cher.” He kissed a tear as it slid down her cheek, wrapping his arms around Desiree to draw her close again. He doubted now if it had ever been just about sex for him. He’d known from the beginning that this woman could be the one who changed everything. Desiree burrowed close, pressing her lips to the pounding pulse point in his neck, making it beat even wilder, making his entire body throb with need. Carson gently pulled back. “I’m sweaty.” “I don’t care. It’s an-honest-day’s-work sweat. I want to taste it, taste you. Let’s make love here now, then make love again in the shower, then—” “Want to make up for lost time, do we?” “Something like that.”

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“Hey, anything to please the lady,” Sam said in a jaunty tone that Carson knew he meant to lighten the mood. It remained his brother’s way. Desiree tossed the condoms back into the drawer. “Then we don’t need these.” “We can still get you pregnant, Desi,” Sam said. “Unless you’re on the Pill?” “I’m not. Is that a problem?” Carson wanted to tell her hell yeah it was a problem. Especially when he recognized the wild expression in her eyes. It was a look that said she wanted to throw all caution to the wind and for once do what made her happy without thinking of the consequences. It was a reckless look with which he was more than familiar after seeing it so many times on his brother’s and Maia’s faces. He’d never seen such an out-of-control look on Desiree’s face, though. She was too cautious, too responsible for that look. She lived by the same credo, conducted herself the same way Carson usually did, especially after Duane’s death. He worried that she was pushing herself too far to prove a point— whether it was to herself, him and Sam, or even her uninhibited younger sister, Carson didn’t know. He just knew, as reckless as she acted now, as reckless as they all prepared to behave, he didn’t want to say no to her. He couldn’t. He remained hard as a spike. He needed to feel her, all of her, soft, warm, and wet, squeezing around his cock until he moaned and begged for mercy. Sam looked to him as if for direction, waiting for his answer. Desiree took the situation in hand, gently rubbing and cupping Carson’s balls through his jeans before gripping him. “I want to feel you inside me, both of you, naked and raw, every inch.” Was this the same woman who’d slapped him after one comparatively chaste kiss?

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Carson looked at Sam over Desiree’s shoulder and saw his own surprise reflected back at him from his brother’s eyes. He also saw the desire Sam had for this woman they both loved and wondered if the same image flashed through his brother’s mind as flashed through his. He wondered if his brother saw Desiree pregnant with a pup of either of them and glowing. This is insane! We’re not free to make this choice for her or ourselves. We can’t put all this on her—Remy, the pack, our past… It was enough that she had accepted them for what they were, shifters and all. Except when he looked in her eyes, all rational thought vanished. Selfishly, he wanted this, wanted her, however she wanted to give herself to him, however she would take him and his brother. He knew he was being irresponsible, but he wouldn’t ask her if she was sure. She was a grown woman. He and Sam were grown men. This was right. As if to validate his decision, Desiree stroked Carson’s cheek now, smiling through her tears, and Carson thought it the most beautiful sight he had seen since first coming home to find his brother in his human form and making out in the bed with Desiree. “Please,” she whispered, burying her face against his neck again, licking and nipping the skin there until he squirmed beneath her amorous attentions. Carson closed his eyes and tilted back his head to give her better access. He groaned low in his throat as she circled her tongue against his throbbing pulse. He tunneled his hands through her hair and drew her closer, holding her in place. “Bite me, cher. Bite me hard and make me yours.” “He needs you to claim him, bebe,” Sam said. “Mark him.” Desiree didn’t hesitate like he thought she would. She sunk her teeth into him as hard as she could, and Carson gasped at the whitehot pain. He reveled in it.

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“Oh God…” He panted as he felt something liquid and warm on his throat. Fuck. Carson toppled Desiree back against the mattress, and she broke contact to stare up at him with a dazed look on her face. He stared at the trickle of blood in the corners of her mouth, cock painfully throbbing at the sight. He reached for her mouth with his thumb, tracing the tips of her relatively blunt human canines through her parted lips, marveling that she was able to penetrate his skin. A crazy sense of pride suffused him, as if he had taught a pack pup a new predatory technique and the pup had taken to it like a wild animal to the jungle. Was she a hybrid like his mother and didn’t know it? “I’m sorry,” she said. He caught her hands when she reached toward the damage she had done. “Don’t be. I liked it. Raw, remember?” “And naked.” She took a side of his shirt in each hand and slowly slid the garment off his shoulders and down his arms before completely removing it. Carson wordlessly watched her, heart stuttering when she plastered her palms against his chest. The touch of her, warm skin against warm skin, ignited the fire in him. He leaned in to kiss and lick her throat. “Are you sure you want this? It’s not too late to change your mind. We won’t think any less of you.” “Wolves mate for life,” Sam rasped, bending his head to kiss the opposite side of Desiree’s throat. “Are you two trying to scare me off?” “Just trying to let you know what you’re in for,” Carson said. “Let’s just do this.” “Bebe, let us know if we hurt you and you want us to stop.” “I’m not afraid.” As Carson moved in to mark her, he thought that maybe she should be. Maybe they all should be.

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**** Desiree had always known it would come to this. From the moment she had initially started seeing the wolves in her dreams she had known that they belonged to her and that she belonged to them. Now there just remained the matter of formalizing, in blood, what they all already knew. Desiree allowed each man to strip her until she was as completely naked as Sam. Her mouth watered as she watched Carson finally strip out of his jeans. Her skin tingled with nervous excitement like she was an inexperienced virgin and not the woman who had already tied up Sam before getting him off, or had just marked his brother with her teeth in a ferocious, ceremonial demonstration of foreplay. She closed her eyes as each man moved to her neck, and she felt their warm breath against her skin and shuddered. “After this, you mark me,” Sam said. She didn’t open her eyes, just nodded while her stomach fluttered with a thousand butterflies. She remembered the sight of Sam’s blood, so much of it, on her clothes, in the grass, on his fur and underbelly. So much, but she didn’t remember being squeamish. She wasn’t exactly squeamish now, more flushed with anticipation and arousal. Was she some sort of freak to want this, to welcome it? Carson took over, rolling Desiree onto her side so that they lay face to face. Sam hovered just behind her as Carson pulled her close, lifting one of her thighs to rest on his hip while he nestled his cock between her legs. Carson took his throbbing erection in hand and guided it toward her opening, rubbing her creamy folds with the head until she proved ready to cry out and beg.

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Desiree arched toward him like Velcro to fasteners. He spent a torturous few seconds massaging her vulva before sliding inside. He seated himself balls deep and finally filled her. For a long moment, he didn’t move, just lay still with his chin cradled against her collarbone as her muscles stretched to accept his hard, large cock. Desiree gasped as Carson simultaneously rolled his hips against her and sunk his teeth into the right side of her neck. He pierced her skin with his sharp canines, much sharper than hers, much sharper than a normal human’s. His cock, however, proved all human, all male, demanding, burning, and solid inside her pussy. She gushed hot and wet around him, inner muscles clutching at him as if for comfort. So this was what she’d asked for, naked and raw. This was what she wanted, had been wanting from them since she’d met them. She just hadn’t known it. Her body flooded with adrenaline, Carson’s dual piercings sending her off on a tide of pre-orgasmic pleasure, and Sam hadn’t even entered her yet. As soon as Carson had his fill and released her throat, she opened her eyes, met his gaze, and gasped at his glowing yellow eyes staring back at her. “No, don’t.” She reached over to hold his face in place when he tried to duck his head. “They’re beautiful,” she whispered, in awe of these extraordinary men with whom she had fallen in love. “Not as beautiful as you.” “So beautiful,” Sam agreed and lowered his head to put his mark right beside Carson’s. He sunk his fangs in quick, making surgically efficient and sensual strokes with his teeth and tongue, beyond a formality. “Ready?” he whispered against her throat, and Desiree had a second to nod before he eased his well-lubed cock between her ass cheeks and pushed.

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Her breath hitched in her chest at the pressure. She didn’t think she would ever get used to this intense fullness, but she knew that she never wanted to do without it, either. Sam stroked her arm, murmuring sexy foreign words that made her wetter even though she didn’t know what he said. His deep, sultry voice proved the real turn-on rather than the words themselves. “More, Sam. Please fill me…” She pushed back against him as Sam and Carson both drove forward, squeezing her between them. Heated skin against heated skin, intimately flanked by them, Desiree couldn’t have felt more cozy or safe. She couldn’t have felt sexier and more wanted. She couldn’t have been more turned on and insatiable She turned her face to look at Sam over her shoulder, cupping his cheek before he raised his face from her throat to kiss her on the lips. She caught a glimpse of his eyes, the naturally golden-honey hue even lighter, turned yellow, like Carson’s, with his arousal. Desiree parted her lips, letting Sam slip his tongue into her mouth to share the taste of her essence. She had tasted her own blood before, sucking her finger into her mouth after getting a cut while chopping vegetables or from some other mishap. She knew the taste, metallic and salty. This was different, flavored with the taste of Sam and all his emotions and desires. She groaned a guttural animal sound alien to her own ears as Carson and Sam moved against her in synch. Desiree rocked back and forth between them, matching their rhythm as they brought every inch of her body, inside and out, to life with their hands and mouths as well as their powerful cocks. Sam maneuvered his body until his neck hovered right over Desiree’s mouth. “Do it, bebe. Make me yours.” Desiree opened her mouth over his throat and closed her eyes. She brought her mouth close enough to kiss him, licked and nibbled his skin. He tasted different from Carson, yet the same, as if she could taste their connection and share it.

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“Now, cher,” Carson whispered. Desiree closed her mind to everything except what her two men did to her body, every nerve ending swamped with arousal when she sank her teeth into Sam as she had his brother before him. Sam’s blood burst against her taste buds the instant that Carson thumbed then lightly pinched her clit, spurring her to suck harder and grind her hips between them more desperately. “That’s it, cher. Come for us. Come now.” His words worked like a switch, powering Desiree to an orgasm that exploded through her body with crippling force. She trembled and slumped in Carson and Sam’s grasp, crying out and panting as they each came inside her on such thunderous growls, Desiree waited with pounding heart for Helena to come rushing up the stairs at any moment to check on all of them. Several heartbeats went by with the three of them lying still in silence, the only sound echoing through the room the noise of their heavy breathing. After a long time, Sam sat up smiling and looking refreshed. “I’m ready for round two in the shower. How about you guys?” Carson chuckled, shook his head, and covered his eyes with an arm. Desiree’s smile mirrored Sam’s. She remained too choked up to speak, though, just so glad Sam had come back to them from neardeath. Desiree had to wonder, though, how long the goodwill and lull would last. She hadn’t forgotten about Remy, out there somewhere plotting his next move against her men, and wondered what Carson and Sam’s next move would be. She knew that whatever they decided, she would be right there with them.

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Desiree elbowed Carson in the ribs. “Coming, slacker?” She leaped out of the bed before he could grab her and followed Sam to the bathroom, laughing.

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Chapter 19 “I need you, bebe.” Sam pulled Desiree close as he stood under the warm spray, eager to feel her silken skin against him, eager to feel her soft body. She came willingly, a devilish twinkle in her whiskey eyes as she smiled up at him. “I need you, too, honey.” “Mmm, honey. I like it.” He kept his tone light, tried to distance himself as much as he could from what Desiree had told him and Carson about Jeremy-the-prick. He had never felt as murderous toward anyone as he did toward the unknown boyfriend, except for Remy. He knew if he ever came across this Jeremy he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions. Sam nuzzled Desiree’s throat, wanted to be close to her, needed her humanity to keep him grounded and sane…less homicidal. He licked the earlier bite he’d placed there. She didn’t seem to be in any undue pain or stress from it, and Sam was glad. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her in any way, shape, or form. Which was why he dreaded the heart-to-heart she, he, and Carson would have to have soon, the heart-to-heart about their true identities and why they were on the run. Would she still want to be with them after she learned the truth about them? Desiree ran her hands down his ribs before curving her arms around his waist. “Are you still in some pain?” “No.” That proved true enough. Once he’d shifted, his metabolism had finally kicked in to handle his body’s healing, so no, he wasn’t in any pain. At least he wasn’t in any physical pain. Now emotional

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pain, that was a horse of another color, and one with which he struggled every minute he kept the truth from Desiree. She deserved to know what she would be getting into, had gotten into, hitching her wagon to theirs. Carson had told her earlier that it wasn’t too late to change her mind and that they wouldn’t think any less of her. That still held true. He just hoped she chose to move forward with them. He’d never been very good at lying, didn’t like to, although the last several years, by necessity, he had become adept. However, the more time he spent in Desiree’s company, looking into her sincere, solemn eyes, the urge to confess grew stronger and stronger. He was sure Carson was on the same page with him on this and figured they’d tell her about themselves together once they finished their shower. That was, unless her curiosity finally got the best of her and Desiree asked him something now, outright. “Why the frowny face, then?” Desiree squeezed him to her as she tilted her head back to kiss his chin. “Missing that ornery brother of yours?” At her words, the shower door slid open and Carson stepped into the tub to join them. “Did someone mention my name?” Sam grinned. His brother always knew how and when to make an entrance. He was relieved to not have to talk to Desiree all by his lonesome as he didn’t want to muck up the most important discussion he probably would ever have in his life. “Ears burning?” Desiree teased. She seemed so much more lighthearted and carefree since they had started their relationship. Sam wanted to take credit for that but knew that he and Carson would have to take the blame when she slipped into sadness after they divulged their past to her. “As well as some other parts,” Carson teased her back and bent his head to kiss her on the lips as she turned to him.

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Sam watched them for several long seconds, saw Carson slide his tongue into Desiree’s mouth, and his little friend reacted, hardening painfully. Desiree reached for him as if sensing his need, or maybe she had seen him rising from her peripheral vision. Her palm brushed him and he trembled under her caress before she circled his shaft with her fingers and gave it one firm pump. Sam closed his eyes and groaned. He moved closer, following her pull like a lost puppy. He felt her thumb the pearl of liquid at the crown of his cock, circling it around and around. He opened his eyes when she stopped, saw her end the kiss with Carson as she raised her thumb to her mouth. Both Sam and Carson watched her, entranced as she sucked her thumb into her mouth and tasted Sam’s spirit. Sam licked his lips, desperate to be inside her. If it proved the last time they would all be together again, he would make it worth their while. It’s not going to be the last time. We’re going to make this work. He knew he wanted it enough, more than he had ever wanted anything, almost more than he wanted to have his father back. Carson moved behind Desiree, relinquishing the sweet haven of her pussy to Sam. Sam nodded at him and stepped to Desiree’s front. He caressed her ribs with his thumbs, slowly moving up her smooth torso until he palmed her full breasts. Desiree closed her eyes and tilted back her head to rest just below Carson’s shoulder. Carson stared at Sam as he gripped Desiree’s hips and Sam got the message. He needed to keep her distracted while Carson entered her. They hadn’t brought in any lube, and Carson was just a little thicker around than Sam, which meant this could get a little tricky for Desiree.

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Sam fondled and squeezed her breasts together, lowering his head to take first one hard nipple then the other into his mouth. He suckled and nipped, circling her aureoles with the tip of his tongue right before Carson pushed past the first ring of muscle. Desiree gasped and clutched at Sam, digging her nails into his back as she blindly reached for his mouth. Sam complied, taking her lips with his in a frantic kiss before he drove his tongue into her mouth to dance with hers. Carson slid in a little further, and with each inch, Desiree dug her nails a little deeper into Sam’s back. He welcomed the pain, sank into it as he swallowed Desiree’s moans. When Carson was almost seated to the hilt, Sam guided his cock to Desiree’s opening, caressing her moist folds with the head of his cock and losing himself in her soft whimpers. “Please,” she begged. “Oh please, Sam…” She drew him near with one hand on his back and clamped her other down on Carson’s flank. Sam could imagine her nails doing the same damage to Carson’s thigh as they now did to Sam’s back and shoulder. Only the water mitigated the score of her nails. Nothing mitigated his hunger, however. She could flay him alive and he’d still want her, would gladly bleed for her. He stepped closer, easing further inside. Her pussy remained so wet, Sam barely had to push before he slid all the way inside. Desiree sighed and slid her hand down his back until she cupped one ass cheek in her hand. Balanced between them, Carson driving deep from behind, she raised a thigh to settle onto Sam’s hip. He plunged forward and circled his hips with a grunt as he dug his fingers into her supple thigh to ground himself. Sam bent his head to kiss her, driving his tongue as he drove his cock, pounding into her from the front as Carson pounded into her from the back.

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Desiree’s cries grew and grew, reaching a shattering crescendo before she finally came between them with a prolonged shudder. Carson’s release quickly followed, and Sam wasn’t too far behind him, panting as he rested his forehead against Desiree’s. Moments later he came around to her soft crooning, her fingers gently burrowing through his damp waves. It didn’t surprise him that they were alone. “How long?” he rasped. “Not that long. Carson just wanted to give us a few more minutes alone.” Did he want Sam to break the news to her alone? Did he think Sam could handle it more tactfully than him? Or did he not want to see the cold, indifferent look in Desiree’s eyes when she finally rejected them? He knew his brother wasn’t a coward and wondered at Carson’s logic. Slowly they washed and rinsed their bodies before stepping out of the tub and wrapping themselves in towels. When they got back to Sam’s bedroom, they found Carson lounging back against a pillow, hands folded behind his head. He remained naked and half-erect while he intently watched them as if searching for something. He arched a brow, and they dropped their towels before making their way to the bed. Desiree hopped into the bed, immediately ensconcing herself in Carson’s embrace. She looked back at Sam, proffering her hand and inviting him in. Moment of truth, Sam thought. He stepped forward and took her hand as he got into bed beside Desiree, sandwiching her between himself and his brother. It proved an achingly familiar position that he never wanted to give up. Sam took just a moment to snuggle beside Desiree before she said, “Tell me about Remy and what happened between you all.”

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Sam fidgeted, unsure how to begin or even if he should, when Carson said, “I killed Remy’s son, and we’ve been on the run ever since.” **** Carson didn’t know about Sam, but he felt a thousand pounds lighter once the words left his mouth. He waited a beat to gauge Desiree’s reaction, watching her face. She didn’t move at first, and he’d have given anything to know what went through her head in those first few moments after he confessed. Despite the fact that Sam lay in the bed with him right beside Desiree, Carson felt all alone, alone and drifting in a sea of misery and uncertainty. If she didn’t say something soon, negative or positive, Carson didn’t know what he would do. “Tell me,” Desiree whispered, but instead of pulling away from him as he expected her to, she burrowed closer, sliding her arms around his middle and holding him snug. “He didn’t have a choice, Desi,” Sam spoke up, and Carson smiled at his brother’s attempt to protect him again. He’d almost died protecting Carson before. “I know he wouldn’t have done so if he didn’t have to.” “How do you know?” Carson asked, amazed. “Because I know you. You have a good heart. You wouldn’t hurt anyone intentionally.” She said almost the same exact thing as her sister had about him and Sam—that they had good hearts and souls. Carson cleared his throat, not quite trusting himself to speak. “It was a packmate, our alpha, Remy’s, son. We’d butted heads a lot in the past, never really liked each other. He thought his father gave us preferential treatment because he liked our mother.” “Did Remy give your mother preferential treatment?”

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“Only because he wanted to mate with her,” Sam said. “And once our father died, he thought he had his chance.” “You may as well know that Remy killed our father.” “Whoa, whoa, this sounds like a serious blood feud.” “It is, but not in the way you think. I never had anything against Duane personally,” Carson said. “Except for the fact that he was a bully and liked to hurt people weaker and smaller than him. I usually just kept my distance. But that night I couldn’t stay out of things. He was…he was hurting this girl, a full human, forcing himself on her.” “Oh no.” Carson heard the catch in her voice and knew he’d hit her recently exposed nerve without meaning to, knew now the exact sort of pain she hid behind the quiet cautiousness and cool reserve. Jeremy had hurt her the same way Duane had tried to hurt that girl outside the zydeco club. He nodded, squeezing her close as if to protect her from her past. “I couldn’t stay out of it. We fought, and things got out of hand.” “You killed him in self-defense,” Sam said. “It certainly sounds like it,” Desiree agreed. “It was, but it wasn’t within the bounds of a sanctioned challenge match. We were supposed to take our complaint to the pack elders, the council, and the alpha, and let them decide whether we had a beef legitimate enough to fight over.” “But what was supposed to happen to the girl in the meantime?” Carson shrugged. That was pack law, and it probably seemed cold to an outsider, a human like Desiree, but those were the facts. Pack law superseded human law, which was why Carson hadn’t been turned in to the human authorities after killing Duane. Once Duane was dead, the pack removed his remains for internment and took Carson into custody for Remy’s verdict. Had Carson waited until after Duane had finished doing what he wanted to the girl, Carson had every right to bring his accusations to the pack and let them decide whether he and Duane should fight it

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out. Since Duane was the alpha’s son, despite the pack’s universal dislike of Duane, Carson’s claims wouldn’t have held as much weight, especially not when he would have been speaking up for a human. “What about your father? What happened with him?” “He died in a freak accident at the restaurant my family owned. But I know that Remy caused the fire that killed him. I know it in my bones. I saw him there right before the explosion.” “And your pack didn’t believe you.” “Mama wouldn’t let me talk about it, at least wouldn’t let me make an official accusation or challenge Remy. I was sixteen, and she believed that Remy would have killed me in a physical contest.” “He wouldn’t have gone down without a fight though, that was for sure.” “Helena was protecting you.” “I know.” It hadn’t stopped him from planting a veiled allegation to the rank and file before he clammed up altogether in deference to his mama. “I can take care of myself though.” “She’s your mother, Carson. She’s always going to protect you, whether you need it or not, whether you ask for help or not. And you were her child, still are.” She sounded like his mother when she said that. It must be a nurturer and a woman thing. “Is that what the other night was about? Was Remy trying to take you back to Louisiana?” Carson nodded. “And Sam got in the middle of things.” “He refused to let me go with Remy.” Desiree threw a smile over her shoulder at Sam before turning back to Carson. “I like the way you boys stick together.” “We protect our own.” “Am I yours?” she asked, her voice timid and unsure. “You belong to us. You’re pack.”

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“Oui, bebe.” “I wish I’d known you guys before…before…” “He hurt you.” Carson put a hand under her chin and lifted her face to look into her eyes. Desiree nodded. “We won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.” “That goes both ways, you know.” “Meaning?” “Meaning I won’t let anyone hurt either of you again.” “Do you know how much I love you, cher?” “As much as I love the both of you?” “Even though our real name isn’t Quarry?” Sam put in. When Desiree burst out laughing and hooked an arm around each of their necks to hug them, Carson felt freer than he had in years. He hadn’t known until that very moment how much of his hopes for the future he had invested in whether or not Desiree accepted full disclosure. “Oh, honey, I think your alias is the least of our worries.” She’d said “our worries,” allying herself with them, throwing her fortune in with theirs. Her words both inspired and frightened Carson. What if Remy put his sights on her now that he’d seen them all together, now that he knew she meant something to him and Sam? What if, after dragging her into this, he and Sam couldn’t do what they promised and protect her from Remy Bastien?

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Chapter 20 Remy had not been so excited since his hunt began several years ago. Knowing that his prey remained within reach, that he would soon acquire what he had been after for so long, sent the adrenaline pumping through his veins the way anticipation did before a battle. He listened to the phone ring a couple of times, already hearing her warm voice in his head, expecting her wariness and preparing to make his pitch. “Hello, Remy.” He gaped. His number was private. How did she know he called? “I’ve been expecting your call.” He continued to underestimate the woman, had been doing so for a while, his mistake. Remy smiled before speaking, gathering his resources and surprised at his own nervousness. He had not heard her voice so up close and personal, however, in a long time. It was a shock to his system he hadn’t been expecting. “Hello, Helena. Long time, no hear.” “Not long enough.” He chuckled, liking her spunk. This was the woman with whom he was meant to spend the rest of his life. Duane’s mother had been a pale imitation of a mate, a pit stop on the road to mating bliss. He’d taken steps to correct that mistake as soon as feasible. “Come, cher. You know you’d miss me if I were not around.” “I haven’t so far.” “I must find something more useful for you to do with that tongue of yours besides insult your alpha.”

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“What is it you want, Remy?” “You already know. Just as you knew it was me on the phone.” “I need to know that Carson and Sam will be safe.” “If you agree to come back to Louisiana with me, then yes. I will leave them out of our affairs. This will just be between you and me, as it was always meant to be.” “Really? And Carson’s imprisonment—” “Come now, Helena. You could not really expect me to let his transgression go unaddressed. What kind of alpha would I be?” “And now? All is forgiven?” “If I say it is. I believe your boys have adequately gotten the message.” Especially that spitfire younger one, Remy thought. He remained surprised by that one’s attack even now. “How is young Samson, by the way?” “Well, no thanks to you.” He had an idea who her son’s wellness was thanks to. “I defended myself. You can expect nothing less of me.” “I expected nothing less of my sons.” Neither did he, which was why he knew no matter how much he gave his word to her that they would be safe, there was nothing he could do if they decided to take matters into their own hands and challenge Remy. In fact, he fully expected them to. Helena sighed on the other end. He thought he would like nothing better than to hear that sound in his ears while he pleasured her with his cock, finally burying himself in her sweet cocotte and feeling her sink her teeth into him when he made her his as he was sure her boys had made Desiree Jensen theirs. Thinking how the young men had acquired their mate when he had yet to get what belonged to him made him a little peevish. He took a deep breath in order not to take it out on Helena, not when he was this close to having her where he wanted her. “Cher, I could have ended your son’s life. You do realize that.” “I know. And it puzzles me why you didn’t.”

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“Haven’t I always been good to your family, Helena?” “You took very good care of us after Ben’s death.” He knew how hard it probably had been for her to admit that, how much it had probably taken for her not to say what she really wanted to. He remained sure Carson had poisoned her against him after all this time on the road with her alone and Remy not around to defend himself. He knew all he needed was an hour, or even less, in a room with her alone to get her to see things his way, to get her to come around. He’d always been good at getting his way and making others see things how he wanted them to. He had convinced the council of his unequivocal innocence in the case of Ben Guidry’s death, had he not? “I would have continued to take care of you, and the boys, had you let me.” “Under the circumstances that wasn’t possible.” “We could have worked something out, but you chose to believe the worst of me.” “You would have killed me son.” She had no idea how much of a favor Carson had done him. Duane had been dead weight around Remy’s neck for a long time, just like his mother. The best thing the boy had ever done during his time on earth had been to die by Carson’s hand. Remy chose to evade her accusation and simply said, “I’d do anything to make you happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I will if you give me the chance.” “I want my sons to be happy and have a normal life. I want them to know love.” Remy was almost a hundred percent certain now that Carson and Sam had mated with the beautiful Desiree. This knowledge made Remy that much more determined to have Helena as his own. He could not allow two unworthy whelps to achieve what he had not.

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“You want what all mothers want for their children. But what about what Carson and Sam’s mother wants? What about what she deserves?” She didn’t answer for a long time, and for a moment Remy thought he might have lost her, that he had overplayed his hand. Finally, Helena cleared her throat. “We’ll have to make arrangements to meet somewhere away from the ranch. I don’t want to rouse anyone’s suspicions, but especially not the boys’,” she murmured. “No, we wouldn’t want that,” he stated, playing it cool and refusing to gloat over his victory just yet. He knew her “boys,” and they would not let their mama come to him without a fight if they knew. The Guidrys stuck together like a little pack onto themselves, he had to give them that. This meant, whether they thought Helena had come to him of her own free will or not, Carson and Sam would come for her. This time, Remy would be ready for them when they did. **** “Well, this is a surprise.” Desiree managed to get out the words without choking on them. Thankfully, the receptionist had called back to let her know of his arrival, and she had a chance to prepare herself for Remy’s appearance at her doorstep. He smiled. “A pleasant one, I hope.” Desiree caught herself looking for the fangs that had done so much damage to Sam’s body at the clearing the other night then just as quickly deemed herself silly to think Remy would show his true self to her after operating under the radar for so long. She swallowed down what she wanted to say and plastered a smile on her face. She couldn’t let on that she knew what this man was and what he had done to the Guidry family. She knew too well of what he remained capable. “Always a pleasure, Remy.” She stood up and

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crossed the carpeted floor to meet him halfway between the threshold and her desk. She shook his hand and indicated the guest chair, which Remy declined to take. Desiree arched an eyebrow. “This won’t take long. I just wanted to stop by before my departure.” “You’re…you’re leaving?” “Something has come up back home that I must attend to in person. I have, however, touched base with Tamara also to let her know what is going on and that you and I will continue to work together.” “That’s good to hear.” Desiree nodded, trying to maintain her professionalism and not jump for joy at his news. “The something at home is nothing bad, I hope?” “Not at all. It’s just some business concerns that need my attention. The price one must pay when one has interests spread out so far and wide.” “I can imagine.” Desiree tamped down her relief that she wouldn’t have to deal with Remy so intimately from now on. In most cases, she preferred the personal touch and at least several face-to-face meetings to establish rapport. Sometimes the phone and computer just didn’t do the trick. However, in Remy’s case, she proved willing to make an exception. “Well, as I have a flight to catch, I’ll leave you to your work and be on my way.” Remy headed for the door and Desiree followed him, almost bumping into his back when he stopped abruptly on the threshold and turned back to her. “I’d heard there were a few mishaps at the ranch. I hope all is well?” “Mishaps?” “Sam’s…illness and your sister’s injury.” He tried to catch her off guard and Desiree knew it, saw the smirk when she looked at him. “Nothing catastrophic. Just nature striking back. They’re both fine, though.”

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“That’s good to hear.” He turned his back to her again just as Maia appeared at the door. “Well, speak of the devil.” “No wonder my ears were burning!” Maia smiled and proffered her hand, which Remy instantly took. “Did I miss anything fun?” “Not at all. I’m on my way back to Louisiana.” “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Is everything all right?” “Just business, as I was telling your lovely sister.” “Hope you have a safe trip.” Remy stepped out of the way to let Maia into Desiree’s office and smiled at them. “I intend to.” He bent his head. “Ladies.” Desiree counted to five in her head before she closed the door and leaned against it with a long sigh. Keeping up an amiable façade, when what she wanted to do was scratch out Remy’s eyes for hurting Sam, proved exhausting. “You can’t let the shifty-shifter get to you, Desi.” “Will you keep it down?” Maia snorted and waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, please. He’s long gone by now. “ “I certainly hope so.” Maia crossed the room to plop down into the designer guest chair before her sister’s desk. “So, what did he have to say, other than he’s leaving town?” “He asked after your and Sam’s health.” “I’m beginning to wonder if he had spies at The Double R during his time in McCoy.” “I wouldn’t put it past him.” “Anyway, that’s not why I stopped by.” Desiree grinned, taking a seat behind her desk and folding her hands on the surface as she leaned forward to hear what latest trouble her sister was trying to get into. “Why, pray tell, did you stop by?” “I need some relationship advice.” “You…” Desiree did a double take and gaped.

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“Don’t be so funny. And I probably should rephrase that, since it’s not a relationship yet, but I’m hoping.” “T. Malloy?” “His name is Thayne.” “Well, at least you’ve gotten past the Doctor Malloy stage. That’s a good sign.” Maia sighed and stood to pace the office, ringing her hands for good measure. This couldn’t be good, Desiree thought. Her sister didn’t get nervous or out of sorts about much of anything, especially not men. To Maia, men were like panties and socks, to be changed frequently and replaced just as frequently when they got too worn or didn’t serve their purpose. Maia paused to look at her. “Not a good enough sign.” “What’s the problem?” “I went back to the hospital for the first of my follow-up rabies shots.” “Oh Maia, is everything all right? I thought the results on the raccoon came back negative.” “They did. That’s the problem. I don’t have an excuse to go back to the hospital.” Desiree frowned, confused. “Why do you need an excuse?” “I can’t just go to the hospital to see him without one.” “How about you’re interested in him and you want to get to know him?” “I can’t tell him that!” “Why not, it’s the truth, isn’t it? “Desi, you don’t understand.” Maia plopped back in the chair, shaking her head and covering her face. Her sister had always been a bit of a drama queen, but this was a little much, even for her. “Maia, what is it?” She pulled her face out of her hands and glared at Desiree. “I like him, all right!”

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“I still don’t understand. When have you ever had a problem telling a guy you like him?” “Always?” Maia threw up her hands. “Haven’t you been paying attention?” “Obviously not.” “Look, flirting and coming on to a guy is one thing. Sex and onenight stands aren’t exactly relationships, if you know what I mean.” Sadly, Desiree did, but up until recently, she wasn’t doing much better in the relationship department, so she wondered why her sister would think she was such an expert. “I mean, don’t get me wrong,” Maia continued, “I’ve been practically a nun, worse than you, actually, since we’ve been out here, and that’s a long layoff for me.” “I’m not sure whether I’ve been insulted or not.” “Not. Anyway, what I mean is, sex is easy, it’s physical, but getting in there and baring your soul, that’s a little more difficult.” “And you think I’ve cornered the market on the baring-the-soul part?” “More than I have.” She leaned forward in her seat. “You’re stronger than me, Desi. You always have been.” Desiree shook her head. “No, that’s not true.” Maia nodded. “Yes, it is. After what happened with Jeremy—” “You know about that?” “Not at first. It took a while before it came to me. I mean, I knew something bad had happened, but not what until it was over.” “You never said anything.” “I was supposed to protect you and I didn’t.” “You tried to. You warned me.” “Not enough.” “You couldn’t tell me what you didn’t know, Maia.” After a long, awkward silence that Maia didn’t seem inclined to fill, Desiree added, “You didn’t know, did you?”

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“No, of course not! Not beforehand. I would have never let you go with him that night.” “That’s what I thought.” “You ever wonder why I pushed you so hard to Carson and Sam, that’s the reason.” “What, you were trying to make up for what Jeremy did to me?” “I never wanted to risk that what I saw—either before or after the fact—would be ignored. If there was a chance that I saw a future for you with Carson and Sam, or anyone, I had to let you know. I couldn’t hold anything back anymore.” Desiree came from behind her desk, realized she had been using it as a shield the way she always did, even with family. She was getting better, but old habits remained hard to break. She took a seat on the edge of the desk in front of Maia and took her sister’s hands in hers. “I don’t blame you for what happened. I know you did your best.” “Thanks, Desi. You don’t know how much that means to me.” “Now that we’ve settled that, let’s get back to this Thayne Malloy problem.” Maia sighed. “I don’t even know why I brought it up. He’s out of my league, anyway.” “What am I hearing from Ms. Self-Confidence Personified?” “It’s all an act.” “Well, it’s a good one. You’ve got a lot of us fooled.” “That’s good to know. But I think I’m going to have to drop it if I’m going to have a chance with this guy.” “You like him that much? You barely know him.” “I know, and that’s the weird part. There’s something about him, something deep and something different from any other guy I’ve known. He’s not just surface pretty.” Desiree smiled at the description, remembering Carson’s reaction to Doctor Malloy’s looks. There was no doubt that he was pretty to look at, and her sister was obviously smitten.

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She rubbed and squeezed Maia’s arm. “I have every faith that you’ll figure this out.” “I’m glad you think so.” “Hey, you got me, Carson, and Sam together.” “And that was a miracle. There were times when I had my doubts about you all.” “When did you find out about them being…shifters?” “I was wondering when you were going to ask me that.” Maia smiled. “I think I knew from the beginning, when you first started having your dreams. I didn’t believe it until I actually saw them change. I mean, knowing and seeing are two different things.” “Tell me about it.” “Anyway…” Maia stood up to leave. “I’ve taken up enough of your time with my nonexistent love-life. I’m heading back to the ranch. Going to help out with horseback-riding lessons for the kiddies.” “You really are settling into the cowboy life, aren’t you?” “Don’t sound so shocked, especially since you’ve got your wagon hitched to two cowboys now.” Desiree laughed but just as quickly turned serious. Things were nowhere near settled for her, Carson, and Sam. She didn’t for a minute believe that they had seen the last of Remy or that they were out of the woods. The man had too big a score to settle and so did Carson and Sam—their family’s honor. “Don’t look so down. Being with Carson and Sam is a good thing.” “It is, but…I’m just wondering what Remy’s going to do next for revenge. I don’t for a minute think he’s given up.” Before Maia could open her mouth to respond, the phone on Desiree’s desk rang. She went behind her desk to answer it and spent the next few minutes trying to calm down a panic-stricken Sam.

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When Desiree hung up the phone she could just imagine the look on her face, how pale her complexion must look, from the worried expression on her sister’s face. “What? What is it, Desi?” “That was Sam.” “Okay, so? What’s up?” “Helena. She’s…she’s missing.” “Missing? I’m sure he’s mistaken.” Desiree shook her head. “No one’s seen her since breakfast. Carson usually checks in to see how she’s doing before he heads out to the Western town. But she wasn’t in the cookhouse. The staff said she had an errand to run.” “Okay, so she’s running an errand.” “She hasn’t returned, and they’re having lunch rush. She’s always around for lunch rush.” “Maybe…” Desiree shook her head. “She’s gone, Maia.” According to Sam, he and Carson knew just where she was, too. Desiree grabbed her bag from her desk drawer, determined to get back to The Double R as soon as possible and stop her men before they went off half-cocked. “They couldn’t have gone far. Remy was just here.” “That’s what I told Sam, but he wouldn’t put it past Remy to have had one of the pack’s lieutenant’s escort their mother back to Louisiana.” “What do they think they’re going to accomplish going there to retrieve her?” “Helena’s their mother, Maia.” “What I mean is, what if she went with Remy or his escort on her own?” “It doesn’t matter. The man killed Carson and Sam’s father. They’re not going to let things go that easily.” “Oh.”

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“Yes, oh.” “So, what exactly are they going to do? Did Sam say?” Sam didn’t have to say, because Desiree already knew without having any of her younger sister’s gifts. Carson and Sam were going back to Louisiana to get their mother and kill Remy Bastien.

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Chapter 21 If Desiree thought the woods on The Double R were scary at night, they had nothing on the wooded area in the bayou where she and Sam had been taken to witness the spectacle. They had all arrived at Louis Armstrong International Airport earlier in the afternoon, met by four of Remy’s trusted lieutenants, two of whom escorted Sam and her to one limousine while the other two escorted Carson to another parked right behind it. If Desiree had had any doubts as to Remy’s power and wealth, they were soon erased by her and Sam’s bodyguards’ show of deference and the opulence of the limousine’s interior. The vehicle had all the trappings of comfort and success, with plush leather seats, leg room for days, and an extensive bar. She thought had she and Sam been so inclined, they could have easily made out and the driver and his companion wouldn’t have been any the wiser. None of this, however, changed the fact for Desiree that she and Sam remained prisoners, their jail a gilded cage but a jail nonetheless. She hadn’t expected to be welcomed with open arms at their arrival, but neither had she expected such security cloaked in good old Southern hospitality. They were treated like visiting royalty when she knew that nothing could have been further from the truth. She knew had they voiced a wish to leave, they would not have been allowed to. They stayed safe and comfortable because Remy wished them to. From what Desiree had learned from Carson and Sam, from what she had seen for herself, Desiree knew that Remy’s wishes could

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change, and he’d show no compunction when it came to dealing with them as he saw fit. Once she and Sam had been settled in their hotel room—again lavish and outfitted for maximum comfort and security—she’d had a chance to ask him some questions and get a clearer picture of what was going on and what their role was. Before their departure from McCoy, Carson had contacted the pack elders and thrown down the gauntlet, officially challenging Remy for pack rights. Despite his status as a fugitive on the run, the council granted him dispensation upon Remy’s behest. Remy, Sam explained, proved eager to get this whole unpleasantness behind him so that he and his future mate could start their life without any blemishes or ugliness from the past. “So you and Carson are blemishes and ugliness?” “It would seem so, as far as Remy is concerned.” “How can he get away with this?” “Pack law, bebe.” Right, pack law superseded all other, and whatever the alpha said, nine times out of ten, was the word that all in the pack followed. Despite the crash course Desiree had received on the workings of pack hierarchy and alpha rights, she still didn’t agree with what was going on or what she, Sam, and the pack were about to witness. Carson and Remy would soon get into a ring on the edge of these very woods and fight to the death in front of their tribe, and there remained nothing she, Sam, or even Helena could do about it. She had wanted to see Carson in all his beastly glory, see him shift, but not like this, not when the end result could very well be his death. As honored guests—an honor Desiree neither wanted nor cared about—she and Sam had front-row seats to the impending carnage, spaces saved for them right on the outer edge of the circle that had been drawn in a small clearing just beyond the sweeping, low branches of several lofty weeping willows. She couldn’t help thinking

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that the trees’ dramatic appearance and the droop that created the familiar falling canopy perfectly suited her mood and perfectly suited the moment. The only thing missing remained a drumroll…and Helena. Desiree had yet to see her, and when she brought up her absence, Sam told her that she had probably been sequestered so that she couldn’t witness the fight. “My guess is she doesn’t even know we’re here or what Remy is doing. I’m sure she went with him on the condition that Carson and I would be left alone. It’s the only way she would have agreed to go with him in the first place. The challenge, and the fact that Remy accepted it, violates whatever agreement Mama and Remy came to.” That sounded about right. It sounded exactly like the sort of sacrifice a mother would make for her children. It sounded like the sacrifice that Helena would make for her sons. Sam rubbed her arms then removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Before that moment she hadn’t realized she shuddered or how cold it could get in the bayou. “It takes some getting used to.” Sam smiled at her and she remembered the night she’d seen him and Carson strolling out of the woods, dripping with water from the stream in the cool, early-spring evening. That night seemed so long ago, McCoy so far away from this baleful bayou. Though Colorado was much colder at night, she hadn’t imagined it could be this cold in the Gulf after being out earlier in the day, experiencing her clothes sticking to her in the sultry heat. “It won’t be much longer. They’ll bring Carson and Remy out soon to fight.” “They like to build the suspense.” “It’s all part of the sport.” How could he be so matter-of-fact about this? Two men were about to fight to the death, one of whom was his brother.

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She wanted to call Sam on his nonchalance but knew he wasn’t as nonchalant as he seemed, especially when he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. To comfort herself or him, she wasn’t sure. She just squeezed back, trying to absorb some of his calm sanity. Desiree glanced around her and took in the expressions of everyone present—a group of elders to one side, lesser lieutenants to another, a large throng of general pack members making up the bulk—and except for a number of the younger ones, teens and twentysomethings, their dispassion remained heavy in the air. Were they really all so blasé about the prospect of seeing blood spilled? “Whatever happens, Desi, you can’t react like a…like a human.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “It means even if…if Carson goes down, gets hurt—” “Dies?” “I still have you and Mama’s safety to think about. We can’t risk pissing off the elders or Remy and his lieutenants. You have to stay calm.” “I can’t make any promises.” “Sure you can. Just be strong like you were with me, and everything will be fine.” That proved the second time in twenty-four hours that someone had alluded to her strength, and she marveled at it, having never thought of herself as particularly strong. Had she been strong? She couldn’t remember much of what had happened that night when Remy appeared in his wolf form and gouged Sam to within an inch of his life. Most of her run back to The Double R had been a blur, and once she’d arrived back at the clearing to see the wolves enmeshed tooth and nail, things weren’t much better. She remembered fear, surely, and sadness at Sam’s injuries, but strength?

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Sam squeezed Desiree’s hand, bringing her attention back to the center of the ring, where Remy and Carson now made their entrance, flanked by two pack lieutenants. Both Carson and Remy were shamelessly, gloriously naked. Their olive-toned complexions glimmered beneath the light of a full moon and the numerous lanterns that had been strategically placed around the ring. Desiree noticed that both men had erections and had to remind herself of Sam’s admonishment a few days ago: “Things that faze full humans or aren’t acceptable in the full-human world are perfectly natural for us.” So it proved perfectly natural for two men to be aroused by the prospect of fighting to the death? She guessed the expectation could cause an adrenaline rush. So what did that say about her and her wet panties? Did the sight of one of her men standing so proud and beautiful, bare beneath the moonlight and for all the world to see, turn her on? Desiree repeated the words to herself over and over—perfectly natural—and tried to convince herself that all of this—shifters, pack politics, the circumstances that had finally brought her from Colorado to Louisiana at a moment’s notice—were perfectly natural. She turned her attention to the two officials beside Carson and Remy, listening as they recited some inane rules about battle protocol. Before she could take a deep breath, the lieutenants left the ring and Carson and Remy shifted into their wolf forms in an instant and strikingly brutal display of snapping bones and sprouting fur and claws. Desiree didn’t even have a chance to appreciate Carson’s sleek black beauty before he and Remy leaped at each other’s throats and the fight was on. ****

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He’d seen them as he followed Remy into the ring, couldn’t ignore them, especially Desiree, who proved so out of place with her anxious expression and innocent features that her presence shone like a beacon from the crowd. She was in for a rude awakening. Carson wanted nothing better than to spare her what he knew was coming, but things were out of his hands now. He’d fought for his chance to take on Remy and demanded justice. Here he stood now with his opportunity for revenge. It took everything in Carson to block out the vision of Desiree squeezed so close to Sam he thought she would climb onto his lap any moment. He couldn’t let them distract him, needed all his attention and energy for this fight. If things worked out as he hoped, it wouldn’t last too long. He had a strategy that called for striking fast and often until his opponent couldn’t get back up. He had an advantage, too, he thought. He’d seen Remy in action, had studied his moves, and he’d been practicing with Sam all these years for just this moment. Carson was ready. When Remy feinted to his left, Carson feinted to his right, parrying a slash to his ribs. He countered with an attack of his own, circling Remy and turning his head to bite Remy’s side. He quickly sank his canines until he drew blood but didn’t have a chance to deliver as damaging a blow as he would have liked before Remy turned his own head, snarling before he nipped Carson in the neck. Remy stood on his hind legs and leaped for him. Carson got on his hind legs to defend himself, growling and baring his teeth right before he sank them in Remy’s snout. Remy shook himself free, pushing Carson back with his front paws. The fresh scent of rain-soaked grass and dirt infiltrated his lungs before he sprang to all fours, instantly in attack mode again.

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They circled each other, growling as they looked for any opening or weakness. Periodically Carson closed the distance between them, taking running starts to nip at Remy’s hind legs and sides, then backed off for a better shot when Remy turned to nip him. As expected, Remy didn’t have too many failings. He remained an experienced alpha. However, he hadn’t had to fight, really fight, for anything significant in a long time. He had an Achilles’ heel, if it proved nothing more than his arrogance and complacency. Carson had seen that in the fight with Sam back in McCoy. Carson had done his damage then, too, and he intended to do more tonight. He intended to end things, here and now. They went around each other for a while longer, taking swipes with claws and canines and drawing a good amount of blood, before Remy seemed to lose his patience with the game. The attack, when it came, didn’t surprise Carson for its viciousness and speed as much as the frustration that seemed to drive it. Remy wanted to get this over with, probably so that he could get back to Mama, gloating and victorious. Carson wouldn’t have it. When Remy charged him Carson braced himself for impact. His preparation didn’t help as Remy threw his considerable weight behind the blow. He drove Carson to the ground, head-butting him in the ribs like a bull rushing a cowboy in the rodeo arena. Wind knocked out of him, Carson lay on the ground for a brief second before Remy leaped on him, teeth bared. Remy aimed his snout at Carson’s midsection and snapped. Carson howled when Remy’s teeth crunched against his ribs. He used his hind legs, frantically kicking and clawing at Remy to fend him off. Remy planted one paw in Carson’s neck and slashed downward with the other. Carson growled and twisted his head to bite the paw holding him down and bounded to his feet, circling behind Remy.

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He saw his window, a slim opening, and sprang onto Remy’s back with all fours, his rage-fueled power tumbling Remy to the ground beneath him. Carson went for the kill, opening his mouth over Remy’s neck and quickly sinking his teeth into the other wolf’s throat. He violently jerked his head back and forth, intent on doing the maximum damage, ripping tendons and vital arteries. Shouts and screams drifted out to him as if through a giant bubble, just muffled noise on the periphery of his senses as Remy gurgled and writhed beneath him in the throes of death. Muzzle covered in blood, Carson limped away from his kill. He staggered a few feet before plopping onto his side on the ground, panting hard. He bled pretty heavily from several deep wounds—neck, hind legs, ribs, back—but he didn’t think any of them fatal, not as long as he shifted soon. He closed his eyes and willed the change, agony riding his body so hard when his bones and muscles shifted, Carson yowled. He heard rather than saw Sam and Desiree as they rushed to the circle and tried to break through the human barricade of lieutenants surrounding him and their alpha’s body. Fully shifted now, Carson stumbled to his feet and took a couple of steps toward Remy’s body to get a better look at his handiwork, proof that his obligation to his father, to his mother, had finally been met. In death Remy had changed, too, not looking nearly as formidable in his human form as he had in the midst of trying to destroy Carson as a wolf. Carson wanted to feel more satisfaction with his enemy’s demise. He could, however, only muster emptiness and relief at the sight of a blood-covered Remy supine on the ground, now-sightless eyes focused on the clear night sky. “It’s done,” he rasped. “Not quite.”

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Carson jerked up his glance to stare at the prime elder, Arnoux. “What do you mean, not quite? I defeated him. He’s—” “Dead, yes. And this being the case, there are some matters that must be dealt with.” “Do I have alpha rights or not?” “There’s still the little matter of your crime and fugitive status.” “Remy led me to believe this challenge eradicated all of that. Clean slate, fresh start.” Arnoux hesitated, glancing down at Remy’s body before looking at Carson, his hard features unreadable. “The situation is a little more complicated than that, young one, and as I said before, there are some additional matters that the council must address with you and your kin.” “Carson, what is he talking about? What’s going on?” Sam stood just outside the circle, one of Remy’s lieutenants’ forearms planted firmly in his chest, holding him back. Yet another lieutenant, Gaetan, grasped Desiree around the biceps none too gently and began leading her away as one of Remy’s main lieutenants, Raul, latched onto Sam to do the same. Carson growled. “Where are they taking them?” “To be dealt with.” “You sonofabitch!” Carson charged Arnoux, but two more lieutenants grabbed each of his arms from behind and jerked him back. “Remy promised us freedom if I won. He promised.” “Yes, well, Remy isn’t here now, is he?” Still weak from his battle, Carson struggled against the two lieutenants to no avail. They dragged him away from the prime elder, out of the circle, and in the direction where Gaetan and Raul had led Sam and Desiree. “Don’t make this difficult,” one of the lieutenants grumbled in his ear. “We can easily restrain you. Shackles or tranquilizer. It’s up to you,” the other said.

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“Try it.” “Don’t even think about shifting.” Carson had been so thrown by Arnoux’s words and the sudden turn of events, shifting hadn’t even occurred to him. Now that he thought about it, he remained too weak try it anyway. “What’s it going to be?” “Take your best shot, peeshwank.” The first lieutenant, a pup even younger than Sam and who Carson barely knew, grinned and painfully tightened his grip around Carson’s biceps. His partner, much older but still unknown to Carson, swiftly stuck a needle in his opposite arm and depressed the plunger. Carson froze then his knees buckled beneath him. “No!” “Yes, whelp. Time to go beddy-bye.” “I can’t. Not now. Please…” “Too late to beg, hardass.” “But I have to…” Take care of Desiree and Mama and Sam. Please… Before another thought flashed through his mind, Carson’s world tilted on its axis and everything went black.

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Chapter 22 Desiree couldn’t go through this again. She couldn’t go through another Sam. As if reading the defeatist direction of her thoughts, Sam curved his arm around her now and drew her close to his side in the back of the limo. “Everything’s going to be all right. Be strong, bebe.” Desiree bit her lip and nodded, still filled with doubt, especially when one of Remy’s lieutenants, Raul, started the engine and pulled away from the wooded area to which she and Sam had originally been brought, a lifetime ago it seemed. The lieutenant riding shotgun, Gaetan, hit the power button to ease into place the dark-tinted Plexiglas that separated the passengers from the front seat. Immediately after, Desiree heard the power locks engage, effectively locking her and Sam in the backseat. She knew the routine. They remained “guests” of the pack until someone in charge decided otherwise. By all rights, that someone should have been Carson. Desiree wondered now how the transfer of power worked in the pack, especially once the alpha died. Was there some sort of lameduck period? Did Carson have to go through some type of bureaucratic processing before he could be recognized as the pack alpha? Or worse, had Remy just shined them all on, leading them to believe he meant what he said and said what he meant when nothing could have been further from the truth? Why else would Raul and Gaetan feel the need to manhandle her and Sam? Why else would that elder waylay Carson?

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Desiree had hoped that Remy would play fair, but he seemed the master manipulator from beyond the grave, wielding his control over the Guidry family and her, even after death. She leaned into Sam, trying to absorb his strength, failing miserably when she closed her eyes and saw Carson on the ground again, gasping for breath and covered in blood. True, he’d recovered and had been standing, if a little unsteadily, by the time she and Sam had been taken away, but just the idea that he had been injured left Desiree sick with fear. “Where do you think they’re taking us?” “From the turns they’re making, it feels like back to the hotel.” “Do you think Carson’s okay?” She had promised herself she wouldn’t ask, but she couldn’t help it. She needed reassurance after that scene back at the clearing. Sam squeezed her shoulder. “Carson’s like you. He’s strong and he’s a fighter. He’s not going to let them defeat him.” “But what if they decide not to honor Remy’s wishes? What if they go back on their word?” Everything she saw at the circle certainly pointed that way so far. What was all that discussion about between Carson and the elder? Carson certainly hadn’t looked happy hearing what the elder had to tell him. He’d looked like an innocent man on death row who’d just had his last chance at a stay of execution revoked. He’d looked like a man betrayed—pretty much how Desiree felt now. What were their options, however, except to go along for the ride and see where it took them? Desiree hoped it wasn’t to the end of a road. The Plexiglas slid down and Gaetan looked at them from the front passenger seat, showing a bit of fang as he grinned. “We’re here.” Desiree’s heart thudded to her stomach with the implications. “Showtime,” Sam said and took her hand as they exited the limo. ****

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Carson slowly regained consciousness to the familiar and comforting scents of the people he cared about and loved most in the world. He blinked his eyes, trying to bring his surroundings into focus, still unsure of the time or his location. The scents, however— Desiree’s sweet vanilla, his mama’s warm, baked-apple-andcinnamon smell, and Sam’s clean citrus scent—remained distinguishable beneath the more dominant aromas of Arnoux, Gaetan, and Raul. “Where…” His voice proved raspy and low, as if it had been out of commission for more than just the few hours he was sure he’d been unconscious. What had been in that shot? Arnoux sat beside him on what Carson could make out as a large hotel bed and helped him sit up against the pillows stacked behind him. The prime elder then stuck a straw in his mouth and Carson instinctively took several sips of the cool water offered to him. “Thank you.” He leaned back against the pillows, squinting his eyes against the bright lights of the room. “They shouldn’t have handled you so harshly.” Arnoux threw Remy’s two lieutenants a glare over his shoulder before turning back to Carson. “He didn’t give them a choice,” Raul spoke up, defending his comrades. “There is always a choice.” Duly chastised, Raul averted his eyes, staring at the carpeted floor as he stood at ease with his hands folded behind his back. Arnoux’s attitude confused Carson. He would have thought the prime elder condoned the harsh treatment, but evidently this wasn’t the case. “You have not been brought here to be penalized,” Arnoux said.

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“Why have I been brought here, then? And where is my family?” He scented them but did not see them anywhere in the room, which meant that they had to be nearby somewhere. Carson needed to see them, though. “There are some official matters we must go over with you before we can transfer power. If that is what you want, of course.” Did he want the official matters or the transfer of power? Carson remained confused. “I want to see my family.” “Very well.” Arnoux turned to the two lieutenants and nodded his head. Gaetan and Raul left the room and returned a moment later leading Mama, Sam, and Desiree into the room from an adjoining suite. Carson sat up in bed so suddenly he became light-headed and plopped back against the pillows. Arnoux patted his shoulder. “Do not rush, young one. The drugs are still in your system. That along with the blood loss has left you weak.” “You drugged him?” Helena asked, her voice cold and stern, as if she spoke to a young subordinate and not the prime elder. Carson wanted to warn her but didn’t have the energy to fight anymore. He’d used it all up in the ring, his spirit exhausted with his containment. Arnoux, however, seemed more amused than affronted by Mama’s tone. He stood, proffering a hand to her, indicating the place he’d just vacated. “Please, sit.” Mama crossed the room and took her place beside Carson as her due. Arnoux indicated the other two seats in the room beside the bed, silently inviting Sam and Desiree to sit. Tentatively, the pair took the seats right before Arnoux directed Gaetan and Raul to wait outside.

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Once the two lieutenants left, the prime elder took the seat adjacent the bed and facing Carson and his mama. “I must apologize for the fanfare at the circle and your rough treatment. We meant no harm. It was just necessary to get you all out of the area as expediently as possible.” “Did you expect trouble because of the outcome?” “Not necessarily, but one can never be too careful.” Arnoux sat forward in his seat, producing a sheaf of papers from a worn leather satchel that Carson hadn’t earlier seen. “Now, down to the business at hand.” “Business?” “Yes, Remy’s bequests to your family.” “He recognized us in his will?” Helena asked. “Yes, in addition to provisions he’d made for your alpha rights should you defeat him in battle, he left you considerable shares of the various companies in which he has interest, in effect controlling interest of the pack’s fortunes.” “Oh…my,” Mama said. “Why would he do that?” Sam asked. “In his words, he said that should the elder Guidry son defeat him in battle, he has more than earned the right to be alpha and inherit what Duane Bastien would have inherited had he lived.” “What if I don’t want it?” “Carson, don’t be hasty,” Desiree said, and he looked at her before glaring at Arnoux. “It’s blood money.” “You might want to discuss this with your family before you make any decisions, as well as how you wish to handle your position as alpha, that is to say if you wish to return to Louisiana to take your position or not. You should know that your acceptance has nothing to do with the bequest. The shares are yours no matter where you decide to live or if you accept alpha rights.”

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Carson’s head spun from all that the prime elder said, and still it wasn’t enough. “Did Remy say anything in his will about how my father died?” Did he confess? “I’m afraid not, no.” Carson nodded, not surprised. The bequest and other statements proved telling, but not enough vindication. However, since he had killed Remy, he had no choice but to accept things as they were. He knew the truth, and that had to be enough for him, Mama and Sam. Arnoux stood and gathered his papers before heading for the door. “I’ll give you some time to make an initial decision. We will go over this in more detail at the lawyer’s office tomorrow, where he’ll tell you exactly to what the family is entitled.” “Okay.” The prime elder nodded and left, quietly closing the door behind him. No one said anything for a long time after his departure, as if they didn’t want to speak for fear of bringing forth a jinx. Carson gave everyone a meaningful look, his glance landing on Desiree and Sam in turn before staying on his mother. “What do you think?” “I think we deserve the freedom and peace of mind Remy’s money will bring us.” “Will it, Mama? Bring us peace of mind?” “I don’t know about all of you, but it brings me peace of mind that he’s finally dead.” “Samson…” “I mean it, Mama, and I don’t care who knows it.” Sam raised his voice just enough for Arnoux and Remy’s lieutenants to hear in the hallway if they remained outside the door. “I think Helena’s right, Carson.” Desiree stood and walked over to the bed opposite where Helena sat. She looked at Carson for a long moment then sat down and placed her hand on his. “Nothing and no

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one can bring back your father, but the money could go a long way to healing your family, depending on how you use it.” Carson stared down at her hand and turned his hand over so that he could feel her warm palm against his as he held her hand in his. “What about you? Will you be staying with us to help us spend it?” “Carson!” “I didn’t mean it that way, Mama.” He turned to Sam, realizing he messed this all up with his clumsy delivery. “Help me out here, Sam.” His brother stood and made his way over to the bed where everyone now congregated. “What Carson means is will you stay with us as our mate?” Desiree grinned. “It was my understanding that wolves mated for life.” “They do,” Carson rasped. “Then unless something has changed since the other night, I believe you boys are stuck with me for the duration.” Carson wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close for a deep kiss on the lips. When he was through, Sam took his turn and did the same. Once they all finally pulled away from each other, Mama cleared her throat to get their attention. Carson saw the smile on her face and thought it was one of the first genuine ones he had seen on his mother’s face since before his and Sam’s father died. “Now all we have to decide is where we’re all going to live. I’m partial to Colorado.” Carson knew how partial his mama was to Jesse and Jax Reynolds’ father Jeremiah, too. He’d known about her infatuation for a while now. He couldn’t blame her for being ready to reach out for a little happiness of her own, especially now that he and Sam had found theirs.

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“Maybe we can look into getting a little ranch of our own near The Double R once we get Tamara to go over the paperwork with Remy’s lawyers,” Carson suggested. “Sounds good to me,” Sam said. Carson looked at Desiree and squeezed her hand. “How’s that sound to you?” “It sounds like I’m mated to two Coloradan shifter cowboys.” Mama and Sam both laughed as Carson pulled Desiree close for another deep kiss. He tasted her tears as they rolled down her cheeks and pulled back to thumb them from her eyes as he looked at her. His heart felt like it might burst from all the happiness inside him. “It’s finally over, cher,” he whispered. “No, love. It’s just beginning.”

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Epilogue The Double R, McCoy, Colorado Three months later Maia watched the festivities for her sister’s thirtieth birthday party with mixed feelings. She remained ecstatic that her sister enjoyed herself so much and had a good time. Actually, she’d never seen her sister so exuberant and…tipsy. Of course, she’d never seen her always-in-control, cautious sister so in love before, either. She smiled at the idea and at the view she had of Desiree dancing between her two wild shifter cowboys out on the hall floor. Everyone who meant anything to the family was present, including most of The Double R employees and current ranch guests, all enjoying a raucous time of good food and good music. Desiree caught Maia’s eye and waved, smiling as she wiggled her fanny in front of Carson and unabashedly kissed Sam on the lips. Maia never would have predicted this turn of events a couple of years ago, which just went to show that fortunes could always change, whether or not one was ready. She waved back at her sister and turned to head for the exit. She needed some fresh air while she waited for Thayne. On a whim, she’d taken Desiree’s advice and invited him to the party, operating under the the-worst-thing-he-can-say-is-no rule. So if he didn’t show up, Maia decided, Desiree would definitely be hearing an earful from her.

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Once outside, Maia found herself taking a little stroll around the grounds, tracing the same steps she had taken with Jax when she’d first arrived on the ranch with her mother and Desiree almost two years ago. The afternoon remained hot, if also dry, a typical summer day in Colorado. It certainly wasn’t as hot as some of the dog days she had experienced in New York, so when a sudden feeling of vertigo overcame her, Maia was at a loss as to why. She found the same outcropping of rocks by the pond she had sat upon when she’d first come to the ranch and gingerly eased down onto it to get her bearings. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, expecting the vision when it came but not expecting the subject. Three people appeared before her mind’s eye—two males and a female. She saw the two males with clarity, recognizing Thayne dressed in Old Western garb, but did not recognize the second man. She noticed that he resembled Thayne and had almost the same exact hair and eye color. Thayne’s brother, maybe? Though she couldn’t see the woman’s face clearly, she knew her identity. The woman was her. Maia had never ever had a vision about herself before. The subjects of her visions had always been other people and their fates, but never her own. She didn’t know whether to be excited or scared, and for the first time in a long time since her visions had first started, she wished she could stop them. Thayne in her vision reached out a hand to her, calling her name, and that’s when Maia realized that someone was touching her arm in real time. With a slight sense of dread, she opened her eyes, not sure if seeing Thayne now would be a good idea or not. She didn’t, however, have a choice, since there he stood in the tall, dark, and very virile flesh right in front of her.

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Clad in a blue Oxford shirt that flattered those stunning Caribbean-blue eyes she remembered so well, a pair of blue jeans, and brown cowboy boots, he remained every bit as attractive as Maia initially thought him at her first visit to the Valley View Hospital emergency room. She was relieved that he was clad in thoroughly contemporary clothes. She didn’t know what she would have done had she opened her eyes to see him as he appeared in her vision. That would have knocked her world off-kilter. Maia realized she might not have a choice, though, that it might just be a matter of time for her world to stay intact. Her visions usually proved pretty accurate. She didn’t even have time to consider all the ramifications of that fact before Thayne said, “I’m sorry about getting here late. I had an emergency at the hospital.” “An emergency at the emergency room. How novel.” Thayne chuckled but didn’t follow up. Maia stood, hooked an arm through his, and led him away from the pond, back to the main house. She liked that he had such a good sense of humor. She had gotten a hint of it the night he’d treated her raccoon bite and had liked it then, too. Curious still, she wanted to ask him who the other man was in her vision but realized she couldn’t play her hand yet. He didn’t know enough about her to think she wasn’t crazy, and she didn’t want to give him any ammunition to reject her out of hand just yet. Besides, Maia had a feeling she’d be meeting the other man soon enough.

THE END

Also by Gigi Moore Ménage Amour: The Double R, Book 1: Twin Cowboys for Tamara Ménage Everlasting ManLove: Three Men and a Bounty

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

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